We recently connected with Javier (Javi) Hernandez II and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Javier (Javi), thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
He was Never Knocked out, but he was sometimes Beaten. This man was my Grandfather who traveled and Boxed from California to Arizona. Throughout his Whole Life he renowned, and individuals knew him as Emilio, Milo, EZ, or more popularly as EZQ. He Boxed better than Anyone in his Area. He Worked Hard boxing Fruits and Vegetables throughout the Work-Fields and Never Gave Up. Not once in his Life was he late for work, nor did he ever steal. This man went through so much with very little reward. Although He was the richest man in the world, not because of his physical earnings but he was Wealthy with Love. The way he portrayed himself taught me that throughout life, one should focus on the Positives and Build over the Negatives. Knowing the lifestyle he came from and went through caused me to become a self-motivated person. This holds true in Every Aspect of my life. He is the reason my Company Exists. The Day He Died was the Day this Company was Established. 10.11.12
Previously known as Lift 4 Life: Strength & Conditioning, now known as JAVI HQ has grown from a mere piece of paper including a drawing a stick figure lifting a barbell above their head with the weight being a cancer ribbon signified me Lifting 4 Life, lifting the weight of cancer that sadly took my grandfather away. For the longest time, my business was an outlet for my hate against cancer and has grown to help me to achieve success as a college athlete, collegiate strength & conditioning coach, Podcast Reality and overall owner of JAVI HQ (Along with all other roles for my company: maintenance, coach, content creator/editor, Marketing, etc.)
To break down the rebrand I want to further explain the meaning. JAVI, being both mine and my father’s nickname. HQ, standing for H-Hernandez and Q-Quiñones. These being my last name and my grandparents last name. Fully, JAVI HQ “The Athlete HQ”, “The Rugby HQ”, “The Football HQ”, “The Tactical HQ”. In other words, JAVI HQ tailors the sports world 4 you.
The “4” athlete logo is something that each athlete makes as their own. I have 3 older siblings so it makes a total of 4 siblings. I train and work 4 myself, 4 my family, 4 my friends, and 4 the future. For football athletes it may be deemed the 4th Quarter or 4th Down Mentality. While others train 4 Rugby, 4 90 minutes, 4 Equality, 4 Unity, etc. Similar to the “HQ”, the “4” is what you make and invest of and from it.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
More recently I was positively taken back by what my Big Cousin, Austin Goetzfried saying to me. “You are doing what you love as a coach and you are an artist with what you do, that’s why it comes out the way it does. That’s why these athletes compete the way they do. This all is your art you have molded.”
Something like this being said to me truly helps. Getting into this industry is easy if you are willing to work hard and coach with quality at a consistent rate. To productively stay in this industry in my own way I have worked to maintain education, certifications, experience, a network, authenticity, generosity, humbleness, pride, success, failure, family, friends, Loss, Love, Belief and Faith.
The first team I was appointed as the director of Strength and conditioning from 2016-2019 was the GCU Rugby Men’s team in the Cam Wyper era. I additionally coached the GCU Rugby Women in strength and conditioning during part of that time as they did not have an appointed director of S&C. From 2019-2021 I did a push toward gaining experience in content creation and coaching with both interning and maintaining coaching positions with teams and individual collegiate and professional athletes. This included collegiate and pro athletes in football, rugby/ MLR prep, baseball, softball, track, tactical, sport/law-corporate wellness and more.
In 2020 to present day I was able to start my University teaching career in Exercise Science: Sports Performance.
In 2021 to present day I was granted the opportunity to bring this gained experience to the Lindsey Mahoney era of the GCU Rugby Women’s team. (GCU Rugby/ Alofa) I was initially brought on for content and fitness then entrusted with rugby strength and conditioning. I have since become the director of strength and conditioning for the full program, including the Women’s and Men’s teams. In this off-season, I was granted the opportunity to be the Director of S&C for the Sean O’Leary era of the GCU Rugby Men’s program. (GCU Rugby).
Along with contracting with teams, I coach both online and in person sessions to athletes of all backgrounds. This includes strength and conditioning, recovery modalities and personal training. I do refer out to trusted Doctor’s of Physical Therapy and Registered Dietitians as needed.
Javi Hernandez II
www.javihq.com
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
This is a conversation a family friend quoted from a few years back, William Yarbrough III.
“Will: I hate running with asthma
Myself: I have asthma but I’ve gotten used to just not being able to breath properly.
Will: What… Why?
Myself: Because if you want to be successful, there are going to be people in the world that want you to choke. And it will happen at least once, but then you remember that even when you couldn’t breath… you turned out okay and strived forward.”
As a disclaimer, please all see a doctor for any and all breathing complications. For further context, this was me explaining that even when you can’t breath (times are hard) you can still get through it. You have to believe. I BELIEVE.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I learned to not overshadow those who love you. There will always be people who want you to fail but that being said, there will always be people who want you to succeed. The trick is that you’ll need to learn the difference between the two. Some people may easily overshadow those who want good in their life. I have learned similar lessons very much in my life. The current result is that those who are closest to me are those who want goodness, growth and constructive criticism for me and I want the same back for them. It is equal LOVE, FAITH, and BELIEF.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.javihq.com
- Instagram: javi.hq and javihernandezii
- Facebook: JAVI HQ
- Other: Additional IG’s: @gcurugbywomen @gcurugby @theathletehq @thejavihq @lilo.lemonade
Image Credits
Janice Dykes, Morgan Kuyers and Javi Hernandez II