WEBVTT
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.679
Got like a sharp pain in my back.
00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:02.080
Yeah.
00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:10.480
Not knowing the degree of the injury, I kept working out, training for a couple weeks, and came to the point where it was just it got real bad.
00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:10.720
Yeah.
00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.400
Your back injury was that way.
00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:14.080
Running the business was that way.
00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:20.320
Like you just seemed to be like, okay, I'm gonna go this direction and I'm just gonna go all in on learning.
00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:22.399
I was not ready by any means.
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:26.160
Um, but it was in the back of my mind where it's like this could be a possibility.
00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:42.079
Today's guest is Remy Sovereign, founder of Ambassador Fitness and Performance, where he helps busy adults, especially those 45 to 65, eliminate lower back pain and take control of their health.
00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:47.920
Remy's journey started with a severe back injury that left him dealing with chronic pain and depression.
00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:57.520
When traditional care fell short, he rebuilt himself from the ground up, using his background in human kinetics to fully recover and turn that experience into his life's mission.
00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:16.000
With a master's in exercise physiology and experience working with elite athletes like the Toronto Raptors and Windsor Spitfires, Remy now brings that same level of expertise to everyday people, his results-driven, time-efficient approach to helping clients move better, feel stronger, and live pain-free.
00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:19.680
Welcome back to another episode of Cracking the Success Vault with Spectre Group.
00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:26.159
Today we're joined by uh Remy Sovereign, uh, owner uh at uh Ambassador Fitness.
00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:27.599
Uh, thanks for joining us.
00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:28.719
Well, thank you, Sean.
00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:29.840
And I'm very happy to be here.
00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:30.480
This is exciting.
00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.079
Yeah, this is gonna be a fun conversation.
00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:33.680
I mean, I'm a big athlete person.
00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:35.599
I grew up playing professional sports.
00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:37.519
I actually have some low back pain.
00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:39.120
So we're gonna get into some stuff.
00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:40.719
Um, so that's kind of interesting.
00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:42.799
I I read a little bit about your bio earlier.
00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:44.480
Uh we met a few weeks ago.
00:01:44.640 --> 00:02:01.120
Uh, but before we get into like how you built your business and what that injury was like and all that kind of stuff, why don't you take us back to sort of where you started, where you were born, where you grew up, and uh, you know, what you did before you got into sort of the health and fitness uh area.
00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:02.000
Sounds good.
00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:02.239
Yeah.
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:03.840
So I'm from Windsor, Ontario.
00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:09.919
Grew up here, uh grade school, high school, did my whole university through uh here in Windsor.
00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.560
So um I come from a hockey background.
00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:19.759
So playing hockey growing up, played travel hockey, triple A, played a Euro Junior C Kingsville Comets back when they were around.
00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:20.479
Cool.
00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:28.639
Um, and then from that got into my undergrad, so after high school, I wanted to kind of get into physio.
00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:35.599
That was kind of like my intention, but I went into HK, did my whole HK degree.
00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:42.319
Uh, and then from that, physio school didn't really work out, applied to a couple places, just very competitive.
00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:48.000
So I decided to um just to upgrade myself, do my master's through HK.
00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:52.560
Uh, so I ended up doing a full internship and then research.
00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:59.039
So it kind of works kind of funny at Windsor, where it's like when you do your master's in HK, you have like two routes to go down.
00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:02.960
One you can do like an internship, or one you can do your thesis to get your master's.
00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:04.400
I ended up doing both.
00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:08.319
So I ended up having an internship with the Toronto Raptors.
00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:08.800
Cool.
00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:14.560
So that was a pretty cool experience where I moved to Toronto, worked with them kind of as like a strength and conditioning intern.
00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:27.840
Um, and sorry, I might be jumping a little ahead of here, but before that, um I was interning as well uh with the Windsor Spitfires for kind of two summers roughly uh under Joey Garland there.
00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:32.800
Um so that's where I kind of got into training, learning a little bit more about athletic therapy and whatnot.
00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.439
And that kind of led into the Raptors thing.
00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:39.759
Finished that kind of that internship was one of the best experiences I've had.
00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:53.120
Came back to uh Windsor, um, and then finished up my coursework, did a whole research project, got that published, and then um all from that kind of was got into some training afterwards.
00:03:53.439 --> 00:04:00.639
And so uh when did you do all of the the master's thesis working for the Raptors?
00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:01.840
How long ago was that?
00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:09.360
So we're going back to uh 2015, 2016.
00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:16.319
Okay, or sorry, yeah, 2015-2016 uh is when I had the um when I moved to Toronto.
00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:22.000
So I got into the master's program, and right away off the bat, I had landed this internship.
00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:30.160
So I went to Toronto, was interviewed for the position, and then I was notified the next day that I'd got it, so I'd have to move to Toronto.
00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:31.839
So I moved from Windsor to Toronto.
00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:35.199
Luckily, I was able to get kind of a course credit from it all.
00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:42.959
So living there with family um and then working with the team pretty much every day, yeah, learning from them.
00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:44.720
Uh, and then I moved back.
00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:50.879
So after that was done, and so I moved 2016 uh back to Windsor to kind of now finish up my coursework.
00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:56.399
And then about 2017 is when I started the research.
00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:03.040
So it was like a seven-week training study we did around um we were looking at a minute of work.
00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:05.360
So a minute of work.
00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:05.920
Yes.
00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:06.399
Okay.
00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:18.079
So we were trying to look at, and there's been research that's been done previously, looking at the least amount or minimal amount of time that one is required to improve um VO2 max.
00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:18.480
Okay.
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:22.480
So like your maximal oxygen output, like more cardiorespiratory fitness.
00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:26.319
So there's been different protocols and one.
00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:35.439
I don't I won't get into too much detail on that, but we were just looking to see if we could add a weighted vest to people doing stair sprints three times a week.
00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:38.879
Literally, they would be sprinting for a minute total, 20 second intervals.
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:50.399
So they were just sprinting upstairs, sorry, 15-second intervals um with 90 seconds rest, four times for a minute to total, three times a week.
00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:53.199
One group had a weighted vest, one didn't.
00:05:53.680 --> 00:06:00.560
Um, so the interesting thing is after the seven weeks, both groups improved, yeah, but there wasn't a significant difference.
00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.360
So the group that had the best, they didn't have any further benefit.
00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:17.839
It's interesting because I think most people when they're like working out, and I mean I come from a huge huge, I mean, I was a competitive swimmer, uh, swam on Canada's national team, had a full ride scholarship in the US.
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.920
Like I worked out in the pool 10, 12 times a week, plus weights, plus cardio, plus plus, plus, plus.
00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:38.879
Uh, and everybody has this like weird mental, I gonna say blockage that the more weight you do or the more you can lift, the better off you're gonna be.
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:42.800
And I have always found that that's not always been the case.
00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:48.560
Obviously, it's gonna depend upon the event that you're doing or what you're training for or whatnot.
00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:59.600
But in this instance, you would probably think that if I had a weighted vest on and I'm working harder because I'm I might improve more, but you're saying that's not the case.
00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:04.000
Yeah, so I mean, uh that's exactly what we found.
00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:16.160
Um, and the one thing that I mean, we couldn't kind of say this, but you can almost argue that sometimes, you know, uh, but just by adding the weight, there could be putting them at a higher risk of injury.
00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:16.800
Sure.
00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:20.800
Um now you could argue that the weight wasn't enough.
00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:26.639
We didn't have enough weight on them, but it was 10 and 20 percent of their body weight, like a progressive overload.
00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:32.319
Um, or that maybe the intervals weren't long, or if though those kind of variables were different.
00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:33.839
Some variables, sure.
00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:34.319
Right.
00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:52.160
So, but the point being is that um you know, weight itself may not be it's you know, just by adding a progressive overload to something like sprinting, you know, it's not necessarily going to improve your VO2 max when both are at all-out intensities for your cardiorespiratory fitness.
00:07:52.240 --> 00:08:01.759
Now, we did measure other variables like um lower body power and body composition, like body composition, there wasn't any changes either group.
00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:05.839
So, and there's more variables with nutrition and that on that end.
00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:12.079
Um, but with respect to um lower body strength, I mean both groups again improved.
00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:19.120
There was a little bit of a more of a tendency in the weighted vest group that seemed like there was a trend towards them having more improvements.
00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:24.160
So when you're talking about strength power, that's for maybe the weight can, you know, the overload.
00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:24.639
Yeah.
00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:24.959
Yeah.
00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.160
So it all really depends, you know, it depends on context.
00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:33.679
But you know, you see sometimes people maybe running or with a weighted vest or walking.
00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:46.879
It's not necessarily gonna maybe have the best, you know, the intended benefits that they may think, and could actually maybe do more harm than good in terms of at the same time, you can argue like uh their gate, it could affect the way they run, yeah.
00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:47.600
Um and whatnot.
00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:48.639
So who knows?
00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:52.240
Injuries, stress fractures, like just correct anything, right?
00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:52.799
Correct.
00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:57.519
Um, so what made you want to get into the the HK sports world in the first place?
00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:13.440
Obviously, I have found when I talk to many athletes that come from a competitive background, uh, most of the time they either wanted to do HK, they wanted to be a doctor, they wanted to do something in that health field because that's they grew up that way and maybe they had their own injury.
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:19.679
Um, but as you were growing up, was HK always the thing that you wanted to do with human kinetics?
00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:28.480
HK, well, it was kind of like the starting program that I wanted to get into because uh and I alluded to earlier, like I wanted to get into physio.
00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:31.440
Now, I also wanted to do sports performance and training.
00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:34.559
So it was like I wanted to do both it to a like a degree.
00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:42.559
Like if I could run like my own practice with respect to maybe physio and have like athletic training, that was kind of always what I was most interested in.
00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:43.039
Okay.
00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:50.000
Um so HK was kind of a good introduction to everything, learning about the human body, exercise science.
00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:59.120
And you know, I had an introduction, I know in high school, there's an exercise science course, and uh a lot of my friends went into the program as well, just being local with Windsor.
00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:06.639
Um, but the um that's kind of a lot where the interest in, you know, obviously having a hockey background, athletic background.
00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:11.840
Yeah, um, that's where that kind of led into and my interest, at least to going into HK.
00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:16.080
So then the intention was to then go do say masters in physio, right?
00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:16.399
Yeah.
00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:22.559
So and so okay, so you started playing you started playing hockey at a young at a young age.
00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:22.960
Correct.
00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:24.480
Did you play any other sports?
00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:29.039
Uh so I played a little bit of soccer, baseball when I was a kid.
00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:31.840
It's typical hockey players, baseball, it's all the same.
00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:35.600
Volleyball too, but um so what made you choose hockey?
00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:38.799
It was the one probably I was excelled at the most, I found.
00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:40.240
Okay, enjoyed the most.
00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:40.720
Yeah.
00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:46.799
Um, and then I think my dad, just being a big hockey fan as well, you know, I think that kind of pushed on me a little bit as well.
00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:47.600
And yeah.
00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:50.799
And it had aspirations of doing the NHL thing, yeah.
00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:52.559
You know, every kid growing up, right?
00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:53.919
You want to make it to the NHL.
00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:08.159
I mean, I know the OHL draft was something I was always trying to be hopeful for, but um, you know, especially when you're in grade 10 like that, you know, you're looking to try to make the OHL and then NHL beyond or the next step.
00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:13.600
But obviously, I realized after not being drafted that yeah, kind of my what do you think?
00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:18.559
Uh what do you think was probably like what do you think was the strongest part of your game and the weakest part of your game?
00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:20.399
So I played defense.
00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:22.399
Um of course.
00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:26.240
The big tall guy, the big Zedano Chara guy playing defense.
00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:26.559
Yeah.
00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:29.200
So I yeah, that's what I was kind of known for.
00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:30.559
That was my nickname, Chara.
00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:32.000
That's funny.
00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:35.039
And I know I did wear number 33, which I know is his number.
00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:36.159
That's interesting.
00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:37.679
On purpose or no?
00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:43.200
Uh, I did, like after, like I I think it was like my second year uh or my midget major year triple A.
00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:43.840
I wore 33.
00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:45.360
Everybody gave you the nickname and you wore 33.
00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:45.919
Chara, yeah.
00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:47.039
Interesting.
00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:56.639
So I think the the biggest part, obviously, long reach, big body, like I had great poke jack, you know, uh took up a lot of space, block shots.
00:11:56.720 --> 00:11:58.879
That's kind of what I was maybe more known for.
00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:04.960
Um, it's not like I would say I had a lot of high-end skill or wasn't gonna run a power play by any means.
00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:13.519
Um, but um in terms of a weakness, honestly, I think at the time, like I look back, I was very skinny.
00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:17.600
I honestly had a huge growth spurt uh as I was growing up.
00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:21.600
So I didn't really fill out until probably I was 1920.
00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:32.559
So I can't remember my exact weight, but uh I was maybe around 6'3 and grade 10, about 145 pounds, 150.
00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:34.000
Super light, yeah.
00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:38.320
And I mean, like in comparison, I'm 6'5 now, about 220.
00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:51.519
Yeah, so yeah, it was harder to I didn't have necessarily the strength to really like push your way through push my way through and have that like physical presence as a bigger body.
00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:55.279
Um, but there are other other attributes, like I said, long reach, stuff like that.
00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:56.240
That was good for me.
00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:06.639
But that was probably one of the biggest things I struggled with, and it I honestly really didn't probably fell out and like I said, till later, but that's one of my I was very similar.
00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:09.919
I mean, I went, I I honestly, I so I'm not that tall.
00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.360
I'm like just under six feet.
00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:12.960
I tell everyone six feet.
00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:20.399
Um I think I went away to university at like 130.
00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:26.480
Like I was the distance swimmer, yeah, super skinny, not super tall.
00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:30.399
Uh and in my first un my first year of university, I put on like 25 pounds.
