An M/M LAB Origin Story

Last night, I sent an e-mail to the M/M LAB newsletter list to share the origin story of our experience.  Here’s an expanded version:

Every weekend, in every city, there’s an education event for fitness professionals.  They’re everywhere, so it might seem a little bit odd that MFF is adding to an already saturated market.  You might be thinking, ‘What exactly are they doing it for?’  That was one of the big questions that arose when we began chatting about our first foray into trainer education.  Let me share with you some of the WHY behind our Motivation and Movement LAB:

My first interaction with anyone from MFF was at the 2013 Perform Better Summit in Providence.  Mark was sitting behind me during Thomas Plummer’s business talk, and when Thom suggested we make friends, I turned around and said something along the lines of, “Hey guys,  I just saw one of your videos on the internet.  Neat!”  Mark was with our two of our managers, Brian Patrick Murphy and Kyle Langworthy, and my initial reaction was that these guys were nuts.  I vividly remember a conversation after a session when I asked Kyle, “Hey, what did you think of that talk?”

“I’m not sure I agree with him,” Kyle responded.  I thought to myself, “Wait, that’s the expert.  How can you not agree?”  When I asked Kyle what he’d do instead, he rattled off at least ten strategies they were already using at MFF.  In that moment, I thought to myself, “Wow, I have to join this team.”

It was a pivotal moment for me, as I realized that every system, strategy, or solution is only as good as how you use it.  Today I can confirm that we’re all indeed insane.  At MFF I share class writing responsibilities, write programs, in now manage program design in addition to coaching all of my babies.  It’s an absolutely phenomenal way to workshop and hone my skills.

Last year I found myself mentoring a friend who was new to the fitness industry, and I recalled that conversation with Kyle.  My friend was lamenting that sometimes you learn so many new things at a conference or clinic that it becomes paralyzing. Those ideas rarely turn into action.

The MFF team has always had a voracious appetite for learning, as well as the above cookies and ice cream.  We benefit from our ability to workshop ideas, to take what we’ve learned and actually try it during our training. We experiment, we try new strategies, and we never stop whittling away at what works. That is, until we find something else we think can work better, and then we improve upon that.  This is the crux of where the M/M LAB comes from.

Frustrated with the lack of action after fitness conferences, we began with a simple, straightforward strategy: Every idea must be actionable.  To do that, it had to be a different type of education event.  Inspired by our own joy of events like TED Talks, The Fitness Summit, and Perform Better’s events, we sought out a way to maximize the usefulness of information.  Can we harness our powers together to create something better?

At M/M LAB we thrive on the idea that a community working together can adapt proven methods to be successful in any setting. Perhaps you’re working on the floor at your local big-box gym.  Maybe you’ve left that gym and are developing a boutique fitness niche.  It’s possible that you’ve found your niche, and you’re pushing the boundaries of the fitness business.  Hell, maybe you’re doing all of that at the same time!  Show of hands if you’re doing one or more of those things:

I’m not sure what your team is like, but I love having everyone in the field of fitness on my team.  I love sharing new ideas, refreshing old ones, and embracing the passion to live the art of honing our craft.  If you’re in the field of fitness, I want you on my team.  I want us to get better, together.

Early-bird registration for our second M/M LAB, on February 20th and 21st, ends on Wednesday, 1/19 at midnight.  That’s just over 30 hours to reserve your spot. We have an absolutely great faculty prepared, and we want to have a conversation about how we can become better, both as fitness professionals and as people.  You’re ready for it. Join us.