These thoughts aren’t meant to do anything more than give our clients and gym communities a little insight into who we are and why we do what we do.
Life is weird. We, like many others [in Southwest Florida], feel like we have just been scrambling for the last 13 months. Lately I have had to step back and wonder what we are scrambling for.
At first I just thought it was financial. We lost a lot on September 28, 2023. A lot of people did. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it isn’t about that. It is because our vision isn’t playing out like we had planned. We took a big leap last year and moved our family here from Iowa to expand on our Fort Myers Beach gym location. We have been coming here for about 5 years, love the beach, love the weather, love everything about it. We were going to homeschool our kids, spend our days on the beach, hang out at the gym, and grow into a few more locations. There aren’t words to express how hard it was to leave the gym we have been growing since 2007. It is sickening to think about, but at the same time, we were ready for a new adventure as a family. We had about 10 solid days here before all of those dreams were washed away.
We were left with a lot of emotions. Fear. Failure. Anger. Anxiety. The list goes on. At the bottom of it all, I felt like we left an amazing and comfortable life in Iowa and brought our kids to a place with no friends, tons of sadness, a life full of challenges, and quite honestly no hope.
We had so much to deal with we couldn’t homeschool, so off to school they went. We lied. We didn’t have a gym on the island anymore. Lied again.
We had to start working 24/7 again to figure out how we would rebuild the life we once had. Lied a third time.
At the bottom of it all, my emotions for the last year aren’t just about living a comfortable life. They stem from feeling like I have let so many people down. People that we left in Iowa, our kids, and each other.
I often have to remind myself that God’s plan is the ultimate plan, and even when, ESPECIALLY WHEN ours don’t pan out, we have to work to make His become a reality. I believe that we have come into this place for a reason. I believe that SWFL needs a gym community with leadership where people can come and not just work out, but become strong mentally, physically, and emotionally. We have taken over this new space in Cape Coral where many of you had been let down by the former business. We understand that a gym is a HUGE part of the well-being of so many and that you come here to better yourself, let out frustrations, and tackle mental and physical issues. We are right there with you. You aren’t alone and we won’t let you down.
What do we bring to the table? We are personable, passionate, honest, and maybe a little intense. When we came to Florida we didn’t think we were going to operate another full service gym again. I thought we found our niche in the small vacation land gyms. Here we are operating a 10,000ft full service gym in SW Florida. HAHA. It is good. I am glad we are doing it again. I love having my kids grow up in the gym and show people that yes, children should lift and do cardio too. I am happy to provide people in SW Florida the opportunity to grow physically and mentally. Personally, I love to do CrossFit, and yes we are going to be bringing that to Cape Coral. We bring the NON CULTISH vibe of CrossFit with us. I coach it, and I coach it very passionately. If you want to try it, I highly encourage it. If you think CrossFit is BULLSHIT I still encourage you to try it. Maybe you try and you don’t like it, that’s fine, walk away knowing you gave it honest effort. We will be training personal and small group clients as well. I am going to coach new trainers on how to be great trainers and coaches. We don’t water down this industry, we make it better, and always will.
As for our Facility in Cape Coral, it is still a work in progress. There are still a lot of updates I need to do, and I promise you, I will always work to make your facility better. We are far from corporate and we are outsiders so we have a battle in front of us. No worries, I can battle. Just try and be understanding while we continue to grow and pour back into our Hammerhead community. Our community of sharks started on FMB, then to Iona, and now to The Cape. Our original community in Iowa started in one spot and multiplied by many. We work to help you become the best you. Let us do just that.
I tell my sons that whining, crying, bitching, and excuses do nothing positive for your life. I had to take that exact advice this year. You accept that advice as well, and spread that to everyone that you mentor.
-Mac and Smac