00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:32.639
Like I think I just grew like crazy at like the age of 18.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:33.600
So that was like me.
00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:37.600
Started doing weights, started do eating more, just everything.
00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:40.720
Um, do you think it was for me?
00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:46.159
I always thought maybe it's because I didn't do weights uh training or I just wasn't eating enough.
00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:51.840
And once you're at university, I got a meal pass and I can just stay as long as I want and eat as much as I want.
00:13:51.919 --> 00:14:02.240
And I just kind of like thickened out, but it took a long time to like even learn how to operate my body in the pool after putting on 25 pounds.
00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:05.919
I'm heavier, uh not pulling myself the same way anymore.
00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:06.960
The technique was different.
00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:09.519
Like I had to learn how to do everything all over again.
00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:12.399
Um, do you think that was kind of similar to you?
00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:13.360
Absolutely.
00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:22.720
I mean, it wasn't until those early years in university that like I was eating more, kind of um training differently.
00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:26.720
But I also think too, like I I look back like when I was younger too.
00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:42.000
I was just like I was on the ice like three, four days or three, four times a day, and like just burning, burning, burning energy and not eating enough, but like that obviously balanced out, I think, later, and that's when I think kind of things evened out a little bit.
00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.200
But to your point, like completely I can relate on that end.
00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:46.080
Yeah, interesting.
00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:55.120
Do you ever look back and wonder, like, man, if I had if I had grown earlier, maybe OHL, NHL would be a thing?
00:14:55.679 --> 00:15:09.679
Uh it the funny thing is, is like I don't want to say that, but like I think for sure, like um I'm a much better hockey player now or than I was before.
00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:26.559
Yeah, like I if I put like in comparison, I think with me filling out a little bit more, and also like I think I just developed like skill set-wise a little bit better, but um coordination and all that just really came along later on, came along later on.
00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:30.159
So it's hard to say um with respect to that.
00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:36.879
If I I'd done that earlier, if things would be different, but at the same time, if I maybe I just continued with it, yeah.
00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:40.320
Um, I know like there was an opportunity to go to junior B after that.
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:42.320
I just decided to kind of quit a hockey though.
00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:42.639
Yeah.
00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:43.600
But interesting.
00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:45.519
Because you wanted to move on with life.
00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:56.240
Um, that was yeah, like it was more, you know, uh after playing a year junior C, um, there was an opportunity to go uh to play junior B.
00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:02.799
Um, but you know, being like an 18-year-old, um, just kind of what I was offered at the time.
00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:07.600
It wasn't like I would be in, be in and out of the lineup, not playing a ton of minutes.
00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:16.799
Um, so with that and starting university, I'm like, do I really want to make this big commitment and then have start university have a full semester?
00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:18.240
Can I manage both?
00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:23.519
I just decided to kind of pursue more of my education and play recreational hockey after that.
00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:24.080
Nice.
00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:24.559
Okay.
00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:29.519
And so where did this uh uh I I read online uh this back injury?
00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:31.039
Where did this kind of come into play?
00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:37.120
Yeah, so that's what I'm kind of known for is the back injury, back pain, but uh which is a whole different realm now.
00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:39.039
So it started.
00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:47.039
Um, so my third year university, um, I just remember I was I got into CrossFit was a big thing.
00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:47.519
Yeah.
00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:50.559
Uh this is when it kind of there was an explosion of it.
00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:58.879
And you know, when post-hockey, like my competitive stuff, playing recreational, still at the time, you know, looking for something to still do, right?
00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:05.359
So I kind of got involved into CrossFit, but I at the time did not really know what I was doing.
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.799
So this is like second year university, getting into third.
00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:20.079
So, you know, with a lot of Olympic lifts, power lifts, you know, wasn't lifting properly, lifting lots of weight, doing a lot of the wrong things, yeah, uh really pushing beyond my limits.
00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:30.319
And then just one day I threw my back out on like a deadlift just with bad forms, and um got like a sharp pain in my back.
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:41.680
Yeah, not knowing the degree of the injury, I kept working out training for a couple weeks, and came to the point where it was just it got real bad, yeah, real quick.
00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:43.599
I think that happens a lot of times though.
00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:47.680
Like, I mean, I got into CrossFit as well again after swimming.
00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:53.200
I think even during swimming, we were even kind of like at the end of my career, we were kind of doing it a little bit.
00:17:53.519 --> 00:18:03.039
Um, but it was so much about how much can you lift, how often can you lift it, you know, can you do it fast?
00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:04.960
And nobody cares.
00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:09.680
Most people, I shouldn't say nobody, most people don't care about form.
00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:12.720
They don't care about moving the actual weight itself.
00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:16.880
They just care, can you put it up and can you put it down faster than somebody else?
00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.640
And once your form goes out the window, like man, you can hurt yourself badly.
00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:21.359
100%.
00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:24.240
And you know, I'm a perfect example.
00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:25.920
Yeah, crazy.
00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:46.079
And so then that is that what led you into um doing a lot more of that, like 45 to 65 year olds with back pain, and now you're trying, are you trying to like get yourself out of that sort of box that people have put you in?
00:18:46.400 --> 00:19:00.000
Yeah, so what ended up happening was like the back injury itself was somewhat of a blessing in some ways because it opened up kind of a whole different avenue of underservic people that I didn't realize were sustaining all these back problems.
00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:05.359
So after I had my back injury, like it was uh I was in a really bad place at the time.
00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:09.359
Um, you know, I dealt with kind of depression, I was on a lot of medications.
00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:12.480
I had pain to the point where I couldn't sleep at night.
00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:18.960
I remember driving to school, like I would have pain going down my leg, just trying to drive to school.
00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:21.039
I'd be sitting through exams with pain.
00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:22.079
It was bad.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:26.799
So, and I'd been seeing multiple different physios, kairos, people.
00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:29.119
No one that really helped me.
00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:32.079
And it was just some even gave me stuff that made me worse.
00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:32.799
Yep.
00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:37.440
And then I kind of just did my own rehab a little bit on that hand.
00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:46.160
I learned from just doing, you know, having obviously an HK background, the knowing about the human body, doing my own research.
00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:52.240
I ended up finding just reading a lot of spine journals and I came across a guy by the name Dr.
00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:53.279
Stuart McGill.
00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:56.319
And from his information, it just kind of resonated with me.
00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:02.880
He was talking about back injuries, strength and conditioning, personal training, and kind of everything that's wrong with back pain today.
00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.759
So, from all this stuff and doing my own stuff, trial and error, I got better, improved.
00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:13.920
Took about a year and a half, roughly, or so till I was pain-free, and then another year to kind of work back to activity.
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:20.720
So all in that process was then I was kind of interning a little bit and working with the Spitfires, the Raptors.
00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:26.240
Yeah, but from that, um, it carved out.
00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:36.079
Um so I then started an online business where I was helping people online, and people were kind of it didn't even start that way as an online business.
00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:57.599
It's just as a YouTube channel where I was sharing my backstory, and then it kind of one person after another started commenting and sharing their stories, and I started to realize that there's there's something out there, you know, um, where there's a lot of people that are in a similar situation where it's like they've hurt themselves in a similar uh position to what I did, or whether it's from a different sport, and then they're doing the wrong things in the gym.
00:20:57.680 --> 00:20:57.839
Yeah.
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:14.240
And so with my kind of you know, injury prevention background as I was learning, I then you know started working with people online, started working with people here locally, um and kind of carved out this little back pain, uh I guess expertise, you would say.
00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:33.839
Um but uh from that um, you know, I went um I opened the gym as you know ambassador fitness, but it we our specialty is a little bit different, so I've kind of more went to um 45 to 65 plus crowd.
00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:37.279
Um kind of more with general injuries, I'd say.
00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:41.279
I'm still kind of working with you know, back pain is still my specialty.
00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:52.480
Um, but then we have Coach Chelsea, who's the other trainer, she works more on the menopause side, so she just got a uh recent certification to new one, um, menopause training.
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:59.119
So it kind of fits our demographic, but a lot of people with back pain, you know, trying to golf or yeah.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:00.640
All in that.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:10.319
And is it and it and are you seeing a lot of people who just haven't taken care of themselves over a long period of time that are now like, I should probably do something?
00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:10.880
Yeah.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:18.240
And right now the trend that like what you're seeing is like a lot of there's adult sport performance, I guess you would call it now, right?
00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:21.759
Um, a lot of people playing pickleball and hurting themselves, right?
00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:29.519
So I'm starting to see more of everybody thinks pickleball is like this nice, soft, easy sport that anyone can do, and it's not a hundred percent.
00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.759
And you're starting to see more people come in and like, hey, like my knees are hurting.
00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:36.480
Can you put a program for me to help me with this?
00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:41.039
So starting to see a lot more of that, and that's what we're trying to kind of cater to a little bit more.
00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:46.079
Um, but again, like back pain is still within that yeah domain.
00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:56.160
So I still get people that will come to see me just for back pain, but um, I'd say it's a little bit less of a priority or focus at this point with where the gym is at.
00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:02.240
So it's a little bit different, but I guess that's just like my my you know specific specialty on that end.
00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:03.119
Interesting.
00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:06.000
And so what made you want to start the YouTube channel then?
00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:15.680
Was it just a place where in this like dark period of time you're uh or just coming out of it, you're like, man, I was able to fix myself.
00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:19.839
And so I'm not expecting to make money from it.
00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.039
I'm not expecting, I just want to share a story.
00:23:23.680 --> 00:23:25.599
So it was kind of interesting, honestly.
00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:39.359
Going back to the YouTube channel, it was like I, you know, I I guess I kind of there was a trend of a lot of like fitness uh professionals getting on to social media, mainly YouTube, and then they were building out kind of their businesses that way.
00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:42.880
So I kind of wanted to aspire to be like them.
00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:50.240
Um and I just wanted, I thought the back pain thing with my story and everything, you know, I realized there wasn't a lot of information.
00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:53.039
So I thought this was a way I could differentiate myself, you know.
00:23:53.359 --> 00:24:04.960
I feel like with whether it's personal training, strength and conditioning, like you kind of have to have your own specific area, sure, you know, um, to really kind of make a go out of it from business.
00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:11.119
So I thought the back pain thing was a way for me to go in and then I could kind of branch out afterwards.
00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:12.400
So that was my intention.
00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:22.400
And at the time too, like I had a couple friends that were into social media as well, and one ended up kind of getting somewhat famous through Vine and was making a lot of money that way.
00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:28.400
Um, so it was like spitting ideas off of him at the time, um, which was kind of helpful.
00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:34.720
But that's where that kind of started it in um it was early in university when I started all that really, yeah.
00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:44.559
And so, how long did it take before you actually thought like there's an underservice market here and there's a place for me to help people?
00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:50.079
So the craziest thing is the first video I ever posted to YouTube was my story of lower back pain.
00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:56.640
And you know, I posted that video and then I was posting kind of weekly, and then all of a sudden that video just blew up.
00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:06.720
It kind of just a lot of like start got a lot of views, a lot of comments, and I would respond to every comment, and then it just kept going, and then more people subscribing to the channel.
00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:19.200
And so I want to say within maybe like a three to six month ballpark, I started to notice I'm like, hey, there's something here, and then it just kept slowly growing, like uh month after month, year after year.
00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:29.039
Now, I'll say if you look at it recently, I haven't really posted much, I haven't been kind of as active, but I did it for several years through COVID and everything.
00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:32.160
And then um, you know, that it's a mid-sized channel.
00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:35.279
I'd say we're 11,000 plus subscribers on it.
00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:41.279
And it I was able to build a bit of an online business and also help me locally get clients right because people would see me there.
00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:45.279
But um, I have close to probably 500 videos on there.
00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:45.920
Wow.
00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:52.400
So there's a lot of work and effort that were put in, not all the best or the greatest quality, but yeah, but you're gonna start somewhere.
00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:54.319
It was a good experience, yeah.
00:25:54.559 --> 00:26:01.200
Like you're not gonna just uh you know, it's the same thing with I mean, it's the same thing with any business, and and HK is no different.
00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:07.839
You're not just gonna take over, you know, lead trainer for the Raptors or the Spitfires, like you gotta start somewhere.
00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:17.759
Yeah, the videos might be you know super raw, and you know, lots of editing errors because you didn't edit them or whatnot, right?
00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:25.119
But at the same time, it also gives you a little bit of um um what's the word I'm looking for?
00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:33.599
Um uh like it's it's it's authentic, it's you, yeah, it's just what it was.
00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:35.039
And that's the way, yeah.
00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:42.160
Like you look at it, just like it was literally like a phone, and I didn't even have a microphone, and yeah, just recorded and uploaded it.
00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:46.960
And so it was interesting, but it was fun looking back at a lot of that, a lot of work was put into that.
00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:55.279
But and so how long then from the time that you start this YouTube channel to the time that you start Ambassador Fitness?
00:26:56.640 --> 00:26:57.839
So we started in bat.
00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:00.720
Well, we're coming up on our third year anniversary now.
00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:09.359
Um, so that's on May 2nd will be kind of the official third year that we've kind of been there and moved in and everything.
00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:20.400
So if I look back, the YouTube channel was started in I want to say 25th, no, 2013.
00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:26.400
Oh wow, yeah, it was my so like 10 years.
00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:30.559
Yeah, I think that's yeah, somewhere around then, 2013.
00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:35.119
It was two years before the Toronto Raptors thing.
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:35.519
Okay.
00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:46.640
So and so you said that you always kind of wanted to own a clinic, always kind of either wanted to do the physio or um the athletic training side of things.
00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:51.359
Um so you finish school, you get your masters, all this kind of stuff.
00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:57.279
You're now helping people virtually online, and I'm assuming some in-person at the same time.
00:27:57.599 --> 00:28:00.799
Yeah, so the in-person stuff really started for me.
