Today we’d like to introduce you to John Thompson.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2000, I took the position as chief instructor of Aikido of Denton, a Japanese martial arts school. Through that practice and community, I met another teacher named Skip Chapman who also ran a CrossFit gym in New Jersey. I started training CrossFit in 2012, and was happy with the results in athleticism and the cross over it had in my martial arts training. Around that time, I had moved my dojo to a larger facility, and had space to start a CrossFit gym. I was a middle school educator at the time, so teaching another methodology seemed natural. Fast forward two years, and I was dealing with too many students for the space available. We moved CrossFit Denton to a new, larger location. I also decided to go all in, quit my day job, and teach martial arts and CrossFit full time. Along with my wife Kalah as my partner, CrossFit Denton has grown steadily with a great community of people. We have hosted competitions that have supported Wheeler House, a homeless shelter supporting single mothers, and The Denton Public School Fund, which provides school supplies to kids in need.
Has it been a smooth road?
Relatively, it’s been as smooth as my wife Kalah and I have made it. It was a financial risk for us to quit our jobs and go full time, but it is starting to pay off after four years. We have always seen positive steady growth, which encourages our decisions in business. Both Kalah and I hold degrees in liberal arts, which may seem counter intuitive for business, but that is far from the truth. I believe the rigor we experienced in college in examining and critiquing art and philosophy prepared us to have an open mind for new information and ideas — even outside our fields of study. Our ability to research and discover has been pivotal in our continued growth. I’d also highly recommend getting a CPA and a good bank on your side.
Surely as other business couples can attest, working with your spouse all day long can cause stress on both sides. While that is a real struggle, I also feel it has brought us closer together. I know she has my back at all times, and vice versa. We work long hours, but are finally reaching a point where we can source tasks or coaching to our staff. This has increased our well-being, allowing us to focus more on our relationship outside the business. We are currently planning our first vacation since our honeymoon.
A final item isn’t a struggle per se, but an area that business people need to be mindful of, and that’s the relationships with their customers. We have such awesome people who walk through our doors. And that number has grown. Part of our day is making sure we are in tune with our clients to help them succeed, and that our coaching staff communicates their own discoveries along the ranks.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the CrossFit Denton story. Tell us more about the business.
CrossFit Denton is a strength and conditioning program that is tailored to everyone who walks in the door. It is a combination of weightlifting, gymnastic movement, and metabolic conditioning designed to make people a better version of themselves.
What makes the CFD experience different, in my opinion, is our ethic towards functional fitness. There are stereotypes that portray CrossFit as an extreme methodology that is injury prone and dangerous. But like any other exercise methodology, it comes down to the approach and direction of the program. At CFD we are dedicated to proper, safe movement and mechanics. We treat our gym like a school where people come to learn continuously. That means you’ll see a 60-year-old grandmother working out next to a 20-year-old college student. Their respective movements may be a touch different, tailored by the coach, but are in essence the same. There’s no better feeling than seeing those two demographics cheer for each other during a workout.
And that leads to another aspect of our gym, which is community. While everyone is learning new skills, and lifting more weight along the way, their friends and even family members are right in the thick of it with them. They inspire each other. They inspire me. And I think that’s what separates us from other gyms. You don’t have to be a competitive butt kicker to train here, but if you are, you’ll be pushed in that fashion. There is room for everyone in our gym as long as you have an open mind to learn and better yourself.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The human body was made to move. It’s in our DNA to move. Businesses like ours, and martial arts schools, are great outlets for people to tap into that natural response that is often denied them by sitting all day. The preventative aspect of nutrition and exercise can be the biggest solution to the health epidemic in our nation. When insurance companies start aggressively linking client’s nutrition and exercise to their industry, our businesses will blow up even more.
As for CFD, hang around. Big plans in the works.
Pricing:
- ON-RAMP program. For those new to CrossFit, $150 for 2 months. Always a great student to coach ratio, 5:1
- Kids program: $40/month for 1x/week; $70/month for 2x/week; $90 for 4x/week (teens only)
Contact Info:
- Address: 1017 Shady Oaks STE100
Denton, TX 76205 - Website: www.crossfitdenton.com
- Phone: 940-206-4944
- Email: crossfitdenton1@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossfitdenton/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/crossfitdenton/photos/?ref=page_internal
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/crossfitdenton
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
