Reflections on Growth, Leadership, and What Comes Next at Empower

Last weekend, the Empower coaching team gathered for our quarterly coaches’ training.

On paper, these meetings are about programming, coaching standards, safety, new initiatives, and planning for the months ahead. But this one hit differently for me.

Partly because I was sick.

There’s something strange about sitting on the sidelines of a business you spent years holding together with duct tape, caffeine, and stubbornness. In the early days of Empower, Leon and I handled virtually everything ourselves. Coaching. Cleaning. Programming. Sales. Admin. Events. Equipment repairs. Social media. You name it.

Back then, if one of us was missing, the cracks showed immediately.

This time, I walked into a room full of coaches who simply took ownership.

Two of our newer coaches led the opening workout for the rest of the staff, receiving feedback and support from senior coaches afterward. Our Head Coach organized the agenda and smoothly ran the day from start to finish. Discussions were thoughtful, constructive, and coach-led. People challenged ideas respectfully, shared experiences openly, and focused on how to better serve members.

At one point, I realized something that honestly meant a lot to me:

The entire event was running well without needing me at the center of it.

That’s not a small thing.

A lot of gyms never build this kind of depth. Team training often becomes rushed, inconsistent, or purely operational. But great coaching communities are not built accidentally. They’re built through time, trust, accountability, and people who genuinely care about improving their craft.

What impressed me most wasn’t just competence. It was culture.

Our coaches care about helping newer members scale appropriately instead of treating workouts like a “choose your own adventure.” They care about safety details most people never notice. They care about giving better cues, better warm-ups, better experiences, and better support to the person walking through the door for the first time.

It also made me reflect on how much Empower has matured over the years. Not just in size, but in leadership depth, coaching expertise, and the willingness of people here to support each other and keep evolving.

That spirit also showed up in the ideas we’re bringing into the summer.

CrossFit Affiliate Programming

In June, we’ll officially transition to CrossFit Affiliate Programming (CAP), which gives our coaches stronger tools for delivering effective one-hour classes with clearer intended stimulus, warm-ups, coaching notes, and scaling guidance. We’re also testing a new Wednesday evening Open Gym for members who still want additional training flexibility.

HYROX Training Club

We’re excited to officially become a HYROX Training Club, with HYROX classes already launched! 5-class and 10-class passes are available on our website. We also have a community HYROX simulation event planned for Q3. Several of our coaches have already achieved HYROX certification.

Original Strength Classes

Coach HeeHee will also begin offering Original Strength classes after recently renewing her certification. It’s another example of coaches bringing their own passions and expertise back into the community. Month-to-month Original Strength passes are available here.

Quadruple Crown Challenge

And of course, we’ve got the Rowing Regatta kicking off June along with the launch of Empower’s “Quadruple Crown” challenge for members participating across all four major annual events.

But honestly, the most important thing from the weekend wasn’t a new program.

It was seeing a room full of coaches investing in each other.

That’s the part that lasts.

That’s the foundation everything else is built on.