00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:08.880
Like, I mean, so before uh when I was in my third and fourth year, I was working with the Spitfires there.
00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:11.920
So Joey Garland, I was interning under him.
00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:24.319
Um he was running kind of like a business through the gym in the offseason where he was training local NHL guys, guys from Spits, um, any local um kind of professional, semi-professional players.
00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:30.960
So worked with Tim and then I would help out through training camp a little bit, through their their combine and whatnot that they do.
00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:36.559
And then kind of came back the year after, did the same thing, but this time it became like a part-time position.
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:41.440
Um and then moved into the Raptors thing from that.
00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:47.279
Um and then we went to um, sorry, and then with school and all that.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:54.079
So when I was in my master's when I came back from Toronto, I was just working online with people.
00:28:54.480 --> 00:29:04.079
And then once I was done my master's, uh finished my research here, I worked um at a local studio here.
00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:06.319
Um, and I kind of built up my clientele.
00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:17.759
And then built we had about 60 clients and then so that was 2019, 2019, and then or 2018.
00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:19.920
Sorry, end of 2018 started that.
00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:26.319
Built up like a clientele of about 60 um clients or so in that ballpark, and then COVID happened.
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.039
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:33.119
So you know, that clientele went from 60 to say 10 real quick.
00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:40.480
Yeah, but you already had an online presence, which made the transition easier for me than probably most other trainers dealt with.
00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:43.279
Um, so I transitioned as much as I could online.
00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:48.559
So I already had people training with me online, but then it was now trying to adjust these in-person clients to online.
00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:57.920
So I was able to, you know, scavenge what I could and sure, you know, um kept it going.
00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:02.079
And it just you had this cycle of a yo-yo in, close, open, close.
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:03.440
Jim's had it the worst at the time.
00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:04.559
Yeah, it was brutal.
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:09.119
Yeah, this so it's interesting you say that because I first hand experience.
00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:12.160
So I moved to Windsor in late 2017.
00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:17.279
Uh, when I was trying to build my clientele, I worked night shift at Good Life.
00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:17.839
Okay.
00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:22.720
Uh, because I knew that people at Good Life, I could meet them, they probably were social.
00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:30.640
If I worked there, I'd get to talk to people, putting away weights and all that kind of stuff, and and built a lot of great relationships, friendships, everything from there.
00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:39.519
But um, yeah, during COVID, like before I started Spectre with Jason, um, I worked at Good Life.
00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:40.559
Man, it was brutal.
00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:43.039
Like 15 people allowed in the gym at a time.
00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:45.119
You had a book online, 24 hours.
00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:48.480
Everything like the app would only let you do it 24 hours in advance.
00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:51.039
If you were the weren't the first ones, you couldn't get in.
00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:52.240
Like it was terrible.
00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:54.319
Gyms had it so bad.
00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:57.759
Um it wasn't easy, that's for sure.
00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:10.799
It was honestly one of the probably like, I mean, you can speak to the restaurant industry, I'm sure others can on that, but the gym's for sure one of the the toughest industries to weave, you know, just the up to open, close, open, close.
00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:14.000
And it was like you couldn't get a consistent um routine.
00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:17.039
And you know, the gym is you know, when you're in personal training, right?
00:31:17.119 --> 00:31:18.240
It's all about habits, right?
00:31:18.319 --> 00:31:21.279
So people would come in, they'd get in the habit, and then they'd be off.
00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:24.480
And then it's just like pulling teeth to kind of get them back in.
00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:25.279
It's hard.
00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:33.279
And then, you know, people were afraid to go to the gym because of getting COVID and whatnot, and they didn't want to wear masks or you know, be in the gym environment.
00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:50.640
So there was a lot going on at that time, and then even they had the vaccine passport stuff, so it was like there was a lot of like just technicality stuff to work around, which made it very difficult, but got through it and ended up opening ambassador shortly after.
00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:56.480
But I was gonna say, so during that whole time, you're now you're online, you're no longer teaching in person.
00:31:57.039 --> 00:32:04.480
Uh was it like, okay, now I'm actually gonna like whenever we get through this period of time, I'm gonna go open my own place.
00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:08.000
Was this kind of like a catalyst to be like, I'm gonna start my thing?
00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:12.400
Yeah, like in my mind, yes, but like I wasn't ready for it.
00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:14.400
So, how come you say that?
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:17.839
I didn't know how to run, say, a gym.
00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:45.839
There's a difference between being a personal trainer and operating as like a self-employed individual and just you know, being a good coach, you know, handling everything that way, but it's a whole different aspect of like, you know, you have now more responsibility from a gym owner's perspective in terms of lease, you know, negotiating with the landlord and cleanliness, staff, insurance is different, cleanliness, everything you have staff to hire, manage.
00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:51.680
Um, you know, and it's there's a lot more responsibility, and it's just a whole different avenue, right?
00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:54.559
So I was not ready by any means.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:32:58.000
Um, but it was in the back of my mind where it's like this could be a possibility.
00:32:58.319 --> 00:33:10.720
Um so I think what ended up, if I ever recall what happened, is when COVID happened, the studio I was at, I ended up leaving um kind of halfway through.
00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:17.119
They went in a different direction with their business model, okay, which didn't really work for my situation.
00:33:17.279 --> 00:33:21.519
Um, and so we kind of went separate ways, like no hard feelings by any means.
00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:23.200
It was just um time.
00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:29.200
But yeah, it was just time, and we had different um opinions on the direction of the business.
00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:41.680
Um, so I went to a different place to with I had probably now, I mean, you know, the peak of things was 60 members, probably at 2530, right?
00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:41.839
Okay.
00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:44.720
For myself that I'm working with, plus online people.
00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:48.480
I had gone to a different place, which was Limitless Training Center.
00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:55.200
Um, and Paul, who's an amazing guy, um, I worked with worked with him there.
00:33:55.279 --> 00:34:00.480
And then uh he decided to he just kind of close the business after about a year and a half.
00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:07.759
So that was kind of my take to now go run um my own gym and open ambassador.
00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:08.000
Yeah.
00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:12.000
And so in that process, then working, you said his name is Paul.
00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:12.800
Paul, yeah.
00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:20.000
So did did Paul then did you actually like take some time with him to learn like how to run a gym?
00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:24.159
Or you before you're like, I don't have any of this experience, I'm not sure I'm ready.
00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:24.559
Yeah.
00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:27.760
To a year and a half later, you're like, okay, I'm gonna do this.
00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:37.199
Yeah, but like, other than attitude of I'm just gonna go do this thing, uh, opening a gym and taking on all this responsibility.
00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:39.360
Did he teach you how to run a gym?
00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:42.719
Or you just thought, you know what, now I'm ready for it and I'm just gonna take the chance?
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:44.400
It was a little bit different.
00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:54.960
Um, because I would honestly say my experience before Paul was more of um when I was at um, so the other place I was at was JS Fitness.
00:34:55.119 --> 00:35:02.239
Um, when I was working with Jonathan, I he I kind of initially learned a lot from him and kind of running the systems.
00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:11.199
So when I went with Paul, um the business model was a little bit different where it was um multiple trainers, one gym, leasing space.
00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:16.079
Um, so everyone is kind of running their own kind of system to a degree.
00:35:16.320 --> 00:35:29.599
Um, but from Paul's perspective, like I had a lot of questions, like you know, like I learned from him in terms of like um more of like how he dealt with um I didn't know about paying utilities and all this sort of stuff, right?
00:35:29.679 --> 00:35:32.400
Like insurance and like he had the responsibility of that.
00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:37.679
So from that, and then even on the marketing side, a little bit like uh learned from him.
00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:41.280
So between him and Jonathan, like I learned a lot from both those guys.
00:35:41.440 --> 00:35:49.920
Um so from those experiences, obviously, that kind of helped me um move into or at least open ambassador.
00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:50.159
Yeah.
00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:59.679
And and I I joked earlier when you showed up uh coming up on three years, you know, the stats like 90% of businesses fail within the first three years, right?
00:35:59.760 --> 00:36:06.639
They either can't sell their product enough, um, you know, they can't, they don't have big enough profit margins, they can't stay open.
00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:09.760
Um, obviously, you're hitting that three-year mark.
00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:11.599
Uh, how's the business going?
00:36:11.840 --> 00:36:14.559
Good, profitable, obviously still wanting to grow.
00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:15.280
Yeah.
00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:18.079
So right now, honestly, it's been crazy.
00:36:18.239 --> 00:36:22.559
Like we're as busy as can be, I'd say, at this point, which is awesome.
00:36:22.800 --> 00:36:28.880
So when we started, um we probably had about 30-ish members.
00:36:29.039 --> 00:36:30.880
So it was just me and Chelsea.
00:36:31.280 --> 00:36:33.039
We were the two trainers.
00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:37.599
So we were both at limitless there, and we came over.
00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:44.239
Um and from that point, you know, we're now at probably around 100 members.
00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:44.800
Wow.
00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:49.840
So within three years, um kind of split between us.
00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:58.480
So, you know, I think we're close to our threshold to a degree in terms of what our bandwidth can handle from a training perspective and coaching perspective.
00:36:58.639 --> 00:36:59.920
We're close at least.
00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:10.400
But um, you know, I think for what we've done has been incredible um for three years, you know.
00:37:10.639 --> 00:37:11.199
Yeah.
00:37:11.519 --> 00:37:16.960
We've um got an um like an amazing setup and everything.
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:21.920
Um, and uh couldn't be more happy with where with where we're at at this point.
00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:24.320
And so what's sort of the next thing for you guys?
00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:25.199
What's the next goal?
00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:26.480
What do you, you know?
00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:29.920
I'm assuming you did a five-year lease, you got probably two years left.
00:37:30.239 --> 00:37:33.920
So right now we have one more year on our lease, actually.
00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:37.039
Okay, but the landlord is amazing.
00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:37.519
Yeah.
00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:39.599
But the space isn't big enough though.
00:37:40.320 --> 00:37:41.039
To to grow.
00:37:41.199 --> 00:37:42.480
Are you guys wanting to grow more?
00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:42.960
No.
00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:43.519
Okay.
00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:46.239
So that's yes, the space is big enough.
00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:50.159
So uh to take it on a different side here.
00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:57.360
Um I don't want the gym to kind of get bigger than say well, here's the issue, right?
00:37:57.440 --> 00:38:04.000
So in the industry, right, like there's different models and that fit for each space.
00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:10.719
So with what we run, semi-private personal training, which is our main model, and we kind of work with that adult population, right?
00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:14.880
More of a 45, 65 range, you could say.
00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:21.760
Um the sweet spot seems to be somewhere between 1200 to 2,000 square feet.
00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:22.639
Okay.
00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:24.719
So we're probably at around 1500.
00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:25.199
Okay.
00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:29.599
So that fits our what our model allows.
00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:37.360
Now, yeah, you can make the argument, hey, we can get a bigger space and train more people, but that then we have to get more trainers in there too.
00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:53.679
I think we still have room for a little bit of growth in our current setup, but that would probably involve hiring at least a part-time trainer or at least me kind of cutting my hours back and having that person go full-time, and then we could maybe take somewhere to between another 40, sorry, 20 to 40 members in that ballpark.
00:38:53.840 --> 00:38:54.000
Okay.
00:38:54.320 --> 00:38:55.360
That would cap the space.
00:38:55.440 --> 00:39:14.639
I wouldn't want to go any bigger than that because then I think it gets um I can't remember, but it's Dunbar's number, um, which is like if you have, I think it's 150, um, in terms of relationships that you're, you know, that's what kind of we I wanted to make it your local neighborhood gym.
00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:17.440
So I'm not trying to make it bigger than it is.
00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:17.840
Yeah.
00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:20.079
Um, I love the space.
00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:22.159
We have an amazing landlord.
00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:23.599
She trains with us.
00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:24.079
Cool.
00:39:24.239 --> 00:39:25.840
She's a chiropractor upstairs.
00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:26.159
Yeah.
00:39:26.239 --> 00:39:28.239
Uh, so we have referrals both ways.
00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:30.880
Um, great location.
00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:33.039
So I'm very happy with it.
00:39:33.119 --> 00:39:43.840
So I honestly I think we have a little bit of room for a little bit of growth, but yeah, I think it's uh we're getting to the point where it's like let's just make sure we handle that properly or we'll see what that looks like.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:50.159
So no big like giant aspirations to make a second location or anything like that right now.
00:39:50.480 --> 00:39:54.639
Like you think you will listen, I would not rule that out.
00:39:54.800 --> 00:39:59.920
Sure, that would be maybe uh if anything down the road, like say five, ten years, sure.
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:05.199
If anything, but I think what I would prefer to do is expand into a different business.
00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:10.000
Um, which I recently got into um in real estate.
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:10.639
Oh.
00:40:10.960 --> 00:40:14.320
So I um own a fourplex.
00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:14.960
Cool.
00:40:15.199 --> 00:40:17.519
So learning to kind of be like a small landlord.
00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:17.920
Yeah.
00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:23.119
Um purchased this um what are we now almost two years ago?
00:40:23.199 --> 00:40:23.360
Yeah.
00:40:23.519 --> 00:40:27.760
So I live in one unit and then have the other three rented out.
00:40:27.840 --> 00:40:28.159
Yeah.
00:40:28.400 --> 00:40:33.679
So that is kind of a little bit more my intention, is just to kind of look into different businesses.
00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:39.519
Use the use that business, which you love and enjoy to allow yourself the ability to do other things.
00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:40.159
Correct.
00:40:40.320 --> 00:40:40.719
Neat.
00:40:41.519 --> 00:40:43.199
So, yeah, as opposed to opening.
00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:52.639
And so do you have other than opposed to opening other gyms, then what are the goals for you then personally like want to own more units?
00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:56.480
Like, where's sort of your thought process in in terms of that side of things?
