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?
When we first opened the gym, boundaries were not in place at all! Which contributed to a very minimal amount of work/life balance! Very aware that the lack of balance was all self inflicted, but not much balance nonetheless! Over time, especially in the last year with the birth of my 2nd child, I have been slowly creating some boundaries which has allowed my work/life balance to slowly get better! Still a work in progress!
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
We are a CrossFit gym! And most gyms are somewhere that you come in for an hour and then leave. No real sense of community, no real sense of feeling “at home.” Tyler and I have been incredibly diligent with how we’ve ran our business down to the coaches we hire to ensure that our gym feels like home to every person that walks in the gym. Most people don’t come in seeking a community, but find it when they get here. Definitely not an easy task – one that truly just takes time, effort and persistence. We’ve attended weddings, funerals, sent flowers, prepared meals, etc. all in efforts to show our members that they are more than a number.
I think we want our legacy simply to be that we care about our people. Some days are hard. Some humps we’ve had to overcome have been exceptionally challenging. But at the end of the day, we continue to show up because we have made friends and have members that care about us, our success, our life etc. The people we show up for make it worth while
Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Gosh, we don’t get inside the perimeter too much! Well, we would for sure hit up a daily workout at the gym! That is a no-brainer. Our favorite breakfast/brunch spot here in Marietta is “Good Kitchen + Market.” They have great farm-t0-table breakfast, lunch and dinner options! Plus it is a very “vibey” spot. We would definitely head into the city and probably spend some time at the beltline! The weather is very dependent upon what we’d do. We’re big fans of a steak dinner so we would absolutely peruse some good steak places for dinners throughout the week!
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would absolutely say mine and my husbands families! My family for my upbringing and then his family specifically over the last 5 years since the gym has been opened! There have been multiple nights where my in-laws have kept my kids so that Tyler and I could coach the evening classes or weekends where Tyler and I have needed to clean the gym that they have either kept the kids or even pitched in on the clean up crew!!
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