The Livewell Collective - November 2018

Take a look at our newsletter this month.

THE

NOVEMBER 2018

WHAT I ’M THANKFUL FOR

To me, there’s nothing like late fall in Ohio. The weather is crisp, the leaves are colorful, the Buckeyes take on Michigan, and of course, I get to celebrate my second-favorite holiday with my family. To this day, my mom still hosts Thanksgiving at her house, having my brother and me over every year. At 72 years old, she still lays down the law in the kitchen, which is probably for the best. My brother and I are many things, but chefs are not among them. My mom’s cooking is definitely a factor in why I love the holiday so much. Whether it’s paired with mashed potatoes and gravy or stacked into a sandwich the following day, her Thanksgiving turkey never fails to impress. More than the food, however, spending time with my family and taking the time to really focus on the bright side of our lives is what makes the holiday so special to me. You see, at the end of the day, Thanksgiving is one of the few holidays that is purely about gratitude. Rather than focusing our gratitude on a particular nation, movement, or religious event, the fourth Thursday in November honors simple, everyday thankfulness. As an entrepreneur, I’d argue that this kind of open-ended gratitude is important to celebrate. This is something I’m sure any box owner can relate to. When you run a small business, it’s rare that you can afford to think about anything but the future. How are you going to grow? What needs changing in your retail operation? Where are you going to find replacement coaches? When should you invest in new equipment? To run a business effectively means being in a near-constant state of anxiety, pushing yourself and your team to the next milestone. But focusing on the road ahead can make you feel like you never get anywhere, no matter how fast you’re actually moving. Finding time to pause and look back on the path you took and the people who helped get you where you are today is vital to keeping yourself grounded. That’s why no matter how busy I am, I’ll always take off work on Thanksgiving. It’s the one moment I really allow myself to pause and take a look back on how far our company has come.

This year, as I pause to reflect on the strides O2 has made, I’m struck by both how far we’ve progressed and what we’ve gotten away from. We introduced new flavors, ironed out our branding, and got to know many great affiliates and their stories. But as we’ve grown, we’ve found it harder to maintain the personal connections that were at the root of O2’s original success. Back in the day, I used to take it upon myself to call every new Affiliate owner who decided they wanted O2 in their box. It was important to me that I got to chat with these owners, not only to thank them for believing in our product but to get to know the people I was now in a partnership with and had a responsibility to. Making these phone calls, I discovered a deeper connection with so many of these incredible people. Like me, they had the gumption and drive to strike out on their own as business owners. Many pulled long hours, coaching on the side just to make ends meet while they chased their dreams. Thinking back to these moments of shared connection, I can’t help but feel incredibly lucky to have grown O2 within the CrossFit community. Within this culture of support, commitment, and drive, our company found its identity. With the love and patience of countless members, coaches, owners, and fellow fitness brands, we were able to flourish to our full potential. Having said that, what I’m about to say may still sound a bit corny. But rest assured that this year at the Thanksgiving table, I’ll be raising a toast to our fans and the wider CrossFit community. O2 would not be the brand it is without you.

Cheers,

–Dave Colina Founder, O2

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SAY THANK YOU LIKE YOU MEAN IT

Thanksgiving is a time to express your gratitude to the people in your life. During this time of year, plenty of companies talk about how thankful they are for their clients. But more often than not, to those clients, words of thanks feel like just another sales gimmick. If you want to show your clients how much they mean to you, here are a few ways you can express that thanks authentically. SEND A THANK-YOU NOTE Getting a letter in the mail is a nice feeling. Taking the time to send a client a handwritten letter is the kind of pleasant surprise that really makes someone feel good. Obviously, a handwritten note will take more time to craft than an email, so it’s okay to send fewer notes in order to really make an impact. Find some tips for writing awesome thank-you notes at Helpscout.net/blog/how-to-write-a-killer- thank-you-note. GIVE THE GIFT OF FOOD We all need to eat, so what better way to say thank you than with a healthy treat (or an O2!)? While giving this kind of gift to everyone may be cost prohibitive, consider giving something away to all participants of a busy Saturday class.

EASY RETAIL IS SMART RETAIL DISTILLED INSIGHTS

While sales and freebies can be a great way to boost your retail operation, it’s important to remember that price points aren’t the only things your members care about. Often, small quality-of-life changes that make purchases faster and easier can result in a huge uptick in revenue. That’s exactly what CrossFit Friendship discovered this year when they switched to a self-checkout system and doubled their monthly sales. While we’ve always been vocal advocates for fast, easy-to-use retail operations, we were floored by how effective this one simple change was for CF Friendship. Somewhat in disbelief, we got in touch with owner Jeff Binek for a full breakdown of the numbers. “Before we instituted [a self-checkout system], our average drink sales were $375 per month, and our average total retail was about $1,400 per month,” Jeff explains. Shortly after putting the system in place, their average drink sales jumped to $875 per month and their total retail average climbed to $2,091 — and the growth wasn’t over. “Today we do an average of $1,617 per month in drink sales and closer to $2,900 per month in retail.” Dayum, that’s impressive. When you really think about it, this boost in sales makes a ton of sense. CrossFit boxes aren’t supermarkets — people don’t go there with shopping in mind. For the average member, retail options seem like a treat or impulse purchase. The more extra steps they have to go through to treat themselves to an O2 or any other

product, more often than not, they’ll talk themselves out of it. Making a purchase fast and easy does wonders to dispel these prepurchase doubts. Of course, automating your checkout system doesn’t mean you can ignore the human elements of retail. When you first install the system, you’ll need to put in the legwork to educate your members on how it works. A new system, even if it’s more convenient, can intimidate would-be buyers if they don’t know how to use it. Setting up a self-checkout system has never been easier or more affordable. CrossFit Friendship’s setup uses an Amazon Kindle, which sells for as little as $40 online. When paired with proper education, these systems can lead to happier members and increased profits. Get after it.

