We recently connected with Jeromy Barbee and have shared our conversation below.

Jeromy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

The idea for Upscale Evolution came during a brainstorming session with one of my good friends. We had just finished training some basketball players, and I was struggling to come up with the right name to brand what we do.

For a while, I considered different names. One idea came from something my mom has called Divine Revelation, but I knew that wasn’t quite the direction I wanted to take. However, I’ve always loved the word evolution—it represents growth, progress, and transformation, which is exactly what I aim to provide for athletes.

As we kept thinking, my friend said, “Your training is upscale.” That’s when it clicked—Upscale Evolution. It perfectly described what I was building.

I didn’t have the most high-end facility, and I wasn’t focused on fancy equipment or unnecessary extras. But what I did have was a strong foundation, a great training environment, and the right methods to develop athletes at a high level. The athletes I worked with received Upscale training and experienced true evolution—both as basketball players and as individuals.

It all made sense, and from that moment, I stuck with Upscale Evolution as my brand. The name is unique, it catches people’s attention, and more importantly, it reflects my mission.

In the future, when I launch my nutrition business, it will follow the same philosophy under the name Upscale Nutrition—because whether it’s training or nutrition, the goal is always high-quality growth and transformation.

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

Jeremy Barbee: My Journey in Basketball & Training

Early Life & Basketball Career

My name is Jeremy Barbee, and I grew up in Covington, Tennessee, a small town just outside Memphis. I was raised in the country, doing all the typical country boy things—fishing, hunting, riding four-wheelers, and more.

Basketball was always a big part of my life. I played in high school and went on to play college basketball. After finishing my playing career, I completed my undergraduate degree at Middle Tennessee State University.

Finding My Purpose in Training

During my college years, I started thinking about my future and what I wanted to do as a trade. Training kept coming to mind. People had always looked up to me as a basketball player and as a strength and conditioning coach, so I felt like it was time to tap into that world.

It was a slow start, but as word spread, more athletes began seeking me out. Marketing was much different back then—social media wasn’t what it is today. I think we were still using MySpace at the time, so self-promotion was a challenge.

Coaching & Growth in the Game

Over time, I transitioned into coaching high school basketball at Blackman High School, where I spent several years developing players. In 2021, we won a state championship, right after the pandemic.

Throughout my coaching career, I continued training both athletes and adults. My training philosophy blended perfectly with my coaching style—I didn’t just roll the ball out and have players run through drills mindlessly. Instead, I focused on:
• Fundamental training to sharpen skills.
• Scenario-based training to develop basketball IQ.
• Critical thinking on the court—helping players recognize what they could and couldn’t do in real-game situations.

This approach helped my players evolve, not just as athletes but as thinkers of the game.

Transitioning to College Coaching & Burnout

After high school coaching, I took a year off to reflect on our state championship win and soak it all in. Soon after, I received an opportunity to coach at the college level at a junior college. I spent a couple of years coaching at that level, but eventually, I burned out.

The business and politics of college basketball weren’t what I had envisioned. The lack of proper resources and the way things were managed didn’t align with my expectations. So, I decided to step away.

Rediscovering My Passion for Coaching

After leaving college coaching, I took time to explore other passions and eventually went back to training full-time. Then, I started coaching again—but this time, it was just for my kids. I began coaching my son and grandson, who are six and seven years old.

Coaching them reignited my love for the game. Seeing them and their teammates grasp the game, apply their skills, and ultimately win a championship in our first year was an incredible experience. It reminded me why I started coaching in the first place.

Who I Am Today

At my core, I’m a go-getter, dedicated, and purpose-driven. My passion lies in helping athletes evolve—whether it’s through Upscale Evolution, coaching, or mentoring. My journey has had its ups and downs, but everything has led me to where I am today, and I’m excited for what’s ahead.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Pivoting in Business: Embracing Change & Growth

There came a time when I had to pivot in my business and challenge myself to do something different. As everyone knows, industries like personal training, wellness coaching, nutrition coaching, and basketball training can be seasonal for many people.

