The Man Behind the Flame.
My father always used to tell me, “The only constant in this world is change.”
When I was younger, I struggled a lot with finding my way in a dynamic world that seemed to be moving quicker than I could find my footing. I grew up in northeastern Oklahoma, but in my late teens, I suddenly found myself without a home and no real means to support myself, before I was ready to step up to plate. I put my belongings in my car and moved to Texas, and began struggling to find my way forward without any real guidance or feeling of security.
When you’re in that situation, the locus of control is outside of yourself—but surviving in and ultimately mastering your environment begins with cultivating the locus of control within yourself. I didn’t know how to do that. When I was in Texas, I met a guy who taught me the basics of weightlifting, and before I knew it, I had spent an entire summer putting on about 10 lbs of solid muscle. It was the first time I felt I had done something truly remarkable for myself.
Not only did I feel accomplished, it gave me feelings of security and serenity—an inner fire that could blaze a path forward and keep me warm in the cold. I carried that with me in the years to come as I slowly began to forge a life from nothing more than my own grit and resilience. I first unlocked that temerity in the gym. It gave me virility, vitality, a strong mind, the will to live, and ultimately—it was a gateway drug to inner peace and spiritual growth to come later, which I will be forever grateful for. What began as a time of hardship and turbulence eventually transformed into abundance, love and joy—the likes of which I never dreamed were possible.
Eventually, I got the idea to take all of my passion and knowledge, formalize it with a trainer certification, and begin to guide others on their own path to reclaiming their vitality through the power of fitness and self-discipline. For me, this isn’t just a job—it’s what I was put on this earth to do. Whether you’re looking to simply get a great workout or completely change your life, it’s my greatest joy to be of service.
