Make 2017 The Year YOU Change For Good.
For as long as I can remember, the best advice I ever received from my parents was: "If you don't see a dream job out there for you, then create it." Little did I know, those solemn words spoken to me by my father would turn out to be some of the best and boldest advice I'd ever hang onto.
Skipping over the myriad of other great advice I got from them, I find myself reciting that sentence quite a bit these days as we continue to make progress here at VoyEdge RX.
With our team closing in on 10 people (yes, 10!) it's hard to believe just six months ago we were still searching for our logo and brand identity. All thanks to Tim, we made huge progress and began our site work just over 5 months ago.
With not knowing a sliver of how to make a website, I sought out on a mission to create a website for our team. Albeit, I'm still in the throngs of all of it, but I'd say we're making some damn good progress as a team and I'm super excited about what lies in store for us in 2017.
With everyone's hard work on creating itineraries and getting the word out, I wanted to share a story about how I changed last year. And if I'm being honest, it wasn't a self-made decision. It was something a close friend of mine (Cam Seher) brought out in me.
I look up to Cam a ton.
He's been extremely humble behind the scenes in terms of helping out with VoyEdge RX, but I owe him a great deal as he was the one who pushed me to the edge of my comfort zone.
Cam Seher is a CrossFit Coach at Commonwealth CrossFit in Somerville, MA and for my two years there, he constantly pushed me to the edge during workouts and gave me solid advice every time I saw him. Not only is he an incredible athlete himself, but has such wide, varying tales of hiking in Scotland, traversing the woods of Maine and even doing solo rucks in his offtime.
He's really an incredible dude and someone whom I look up to greatly.
The story I want to get into here is about how VoyEdge RX came to be. As most of our friends and family knew, Tony and I chatted about starting a 'Fitness travel company,' or 'CrossFit travel company' for a long time. We thought our experience working for an adventure travel company in Europe for several years and being current CrossFit athletes was enough, but it turned out we had our work cut out for us. We were stuck in the woods and had the resolve to get out, but certainly were going to need some help.
And that help came from our close friends, many of whom were at the box.
And it was about this time (December 2015) last year when I first told Cam Seher about our idea for this...he thought it was awesome, but would surely need to have enough firepower to break over the wall of just being a concept, to becoming a full-fledged company.
And considering we hadn't even taken the first step towards crafting this company, we needed feedback. Not to mention we wanted to do this with no outside funding, we knew it was going to be a wild ride.
No one ever said it was easy being an entrepreneur.
BUT, this is where the story just begins...after I shared my story with Cam S. in early 2016, he used it as a motivator for me during WOD's...he asked me about it before and after class. He took interest. He cared. He cared about everyone in class. He made it his mission to ensure each and every one of us at our box were working hard towards the things we wanted in life.
Cam Seher is an amazing motivator as well.
Little did I know, he pushed me towards my dreams.
I specifically remember him shouting at me in class during a WOD, 'WHAT ARE YOU WORKING FOR, CAM? WHAT DO YOU WANT IN LIFE? WHAT IS IT YOU ARE CHASING?!'
And during a 30 minute chipper, that's exactly what you need.
And from my experience in the middle of those workouts, you need to be focusing on the things that drive you. You focus on the WOD, one rep at a time and take nothing for granted. You don't drop the barbell, you don't drop the kettlebell...and like many instances in life, you just hang on and keep going. No matter what.
And in many ways, that's exactly what being an entrepreneur feels like. You're just hanging on in so many instances...whether it feels like you're lost in the woods, desert or elsewhere, it becomes so hard to measure the progress you actually make.
And in times of tough entrepreneurship, you need that external motivator. You need that close friend, you need someone you can count on. And whether that's a coach, a best friend, boyfriend, girlfriend or teacher, it's those close to you and around you that help you change for the better.
"The best car in the world can't get you there if you don't know where you want to go."
Now, with it being Christmas and all...I've been doing quite a bit of reflecting and that memory of Cam Seher screaming at me in the middle of a WOD was a defining moment for me...it was THE moment I decided to stop wasting time about chasing my dreams. It was THE moment I decided to start working on what would be VoyEdge RX THAT NIGHT.
So long story short, it was that early May day when I left Commonwealth Crossfit and called my best friend Tony to start working on (again) what would be VoyEdge RX.
Cam Seher pushed me (willingly) to the edge and I owe him everything for it. If it wasn't for him, I'd still be pussyfooting around, making the usual rounds to and from my 9-5 job everyday and doing all the regular bullshit that comes along with it (I actually love my day job) but VoyEdge RX is my dream.
And I aim to make it my life's work.
So, will you be bold enough to start chasing your dreams and aspirations in 2017? and if so, what are they? Is it to travel? Be in better shape? Spend more time with your family?
Comment down below and let us know what you're looking forward to most in 2017.
I'll hope to see you on our Iceland trip in the summer of 2017! Click the image for details.
See ya there...email me with questions, comments and concerns..
~ Cam King