Is running a gym your full-time gig? If no, what else do you do?
CrossFit IGNITE is my bread and butter. My main gig, but I also am passionate about music and have my own successful vinyl record label called STB Records. I press limited edition, really unique, vinyl record variants for underground (“Stoner Rock” Heavy Metal specifically) bands around the world. In 2014 I was voted as one of the top 5 “Boutique” record labels alongside Sony Music. I am heavily involved in a lot of aspects of the underground music scene in NY and NJ. I just love it, it’s almost as fun as owning my CrossFit Gym.

When is your birthday?
March 7th 1979 (39)

Are you an Early Bird or a Night Owl?
EARLY BIRD!! I wake up 345am and attack my day.

First thing you do when you wake up?
Brush teeth, drink water, make coffee, make bed, yoga, meditate, journal, plan, GO! (I know that’s more than the first thing but I love my morning routine!)

What are you reading now?
I am reading a few books right now. I have to admit this is something I need to put more effort into. “Developing the Leader WIthin You” By John C. Maxwell. This is a great book on being an empathetic servant leader. “Difficult Conversations” by Stone, Patton, Heen. Pretty self explanatory by the title. “Tribe Of Mentors” by Tim Ferriss. This last one is a cool book where a ton of really unique accomplished people are asked the same handful of questions. It’s neat to see everyones answers and even more interesting how most have a lot in common when it comes to discipline.

Favorite podcast?
Axe To Grind - a good east coast punk rock podcast, Joe Rogan Experience, 321Go Podcast (not kidding) and GSD Entrepreneur (seriously!). Not a huge podcast guy, so it takes a lot for me to subscribe.

Favorite place to getaway from it all?
Wish list - Nosara, Costa Rica. I have been surfing there twice in the past and I shall return again one day. It’s magical and not yet tainted. So don’t tell anyone about it! Everyday - long drives, basically driving alone to music is where I disappear.

Scariest thing you’ve done in your life, but you’re so glad you did it?
Not necessarily scary but profound. When my Grandfather was dying, I used to watch him on Monday nights in his house to give my mother a break. I would sleep over just to ensure he was comfortable while on hospice. The night of his death, I was in his room with him. Something didn't seem the same that night. I called my mom up I said “I think you should come here, something is up”. As soon as my mom walked into the room I witnessed my grandfather let out his last breath. At the same time I witnessed a vapor leave his body and travel up and away. Its something I will never forget. It profoundly changed me and I am so grateful I was given the opportunity to be there that night.

Workout movement would you most hate to perform naked?
Thrusters. I just hate them with or without clothing. If I never do a thruster again, I would be fine with that.

Who is (makes up) your family (spouse, partner, significant other, kids, fur babies, etc.)?
Right now it is just me and my wife Tina.. We have been married 7 years this July.

One thing you’ve had to overcome in your life?
Being heavily overweight as a kid. I clocked in at 260 and couldn't do a push up on my 17th birthday. Thankfully a friend asked me to go lift weights with him one day. I went and never stopped. It was just time. To break a genetic cycle took, and still TAKES a lot of work to this day. Being overweight comes with many psychological issues beyond just bodyweight that can take years to move forward from no matter how fit and healthy you may be. This is what lead me to learning mental health and happiness is true health. No matter how fit you are, if your mental health is not in check you are unhealthy. Strong mind, Strong YOU!

Do you consider yourself more of an introvert or extrovert?
I think I am like most CrossFit Coach/Owners. An extrovert, but can be a complete silent introvert all in the same day. I can stay up and hang out with you till 7am and not skip a beat and In the same week not leave my home or speak to another human for 4 days straight and not miss anyone. hahahah.

Favorite cheat food?
Pizza and Peanut M&M's. I just slayed a family sized bag of Peanut M&Ms a few weeks ago on my birthday. I was so proud and disgusted at the same time. If you have never had the pleasure of NY/NJ pizza, I highly recommend it.

If you were forced to karaoke just one song for a chance to win $10,000, what song would you choose?
That is easy - Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil. The whole crowd would join in the chorus and lose their minds. Yes I have contemplated this alone before hahahaha.

I'm on a mission to...
Pursue my purpose on this earth. I was put here to positively influence, effect and learn from all those around me. To passionately help anyone I come into contact with any way possible from just a smile to mentoring. I have yet to scratch the surface. I truly believe everyone put in our paths are there for a reason. This life has no meaning unless we grow together.

Who inspired you to pursue entrepreneurship?
Oh man I don’t know. I was born with it. As a very young kid I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up and I told them “A business owner living in the panhandle of Oklahoma”. I have no idea why Oklahoma, but I think I was 5 at the time. Fast forward to middle school, I used to buy snapples at the grocery store for 50 cents each then lug them in a cooler to the local golf course and sit in the woods all day and sell them to golfers during my summer break. The summer I turned 15 my father brought me to my first real paying job at the local market. I was the “stock boy”. When I got my first paycheck, I was appalled! I said to my dad “I could hire a kid down the street to sell snapples on the golf course for me while I sat home and make more money than this!!!” Looking back I guess that was the day I realized I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I have to say being an entrepreneur is just something that drives me. The things I stress over are also the things that draw me to it. At the end of the day everything relies on me. If I stop working, everything stops. If I get lazy, everything falls apart. There is a game like quality to it that I like. The daily reset and strategizing the puzzle of life. It’s really a dynamic awesome thing to be a part of.

