Episode 9 - Monthly Content | retainer talks| Guest: Preston Whitehead

0:09

Your definition of couple and my definition of couple.

Sorry.

I was the same.

That was excessive and that was a bit excessive.

Number of claps.

Well, I just want to make sure that we're synced up properly for today's episode.

Today's a special episode, so I'm gonna hit you with something.

You've not seen this.

We've not talked about this.

Hit me.

I'm gonna hit you with it.

So I want to let you know I went running with my Bible.

0:30

Uh huh.

Now my psalms are sweaty.

Are your knees weak and your garments heavy?

Oh, are you?

Gonna have to gird up your loins, pull up, pull up my trousers and.

0:46

And and listen, I saw that last night and I said I think I'm gonna.

That's gold.

I like that my psalms are sweaty.

Yeah, I like that.

That's pretty good, by the way.

To my naked ear here.

You're sounding different.

You're sounding mighty crispy.

I'm going to give you that.

1:01

You're sounding crispy this morning.

Look in the part.

You've got a dad burn boom arm over there that looks like it could crane in a an AC unit.

Visually, things have changed, hopefully audibly, definitely audibly.

Things have changed and we're thankful for that and we'll get to that here in a second.

1:16

We're very thankful for that.

Definitely very thankful.

Shout out right on the heels.

Thanksgiving, shout out, Blake.

Wasn't Blake the one who introduced Fan the Lord to us?

Just inadvertently?

Your cousin, Your cousin Blake?

Yeah, inadvertently.

So thank you Blake, for that good, good.

Ha ha's good comical relief there we we also have a guest.

1:35

We do have a guest today.

We'll talk about that.

Some poor SAP has agreed to come to faith and Frames.

Today, Faith and frames blows my mind back wherever you find yourself in life.

Good morning.

Good evening.

How does Nochus?

Hey there, that was Spanish.

That was definitely a very bad version of Spanish.

1:53

I took French and it's not much better than your Spanish.

Probably worse than I do.

I well, I'm not even gonna say that I do well.

Not even, actually.

I don't do well.

But I do enough to speak English.

Yeah.

That's true.

We have a very, a very loose interpretation interpretation of that language, of the English language.

2:13

Yeah, I think it's beautiful, though.

I have it no other way.

The southern dialect is definitely, definitely beautiful in my opinion.

Some people hate it.

I love it.

We were somewhere the other day and the guy was talking about how he ordered something at Arby's.

We were at that FCA banquet actually.

Yeah, he mentioned he's like, so I'm up in Ohio, I think northern part of Ohio.

2:33

They end up at Arby's.

And he said, the lady said, can you, can you order a kid, can you say your order?

And he's like, what are you talking about?

Yeah.

She then turns into the microphone.

You know how Arby's has the.

Yeah.

So you got to order to the back of the kitchen?

He turned.

2:48

She turns it around to him straight.

From the source and he told him that he wanted like 2 beef and cheddar's and some of them there curly fries and etcetera.

But anyways.

That's when you know you've made it, because most people just try to imitate the dialect.

He's I'm not going to imitate it.

I'm just going to let you redo.

That I want the source.

I want the source, so let's just let the elephant out, this cat out of this bag.

3:08

We have new microphones.

We do have new mics.

You have a new boom.

I have one on the way.

One on the way.

Yeah.

How did those come to be?

Let's just thank our sponsor.

Man, we're going to have to, we're going to have to change the name of the company to Emotional Creative Media, because I got plum Emotional whenever this individual, these individuals reached out to us.

3:27

Again, some poor SAP wanted to sponsor this channel Very First Sponsor podcast.

Yeah, my bad.

Some very poor SAP wanted to sponsor this podcast.

Reasons unknown, but I I was plum emotional when we went to take their sponsored photo the other day.

3:47

Well, let's go ahead and just thank our sponsor.

Today's episode is sponsored by none other than us.

I'm just kidding.

I'm just kidding.

It's actually not.

It's actually not us.

Our first official sponsor.

Animals West of Greenville, Tennessee Animals W Veterinary Clinic.

4:04

You're Animals W your pets are our passion.

Our dedicated team offers personalized care, advanced treatments and a warm, loving environment.

Because at Animals W, every tale tells a story.

Visit Animals West today.

Tony, Amanda.

4:20

The crew down on the Newport Highway, taking care of them.

Animals.

Yeah, taking care of them and taking care of us also.

Animals, we appreciate it.

You guys don't know how much we appreciate that you wanted to sponsor this podcast?

Yeah.

Again, I was pulling Emotional Friday.

4:35

Might change the company name to Emotional Creative Media, who knows subsect of Motion Creative Media.

Thank you.

Thank you guys.

Thank you so much, Jared.

We have guest.

Meat and taters, we have a guest today.

Would you like to do the rousing introduction of our guest?

4:52

This is a person who is near and dear to our hearts.

So, so you you've heard people utter the statement of your clients will become friends more often than your friends will become clients.

Started out as a client.

5:10

Now consider my dear friend correct.

We we help partner with him.

Very good looking.

We good looking chap.

Good looking dude.

We we we talk all the time about businesses and ideas and and things that we're going to do or we'd like to do moving forward anyway we'll talk about that a little later but Preston Whitehead I don't even know if he wants to be known as the owner of life Old Struction OP.

5:34

Certainly the owner of Star Fitness, which is our longest standing retainer client he has, he has agreed to come on the podcast Little.

Claps for that.

Little claps, Little claps.

I don't have the little hands today, but little claps so welcome Preston.

Appreciate you having me on.

Howdy, appreciate it.

I'm doing pretty good, doing pretty good.

5:51

I was a long haul over here.

I I understand you're all's pain now, coming all the way from Greenville to Elizabethton.

Yeah, but it's totally worth it.

It's a pretty drive, but you know, no way.

No matter how you slice it, it is a lengthy drive.

Dude, you were looking slick this morning.

Thank you.

I appreciate.

It What was it we used to say in high school?

6:07

Jared Fresh a def.

Oof.

You're looking pretty fresh a def.

Appreciate it.

Previous morning got the best.

Yeah, fall is the best time to to layer you.

Know that is agreed.

And dressed in fall colors, right.

I got the colors.

See, I'm weird.

I don't.

6:22

I'm not a big color guy.

