Amanda
I grew up in a small, rural town in Michigan. My mom raised my brother & I on her own. I guess 'on her own' is not totally true. Although we did not have a father-figure, we had the added support of wonderful aunts & uncles, who have always had an influence on me. My mother is an amazing inspiration & really motivates me to follow all of my dreams.
I graduated high school with 48 people (that is not a type-o). I then attended Grand Valley State University. There I earned my degree in Advertising/Public Relations and minored in Business. When I was 22, I got a job as a mortgage broker. Little did I know that the short time I was in the mortgage business would have such a huge impact on the rest of my life...
I graduated high school with 48 people (that is not a type-o). I then attended Grand Valley State University. There I earned my degree in Advertising/Public Relations and minored in Business. When I was 22, I got a job as a mortgage broker. Little did I know that the short time I was in the mortgage business would have such a huge impact on the rest of my life...
John
My story is a little longer and slightly more complicated.
It was the Great Depression and our last head of cattle had just died when I was born. Wait; wrong story. My journey starts in Colombia (South America). After a few short years there, we did what many were doing at the time; we moved to the USA in search of the American Dream (and boy did I find it. But be patient; more about that later).
I was raised by an incredible mother and father in the beautiful borough of Skokie, IL. Not sure what it's like today but in the 80's, it was a great place to be a kid. I have a brother that I now love and respect, but throughout most of our childhood we were pretty much enemy combatants.
High School was an awesome experience. I got great grades, was heavily involved in sports and I had some pretty cool friends. I don't remember exactly how it happened but right around the middle of my senior year, I was convinced into enlisting in the Marine Corps (reserve unit). It's a decision I will never regret but that decision is what I believe sent my life into a whirlwind. Fast forward a few different universities, a bunch of different jobs in many different locations and as the man behind the dancing bears would say, "What a long strange trip it's been" (Jerry Garcia in case you were wondering who I was referring to).
That long strange trip landed me in a mortgage company in Livonia, MI. And at a point in my life, when I was absolutely 'NOT LOOKING'... Hurley girl walks in.
It was the Great Depression and our last head of cattle had just died when I was born. Wait; wrong story. My journey starts in Colombia (South America). After a few short years there, we did what many were doing at the time; we moved to the USA in search of the American Dream (and boy did I find it. But be patient; more about that later).
I was raised by an incredible mother and father in the beautiful borough of Skokie, IL. Not sure what it's like today but in the 80's, it was a great place to be a kid. I have a brother that I now love and respect, but throughout most of our childhood we were pretty much enemy combatants.
High School was an awesome experience. I got great grades, was heavily involved in sports and I had some pretty cool friends. I don't remember exactly how it happened but right around the middle of my senior year, I was convinced into enlisting in the Marine Corps (reserve unit). It's a decision I will never regret but that decision is what I believe sent my life into a whirlwind. Fast forward a few different universities, a bunch of different jobs in many different locations and as the man behind the dancing bears would say, "What a long strange trip it's been" (Jerry Garcia in case you were wondering who I was referring to).
That long strange trip landed me in a mortgage company in Livonia, MI. And at a point in my life, when I was absolutely 'NOT LOOKING'... Hurley girl walks in.
Boy Meets Girl
John and I met while working for the same mortgage company. After about 8 month of friendship, we decided to become a couple. At that point, we knew right away that we would spend the rest of our lives together. After all, in the 8 months that we were friends, we didn’t have any reason to hide anything. Because of that, we were fully aware of our pasts and quirky characteristics. Our genuine friendship and respect for each other transitioned into a loving relationship and we got married in 2009.
Who's The Boss?
Shortly after we met, both John and I left the mortgage world (just before the housing market crashed). In 2006, I started an internet business selling used books, cds, DVDs etc. This wasn't in my 'life plan', but I got to work from home, I was pretty good at it and it was kind of fun.
John was a personal banker for Chase and then worked for Merrill Lynch as an investment adviser. When he wasn't working at his "real job", he would help out with the internet business.
We started to do very well with our online venture, and in 2008, John was able to leave Merrill and we were officially full-time business partners. We have been working together on multiple businesses ever since. However, that "little book business" is still our main gig...sort of. We expanded our inventory to include many different types of items and it has transformed into online retail. If we had to define what we do now, I would say we are "Intrepreneurs" (internet + entrepreneurs).
We often get asked, "How can you work with your spouse everyday?". Well, our partnership works for many reasons. We are pretty much polar opposites. We have different likes/dislikes and we see the world very differently. This helps us to make balanced decisions. Not that coming to those decisions are free from a little heated debate; which is probably a good thing. But I think one of the biggest factors in having a successful marriage, friendship and business relationship is that we have the utmost respect for each other. And, in the end, we always come together to have the same vision.
It really is a blast and we wouldn't have it any other way.
John was a personal banker for Chase and then worked for Merrill Lynch as an investment adviser. When he wasn't working at his "real job", he would help out with the internet business.
