We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Marc Shriver a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Marc, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The more we talk about good leadership the more we think good leadership practices will spread and so we’d love for you to tell us a story about the best boss you’ve had and what they were like or what they did that was so great?
The best boss I have ever had was a person who mentored me when I began my 16-year-long career with a Fortune 500 company. The position was an entry-level position, and most of my work experience had been in social services, and personnel recruiting. This individual was the best I have ever had because they simply listened, and cared about my career. Whenever something difficult or unexpected happened, instead of reacting negatively or becoming belligerent, this individual simply tried to get to the root of the problem, listened to my experience and actions I had taken, and then worked with me to come up with an action plan. Most bosses these days go immediately to negative reactions and can often create a hostile work environment; however, this boss understood that things happen, and was empathetic. Not only were they a great mentor, but they also invested in me because they saw potential. This individual opened so many doors for me and allowed me to take special training courses so I can become a successful individual. I also considered this person a friend, and we continue to stay in touch (although not as often as I would like). To have an experience such as this is what most people need. They need to feel valued, they need to feel like they belong and to have a seat at the table.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am the Owner and Head Coach at F45 Training Downtown Minneapolis. We specialize in High-Intensity Interval Training that provides a personal training aspect within a group setting. Our classes are only 45 minutes long and cover both cardiovascular exercises as well as resistance training. Our success relies on our members, and we strive to help them become healthy (mentally and physically). We also have access to around 70 Registered Dietitians that provide consulting and advice to our members to assist them with their wellness journey.
My wife and I began this journey back in 2019 because we always wanted to have our own business. She is a former Division 1 college basketball player, and I am a former Division 2 track and field athlete; so fitness and athletics have always been a part of our lives. We tried out another F45 studio close to our home in Southwest Minneapolis and fell in love with the workout. So, when the time came, we executed our dream and here we are today. The past 2 years have been rough, with COVID and the riots, but we are bouncing back and continuing to provide an exceptional workout to the Minneapolis community.
We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.
This one is a great story that I don’t mind telling people over and over again. My business partner is actually my wife, Miranda. We met around 17 years ago when we first moved to Minneapolis. Miranda is from Alabama, and I am from Iowa. We both moved to the Twin Cities for jobs, and knew very few people. So we both independently decided to join City Sports Connection to be placed on a slow-pitch softball team with other people who were just like us. It was a team put together of individuals looking to connect with others, and none of us knew each other. So, we started playing softball together and got to know each other, and it sooned developed into a relationship. Ultimately, our team of misfits resulted in 4 marriages (including ours) and a total of 10 kids. Miranda and I have 2 children: Hasley who is 12 years old, and Harper who is 7 years old.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
There is a book that I highly recommend for people starting a business, and who have little experience. It is “Business Made Simple” by Donald Miller. The book’s main theme is that it provides keys to success to master leadership, sales, marketing, execution, management, personal productivity, and more all within 60 days. There are also videos available to you online that supplement the reading. Donald Miller writes in a very easy-to-understand manner and really breaks down the basics in his videos. This is the number 1 book that I recommend to anyone who is opening a business or who wants to become better at running a business.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://f45training.com/downtownminneapolis/home
- Instagram: @f45downtownminneapolis
- Facebook: @F45DowntownMPLS
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/F45DowntownMPLS
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/f45-training-downtown-minneapolis-minneapolis
Image Credits
Photos taken by Jessica Marken of JMark Photography. https://www.jmark.photography/