Strongtown Talks

And we’re back - with the summer coming up we have a bunch of gym events on deck.

In this episode, Mikey and I sit down to catch up on what’s currently planned as well as chat about a couple of events that haven’t been set yet that we’re looking to try and do.

We squeezed in the recording in between classes so it’s a bit of a shorter episode for us. I hope you all enjoy.

And we’re back - this week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Heidi Ball + Heather Dever.

Heidi and Heather both volunteer their time to help the Flander’s Nature Center. They are involved in the organizing and planning the Flander’s Field + Forest 5k which is happening Friday, June 3rd.

This is a race that we have participated in and sponsored every year since its inception in 2015 and we’re looking forward to another successful year.

The race is not your average 5k and it’s one of two fundraisers that Flander’s puts on each year. All of the proceeds will benefit the Flanders Nature center & Land Trust.

It’s a family-friendly event and after the race, there’s live music, food trucks, and it’s just a great time all around.

I need to thank Heidi and Heather for being willing to sit down and talk about things and hope you all enjoy.

Before we get into the show I just wanted to highlight the event sponsors that help make this race happen.

Starting with the Ultra-Marathon level sponsors we have Ion Bank, and Showcase Realty, Inc.

Moving to the Marathon level we have Michael Friedman Orthodontics.

Next up at the Half Marathon level, we have my personal favorite - Strongtown Fitness, as well as Aquarion Water Company, the Law Offices of Dana D’Angelo LLC, Homes by Heather, Moore O’Brien & Fonti Law Firm, Rich & John’s Complete Chimney Service, and Woodbury Fitness on Main.

Moving to the 10k level we have Connecticut Home Navigator, Gager, Bower & Scalzo LLP, Kenneth Lynch & Sons Inc., Manzi Insurance & Real Estate, Senich Law Firm LLC, Stone Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Gary Westerman, and Woodbury Brewing Company.

Finally at the 5k level we have Ken’s Hardware Inc., the Savings Bank of Danbury, and the Southbury Printing Centre.

Thank you all.

And we’re back - we’ve had a few episodes that were recorded towards the end of last year and this week’s episode is one that was originally recorded around the new year’s Holiday.

This episode is a sit-down conversation with Dr. Hayden-William Courtland.

We have had the pleasure of knowing Hayden since sometime around 2015. He’s from New York City and has family in the Southbury area so he’s been a regular visitor throughout the years.

He has a plethora of coaching certifications and academic credentials which I do my best to list off while trying to introduce him on the show and feel like I still fell short.

He is a certified Starting Strength Coach, has achieved his CrossFit L-3 certification and he has recently stepped into the world of gym ownership and is the new owner of Solace New York, also known as CrossFit Solace.

I have to thank him for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

And we’re back - this week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with our Coach Kelly who recently completed her Precision Nutrition certification.

Kelly is my sister-in-law and Mikey’s wife so it’s safe to say she has been a part of the Strongtown community since the beginning - if you’re interested in hearing more about what brought her and Mikey together they were originally featured on Episode 28 back in April of 2020.

She is an incredibly knowledgeable Coach and I have always admired her dedication and determination…you can follow her nutrition coaching on Instagram @symmetrynutrition.

In this episode, we talk about her experience getting certified and the upcoming “Look Good + Feel Good Challenge” that will be kicking off this month.

I’m very grateful that Kelly has taken the reins and decided to offer this to the gym and am excited to see how it works for people.

The challenge officially begins Saturday, April 16th and in order to set the teams and have everyone complete the initial intake form the deadline to register is Saturday, April 9th.

If you’re interested in the challenge you can register through the member’s app under “pre-orders” or you can let Mikey or myself know when you see us in the gym.

I have to thank her for taking the time to sit down and talk with me and I hope you all enjoy.

We’re back and working through the archive of episodes that were previously recorded and never published. I believe this show was actually recorded sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving since there are a few references to the haunted hayride.

In this show, Mikey and I get a chance to sit down with Donnie of DNR Laboratories aka DNR Labs.

Donnie has been a member of Strongtown since the beginning. He is genuinely one of the most interesting people I have had the pleasure of meeting and his breadth of knowledge never fails to impress me.

Anyone who knows Donnie knows that he’s always on the go, he’s always willing to help and he also seems to know just about everyone.

He has been the MC at our Battle for the Bell competition multiple times and he’s genuinely the reason our gym sounds as good as it does.

We were a little tight on time during the recording so the conversation focuses on his personal background and what brought him to start DNR Labs.

We’ll be getting him back on here in the future to discuss some of his hobbies which include flying planes, sky-diving, volunteer fire fighting, and creating a stand-alone radio network.

And we are back!