00:40:56.719 --> 00:41:09.599
So, and I'm fortunate because my dad and uncle um, you know, we're kind of more a little bit in real estate, so this is kind of where I've I've kind of learned a little bit more.
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:17.840
I think um I would like to at least own another property or two, probably two.
00:41:18.400 --> 00:41:23.599
Um but you know, we're a little bit ways from that, but sure.
00:41:23.760 --> 00:41:30.719
I think expanding the portfolio a little bit on that end would be uh definitely something I would be more interested in.
00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:34.000
It's a little bit more passive, it's not as hands-on as, say, the gym.
00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:34.559
Yeah.
00:41:34.800 --> 00:41:36.719
So, but I'm learning as I go, right?
00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:40.000
I've it's been an interesting experience being a landlord.
00:41:40.960 --> 00:41:41.280
Yeah.
00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:51.840
I mean, you seem to be this kind of person that like uh like you come up with this idea to do something and you just go all in and you learn just by doing, right?
00:41:51.920 --> 00:42:05.199
Like your back injury was that way, running the business was that way, like you just seem to be like, okay, I'm gonna go this direction and I'm just gonna go all in on learning what it takes to do this thing.
00:42:05.599 --> 00:42:07.440
That's usually my mindset, yeah.
00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:09.760
And where'd you get that mindset from?
00:42:10.320 --> 00:42:11.440
That's a good question.
00:42:11.679 --> 00:42:16.320
Um, I want to say my parents and narrated, but but I don't know.
00:42:16.480 --> 00:42:22.400
I think you know, uh I've always been like self-motivated to do things.
00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:25.360
Um, and I don't not exactly sure where that comes from.
00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:27.760
Maybe being an only child, I don't know.
00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:41.440
Um, you know, I know definitely know within the family like there's entrepreneurial genes there between grandfather and um some you know other family members as well, so having their own businesses.
00:42:41.760 --> 00:42:47.199
So I think just some of that has trickled in trickled in a little bit.
00:42:47.280 --> 00:42:50.800
Yeah um and I guess it's just my personality, I guess.
00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:51.119
I don't know.
00:42:51.199 --> 00:42:51.760
Yeah, interesting.
00:42:52.320 --> 00:42:53.760
Yeah, interesting.
00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:55.679
Well, running out of time here.
00:42:55.920 --> 00:43:05.920
Um anything you want to tell anybody about uh where they can find you, what you guys are doing, um anything like that about the gym and anything like that.
00:43:06.079 --> 00:43:12.079
You guys want you want to tell anybody who's listening, you know, anything more about yourself and what they can expect from you guys?
00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:22.480
Yeah, I mean so right now we're coming up on our third year anniversary, um, which is gonna be May 2nd, uh 2026 here.
00:43:22.639 --> 00:43:25.920
So it's gonna be uh we're having an anniversary party.
00:43:26.079 --> 00:43:26.639
Oh, cool.
00:43:26.800 --> 00:43:31.599
And it's an open house style, so we're doing it a little bit differently uh this time around.
00:43:31.920 --> 00:43:34.079
And anyone is welcome to come.
00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:39.360
So come out for some giveaways, prizes, games, coffee.
00:43:39.519 --> 00:43:41.599
Um, it'll be from 11 a.m.
00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:42.639
to 2 p.m.
00:43:43.119 --> 00:43:53.440
Um it'll be a little fun experience if you're just interested about what we do, what we offer, and want to meet myself or Coach Chelsea or see what you know the whole gym's about and see our other members.
00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:55.920
It'll be a great time, I promise you.
00:43:56.079 --> 00:43:58.880
So if you're listening to this and want to come out, check us out.
00:43:58.960 --> 00:43:59.760
Uh maybe you're interested.
00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:07.519
In some personal training or like looking to work around some back pain or have some something you want to work on, feel free to pop on in.
00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:08.480
We'd love to have you out.
00:44:08.639 --> 00:44:10.079
And what did you say that was May?
00:44:10.639 --> 00:44:11.280
May 2nd.
00:44:11.599 --> 00:44:13.840
So Saturday, May 2nd from 11 a.m.
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:14.400
to 2 p.m.
00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:15.679
at Ambassador Fitness.
00:44:15.760 --> 00:44:19.760
And we're located right on Walker Road, uh 3774.
00:44:19.840 --> 00:44:22.960
So just between the expressway and kind of the airport there.
00:44:23.119 --> 00:44:23.760
Oh, okay.
00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:24.719
Oh, got it.
00:44:24.880 --> 00:44:25.119
Cool.
00:44:25.199 --> 00:44:25.280
Yeah.
00:44:25.440 --> 00:44:25.679
Yeah.
00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:27.280
I mean, listen, that sounds like a fun event.
00:44:27.360 --> 00:44:32.159
I mean, I the gym that I was working out of, that's kind of how I met with them.
00:44:32.320 --> 00:44:33.440
Was it just like this open house?
00:44:33.599 --> 00:44:34.400
I was like, you know what?
00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:35.840
Like what's this new gym?
00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:36.960
I'm gonna go check this out.
00:44:37.119 --> 00:44:39.280
Like, so maybe I'll stop by.
00:44:40.719 --> 00:44:41.440
Sounds like a fun place.
00:44:41.599 --> 00:44:45.199
So um, well, we always end every podcast the same way.
00:44:45.360 --> 00:44:46.559
I didn't prep you for this.
00:44:46.800 --> 00:44:50.159
Um, but what does success mean to Remy?
00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:55.920
Oh that's a good question, honestly.
00:44:56.159 --> 00:45:00.880
Um just like a full response, or like, you know, yeah, whatever you want, man.
00:45:01.440 --> 00:45:19.760
Um honestly I think success to me would mean like um giving back to, you know, making the community better and making the world, I guess, our local community a better place as we can.
00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:33.519
And you know, I'm grateful for the point that I'm at and the success that I've had, and I'd like to keep building that, but I also want to give back to those that maybe are in need or need help.
00:45:33.679 --> 00:45:44.320
And if we can make everyone just a better place and make everything better here, I think that would be, you know, a success to me, and what success would at least mean to me, yeah.
00:45:44.480 --> 00:45:46.719
Um, the better we can make our community.
00:45:46.880 --> 00:45:47.119
Yeah.
00:45:47.280 --> 00:45:49.039
And for all of us to succeed.
00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:50.239
Yeah, it's a great answer.
00:45:50.320 --> 00:46:00.159
So I mean, that's uh, you know, once you once you have some amazing things in your own life, being able to give those to other people, um, it's a it's a cool feeling.
00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:01.760
It's it's great to be able to give back.
00:46:01.840 --> 00:46:02.639
So 100%.
00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:03.039
Yeah.
00:46:03.199 --> 00:46:03.920
I'm with you there.
00:46:04.079 --> 00:46:07.119
So uh well, Remy, listen, I appreciate the time.
00:46:07.280 --> 00:46:11.760
Uh, I know this was a little bit uh, you know, sort of short notice to come out here and do this.
00:46:11.840 --> 00:46:14.480
We are gonna do coffee, and I was like, you know what, let's change.
00:46:14.719 --> 00:46:17.199
Um, so I appreciate you taking the time out of your day.
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:20.400
Tell us a little bit about the gym, what you're doing, what you got going on.
00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:23.920
Um, obviously everybody can find you uh Saturday, May 2nd.
00:46:24.159 --> 00:46:24.960
Saturday, May 2nd, yes.
00:46:25.199 --> 00:46:25.920
11 to 2.
00:46:26.000 --> 00:46:26.320
Yep.
00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:27.679
Uh open house.
00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:30.239
Um but yeah, I appreciate your time.
00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:32.239
Thanks for uh thanks for chatting with us today.
00:46:32.400 --> 00:46:33.119
I appreciate it, Sean.
00:46:33.199 --> 00:46:33.679
Thanks for having me.
00:46:33.840 --> 00:46:34.239
Anytime.
00:46:34.400 --> 00:46:34.960
All right, everybody.
00:46:35.039 --> 00:46:41.360
That's another episode of Cracking the Success Vault here with uh Spectre Group uh and our guest Remy Sovereign from Ambassador Fitness.
00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:43.599
Uh again, Remy, thanks for taking the time out of your day.
00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:44.320
Thank you.
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:01.679
Got like a sharp pain in my back.
00:00:01.760 --> 00:00:02.080
Yeah.
00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:10.480
Not knowing the degree of the injury, I kept working out, training for a couple weeks, and came to the point where it was just it got real bad.
00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:10.720
Yeah.
00:00:10.800 --> 00:00:12.400
Your back injury was that way.
00:00:12.560 --> 00:00:14.080
Running the business was that way.
00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:20.320
Like you just seemed to be like, okay, I'm gonna go this direction and I'm just gonna go all in on learning.
00:00:20.640 --> 00:00:22.399
I was not ready by any means.
00:00:22.480 --> 00:00:26.160
Um, but it was in the back of my mind where it's like this could be a possibility.
00:00:30.960 --> 00:00:42.079
Today's guest is Remy Sovereign, founder of Ambassador Fitness and Performance, where he helps busy adults, especially those 45 to 65, eliminate lower back pain and take control of their health.
00:00:42.399 --> 00:00:47.920
Remy's journey started with a severe back injury that left him dealing with chronic pain and depression.
00:00:48.079 --> 00:00:57.520
When traditional care fell short, he rebuilt himself from the ground up, using his background in human kinetics to fully recover and turn that experience into his life's mission.
00:00:57.759 --> 00:01:16.000
With a master's in exercise physiology and experience working with elite athletes like the Toronto Raptors and Windsor Spitfires, Remy now brings that same level of expertise to everyday people, his results-driven, time-efficient approach to helping clients move better, feel stronger, and live pain-free.
00:01:16.239 --> 00:01:19.680
Welcome back to another episode of Cracking the Success Vault with Spectre Group.
00:01:19.760 --> 00:01:26.159
Today we're joined by uh Remy Sovereign, uh, owner uh at uh Ambassador Fitness.
00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:27.599
Uh, thanks for joining us.
00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:28.719
Well, thank you, Sean.
00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:29.840
And I'm very happy to be here.
00:01:29.920 --> 00:01:30.480
This is exciting.
00:01:30.640 --> 00:01:32.079
Yeah, this is gonna be a fun conversation.
00:01:32.239 --> 00:01:33.680
I mean, I'm a big athlete person.
00:01:33.760 --> 00:01:35.599
I grew up playing professional sports.
00:01:35.760 --> 00:01:37.519
I actually have some low back pain.
00:01:37.599 --> 00:01:39.120
So we're gonna get into some stuff.
00:01:39.280 --> 00:01:40.719
Um, so that's kind of interesting.
00:01:40.879 --> 00:01:42.799
I I read a little bit about your bio earlier.
00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:44.480
Uh we met a few weeks ago.
00:01:44.640 --> 00:02:01.120
Uh, but before we get into like how you built your business and what that injury was like and all that kind of stuff, why don't you take us back to sort of where you started, where you were born, where you grew up, and uh, you know, what you did before you got into sort of the health and fitness uh area.
00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:02.000
Sounds good.
00:02:02.079 --> 00:02:02.239
Yeah.
00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:03.840
So I'm from Windsor, Ontario.
00:02:04.000 --> 00:02:09.919
Grew up here, uh grade school, high school, did my whole university through uh here in Windsor.
00:02:10.159 --> 00:02:12.560
So um I come from a hockey background.
00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:19.759
So playing hockey growing up, played travel hockey, triple A, played a Euro Junior C Kingsville Comets back when they were around.
00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:20.479
Cool.
00:02:20.639 --> 00:02:28.639
Um, and then from that got into my undergrad, so after high school, I wanted to kind of get into physio.
00:02:29.039 --> 00:02:35.599
That was kind of like my intention, but I went into HK, did my whole HK degree.
00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:42.319
Uh, and then from that, physio school didn't really work out, applied to a couple places, just very competitive.
00:02:42.400 --> 00:02:48.000
So I decided to um just to upgrade myself, do my master's through HK.
00:02:48.479 --> 00:02:52.560
Uh, so I ended up doing a full internship and then research.
00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:59.039
So it kind of works kind of funny at Windsor, where it's like when you do your master's in HK, you have like two routes to go down.
00:02:59.199 --> 00:03:02.960
One you can do like an internship, or one you can do your thesis to get your master's.
00:03:03.120 --> 00:03:04.400
I ended up doing both.
00:03:05.039 --> 00:03:08.319
So I ended up having an internship with the Toronto Raptors.
00:03:08.479 --> 00:03:08.800
Cool.
00:03:09.039 --> 00:03:14.560
So that was a pretty cool experience where I moved to Toronto, worked with them kind of as like a strength and conditioning intern.
00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:27.840
Um, and sorry, I might be jumping a little ahead of here, but before that, um I was interning as well uh with the Windsor Spitfires for kind of two summers roughly uh under Joey Garland there.
00:03:27.919 --> 00:03:32.800
Um so that's where I kind of got into training, learning a little bit more about athletic therapy and whatnot.
00:03:33.120 --> 00:03:35.439
And that kind of led into the Raptors thing.
00:03:35.759 --> 00:03:39.759
Finished that kind of that internship was one of the best experiences I've had.
00:03:39.919 --> 00:03:53.120
Came back to uh Windsor, um, and then finished up my coursework, did a whole research project, got that published, and then um all from that kind of was got into some training afterwards.
00:03:53.439 --> 00:04:00.639
And so uh when did you do all of the the master's thesis working for the Raptors?
00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:01.840
How long ago was that?
00:04:02.240 --> 00:04:09.360
So we're going back to uh 2015, 2016.
00:04:09.599 --> 00:04:16.319
Okay, or sorry, yeah, 2015-2016 uh is when I had the um when I moved to Toronto.