My color scheme is is pretty grayscale.

Yeah, mine's black, Gray and teal.

I like teal.

See, I'm a neutral guy too, which is why I kind of like the fall and winter.

Yeah, get to.

Use those color.

Pops, you got your, you got your, Browns your.

Blacks, your black earth tones, we call them.

6:39

I'm not.

I'm not much of a bright color guy.

I used to be, you know, bright orange and purples and things of that nature.

That's just not me anymore.

Earth tones, yeah, I like it.

It's, it's subtle to me.

Again, it's fresh.

It's chic, some would say.

Right.

I'm digging the half bubble vest, by the way.

6:54

I do appreciate it and we just.

We discovered off camera it has like a secret, a secret compartment in the back.

Yeah, and you are the first person to tell me that.

I had no idea about it.

So I guess, yeah, I mean, I don't know what you would put back there, but driving the details.

Right driving gloves.

7:10

Driving gloves.

Smokes, right?

You're a.

Smoker.

I don't think you're a smoker, but if you were a smoker, acetoners.

Yeah, there's all kinds of stuff you can put back there right out OJ.

So I personally would love to to get a little bit of back story, right.

7:28

We we, we, we told the audience that you are the owner and the president of Star Fitness.

I don't know if that's your official title.

You run the show.

Right.

I don't need any titles.

Just you're the captain.

Not big on titles.

You're the captain of the.

Show I'm not big on titles, just I guess the the guy behind the wheel is the best way to put that.

7:45

So captain of the boat.

Yeah, people may be discovering start a day and they're seeing where it's currently at, but it didn't start there.

We know that it used to be another gym, I believe it's called evolution, right.

I'm curious how how you came up with Star Fitness, how it came to be and sort of just its its origin to you know where it is today.

8:10

But what?

What was the groundwork?

So the building was, you know, has been there for, I don't know, 15 years or so and it was originally Smoky Mountain Sports Complex.

You'll if you'll if you pay attention when you're driving in, you can still see the signs up on the building that says, well, East Tennessee Sports Complex.

8:30

But you know it's went through a lot of changes.

There was like you mentioned another gym which was evolution.

It was there for, you know a few years.

That's kind of what?

Started the the idea in the groundwork of a gym in general and a big open building like that well.

8:45

Because Smoky Mountain, correct me if I'm wrong, it it was mainly a host for like basketball tournaments and things like that, correct?

Correct place for tournaments?

Yeah, so like under the gym, under the turf is like 4 basketball courts still.

Nice.

I think we did know that.

I remember, I remember going through the remodel whenever we first started shooting and and seeing some of that as the carpet was being pulled.

9:03

Up.

You would never know unless unless someone told you.

But and that was that was the goal, right?

You know, I mean.

We didn't want any purple basketball for him popping up through the we've worked, worked so hard to pull off, you know, man.

And we'll get into that too, because you have done mighty fine with the look.

9:20

Appreciate that.

Well, you all make it look a lot better too, you know so.

I thank you for that, Yeah.

But it, you know, like I said, it's went through a lot of changes.

Eventually it just became a a dark warehouse.

Lights were turned off, nothing was really going on and Ron Winton came along and.

9:39

He he had Whitten Huddle going and he asked my dad if he could have a space to rent the turf field.

And so of course, dad said that was fine.

Well, 'cause you have like how many yards of turf?

40 yards, Yeah, that's pretty unique and to have.

A Whitten.

To have a Whitten on the turf like that just makes sense.

9:55

Right, it does.

Ryan is the brother of Jason Whitten.

For those of you guys who are listening and don't know, Jason Whitten, famous Dallas Cowboy, UT Volunteer, and Elizabethan Cyclone.

Your your alma mater.

And he, you know, so he eventually said, hey let me try to revive the gym.

10:15

So that Star, you know, Cowboys, Dallas Cowboys is how Star Fitness was born.

The name Star Fitness was born, you know, And then after I I guess a few years or so, it just, it just never really, never really took off.

10:31

It was for a lack of better words it was causing more harm than good financially.

So.

Dad was like, you know, I'm, I'm shutting this down.

I'm selling this building like I'm done.

Well, that's when I came along and it was, you know, a fresh set of graduating college a couple years, which I graduated from ETSU.

10:52

And I was like, you know what?

Let me put my money into this.

And my vision into it and see what we touch, see what we can do with it.

And he he believed in me so he let me do it.

So you know, I I looked at it for me as an investment in the beginning.

11:08

I'm thinking, you know, I'm going to invest X amount of dollars on, you know, a new look, new equipment and maybe I maybe I can get something out of it, see where it goes.

So, and you know it just, it started out with working with Arsenal strength with I've had several different big orders and stuff.

11:25

The first one was the biggest.

It was the most anticipated we waited forever for.

I remember that.

I remember that.

It was.

It was definitely.

It was a stressful time because, you know, I I announced that that that's what I was doing.

And then, you know, every single day I'd go, when's it going to be there, When's it going to be there?

11:41

I'm like, I'm only relaying the message of what I've been told, but it was delayed.

COVID.

It was, you know, the greatest excuse of all time during that time period.

We were still fresh off of Covad though.

I mean it was a valid reason, still impacting things.

For sure.

Yeah.

Production was just slow.

11:57

Right, it was.

It was.

I guess I should have predicted that better whenever I did the announcement instead of saying.

Putting a month on it, I should have put a season on it literally is what it what it came out to, but.

I think you fared well in the end.

Right.

Yeah.

I mean it just, you know it from the, I mean the equipment was a great investment.

12:15

Oh my gosh, yes, for sure.

But it was not only the equipment, it was the look by repainting everything.

You know, there used to be carpet in there.

We changed it to the rolled rubber flooring.

Yeah, which looks good 'cause you got them little blue flakes in there that go with the equipment.

So, and it's and you know, it's hard to keep that carpet clean or the door looking clean.

12:33

Rubber, I mean, that's what it's made for.

And you know, it's it's surpassed all of my expectations.

It really has and that's the reason why I'm working really hard for a second location.

It's it, you all know.

You all know that.

12:48

I've been working on this for a little years.

We know some of the ends of it.

Not not a lot of people would realize that, but I think that the pre planning aspect of it is the most.

Taxing.

