Good Reps Only ????
Hello! ??
A whole lot of good stuff in stock today! ??
First, you’ll be introduced to Down to Earth’s latest partner — an awesome fitness + wellness upstart. Then watch my newest podcast on mental health, community and belonging. Read through to explore the power of positive community building in unlikely places. Let’s go!
Table of Contents ??
Good Reps Only ? Red in Black Podcast ??? Anything I Can Do, You Can Do ?? (ft. Alejandro Martinez)
Good Reps Only ????
Aye!
Take a moment to remember the name: GRO is our newest sponsor.
Good Reps Only is a blooming world of fitness gear, self-improvement content, and positive development.
GRO is the first fitness-based company I’ve partnered with at Down to Earth, and I’m particularly amped about that. Activity is simultaneously central to both my livelihood and the values of this newsletter.
While mindfulness, healthy eating, and community sit high atop the Down to Earth totem pole, I am helplessly a man of exertion and physical challenge. As a kid, I was the first one out at recess and the last one back inside. All these years later, I have yet to run out of energy.
Weight lifting, cycling, MMA, basketball, football and just about anything that requires a push is liable to rev up my motor. Who better to partner with than a brand encouraging the lot of these pursuits?
Good Reps Only is awesome because it highlights tactful self-improvement and holistic development. The company’s namesake speaks for itself — there’s nothing more important than just one good rep.
Down to Earth is an entirely reader-supported publication. To support my work, consider becoming a paid subscriber.
You know that Bruce Lee quote about perfecting one’s craft.
“I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times.”
I’m sure this quote resonates with you, because readers of this newsletter are intentional and deliberate. You approach efforts like strength training and physical activity with modesty.
We are a people of patience and balance. The ways of the boasty gym bro, jolting his way to 10 half-reps with improper form, is distasteful to us. The poised, controlled exercise is of the utmost value instead. The Good Rep.
GRO offers top-tier quality fitness clothing at reasonable rates.. I have several pieces in my rotation – the durability stands head and shoulders above the rest of my workout gear.
I love this brand because it encourages a continuation of that precision-oriented mindset even after the weight is lifted. After that sprint is run. Once the final pose is executed, there is still a present notion of balance and control.
We can go through every motion in our lives with this motto of Good Reps Only , striving to simply do our best and accept the results. Observing with curiosity and inquisition rather that cynicism and defeat.
Partnering with Down to Earth ??
Down to Earth is all about health and happy living, while GRO is all about becoming the best version of yourself. That’s why this partnership makes so much sense to us — we both aim to equip you with the tools to live your best life and minimizing the noise.
A Gift to You ??
GRO understands that 2024 may be a time for self-investment and focus on yourself. We are happy to offer the community of Down to Earth a special promo code for quality clothing to get you started on that mission. Your special code is “Down to Earth” which will give you 15% off site wide!
领英推荐
Red in Black Podcast ???
What does community mean to you?
What do you feel or visualize when you hear it?
To me, community evokes a warm, protected sense of security. It’s that ultimate feeling of fitting in and being welcomed.
Community is vital to foster a sense of belonging and purpose for all humans. We need to know where we come from, and who we “do it” for to keep our engines going.
Belonging to a community allows us to develop a stronger sense of self, leading to a more voracious drive towards our passions. A life motivated by purpose ultimately arrives at a state of happiness, bliss, and contentment.
Whatever you want to call it, the key to feeling really good is to work at something you love, ideally on behalf of others. Your community.
Sounds nice, right? But what if you don’t have a community? What if the place you live or come from is downtrodden and disorganised? What if your sense of belonging is attached to something as fragile and complicated as race? Let’s say your ethnicity is comprised of several identities — which do you belong to?
If no group and no place is willing to accept you, where can one find companionship, solace, and peace?
This is the position that Dr. Natalie Mu?oz found herself in as a multi-ethnic Afro-Latina who spent her childhood between New York City and the Dominican Republic.
“You’re constantly in conflict,” she says. “You’re not Latino enough if you don't speak Spanish, or you’re not American enough because people tell you to go back to where you came from. And then depending on who you’re talking to, you're not Black enough.”
