CrossFit Steele Creek- 7 Years in the Making

On Dec. 20, 2009 it started, we signed our first lease for our original space. Thinking back, how it all began, and how I came to meet the people that were our first members and coaches is crazy. We started training people for free for a few months in a parking lot, and renting out 800sf to keep the equipment as we were finally getting ready to move into a 3200sf space to open CrossFit Steele Creek and Premier Health and Rehab Solutions. To say I was scared and nervous would be an understatement. Although I had worked for two different large chiropractor groups since 2004; this was different. CrossFit was fairly new at the time, with only 2 affiliates in Charlotte.  As for expectations, there were none.
Truth be told, at the start when I decided to include a CrossFit affiliate, it was because I thought it would be a fun business to own along with the doctor’s office. CrossFit Steele Creek would be the “icing on top” in regards to revenue from the facility. Sadly, my thinking was such that if we broke even in the gym, I’d be happy. I knew what I was getting into, however, I certainly didn’t expect the trajectory that CrossFit took in our facility and across the globe in the following years.
Eighteen months into a 36 month lease, we were forced to move. The two drivers of that early move were our neighbors who didn’t enjoy their computer monitors shaking every day and our lack of space. After an exhausting 3 month search, and while renting 2 separate units in the same building 200 meters apart; we found our location where we currently reside; a 12,000sf space, with 2000sf of that being our Chiropractic office. Between February 2^nd -4^th, 2012 we moved about 1.5 miles down the road into our current location. That weekend will be one I’ll never forget for a number of reasons. First, the Giants beat the Patriots again in the Super Bowl. Second, many of our members helped move everything we had, and painted walls with limited help by me because; number three, my daughter Lila was born unexpectedly 6 weeks premature on that Thursday of the move!  For the following 3 nights I slept at the hospital and went back and forth between a neo-natal ICU and helping move in to the new location.
The decision to open CrossFit Steele Creek has led to an incredible ride. At some point, I even agreed to purchase 1.6 acres to move and build a new location for CrossFit Steele Creek. That was until literally tons of bad soil and county sewer issues made it not such a great idea. I’ve met some of my closest friends through CrossFit in one way or another. It’s allowed us to play a role in improving the lives of thousands of people. Upon opening, I was expecting it would be a place people sought for weight loss and strength training…and it is. However, what I didn’t expect was the relationships that would form between everyone, members and coaches, with myself and one another. And through those relationships, the changes that would take place in many members that go well beyond what could be measured in a blood test or on a scale. Sad become happy. Selfish become grateful. Addicts become recovering addicts. Abused become brave.
Personally I have learned so much about myself, people and business through this process. I’ve worked hard and been fortunate to have a staff that I can count on and who care about our success as much as I do. While I might wear the “owner” hat; this is a team game. My job is to find problems and find great people to help create solutions.  It’s to help lead those that choose CrossFit Steele Creek down the road to better health.