We were lucky to catch up with Michael Gorney recently and have shared our conversation below.

Michael, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

It was the summer of 2019. My wife, Michelle, was 6 months pregnant and I had just went under for a significant knee surgery to fix an ACL, MCL, and meniscus. Following 6 weeks locked in a knee brace I had another 6 weeks to go until I was allowed back to work. Trying to keep myself occupied I would go on long walks and keep up on my rehab. One day, around the corner from our home in Ferndale, a for lease signed appeared. After peering inside to see the space a sense of urgency washed over me. I called Michelle and told her of my discovery. Believe it or not, it did not take much convincing to make the leap, sign the lease, and get started. I had about 4 weeks left before returning to work and a hard decision ahead. Should I quit a comfortable, well paying job and place a bet on myself?

In august of 2019 we officially opened the doors to Brain Meets Brawn. I found myself navigating through so many new industries trying to learn the world of business on the fly. Things progressed slowly as i juggled between setting up my business and working my 9-5. But it wasn’t until January of 2020 that I received news that I was being let go of my position. Despite maintaining my duties at work the company felt that I was a direct competitor. Two months later Covid shut the world down.

Over three years later BMB is stronger than ever as we continue to check off goal after goal and look towards the future of expansion.

As soon as I began my professional career I needed to make a name for myself. I had a strong work ethic and was eager to learn as much as possible. However, in my industry of healthcare, there is little room for growth. I quickly found myself stuck, missing something more, but kept pushing forward.

After 6 long years that work ethic started to pay off. I was recruited by a rival company to begin a new rehabilitation department. I began this new position continuing down the same path as the last.

But again, something was missing.

During my time as an employee it was always very clear that I put in a little more effort than my peers. So much so that patients would make special requests to be on my schedule. I always remained humble but started to think, what if I did this for myself?

This was the inspiration behind the push to open my own sports medicine studio. I saw a gap in the quality of care for injured individuals and their ability to not only recover, but get back to their favorite things in life. I had friends and family members who would hurt themselves during workouts and never fully recover. I wanted to bridge the gap between sports medicine and fitness.

Which brings us back to that fateful day, gazing through the window, and knowing that it will be now or never.

Michael, 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?

Brain Meets Brawn is an alternative to the traditional. We bridge the gap between sports medicine and personal training to bring you an all encompassing approach to your health and fitness.

As a graduate from Central Michigan University I began my athletic training career in an unknown industry, spinal cord and traumatic brain injury rehabilitation. I knew, from experience, sports and high schools were not where I wanted to be. So I searched for something different.

It was during my time in this industry that I derived many of the philosophies used at Brain Meets Brawn today. Most important of all is that the mind and body work together and both need to be trained equally to find lasting success.

Over the years I have evolved the BMB program through several courses and certifications with the Postural Restoration Institute and Corrective Exercise Specialist certifications being most influential.

Our ideal client is anyone who has suffered from a previous (or current) injury that has prevented them from participating in their favorite sport or workout. We help individuals fix their bodies, eliminate pain, and get back to what they love most, better than before.

At BMB you can sign up for a complimentary consultation anytime to learn more about our program. We offer 1-on-1 private training options that include personal training, sports medicine, athletic recovery, and nutrition coaching services. We offer everything listed through virtual options as well!

Soon we will be accepting Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance and will be able to offer our services to a broader group of individuals who need it!

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

When I opened BMB I knew that I had a unique service that people would be interested in. Orthopedic injuries were becoming more prevalent, people were becoming wary of pain killers and the thought of a hip or knee replacement was nauseating. Not to mention the Baby Boomer generation was hitting the ripe age of 60 and 70 years old. If people could only find me, then I would build clientele. Following the initial opening all gears switching to learning a completely new industry, website development and search engine optimization. This was the key to keeping new clients coming through the door and to get people around town to start talking!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I am constantly relearning lessons, throwing out old theories, and starting anew. The most consistent thing in athletic training is change! There is new research and theories that come out all the time and help adjust current philosophies and methods. As ATs we are responsible for accruing 50 continuing education hours every two years. This allows us to stay current with new research in the field.

Throughout my time at BMB the one lesson that constantly keeps me on my toes is just how different “every BODY” is. There is no cookie cutter approach to health and fitness. You have to adapt and adjust to each client that walks through your door.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bmbfitnesssolutions.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmbfitnesssolutions/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BMBFitnessSolutions
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gorney-7711a4145/