We were lucky to catch up with Craig Gundlach recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Craig thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

My mission is: to build a culture and environment that creates strong bodies, minds, friendships and community. Anyone who has spent time at Manic Training Fort Collins will attest that the community here is special. I created this mission when I opened in 2017 because I believe deeply that we are social animals that need connection and support. The fabric of the real life social networks has slowly been eroded from society. The success of my mission has, in my estimation, been largely due to putting culture first. I have been committed to creating this culture through dedication and adherence to my TRAIN RIGHT core values:

Teamwork
Respect
Accountability
Integrity
Niceness

Realism
Investment
Gratitude
Humility
Timeliness

Holding myself and others to these values isn’t always easy, especially during those early years while I was building the Manic tribe. There is desire to make ends meet than can lead to a feeling of pressure to compromise on the values to attract every potential client. My decision to put the value based culture first really paid off in the long run. The members now all feel a part of the community and the role they all have had in creating it. Having a place where everyone has bought in to the values creates a palpable feeling of belonging not often present in other parts of society.

2020 brought some existentially weird and scary times, especially for gym owners and small business owners in general. The efforts to create community paid tremendous dividends towards my survival. The theory that one can work, shop, socialize, workout and entertain themselves all from the comfort of home was tested. For a great many it drove them to the brink of their sanity. The proof was in that there is tremendous value for what we have at Manic. The many who had found us before 2020 were so grateful to have Manic Training, and many since have been thrilled to bring Manic into their lives.

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.

I didn’t open Manic until I was 40 years old. Up to that point I had spent a majority of my life as a restaurant server. In 2010 I began a life changing transformation as I stepped away from an incredibly destructive and debaucherous path. I recognized that my life had been extremely self-centered and self serving to that point and I looked to find a better way to serve my fellow man. Initially I considered who had influenced me in the most positive ways for inspiration and landed on the idea of becoming a teacher and a coach.
I began to pursue completing my secondary education which I had forgone in my youth in order to party. Along that path I came across Manic Training in Steamboat Springs and found the perfect way to channel my passions. I loved the workouts and I loved the connection I felt with the people I broke sweat with. Here was a way I could help people be healthier and create something that changed lives. Initially I thought I would love to train athletes, but I have learned over the years that I am most charged up when I help someone totally transform their lives. The workouts at Manic are the best you will find, but they are not the best thing about Manic. We break through barriers and that ends up changing what people think they are capable of in and out of the gym.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

When my gym was forcibly closed in 2020 due to COVID I had to learn how to grow or dissolve. I made a conscious decision to tell myself, “this could be the best thing that ever happened to you.” I got out of self pity and anger and into action. I lent out all of my equipment to the group, everyone got two pieces. I created a video platform out of nothing that remains to this day and is incredibly useful for integrating newcomers. I ended up expanding my space as well as the class option. Ultimately during that two year span, I paid off my business loan and my original partner while expanding my space and membership. Leading by example and staying in a service mindset allowed me to helpful, useful and garnered loyalty and respect of many people.

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

Someone once told me early on in my business, “It seems like you are really trying to grow your business.” I remember thinking to myself, “yeah, of course.” I had to sit in reflection to understand the purpose of this message and what I needed to learn. When I was approaching people, I was trying to sell them on Manic. I needed a group to have a group fitness class, and that need was transparent. I had a smell of desperation or what I have heard called “commision breath.” I made a decision to really work towards understanding what a person needed and then being a servant to that. It was my job to care about people and be there to help them. I wasn’t there to tell them what they needed, but rather to demonstrate how I could be valuable to them. In some cases I needed to send people away lovingly. I was amazed at the return I got from shifting my perspective in this way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.manictraining.com
• Instagram: @manic_training-foco
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manicfoco
• Twitter: @ManicFoco