The Livewell Collective - January 2020

The Livewell Collective - January 2020

JANUARY 2020

THE CROSSFIT DECADE

I have a feeling most of us in the CrossFit world will look back on the 2010s as a special decade. After all, that’s when the whole industry really kicked off. So many box owners we know started their businesses in the years between 2010–2015, and many athletes got their start around that same time. I’m not sure if we saw any formal scholarship explaining the explosion of boutique fitness in the last 10 years, but I have my own theories about how it came about. If you went back in time 15 years and tried to charge people the average cost of a gym membership today, you’d be openly mocked. The industry was utterly different in the 00s, dominated by low-cost fitness clubs that existed just to give people access to some weights and a treadmill. Yes, early adopters to CrossFit, Gym Jones, and others started cropping up at this time,

My thought is the economy may have played a role. I know, it’s a bold claim, and one I’m making on anecdotal evidence. But I don’t think anyone doubts the recession cast a very long shadow on the last decade — one that made young people reevaluate their time and priorities. As a young working professional during this period, fresh out of college and keenly aware of the value of a dollar, I can say my mind was constantly looking to do more in less time. My friends and I were all feeling this “time scarcity,” living in a world where work followed you home on your smartphone and online distractions abounded. As I’ve talked about in the past, my 20s were practically fueled by energy drinks just so I could hold down a decent job, stay in shape, and still have a social life. Discovering a high- intensity workout — one that got me better results in less time than a regular set at the gym — felt like a godsend. I wouldn’t be surprised if many felt the same way when they discovered CrossFit. Thinking back on it, I’m just disappointed I didn’t join the CrossFit movement sooner. In 2011, I was still teaching Krav Maga at a local gym in the time slot just before the “crazy” CrossFit folks came in and took over. They offered to let me join in all the time, but I always laughed them off with a “hell no!” Live and learn. Long story short, I tried Fran a year later, and even though it kicked my ass harder than any workout I’d done before, I came out thinking, “I NEED TO DO THAT AGAIN.” By 2013 I was a regular CrossFit coach, and by 2014, O2 was becoming a reality. In many ways, I had the opportunity to grow alongside the industry in the last decade, something I’ll always look back on fondly. I have no idea what the 2020s will bring, but I’m sure as hell excited to find out. If CrossFit continues to learn from and respond to the needs of people wanting to live fitter, healthier lives, I’d say it’s looking pretty bright.

but it was mostly service members, first responders, and “fitness nuts” scaring other Gold’s Gym members. But in the early 2010s, CrossFit came out of the garage and the boot camp and moved to real brick and mortar boxes. What changed?

CrossFit itself probably deserves most of the credit. After all, CrossFit people have proven to masters of branding and viral marketing from the outset. I can’t tell you how many affiliates and athletes we’ve talked to got their start from seeing videos

like “Nasty Girls” shared on YouTube. But the fact that so

many elite, high-intensity brands took off during this period tells me that Glassman and his company wasn’t the only element at play here.

Cheers,

–Dave Colina Founder, O2

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AND MAKING YOUR BROADCAST A SUCCESS 3 ESSENTIAL TIPS FOR

Facebook Live has been available to Facebook users for years now, but many business owners still haven’t taken advantage of this powerful customer engagement resource. Essentially, this technology gives users the ability to broadcast live from their Facebook account. For businesses, a gold mine of opportunity is opened to connect with customers and prospects in real time. Some companies utilize it for product launches, rebranding, general announcements, or directly engaging with potential customers. That said, a poorly executed broadcast can leave you with more issues than you started with. With that in mind, here are some essential tips to ensure your Facebook Live videos strengthen your marketing instead of weaken it. 1. RECORD FOR AT LEAST 10 MINUTES. If you set out to broadcast for 45 seconds, your content isn’t going to reach anyone in your target audience. A good rule of thumb is to create enough content so that your event reaches at least 10 minutes. With an average broadcast time of 10 minutes, your audience will have more opportunity to see your content, and you’ll reach the highest number of people possible. 2. PRIORITIZE GOOD PRODUCTION QUALITY. You don’t need to be a professional videographer to develop quality video content, but a poor broadcast could damage your brand. For example, your viewers will be distracted if you use an unsteady camera, so invest in equipment to keep your

REACH FURTHER, STRONGER

You’ve been working hard to update your Yelp page. But how do you earn and keep your customers using social media, where you have to make actual content for others to follow? Consider a few of these strategies. SPOTLIGHT YOUR LOCAL ‘SUCCESS STORIES.’ If you have direct and personal connections with your customers, this will come easy. Find a regular, ask them if they’d be willing to share their hobbies and how they got into personal fitness, and include a video and/or picture of part of their routine. You can spotlight employees, too! Get the incredible people who attend your gym to share their incredible stories. Learning about the other faces at the gym can help build a stronger sense of community. PROMOTE SOCIAL MEDIA EXCLUSIVE SAVINGS. Having exclusive promotions is one of the easiest ways to get people to engage and be enthusiastic about your social media platforms. Offer a discounted retail product during a certain day of the week, or promote seasonal savings for memberships and classes. You don’t need graphic design skills to make enticing ads for Instagram and Facebook. Sites like Canva.com make it super easy (and it’s free!). STRENGTHEN THE BRAND IDENTITY. What sets your gym apart from others in the area? What aspect of your gym brings customers to the door? For example, if you were a nutrition-focused gym that offers diet plans for your customers, then your posts could include tips for maintaining a healthy diet, new ways to cook or prepare a superfood, or anything else to strengthen your customers’ trust in your specialty. Making your

