We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Benjamin Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Benjamin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

In 2017, I was firmly placed as a partner and coach for a for profit fitness brand that was rapidly growing across the nation. Since 2014, my family and I lived and served in the O4W neighborhood on one of its toughest, and most under-resourced streets. We immersed our lives in the neighborhood serving the people of the neighborhood through the local church and other community outreach organizations. As we built relationships with many of the residents, we quickly learned of the hardships many of them faced on a day to day basis.

Were they going to spend their limited funds on food? Or, on rent? Where were they going to get their next meal? Were they going to be able to cloth their kids for the upcoming school year? Many struggled to obtain the energy, mental health, and physical resilience to care for their families well, and so they lived hopeless, in despair, and with deep depression and anxiety, daily. This broke my heart over the years!

Meanwhile, I was running in circles of some of the most affluent people in Atlanta, charging them $250 a month to coach them in fitness, guide their nutrition habits, which gave them the energy, mental acuity, and physical strength and resilience to be productive individuals in their life, and for their families.

On December 2017, God gripped my heart, mind, and moved my will to throw in the towel at my place of work. Jesus Christ invigorated my entire being to take action towards justice, to love mercy and get up daily to walk with Him in humility.

So, by His grace, and my wife’s trust and guidance, I left my secure job, and launched Noble Clay Fitness in Angier Park. We knocked on doors and invited people to join me 3x a week at 6 PM. From there, we moved the operation into my home garage with equipment where we developed the Noble Clay Model of Individual Design (100% personalized) fitness coaching.

In 2018, we coached 20-30 people out of the small 300 sq garage. In 2019, we raised enough funds to launch our first location on January 14th, 2020, in Summerhill/Peoplestown neighborhood, where we have touched over 150 people from the low income community, and over 200 people living with economic affluence surrounding our gym.

We grew through the COVID-19 pandemic when other gyms were shutting down. We have hired and maintained 5 top level fitness coaches from various diverse backgrounds.

And, now we are looking to launch a second location on the west side of Atlanta, where we will have the opportunity to coach another 200+ people who are in need of a coach.

What is the take away from this story of taking a risk?

1. God is all powerful and immeasurably invested in His people and His purposes. He cares especially for those who are on the margins of society.
2. He looks to use those who are willing, not who have it all figured out.
3. When your anger towards something that ought to be and is not gets strong enough, your passion wells up with unimaginable energy and power to act, and act mightily.

And the greatest act is that of denying yourself for the sake of others.

Ah, but what an act it is, as it produces true joy and happiness that does not fade with time.

Moving forward,

Ben

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Ben Davis and have coached in the fitness industry for the last 16 years. From a personal trainer at Lifetime Fitness, to a CrossFit Coach and developer at No Excuses CrossFit, to a franchise partner at Iron Tribe Fitness, and now founder, and president at Noble Clay Fitness.

Noble Clay Fitness is owned and operated by Radical Fitness Ministries, Inc., a 501c3 company in Atlanta, Ga.

Our work sits at the intersection of worth and humility- everyone is created with immeasurable dignity, and yet we can all use help being shaped for the good we have to do. That’s why we are called Noble Clay and that’s why we provide Individual Design, a fitness model built around personalized coaching to achieve client-centered results.

We desire to see everybody wielded. The question has been asked, “Is everyone living up to the full God-given potential?” and we answer with a resounding no, unfortunately. We all know this to be true but also know this to be wrong. It ought not to be this way. Why are we not living up to our full potential in every area of life?

Noble Clay is the biggest nightmare of injustice and other evils of the world today. Preventable chronic diseases are higher than ever in the developed world. People in lower income (poverty) areas do not have access to proper healthcare because of many injustices like the insurance costs in the US. Likewise, they do not have access to quality coaching in a holistic lifestyle, fitness and nutrition coaching. This evil, chronic disease and some of the greed that has had a part in creating it, not only affects the poverty-stricken people but the affluent.

So, we ask the question, “what if EVERYONE had a personal coach talented and called to help them obtain health and vitality in their life?”, “What would happen to families, to the workforce, to the community at large?”

This is the problem we face: poor health, sickness, and disease. BUT, we have the solution: creative, encouraging coaches, who will fight on the front lines helping individuals live up to their noble calling within compassionate communities. We are not only called to be professional coaches skilled in individual design fitness and strength and conditioning, but also community builders and unifiers, within the bounds of truth!

And so, Noble Clay exists to invigorate people to be at peace and to do good. This is WHY we get up every day.

Our Coaching persona is Life-Giving, Top-Notch, and Power-Full.

We are the only Personalized Functional fitness gym that builds stronger communities.

We provide personalized, 1 on 1, programming and coaching to the individual while connecting them with the community for growth, strength, and support.
We provide a holistic approach to nutrition, lifestyle and fitness coaching. This is the CORE of what we do.
We provide proven results, DAILY and we encourage through engaged listening. The PR bell will ring often!

One thing we are most proud of is being in a position to develop and implore a viable model that attracts and unifies people from all walks of life, where they can belong and thrive.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

A heart that has Grit, Passion, and Compassion. Being willing to engage your heart (emotions), and be vulnerable with those around you, knowing that you are at risk of a hurt heart. People will hurt you, but that hurt, if dealt with by identifying it, exploring it, and expressing it in a healthy relationship, can provide the healing and courage needed to be successful in whatever field God has called you to. The old saying goes, “hurt people, hurt people”. Untrue. “Hurt people, that don’t deal with their hurt in a healthy manner, hurt people.” One statement is hopeless, one is hopeful.

What will we do the hurt we experience in our lives?

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Before launching Noble Clay Fitness, I spent one year trying to figure out the model by going to do fitness workshops at churches and businesses to educate, equip, and empower people to live well.

I fought hard to make this work, but time and again, I left the execution of this strategy feeling empty and exhausted. I was hard headed and emotionless. I didn’t listen to the cues my body was giving me, and I foolishly plowed ahead anyway.

Thankfully, my wife spoke to me directly about my gifting and talent, and plainly said, “Ben, you need to build a fitness community. That is what God called you to.”

Sometimes we try for one thing, and need to slow down, talk with our significant other and listen to their insights.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nobleclayfitness.com
• Instagram: @nobleclayfit
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/nobleclayfit
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/noble-clay/
• Twitter: @nobleclayfit

Image Credits
@hannahcolemanphotography @envisioningfreedom