We were lucky to catch up with Daniel Sobon recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Daniel thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?
It would be Mike Mentzer. Mike was a professional bodybuilder, trainer, author, and entrepreneur spanning through the 70s to the late 90s. He was considered by many as bodybuilding’s foremost iconoclast, as his training philosophy was highly unorthodox and challenged the mainstream dogma of the time.
Mentzer was well known for popularizing the theory of high intensity training. which was counter to the ‘more is better’ philosophy that dominated the bodybuilding culture. Mike’s brief, intense, and infrequent approach to training became known to me in the mid 90s, through his book Heavy Duty II: Mind & Body. An appropriate title for his book; since 80% of it was dedicated to helping the reader develop their mind before talking about any weight training routines. Heavy Duty II is one of the very few books I’ve read several times. It gave me a serious upgrade in my discipline, how I communicate personally and professionally, and my overall confidence.
Mike’s crowning achievement was the Mr. Universe title he won in 1978, where he earned the first and only perfect physique score of 300. Of course, you may not relate to competitive bodybuilding. It was never my goal, personally. But we can all see the allure of achieving one’s personal best. And understanding how much mental and physical discipline it takes to achieve such a goal, inspired me to step up and demand more from myself.
Mike’s swan song would be the controversial 1980 Mr. Olympia competition, where he landed in pinnacle condition, yet placed 5th overall. It was Arnold Schwarzenegger who would take first place, despite him being previously retired and not in his best shape. It was rumored that the contest was tilted for Arnold to win, in order to help him promote his movie roles.
Mike was disenchanted by this and retired from bodybuilding that same year at the age of 29. He went on to pursue his entrepreneurial endeavors and inspire thousands of people through his writings and training methodologies.
As a cautionary tale, I heard he didn’t take the controversial loss well, and it was a burden he carried until his untimely death at the young age of 49, in 2001. Point taken.
I will be 47 in the fall of 2022 and I plan on living at least twice as long. I feel I have an obligation to pay it forward, like our mentors and heroes have done for us. So make your peace, be strong, have courage, and make a positive impact on someone’s life. Thanks for everything Mike.
Daniel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Daniel John Sobon. I have a clinical nutrition background and I am co-owner of FloatationLocaions.com with my business partner Aaron Thomson.
So how did I end up here? Well, I have a pretty long holistic résumé that dates back to 1993, when I took my first retail vitamin job, while going to school for Nutrition. Throughout the 90s I managed vitamin stores, worked various labor jobs on the side, and spent whatever remaining time I had weight training and playing guitar for my band.
I transitioned out of corporate natural retail in the year of 2000 and took a job at Merck.
It was an evening position which allowed me time to study clinical nutrition and herbology in my off hours.
I then took a unique position managing local natural pharmacies; also operating as a pharmacy tech and natural product buyer.
From 2002 to present day, I have dedicated my efforts to supporting independently owned health food markets. In real time, I help run operations at one of New Jersey’s finest 10,000 ft.² health food stores, in Hamilton, NJ -Black Forest Acres. And, I’m very proud to announce that this fall of 2022 represents 29yrs of service in the natural product and wellness space.
The idea for Floatation Locations came about shortly after I met Aaron, in late 2010. Aaron shared some iconic video clips of Joe Rogan endorsing float tanks and I instantly wanted to get involved. With little capital, we made the smart financial decision to create a free public service: a float tank directory and resource center that would serve people on a global scale. The result is floatationlocations.com
It’s a lot of work. We’re seemingly doing maintenance and customer service on a regular basis. It’s not uncommon for me to be answering float-related-questions from people who live in England, Norway, Costa Rica, or Belgium etc. through Facebook messenger or email.
And we’re still here. Pushing through the pandemic that claimed well over 100,000 small businesses nationwide. Thankfully, I have a great platform to promote float therapy, as I see an average between 200 to 400 people daily in a health food store environment.
For those who are new to floating: it’s a non-invasive therapy where you lay in a 10-inch pool of warm water saturated with Epsom salts. The environment is dark and quiet, which we call sensory deprivation. The tank offers numerous healing benefits from promoting relaxation, faster recovery, anti-inflammatory and pain relief, PTSD, and much more. Please visit our New to Floating page on our website to learn more: https://floatationlocati
Floatation Locations is a global directory of float tank centers, where people can find a place to float near them. We are also a resource center for those looking to learn more about floating or connect with professionals regarding float tank purchases and starting your own float center.
For those who would like to support our work, we offer upgraded paid-advertising for float tank centers, tank manufacturers, and corporate affiliated advertising for complimentary industries.
This is a great question. Unlearning the lesson(s) require reprogramming our minds. Spiritual teachers and philosophers throughout history, remind us that we are all products of the programming we received as children. It was Aristotle who said, “Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man.” This statement is often referenced by Bruce Lipton PhD; and understanding it fully, is the first step in unlearning hard lessons.
Like most people I’m sure, I was taught to play it safe. Get a good job with benefits/pension/stock opt etc. Of course, it’s not a bad idea to have these things; but doing what you love has to be the first priority, period. Or, you run the risk of never being fulfilled in life.
I truly needed to identify my self defeating habits and get out of my comfort zone. And that means taking risks, going through very lean times, and burning the midnight oil after your 50-60 hour work week. I was 36 when I had this cathartic moment; and FloatationLocations.com was launched in the fall of 2011. If I remained “practical” and played it safe, Floatation Locations would just be an idea.
How’d you meet your business partner?
We met through a mutual friend of ours, Scott Lloyd DC CMT CCWP.
From 2007 to 2011, I managed a health food store in Brick, NJ called Nature’s Nutrition. Aaron was a customer there, and also knew Scott. I remember they were both individually trying to sell me on Kangen water (alkaline water system) at the time. In this process, I got to know Aaron; we became friends, and launched Floatation Locations in the fall of 2011.
I challenge anyone to match Aaron’s tenacity and hustle. Aaron is a true entrepreneur, through and through, as I don’t think he’s worked for anyone in his entire life. He added a unique perspective, that I was lacking, to our business partnership. Let’s face it; running your own business requires a different set of skills that was foreign to me. However, our combined strengths and experiences created something most businesses wish they had, and is the sole reason we are celebrating over 10 years of service.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.FloatationLocations.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/FloatationLocations
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/FloatationLocations