And it's the it's what takes the longest.

Once I get this thing approved and we stick the first shovel in the ground, it's gonna go fast.

13:06

You're gonna you're gonna blink your eye and you're like, OK, wait a second.

Here we go, here we go.

Buckle up.

Well, it's.

Kinda like us with with you know productions whenever we're on like commercials and stuff, there's a lot of time and effort and and thinking and ideas that go into the pre production.

So that again once the shovel's in the ground or once we hit record, things hopefully go you know quicker, smoother, more efficiently etcetera, etcetera.

13:27

But I want to back up for a second.

So you said that, you know you had graduated ETSU and and you saw the gym as an opportunity.

Why specifically for you was fitness the move?

Because I'm sure that you probably had options as far as other things that you maybe wanted to try.

13:44

Maybe, maybe not.

I don't know, you're, you're an entrepreneur.

So as an entrepreneur, why did you choose fitness?

What is it about the fitness industry that draws you?

I think it was because of the history that I had with fitness in general, like where I was always an athlete in high school I signed to play football at ETSUI never ended up doing it, but I was always involved in the weightlifting fitness world.

14:08

So I already knew like a lot of knowledge, you know going into it about it some something that I've always been interested in, which you know you hear all the time, like if you're if you're going to really try hard for something, you have to.

You have to really enjoy it.

And so, like, you know, I always did enjoy fitness.

14:25

I mean, I never really got into, you know, the bodybuilding, the powerlifting aspect of it, but I always have gotten into, you know, trying to be healthier.

It's functional for you at.

That point right for necessity.

His necessity?

And you know for me it's it's not even about the physical aspects of it which you know obviously there is great.

14:42

I mean, you you work out, you look better, you know, feel better the the mental aspect of it of.

You know when you've had, you know, a stressful day or whatever, like, you know there's that hour that you get all that off of your mind?

You could take it out on some weight.

Right, right.

14:57

And that that that's what I like.

And I think that, you know, a lot of people could benefit from the mental aspect of it.

So that I mean to answer your question, it was it was because of something that I actually really did enjoy.

Yeah.

And so you saw a need.

Yeah.

You saw like this is this can help people.

15:14

This is a need.

This is a void.

And I I I'm not ready to let this go.

I think this can.

I think I can do something with this.

Right.

And you know, as far as Elizabeth and in general, there wasn't a whole lot to offer at the time.

You know, now there's a Planet Fitness in Elizabeth, but I think.

15:29

There's a workout anytime there too.

Yeah, there is.

That's pretty recent since they've come on the scene.

But there was never, you know, there was those gyms like you mentioned that were more like commercialized, but there wasn't like a like an actual gym that had equipment that, you know, a gym owner invested into to help you.

15:45

You know, reach a goal faster, safer, more efficiently.

And that's, I mean, they it.

This equipment's not just more shiny, it's just it actually makes a difference in the way it's engineered.

It's far superior and and me and Jared, you know as as your video guys, we hear a lot of things quote, quote on the battlefield.

16:02

So you know we hear these new people coming into your gym and they are just taken back like they're astonished at the selection that you have.

But to me.

I I think that shows the care that you have for your audience, for your gym demographic to know that hey, and you just said if I can get a piece of equipment in here that makes their workout safer, more efficient, more productive.

16:27

I mean, to me that shows that you give a Dang about your audience.

You truly care about the people that are coming through those doors.

I do.

And I, you know, I I value their time too.

I mean, let's be honest, like.

Well, most of the time, most people do not want to feel like going to the gym.

At all, and like a variety of factors.

16:43

Right.

They don't want to spend more time than they have to in the gym.

So what I've done is try to create a, you know, an open space to where there is multiple variations of each exercise.

You know there.

If you no matter what body part you're working, no matter what type of fitness that you're into, there is a space for you.

17:03

And you're not, you know, sitting around for someone you know to finish their set, wasting your time.

But you know, at the same time, we do get a lot of people where everyone, you know, the community aspect of it, where everyone's really good friends in there.

I mean, I've got people that come in for a workout for, you know, 2 1/2 hours, but they're only actually working out 45 minutes.

17:22

But that's great.

I think it's good to.

You know, become friends with people your, you know, your, your gym crew or whatever.

And I think we do get a lot of that.

I definitely think that's a byproduct of of a gym is is the the camaraderie, the community.

I think that makes it to me.

17:39

You know when I used to work out all the time before life happened, that was something that I looked forward to was was the camaraderie.

And so that also kind of is like a an additional level of like encouragement it is to make the effort to go, yeah, it's like, you know what?

17:55

They're gonna, I'm gonna be letting these guys down.

I'm gonna let these people down if I'm not.

There we are very tribal.

We've talked about this in in previous episodes, but by design we are community driven beings like we're we're designed to be community driven and and again, just.

18:11

Noticing what goes on in your gym, It's cool to see again.

You've created a place where you know power lifters can come in, bodybuilders can come in, 40 to 50 year old People just wanting to be healthy can come in and never be on top of one another.

Yeah, never be on top of one another.

18:27

And the cool thing too is though, you know, in a lot of gyms you have, everybody has their click.

I mean, every gym has a click, but.

What I see in your gym is there's a lot of intermingling of those cliques.

I know we joke around with Michael Rush Waters and, you know, the powerlifting crew and the bodybuilding crew.

18:42

But like yours, for whatever reason, they seem to mesh pretty well with each other.

Far better than I've seen in other gyms where it's literally everybody's on top of each other, nobody wants to talk.

They're in their own zone, like you.

You really have a gym family, I believe.

And you know, it's important, you know, because a gym in general is an intimidating space for a lot of people.

19:03

And I I think that's the reason why a lot of people will migrate towards these, you know, class type situations where you're paying $150.00 a month.

Right.

Just so massive right now.

Right.

Just so you don't have to have that feeling of walking into a gym.

Yeah, Yeah.

And I think that, you know, the intermeshing like what you're talking about within the, you know, the the stereotypes within the gym.

19:25

Is important because you know everyone is there to support each other.

It's not like you're there to be judged no matter where you're at in your fitness career.

We have literally from A-Z, we have it all and I think that's important.

I think that, you know, if it's.

I mean there's nothing wrong with having a gym that's solely, strictly bodybuilding.