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DONATE TO YOUR FAVORITE CHARITY A great way to rally your troops and show you care is by doing a fundraise or clothing drive for your favorite local charity. It’s the season of giving, after all! The best way to make your thank-you feel authentic is to genuinely be authentic. Yes, an unexpected gesture can reflect well on your gym and encourage clients to talk you up to their friends and family, but potential referrals should be a perk of giving back, not the main goal. Practice genuine gratitude this Thanksgiving, and it will be well-received.

A CORE OF TRUST

As Dave mentions on this month’s cover, the CrossFit community is defined by a sense of mutual support and passion. That’s why, for this edition, we wanted to shout out a box whose history and philosophy embodies this grassroots hustle. We sat down with Shane Arikian, founder of CrossFit Rapture, to find out how he went from teaching jiujitsu to owning a box with over 200 members and a strong sense of community. A dual-sport Division 1 athlete, Shane found himself missing competitive athletics after college. He was introduced to CrossFit indirectly through a friend. “Some buddies and I got together to play tennis,” Shane recalls. “One of them took his shirt off, and I remember asking, ‘What the &#@* have you been doing?’ The answer was CrossFit.” Soon enough, Shane showed up at his local box to give CrossFit a try. “My very first workout was Fight Gone Bad,” he says with a smile. “I was hooked.” Shane hit the gym almost every day from that point on, feeling more and more like his old college self. It wasn’t long before he decided to turn his passion into a career, founding CrossFit 2010. But as Shane would learn, “running a gym takes a lot more than buying a warehouse and workout equipment.” “I just kind of winged it,” Shane admits with a laugh. While he had to grapple with the logistical and managerial challenges of being a box owner on top of keeping his day job, Shane did have something he could use to his advantage: a strong core of friends and family. “My brother was fresh out of college at the time, so he became a coach from day one,” he explains. “It was nice to have someone I could trust.” These bonds of trust multiplied as time passed. In fact, many of CrossFit Rapture’s current coaches were some of Shane’s earliest members. Today, despite being over 200 strong, the Rapture community is still defined by tight-knit bonds. “It’s a nice little village,” Shane reflects. “We don’t just hang out at the gym.” Shane’s story serves as a reminder that the back-end elements of being a box owner can be learned so long as you have the foundations of a good community. To put it in his words, “Take advantage of the help you can get. Be good to your members.” Words to live by, Shane. HOW SHANE ARIKIAN BUILT CF RAPTURE INTO A VIBRANT COMMUNITY

These spicy, tangy carrots make a healthy Thanksgiving side that doesn’t skimp on flavor. Plus, you can do most of the work in advance and assemble the finished dish on the big day. CHIPOTLE-ROASTED CARROT SALAD

INGREDIENTS

• 30 small carrots (2–3

• 2 tablespoons

bunches), tops removed and carrots scrubbed

extra-virgin olive oil • 4 ounces watercress, stems trimmed • Plain Greek yogurt, for serving • Kosher salt and fresh

• 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced • 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from the chipotle can • 1 tablespoon molasses

ground pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat oven to 350 F. In a rimmed baking sheet, toss carrots with chipotle peppers, molasses, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and roast for 30–35 minutes. 2. Transfer carrots to a plate and let them cool completely. 3. Once cooled, toss carrots with adobo sauce. Lay across a platter, and top with watercress. 4. Serve alongside yogurt.

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What I’m Thankful For Page 1 What Are Companies Thankful For? How CF Friendship Doubled Their Retail Purchases Page 2 Chipotle-Roasted Carrot Salad CrossFit Rapture’s Grassroots Story Page 3 A Guide to Making Ideas Stick Page 4

CHIP AND DAN HEATH’S ‘MADE TO STICK’

Have you ever wondered why certain stories that have no basis in fact get passed around like wildfire? Whether they’re rumors, urban legends, or conspiracy theories, these tales can often gain more traction than important ideas and facts. In their book “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die,” Chip and Dan Heath explore the qualities that give ideas relevance and pass-around value.

concreteness, and credibility; are capable of rousing emotions; and are often presented in the form of stories. While these principles are relatively straightforward, they are often subverted in an effort to use business jargon and other neutered forms of language. The Heaths deploy John F. Kennedy’s famous speech about putting a man on the moon as an example of a compellingly relayed idea. “Had John F. Kennedy been a CEO, he would have said, ‘Our mission is to become the international leader in the space industry through maximum team-centered innovation and strategically targeted aerospace initiatives,’” they explain. Nobody would have been excited about that. If you’ve ever thought that you had a great idea but couldn’t get your employees to buy into it, a lack of stickiness may be the cause. Understanding how to present your ideas in an inspiring way could unlock the key to increased productivity and growth like you’ve never achieved before. The next time you present an idea to your team, a group of conference attendees, or any other audience, ask yourself if that idea will stick. If it won’t, you’re just wasting your time. If you need a little guidance on how to make your ideas punch a little harder, “Made to Stick” should be on your holiday book list.

“An accurate but useless idea is still useless,” they write. This point is key to understanding why people get excited about certain ideas and ignore others. The Heaths argue that the presentation of ideas can have just as much of an impact on their “stickiness” as the content of the ideas. After analyzing hundreds of examples, they note, “We began to see the same themes, the same attributes, reflected in a wide range of successful ideas.” “Made to Stick” explains those attributes using myriad examples to illustrate how stickiness works in the real world. Early in the book, the Heaths share six key principles, demonstrating how good ideas are made valuable and exciting by their simplicity, unexpectedness,

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