00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:22.000
So I got into the master's program, and right away off the bat, I had landed this internship.
00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:30.160
So I went to Toronto, was interviewed for the position, and then I was notified the next day that I'd got it, so I'd have to move to Toronto.
00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:31.839
So I moved from Windsor to Toronto.
00:04:32.000 --> 00:04:35.199
Luckily, I was able to get kind of a course credit from it all.
00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:42.959
So living there with family um and then working with the team pretty much every day, yeah, learning from them.
00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:44.720
Uh, and then I moved back.
00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:50.879
So after that was done, and so I moved 2016 uh back to Windsor to kind of now finish up my coursework.
00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:56.399
And then about 2017 is when I started the research.
00:04:56.560 --> 00:05:03.040
So it was like a seven-week training study we did around um we were looking at a minute of work.
00:05:03.600 --> 00:05:05.360
So a minute of work.
00:05:05.519 --> 00:05:05.920
Yes.
00:05:06.079 --> 00:05:06.399
Okay.
00:05:07.120 --> 00:05:18.079
So we were trying to look at, and there's been research that's been done previously, looking at the least amount or minimal amount of time that one is required to improve um VO2 max.
00:05:18.319 --> 00:05:18.480
Okay.
00:05:18.639 --> 00:05:22.480
So like your maximal oxygen output, like more cardiorespiratory fitness.
00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:26.319
So there's been different protocols and one.
00:05:26.480 --> 00:05:35.439
I don't I won't get into too much detail on that, but we were just looking to see if we could add a weighted vest to people doing stair sprints three times a week.
00:05:35.600 --> 00:05:38.879
Literally, they would be sprinting for a minute total, 20 second intervals.
00:05:39.120 --> 00:05:50.399
So they were just sprinting upstairs, sorry, 15-second intervals um with 90 seconds rest, four times for a minute to total, three times a week.
00:05:50.639 --> 00:05:53.199
One group had a weighted vest, one didn't.
00:05:53.680 --> 00:06:00.560
Um, so the interesting thing is after the seven weeks, both groups improved, yeah, but there wasn't a significant difference.
00:06:01.759 --> 00:06:05.360
So the group that had the best, they didn't have any further benefit.
00:06:05.680 --> 00:06:17.839
It's interesting because I think most people when they're like working out, and I mean I come from a huge huge, I mean, I was a competitive swimmer, uh, swam on Canada's national team, had a full ride scholarship in the US.
00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:25.920
Like I worked out in the pool 10, 12 times a week, plus weights, plus cardio, plus plus, plus, plus.
00:06:26.160 --> 00:06:38.879
Uh, and everybody has this like weird mental, I gonna say blockage that the more weight you do or the more you can lift, the better off you're gonna be.
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:42.800
And I have always found that that's not always been the case.
00:06:42.959 --> 00:06:48.560
Obviously, it's gonna depend upon the event that you're doing or what you're training for or whatnot.
00:06:48.879 --> 00:06:59.600
But in this instance, you would probably think that if I had a weighted vest on and I'm working harder because I'm I might improve more, but you're saying that's not the case.
00:06:59.920 --> 00:07:04.000
Yeah, so I mean, uh that's exactly what we found.
00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:16.160
Um, and the one thing that I mean, we couldn't kind of say this, but you can almost argue that sometimes, you know, uh, but just by adding the weight, there could be putting them at a higher risk of injury.
00:07:16.399 --> 00:07:16.800
Sure.
00:07:16.959 --> 00:07:20.800
Um now you could argue that the weight wasn't enough.
00:07:21.040 --> 00:07:26.639
We didn't have enough weight on them, but it was 10 and 20 percent of their body weight, like a progressive overload.
00:07:27.040 --> 00:07:32.319
Um, or that maybe the intervals weren't long, or if though those kind of variables were different.
00:07:32.879 --> 00:07:33.839
Some variables, sure.
00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:34.319
Right.
00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:52.160
So, but the point being is that um you know, weight itself may not be it's you know, just by adding a progressive overload to something like sprinting, you know, it's not necessarily going to improve your VO2 max when both are at all-out intensities for your cardiorespiratory fitness.
00:07:52.240 --> 00:08:01.759
Now, we did measure other variables like um lower body power and body composition, like body composition, there wasn't any changes either group.
00:08:01.920 --> 00:08:05.839
So, and there's more variables with nutrition and that on that end.
00:08:06.079 --> 00:08:12.079
Um, but with respect to um lower body strength, I mean both groups again improved.
00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:19.120
There was a little bit of a more of a tendency in the weighted vest group that seemed like there was a trend towards them having more improvements.
00:08:19.279 --> 00:08:24.160
So when you're talking about strength power, that's for maybe the weight can, you know, the overload.
00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:24.639
Yeah.
00:08:24.800 --> 00:08:24.959
Yeah.
00:08:25.199 --> 00:08:28.160
So it all really depends, you know, it depends on context.
00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:33.679
But you know, you see sometimes people maybe running or with a weighted vest or walking.
00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:46.879
It's not necessarily gonna maybe have the best, you know, the intended benefits that they may think, and could actually maybe do more harm than good in terms of at the same time, you can argue like uh their gate, it could affect the way they run, yeah.
00:08:46.960 --> 00:08:47.600
Um and whatnot.
00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:48.639
So who knows?
00:08:48.720 --> 00:08:52.240
Injuries, stress fractures, like just correct anything, right?
00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:52.799
Correct.
00:08:52.960 --> 00:08:57.519
Um, so what made you want to get into the the HK sports world in the first place?
00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:13.440
Obviously, I have found when I talk to many athletes that come from a competitive background, uh, most of the time they either wanted to do HK, they wanted to be a doctor, they wanted to do something in that health field because that's they grew up that way and maybe they had their own injury.
00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:19.679
Um, but as you were growing up, was HK always the thing that you wanted to do with human kinetics?
00:09:19.919 --> 00:09:28.480
HK, well, it was kind of like the starting program that I wanted to get into because uh and I alluded to earlier, like I wanted to get into physio.
00:09:28.639 --> 00:09:31.440
Now, I also wanted to do sports performance and training.
00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:34.559
So it was like I wanted to do both it to a like a degree.
00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:42.559
Like if I could run like my own practice with respect to maybe physio and have like athletic training, that was kind of always what I was most interested in.
00:09:42.720 --> 00:09:43.039
Okay.
00:09:43.200 --> 00:09:50.000
Um so HK was kind of a good introduction to everything, learning about the human body, exercise science.
00:09:50.159 --> 00:09:59.120
And you know, I had an introduction, I know in high school, there's an exercise science course, and uh a lot of my friends went into the program as well, just being local with Windsor.
00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:06.639
Um, but the um that's kind of a lot where the interest in, you know, obviously having a hockey background, athletic background.
00:10:06.799 --> 00:10:11.840
Yeah, um, that's where that kind of led into and my interest, at least to going into HK.
00:10:12.159 --> 00:10:16.080
So then the intention was to then go do say masters in physio, right?
00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:16.399
Yeah.
00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:22.559
So and so okay, so you started playing you started playing hockey at a young at a young age.
00:10:22.720 --> 00:10:22.960
Correct.
00:10:23.120 --> 00:10:24.480
Did you play any other sports?
00:10:24.799 --> 00:10:29.039
Uh so I played a little bit of soccer, baseball when I was a kid.
00:10:29.360 --> 00:10:31.840
It's typical hockey players, baseball, it's all the same.
00:10:32.080 --> 00:10:35.600
Volleyball too, but um so what made you choose hockey?
00:10:35.840 --> 00:10:38.799
It was the one probably I was excelled at the most, I found.
00:10:38.879 --> 00:10:40.240
Okay, enjoyed the most.
00:10:40.320 --> 00:10:40.720
Yeah.
00:10:40.879 --> 00:10:46.799
Um, and then I think my dad, just being a big hockey fan as well, you know, I think that kind of pushed on me a little bit as well.
00:10:46.879 --> 00:10:47.600
And yeah.
00:10:47.840 --> 00:10:50.799
And it had aspirations of doing the NHL thing, yeah.
00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:52.559
You know, every kid growing up, right?
00:10:52.639 --> 00:10:53.919
You want to make it to the NHL.
00:10:54.000 --> 00:11:08.159
I mean, I know the OHL draft was something I was always trying to be hopeful for, but um, you know, especially when you're in grade 10 like that, you know, you're looking to try to make the OHL and then NHL beyond or the next step.
00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:13.600
But obviously, I realized after not being drafted that yeah, kind of my what do you think?
00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:18.559
Uh what do you think was probably like what do you think was the strongest part of your game and the weakest part of your game?
00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:20.399
So I played defense.
00:11:20.559 --> 00:11:22.399
Um of course.
00:11:23.120 --> 00:11:26.240
The big tall guy, the big Zedano Chara guy playing defense.
00:11:26.320 --> 00:11:26.559
Yeah.
00:11:26.879 --> 00:11:29.200
So I yeah, that's what I was kind of known for.
00:11:29.440 --> 00:11:30.559
That was my nickname, Chara.
00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:32.000
That's funny.
00:11:32.159 --> 00:11:35.039
And I know I did wear number 33, which I know is his number.
00:11:35.279 --> 00:11:36.159
That's interesting.
00:11:36.639 --> 00:11:37.679
On purpose or no?
00:11:37.840 --> 00:11:43.200
Uh, I did, like after, like I I think it was like my second year uh or my midget major year triple A.
00:11:43.279 --> 00:11:43.840
I wore 33.
00:11:44.080 --> 00:11:45.360
Everybody gave you the nickname and you wore 33.
00:11:45.440 --> 00:11:45.919
Chara, yeah.
00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:47.039
Interesting.
00:11:47.679 --> 00:11:56.639
So I think the the biggest part, obviously, long reach, big body, like I had great poke jack, you know, uh took up a lot of space, block shots.
00:11:56.720 --> 00:11:58.879
That's kind of what I was maybe more known for.
00:11:59.039 --> 00:12:04.960
Um, it's not like I would say I had a lot of high-end skill or wasn't gonna run a power play by any means.
00:12:05.200 --> 00:12:13.519
Um, but um in terms of a weakness, honestly, I think at the time, like I look back, I was very skinny.
00:12:13.679 --> 00:12:17.600
I honestly had a huge growth spurt uh as I was growing up.
00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:21.600
So I didn't really fill out until probably I was 1920.
00:12:21.919 --> 00:12:32.559
So I can't remember my exact weight, but uh I was maybe around 6'3 and grade 10, about 145 pounds, 150.
00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:34.000
Super light, yeah.
00:12:34.159 --> 00:12:38.320
And I mean, like in comparison, I'm 6'5 now, about 220.
00:12:38.399 --> 00:12:51.519
Yeah, so yeah, it was harder to I didn't have necessarily the strength to really like push your way through push my way through and have that like physical presence as a bigger body.
00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:55.279
Um, but there are other other attributes, like I said, long reach, stuff like that.
00:12:55.360 --> 00:12:56.240
That was good for me.
00:12:56.399 --> 00:13:06.639
But that was probably one of the biggest things I struggled with, and it I honestly really didn't probably fell out and like I said, till later, but that's one of my I was very similar.
00:13:06.799 --> 00:13:09.919
I mean, I went, I I honestly, I so I'm not that tall.
00:13:10.000 --> 00:13:11.360
I'm like just under six feet.
00:13:11.440 --> 00:13:12.960
I tell everyone six feet.
00:13:13.279 --> 00:13:20.399
Um I think I went away to university at like 130.
00:13:20.720 --> 00:13:26.480
Like I was the distance swimmer, yeah, super skinny, not super tall.
00:13:26.559 --> 00:13:30.399
Uh and in my first un my first year of university, I put on like 25 pounds.
00:13:30.480 --> 00:13:32.639
Like I think I just grew like crazy at like the age of 18.
00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:33.600
So that was like me.
00:13:33.919 --> 00:13:37.600
Started doing weights, started do eating more, just everything.
00:13:37.840 --> 00:13:40.720
Um, do you think it was for me?
00:13:40.799 --> 00:13:46.159
I always thought maybe it's because I didn't do weights uh training or I just wasn't eating enough.
00:13:46.320 --> 00:13:51.840
And once you're at university, I got a meal pass and I can just stay as long as I want and eat as much as I want.
00:13:51.919 --> 00:14:02.240
And I just kind of like thickened out, but it took a long time to like even learn how to operate my body in the pool after putting on 25 pounds.
00:14:02.320 --> 00:14:05.919
I'm heavier, uh not pulling myself the same way anymore.
00:14:06.080 --> 00:14:06.960
The technique was different.
00:14:07.039 --> 00:14:09.519
Like I had to learn how to do everything all over again.
00:14:09.679 --> 00:14:12.399
Um, do you think that was kind of similar to you?
00:14:12.720 --> 00:14:13.360
Absolutely.
00:14:13.519 --> 00:14:22.720
I mean, it wasn't until those early years in university that like I was eating more, kind of um training differently.
00:14:23.039 --> 00:14:26.720
But I also think too, like I I look back like when I was younger too.
00:14:26.799 --> 00:14:42.000
I was just like I was on the ice like three, four days or three, four times a day, and like just burning, burning, burning energy and not eating enough, but like that obviously balanced out, I think, later, and that's when I think kind of things evened out a little bit.
00:14:42.159 --> 00:14:45.200
But to your point, like completely I can relate on that end.
00:14:45.279 --> 00:14:46.080
Yeah, interesting.
00:14:46.159 --> 00:14:55.120
Do you ever look back and wonder, like, man, if I had if I had grown earlier, maybe OHL, NHL would be a thing?
00:14:55.679 --> 00:15:09.679
Uh it the funny thing is, is like I don't want to say that, but like I think for sure, like um I'm a much better hockey player now or than I was before.
