Strongtown Talks

We are welcoming Kathleen back for a roundabout episode where we talk about the random shows we’ve been binge-watching, the Strongtown Online Classes & Social Events: Morning Coffee & Happy Hour calls...as well as what non-gym thing we’re looking forward to getting back to as restrictions start to lift.

It's looking this might become a reoccurring episode theme. 

Most importantly - the fate of our washer & dryer is currently in limbo and was also discussed.

Welcome to a new week and another Strongtown Talks.

We were lucky to grab Mikey to be on this week’s episode.

We’re a little more than a week into our Strongtown Plus program so we get to catch up on how that’s going for Mike and hear his thoughts and feedback on things.

It’s rare for me to say that “Mike had a lot to say”...but Mike had a lot to say.

We also start getting into what people can expect as we get towards the end of this tunnel and reopening gradually becomes a reality, as well as some of the recent announcements in the CrossFit community regarding this year’s CrossFit Games.

I have to thank him for being on the show and we hope everyone is hanging in there.

This week's episode is a bit of a role reversal.

Dan is in the guest chair and Kathleen is taking over operations as a special guest host. 

We get to talk a bit about Dan's background - his (lack of) athletic endeavors, his transition from a video store clerk, to amateur videographer, to grunt laborer. His extended college career as well as his first exposure to CrossFit.

This was a fun episode and I have to thank Kathleen for taking over the pilot chair for the day.

In this episode we’re continuing our recent spouses series. This week we were lucky to be able to have Kelly sit down, from across the room,  and join us for an episode.

Kelly has been a member of Strongtown since 2011. She’s an English Teacher, one of our Coaches, and has also been married to Mikey since 2017 which might be her most impressive feat.

We get a chance to talk about what first brought her to Strongtown, how she almost walked away due to a lack of correspondence from her future husband, and how she’s adjusting to the new routine.

Spoiler alert - towards the end of the episode we get a chance to talk about our new “Strongtown Plus” program that we’re in the final steps of beta testing and hope to transition everyone over to this week.

In this episode, I get a chance to sit down with a very special person in my life...I know you’re thinking that I get Mikey on the show all the time but this isn’t him. 

This is a special sit-down episode recorded at home with Kathleen Gallagher - formerly Snyder.

Back when we actually had classes you could typically find her around the gym for the 7pm’s and weekend classes. 

For those who haven’t met her before Kathleen has been my wife for almost 8 months now and we initially met as co-workers at the same Landscape Architecture firm back in 2012...when I initially left the firm she was the person hired to replace me.

I was initially nervous about having her on the show...there have been many conversations over the years where I have basically dug myself into a hole. Fortunately this was not one of those talks.

We get a chance to talk about the recent adjustments in our daily lives, how the daily routine has changed, and what we’re doing to maintain some level of normalcy in our daily lives.

I have to thank her for being on the show and for putting up with me in general.

This past week has been nothing short of crazy...we were trying to be optimistic and hope that our little gym in Southbury would be isolated enough so that the pandemic wouldn’t affect us but sadly I was wrong...it’s not the first time I was wrong and I’m sure it won’t be the last.

After almost 9 years we, along with many other businesses have been forced to shut down daily operations. It is definitely scary and I’m glad we can do our part to contribute towards the greater good.

Anyway - in this week’s episode Mikey and I get a chance to sit down an appropriate distance apart from each other to discuss the recent week’s events and how we’ve been responding.

Welcome to a new week and another episode of Strongtown Talks. Considering the past week’s events today’s episode is a ray of sunshine. As a quick intro, we are very fortunate to have multiple contenders for the ‘Most Interesting Man Alive’ at Strongtown...this is not something every gym can say.

Today’s episode is sit down with a man who has a legitimate claim to the title. He is a FireFighter, a Rock Climber, a Snowboarder, a Photographer, a Hiker, a Coffee Connoisseur, a Tea Enthusiast, a CrossFitter, a Scotch specialist, and an International Traveller - the one and only Jimmy O’Neil.

Jim has been a part of Strongtown since the early days and I am very grateful to be able to call him a friend. He has an amazing story and I have to thank him for being on the show.

In this episode, I get a chance to sit down with Tom & Justin of Oxford Axe Throwing also known as the  O-A-T.  You can find them on Facebook & Instagram @oxfordaxethrowing.

At the time of this recording they had been open 9 days so by the time this episode gets published they will have just passed the 2-week mark.

Tom & Justin make up 2 of the 3 part trio of O-A-T.

The third owner / founder is  Steve, who - according to his bio on the internet has developed a niche for barehanded lion hunting. He gave it up, mostly out of boredom. He currently benches 500+ and has taken up a casual hobby of nunchucking.

I have to thank them all for their hospitality and for being on the show.

One quick note - this episode was recorded at their facility in Oxford which is absolutely gorgeous. That makes this the first episode recorded outside of the gym which was definitely a learning experience. 

Being our first roadshow definitely had some issues...the main one being that recording does cut short at the end. 

I’m not sure why, it’s possible I screwed something up in the editing or something happened during the recording. Either way, it does end a bit abruptly and I’m very sorry about that.

They’re a great group of guys and I’m looking forward to watching them grow and am very excited about our upcoming Strongtown Axe Throwing night on the 28th.we will definitely have to have them back on in the future.

You can find Oxford Axe Throwing at the following:

• Website: https://oxfordaxethrowing.com/

In this episode recorded on Sunday, March 1st Mikey and I get a chance to sit down with Nico to catch up and discuss our upcoming Strongtown social night at Oxford Axe Throwing.  

The event is scheduled for Saturday, March 28th, and we're excited to be able to get out and support a new local business in addition to throwing some axes. 

Nico also recently ventured outside of the Southbury area and visited the new Dave & Busters which opened up down in Milford so we get to hear about his recent expedition.

In this episode, recorded on February 23rd, Mikey and I get a chance to sit down and recap on our weekend as well as talk about our upcoming "Remember a Lift" weightlifting meet. 

This was a rare weekend where Mikey and myself both left the gym and ventured up to Boston for a one-day seminar on marketing, branding, and general business operations. Jeans were worn, there was no squatting or working out involved...and it was 6 hours long.  It's safe to say this was definitely not Mikey's idea.

We had a great time and it's always a good exercise to try and look at things from a different perspective.

We also get a chance to discuss our upcoming "Remember a Lift" weightlifting meet...during the episode I wasn't 100% positive on the date and just want to confirm that Mikey was correct and it is Saturday, April 4th.

Thank you and enjoy the show.