We were lucky to catch up with Joshua Yakes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Joshua, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I was born with a rare genetic visual disability called Achromatopsia and in my mid twenties I began to experience random bouts of complete blindness. At the time, I was not healthy or fit, but was trying to change my lifestyle and body to match the mental image of myself that I yearned for. Unfortunately, no one would help me because of my physical appearance and visual disability. Even personal trainers at gyms I attended wouldn’t give me the time of day because of how I looked. So, for the next 10+ years I learned all I could online, through certificate programs, and finally some industry experts to achieve the things I wanted for myself. Now, I work with anyone with any goal at any level from any background to achieve the goal they have for themselves. I want to work with anyone who want to work on themselves, period. My mission is to inspire people to endure, overcome, and conquer all things. To champion anyone brave enough to want to make a change in their lives.

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

I have ten years experience in the health and wellness industry, as well as fifteen years of operations consulting across several sectors, and a Masters in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from the Marshall School of Business at USC.

Most of the operational consulting work I do is behind the scenes, which is how I prefer it, but I’ve worked in the health, startup, sports entertainment, apparel, real estate development, nutrition advertising, supplement, among other sectors.

I got into operations while in college through a business savvy fraternity brother who needed something done quick and efficiently for his nightclub promotion company, but lacked the team to do so. From there, I took any and all opportunities presented to me from branding to restructuring to finances to contracts to negotiations to expansions to MVPs to exits; learning in the job in each opportunity.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I first went blind I was at a local healthcare startup with a two year old daughter. As a result of the blindness, I lost my job and moved into a school (JBA) for four months where I prepared to go permanently blind. While there, I learned to use a mobility cane, read braille, cook/clean without sight, and prepared for a job as a customer service worker (the easiest job suitable for blind people).

There, I learned all of these things, but I also learned I didn’t want to live the type of life I was preparing for. So, instead I got accepted to Chapman’s MFA program (which I turned down) and CSUN’s MFA program, which I started upon completion of my JBA program.

While in the English Master’s program (my goal was to teach blind) I was offered the opportunity to open and co-own a nutrition supplement franchise, so I dropped out and opened the store, which became a top 10 store across over 200 nationwide locations. It was at this time I applied to and was accepted to the MSEI program at USC.

I never got answers about why I was experiencing blindness. Even to this day I do not know. But I decided in that dorm room at JBA that I would live the life I wanted, not the one I was told I could live. I would dictate my own outcome and conquer all things.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

The franchise partnership fell apart and I was left with $0 and no job. I walked into a meeting with my then partner and was told we had no money and needed outside investments, which would leave me with 10% ownership, breaching our original agreement and disregarding 3 years of work.

I was offered a job as a trainer at a local gym and took it. Because of how that partnership imploded, I had zero confidence for over two years. I hid away in shame working as a trainer for a corporate gym until the world shutdown.

When the world shutdown I wanted to work. I had a wife and daughter with a son in the way, so I found local studios to rent space from and worked through the entire pandemic. One of my clients kept pestering me about my resume, degrees, and why I didn’t have my own space. Finally, I put together a business plan to show him why and he gave me my first investment. In one week I found the rest and during the pandemic when gyms were either closed or in parking lots I opened Conquer All Things Fitness Studio in my hometown on the busiest street in Burbank. I used zero credit cards and took on no debt, opening for $50k and staying under budget. The day the doors opened my expenses were covered and in the two years we’ve been open we have never had a bad month or taken on any debt.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.conquerallthings.com
• Instagram: Joshuayakes
• Facebook: Josh Yakes
• Linkedin: Joshua Everett Yakes
• Yelp: Conquer All Things Fitness Studio
• Other: IG @conquerallthingsfs @conquerallthingsapperal www.conquerallthingsfs.con www.conquerallthingsapparel.con

Image Credits
Photo by: @similephotography Nick & Sarah Simile