19:42

So that's very experienced with it, which we have a lot of those people too.

But you know, that was never like my end goal.

My end goal is, you know to.

To create, you know a a goal for everyone to be better, but also you know, have a good time doing it and and feel comfortable.

19:59

Well, and I think I think one thing too, you mentioned it like you've you've had some pretty high class athletes come through like in the bodybuilding space, you've had collegiate athletes come through there.

I mean Milligan, they they practice there quite extensively.

Obviously you have the connection with the Wittens, but I mean we we've had a couple of guys from UT, you know, drive all the way from Knox to come to come.

20:19

Work out Josh Langman.

IFBB perot.

Right.

I mean, just since we've been, you know, I've been working with you all.

I mean, you've seen the, the variety of what we could potentially get and what we do get, you know, So I mean just like you said, I mean anywhere from, you know, a college athlete to a pro bodybuilder to a pro power lifter, I mean.

20:40

To a mom.

There's the bench bench press.

World record was done there.

That's awesome.

Not many.

Not many gyms, actually.

No gym can say that in the world.

Just one.

Just one.

And it's just the world record, world record world.

20:55

Record World record.

Yeah, it was, it was done there.

So I mean that that's pretty cool.

So that you know, you got the the powerlifting aspect of it too, but then you got, you know people like myself, just the average Joes in there, just trying to.

You know, look a little better, feel a lot better, feel a little better, be a little better version of.

21:13

Themselves, and I think that's, I think that's really all you can ask for.

I think it's big volumes for for what you've created and and again we've we've been fans because you've you know you've been on the books with us now for what, almost two years and and it's been really cool for us because you know one one thing that can get monotonous in a retainer situation is you know you're shooting similar content monthly, but I feel like with your content specifically.

21:38

Over these past few years, it has stayed fresh for us because we've seen the evolution occurring, you know, monthly.

And for us that's fun.

Like we come in and we know that we're going to be touching a different, a different demographic each time.

So that that's been fun for us on the content side.

21:56

Well so so that that actually brings up a good point.

You know you're saying that it keeps it fresh and and it can be difficult when you're shooting because we do shoot monthly content with you, right.

That's the agreement we've we've we've found works and that we all like, but it can be difficult when you're shooting every month in the same building with you know you've got new members.

22:18

But I mean it can get repetitive and and mundane and then you know you are do you do a really, really good job of all the concepting like that's something that you really like to do.

You like to keep your pulse, your finger on the pulse.

And you're good at it.

You're really good at it.

You like thinking of the video ideas and the concepts, but it can get tiring and and and it can be, it's like, gosh, another month rolled around.

22:40

Here we are.

You know we got to think of something new, but that's something that you do a really good job of.

And and we have seen I would say that our content has shifted it, it has grown, it has evolved as you stated and that's just because of like where you are at with with your business.

22:58

I I don't know if the audience knows we we talk about you all the time for a lot of reasons.

One, we've been partners for a long time now, but I don't know if the audience really knows kind of how we.

Started out our origin story and it's like you may be you may honestly be able to speak from the from the customer side on our side of things as to like why you were even interested and and and maybe content because you know a lot of people they know yeah sure I should be on social media I'm probably missing out if I'm not all these things maybe they have the know how maybe they don't maybe they have the time maybe they don't But what was it that kind of prompted you to make the investment into you know hiring a crew to to to take that portion off your shoulders.

23:45

Right.

So I always knew that like social media was, you know, a big part of marketing in general.

You know, whenever it goes back to the question that you asked with the origin story of the of the gym, you know, I knew that I could do all these things, you know, put all this nice new shiny equipment in there.

24:02

But if nobody ever saw it.

They don't know about it.

Then they don't know about it.

I mean, you all know.

I mean the location that the gym is at now.

Is not the easiest to find, right?

It's not off the main highway, that's for sure.

Right.

In the beginning there was a lot of people that didn't even know it was there and I was like, you know, I can't believe that we have all this nice new stuff and nobody even knows about it, you know, So, you know, I Danny at the time, which was one of our trainers that was working with us, which is actually.

24:33

Garrett's cousin.

My wife's cousin.

My cousin by marriage.

Yeah, there you go.

D3 as we call him D3.

I told him I was like, you know, I I gotta get a more professional look on this Instagram, on Facebook.

I was like, you know, I gotta get the word out there somewhere.

And I bought a good way to do that was with photography and videography.

24:50

So that's when he introduced me to you all.

And one thing that I'll say is, is, you know, in the beginning in my mind I was thinking, you know.

I just want them to come in and you know, take some photos and take a couple of videos and then be done.

But then when you all, you know, brought up the retainer aspect of it, I was like, you know, at at at the time I was like do I really need this?

25:11

But I'll say I think it was one of the best decisions I've made, because there's no way you all have gotten better because you've.

Grown to know the business better and you're going to know me better than what I like.

Well, we know your audience.

Too and you know the audience.

So I think the retainer, what I'll tell your viewers out there is it was it's very important because I mean going, I mean, yes, you can go in there and you can take pretty pictures, right?

25:36

But for for your business to really thrive, you have to, you have to have some longevity behind it, right, Consistency.

And I think I think that's important.

I mean, I I say it all the time.

Jared sent me.

November's photos, I was like, these are.

I said I've said it multiple times, too.

25:53

I say these are my favorite photos and I think he's like, starting to like, really get my.

Yeah, you're in a groove.

You guys are in a groove because Jared Jared's been editing your account now for a while, but that didn't happen it.

Didn't happen overnight that that's what I was gonna say.

The I remember, you know, the first few months that we were starting, 'cause that that is essentially on a retainer those first 90 days.

26:12

That is a a phase of discovery where we are discovering things that the business owner likes that they don't like, that maybe their audience likes Slash doesn't like.

So you see that evolution happen.

But now I was telling somebody the other day, I think I was talking with Jackson actually, and I told him, I said go look at Starr's Instagram and I said you can scroll for days right now and you're going to see that consistent look.

26:38

I said you're going to have to scroll for a Dang good while.

To find a time before that look was consistent, but it it does, it just comes through time and and it really comes through trust.

You have to trust us to know that we're going to evolve with you and and for you as a business owner, again we appreciate that because it does, it takes time.

