Hear from our very own Spencer Smith, Owner & Head Coach at CrossFit Donelson, as he shares his inspiring journey from aspiring musician to passionate fitness entrepreneur. Recently featured in Nashville Voyager, Spencer opens up about the challenges, triumphs, and mission behind building a gym that feels like home.
Can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I found CrossFit in 2014, and fell in love with both the workouts and the atmosphere. I attended my CrossFit Level 1 Certificate Course a year later purely for self-improvement, but soon after that, the head coach at CrossFit Mt. Juliet asked me if I was interested in learning to coach. After 4 years of honing my skills there, gradually increasing my responsibilities, I decided it was time to start my own gym closer to the home my wife and I had recently bought.
So we opened CrossFit Donelson in July 2019, and have been focused on bringing fitness and health to our local community for the past 6 years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not! I think starting and/or owning a business is one of the hardest things anyone can do, but I know from personal experience that owning a CrossFit gym is a particularly difficult endeavor. Our biggest struggle has mostly been achieving the growth that we need. We’ve almost closed our doors on at least one occasion, but have managed to survive and grow, thanks in large part to our amazing mentors at Best Hour of Their Day, a CrossFit-specific business coaching company (even coaches need coaches, right?). We’re still facing struggles on a regular basis, but each day is an opportunity to learn, adapt, and improve.
What can you tell us about your brand?
For those who don’t already know, the CrossFit company is structured in an affiliate model, which is different from a franchise and allows for much more individual freedom in each business owner’s choices. Essentially, each CrossFit gym you go to will be unique, tailored to the needs of its staff and clients. We operate our business in the way we think is best, with minimal requirements from CrossFit HQ.
Specifically at CrossFit Donelson, our core values are community, integrity, patience, and virtuosity (excellence in all things). Our mission is to help our members improve every aspect of their lives through fitness, and we do that through the methodology of CrossFit and the expertise of our coaches. Although our sport often has a representation for being exclusive to young, competitive athletes, we challenge that misconception. Our focus is and will always be health, longevity, and consistency.
What aspect of your business are you most proud of?
We’ve worked hard to cultivate an encouraging and supportive atmosphere, and we share our victories and struggles with each other, both inside and outside the walls of the gym. I’m proud of this culture, and the family that has developed that among our members. For many of them, CrossFit Donelson is their second home, a refuge from the storms of life.
We offer one-on-one nutrition coaching and personal training, but we are most known for our hour-long fitness classes, during which groups of people will work hard, have fun, and learn to move better through expert guidance. Our coaches who lead these classes specialize in functional movement, customizing the daily workout for each individual to get the optimal results. They participate in continuing education both through our own development program and from experts outside our organization. I’m very proud of the effort they put into developing their coaching skills. It shows just how much they care.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I was very energetic and curious – I was one of the few kids who actually enjoyed school and studying! But I also liked both sports and video games. As far as I can remember, I’ve always been an extrovert, which is still true, because one of the best parts of coaching and operating the gym is getting to interact with many of my favorite people on a daily basis. Some of my clients think it’s funny how animated I am during early morning classes, even though I don’t typically consume caffeine.
I grew up in Athens, Georgia, with my parents and four older siblings. We’re still very close with each other, especially since our dad passed away 3 years ago. Thankfully, our mom is still here, and she’s always been the best mom I could ask for. I’m glad I have my parents example to follow when raising my own
I studied percussion in college, and I was an aspiring professional musician for several years, which is initially what brought me to Nashville. I found CrossFit around the same time that my music opportunities slowed down (and my wife was expecting our first child), so it seemed like the right opportunity to pursue my other passion by opening my own gym.
How can we learn more about your gym?
Go to our website and book a Free Consultation with myself or one of our coaches. We love meeting new people, and we’ll be happy to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have!
