Reflections Of A Five Year Old: The Story of San Diego Athletics
Five years have passed since we opened the doors on the corner of Garnet and Fanuel. Until recently, I had not even thought about how crazy of a ride this owning a business thing has been.
In five years, we have occupied three separate locations in Pacific Beach, rebranded from CrossFit PB to San Diego Athletics, and had the opportunity to meet thousands of people interested in increasing their fitness. We have negotiated three leases, been evicted twice, and had a landlord threaten Bryan and I that his 100 pound German Shepherds would decide if we got to stay in business. Yes, they were large, he was a complete ass, and for some reason his dogs liked me so we got to stay in business. Over the years, the gym has transformed from a shanty with seven barbells to a 6,000 sq./ ft. Taj Mahal of Fitness with 76 barbells. We have worked with athletes of all sizes, shapes, and fitness levels. Opening San Diego Athletics has allowed us the opportunity to conduct seminars in Brazil, train with and Coach NFL players, and we even found our way to prime time television on the E! Network. But these are just the external things that show you how crazy of a ride five years can be.
In 2010, I moved to San Diego after finishing grad school. I had recently broken up with my longtime girlfriend, was remotely pushing paper at a job that was going nowhere, and the only place I really excelled was in the weight room and on the beer pong table (still got it too so do not try). I moved here to party and hang out with Bryan. What happened, unfortunately, was exactly that. I partied, partied some more, and partied even more until I just hated it so much. I am by no means saying I was an alcoholic but my life lacked purpose, I was headed in the wrong direction, and I needed to find something. Going back to Washington DC and working at my old job seemed like a death trap.
In February of 2010, I was invited to a Chargers playoff party at some ridiculous mansion on top of some hill in La Jolla. When you walked outside, you jumped into an infinity pool where you could look out for miles across the Pacific Ocean. What they also had at this party was a ton of alcohol. At some point when you feel completely trapped by your own life, you get really drunk, and something breaks. I called my Dad crying hysterically (exactly how all guests should behave). I was genuinely depressed, crying, and really hitting some low points in my life. I distinctly remember screaming into the phone, “I don’t give a shit what happens, I am opening a gym. I would rather be fucking broke for the rest of my life than keep doing this shit.” Being the life of the party is awesome in college, but when you are 27 it gets old and you become the highest form of loser everyone knows. You can actually see the house when you are driving on La Jolla BLVD. Every time I drive by, I look up and remember the phone call to my Dad that started it all.
Two weeks later, some buddies met Bryan and me in Vegas for March Madness. Once again, more partying, more of me wishing I could just do something different, and I turned to Bryan and asked, “Hey dude, wanna open a gym?” On Monday, we sat down and decided we were going to write a business plan. Five weeks later we opened the doors with 35 members.
Somehow this ridiculous idea turned into a real thing. San Diego Athletics forced me to grow up. It gave me a voice. Gaining your trust has been one of the most humbling experiences I could ever ask for. I was lost but this gym helped me find myself. I was desperately seeking something new, something that mattered. This gym has literally given me everything that I love. My business partner is my best friend of 10+ years. I met Ashton, my fiancé, eight months after we opened. My best, and only friends, hang out in here for hours on end. You may not have known about the odd back story of where I come from, but this gym, you people, and this town have given me a voice. I matter in here and it is impossible to tell you how grateful I am for allowing me to be a part of your lives. It is all love and in its purest form.
Over the next three weeks I hope to relive some of the best moments of the last five years. Some of these will be short stories of the old days. Some will be real turning points in the business or in my life. I hope to do my best to illustrate the last five years, my expectations of the next five, and most importantly, to shine a light on all of the people that have impacted us over the last five years. I just never knew that if you cared about something so much and did everything you possibly could do to make it the great, that the most amazing people will find you, support you, and become the backbone of your life. Nobody ever tells you this stuff, you have to go and find out for yourself. This is our journey…