00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:26.559
Yeah, like I if I put like in comparison, I think with me filling out a little bit more, and also like I think I just developed like skill set-wise a little bit better, but um coordination and all that just really came along later on, came along later on.
00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:30.159
So it's hard to say um with respect to that.
00:15:30.240 --> 00:15:36.879
If I I'd done that earlier, if things would be different, but at the same time, if I maybe I just continued with it, yeah.
00:15:37.039 --> 00:15:40.320
Um, I know like there was an opportunity to go to junior B after that.
00:15:40.399 --> 00:15:42.320
I just decided to kind of quit a hockey though.
00:15:42.399 --> 00:15:42.639
Yeah.
00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:43.600
But interesting.
00:15:43.840 --> 00:15:45.519
Because you wanted to move on with life.
00:15:45.759 --> 00:15:56.240
Um, that was yeah, like it was more, you know, uh after playing a year junior C, um, there was an opportunity to go uh to play junior B.
00:15:56.399 --> 00:16:02.799
Um, but you know, being like an 18-year-old, um, just kind of what I was offered at the time.
00:16:02.879 --> 00:16:07.600
It wasn't like I would be in, be in and out of the lineup, not playing a ton of minutes.
00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:16.799
Um, so with that and starting university, I'm like, do I really want to make this big commitment and then have start university have a full semester?
00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:18.240
Can I manage both?
00:16:18.480 --> 00:16:23.519
I just decided to kind of pursue more of my education and play recreational hockey after that.
00:16:23.759 --> 00:16:24.080
Nice.
00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:24.559
Okay.
00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:29.519
And so where did this uh uh I I read online uh this back injury?
00:16:29.679 --> 00:16:31.039
Where did this kind of come into play?
00:16:31.279 --> 00:16:37.120
Yeah, so that's what I'm kind of known for is the back injury, back pain, but uh which is a whole different realm now.
00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:39.039
So it started.
00:16:39.279 --> 00:16:47.039
Um, so my third year university, um, I just remember I was I got into CrossFit was a big thing.
00:16:47.120 --> 00:16:47.519
Yeah.
00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:50.559
Uh this is when it kind of there was an explosion of it.
00:16:50.799 --> 00:16:58.879
And you know, when post-hockey, like my competitive stuff, playing recreational, still at the time, you know, looking for something to still do, right?
00:16:59.039 --> 00:17:05.359
So I kind of got involved into CrossFit, but I at the time did not really know what I was doing.
00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.799
So this is like second year university, getting into third.
00:17:09.039 --> 00:17:20.079
So, you know, with a lot of Olympic lifts, power lifts, you know, wasn't lifting properly, lifting lots of weight, doing a lot of the wrong things, yeah, uh really pushing beyond my limits.
00:17:20.160 --> 00:17:30.319
And then just one day I threw my back out on like a deadlift just with bad forms, and um got like a sharp pain in my back.
00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:41.680
Yeah, not knowing the degree of the injury, I kept working out training for a couple weeks, and came to the point where it was just it got real bad, yeah, real quick.
00:17:42.000 --> 00:17:43.599
I think that happens a lot of times though.
00:17:43.680 --> 00:17:47.680
Like, I mean, I got into CrossFit as well again after swimming.
00:17:47.839 --> 00:17:53.200
I think even during swimming, we were even kind of like at the end of my career, we were kind of doing it a little bit.
00:17:53.519 --> 00:18:03.039
Um, but it was so much about how much can you lift, how often can you lift it, you know, can you do it fast?
00:18:03.519 --> 00:18:04.960
And nobody cares.
00:18:05.119 --> 00:18:09.680
Most people, I shouldn't say nobody, most people don't care about form.
00:18:09.920 --> 00:18:12.720
They don't care about moving the actual weight itself.
00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:16.880
They just care, can you put it up and can you put it down faster than somebody else?
00:18:17.039 --> 00:18:20.640
And once your form goes out the window, like man, you can hurt yourself badly.
00:18:20.880 --> 00:18:21.359
100%.
00:18:21.680 --> 00:18:24.240
And you know, I'm a perfect example.
00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:25.920
Yeah, crazy.
00:18:26.079 --> 00:18:46.079
And so then that is that what led you into um doing a lot more of that, like 45 to 65 year olds with back pain, and now you're trying, are you trying to like get yourself out of that sort of box that people have put you in?
00:18:46.400 --> 00:19:00.000
Yeah, so what ended up happening was like the back injury itself was somewhat of a blessing in some ways because it opened up kind of a whole different avenue of underservic people that I didn't realize were sustaining all these back problems.
00:19:00.240 --> 00:19:05.359
So after I had my back injury, like it was uh I was in a really bad place at the time.
00:19:05.519 --> 00:19:09.359
Um, you know, I dealt with kind of depression, I was on a lot of medications.
00:19:09.519 --> 00:19:12.480
I had pain to the point where I couldn't sleep at night.
00:19:12.720 --> 00:19:18.960
I remember driving to school, like I would have pain going down my leg, just trying to drive to school.
00:19:19.039 --> 00:19:21.039
I'd be sitting through exams with pain.
00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:22.079
It was bad.
00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:26.799
So, and I'd been seeing multiple different physios, kairos, people.
00:19:27.119 --> 00:19:29.119
No one that really helped me.
00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:32.079
And it was just some even gave me stuff that made me worse.
00:19:32.160 --> 00:19:32.799
Yep.
00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:37.440
And then I kind of just did my own rehab a little bit on that hand.
00:19:37.680 --> 00:19:46.160
I learned from just doing, you know, having obviously an HK background, the knowing about the human body, doing my own research.
00:19:46.480 --> 00:19:52.240
I ended up finding just reading a lot of spine journals and I came across a guy by the name Dr.
00:19:52.319 --> 00:19:53.279
Stuart McGill.
00:19:53.680 --> 00:19:56.319
And from his information, it just kind of resonated with me.
00:19:56.480 --> 00:20:02.880
He was talking about back injuries, strength and conditioning, personal training, and kind of everything that's wrong with back pain today.
00:20:03.279 --> 00:20:07.759
So, from all this stuff and doing my own stuff, trial and error, I got better, improved.
00:20:08.000 --> 00:20:13.920
Took about a year and a half, roughly, or so till I was pain-free, and then another year to kind of work back to activity.
00:20:14.160 --> 00:20:20.720
So all in that process was then I was kind of interning a little bit and working with the Spitfires, the Raptors.
00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:26.240
Yeah, but from that, um, it carved out.
00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:36.079
Um so I then started an online business where I was helping people online, and people were kind of it didn't even start that way as an online business.
00:20:36.160 --> 00:20:57.599
It's just as a YouTube channel where I was sharing my backstory, and then it kind of one person after another started commenting and sharing their stories, and I started to realize that there's there's something out there, you know, um, where there's a lot of people that are in a similar situation where it's like they've hurt themselves in a similar uh position to what I did, or whether it's from a different sport, and then they're doing the wrong things in the gym.
00:20:57.680 --> 00:20:57.839
Yeah.
00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:14.240
And so with my kind of you know, injury prevention background as I was learning, I then you know started working with people online, started working with people here locally, um and kind of carved out this little back pain, uh I guess expertise, you would say.
00:21:15.039 --> 00:21:33.839
Um but uh from that um, you know, I went um I opened the gym as you know ambassador fitness, but it we our specialty is a little bit different, so I've kind of more went to um 45 to 65 plus crowd.
00:21:34.160 --> 00:21:37.279
Um kind of more with general injuries, I'd say.
00:21:37.440 --> 00:21:41.279
I'm still kind of working with you know, back pain is still my specialty.
00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:52.480
Um, but then we have Coach Chelsea, who's the other trainer, she works more on the menopause side, so she just got a uh recent certification to new one, um, menopause training.
00:21:52.559 --> 00:21:59.119
So it kind of fits our demographic, but a lot of people with back pain, you know, trying to golf or yeah.
00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:00.640
All in that.
00:22:00.960 --> 00:22:10.319
And is it and it and are you seeing a lot of people who just haven't taken care of themselves over a long period of time that are now like, I should probably do something?
00:22:10.640 --> 00:22:10.880
Yeah.
00:22:10.960 --> 00:22:18.240
And right now the trend that like what you're seeing is like a lot of there's adult sport performance, I guess you would call it now, right?
00:22:18.400 --> 00:22:21.759
Um, a lot of people playing pickleball and hurting themselves, right?
00:22:22.400 --> 00:22:29.519
So I'm starting to see more of everybody thinks pickleball is like this nice, soft, easy sport that anyone can do, and it's not a hundred percent.
00:22:29.759 --> 00:22:33.759
And you're starting to see more people come in and like, hey, like my knees are hurting.
00:22:33.920 --> 00:22:36.480
Can you put a program for me to help me with this?
00:22:36.640 --> 00:22:41.039
So starting to see a lot more of that, and that's what we're trying to kind of cater to a little bit more.
00:22:41.200 --> 00:22:46.079
Um, but again, like back pain is still within that yeah domain.
00:22:46.319 --> 00:22:56.160
So I still get people that will come to see me just for back pain, but um, I'd say it's a little bit less of a priority or focus at this point with where the gym is at.
00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:02.240
So it's a little bit different, but I guess that's just like my my you know specific specialty on that end.
00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:03.119
Interesting.
00:23:03.279 --> 00:23:06.000
And so what made you want to start the YouTube channel then?
00:23:06.160 --> 00:23:15.680
Was it just a place where in this like dark period of time you're uh or just coming out of it, you're like, man, I was able to fix myself.
00:23:16.000 --> 00:23:19.839
And so I'm not expecting to make money from it.
00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:23.039
I'm not expecting, I just want to share a story.
00:23:23.680 --> 00:23:25.599
So it was kind of interesting, honestly.
00:23:25.680 --> 00:23:39.359
Going back to the YouTube channel, it was like I, you know, I I guess I kind of there was a trend of a lot of like fitness uh professionals getting on to social media, mainly YouTube, and then they were building out kind of their businesses that way.
00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:42.880
So I kind of wanted to aspire to be like them.
00:23:43.119 --> 00:23:50.240
Um and I just wanted, I thought the back pain thing with my story and everything, you know, I realized there wasn't a lot of information.
00:23:50.319 --> 00:23:53.039
So I thought this was a way I could differentiate myself, you know.
00:23:53.359 --> 00:24:04.960
I feel like with whether it's personal training, strength and conditioning, like you kind of have to have your own specific area, sure, you know, um, to really kind of make a go out of it from business.
00:24:05.119 --> 00:24:11.119
So I thought the back pain thing was a way for me to go in and then I could kind of branch out afterwards.
00:24:11.359 --> 00:24:12.400
So that was my intention.
00:24:12.480 --> 00:24:22.400
And at the time too, like I had a couple friends that were into social media as well, and one ended up kind of getting somewhat famous through Vine and was making a lot of money that way.
00:24:22.559 --> 00:24:28.400
Um, so it was like spitting ideas off of him at the time, um, which was kind of helpful.
00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:34.720
But that's where that kind of started it in um it was early in university when I started all that really, yeah.
00:24:34.880 --> 00:24:44.559
And so, how long did it take before you actually thought like there's an underservice market here and there's a place for me to help people?
00:24:44.880 --> 00:24:50.079
So the craziest thing is the first video I ever posted to YouTube was my story of lower back pain.
00:24:50.400 --> 00:24:56.640
And you know, I posted that video and then I was posting kind of weekly, and then all of a sudden that video just blew up.
00:24:57.119 --> 00:25:06.720
It kind of just a lot of like start got a lot of views, a lot of comments, and I would respond to every comment, and then it just kept going, and then more people subscribing to the channel.
00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:19.200
And so I want to say within maybe like a three to six month ballpark, I started to notice I'm like, hey, there's something here, and then it just kept slowly growing, like uh month after month, year after year.
00:25:19.440 --> 00:25:29.039
Now, I'll say if you look at it recently, I haven't really posted much, I haven't been kind of as active, but I did it for several years through COVID and everything.
00:25:29.200 --> 00:25:32.160
And then um, you know, that it's a mid-sized channel.
00:25:32.240 --> 00:25:35.279
I'd say we're 11,000 plus subscribers on it.
00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:41.279
And it I was able to build a bit of an online business and also help me locally get clients right because people would see me there.
00:25:41.519 --> 00:25:45.279
But um, I have close to probably 500 videos on there.
00:25:45.519 --> 00:25:45.920
Wow.
00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:52.400
So there's a lot of work and effort that were put in, not all the best or the greatest quality, but yeah, but you're gonna start somewhere.
00:25:52.880 --> 00:25:54.319
It was a good experience, yeah.
00:25:54.559 --> 00:26:01.200
Like you're not gonna just uh you know, it's the same thing with I mean, it's the same thing with any business, and and HK is no different.
00:26:01.279 --> 00:26:07.839
You're not just gonna take over, you know, lead trainer for the Raptors or the Spitfires, like you gotta start somewhere.
00:26:08.079 --> 00:26:17.759
Yeah, the videos might be you know super raw, and you know, lots of editing errors because you didn't edit them or whatnot, right?
00:26:17.920 --> 00:26:25.119
But at the same time, it also gives you a little bit of um um what's the word I'm looking for?
00:26:25.359 --> 00:26:33.599
Um uh like it's it's it's authentic, it's you, yeah, it's just what it was.
00:26:33.920 --> 00:26:35.039
And that's the way, yeah.
00:26:35.119 --> 00:26:42.160
Like you look at it, just like it was literally like a phone, and I didn't even have a microphone, and yeah, just recorded and uploaded it.
00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:46.960
And so it was interesting, but it was fun looking back at a lot of that, a lot of work was put into that.
00:26:47.039 --> 00:26:55.279
But and so how long then from the time that you start this YouTube channel to the time that you start Ambassador Fitness?
00:26:56.640 --> 00:26:57.839
So we started in bat.