We discuss the often disorienting college + university experience for people of color(s), and muse over what it means to belong to a community, big or small. Just in time for Men's Mental Health Awareness Month, Dr. Mu?oz shares why she believes healthy coping methods and therapeutic interventions are necessary for minority communities.
It’s a conversation that I learned a lot from, and had a great time participating in. It’s my hope that you enjoy the podcast, and leave with a bag full of valuable gems for the road. One day, you may find them useful.
Link to our discussion below ??
Anything I Can Do, You Can Too ?? (Exploring GRO with Alejandro Martinez)
I climbed into the mind of GRO’s founder, Alejandro Martinez to hear his story. You’ll want to hear about this purposeful brand he’s building.
.Red: So, tell us about yourself. What should Down to Earth readers know about Alejandro?
Alejandro: I’m a kid from the Bronx that decided to create a life worth living. Family and community has always been important to me. I have three older brothers, one younger sister, a loving mother, and a strict military father. Each person in my family has helped cultivate who I am today. Coming from a Dominican and Puerto Rican household taught me a lot about never digressing, only progressing. My parents had it rough growing up, but through their hard work and refusal to accept mediocrity, they gave me an amazing childhood that I would not trade for the world. I refuse to become anything short of the best version of myself.
Red: That’s awesome. What about now? Who is the man your family cultivated? Alejandro: At 26 years old, I am a business owner, content creator, and airman proudly serving in the reserves of our great United States Air Force. I’m the kind of guy who wants to leave an impression on every single person I meet. Opening the eyes?of my loved ones and helping them become the best version of themselves is important to me. Being raised in the Bronx showed me a lot of the good and the bad that there is in this world, and I strive to leave a positive mark on it.
Red: Was helping loved ones the reason you wanted to start GRO?
Alejandro: Yes, among a few others. I started GRO because I wanted to create clothing that was high quality, true to size, and affordable. I was tired of seeing people overpay for mediocre gym clothes that would deteriorate after a few washes. My Air Force father, taught me that appearance is important to your quality of person. I learned to always make my bed, maintain a shave, clean?haircut, and have my clothes pressed every morning so that I can have a productive day. I didn’t realize how important that the concept of looking good and feeling good was until I bought myself fresh new basketball sneakers one day in high school. (Laughing) I felt like I could score on anybody with them. With that mentality, I realized that looking good in the gym would translate to a good lift instead the weaker appearance of tattered t shirts and shorts. Quality clothes for quality people that want the best for themselves — that’s why I started Good Reps Only.
From the physical, mental, and spiritual perspectives, we were not created to be mediocre.
The habits you create starting today will make a more enjoyable in the years to come. Piece by piece, you only get better as you GRO.
Red: That makes sense. Do your best, and look good while doing it. So, what’s next? Tell me about your goals.
Alejandro: A major goal of mine is to grow this brand into an icon that people can depend on when they are down on themselves and need inspiration and uplifting. Seeing other people in the community striving to become the best version of themselves will hopefully become that glimmer of hope people?have?been missing. I see it like a “pass it on” effect. If one person sees another doing something positive, they might think, “wow, I can do the same thing for myself.” Red: Have you been seeing this happen already? Alejandro: Absolutely. I’ve been building a solid community at my gym for a few years now. I love seeing people wearing my clothes and connecting because of it. The brand and its message creates a common ground. People who you’d never imagine becoming friends are getting in lifts together. The goal is a community of people who?want to be around others that want to work hard. There is no such thing as perfection, only better.
Red: What do you see the brand eventually affecting outside of content and clothing?
Alejandro: A lot. The major goal for Good Reps Only is to create a gym. I want to build a gym that encapsulates the mentality of the community we are building. An environment to grow in and have fun doing it. Too often, we tear each other down in the gyms of today through toxic competitiveness and isolation. We will become THE gym that everyone flies in from all over the world to visit. When the mentality and message of the brand has reached the far corners of the world, only then will I consider my goals accomplished.
Red: Inspiring stuff. Well, I appreciate you sharing with us, bro. I’m certain your goals will be achieved — you’ve got the mentality and drive for it. For now, it’s super motivational to be able to watch you and the company … GRO.