27:00

There's certainly effectiveness that can come from, you know, one off commercials or a one off photo shoot, But when it comes to especially the fitness world.

The fitness world is a very fast-paced environment, especially on social media, so you have to constantly be putting stuff out because if you're not, the guy beside you is, you know.

27:20

And so for fitness, especially the retainer structure, it's pretty advantageous.

Yeah.

And the and you know in the early stages when I guess when it was really starting to take off was, you know, people would come up like your those videos, those pictures, like they look awesome.

That was the first thing that I was told.

27:36

Like those are really looking really good.

You should do more of those.

It's just because you know, you have that professional look, you have that consistency of, you know, we've been doing this, we know what we're doing.

You're building a brand, right?

You're building a true brand at that point in time, absolutely.

27:52

Obviously we've been doing it for a while and so we have some knowledge, we have some expertise, but I I will be the first to tell any client who's reaching out for the first time.

It's like, look, we have some ideas and we're going to try these ideas first because we think they'll work.

But here full transparency, they may not work.

Yeah, they may not.

28:07

I mean, seriously.

We have one or two options.

It either will or it won't.

Yeah, Well, and so, but here's the thing.

If you, if you stay consistent with us, if you, if you trust us, I assure you I'm going to put everything that I have into this and we're going to figure something out that works.

I mean seriously, our first, our first like 3 months with you, we're doing similar style content but at least on just on the surface level of the look.

28:31

We're just trying to dial it in.

Well, it was a warmer look.

Do you remember some of the photos had this more like sunsetty warm vibe.

For whatever reason, when I started editing I was like, this is what works.

We then through trial and error and time.

28:46

The biggest thing Time there slowly shifted to where one month we ended up having a really cool.

I remember the video.

I know exactly which video it is.

Wow.

It's like, you know what I think?

I think this is my.

Movie The one.

I think this is the one we'll we'll continue to tweak and dial it in as time goes on, but I think, I think this is it.

29:04

It was the member of the month and the and the dumbbell section.

Oh yeah man, I don't know what's about this, but it looks different.

I really like it.

And then it's like ever since then it's.

That was the look, I think that's important because I mean I I really think it took probably three or four months before we got to that point it.

29:20

Was a little while.

Well, I mean, when you think about it again, had you said, you know what, guys, I'm good with y'all coming in for, you know, three months and then I think I'll be good.

Like you may not have gotten to that look.

Oh, you wouldn't have gotten to that look, 'cause it occurred after that.

So at that point in time, your brand identity would still be a little bit unknown and at that point in time at.

29:39

This point everything would have been lost in the abyss.

You know, and it would be almost like that.

It was offered nothing, I guess.

I I think the retainer, I think the longevity aspect is important with anything you do.

There's no quick fixes, you know, even with like, you know, dieting working out, you know.

29:54

No there's no get rich.

I'm.

Gonna get on this eight week workout and become shredded, right?

It has to be a lifestyle change.

I think with business you have to be consistent with what you do.

Absolutely And and that's you know we we see it the most because going back to media, you know video specifically we see it the most on platforms like YouTube.

30:11

A lot of people get like, really downtrodden when they start a YouTube channel and it's, you know, the 1st, I'm going to say the first six months.

They're seeing like little to no audience, little to no views, little to no return.

It can get depressing, but YouTube is the great rewarder for people who are consistent and and practice longevity.

30:32

I mean, I've, I've noticed it on my personal channel, you've noticed on your channel, we've noticed it on the motion creative channel.

I just it's one of those things where YouTube wants to see, are you going to stick around and and stick through the mud?

Because buddy, there's going to be a little bit of mud, like it's going to take you a while.

30:49

But they reward consistency and that's just business in general.

That's no different than fitness either.

I mean, we've done pressing here here in the gym like that.

Again, you're not going to transform your body.

Lose the 60 lbs overnight and you're not going to get shredded overnight.

Consistency is is the only way you're going to get there.

31:04

Consistency delivers results, yeah.

I think a lot of people are really afraid of failure too.

You know when like you said, starting a YouTube channel or something like that, when you only get 15 views on your on your channel, you're like, oh God, this is not gonna work.

31:20

Well, you know the time that you put into it.

You know the time that you put into it?

And you know, with with fitness or whatever, I mean, if you don't see results immediately like that doesn't mean it's not working, like it's just gonna get better as you go along.

There there's a saying in fitness and it it.

It cracks me up whenever whenever I hear it, 'cause there are so many, you know, quick fix diets now and quick fix workouts and stuff like that.

31:41

But the saying that I always go back to when it comes to like dieting.

Specifically like that one piece of cake.

For example, is not going to ruin your whole physique because you didn't build your whole physique on one piece of chicken, right?

You know, in a day.

Now Rome wasn't built in a day, so like you didn't build your physique on one piece of chicken or or one workout and you're not going to destroy it with one piece of cake or one off day.

32:04

Now if you consistently.

Yes, if you consistently get that derail those well or the the.

You know the positive side of that?

If you consistently write either one of those, like, you're gonna get results, good or bad.

And that's the same way business.

Like people are afraid.

You, you, you said something and it's powerful.

32:22

People are afraid of failure.

They're afraid that people will judge them specifically, like friends and family.

Some of your biggest critics are gonna be the people closest to you in a lot of cases.

And a lot of people just can't handle that.

They can't handle the fact that somebody does not check off on what they're doing.

32:38

Yeah, it's.

I mean, whenever you're passionate about something, like there's definitely going to be the judgmental aspect.

And I've had that with with the gym.

I mean, because like, we've all had it, you know, gym typically you don't think, OK, why the heck is he even doing this?

And I just, I just, I had like the vision for it, you know?

32:55

And like if I would have listened to everything that everyone else was saying, we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation right now.

So what did?

What did you tell those people whenever you started your gym?

And.

And there's just a personal curiosity.

What did you tell the people who came to you and said, well dude, it's not gonna work.

33:11

You're in Stony Creek.

There's a Planet Fitness everywhere now.

There's a workout anytime, everywhere.

There's a Gold's Gym.

Whatever, like.

What was it about that passion that you were able to look at them and say, no, I've got the thing?

It's because they didn't have what I had in my head, The vision of it.

I knew that it was gonna be different, and you have to be different with no matter what you do, you have some sort of differentiator.