00:26:58.000 --> 00:27:00.720
Well, we're coming up on our third year anniversary now.
00:27:00.880 --> 00:27:09.359
Um, so that's on May 2nd will be kind of the official third year that we've kind of been there and moved in and everything.
00:27:09.519 --> 00:27:20.400
So if I look back, the YouTube channel was started in I want to say 25th, no, 2013.
00:27:20.880 --> 00:27:26.400
Oh wow, yeah, it was my so like 10 years.
00:27:26.720 --> 00:27:30.559
Yeah, I think that's yeah, somewhere around then, 2013.
00:27:30.640 --> 00:27:35.119
It was two years before the Toronto Raptors thing.
00:27:35.279 --> 00:27:35.519
Okay.
00:27:35.599 --> 00:27:46.640
So and so you said that you always kind of wanted to own a clinic, always kind of either wanted to do the physio or um the athletic training side of things.
00:27:46.960 --> 00:27:51.359
Um so you finish school, you get your masters, all this kind of stuff.
00:27:51.440 --> 00:27:57.279
You're now helping people virtually online, and I'm assuming some in-person at the same time.
00:27:57.599 --> 00:28:00.799
Yeah, so the in-person stuff really started for me.
00:28:00.880 --> 00:28:08.880
Like, I mean, so before uh when I was in my third and fourth year, I was working with the Spitfires there.
00:28:08.960 --> 00:28:11.920
So Joey Garland, I was interning under him.
00:28:12.000 --> 00:28:24.319
Um he was running kind of like a business through the gym in the offseason where he was training local NHL guys, guys from Spits, um, any local um kind of professional, semi-professional players.
00:28:24.640 --> 00:28:30.960
So worked with Tim and then I would help out through training camp a little bit, through their their combine and whatnot that they do.
00:28:31.119 --> 00:28:36.559
And then kind of came back the year after, did the same thing, but this time it became like a part-time position.
00:28:36.880 --> 00:28:41.440
Um and then moved into the Raptors thing from that.
00:28:41.920 --> 00:28:47.279
Um and then we went to um, sorry, and then with school and all that.
00:28:47.519 --> 00:28:54.079
So when I was in my master's when I came back from Toronto, I was just working online with people.
00:28:54.480 --> 00:29:04.079
And then once I was done my master's, uh finished my research here, I worked um at a local studio here.
00:29:04.160 --> 00:29:06.319
Um, and I kind of built up my clientele.
00:29:06.960 --> 00:29:17.759
And then built we had about 60 clients and then so that was 2019, 2019, and then or 2018.
00:29:17.920 --> 00:29:19.920
Sorry, end of 2018 started that.
00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:26.319
Built up like a clientele of about 60 um clients or so in that ballpark, and then COVID happened.
00:29:26.480 --> 00:29:29.039
Yeah, yeah.
00:29:29.359 --> 00:29:33.119
So you know, that clientele went from 60 to say 10 real quick.
00:29:33.359 --> 00:29:40.480
Yeah, but you already had an online presence, which made the transition easier for me than probably most other trainers dealt with.
00:29:40.720 --> 00:29:43.279
Um, so I transitioned as much as I could online.
00:29:43.359 --> 00:29:48.559
So I already had people training with me online, but then it was now trying to adjust these in-person clients to online.
00:29:49.519 --> 00:29:57.920
So I was able to, you know, scavenge what I could and sure, you know, um kept it going.
00:29:58.000 --> 00:30:02.079
And it just you had this cycle of a yo-yo in, close, open, close.
00:30:02.319 --> 00:30:03.440
Jim's had it the worst at the time.
00:30:03.599 --> 00:30:04.559
Yeah, it was brutal.
00:30:04.880 --> 00:30:09.119
Yeah, this so it's interesting you say that because I first hand experience.
00:30:09.200 --> 00:30:12.160
So I moved to Windsor in late 2017.
00:30:12.720 --> 00:30:17.279
Uh, when I was trying to build my clientele, I worked night shift at Good Life.
00:30:17.519 --> 00:30:17.839
Okay.
00:30:18.000 --> 00:30:22.720
Uh, because I knew that people at Good Life, I could meet them, they probably were social.
00:30:23.039 --> 00:30:30.640
If I worked there, I'd get to talk to people, putting away weights and all that kind of stuff, and and built a lot of great relationships, friendships, everything from there.
00:30:30.880 --> 00:30:39.519
But um, yeah, during COVID, like before I started Spectre with Jason, um, I worked at Good Life.
00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:40.559
Man, it was brutal.
00:30:40.720 --> 00:30:43.039
Like 15 people allowed in the gym at a time.
00:30:43.119 --> 00:30:45.119
You had a book online, 24 hours.
00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:48.480
Everything like the app would only let you do it 24 hours in advance.
00:30:48.559 --> 00:30:51.039
If you were the weren't the first ones, you couldn't get in.
00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:52.240
Like it was terrible.
00:30:52.400 --> 00:30:54.319
Gyms had it so bad.
00:30:54.559 --> 00:30:57.759
Um it wasn't easy, that's for sure.
00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:10.799
It was honestly one of the probably like, I mean, you can speak to the restaurant industry, I'm sure others can on that, but the gym's for sure one of the the toughest industries to weave, you know, just the up to open, close, open, close.
00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:14.000
And it was like you couldn't get a consistent um routine.
00:31:14.079 --> 00:31:17.039
And you know, the gym is you know, when you're in personal training, right?
00:31:17.119 --> 00:31:18.240
It's all about habits, right?
00:31:18.319 --> 00:31:21.279
So people would come in, they'd get in the habit, and then they'd be off.
00:31:21.359 --> 00:31:24.480
And then it's just like pulling teeth to kind of get them back in.
00:31:24.640 --> 00:31:25.279
It's hard.
00:31:25.519 --> 00:31:33.279
And then, you know, people were afraid to go to the gym because of getting COVID and whatnot, and they didn't want to wear masks or you know, be in the gym environment.
00:31:33.440 --> 00:31:50.640
So there was a lot going on at that time, and then even they had the vaccine passport stuff, so it was like there was a lot of like just technicality stuff to work around, which made it very difficult, but got through it and ended up opening ambassador shortly after.
00:31:50.799 --> 00:31:56.480
But I was gonna say, so during that whole time, you're now you're online, you're no longer teaching in person.
00:31:57.039 --> 00:32:04.480
Uh was it like, okay, now I'm actually gonna like whenever we get through this period of time, I'm gonna go open my own place.
00:32:04.640 --> 00:32:08.000
Was this kind of like a catalyst to be like, I'm gonna start my thing?
00:32:09.119 --> 00:32:12.400
Yeah, like in my mind, yes, but like I wasn't ready for it.
00:32:12.640 --> 00:32:14.400
So, how come you say that?
00:32:14.960 --> 00:32:17.839
I didn't know how to run, say, a gym.
00:32:18.079 --> 00:32:45.839
There's a difference between being a personal trainer and operating as like a self-employed individual and just you know, being a good coach, you know, handling everything that way, but it's a whole different aspect of like, you know, you have now more responsibility from a gym owner's perspective in terms of lease, you know, negotiating with the landlord and cleanliness, staff, insurance is different, cleanliness, everything you have staff to hire, manage.
00:32:46.000 --> 00:32:51.680
Um, you know, and it's there's a lot more responsibility, and it's just a whole different avenue, right?
00:32:51.920 --> 00:32:54.559
So I was not ready by any means.
00:32:54.640 --> 00:32:58.000
Um, but it was in the back of my mind where it's like this could be a possibility.
00:32:58.319 --> 00:33:10.720
Um so I think what ended up, if I ever recall what happened, is when COVID happened, the studio I was at, I ended up leaving um kind of halfway through.
00:33:10.880 --> 00:33:17.119
They went in a different direction with their business model, okay, which didn't really work for my situation.
00:33:17.279 --> 00:33:21.519
Um, and so we kind of went separate ways, like no hard feelings by any means.
00:33:21.599 --> 00:33:23.200
It was just um time.
00:33:23.440 --> 00:33:29.200
But yeah, it was just time, and we had different um opinions on the direction of the business.
00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:41.680
Um, so I went to a different place to with I had probably now, I mean, you know, the peak of things was 60 members, probably at 2530, right?
00:33:41.759 --> 00:33:41.839
Okay.
00:33:42.000 --> 00:33:44.720
For myself that I'm working with, plus online people.
00:33:45.119 --> 00:33:48.480
I had gone to a different place, which was Limitless Training Center.
00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:55.200
Um, and Paul, who's an amazing guy, um, I worked with worked with him there.
00:33:55.279 --> 00:34:00.480
And then uh he decided to he just kind of close the business after about a year and a half.
00:34:00.640 --> 00:34:07.759
So that was kind of my take to now go run um my own gym and open ambassador.
00:34:07.920 --> 00:34:08.000
Yeah.
00:34:08.159 --> 00:34:12.000
And so in that process, then working, you said his name is Paul.
00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:12.800
Paul, yeah.
00:34:13.039 --> 00:34:20.000
So did did Paul then did you actually like take some time with him to learn like how to run a gym?
00:34:20.320 --> 00:34:24.159
Or you before you're like, I don't have any of this experience, I'm not sure I'm ready.
00:34:24.320 --> 00:34:24.559
Yeah.
00:34:24.800 --> 00:34:27.760
To a year and a half later, you're like, okay, I'm gonna do this.
00:34:27.920 --> 00:34:37.199
Yeah, but like, other than attitude of I'm just gonna go do this thing, uh, opening a gym and taking on all this responsibility.
00:34:37.360 --> 00:34:39.360
Did he teach you how to run a gym?
00:34:39.440 --> 00:34:42.719
Or you just thought, you know what, now I'm ready for it and I'm just gonna take the chance?
00:34:43.039 --> 00:34:44.400
It was a little bit different.
00:34:44.559 --> 00:34:54.960
Um, because I would honestly say my experience before Paul was more of um when I was at um, so the other place I was at was JS Fitness.
00:34:55.119 --> 00:35:02.239
Um, when I was working with Jonathan, I he I kind of initially learned a lot from him and kind of running the systems.
00:35:02.480 --> 00:35:11.199
So when I went with Paul, um the business model was a little bit different where it was um multiple trainers, one gym, leasing space.
00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:16.079
Um, so everyone is kind of running their own kind of system to a degree.
00:35:16.320 --> 00:35:29.599
Um, but from Paul's perspective, like I had a lot of questions, like you know, like I learned from him in terms of like um more of like how he dealt with um I didn't know about paying utilities and all this sort of stuff, right?
00:35:29.679 --> 00:35:32.400
Like insurance and like he had the responsibility of that.
00:35:32.559 --> 00:35:37.679
So from that, and then even on the marketing side, a little bit like uh learned from him.
00:35:37.840 --> 00:35:41.280
So between him and Jonathan, like I learned a lot from both those guys.
00:35:41.440 --> 00:35:49.920
Um so from those experiences, obviously, that kind of helped me um move into or at least open ambassador.
00:35:50.000 --> 00:35:50.159
Yeah.
00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:59.679
And and I I joked earlier when you showed up uh coming up on three years, you know, the stats like 90% of businesses fail within the first three years, right?
00:35:59.760 --> 00:36:06.639
They either can't sell their product enough, um, you know, they can't, they don't have big enough profit margins, they can't stay open.
00:36:06.880 --> 00:36:09.760
Um, obviously, you're hitting that three-year mark.
00:36:09.920 --> 00:36:11.599
Uh, how's the business going?
00:36:11.840 --> 00:36:14.559
Good, profitable, obviously still wanting to grow.
00:36:14.880 --> 00:36:15.280
Yeah.
00:36:15.519 --> 00:36:18.079
So right now, honestly, it's been crazy.
00:36:18.239 --> 00:36:22.559
Like we're as busy as can be, I'd say, at this point, which is awesome.
00:36:22.800 --> 00:36:28.880
So when we started, um we probably had about 30-ish members.
00:36:29.039 --> 00:36:30.880
So it was just me and Chelsea.
00:36:31.280 --> 00:36:33.039
We were the two trainers.
00:36:33.360 --> 00:36:37.599
So we were both at limitless there, and we came over.
00:36:38.000 --> 00:36:44.239
Um and from that point, you know, we're now at probably around 100 members.
00:36:44.480 --> 00:36:44.800
Wow.
00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:49.840
So within three years, um kind of split between us.
00:36:50.239 --> 00:36:58.480
So, you know, I think we're close to our threshold to a degree in terms of what our bandwidth can handle from a training perspective and coaching perspective.
00:36:58.639 --> 00:36:59.920
We're close at least.
00:37:00.559 --> 00:37:10.400
But um, you know, I think for what we've done has been incredible um for three years, you know.
00:37:10.639 --> 00:37:11.199
Yeah.
00:37:11.519 --> 00:37:16.960
We've um got an um like an amazing setup and everything.
00:37:17.199 --> 00:37:21.920
Um, and uh couldn't be more happy with where with where we're at at this point.
00:37:22.159 --> 00:37:24.320
And so what's sort of the next thing for you guys?
00:37:24.400 --> 00:37:25.199
What's the next goal?
00:37:25.280 --> 00:37:26.480
What do you, you know?
00:37:26.719 --> 00:37:29.920
I'm assuming you did a five-year lease, you got probably two years left.
00:37:30.239 --> 00:37:33.920
So right now we have one more year on our lease, actually.
00:37:34.000 --> 00:37:37.039
Okay, but the landlord is amazing.
00:37:37.199 --> 00:37:37.519
Yeah.
00:37:38.000 --> 00:37:39.599
But the space isn't big enough though.
00:37:40.320 --> 00:37:41.039
To to grow.
00:37:41.199 --> 00:37:42.480
Are you guys wanting to grow more?
00:37:42.719 --> 00:37:42.960
No.