I believe it has been just about 5 months since our last episode and I’m sorry it has taken so long to get back on the wagon.

I’m embarrassed to say this episode was recorded right before Thanksgiving and at the time I told Carol it would be out in a few weeks.

Carol - we miss you, Troy, and Mischka...I hope all is well and thank you for your patience, generosity and friendship.

The Strongtown Weekly:

October 3, 2021

Workouts:
  Monday - 3:16
  Tuesday  - 4:26
  Wednesday - 6:47
  Thursday - 10:25
  Friday - 13:36
 Saturday - 16:36

The Strongtown Weekly:

September 20, 2021

Workouts:
  Monday - 6:26
  Tuesday  - 9:37
  Wednesday - 13:57
  Thursday - 18:02
  Friday - 21:11

The Strongtown Weekly:

September 13, 2021

And we’re back! This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with the one and only Bill Flanagan. Bill has been a member of Strongtown and a staple of the 6am class since 2012.

Despite what he says about being old and having a Dad bod he puts up some very impressive workout performances. He’s an avid runner, although supposedly he doesn’t enjoy it, and outside of the gym you can find him actively involved with the local youth basketball teams.

We talk about where he grew up, how he got started running, and of course, how he found Strongtown amongst other things.

I have to thank him for taking the time to chat with me and hope you all enjoy!

Welcome back to another week and another episode of Strongtown Talks.

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Nora Metaj of Patty’s Pantry.

Patty’s is a NY Style Deli that is located right off exit 16 on I-84 in Southbury which also happens to be right down the hill from the gym, so we have known them since we opened in 2011.

They have been one of Southbury’s hidden gems for close to 35 years now.

Nora has grown up in the business - both her and her sister Becky are General Mangers, her father Gani is the owner, and her grandmother on her mother’s side was the original Patty, whose silhouette is featured on their logo.

As of this last December Patty’s recently opened up their 2nd location on Route 25 in Newtown, so whether you’re in Southbury or Newtown you’re not far from a Patty’s Pantry.

I really enjoyed getting a chance to catch up with Nora and have to thank her for giving up her free time to come and chat with me, I hope you all enjoy.

We are back and I have to apologize for the delay in getting this episode shared.  My goal is to have this podcast be a weekly show and during the summer months there maybe a couple of points where the episodes are being released bi-weekly schedule.

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Alexa & Ryan of CrossFit Hook’d from Sandy Hook, CT.

We have had the pleasure of knowing both Alexa and Ryan for some time now.

Alexa first started her CrossFit journey at Strongtown back in 2012 and I want to say the first time we met Ryan was when he was competing for Hook’d at Battle for Bell back in 2014.

We talk about their story and how they’ve gone from being intern coaches to now being married and owning the gym.

They’re great people and we’re lucky to have them as friends and colleagues.

I have to thank them both for giving up their time to come chat with me and hope you all enjoy.

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Charlotte Adams of Rustic Charm in Woodbury.

I had reached out to Charlotte to see if she had any interest in being on our podcast. Over the past 5 years she has been able to turn her hobby and passion into a full-time career and thriving local business.⁠

What started off as sharing the custom farm-house table her husband made for her as a birthday gift has led her down the rabbit hole of DIY crafts and custom furniture refinishing.

⁠She’s now in her 2nd location and has an amazing team of friends and family that are involved in the business.

She has a great story and I’m excited to see her continue to grow.

She has also recently partnered up with Ashley of Sweet Nelsons cottage food bakery to start a separate Instagram account called “allupinyourctbusiness” that highlights some of their favorite local businesses around the state - which is a great idea and something I hope to dive into on a future episode on.

There are links to Rustic Charm’s website and Instagram pages in the show notes below and I have to thank Charlotte for taking the time to sit down and chat with me. I hope you all enjoy⁠

Social Media Links:

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Susie Jones.

Susie has been a member at Strongtown since 2013 and has owned Edgewood Bath and Tennis Club since 2009.

She’s a regular face at our 9:30am or 12:00pm depending on the time of the year and she is the reason we’ve been able to do summer swim wods throughout the years.

We talk about what brought her to open Edgewood, how she found Strongtown, and the difference between Pickleball & Paddle Tennis.

I have to thank her for taking the time to chat with me and hope you all enjoy!

After having Stacy on the podcast a few weeks ago it only seemed fair that we get the real Boroski on the show, Rob.

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with a member who has been part of the Strongtown community since 2011. Caitlin Guelakis.

Caitlin is a consistent face at our 8am class, our weekend classes, and of course the Friday Beer WOD.

Outside of the gym she is a Territory Manager for Two Roads Brewing and has a degree in Art History and Historic Preservation.

We talk about her background, how she got involved with Two Roads, and what first brought her to Strongtown.