33:33

And I knew that I wasn't just throwing up another Planet Fitness or another work guy anytime.

I knew what I was creating was something special.

And I think, I think that's the main aspect of it.

I mean you, I mean I couldn't have been like everyone else and been in Stony Creek and they were right on that.

33:48

There was no way that could work.

But then even when I would explain the, you know, this is my vision and you know, I'd try to give them an analogy to like try to picture in their head, they would just, you know, shake their head yes.

And you know, I could tell that they're like that still doesn't really make any sense.

They.

34:04

Had no personal investment either.

Like it's.

It's so easy to look at something, look at an idea, look at a business, look at a passion and and you have $0.00 invested, zero time invested.

It's so easy to look at that and say, no, that's not gonna work.

It reminds me of this commercial that I see now where it's like the the Ant that says I don't think that's gonna fit.

34:22

Have you guys seen that?

No, no.

Anyways, it's a commercial, but like.

That's all.

That's all the naysayers are like.

They stand, you know 700 miles away with zero invest and say not Preston, that ain't going to.

Work and there's a heck of a lot of stuff that didn't work.

I mean, there's a lot of things that have been changed and things that I like, OK, I thought this was going to be a good idea and it's not.

34:40

It's not like that everything that you do is going to work.

A lot of it didn't.

I mean, it's went through a lot of changes.

I mean they the Shake.

Smoothie protein situation, right?

Like.

I forgot about the smoothie bar.

Yeah, we had, we had like a few regulars, yes, but it just it didn't work.

34:57

You know, it just it was, it was hard, it was hard to to do it.

And you, I think the only way that you can make it work is have it fully like staffed all the time, like like strong, but like who's going to pay somebody to sit there and make smoothies all day And you know it, you know, we kind of transformed that into a recovery lounge, which.

35:15

Yeah.

Leaps and bounds better?

Yeah.

Massage chair smoothie.

I'll take the massage.

Please and and and you know I can make coffee.

Yeah, you know the.

Last vlog that obviously I can make a pretty good brew.

I'm pretty good at making something you.

Know.

And I was kind of worried because I only use Keurig, so I didn't really know if I could do it right.

35:34

But I you know.

I I give you.

I mean, if we're looking at the the rookie status of your coffee career.

I'll give you a solid B plus.

B Plus, I'll take that, I'll take that, 'cause I never make it.

So that's a B plus, if this gym thing don't work out, this construction thing don't work out.

I think you got a career as A as a barista.

35:52

I tell you what, that sounds like a good job to me.

But I love your mentality because it it's similar to like me and and I think Jared shares this too like we're all hard headed.

I'm a turd.

When somebody tells me that I can't do something, I'm like, you're right, I'll probably mess up a lot and I'll probably have a lot of failures, but what happens if it works?

36:10

I'm gonna be stoked right?

And you're gonna be wrong, right.

And sorry that's the flesh coming out.

But I.

Think that I think that now it's not necessarily like other people like second guessing it with the new gem specifically it's me.

So now I'm like always, like in my head and like, what if this doesn't work, you know?

36:30

But I try to look past all that you have to.

You have to take that risk.

And self is the biggest enemy of self, yeah.

You you're gonna be more critical of yourself than anyone on the outside will ever be.

Right.

I mean, when you're when you're putting, you know, the kind of money and the time and the amount of failures that I've already when it ran into when it comes to the new gym with property, Oh my gosh.

36:50

Dealing with certain regulations and sat.

Back the Gauntlet.

It's been awful.

Like, I can't believe that I'm still actually doing it.

Like I have almost mentioned several times, several times already and it hasn't even started yet.

So what keeps you going?

I think it's just that.

It's that same thought, that same feeling that I had with the Elizabethan 1, knowing that, like, I know this is gonna work even when everyone else doesn't think it's gonna work.

37:12

It's now it's me versus myself.

It's like I know it's gonna work even though I'm telling myself it's not.

And it's not worth all this that I'm having to go through.

Do you derive, do you derive joy just from being like a competitor?

I mean, obviously you have a a history and athletic sports background, so I think most athletes like.

37:32

We just enjoy the challenge of competition, whether it be with sell for even or even outside.

Is that the challenge?

Yeah, the challenge is that maybe one of the other like driving factors, like it's a fun competition for you.

I think that I think certain people definitely have that.

I think it's in my blood.

I mean, my dad, he, he came from absolutely nothing, right?

37:50

He started his his business out of a van with a couple guys.

And he's became super successful.

Didn't know that.

And he's, you know, even now that he is stepping away from the business in general and I'm kind of stepping more into the more ownership role of the construction business specifically.

38:08

I still see it.

He's still a hustler.

Like, you know, even if he is, you know, buying and selling cars or equipment.

And only making you know 567800 couple thousand A.

Little hit from that.

It's like he gets a high from that.

He gets a little hit and, you know, sometimes I see the stuff that he buys and he fixes up.

38:26

I'm like what is even the point of like fooling with?

This I'll tell you what it is.

That is his.

That's his hobby and that's what he loves to do.

It's the art.

Of the hustle.

And you cannot take it away from a true hustler, right?

Your dad's a hustler.

He is a big time hustler for sure.

38:42

I love it.

I love the artist.

And I think that I have, you know, the apple doesn't fall far from the truth.

You know, I have that, that aspect of him in me.

You know, he's taught me his ways ever since I was little.

I mean, I used to go to the to the office that we still have now when I was, you know, 6-7 years old pushing around little toy dump trucks.

39:03

And you know he would, he would always say, you know, one day, you know, you're gonna have to deal with all this.

You're gonna have to deal with all this stress.

For better, for worse.

At the time, I'm like, well, of course I'm ready for it.

But now that I've actually been like, thrown into it, I'm like the coffee shop is starting to sound pretty good.

39:19

Yeah, I.

Think I'm gonna go to Starbucks.

Yeah, yeah, you know, so it's that's the the stressful part about my day is that is that aspect of the business, so.

You know, the gym where I I really am passionate about that and I enjoy it.

It's almost like I can walk across the street and go to the gym and I just, I enjoy it.

39:38

I you know, I can relax for a second.

You know what's funny is you've you've experienced in business what you described earlier in the episode as most people's personal place of Zen.

