Strongtown Talks

And we’re back - with the summer coming up we have a bunch of gym events on deck. In this episode, Mikey and I sit down to catch up on what’s currently planned as well as chat about a couple of events that haven’t been set yet that we’re looking to try and do. We squeezed in the recording in between classes so it’s a bit of a shorter episode for us. I hope you all enjoy. Episode Links: Flander's Field & Forest 5k Registration Strongtown Golf Outing Summer Swim WOD Best goggles for Swim WOD

And we’re back - this week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Heidi Ball + Heather Dever. Heidi and Heather both volunteer their time to help the Flander’s Nature Center. They are involved in the organizing and planning the Flander’s Field + Forest 5k which is happening Friday, June 3rd. This is a race that we have participated in and sponsored every year since its inception in 2015 and we’re looking forward to another successful year. The race is not your average 5k and it’s one of two fundraisers that Flander’s puts on each year. All of the proceeds will benefit the Flanders Nature center & Land Trust. It’s a family-friendly event and after the race, there’s live music, food trucks, and it’s just a great time all around. I need to thank Heidi and Heather for being willing to sit down and talk about things and hope you all enjoy. Before we get into the show I just wanted to highlight the event sponsors that help make this race happen. Starting with the Ultra-Marathon level sponsors we have Ion Bank, and Showcase Realty, Inc. Moving to the Marathon level we have Michael Friedman Orthodontics. Next up at the Half Marathon level, we have my personal favorite - Strongtown Fitness, as well as Aquarion Water Company, the Law Offices of Dana D’Angelo LLC, Homes by Heather, Moore O’Brien & Fonti Law Firm, Rich & John’s Complete Chimney Service, and Woodbury Fitness on Main. Moving to the 10k level we have Connecticut Home Navigator, Gager, Bower & Scalzo LLP, Kenneth Lynch & Sons Inc., Manzi Insurance & Real Estate, Senich Law Firm LLC, Stone Veterinary Hospital, Dr. Gary Westerman, and Woodbury Brewing Company. Finally at the 5k level we have Ken’s Hardware Inc., the Savings Bank of Danbury, and the Southbury Printing Centre. Thank you all. https://flandersnaturecenter.org/5k/

And we’re back - we’ve had a few episodes that were recorded towards the end of last year and this week’s episode is one that was originally recorded around the new year’s Holiday. This episode is a sit-down conversation with Dr. Hayden-William Courtland. We have had the pleasure of knowing Hayden since sometime around 2015. He’s from New York City and has family in the Southbury area so he’s been a regular visitor throughout the years. He has a plethora of coaching certifications and academic credentials which I do my best to list off while trying to introduce him on the show and feel like I still fell short. He is a certified Starting Strength Coach, has achieved his CrossFit L-3 certification and he has recently stepped into the world of gym ownership and is the new owner of Solace New York, also known as CrossFit Solace. I have to thank him for taking the time to talk with me and hope you all enjoy. @dr.courtland @scienceforfitness @solacenewyork

And we’re back - this week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with our Coach Kelly who recently completed her Precision Nutrition certification. Kelly is my sister-in-law and Mikey’s wife so it’s safe to say she has been a part of the Strongtown community since the beginning - if you’re interested in hearing more about what brought her and Mikey together they were originally featured on Episode 28 back in April of 2020. She is an incredibly knowledgeable Coach and I have always admired her dedication and determination…you can follow her nutrition coaching on Instagram @symmetrynutrition. In this episode, we talk about her experience getting certified and the upcoming “Look Good + Feel Good Challenge” that will be kicking off this month. I’m very grateful that Kelly has taken the reins and decided to offer this to the gym and am excited to see how it works for people. The challenge officially begins Saturday, April 16th and in order to set the teams and have everyone complete the initial intake form the deadline to register is Saturday, April 9th. If you’re interested in the challenge you can register through the member’s app under “pre-orders” or you can let Mikey or myself know when you see us in the gym. I have to thank her for taking the time to sit down and talk with me and I hope you all enjoy. https://www.instagram.com/symmetrynutrition/

We’re back and working through the archive of episodes that were previously recorded and never published. I believe this show was actually recorded sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving since there are a few references to the haunted hayride. In this show, Mikey and I get a chance to sit down with Donnie of DNR Laboratories aka DNR Labs. Donnie has been a member of Strongtown since the beginning. He is genuinely one of the most interesting people I have had the pleasure of meeting and his breadth of knowledge never fails to impress me. Anyone who knows Donnie knows that he’s always on the go, he’s always willing to help and he also seems to know just about everyone. He has been the MC at our Battle for the Bell competition multiple times and he’s genuinely the reason our gym sounds as good as it does. We were a little tight on time during the recording so the conversation focuses on his personal background and what brought him to start DNR Labs. We’ll be getting him back on here in the future to discuss some of his hobbies which include flying planes, sky-diving, volunteer fire fighting, and creating a stand-alone radio network. I have to thank him for giving up his time to talk with us and if anyone is looking to follow him there are links to his company's info in the show notes below and you can find him on instagram @donnie_dimmer. DNR Website: https://www.dnrlabs.com/ DNR Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dnrlabs/

And we are back! I believe it has been just about 5 months since our last episode and I’m sorry it has taken so long to get back on the wagon. I’m embarrassed to say this episode was recorded right before Thanksgiving and at the time I told Carol it would be out in a few weeks. Carol - we miss you, Troy, and Mischka...I hope all is well and thank you for your patience, generosity and friendship. Thank you again for being part of Strongtown and if anyone is looking to follow Carol on her adventures you can find her on Instagram @chomama13. I hope all enjoy the show.

