Meet Callie Cooke | CrossFit 11:24 Gym Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Callie Cooke and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Callie, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
I think my mentality behind work life balance has changed! I used to think that I had to “play” as hard as I worked, and now that I am the business owner, that has changed. I have changed my thinking to really focus on the smaller things that give me balance! Such as: an hour to myself, or having an afternoon to do things rather than needing an entire weekend to get R&R. The little moments such as a bath, or having an hour with my husband has really become more special than I ever thought!What should our readers know about your business?
My husband and I own CrossFit 11:24 in Marietta, GA. We’ve been in business for a little over 2 years and it has definitely been a bumpy but wonderful ride! I was so proud of our growth prior to COVID19 happening. COVID hit us, just like all other gyms, very hard but we’ve done a great job at getting close to where we were prior to COVID. Getting to our membership count prior to COVID was actually moderately easy for us, but its been a HUGE challenge to get back to where we are since COVID has happened. We are now actually having to tap into various efforts of marketing to grow the business even more. So, I don’t have an answer for how we’ve overcome the challenges. But, I will say that our members that have stuck with me have been the biggest blessing because we would not have made it through COVID (or still making it through COVID) without them! They are the entire reason that we’re still here. What makes us difference is how we invest in our people. We are professionals in our career. Most people don’t think of gym ownership as a professional environment and we’ve done our best to defy those stereotypes in everything we do! We know our members names, we know about various aspects of their life, we care about who they are in and outside of the gym and that matters! It matters to us and it absolutely matters to them and makes a huge difference! I want people to know that we care. I want people to know that we have your best interest at heart no matter what. I want people to know that once you walk through our doors, you are considered family!If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh goodness!! I am going to sound extremely touristy because I am not an Atlanta native and thus I don’t know the cool ins and outs of the city! I would say we obviously visit the Beltline for all of the trendy eating and shopping! I would also suggest a baseball game at Truist Park to see the Atlanta Braves play! I would absolutely say that we’d be taking a Saturday morning class at CrossFit 11:24 to get our workout on! Every Saturday is a partner workout, so that would be just perfect! Last, I would visit Passion City Church on Sunday morning to round out a fantastic weekend!The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I dedicate almost all of my coaching expertise to a mentor I had named Johnny Bouchard from CrossFit Decatur and the owner of CrossFit Decatur, Eric Willis, for my business expertise in regards to the gym! Obviously my family was a huge part of my upbringing and instilling the characteristics in me that have aided in my success! My husband, Tyler, has been the biggest supporter and mentor throughout the 2 years we’ve been in business!

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