I used to be a mechanical engineer - I helped make products that would keep you safe and allow you to do your best work.

For instance, I helped make a product that would guide Firefighters while on the job. It would help them navigate to safety in case something went wrong.

What would go wrong? In searching through a burning building, firefighters needed to move without being able to see (because of the smoke). But when they also lost their sense of direction because they lost their contact to the wall (while doing the "right hand search" procedure), they would become a helpless firefighter.

It was scary. And very dangerous.

But our product gave the fire chief an "eye in the sky" - where he could "see" where the firefighter was with a tracking system on an ipad. The fire chief could direct another firefighter to his location or help re-orient the stranded firefighter.

And that let the firefighters get back to the important work - saving lives.

And this is the kind of work I love. Helping others do the important work.

But doing the important work is tough when there are hurdles in your way. This could be your health or fitness.

It's tough to live your best life when you've thrown out your back or you're sucking wind chasing after your kids. Or worse - when your doctor puts you on medication to slow down your high blood pressure or seemingly inevitable weight gain.

And once you experience your health getting in your way, it can feel like you're being held hostage by a body that doesn't match up with your spirit. Like your brain and your spirit is still 30 years old but your body is tip toeing close to retirement age.

In 2013, I opened my own gym after coaching rowing teams for several years. I thought I knew it all (of course). I had a studio that had workouts, a system for losing weight, and accountability for clients - all 3 major things you need for long term success.

But then, in 2020, we were all stuck in our houses due to quarantine.

I had no gym to work out in. I had no free time. My stress was at an all time high. And everything felt out of my control - especially my own fitness.

Ironic - considering I was still running a gym (albeit all online).

That's when I knew I needed some guidance for myself. And I found some (Tyler W).

Here was a coach who could guide me remotely (through messaging and zoom chats). And help my build my own system of success with or without the gym.

And what was beautiful (and frankly, relieving) was he did not judge me for my eating habits. I was worried at the start that I would have to do some crazy dieting to get lean and fit. I would have to follow some bat-shit crazy eating plan to get my body to "respond" to the dieting and I would hate the entire process.

But when I got to work with Tyler, the approach was very similar to my experience with approaching an engineering project. In fact, years later, a quote popped up from Ted Lasso which encapsulated his approach:

"Be curious. Not judgmental."

Tyler made the process exciting. He showed up each week to review my numbers with curiosity. There was nuance to how my stress and activity and habits would affect my body composition. And he taught me a secret: he showed me how my diet and activity should auto-regulate as my body changed.

So, instead of having a "diet" to follow to lose weight, it was more of a "protocol" that would evolve as progress was made.

A few weeks went by and I got back into the gym. Clients saw my progress I had made over quarantine and started asking me questions. "How are you so lean and eating so much?" "What diet are you doing?" "Did you cut out carbs?" They could see that transforming your body was possible but couldn't believe it could be done without being at a gym.

And, frankly, I realized we had been emphasizing workouts so much at the gym, my clients were missing out on a more successful system.

So, I shared the tools Tyler had me use with my gym clients. Here was their "eye in the sky" that would help identify the obstacles getting in their way. Which helped them focus on the important work as well as build a body they were proud of.

And again: why is this important? Because no one wants to avoid picking up their kids because they might throw out their back. Or avoid going on a hike because their joints are killing them. Or hide behind baggy clothes because they're carrying too much extra weight.

When you're capable, you're confident. And that confidence spreads to everything you do.

And anyone can build this capability within themselves. Since the process evolves with you, the results come quick. And you're not stuck eating super low calories or believing there are "bad" foods for you.

The crazy thing about this system: I sold the gym towards the end of 2020 and this system is what I use exclusively with my clients. I've seen clients in their 60s lose more than 30 lbs. I've seen IT managers who sit 90% of the day drop 10% body fat. The system continues to serve and evolve with clients, no matter the starting point or the starting age.

When I'm not analyzing clients data, you can find me exercising myself (I've decided to train for a marathon this year) as well as coach my son's baseball team. I also love video games.

So, what started with a low point in my fitness journey has now continued to serve people who want help with their own health. The lessons learned working with so many people are being splintered off into little workshops that I hope people can take advantage of if they don't yet want to work with me as a personal coach. So, whether it's a blog post, a workshop, or signing up for some coaching from me, I invite you to get started with your own transformation.

-Coach Mark