From Strength to Success: My Journey of Building and Selling Two Companies

When I look back on my journey of building, running, and eventually selling two companies, I see a path filled with hard work, perseverance, and a passion for helping others realize their potential. These experiences have shaped who I am today, and I want to share the story of Beyond Strength, a warehouse gym, and The Humble Gents, a self-care products company.

Beyond Strength: Building a Community of Resilience

Beyond Strength began as a simple warehouse gym with a mission to help people develop grit and recognize their full potential. Starting this venture was no easy task. I poured my heart and soul into the gym, even working through the night to hand craft equipment I couldn't buy. My focus was on living what I was selling in every way. I spent countless hours promoting it, relying heavily on word-of-mouth marketing. I knew that if I wanted others to believe in what Beyond Strength stood for, I had to embody those values myself.

As the gym grew, so did our community. My relentless efforts in sales and genuine passion for helping others caught the attention of a local MMA community and a semi-pro football team. Becoming their strength and conditioning coach was a turning point. It not only solidified my credibility but also attracted more members who were eager to transform their lives. Helping people realize what they were capable of and propelling them to take action was incredibly rewarding. Witnessing their transformations and knowing I played a part in their journey was nothing short of amazing.

Eventually, I made the tough decision to sell Beyond Strength. I realized I could continue using my skills and passion in a voluntary capacity with small groups and one-on-one coaching. It was a bittersweet moment, but it allowed me to explore new opportunities and challenges.

The Humble Gents: Crafting a Brand for the Modern Man

After Beyond Strength, I embarked on a new adventure with The Humble Gents. This time, I focused on creating balms, oils, and soaps geared towards the masculine consumer. The early days were a grind. I spent countless hours sourcing ingredients, designing products, hitting the streets at pop-up events, talking to anyone who would listen. Face-to-face sales were my bread and butter, and I loved every minute of it.

Building a presence for The Humble Gents required more than just great products. I developed an entire personal care brand, including authoring several books, obtaining certifications as a homeopath, naturalist and even as a master reiki healer. I created journals, a website, a podcast, and a YouTube channel. I even went viral on TikTok, which significantly boosted our visibility. My efforts paid off, and soon I was going door-to-door partnering with local businesses, vying for the best product placement. Competing against large national chains was daunting, but I held my own.

The breakthrough came when Bed Bath & Beyond agreed to carry our products. This commercial success propelled The Humble Gents to new heights, and the business really kicked into high gear. During this time, my passion for teaching and working with people grew stronger. I partnered with a local business owner to start a TED Talk-style educational cohort for entrepreneurs. We focused on personal development, branding, sales, and marketing, sharing the knowledge I had accumulated over the years.

A Crossroads: Choosing Family and Career

At the height of the pandemic The Humble Gents was thriving, I was working countless hours at my day job and then going deep into the night to continue handcrafting products and online content for the Gents. My whole family was involved just to keep up with demand. It was here, I found myself at a crossroads. I had to choose between going all-in with the business or focusing on my family and career. It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve ever made, but ultimately, I chose to prioritize my family and career. It’s a decision I have never regretted.

Lessons Learned

Success Requires Relentless Effort and a Willingness to Push Through Challenges

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is that success demands relentless effort. There were countless times when the odds seemed stacked against me, whether it was endless nights sometimes even sleeping at the gym to get Beyond Strength off the ground or breaking into the competitive market with The Humble Gents. Each challenge required not just hard work, but also a tenacious mindset. I had to be willing to push through long hours, rejections, and setbacks. There were moments of doubt, but it was the drive to keep going, to keep pushing through the obstacles, that ultimately led to success.

Authenticity and Passion are Key to Building a Loyal Customer Base

Authenticity was another cornerstone of my journey. People can tell when you are genuine, and they respond to it. At Beyond Strength, living the values I promoted helped build trust and a strong community. Similarly, with The Humble Gents, my passion for the products and what they represented resonated with customers. They knew that I believed in what I was selling, and that authenticity helped build a loyal customer base. It’s not just about selling a product or a service; it’s about selling a part of yourself, your beliefs, and your passion.

Helping Others Realize Their Potential is Incredibly Fulfilling and Drives Success

There’s a unique fulfillment that comes from helping others realize their potential. Whether it was seeing someone transform physically and mentally at Beyond Strength or watching an entrepreneur blossom through our educational cohort, these moments were incredibly rewarding. They also drove the success of my ventures. When you focus on genuinely helping others and adding value to their lives, success follows naturally. It creates a positive cycle where your success enables you to help more people, and helping more people leads to greater success.

It’s Crucial to Recognize When to Prioritize Personal Life Over Professional Ambitions

One of the hardest lessons was recognizing when to prioritize my personal life over my professional ambitions. There’s a constant push in entrepreneurship to keep going, to always strive for more. But it’s essential to know when to step back and focus on what truly matters. For me, that meant choosing my family and personal well-being over continuing to push the business. It’s a tough balance to strike but making that decision has brought me peace and satisfaction that pure professional success alone could never provide.

Conclusion

Today, I use the experiences and lessons from my entrepreneurial journey to inspire and support others. My love for pulling the best out of people and helping them see that they are capable of so much, fuels my passion for showing up everyday as the HR Business Partner to some amazing teams here at Sutherland. I hope to share these lessons in a meaningful and actionable way, continuing to inspire those on their own paths to success.