00:37:43.360 --> 00:37:43.519
Okay.
00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:46.239
So that's yes, the space is big enough.
00:37:46.480 --> 00:37:50.159
So uh to take it on a different side here.
00:37:50.320 --> 00:37:57.360
Um I don't want the gym to kind of get bigger than say well, here's the issue, right?
00:37:57.440 --> 00:38:04.000
So in the industry, right, like there's different models and that fit for each space.
00:38:04.320 --> 00:38:10.719
So with what we run, semi-private personal training, which is our main model, and we kind of work with that adult population, right?
00:38:10.880 --> 00:38:14.880
More of a 45, 65 range, you could say.
00:38:15.840 --> 00:38:21.760
Um the sweet spot seems to be somewhere between 1200 to 2,000 square feet.
00:38:22.400 --> 00:38:22.639
Okay.
00:38:22.800 --> 00:38:24.719
So we're probably at around 1500.
00:38:24.880 --> 00:38:25.199
Okay.
00:38:25.440 --> 00:38:29.599
So that fits our what our model allows.
00:38:29.840 --> 00:38:37.360
Now, yeah, you can make the argument, hey, we can get a bigger space and train more people, but that then we have to get more trainers in there too.
00:38:37.920 --> 00:38:53.679
I think we still have room for a little bit of growth in our current setup, but that would probably involve hiring at least a part-time trainer or at least me kind of cutting my hours back and having that person go full-time, and then we could maybe take somewhere to between another 40, sorry, 20 to 40 members in that ballpark.
00:38:53.840 --> 00:38:54.000
Okay.
00:38:54.320 --> 00:38:55.360
That would cap the space.
00:38:55.440 --> 00:39:14.639
I wouldn't want to go any bigger than that because then I think it gets um I can't remember, but it's Dunbar's number, um, which is like if you have, I think it's 150, um, in terms of relationships that you're, you know, that's what kind of we I wanted to make it your local neighborhood gym.
00:39:14.880 --> 00:39:17.440
So I'm not trying to make it bigger than it is.
00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:17.840
Yeah.
00:39:18.000 --> 00:39:20.079
Um, I love the space.
00:39:20.400 --> 00:39:22.159
We have an amazing landlord.
00:39:22.480 --> 00:39:23.599
She trains with us.
00:39:23.840 --> 00:39:24.079
Cool.
00:39:24.239 --> 00:39:25.840
She's a chiropractor upstairs.
00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:26.159
Yeah.
00:39:26.239 --> 00:39:28.239
Uh, so we have referrals both ways.
00:39:28.480 --> 00:39:30.880
Um, great location.
00:39:31.199 --> 00:39:33.039
So I'm very happy with it.
00:39:33.119 --> 00:39:43.840
So I honestly I think we have a little bit of room for a little bit of growth, but yeah, I think it's uh we're getting to the point where it's like let's just make sure we handle that properly or we'll see what that looks like.
00:39:44.159 --> 00:39:50.159
So no big like giant aspirations to make a second location or anything like that right now.
00:39:50.480 --> 00:39:54.639
Like you think you will listen, I would not rule that out.
00:39:54.800 --> 00:39:59.920
Sure, that would be maybe uh if anything down the road, like say five, ten years, sure.
00:40:00.079 --> 00:40:05.199
If anything, but I think what I would prefer to do is expand into a different business.
00:40:05.920 --> 00:40:10.000
Um, which I recently got into um in real estate.
00:40:10.320 --> 00:40:10.639
Oh.
00:40:10.960 --> 00:40:14.320
So I um own a fourplex.
00:40:14.559 --> 00:40:14.960
Cool.
00:40:15.199 --> 00:40:17.519
So learning to kind of be like a small landlord.
00:40:17.599 --> 00:40:17.920
Yeah.
00:40:18.159 --> 00:40:23.119
Um purchased this um what are we now almost two years ago?
00:40:23.199 --> 00:40:23.360
Yeah.
00:40:23.519 --> 00:40:27.760
So I live in one unit and then have the other three rented out.
00:40:27.840 --> 00:40:28.159
Yeah.
00:40:28.400 --> 00:40:33.679
So that is kind of a little bit more my intention, is just to kind of look into different businesses.
00:40:33.920 --> 00:40:39.519
Use the use that business, which you love and enjoy to allow yourself the ability to do other things.
00:40:39.760 --> 00:40:40.159
Correct.
00:40:40.320 --> 00:40:40.719
Neat.
00:40:41.519 --> 00:40:43.199
So, yeah, as opposed to opening.
00:40:43.360 --> 00:40:52.639
And so do you have other than opposed to opening other gyms, then what are the goals for you then personally like want to own more units?
00:40:52.800 --> 00:40:56.480
Like, where's sort of your thought process in in terms of that side of things?
00:40:56.719 --> 00:41:09.599
So, and I'm fortunate because my dad and uncle um, you know, we're kind of more a little bit in real estate, so this is kind of where I've I've kind of learned a little bit more.
00:41:10.480 --> 00:41:17.840
I think um I would like to at least own another property or two, probably two.
00:41:18.400 --> 00:41:23.599
Um but you know, we're a little bit ways from that, but sure.
00:41:23.760 --> 00:41:30.719
I think expanding the portfolio a little bit on that end would be uh definitely something I would be more interested in.
00:41:30.800 --> 00:41:34.000
It's a little bit more passive, it's not as hands-on as, say, the gym.
00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:34.559
Yeah.
00:41:34.800 --> 00:41:36.719
So, but I'm learning as I go, right?
00:41:36.800 --> 00:41:40.000
I've it's been an interesting experience being a landlord.
00:41:40.960 --> 00:41:41.280
Yeah.
00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:51.840
I mean, you seem to be this kind of person that like uh like you come up with this idea to do something and you just go all in and you learn just by doing, right?
00:41:51.920 --> 00:42:05.199
Like your back injury was that way, running the business was that way, like you just seem to be like, okay, I'm gonna go this direction and I'm just gonna go all in on learning what it takes to do this thing.
00:42:05.599 --> 00:42:07.440
That's usually my mindset, yeah.
00:42:07.760 --> 00:42:09.760
And where'd you get that mindset from?
00:42:10.320 --> 00:42:11.440
That's a good question.
00:42:11.679 --> 00:42:16.320
Um, I want to say my parents and narrated, but but I don't know.
00:42:16.480 --> 00:42:22.400
I think you know, uh I've always been like self-motivated to do things.
00:42:22.480 --> 00:42:25.360
Um, and I don't not exactly sure where that comes from.
00:42:25.760 --> 00:42:27.760
Maybe being an only child, I don't know.
00:42:28.159 --> 00:42:41.440
Um, you know, I know definitely know within the family like there's entrepreneurial genes there between grandfather and um some you know other family members as well, so having their own businesses.
00:42:41.760 --> 00:42:47.199
So I think just some of that has trickled in trickled in a little bit.
00:42:47.280 --> 00:42:50.800
Yeah um and I guess it's just my personality, I guess.
00:42:50.880 --> 00:42:51.119
I don't know.
00:42:51.199 --> 00:42:51.760
Yeah, interesting.
00:42:52.320 --> 00:42:53.760
Yeah, interesting.
00:42:54.000 --> 00:42:55.679
Well, running out of time here.
00:42:55.920 --> 00:43:05.920
Um anything you want to tell anybody about uh where they can find you, what you guys are doing, um anything like that about the gym and anything like that.
00:43:06.079 --> 00:43:12.079
You guys want you want to tell anybody who's listening, you know, anything more about yourself and what they can expect from you guys?
00:43:12.320 --> 00:43:22.480
Yeah, I mean so right now we're coming up on our third year anniversary, um, which is gonna be May 2nd, uh 2026 here.
00:43:22.639 --> 00:43:25.920
So it's gonna be uh we're having an anniversary party.
00:43:26.079 --> 00:43:26.639
Oh, cool.
00:43:26.800 --> 00:43:31.599
And it's an open house style, so we're doing it a little bit differently uh this time around.
00:43:31.920 --> 00:43:34.079
And anyone is welcome to come.
00:43:34.239 --> 00:43:39.360
So come out for some giveaways, prizes, games, coffee.
00:43:39.519 --> 00:43:41.599
Um, it'll be from 11 a.m.
00:43:41.760 --> 00:43:42.639
to 2 p.m.
00:43:43.119 --> 00:43:53.440
Um it'll be a little fun experience if you're just interested about what we do, what we offer, and want to meet myself or Coach Chelsea or see what you know the whole gym's about and see our other members.
00:43:53.599 --> 00:43:55.920
It'll be a great time, I promise you.
00:43:56.079 --> 00:43:58.880
So if you're listening to this and want to come out, check us out.
00:43:58.960 --> 00:43:59.760
Uh maybe you're interested.
00:44:00.400 --> 00:44:07.519
In some personal training or like looking to work around some back pain or have some something you want to work on, feel free to pop on in.
00:44:07.599 --> 00:44:08.480
We'd love to have you out.
00:44:08.639 --> 00:44:10.079
And what did you say that was May?
00:44:10.639 --> 00:44:11.280
May 2nd.
00:44:11.599 --> 00:44:13.840
So Saturday, May 2nd from 11 a.m.
00:44:13.920 --> 00:44:14.400
to 2 p.m.
00:44:14.559 --> 00:44:15.679
at Ambassador Fitness.
00:44:15.760 --> 00:44:19.760
And we're located right on Walker Road, uh 3774.
00:44:19.840 --> 00:44:22.960
So just between the expressway and kind of the airport there.
00:44:23.119 --> 00:44:23.760
Oh, okay.
00:44:24.000 --> 00:44:24.719
Oh, got it.
00:44:24.880 --> 00:44:25.119
Cool.
00:44:25.199 --> 00:44:25.280
Yeah.
00:44:25.440 --> 00:44:25.679
Yeah.
00:44:25.760 --> 00:44:27.280
I mean, listen, that sounds like a fun event.
00:44:27.360 --> 00:44:32.159
I mean, I the gym that I was working out of, that's kind of how I met with them.
00:44:32.320 --> 00:44:33.440
Was it just like this open house?
00:44:33.599 --> 00:44:34.400
I was like, you know what?
00:44:34.480 --> 00:44:35.840
Like what's this new gym?
00:44:35.920 --> 00:44:36.960
I'm gonna go check this out.
00:44:37.119 --> 00:44:39.280
Like, so maybe I'll stop by.
00:44:40.719 --> 00:44:41.440
Sounds like a fun place.
00:44:41.599 --> 00:44:45.199
So um, well, we always end every podcast the same way.
00:44:45.360 --> 00:44:46.559
I didn't prep you for this.
00:44:46.800 --> 00:44:50.159
Um, but what does success mean to Remy?
00:44:52.000 --> 00:44:55.920
Oh that's a good question, honestly.
00:44:56.159 --> 00:45:00.880
Um just like a full response, or like, you know, yeah, whatever you want, man.
00:45:01.440 --> 00:45:19.760
Um honestly I think success to me would mean like um giving back to, you know, making the community better and making the world, I guess, our local community a better place as we can.
00:45:20.000 --> 00:45:33.519
And you know, I'm grateful for the point that I'm at and the success that I've had, and I'd like to keep building that, but I also want to give back to those that maybe are in need or need help.
00:45:33.679 --> 00:45:44.320
And if we can make everyone just a better place and make everything better here, I think that would be, you know, a success to me, and what success would at least mean to me, yeah.
00:45:44.480 --> 00:45:46.719
Um, the better we can make our community.
00:45:46.880 --> 00:45:47.119
Yeah.
00:45:47.280 --> 00:45:49.039
And for all of us to succeed.
00:45:49.199 --> 00:45:50.239
Yeah, it's a great answer.
00:45:50.320 --> 00:46:00.159
So I mean, that's uh, you know, once you once you have some amazing things in your own life, being able to give those to other people, um, it's a it's a cool feeling.
00:46:00.320 --> 00:46:01.760
It's it's great to be able to give back.
00:46:01.840 --> 00:46:02.639
So 100%.
00:46:02.880 --> 00:46:03.039
Yeah.
00:46:03.199 --> 00:46:03.920
I'm with you there.
00:46:04.079 --> 00:46:07.119
So uh well, Remy, listen, I appreciate the time.
00:46:07.280 --> 00:46:11.760
Uh, I know this was a little bit uh, you know, sort of short notice to come out here and do this.
00:46:11.840 --> 00:46:14.480
We are gonna do coffee, and I was like, you know what, let's change.
00:46:14.719 --> 00:46:17.199
Um, so I appreciate you taking the time out of your day.
00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:20.400
Tell us a little bit about the gym, what you're doing, what you got going on.
00:46:20.559 --> 00:46:23.920
Um, obviously everybody can find you uh Saturday, May 2nd.
00:46:24.159 --> 00:46:24.960
Saturday, May 2nd, yes.
00:46:25.199 --> 00:46:25.920
11 to 2.
00:46:26.000 --> 00:46:26.320
Yep.
00:46:26.480 --> 00:46:27.679
Uh open house.
00:46:28.000 --> 00:46:30.239
Um but yeah, I appreciate your time.
00:46:30.320 --> 00:46:32.239
Thanks for uh thanks for chatting with us today.
00:46:32.400 --> 00:46:33.119
I appreciate it, Sean.
00:46:33.199 --> 00:46:33.679
Thanks for having me.
00:46:33.840 --> 00:46:34.239
Anytime.
00:46:34.400 --> 00:46:34.960
All right, everybody.
00:46:35.039 --> 00:46:41.360
That's another episode of Cracking the Success Vault here with uh Spectre Group uh and our guest Remy Sovereign from Ambassador Fitness.
00:46:41.440 --> 00:46:43.599
Uh again, Remy, thanks for taking the time out of your day.
00:46:43.760 --> 00:46:44.320
Thank you.
