We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful John Gunn. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with John below.

John, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

I began working with Bryan during the summer of 2020. He had reached out to me months prior and we had established a little rapport, but it took a while before he was ready to commit to training with me. Bryan had a desk job and had been working from home for a long time; a combination of lifestyle, work stress, and poor diet was taking its toll on him and he decided it was time to make a change.

We would usually communicate via text but one morning he called me – he was serious. He communicated his goals and was ready to commit himself to my program. We started with two workouts a week until he felt comfortable to add a third to the rotation. We consistently assessed his diet and what he could do on his own to keep moving in the right direction. At the time he weighed in at 330lbs and was set on losing 100lbs within the year. An incredibly lofty goal, but one that we agreed was achievable if we stuck to a plan.

Our first workout was a challenge to say the least. We had planned on a 45 minute session, but he sent me home after 18 minutes. He was sweating, out of breath, and though he insisted on paying for the session, I was pretty sure he hated me. He called me after I got home and I was fully expecting him to cancel our upcoming sessions, but instead he told me to come back tomorrow. He wanted to do the same workout again. So, I showed up to his house the next day, kettlebells in tow, and we started training. We got 25 minutes down before he called it, but rather than feeling defeated, he seemed to be motivated by this seemingly impossible workout. So we took a day off and came back at it again, and again. He wouldn’t let up until he saw it all the way through.

Bryan is one of the most tenacious clients I ever had the pleasure of meeting and becoming friends with. It was almost never easy, but watching him tackle the tasks in front of him was an inspiration. He told me once that he always keeps one beer in his fridge so that every day he can look at it and say “no.” Bryan is built different.

That being said, Bryan quickly progressed to 3 workouts a week and constantly stayed on the move. He was bragging about walks he took around town, putting miles in around the neighborhood. More importantly, he was actually getting out in his neighborhood, meeting new people and finding a community that he didn’t know he had. He had found his new drug, and it was having radical effects on his physical, psychological, and emotional well-being.

About 8 months into our training we met outside in his driveway with a smile on his face. Bryan was never smiling when I showed up to his house. I popped my head out of my window and asked what he was so giddy about – the scale was beginning to tip in his favor, literally. He was hovering around 240lbs, and he could see his goal within reach. Not only that, but he was carrying himself differently. His usual slouch had straightened, shoulders back and head held high in the way you only see in someone who is truly feeling their best. He was more confident, more friendly, and was really having a good time in and out of our sessions.

Bryan passed his 100lb weight loss goal that summer and he was almost unrecognizable from when I first met him. He was strength training three times a week, meal planning every Sunday, and taking group classes on the side when he had time. I wish I could take more credit for the transformation that happened over that year, but none of it would be possible without the dedication and consistency that Bryan committed himself to and the high standard he set. As much as Bryan may seem like an outlier, anyone can take what he did, apply it to their own lives, and find similar results – it just takes a deliberate effort, and sometimes, the help of a friendly professional.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started Forward Strength & Fitness in San Diego at the beginning of COVID. The restaurant I had been working at closed and I was looking for something new to focus on, but options were limited due to the pandemic. Luckily, a couple of friends had asked me to write them a workout they could do at home or in the park to appease their boredom, and in doing so insisted I lead them through it because they weren’t familiar with most of the movements.

The three of us met at the park with a bluetooth speaker and started to move. We were a little self-conscious at first because there were quite a few other people out on walks, but the uneasiness soon subsided and we were having fun with it. It wasn’t long before someone approached and asked if this was a “thing”. A class of three grew to five. Eventually I started a signup, and soon after I was filling the trunk of my Volkswagen with 600+ pounds of kettlebells, medicine balls, jump ropes, and whatever equipment I could get my hands on and setting up a circuit in the park for two classes most days of the week. Within a few months I was working full-time with my little mobile gym.

I had studied kinesiology at UW-Whitewater and had been a personal trainer prior so this wasn’t completely new territory for me, but it had been a while since working in the industry, so I certified through NASM and began my journey back into a health profession.

Between my study at Whitewater and forming Forward in San Diego, I spent most of my time in the service industry and I owe a lot of my success going forward (no pun intended) to the experiences I had and the people I met at that time. My ability to problem solve, communicate, and handle sensitive situations delicately stems directly from working in an environment where the clientele becomes increasingly intoxicated as the night goes on. It’s also an environment that formed my sense of humor, and taught me that I can take my work seriously without taking myself seriously. Without these formative years, I’m not sure I’d be able to run this business the way that I do today.

I’ve spent a lot of time studying the things that I teach people in the gym because I think it’s important to execute what we’re doing properly, but it doesn’t mean there isn’t room for a discussion about what we’re currently watching on Netflix or what they’re doing next weekend. I can give you all of the technical cues and scientific explanations for why we do what we do, but if you don’t want to hang out with me or if you get bored of our sessions and stop showing up, it doesn’t matter how much I know or how good my intentions are. I think a lot of people in this profession have forgotten that it’s ‘personal’ training, and ultimately, it’s about the client. I’m expecting them to show up and do something that they’ve already admitted is difficult for them to do, so my job is to do whatever I can in my power to make that hour as enjoyable as possible while still being effective.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I like to touch base between sessions with my current clients and make sure they’re feeling good after our most recent workout, maybe little reminders on something we had touched on in a previous session (hydrate hydrate hydrate!), or an article about something they might be interested in, whether workout related or a movie they might like. Every once in a while some memes get tossed back and forth. In doing so I hope it serves to remind them that the lines to communicate are always open.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Meeting people and having a face-to-face conversation is (I believe) the best way to grow your clientele and meet new people. Referrals from existing clients are also very valuable and account for most of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ForwardMilwaukee.com
• Instagram: Forward_MKE