Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rogdricus Neely. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Rogdricus , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Our Mission: We seek to bridge the gap between HBCU community and fitness by uplifting the physical, mental and spiritual aspect of each and every client. And in everything we do, we strive to operate with integrity, honesty and camaraderie. We are STRONGER TOGETHER!

The story of this mission derived from a freshman on the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University having a vision of helping his peers meet and exceed their fitness goals. As the CEO, Rogdricus “Rod” Neely, I started this fitness company merely from a workout class taught at the school’s recreation center. The name of the class was Aggie Strong. Aggie Strong, like most things from the start, started off slow with only a few people attending the daily workout classes. Soon after promotion and word got out to the campus, Aggie Strong became the top fitness class on campus with attendance averaging 50+ students per class. With growing participation in Spring of 2020 I decided to create Aggie Strong T-shirts that would remind the campus what the best workout class was. Following T-shirt sales, the vision of taking Aggie Strong to the next business level was already in full effect, but I quickly realized that I could not travel this journey alone.

Aggie Strong started a full brand power move! There was new merchandise, a new website, and even 12 brand ambassadors that helped spread the word and their influence about Aggie Strong. In Fall of 2020 Aggie Strong became a Limited Liability Company (LLC) and had grown beyond anything I could imagine. As years went on, the company grew and so did the impact. Aggie Strong found avenues in the local churches, charities, school, and organizations spreading the love of fitness throughout numerous communities.

The brand began to expand far beyond the borders of Greensboro, NC and other students from other universities wanted a change so they could be involved either as a client or ambassador of Aggie Strong. Spring 2022, Aggie Strong took a brand reboot and became HBCU Strong. This new brand expanded the company’s horizons nationally. Ambassadors/Coaches are now spreading positive fitness influence across 6 states and 5 universities. This mission statement is far more important than the words it embodies, it is a charter of hope and expansion to bringing the joy of fitness to minority campuses and alumni across the nation while helping the surrounding communities.

Rogdricus , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

What separates HBCU Strong from other fitness companies is that everyone involved either graduated or currently goes to an HBCU (Historically Black College or University) which provides a sense of community that is felt on all levels of the company and from our clients. As a recent graduate of North Carolina A&T State University, it was no secret that HBCU fitness programs lacked the most important aspect of Health and Wellness culture, which is community. Community is what ties and attracts clients into the gym. It is the motivation that allows those who need that extra boost to show up and go after each and every goal they aspire to achieve.

Going to an HBCU and loving the fitness world, I quickly caught on to the lack of community and effort put into the community aspect of Health and Wellness for minorities. Fitness is supposed to be fun and motivating while keeping realistic goals at the forefront of every workout. Many clients have given positive feedback about how fun the workouts are and how the workouts get them into a routine that jumpstarts their fitness journeys. This is the difference…Community and fun! Our motto, “We are STRONGER TOGETHER”, is a constant reminder that this journey does not have to be done alone and like many HBCU students have experienced you can win with a village.

HBCU Strong provides 1-1 training, virtual training, and group exercise boot camps for our clients to have a versatile fitness environment and minimize the obstacles of accessibility to fitness services. All of our fitness services are reasonably priced to stay within the means of many college students. We are not in this for the monetary gains, but for the impact that we could have on many HBCU students as we have successfully done in the past. We also provide customized workout plans, meal plans, and merchandise to represent different HBCUs within the company. HBCU Strong also plays a huge part in the community. We have several donation drives throughout the year including our annual Winter Clothing Drive. There is also an annual Breast Cancer Awareness 5K that the company hosts in October to raise money for the United Breast Cancer Foundation. Recently, HBCU Strong organized a fundraiser in the form of a running challenge for the Better Days Project, Inc. a mental health organization that will use the funds to continue their great work of providing mental health programs for our youth.

I am most proud of the unique network we have within the company. Composed and run by HBCU students and alumni, the community built within is unmatched and it shows with each and every client!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Leading by example. In the fitness world I think a great way to gain clientele and convince others you know what you are talking about is to live the life you coach. When I started the business in undergrad, it started with a vision of working out and helping others reach their goals, but I never realized it would grow into the company it is today. People watched my dedication and watched how much fun I would have working out and wanted to know the secret. Secrets come with a price in business, so perspectives were conceived of me based on what I already loved doing and being able to reciprocate that joy to my clients even when things become hard.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Starting the company at the young age of 20, I had it set in my mind that being an entrepreneur meant that HBCU Strong would be the sole provider of my income. I was very wrong. Starting a company and building it from the ground up there were many things I had to learn and the biggest thing I had to unlearn was that this company will not pay all the bills during its start up phase. It is ok to have a learning curve and understand that as the company grows there will be more things to learn and there will always be improvements to be made. While I was in college I was working 2 jobs, a full time chemical engineering student, training at least 8 clients at a time, and trying to run and operate a company. Investing back into my own company is what allowed HBCU Strong to grow to what it is today and continue to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.hbcustrong.business
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hbcu_strong/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/people/Aggie-Strong-LLC/100063864353015/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogdricusneely
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/_hbcu_strong
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hbcustrong2806
• Other: Official Commercial Link: https://youtu.be/R-L1IWwoAb4