Stephanie Meekhof | Manager at Omni Fight Club Johns Creek and Owner of Steph Unites

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

Hi Stephanie, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from a very small town in Michigan, called McBain. I always describe it as having more cows than people. My upbringing made me who I am today, I buried myself in Church and sports, and am thankful that I did. I was able to meet tons of people from different places and travel to less fortunate areas of the US. This allowed me to learn about people not like me, I credit my my youth leaders and church with a lot of who I am today.

Someone that taught me to accept everyone for who they are not what they came from is my Grandpa Ruvert. No matter who you were he would legitimately give you the shirt off his back and the last dollar in his wallet if her felt that you truly needed it. Every Saturday from the time that I can remember he would drive the two miles to my house and pick me up to head to the local restaurant, he would get coffee and a molasses cookie, I would get hot chocolate/chocolate milk and a chocolate chip cookie; do you see a pattern there? Ha. I went and hung out with all the old farmers while they talked business, cows, family and God. I loved this so much. I taught me how to communicate with adults at a very young age and allowed me to mature a bit faster than many of the kids my age.

I credit a lot of who I am to spending time with my grandpa and seeing how he treated everyone around him. I never once heard him talk ill about someone, he always forgave no matter what the person did, he loved like none other and made sure you knew how much he loved you.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
First, nothing is easy about business and if you think it is I need to talk to you and get some tips and tricks. With that said, business is so rewarding and when you do well and succeed it makes all the bad worth it. I still have down days/weeks that I question if I am doing the right thing and then I hear a story from a member or customer that makes me realize that I am 100% where I need to be and can not wait to see where I am in 5 years.

The people that I have been able to impact with my story is unbelievable, it truly makes me go every single day. I never realize how many people are “watching”, until I post/say something that resonates with them and they reach out. It means the world to me when I can help impact someone like Wes has me.

I am where I am today in my business because of my support system and those that believe in me, even those that don’t. I grind every single day to not disappoint them, when I reach a goal of a bonus or a promotion in my active wear business, that is not just for me, that is for every single person that has supported me along my journey. When a client reaches a goal that they had set and I see how happy they are, that is the best day ever. Those are the things that make me push even harder everyday.

I want people to know that I work every single day to be the best me I can be, I can not compare myself to anyone else but the person I was yesterday. Comparison is the thief of joy, if you try to compete with someone else, you lose site of what your goals and ambitions are. I want people to look at my story, know that they can do it too. You can be the person everyone tried to tell you couldn’t, the person you didn’t know you needed to be, and when you look back 5 years ago you can be proud.

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?
I don’t know if it is the most interesting places or people, but I love these places and want my friends to experience the things that I love. We would go to the gym every day because that is my life line, I love my gym and everyone that attends. We would go to my favorite Donut shop in Roswell, Delightful Donuts after our workout of course. Things I like to do for fun are going to Trivia at Slow Pour Brewery in Lawrenceville, I don’t drink, but the atmosphere is awesome, second I throw axes in an axe league at Bury the Hatchet Atl in Sandy Springs. We would for sure have to go and teach them how to throw axes, a trip to the aquarium is always needed because it is just so beautiful, I truly have not been anywhere like it. Since we would be downtown we would have to visit Centennial Olympic Park and Piedmont Park before heading to a game, whatever is in season at the time, hopefully baseball because that means it is spring/summer and it will be warm out. On the weekend we would head to Duluth where we would go tubing down the Chattahoochee. This is my favorite thing to do in the summer to relax and unplug for the day!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would not be where I am today if it were not for my friend and boss Wes Gresham. He believed in me when even I didn’t. When I was offered the position to manage Omni Fight Club, I had no experience in the gym industry at all. I was a nanny and had been for the last 10 years, I was in a hard fought health journey after losing 50 lbs and just had a love for boxing and people. He saw how I interacted with the members and the love I had for fitness and helping others, with that he had faith that I would be able to fulfill the position and do it well. I truly could never thank him enough for pushing me professionally and personally to be the best me I can be.

Website: www.myzyia.com/stephmeek and www.johns-creek.omnifightclub.com

Instagram: smeekhof

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/stephunites

Image Credits
Tire Flip Photo: Action Figure Training Photography Group and individual Photos: Photography Theoria These are images that were taken for my team and at an event.