We started to do very well with our online venture, and in 2008, John was able to leave Merrill and we were officially full-time business partners. We have been working together on multiple businesses ever since. However, that "little book business" is still our main gig...sort of. We expanded our inventory to include many different types of items and it has transformed into online retail. If we had to define what we do now, I would say we are "Intrepreneurs" (internet + entrepreneurs).
We often get asked, "How can you work with your spouse everyday?". Well, our partnership works for many reasons. We are pretty much polar opposites. We have different likes/dislikes and we see the world very differently. This helps us to make balanced decisions. Not that coming to those decisions are free from a little heated debate; which is probably a good thing. But I think one of the biggest factors in having a successful marriage, friendship and business relationship is that we have the utmost respect for each other. And, in the end, we always come together to have the same vision.
It really is a blast and we wouldn't have it any other way.
The Breaking Point
When John and I first met, he was about 60 pounds heavier than he is now and he was very out of shape. One day while shopping for clothes, he looked extremely unhappy and expressed how dissatisfied he was with himself. It was at that moment I vowed to him he would never feel like this again. I saw the pain in his eyes, and I knew exactly how he felt. That was such a pivotal moment in our lives and we both remember it vividly to this day.
| I had struggled with my weight since I was a teenager. Though I wasn’t totally unhappy with where I was physically, I definitely needed an overhaul in the health/fitness area of my life too. So, in 2007, we decided to follow the “Body for Life” program. This is a 12 week program that is designed to help you lose weight through exercise and nutrition (as it should be). We both had great results, and that sparked our passion for health and fitness. |   |
Since then, we have done many different types of fitness training and competitions: Cross-fit, bootcamp, kettlebell sport, long distance running (marathons & ultra-marathons), obstacle course races, power lifting, etc.
In 2008, I made it official and obtained my NASM certification in personal training. I never took on any clients so I let that lapse. In early 2013, after over a solid year of training and competing with kettlebells, we both got certified by IKFF. We earned our CKT 1 (certified kettlebell trainer). This is an awesome sport that we have both fallen in love with and we are excited to coach people for competitions, strength, endurance and better health.
We also want to provide general fitness coaching. This time around I went with an NCCPT personal training certification. John is in the process of obtaining his certification as well. In the next few months, I plan on completing my nutrition cert.
We also want to provide general fitness coaching. This time around I went with an NCCPT personal training certification. John is in the process of obtaining his certification as well. In the next few months, I plan on completing my nutrition cert.
Our Dream Becomes A Reality
If anyone knows us, or is friends with us on facebook, it is pretty obvious that we love health and fitness. We love learning about it. We love sharing our experiences and trying to help people change their lives for the better. We feel that your health must be a top priority in life. If you want to thrive in any other area in your life, you must have a healthy foundation. Don’t get us wrong, you don’t have to be obsessed like we are, but we do feel it deserves daily effort.
With that said, we are going to work hard to bring you the most efficient ways of training, quality information on nutrition, tools that you can use to start or continue your healthy journey, other reputable resources, inspiration, motivation and humor.
I think the biggest thing we would like people to understand is that this is a journey. Not just for us as the creators of Min/Max Training (whatever that may evolve into) but for everyone. If you are taking steps (no matter how big or small) to improve your health, that is all that matters.
Feel free to reach out to us. We believe this is our purpose and we are happy to help!
Send e-mail.
With that said, we are going to work hard to bring you the most efficient ways of training, quality information on nutrition, tools that you can use to start or continue your healthy journey, other reputable resources, inspiration, motivation and humor.
I think the biggest thing we would like people to understand is that this is a journey. Not just for us as the creators of Min/Max Training (whatever that may evolve into) but for everyone. If you are taking steps (no matter how big or small) to improve your health, that is all that matters.
Feel free to reach out to us. We believe this is our purpose and we are happy to help!
Send e-mail.
Min/Max Training Center
In April 2013, we moved into our 'dream house'. Our internet business had outgrown our old home and we either needed a mini warehouse, or a LARGE garage to process inventory. We like the convenience of working from home, so we decided to make the leap and buy a new house. The garage is plenty big enough for our current business and future growth.
One of the other requirements when we were searching for a house was that it had an unfinished basement with high ceilings. When we first toured the home, I knew right away that this was the one. We have only been here a few months, but we couldn't wait to create our own gym. The pic below is our Min/Max Training Center.
One of the other requirements when we were searching for a house was that it had an unfinished basement with high ceilings. When we first toured the home, I knew right away that this was the one. We have only been here a few months, but we couldn't wait to create our own gym. The pic below is our Min/Max Training Center.
PS: We Love Our "Kids"
Bella is our rescue pup. She is a 7yr old Lab/Shepherd mix. Dexter is our 2yr old American Bull Dog. They are crazy and a ton of fun!
Prior to moving, we were heavily involved with a local dog rescue. We plan to find a new rescue in our area to donate our time and efforts.
Prior to moving, we were heavily involved with a local dog rescue. We plan to find a new rescue in our area to donate our time and efforts.
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