brand identity more specific will make it memorable and easier to connect with. PROMOTE YOUR RETAIL BRANCH. Your retail should be another way to express one message to your

clients: Every aspect of your fitness center can make their life easier, more convenient, and more healthy. You can have exclusive promotions and strengthen your brand identity in one swoop by promoting trustworthy and healthy products. You can even provide testimonials from other customers during their spotlight, such as including a question about their favorite sports drink. Don’t sweat over your social media. With the right consistent tactics to make sure your gym’s

unique qualities have a strong social media presence, you can ensure your past, current, and future clients will stay engaged with your business.

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USING FACEBOOK LIVE

broadcast steady, like a tripod. In addition, make sure your environment is completely quiet so your audience can focus on your content without hindrance. If you plan on having more than one person in the video, use microphones to ensure your audience can hear you. 3. ENGAGE WITH THE COMMENT SECTION. You could be alienating the audience you’re trying to engage by failing to respond to questions in the comment feed. Facebook Live isn’t just about broadcasting yourself; it’s also about communicating with your viewers directly to develop relationships with them. And as an added bonus, viewers’ comments can give you valuable feedback and consumer insights. It takes effort, but putting in the time to respond is well worth it to show you care about your audience’s opinions. These tips only scratch the surface of making your Facebook Live event a success, but they offer a good starting point. Before you dive in, know that Facebook’s platform changes periodically, so be sure to test Facebook Live on your personal page to familiarize yourself with the updated format. And to stay up to date on all of Facebook’s updates, check out their new newsroom at Newsroom.FB.com.

FOLLOWING HER CURIOSITY JACKIE JENSEN AND EFFECTUS ATHLETICS Jackie Jensen’s journey to becoming an affiliate owner began with a Zack Snyder movie. It was the mid-2000s, and “300” had taken theaters by storm — and like many moviegoers, Jackie was impressed by the physical fitness of the actors portraying Spartan warriors. Her interest led her to the work of Mark Twight and Gym Jones as a whole, and, from there, CrossFit was only a short leap away. “I’ve always been a curious individual,” Jackie tells us with a laugh, reflecting on how her initial interest in the “300 workout” led to her career as a box owner. “My husband and I opened our gym back in 2013,” she explains, expressing how she’d hoped to make a lasting impact on the community. “What I didn’t know was the impact it would have on me.” You see, Jackie’s curiosity didn’t stop when she opened EffectUs Athletics in St. Michael, Minnesota. As a CrossFit coach, she became more and more interested in the ways the body moves and what she could do to help members who were struggling with mobility. “Training members, you begin to notice the ways the body is designed to do air squats, and how many still struggle to do them,” Jackie points out as an example. “That’s how I stumbled across physical therapy.” We should mention that Jackie is now more than an affiliate owner. Last May, she graduated from physical therapy school and began her work as a clinician! Jackie sees this as an opportunity to “optimize human performance outside of the gym,” and “give people the quality of life they want.” She finds her continued work at EffectUs Athletics as integral to this work, pointing out that “a CrossFit coach has the power to make a huge change in a person’s life.” But her box hasn’t only impacted Jackie’s interest in health and mobility. She says the personal bonds have made the biggest impact on her. “My husband and I got married last year, and I realized all my bridesmaids were members from the early days of our gym,” Jackie explains. “I kept thinking I was going to change this community, but they ended up changing me. They gave my life so much meaning.”

HAM AND CHEDDAR POTATO SKINS

INGREDIENTS

• 6 small potatoes (1 1/2 lbs) • 2 tbsp reduced-fat sour cream • 1/4 tsp kosher salt • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 2 scallions, sliced (white

and green parts separated)

• 2 oz sliced deli ham, chopped • 1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 F. 2. Bake potatoes on baking sheet 25–30 minutes or until tender; set aside to cool. Heat broiler with rack in highest position. 3. Halve cooked potatoes lengthwise. Scoop out flesh, leaving a 1/4- inch border in the skins; transfer potato flesh (about 2 cups) to a bowl. Mash potato with sour cream and 2 tbsp water; season with salt and pepper. Fold in scallion whites and ham; spoon filling into potato shells. 4. Arrange filled potato skins on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with scallion greens before serving if desired.

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Yield: Serves 6 | Calories 186| Fat 4.3g | Protein 7g | Carbs 30g | Fiber 3g | Sugar 2g | Sodium 279mg

Thanks, Jackie!

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Page 1 The CrossFit Decade Page 2 Using Facebook Live to Strengthen Your Marketing How to Use Your Social Media Page Page 3 Ham and Cheddar Potato Skins Jackie Jensen on Pursuing Your Curiosities Page 4 Optimize Your Business With Eric Ries

your initial rollout is successful, you can respond quickly to consumer feedback and tailor your final product to specific needs.

JUMP-START YOUR BUSINESS

Throughout his book, Ries emphasizes the importance of consumer feedback for the success of your business, but he also warns against putting any real value in vanity metrics, which TechCrunch describes as >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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