You know and and obviously you're very passionate about the construction business too and and we've not even you know dived into that, dove into that though.

39:57

Yeah, Dove, sorry, we're good.

Gosh, I'm a redneck.

We've not even dove into the fact that you're running multiple businesses.

But the the fact that that gym, going back to that passion, the fitness is still your little place of escape, even on the business side.

Because I know you're passionate about the construction business, but it's still your little, your place you can go to and and not, you know, be troubled by.

40:22

Some of the challenges of of the other business because construction is a tough, tough business for A.

Plethora of reasons, I commend you, I commend you because again I mean you're humping it on on both fronts there, on the fitness front, on the construction front, front, like I I commend you for that.

40:39

Right.

Well, you know the, the construction business is never going to be mine, right.

I didn't.

I didn't start that from the fan.

You know that that was that was Dad's baby.

You're the torch bearer.

I am the the gym is my baby.

I I I'm the one that created that.

40:56

And one thing that I've noticed is, is that's what I'm kind of starting to be known for.

I guess when I see people that I don't really know that well or that I've.

I know but I haven't seen in a long time, they always bring up the gym.

They don't ask anything about the construction business, nothing else.

41:13

They always about ask about the gym, How's it going, the Johnson City location?

You know what?

Not like that.

Does that feel pretty good?

It does, yeah.

Good with that identity.

Yeah, you got that brand identity.

Right.

You know, because that's one thing that no one really can ever take away from me because anybody that's been around long enough knows that that place is not what it was, right.

41:34

You know, before I started doing things.

I mean, we, we know because in the short two years that we've been with you, like, it's taken a massive, massive, I'm going to say facelift.

You you took you you mentioned two things and we can we can probably we can probably take this on to the to the house so to speak with this you you mentioned the retainer you know initially that wasn't what you were looking at you were just looking at for a quality a bump of quality and and like basically one month's worth of content so that you could.

42:07

You get the word out about your new equipment, the the new look, the new feel of this gym.

You know we mentioned the retainer thing.

You mentioned that it was probably the best investment that you made.

I like the word investment because obviously it has a cost.

It does, it has a cost, but it's like what kind of return are you getting?

42:23

I don't remember.

I wish we, we talked about this many times off camera.

It's like I I wish we had remembered where you were at member wise, where your social media accounts were at when we first started it.

It's grown.

Both of those have grown and whether you can like dollar for dollar say, well, it's because of this.

42:41

It's because of that I we like to say like you mentioned, we partnered with you, right?

We have worked through the the failures, we have worked through the trials, the errors, all those things to get it to where it is today.

And you mentioned it was probably the best, best investment that you've made.

42:58

I am personally so excited about the new gym because Garrett and I both know that it was 4 basketball courts.

That you have made into a gym right?

This building existed, its its initial purpose was not to be a gym, but you have made it a great gym.

43:14

This Johnson City location it's going to be built from the ground up from day one with the sole purpose of being a gym.

It's going to be saucy.

And so, like, I am really excited because you're proof of concept to me if if you take nothing else from this conversation.

43:30

Forget the doubts because if you're if you have a great proof of concept in Stony Creek, Tennessee from 4 basketball courts from 4:00.

Basketball courts to now where it is today, social media following members, all of these things, the look, the brand, the merch, all of these things.

43:48

If you can do that in Stony Creek, yeah, you can take it anywhere.

That is literally, that's what I keep telling myself.

Yeah, it works in Stony Creek.

It can work in Johnson.

City.

I'm not putting Stony Creek down, but again, a lot of, a lot of our listeners probably don't even know what that is.

Yeah, I mean, it's it's not exactly a booming metropolis.

44:04

It's a corner of the mountain.

It's a corner of the mountain in northeast Tennessee.

So, So you can take, you can take the things that you've failed at, the things that you've learned from all of these things, these successes and failures.

To make Stoney Creek what it is today.

And I think you're just gonna pour gas on the fire once you get into Jonathan City.

44:22

You know, I knew that, you know the only way to get the word out there was like through the the media aspect of it.

So I think that the, the investment that I made with you all, it has to be one of the best investments that I made other than the equipment.

44:38

I mean, because like I said, that's what it's known for, literally.

But in we talked to, we talked to a member, yeah.

We we asked her, it's like because we hadn't seen her in there, right?

She was new to your, to your facility.

Like how'd you hear about Starr?

She literally reiterated.

44:54

She said, Well, I saw on Instagram that they had gotten new Arsenal equipment, and specifically the Pendulum School, which Noah Arnett says the most hungling piece of equipment.

Oh, it's measurable that you have.

It's a miserable.

Machine but that.

But that's that's proof, right?

That right there is proof that what you're doing with social media content.

45:14

Is working.

Right.

Because how else are, I mean you all know where the building sits, like how else is anybody going to know it's there if they don't see it like online?

Well, you have a couple of.

Options.

Show them what is inside that big square box.

Yeah, you have a couple of options out of Stony Creek.

45:29

I think you have the Pony Express carrier pigeon.

Other than that, not much.

I'll say this to your face because I've said it behind your back and now that you're here, I'm going to say it to you.

Square in your eyeballs.

I firmly believe that star Two Point O new location will become a destination gym facility.

45:50

Not just in Tennessee.

In America.

I like the sound of that.

It definitely makes me feel good.

I'm speaking it into existence.

There you go.

I believe it will happen once once you finally get that shovel in the dirt, get the walls up.

There is no doubt in my mind with what you have the capability, capabilities to do within the fitness space.

46:10

I think it will be a destination facility.

Yeah, I mean, it goes back to the the uniqueness of how Elizabethan was.

All I had to do was be more unique than any other gym in the area.

When you start talking about on a nation scale, like when you're talking about a destination gym, you got to really start digging deep on ideas and you've got some fun ideas.

46:29

We're not going to get into them because I don't want to give any salts away, but you've got some cool things in the works for that facility.

Yeah, absolutely.

I I think it definitely has that potential.

For sure it will be it, it could be, it really could be.

I mean, there's a couple airports near.

I've set it behind your back, right?

46:46

But right here, right here on this day, two of your eyeballs.

I think it'll be a destination I.

Really hope you're right.

I I think it does have the potential and the the ideas and the things that it's that it's gonna have is gonna be that uniqueness on a nation scale.

Oh yeah, I think so.