I have to thank her for giving up her time to come talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with the one only - Greg Toon.

Toon has been a coach at Strongtown since we opened our doors and we first met sometime around 2009 during the CrossFit Watertown days.

He’s a regular face at our 6:00am classes - both as an athlete and a coach.

Outside of the gym he is a father of 4, he has worked for IBM for the past 22 years and as of 2019 his wife Claire took over Southbury Dental Care and with the exception of Dentistry Toon has been very involved in the business.

I feel like Toon and I have a ton of interesting things we could talk about and it was hard to cover in one episode so we’ll be getting him back on a future episode.

I did forget to ask him about the best place to reach out to him at the end of the show, total rookie move on my part, so I’ve shared his contact info in the show notes below.

I have to thank him for giving up his time to come and talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Sydney aka “Syd” Malaspina.

Syd first started at Strongtown with our Kids program shortly after we opened.

I was excited to get her on the show because CrossFit has had an impact on her life to the point where she credits it with literally saving her life.

We have been fortunate to have her around the gym since she is in the process of completing her clinical for her Physical Therapy degree and happens to be home for this portion of the program.

She is an amazing individual, as well as athlete, and this past year she finished the Open within the top 10% worldwide to qualify for the CrossFit Game Quarterfinals.

I have to thank her for giving up her time to come and talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

On this week’s episode, I get a chance to sit down with a member who’s been with Strongtown since 2011 and who both Mikey and myself have personally known for the past 25’ish years - Justin Krajeski.

Justin first started at Strongtown back in 2011 shortly after we opened up and throughout the years he has been one of the most consistent people in the gym.

We get to talk about how he first found Strongtown and his experience of sticking with CrossFit while going to Law School at Penn State.

We also got to geek out over the Whoop Recovery bracelet, watch thing and do a deep dive into some of his mindset.

I have to thank him for giving up his time to come talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

On this week’s episode I get a chance to sit down with the one and only, Stacy Boroski...we’re going to have to get Mr. Boroski (aka Rob) on a future episode.

I loved this conversation because she’s not competitive and doesn’t look at herself as an athlete...even though the gym has been part of her routine for the past 7 years.

Outside of the gym Stacy is a 2nd Grade Teacher, she’s a mother of 2, a wife to a Jets fan and is just an all around amazing person.

She has a great perspective on things and the analogy she used to describe what a typical CrossFit class is like is one of the best I’ve heard.

I have to thank her for giving up her time on a Saturday to come talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

On this week’s episode, I get a chance to sit down with the Taggarts - Heidi & Garret. They have both been on the show before as solo guests, Heidi was episode 16 and Garrett was episode 13.

After a long courtship involving 6:00am workouts and free coffee these two amazing individuals came together and tied the knot this past fall. In an otherwise dismal year, their wedding was one of the few bright spots of 2020.

I was excited to get them back on the show as a couple and really enjoyed hearing their story and getting a chance to catch up.

I have to thank them both for giving up their time on a Saturday morning to come and talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

This week’s episode is a sit-down with a long-time Strongtown member...Missy Booth.

I owe her an apology because when she first started at Strongtown she was Missy Hardwick and I did get a bit tripped up over the last name when I brought her onto the episode.

Missy has been a member at Strongtown since 2014 and was first introduced to CrossFIt through her cousin...Coach Becky.

The cliff notes for this episode is that Missy is a badass - prior to CrossFIt her background is in martial arts where she has earned her blackbelt.

CrossFit has also inspired her interest in Massage Therapy and she is now a licensed massage therapist, both Mikey and Kelly can vouch for her work.

I have to thank her for giving up her time to be on the show and hope you all enjoy.

This week’s episode is something I hope to be able to incorporate more into future shows - it’s a conversation with another local business owner.

I had reached out to Local Gourmet Market & Kitchen to see if they had any interest in being on our podcast. Over the past 3 years they’ve transitioned from being the new kids on the block to becoming one of Southbury’s hidden gems and a staple of the downtown.

I was super excited when they responded and that both the owner and general manager wanted to be on the show.

That’s right - we have both Christy Buso, the Owner, and Ashley Bugnacki, the General Manager of Local Gourmet in the house for a sit-down talk.

They have an amazing story, and out of complete happenstance it really ties back to both Mikey and my own story out of the Watertown since Christy was also the former owner of the Watertown Meat Center and Ashley was a supervisor at the time.

There are links to their website and Instagram page in the show notes and I have to thank them both for giving up their free time on a Sunday to sit down and chat with me. I hope you all enjoy

This week’s episode is a sit-down with a long-time member & friend - Courtney Schwartz.

Courtney has been a member of the Strongtown community since 2013 and was first introduced to Strongtown through Edgewood and our summer Swim WOD.