One key thing to understand is that economics is always changing—nothing stays the same. As the economy shifts, people must prioritize certain essential resources over extracurricular activities.

The Challenge of Client Retention

For example, let’s say I had 20 clients at one time and trained them consistently for six months. While that might seem stable, I couldn’t assume all 20 would stay long-term. Life happens—
• People move
• Financial situations change
• Health issues arise

If 10 clients drop off, I would need to replace those 10 quickly to maintain revenue. That’s when I realized the importance of adapting and being prepared for change.

The Pivot: Transitioning to Online Training

During the pandemic and post-pandemic period, I had to find a new way to sustain and grow my business. That’s when I made the shift to online training—using FaceTime and Zoom workout sessions to continue working with clients remotely.

This required me to market myself differently on social media so people knew they could still train with me—even if they weren’t physically present.

Expanding My Reach & Growing My Business

Making that pivot opened new doors for my business. Now, I have clients from different cities and states—not just in my local area. This expansion helped my business tremendously, allowing me to reach more people than ever before.

Today, business has picked up, and I do a mix of in-person training, group classes, and online sessions. But that initial shift to online training was a game-changer.

The Lesson: Growth Comes from Discomfort

That pivot forced me to get uncomfortable, but in the end, it made me and my business stronger. The biggest lesson I learned? Embracing change leads to growth.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Building My Social Media Presence: The Power of Consistency & Branding

I built my social media presence by being consistent and learning how to create engaging content. A good friend of mine once told me, “We have these iPhones, but I rarely see you talk in your videos. You need to start talking to your phone.” That advice stuck with me.

Then another close friend of mine, Walter Clark, who’s like a big brother to me, gave me another golden nugget. He said, “Man, you need to start wearing your brand a lot more.” I took his advice and made sure Upscale Evolution was visible everywhere—on my shirts, hoodies, and all my content. That one change made a huge difference, and now people are buying my merchandise online.

The Key to Social Media Growth

To grow on social media, you have to be creative with your content:
• Use good lighting
• Pay attention to what you’re saying
• Select the right music
• Follow posting algorithms
• Post consistently—every single day

Social media is too powerful to ignore. If you’re not marketing yourself, you’re only hurting your brand. I am my own walking brand. I wear my logo all the time, and at the end of every video, I include a signature Upscale Evolution clip.

The Signature Touch: My Unique Video Clip

Early on, I made a custom branded video outro using iMovie on my iPhone. It’s a 4-second clip that appears at the end of every video I post. It has this futuristic, out-of-space effect, with a sleek black-and-blue design, and the words Upscale Evolution fade onto the screen in a way that’s hard to describe—but super catchy.

I’ve never seen anyone else do it the way I do. And now, when people see my videos, they expect that clip. Whether I’m working out, coaching, or just talking to the camera, Upscale Evolution always closes the video.

Expanding My Reach: Platforms & Future Goals

Right now, I’m active on:
• TikTok @jody.breeze30
• Instagram (@upscale_evolution_fitness)
• Facebook (Jeromy Barbee)

But I want to tap into YouTube next. My goal is to create workout and training videos so people can search for things like “Jeromy Barbee HIIT workout” and pull up my content. That will open up another stream of revenue and help grow my brand even further.

The Mindset: Stay Consistent, Ignore the Likes

Social media growth doesn’t happen overnight. I don’t get 10,000 likes on my posts yet, but I do get hundreds depending on the video. And that’s fine because likes don’t determine success—consistency does.

Some people might get tired of seeing your content. Others won’t hit the like button. That’s okay. What matters is that people are watching. The views are still going up. The brand is still growing.

So my advice? Keep posting. Keep showing up. Keep marketing yourself. If you believe in your brand, the world will start to believe in it too.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: upscale_evolution_fitness
• Facebook: Jeromy Barbee
• Other: TikTok @jody.breeze30