We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jordan Garrison a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Jordan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?
I got started in the health and fitness industry after getting caught sneaking into a local gym with a buddy during the early morning hours. The owner showed up after I’d been sneaking in for a few weeks, and asked me and my buddy to sit down with him in his office. He was a HUGE man and took up half the office. We were terrified. He gave me an out. Told me if I’d come back and work for him, he’d let it slide. So I did. He taught me a lot about training and nutrition. I began studying to become a certified trainer. While training clients, I found that I was much more passionate about helping people improve their quality of life than about just improving their physique. I, of course, did both, but really sought out clients that needed to regain motor-function and endurance to be independent. When I finally took some time to study and understand CrossFit, I realized it was EXACTLY what I’d been trying to do for people all along. I thought, here is a methodology that meets every person where they are and simultaneously provides the guidance and support needed for consistency. Now I own an affiliate and while it has had its challenges, I couldn’t be happier!
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 am owner and head coach at CrossFit Hammered Steel. I’ve been in the business of helping people improve their quality of life and reach their fitness goals for more than 2 decades. I started as a trainer in a traditional gym. While doing that I found a passion for helping people succeed and realize potential they didn’t know they had. And my greatest successes were with clients who had declining independence and health. When I took the time to learn about CrossFit, it was clear to me that this was the way for people to sustainably improve not just their fitness, but their quality of life. Our goal here at CrossFit Hammered Steel is to provide community and coaching as a catalyst for a healthier, more functional lifestyle. We have coaches at every class and all of our workouts are scalable to meet every person where they are on their fitness journey. You don’t need to be in shape to do CrossFit. CrossFit IS how you finally increase your fitness in a sustainable way.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
I believe it’s most important to care about the success of others. You can’t come in based on a hope that you make a bunch of money. Many hours are put in and invested to just break-even sometimes. It’s a real rollercoaster ride. But, if you genuinely want to help people get better, it all works. The real win is seeing people realize potential they didn’t know they had or thought they lost simply because they had reached a certain age. I’m telling you, the look in a person’s eye when they have that moment is priceless!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
We were in our 2nd year of ownership when COVID hit. The shut down was rough for any small business. For us, it was a time to make some tough decisions. But we believe in this so much, that we knew we must keep it going. We decided to loan equipment and develop at home-style workouts so our folks could remain active while still getting some virtual-coaching. Ultimately, we lost over 40% of our membership due to financial hardships that impacted everyone. The conversations with these members were difficult, to put it mildly. It was clear that we needed to do everything we could to ensure we kept our CrossFit community alive. So we invested more to keep the doors open. Our community was phenomenal and continued to support each other though this tough time. When we were finally able to reopen, it was an awesome reunion. We’re still working to find ways to reach others who are afraid or intimidated by CrossFit to show them this side of it. What it’s truly about. And that’s building a supportive community of people that are all on journey together!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.crossfiths.com
- Instagram: @crossfiths
- Facebook: @crossfithammeredsteel
Image Credits
Lindsey Alexander Photography