Underground Playground Podcast - Listen UP!

Owner of Brick Nation

JP is an entrepreneur, public speaker, team builder, and brand and company culture specialist. He has dreamed up, launched, built and sold numerous companies, gaining valuable experience with everything from bootstrap funding to large capital
investments along the way.

JP has seen the good, the bad and the very ugly side of business management and failed operations. But from these failures and tribulations—including his own—great successes were born. Thriving on his adventurous spirit and knack for troubleshooting, JP loves a good challenge. Whether he’s researching industries for a current business venture or uncovering new opportunities, JP pinpoints the core market separators that distinguish businesses that stay cash positive from those that sprint cash negative (AKA go broke!).

JP launched his first business, Groove USA, in 1994 while enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder. Groove started as one of first skiboard and snowboard manufacturers in the U.S., following in the footsteps of industry leaders K2 and Burton. JP helped pioneer Skiboarding, which debuted at the Winter X Games and later inspired twin skis and the freestyle skiing movement. Using his growing expertise in operations and team building, JP then entered the commercial martial arts school market and was soon one of the youngest multi-location owner-operators in the U.S.

We captured a personal conversation with Craig Patterson of MadLab Group... SO this is GOLD!  We jump in to the conversation at a point where we are talking about the current functional fitness gym business models and how they are designed to serve the "investor class" and NOT the independant gym owner.  Why independent gym owners emulate the franchise model of paying coaches by the hour, using "free" or low barrier offers (LBO'S) and short term "challenges" in order to grow business... When, as it turns out, these are likely the exact WRONG things to do... Hang out for a half hour and LISTEN UP!

Dan is a former CrossFit gym owner and currently a partner at PushPress, a gym management software company and he's on a quest to help gym owners run legit businesses that can not only help their communities, but earn their owners and coaches a meaningful wage.

Join our wide ranging conversation about gym business, education and learning, self improvement and running marathons... plus lot's more!

Listen UP!

Allison has been been involved with CrossFit and Olympic Weightlifting since early 2006. Starting her CrossFit journey at the original Black Box in NYC.  She and her husband Brendan Gilliam own CrossFit Las Vegas.

Allison is one of the early CrossFit media celebrities known as "AllisonNYC"

Talking about the recent 10+ CrossFit Affiliate Owner gathering in Whistler, BC 

One of the most recognizable and cool, true "OG" CrossFIt people out their is Freddy Camacho. We join forces for a light hearted and fun conversation today!

Freddy is the Owner and coach at Good For You CrossFit in Newark, CA. He retired from police work in 2018 as a sergeant at the Union City Police Department. Freddy is a Level Two Krav Maga instructor and has won medals in boxing and CrossFit in both the California Police and Fire Games and the World Police and Fire Games. He's been a CrossFit gym owner since 2006 and a 7 times CrossFit Games athlete.

Steve and Mike are back in 2019 for a New Year chat. We talk shop about training, gym ownership and marketing.