She is a mother of 2 and when we initially met she was working as a teacher. After 17 years in the profession, she took a leap of faith and has transitioned into sales where she worked her way up to the Regional Sales Director at SpoonRead as well as becoming a Level II Executive Consultant with Rodan + Fields.

We get to talk about what first brought her to the gym, transitioning careers, as well as a bit of deep dive into Peloton and the world of at-home, on-demand fitness.

I have to thank her for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

This week’s episode is a sit down with a long time friend and OG to CrossFit community - Rich Boucher.

Rich and I both began our CrossFit journey about 15 years ago at CrossFit Watertown. He’s currently a coach at CrossFit 203 and although he’s not an active member of Strongtown he’s still very much part of our community.

He was first introduced to CrossFit back in 2007 and in 2011 he qualified for the CrossFit Games where he placed 7th in the Men’s Masters 60+ division.

He also just recently retired and turned 70 this past year.

We talk about how he was first introduced to CrossFit, his experience as a competitive masters athlete, and what brought him to coaching.

I have to thank him for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy.

This week’s episode is a sit down with a couple that has been with us since the beginning - The Guerreras.

Rob + MaryBeth both began their Strongtown story back in 2013 and have been a staple of our community ever since.

From competing in the early days of Battle for the Bell, to helping out at the Lift for a Purpose Weightlifting meet they have seen the gym grow through the years and have a unique perspective.

We talk about how they first met, what first brought them to the gym, and discuss some of their more memorable experiences.

We are lucky to have them as part of our community and I have to thank them for giving up their time to chat with me and be on the show.

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Rich Schnitzel. Rich was one of our first guests on this podcast and he was first featured on episode number 4.

If you’re curious about his story and interested in hearing how the podcast has improved over the past couple years then I would highly recommend going back and listening to the episode.

Rich has been a member at Strongtown for a few years now. While I enjoy talking to him as a member of our community he is also an entrepreneur and business owner himself so selfishly I always enjoy talking shop and hearing his perspective on things.

Outside of the gym he helps companies & businesses with automation and you can reach him at both richardschnitzel.com and bowtiebots.com.

One of the key takeaways that I personally got from our conversation was the understanding that this past year created challenges, which developed adaptations, which can then have a positive long term impact on the business.

I have to thank him for taking the time to sit down and talk with me and hope you all enjoy the show.

The new year is bringing new podcast goals for Strongtown Talks - we’ve been able to line up a bunch of guests that I’m excited to get on the show and over the past couple of weeks I’ve been able to record a bunch of episodes.

Much like the gym & fitness - the goal is consistency so you can start looking forward to a new episode each week.

To kick off the 1st episode of the new year we’re sitting down with a 5+ year member - Scott Chinitz.

Scott has been a member at Strongtown since 2015 and he’s someone who up until this past year has had a commute that has been completely unconducive towards maintaining any type of gym routine or life outside of work.

Despite having to commute back and forth to NYC he has always been able to find time for the gym and even though we were shut down for literally a quarter of the year, he was able to attend the gym more in 2020 than any other year.

Outside of the gym he is an avid soccer player and golfer and one of the key takeaways that I got after sitting down with him was the power of consistency and the impact of marginal gains.

I have to thank him for taking the time to sit down and talk with me and hope you all enjoy the show.

This week’s show is a sit down with the one and only Rob LaBonne III, he comes from a long line of Rob LaBonnes and is man of many facets.

I regret not getting into more of his back story and if I can get him back him on a future episode that is definitely something to chat about.

As an introduction - Rob is Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of LaBonne’s Markets in Watertown, Woodbury, Salisbury, and Prospect CT. As of this past year, he became the owner of Southbury Self Storage, formerly Storage Haus. Over the years he has also been involved in founding a Landscape Construction company, a company that specializes in water bottles for BMW enthusiasts, and a Tent Company.

He is an avid water skier, dog whisperer, entrepreneur and outdoorsman….he’s also only 31.

Welcome to a new week and another episode of Strongtown Talks.

In the theme of Mother’s Day this week’s episode was a virtual sit-down with Coach LuAnn who started off the Quarantine by becoming a new mother.

Mikey and I have known LuAnn since she first began CrossFit back in 2009 during the Watertown days.

We get a chance to talk about what first brought her into the gym, her running days, adjusting to motherhood during the Quarantine, working remotely, and getting back into fitness postpartum.

I want to give a quick shout out to Melissa Reed from CrossFit 203 and Reed Fitness & Physical Therapy, for helping LuAnn get back into a workout routine. Melissa recently published a “Postpartum Return to Fitness Guidebook” (link below) which LuAnn has found to be a tremendous resource.

Enjoy the show...