WeWorks in NYC are strange places.
There are a disproportionate amount of good looking people and none of them actually seem to be getting any work done.
Kyle and I decided to sign up for a WeWork all access plan early in the pandemic when we figured that if we ever wanted to expand outside of our single basement location we probably needed to actually get out of the basement sometimes.
Not only were the denizens of the office-sharing space stylish and attractive, they were also relatively standoffish. For all the networking possibilities that are sold as part of WeWork’s appeal, no one really ever spoke to each other.
So no one was as surprised as I was when, one day as I sipped on my free Elderberry Kombucha on tap, two emo kids excitedly approached me.
These were not typical WeWorkers. Their hair was dyed multiple colors, they had more facial piercings than I could count and their clothes were way more St. Mark’s Place than Madison Avenue.
“Hey, you’re from The Fort,” they exclaimed as my hoodie gave me away.
“Hi, yes,” I replied, somewhat startled that people were actually talking to me.
“Yeah, we talked to…..what’s his name again…..Kyle!” she exclaimed excitedly at having recalled his name.
“We’re coming by the gym later to check it out!”
My inside voice was saying, “Really?!?!” as these didn’t seem like people who would typically be excited to lift weights and nearly end their life on a fan bike.
But, luckily, my outside voice managed to introduce myself as Kyle’s business partner and finish with a, “Great! I’ll see you there later,” as they scurried off.
I didn’t think much of it until Kyle rolled in about 45 minutes later.
I’ll save you the entire interaction but Kyle explained to me that they were street charity sales kids.
If you live or work in NYC, you absolutely know who these people are. They hang out on street corners and try to get your attention by striking up a conversation and then immediately pivot to how you are a terrible person if you don’t donate money to save animals or help disabled children or contribute to a war relief effort.
Essentially, they are the in-person version of Sarah McLachlan singing “In The Arms Of the Angels” while you watch video of malnourished, caged dogs on late night television begging you to take out your credit card and donate a mere $1.19 per day to feed and care for these animals.
This is one of the things I love about Kyle. He was looking for a new, creative way to market and drive up awareness for the gym. These kids were boots-the-ground. They knew how to sell. They would work strictly off commission.
Far be it for me to jump to the end of the story too quickly, but we never did it. It was a bad idea. These kids couldn’t really speak well to training and while they were really friendly they also weren’t exactly going to appeal to our target demographic. And, quite honestly, we weren’t going to get the type of members we wanted by soliciting random citizens of New York as they tried to dodge annoying punk rock kids on the walk between Starbucks and their office.
But that’s not the point.
What I love about this story is that it beautifully illustrates how you need to be creative and think in new ways when it comes to your pursuits while also knowing that most of those ideas will not pan out.
And while this is true in business I think it’s equally true of training.
People have been running and lifting weights and swimming and rowing and nearly any other modality you can name for quite a long time. And not only have these things been observed practically, thousands upon thousands of studies also exist looking at the components of how to pursue those activities most effectively.
The chances that one of us would stumble upon a new technique or protocol or exercise that is superior to what already exists is a long shot.
And that is why you are best served by sticking to the tried-and-true movements and protocols that have proven to be effective.
It's the reason most gyms use paid ads or six week challenges rather than hiring sales people to roam the streets of the City. It's proven to work.
But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t give yourself any wiggle room to be creative. Because that is where you will find out what variation works for you or what movement isn’t great for your aching hip and, even though it’s unlikely, come up with something brand new that can move the industry forward.
I find that most people - and personal trainers are particularly susceptible to this - spend too much time trying to reinvent the wheel. In an effort to either feel special or differentiate themselves from the crowd they utilize unproven methodologies that, in my experience, tend to be more injurious and less effective.
Do not fall into the trap. For sure doing the same things that everyone has been doing for decades is not sexy. It doesn’t make for great dinner conversation. But it does lead to the most effective and efficient hours in the gym.
My golden rule for gym creativity is this: 95% of the time, do what has proven to work for you and for others, 5% of the time be creative and come up with new stuff. Maybe something will stick. And if it does, please share it with me!
As for me, I tried the WeWork experiment for about a year and a half. I spent my mornings there sipping free coffee, writing programs, creating these heart-warming blogs that hit your inbox every week, making sales calls and having staff meetings.
I gave it a real try.
And I also learned it doesn’t work for me.
Just like I’d been doing for years, I realized I needed to be in the gym. To be among the clients and trainers and the weights.
For sure there are things about the WeWork that were really convenient. It was great not having to yell over the gym music on sales calls or to have the ability to sit and meditate on a couch for 20 minutes between writing programs.
But those conveniences did not outweigh the feeling and energy and camaraderie I find in the gym.
You can put a meathead in the middle of an office filled with New York’s handsomest and best dressed. But he’s still a meathead.