Have you ever had a mentor? And how did they help you?
100% I feel mentors come in all different forms. Along my path in life I have had many mentors whether they knew it or not. I can think of people who were just kind to me and took time to be a friend as a kid. This had a profound effect on me to always be kind to people as best as I can. To accept people for who they are and everyone's opinion matters. My Immigrant parents who built a life for me where I wanted for nothing but was still raised with work ethic, an understanding of the value of a dollar and to pursue my dreams and never accept “can't” as an option. Of course mentors like Don Moss from 321Go and the rest of the team. His help has been priceless. I always look to surround myself with people who add to my life and can make me better.

How do you define success for yourself?
Success to me is not monetary, its freedom. Freedom to do what I want, when I want, and be able to afford to do it. To wake up every morning knowing all my decisions are my own and all of my outcomes in life are due to my own choices. To live everyday pursuing my passions is success. I can honestly say that both of my businesses started off as just things in my life I loved and was passionate about. I am so fortunate and grateful to have figured out a way (with a ton of help from others) to live my life exactly how I always wanted. Good and bad it all falls on me. I answer to one person, myself. Freedom, that is true success in my book.

We all love failure & flop stories! Tell us about something you tried in business that didn't work, and how you moved beyond it.
There was a point when CrossFit IGNITE was running good but my life was not. I got lazy and cocky, I thought “the gym is good enough”. I lost interest and got complacent, within a year the gyms energy was very low, Nothing was upgraded, people were quitting, money was very tight and I was 40lbs overweight. One day I woke up completely defeated and unhappy. Truly unhappy with my life as a whole. I remember looking at myself in the mirror naked. I just stared at myself. A cold stare right into my own eyes and it lead me to start to cry. I not only gave up on my business, I gave up on myself. I disrespected everyone who put time into me. I fell back into being overweight when I thought I broke that curse in my life. I was not me. I realized everything needed to change from my personal life, to my business. I also knew it needed to start at the top. Me. It was all my fault. That moment lead me to where I am today. I started training again. I forced myself to get up 430am everyday regardless if I had to or not. I had to discipline myself and basically “grow up” and take full responsibility for everything. One of my mantras in life is “It may not be my fault, but it is my responsibility”. I feel like we spend too much time on blaming everyone else for our circumstances in life. No matter whose fault it is, it is YOUR responsibility to take action and take care of business. That personal rock bottom forced me to find who I really am and my true happiness. I now commit time for me every morning. I wake up, meditate, do some sort of yoga. I make sure to feed my mind with something positive and empowering first thing every day. I read, listen to inspirational videos and journal my thoughts and ideas. Finally I plan my day and my most important tasks. My morning routine sets me up for excellence every day. It has “reIgnited” my personal and business fire. I can not speak highly enough about how as business owners, especially with our type of service business, we need to ensure we take time for ourselves every morning to set up our day for excellence. You can not live on “I hope today is…..”. When you leave the house you NEED to know “Today will be great!”.

What is a recent success that you're super proud of accomplishing?
We are a small facility. 3500 sq feet apx 85-95 members. This years CrossFit Open was the BIGGEST and most exciting we have ever had. Don and the rest of my M3 group were HUGE players in helping me prepare for the 5 week event. I had 75 people sign up.! Yes 75 people PAID to sign up! We kept it completely in-house. Had local business sponsor the event. Yes, people paid US to be at our event. I split the athletes into teams of 10 lead by a Coach. This caused people to interact with one another on a whole new level. Bonds and friendships were formed. People were doing things they never thought possible and the energy over the past 5 weeks was bananas. EVERYONE commented how much fun and how amazing and inspiring the event was. I even got to get on my soap box for 5 min at the final even and give a sappy speech. The emails saying thank you and telling me their goals for next year is what makes me the proudest. On a personal side it shows me I am in alignment with my passion and purpose. Helping people take ownership of their lives and grow. On a business side, to get an email about goals for NEXT March solidifies another year of paid membership just cause we had some fun. Can't beat that!

What is your superpower?
Integrity. I stand by who I am and my convictions. This has always lead me to easily earn trust with people. You may not even agree with my lifestyle or beliefs, but you will still end up trusting me because I am consistent. When people see consistency in action and words the greater their loyalty. I mean what I say and say what I mean. I apologize when I am wrong and seek to teach when I am right. “When wealth is lost, nothing is lost; when health is lost, something is lost; when character is lost, all is lost.”

What is the least sexy part of running a gym?
Dealing with uncomfortable conversations. I HATE being put in a position where I have to address issues I feel should be common sense. I do not like being the bad guy no matter how “right” or “necessary” it is. I hate having to address issues.

What would you tell yourself today if you could go back and talk to you on the day you opened your gym?
I would tell myself to “immediately set systems, rules and standards in place from day one. Once they are in place, make sure to hold myself the most accountable to these systems and rules and lead by example with integrity”. I believe as a leader you must live by a higher standard than those who follow you. As business and responsibility grows, your rights decrease. Meaning my discipline must get stronger and stronger as business expands because it all trickles down from the top. Lead by example always. If I had set expectations for the gym and myself I would have avoided 90% of my uncomfortable conversations. The hardest part of those conversations was most of the time it was my fault for never explaining and setting a standard. You can not hold someone accountable for something you never explained in detail what your expectations were. Having a plan and taking the extra time to map out every aspect of every role in the gym in detail was the most beneficial piece 321Go has brought into my life. “If the process is right, the product is guaranteed.”

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