We were lucky to catch up with James Ketchum recently and have shared our conversation below.

James, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

Taking on ownership of the CrossFit affiliate felt like a huge risk in some ways, and an absolute slam dunk in other ways. I had been an athlete in the gym for 7 years and a coach for 3, and out of need, I was the one most often scrubbing toilets and taking out the trash and cleaning floors, because I cared about the place and wanted it to shine. When it was announced to the existing member base that I was taking over as full owner, 100% of the members stayed, which made the risk all worth it. The gym was financially healthy before I took it on, and even with the debt load I’ve taken on to purchase the affiliate, the gym still has a profit margin. As with all things, there is an ebb and flow, but we have an incredible head of steam going with great energy.

Another incredible aspect of managing the mental and emotional risk was staffing. I was previously a peer with an incredible group of coaches who I really needed to stay to keep our current class schedule and I was a little unsure of how the coaches would take the news of the ownership change, but they also saw how much I cared about the place and had 100% retention with the coaches.

I knew the risk I was taking with time management, taking out debt to make the purchase, and maintaining all my other family responsibilities, but as the process unfolded it became very clear that I made the right choice.

James, 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?

CrossFit Incandescent is named such because incandescent light is the light that shines when heat is applied. That is a beautiful reflection of what we do in here, and what CrossFit has done in my life. I had very little interest in physical activity growing up. I got cut from a no-cut JV soccer team in high school, if that is any indication about my aptitude.

When we moved to TN in 2018, I had just turned 40 and was coming off a hernia surgery that had complications and infections and multiple ER runs. I was down to about 125 lbs and was desperate to get my health back. I had heard of CrossFit but was super intimidated because I thought it was only for fire-breathers. My curiosity outweighed my fear and I emailed the closest geographic gym to our new home and simply said “I’m curious, I’m terrified, and please don’t kill me.” I was completely terrible at everything, but I stuck with it and the coaches and classmates stuck with me. After about 4 years, it was a natural fit for me to get my coaching certification and I picked up a few classes a week. Having taught middle school for 12 years before I got into IT, this allowed me to reinvigorate that teacher’s heart. Then after several years of coaching, it made sense for me to take over managing and owning the gym full time.

When I think about what goes on in here from the day to day, I think about people who choose to come in and work hard together, really pushing themselves in ways that our modern existence doesn’t allow for too often. These people love each other and have each other’s backs, and new people are brought in and quickly made part of the community. Back to the concept of incandescent light, the light shines when the heat of trial is applied. Our relationships outside the gym are better, our spirits are more patient, and we are quicker to laugh out in the real world, because what we do in here is the healthiest pressure release one can find in life. I tell new people, just show up, do what coach tells you to do, then you get to lie on the floor for two minutes and feel sorry for yourself, then you get up and come back and do it again tomorrow, but faster.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

On the surface, CrossFit seems crazy to outsiders looking in. If people will give themselves enough credit to at least walk in the doors and see it for themselves, they find that their body responds in ways that are incomparable to anything they’ve done before, and more importantly, the community immediately embraces and encourages them. This lends itself to more word-of-mouth business than I could ever pay for through advertising and social media.

CrossFit gyms statistically stick together more than any other voluntary group of people that align themselves to a purpose. It’s because we go through basically combat training together every day. When one of us has a job need, or a move, or a baby, the first people we go to is our gym people to lean on for daily life. This is real and is the kind of thing that people easily share with others in their life, because if you love someone, you want the best for them. Current members know what this place is doing for them, so it’s easy for them to tell others.

Any advice for managing a team?

Over communicate. Tell people what you are going to tell them, tell them, and tell them what you told them. Be open about failings and where you could use help. When a team sees a leader willing to do any part of the process, then they become a lot more willing to do what is asked when it is asked. As a leader, you also have to treat people like they are people and support them through their lives, schedules, and challenges.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.crossfitincandescent.com
• Instagram: @crossfitincandescent

Image Credits
James Ketchum