We had the good fortune of connecting with CJ Lovett and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi CJ, what role has risk played in your life or career?
This is an interesting question for me because I generally think of myself as loss averse. I don’t enjoy gambling because the pain of losing outweighs the joys of winning. Even in my career as a football player throughout life I recall loses hurting much more than wins felt good. So generally speaking, I am not a risk taker. Risky in my mind means unsuccessful eventually. When starting Game Ready Fitness I wasn’t concerned with the risk I was taking on. I was more concerned with the risk of not taking this risk of starting a business. In my mind it was more risky to continue down the path I was on of working my sales job and not really being passionate about it. It was more risky for me to wake up in 10 years and not be happy with the life I’ve built for myself and my family. It was more risky for me to set the example for my sons of staying stagnant and simply being content with where I was at.
So risk isn’t a big part of my life. I don’t make decisions through the lens of risk, only through opportunities to make positive impacts and seizing those opportunities.
Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Game Ready Fitness is a kids only business. We don’t work with adults and we care immensely about helping our local youth become the best they can be. We use fitness and athletic performance training as a language to communicate to kids and teens the importance of going through struggles to get to where you want to be. The importance of sticking to a plan, no matter the difficulty, because you believe in the plan and those who structured the plan, and coming out on the other side better for having done so. We are here to build the future leaders of our local community and hopefully some of the kids we influence will take the lessons they’ve learned within our four walls and become leaders globally as well as locally. We’re most proud of the impacts we see in the kids we’ve watched grow through their teen years and are starting into adulthood. We are proud of the people they’ve become and what they are going to do for the world.
We’ve gotten to where we are today by simply sticking to the plan of trying to influence our community at large. The easiest part of this journey has been the training itself. The hard part has been convincing adults to let us work with their kids. In a world that pushes sports specific training for kids, as if every kid will become a professional at their sport, its hard to convince parents and decision makers that general physical preparedness training is the key to kids reaching their athletic potential. If you create a better athlete, the coach of whatever sport the kid plays will have a much better canvas to create a beautiful painting on.
We’ve learned and continue to learn that innovation in our space doesn’t have to be fancy new machines or systems. We don’t have to make crazy promises of improved 40 yard dash times, or sell vertical jump training. We simply need to do the simple things well continually and that will set us apart. I don’t frequent fast food places often but I look at a brand like In-N-Out and see that they never offer new burgers or items, they never do commercials and they don’t compromise their quality. They do what they do and they do it well continually. Because of that, their lines are always around the corner and people are happy to wait in line for hours on end. If we can build a culture and reputation like In-N-Out where people know what they are going to get, and we give it to them consistently year over year, that is a brand and culture that I will stand behind on any occasion.
Game Ready Fitness is a place where our core values lead the way. We are always seeking improvement, we are always developing leaders, and we are always building quality relationships. If we never develop a professional athlete within our walls but we cultivate he next mayor, police chief, or business leader then so be it.
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love the Downtown Denver area for all that it offers. LoDo is in an incredible place from the local restaurants and breweries to of course a Friday night Rockies game. I don’t get down there as much anymore as husband, father, and business owner but I’m sure we could find something that we could enjoy. As a fitness buff, we’d definitely have to hit the Manitou Incline, Chautauqua Park for what it offers for hiking and beautiful views of our state, and for the same reasons we could go to the mountain resorts and ski or ride the gondola at Keystone to the top to look over beautiful Summit County.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’ve been lucky enough to have been influenced by a bunch of women who’ve pointed me towards success. Obviously my mother who allowed and encouraged me to question the way things are and envision a world where they are the way I’d ideally like them to be. My wife, who I met in high school and has always pushed me to be better and has held down the fort as I’ve pursued this entrepreneurial dream. My co-founder Mary who is the brains of the operation. There is no Game Ready Fitness without her. Johanne (Yo), the original owner of CrossFit MOB who allowed Game Ready Fitness. Yo was also a shining example of always being motivating and bringing your best no matter what the circumstances. These are all people who have been instrumental in me getting to where I am.
Website: gamereadyfit.com
Instagram: @gamereadyfit , @gamereadycj
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gamereadyfit/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL0-M6771AM8YtVED-tXd0g