This time of year is always a very reflective one for me, as we’re about to roll into my birthday month of August (#leosrepresent).
Two years ago around this time I was going through a terrible “business divorce” and selling my shares of the gym I co-founded, EAV Barbell Club.
As I left that gym behind, fortunately I maintained good relationships with some awesome clients from the club. And two years later I am grateful to still be working with David, Sway, Jenna and Stephanie.
While the experience was bittersweet, it helped me discover that I enjoy coaching & programming about a jillion times more than I enjoy owning a brick & mortar facility and managing a facility.
Over the past two years, I’ve built up my personal training and powerlifting clientele to 20 clients. In the next two months, I will have 25 clients and close my roster for a bit, as I make sure I’m giving my clients the best coaching possible, and determine whether I have the time/capacity/desire to accept more clients.
Team Lis Smash is also celebrating several milestones over the next few months:
OUR FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEET: Next Saturday, July 28th, I will be coaching/handling David Holland and Reed Gilbert at the LGBT International Powerlifting Championships in London.
For the first time I will be coaching at an international meet.
This is also the first powerlifting meet ever to offer 3 gender categories – Male, Female and Mx. The Mx category is open to transgender, non binary and intersex athletes, who don’t always have an opportunity to compete in sports.
David & Reed are representing the United States at this meet, and representing the Fantastic Beasts, Atlanta’s LGBT+ Powerlifting Club.
Check out David hitting his last heavy squats before the meet:
2) OUR FIRST ASSISTANT COACH: While I’m in Europe, Smash athlete Susan DePasquale is competing at the USPA North American Championships on August 4th.
Conswella “Sway” Bennett will be handling Susan at the meet, and she’ll also be helping to handle lifters at Powerlifting for Pups on September 15th.
Susan will be competing for the first time as an M3 Masters lifter and will likely set all of the state records for her division.
Here’s Susan setting a new personal record in the squat:
3) OUR FIRST INTERN: It’s time to get fancy!
When I named Team Lis Smash, I was in the process of entering a team in the 2016 USAPL Powerlifting for Pink event and I wanted my new team listed on the roster. So in a rush, I registered my team with USA Powerlifting and decided on the name Team Lis Smash…
I mean, sure, I was just one person running the business at the time, but I also had athletes who are part of the team, and eventually I’ll have an actual staff to help me with events, meet day handling, the blog, apparel and more.
That’s right. We’re getting fancy AF.
Thanks to all the athletes, friends and supporters who have been a part of this journey.
I am so grateful to be where I am today, and I love my community.
Xoxo
Lis Smash
