We recently connected with Conley Wessel and have shared our conversation below.

Conley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The idea for TurfBlox came from a challenge I faced while helping a college running back return to the field after ACL surgery. He was struggling with lingering Achilles pain and a lack of confidence in making full-speed cuts. In our sessions, we identified that his knee was collapsing on the injured side, leading to a pattern of movement that left him vulnerable. Although we made progress in the gym, the issue persisted on the field, especially in cleats. I needed a way to reinforce better movement patterns while allowing him to train in cleats, and that’s when inspiration struck.

At first, I thought I’d find a tool to address this issue. But when I couldn’t, I decided to build it myself. I spent weeks experimenting with materials, creating various prototypes, and testing them in our training sessions. After refining the design, I developed a model that was safe, effective, and helped him regain full confidence and functionality. What started as a solution for one athlete became a tool I didn’t yet realize would impact the sports performance and rehab worlds.
When I shared TurfBlox with a couple of mentors, their interest and excitement made me realize I was onto something meaningful. They immediately saw how they could use it with their athletes and asked for their own. Their encouragement validated my efforts, and from there, I started officially building and branding TurfBlox.

The impact became clear shortly after we launched. I was thrilled to learn that TurfBlox was being used to train Kayvon Thibodeaux, who was a top NFL draft prospect at the time. It’s humbling to know that something my son and I build by hand is now helping top athletes perform better. I remain grateful for the opportunity to contribute to other athletes’ success.

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

My journey into sports performance training and thus TurfBlox began unexpectedly. It all started when my son showed an interest in excelling at football, so we started training on the weekends. As he invited teammates, I began working with more kids and discovered a genuine passion for helping athletes. This led me to pursue my first training certification, followed by a sports performance certification. A process that continues to date. For nearly two years, I trained kids every weekend without charge, simply because I loved it. From there, things grew organically—my knowledge, the athletes I worked with, and my drive to do everything in my power to help them succeed.

TurfBlox was created as a direct extension of that passion and problem-solving mindset. It’s one of the most versatile training tools available, safely used with cleats, tennis shoes, or barefoot, and adaptable for the gym, field, or home. What makes TurfBlox unique is its design for optimizing joint angles in lower limb training, helping athletes strengthen specific movement patterns that are crucial in performance and injury prevention.

The values behind TurfBlox are rooted in care and commitment. We’re invested in every athlete’s journey, which is why each TurfBlox board is hand-built, by my son and I. We believe that sports performance and recovery are deeply personal, and hope our approach reflects that—we’re here alongside every athlete, supporting them with a tool we craft with them in mind.

I’d say the most fulfilling aspect of TurfBlox has been the father-son experience. Sharing the journey of building a business, working side-by-side to create a product, and watching it grow has been priceless.

Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.

TurfBlox boards are hand built by my son and I. I didn’t have a background in manufacturing, so it was a learning curve right from the start. It began with basic prototypes, testing different materials and designs with athletes during training sessions. Basically, I’d build a model, see how it worked, and make adjustments. It was a true process of trial and error to make something that was both safe and effective. There were around nine different prototype builds, all utilizing different turf styles, padding and frame designs. Until eventually, the right size and materials were realized.

I quickly learned that manufacturing a product isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about ensuring quality and consistency in every piece. Athletes need a product they can rely on, so durability is non-negotiable. To this day, I continue to experiment with different materials, always seeking ways to improve the boards. When we started, most of the materials used at that time were from big box stores. Currently, I source as much as possible from small and family owned businesses.

Manufacturing TurfBlox by hand has also allowed me to keep a personal connection to the product and to the athletes who use it. Building each one with my son brings a sense of pride, knowing we’re creating something that helps others. A great lesson has been that when you create something meaningful, there’s value in being hands-on with every step of the process. There will come a time that I’ll have to step away from the builds to run the business but for now, it remains a rewarding endeavor.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

One of the biggest factors in establishing the reputation of TurfBlox within the sports performance world was the support of other trainers in my social network. There were several guys who came on board shortly after launch. T.J. Hart, Chad Hale, Josh Scott and Darelle Noel. Their work with high level athletes utilizing our boards really set the stage for TurfBlox being respected as a reliable training tool. This year, TurfBlox made their way to its first NFL team and under the feet of several more NFL star athletes. In my opinion, it was made possible and continues to flourish due to the unwavering support of others who see the vision and value the product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.turfblox.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/turfblox/?hl=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@turfblox

Image Credits

Myself sitting on the TurfBlox – Jared Spink
Ceedee Lamb, Stefon Diggs and Collage Photo – Jeremy Rhone
All others I took myself.