Building Our Dream (Part 2)
Part 2:
We were fortunate enough to have been chosen by a group of St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA) students as part of their final senior marketing project. Jake Sevcik led the senior project and was joined by Katy Brooks, Hunter Fettkether, and Joseph Sorensen during Dr. John Byrne’s marketing course. We had recently been informed of Dr. Byrne’s classes and assumed we’d be a shoo-in for the project. The students informed us that they actually chose us. What Jen and I realized later was that destiny had chosen both sides, as it was the perfect partnership.
What we hadn’t expected was an unforeseen interruption brought to us by the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. We had our first (and unfortunately, only) in-person meeting at the gym in February of 2020. It was a very productive first meeting. Jen and I were very nervous; not knowing exactly what to expect from a different generation of students. Would they be as serious as us? Would they share the same passion and will to succeed? We are a very driven couple, so we were a little apprehensive as we were placing our trust with “strangers“. However, we quickly realized that the students were our kind of people: kind, genuine, honest, hard-working, and driven. This group of “strangers“ quickly evolved into a “brain trust“ and we enjoyed every minute of the brainstorming and strategizing!
We were pleasantly surprised by the positive attitudes that Jake and his team brought to the table. We often hear of generational differences, yet here we were… a different generation ready to put their trust of their senior project with us, newbies to the harsh world of entrepreneurship. Jake kept the team engaged and on schedule while Joseph worked on the website and Katy and Hunter handled social media templates and posts. Jen and I learned a lot from the team and we all charged forward!
Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic put a crimp in all of our plans. The students missed out on attending their final spring semester of their senior year on campus. A time that should have been celebrated with friends and family was relegated to social distancing at home with only their parents. They missed out on celebrating their great achievement. They missed out on spring sports and formals. We missed out on what should have been our prime season for acquiring new members, building our brand, and building our business. However, neither group wavered at the task at hand: to drive people toward the Get A Grip Training Center social media pages and ultimately, the website. We cannot explain our gratitude to the students in a manner that justifies their efforts: They encouraged us, taught us, and gave us the confidence to do things that we thought were previously impossible. They designed social media templates (and taught us how to do the same), built a website template (which we modeled this one after), and we outlined the beginnings of a league that will hopefully take off and create excitement surrounding the gym. While each of us “missed out“ on some things, we captivated the true meaning of “overcoming obstacles“ and made the best of a negative situation.
Ultimately, we want to help people change their lives. This is no “30 day fix” or “8-minute abs” solution. This is 100% a lifestyle, a new world order, a way for real people to make real changes. It’s not easy; it’s not a quick fix; it’s not for the faint of heart. Our workouts are challenging and rightfully so. You may have heard the saying, “If it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” That saying is at the heart of our workouts. We challenge you to change yourself. If you’re weak, our workouts will expose that. That’s ok, though… Anyone can build upon their inherent weaknesses. That’s the beauty of this life! Be weak, or be strong. It’s YOUR choice! We hope that you choose to be strong, and we’ll help you get there! Guess what? If you think you’re weak, we can help you realize that EVERYONE has some form of inner strength! It’s human nature to feel weak, vulnerable, or exposed. This is the very core of the family that we are building at Get A Grip Training Center: we accept EVERYONE and build them up to be the absolute best version of themselves. There may be sweat, tears, pain. There may be fear, doubt, suffering. It doesn’t matter, though. We are all here for each other. No matter the ability. No matter the strength. No matter the endurance. WE ARE ALL HERE FOR EACH OTHER.
Our members are joined by one simple train of thought: We are stronger together. As we “suffer” through group training sessions, an unbreakable bond is built. We are stronger together. We conquer new goals with each passing workout. We grow together. While we grow together, we also experience individual growth. Pairing individual and group growth, we experience an unstoppable sensation that we continue to build upon. We love that we have this platform to encourage others to build a better version of themselves.
Stay tuned for Part 3…