47:02

I think so.

I'm excited.

I really AM.

I feel enjoyed our time today, yeah.

Not not only today, but I mean seriously we we introduced you as a client and I now consider you friend and I think, I hope, I hope you feel that same way.

Too.

But I tell people all the time, I talk to Jared more than I do anybody.

47:20

I really do.

I text him like, what, three or four times a week?

You guys keep that thread hot but.

That's important.

That's something that we that we really like want people to know is.

When we use the word partner, it's not a buzzword like that's.

That's really how we feel.

Because here's the thing, if your business grows and gets better, then we grow and get, as I say, in turn, we grow with it.

47:44

So, so, so by serving you well, by helping you reach your goals in some way, some small part, whatever, you're more apt to tell people like, hey, these guys are pretty good, you should, you should talk to them about your business.

And so it's a it's a very symbiotic relationship going back to high school science class, right.

48:04

Symbiosis, yeah, there you go.

Well that's just on the business side again on the personal side like the personal relationships are are far greater than but no we have we've enjoyed our time you know over the past couple of years getting to know you diving into the origin stories and and and growing with you business wise and on the personal level too.

48:20

So again, thank you for agreeing to come today.

Got a little green nugget?

Got a little green nugget?

I'm a green Nugget.

Just we'll just briefly whet their appetite, as it were.

Hit me.

There's a white ball, few sticks.

48:39

We got another thing.

Happening.

Are we talking about the greatest game ever played?

Oh 2.0.

Got another thing.

Got another thing coming.

Got another thing coming that's also a song?

Is it got another thing coming?

That's an 80s.

I'm familiar with it Hair metal, but I'm excited for that aspect as well.

48:58

Yes.

We will again.

We'll just bring you back on once that come back.

Once that kind of gets unveiled, so long as we're not cancelled by then, but.

Bingo.

Well, y'all, y'all.

Got to get out there and play with me sometime too.

I don't got to show that you.

Got to show that, that's.

Not going to happen.

Well, I will say this and and for Gwen, I'm, I'm sorry, but we did win our last Double S outing.

49:20

Captain's choice.

We wanted Captain's choice.

Wow.

We did, Yeah.

Well, this this could be interesting.

The underdogs.

We were certainly certainly the underdogs.

And I'll be honest with you, if we play tomorrow, we're probably losing.

Oh, we're horrible that day.

Somehow.

Another we we strung together a run on the back 9.

49:38

End up winning a run on the back 9.

We might have to get out there and do something high stakes like, I don't know, like lunch at City Market or something.

Yeah.

OK, I'm going.

To That's pretty high stakes that is high stakes.

Well actually after after Glenn's defeat he he did wager another match.

49:53

He said we we need to to wager here and he he also mentioned food.

So we have a white ball.

I'll bet food all day long.

New aspect, really excited about that.

We're not going to, we're not going to spill the beans.

We'll just complete your whistle.

Just be on the lookout for that.

From Preston.

It it's gonna be, it's gonna be fun.

50:11

It's gonna be it's gonna be a good time.

We we seriously mentioned the Star account.

How many times today?

A lot.

A lot.

But go check em out.

Go check em out.

Give em a visit.

I mean, seriously, come in by day, pass.

And then just get excited about when they're coming to Johnson City.

50:27

Because seriously, we've got so many people who tell us it's like, gosh, if they were just a little bit closer, yeah.

I would come.

I tell you what if if you hear this podcast and you you want to come in for free, are you about to do something?

Yeah.

Oh, shoot.

All you gotta do is sign a waiver and you get a day pass for free.

50:46

He's giving away a day pass on the podcast.

If you listen to this podcast and you hear me what I'm saying now come on in.

You can work out two days for free if you want to.

So we need we need a day pass code so that our listeners can give you that code so that you know they listen to the episode.

I think that's a great idea.

51:01

Let's make the code faith in frames free.

I love it.

All right, faith in frames free you're going to get.

A Try out the best gym in the tri-cities the world for two days.

And so here's the cool thing.

If you're in Johnson City, this is this is literally a wedding of the appetite.

51:18

Because you're no longer going to have to make that drive here for too long, right?

It's it's going to be in your backyard and it's going to be awesome.

I can't guarantee that you're gonna get shredded on that one singular day day pass, but I can.

Two days.

We got two days, two days.

But I can guarantee that the joy that you experience in that gym will want you to come back so that you do get shredded.

51:39

Yeah, absolutely.

So follow em.

I think it's at Star Fitness.

TN it is and I don't know your YouTube.

We'll we'll put the links in the below we'll link em.

TuneIn to this content that Preston's the mastermind behind.

He's constantly concepting these things.

51:56

Be sure to give us a A rating, good or bad.

Good or bad, like, and surprise, as your kid says.

Yeah, that's cool, Benjamin.

That would be a translation for subscribe like and surprise at the channel.

And.

With that one thing that I'll tell you all if you're out there watching and you're second guessing on video and photography, hiring somebody, I wouldn't recommend these guys enough.

52:19

They're awesome.

Like they said, we became good friends.

They have taken my business to another level.

So if you're sitting home and you're thinking, is this going to be worth it?

Take it from me, it's going to be worth it.

I On that note, we are officially changing the name to Emotional Creative Media cause Jared's definitely about to cry.

52:37

I'm not the crier, but I'm also getting a little watery here.

Guys, we're going to have to cut this thing.

Jared, give us the hard part.

Guys, we're just going to, we want, we really want to thank Preston for coming on little claps.

Thank you guys for listening.

Seriously, give his accounts a follow.

Give him a look.

And if you're in the area, you do have a chance to try it out for two days for free.

52:57

That wasn't planned.

But hey, it's great.

I think it's a good thing.

Try it.

I guarantee you'll like it.

So try before you buy.

I mean, it's how many other opportunities you get to do that in life.

Get in there and get shredded.

Bingo.

Got to work off the double cheese somehow.

And we do have Thanksgiving coming up.

53:13

Very true, very true.

Work off and have to.

Do like a A2 a day to get rid of all that.

That's a.

Good point.

That's a good point.

Thank you guys for being a part of faith frames.

Appreciate.

You be safe out there.

Be safe out there and.

Catch you in the next one.

Y'all have good have.

Good.

Thank you.