The Strongtown Weekly: October 3, 2021 Workouts:   Monday - 3:16   Tuesday  - 4:26   Wednesday - 6:47   Thursday - 10:25   Friday - 13:36  Saturday - 16:36 www.strongtowngym.com

The Strongtown Weekly: September 20, 2021 Workouts:   Monday - 6:26   Tuesday  - 9:37   Wednesday - 13:57   Thursday - 18:02   Friday - 21:11 www.strongtowngym.com

The Strongtown Weekly: September 13, 2021 Birthdays:  3:04 Announcements:   6:49 Check-ins:   10:31 Workouts:   Monday - 17:21   Tuesday  - 21:11   Wednesday - 24:14   Thursday - 28:09   Friday - 31:41 www.strongtowngym.com

And we’re back! This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with the one and only Bill Flanagan. Bill has been a member of Strongtown and a staple of the 6am class since 2012. Despite what he says about being old and having a Dad bod he puts up some very impressive workout performances. He’s an avid runner, although supposedly he doesn’t enjoy it, and outside of the gym you can find him actively involved with the local youth basketball teams. We talk about where he grew up, how he got started running, and of course, how he found Strongtown amongst other things. I have to thank him for taking the time to chat with me and hope you all enjoy! IG @billyflan12

This episode is the long-awaited sequel to Episode #62 - “Everyone needs a Coach” with Rob Boroski.  During Rob’s debut episode, it was agreed upon that in order for him to come on the show and be interviewed that we would need to reverse the tables and give him a chance to interview me. Which brings us to today… The conversation was recorded a couple of weeks ago and is coincidentally being released on July 12th which just so happens to be Rob’s birthday, so Happy Birthday Rob! This was a fun conversation and I have to thank Rob for coming up with the idea and taking the time to chat with me, I hope you all enjoy. IG @Rob2123 IG @DanGall81

Happy 4th of July - we hope everyone was able to enjoy the holiday! This week’s podcast is another Sidebar episode between Mikey and myself. We are in July and approaching our 10 year anniversary so we talk about our Decathlon workouts which we’ll be retesting throughout the month. We are also a few weeks away from the 2021 CrossFit Games which will be July 27th to August 1st and hosted in Madison Wisconsin again. With the Games being a few weeks away we take the opportunity to discuss this year’s qualifying events and the evolution or changes happening within the sport. I have to thank Mikey for sitting down and chatting with me and hope you all enjoy.

Welcome back to another week and another episode of Strongtown Talks. This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Nora Metaj of Patty’s Pantry. Patty’s is a NY Style Deli that is located right off exit 16 on I-84 in Southbury which also happens to be right down the hill from the gym, so we have known them since we opened in 2011. They have been one of Southbury’s hidden gems for close to 35 years now. Nora has grown up in the business - both her and her sister Becky are General Mangers, her father Gani is the owner, and her grandmother on her mother’s side was the original Patty, whose silhouette is featured on their logo. As of this last December Patty’s recently opened up their 2nd location on Route 25 in Newtown, so whether you’re in Southbury or Newtown you’re not far from a Patty’s Pantry. I really enjoyed getting a chance to catch up with Nora and have to thank her for giving up her free time to come and chat with me, I hope you all enjoy. Website: https://www.pattyspantryct.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pattyspantry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pattyspantryct

We are back and I have to apologize for the delay in getting this episode shared.  My goal is to have this podcast be a weekly show and during the summer months there maybe a couple of points where the episodes are being released bi-weekly schedule. This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Alexa & Ryan of CrossFit Hook’d from Sandy Hook, CT. We have had the pleasure of knowing both Alexa and Ryan for some time now. Alexa first started her CrossFit journey at Strongtown back in 2012 and I want to say the first time we met Ryan was when he was competing for Hook’d at Battle for Bell back in 2014. We talk about their story and how they’ve gone from being intern coaches to now being married and owning the gym. They’re great people and we’re lucky to have them as friends and colleagues. I have to thank them both for giving up their time to come chat with me and hope you all enjoy. Website: https://crossfithookd.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crossfithookd Instagram: https://instagram.com/hookdhustle

Hey everyone, there was an issue with the initial upload of episode 066 for Great Minds Coffee Roasters, when the episode was originally published it cuts short right before the 37-minute mark. I did try to reupload the corrected file so if you listened to an episode that was 60 minutes with an outro then you heard the whole thing and you’ve already heard this. If you listened to an episode that cuts out between the 36 and 37 minute mark then this picks up where the last episode left off. I’m sorry about the mix-up, thank you again to Emily and Chris of Great Minds Coffee Roasters and we’re going to pick back up where we left off with Emily. Website: https://greatmindscoffee.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatmindscoffee Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatmindscoffeeroasters

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Emily & Chris Pacileo of Great Minds Coffee Roasters who are currently located in the old Pin Shop building in Oakville. If anyone knows me they know I love coffee - so I was super excited when I discovered that there was a local roaster in the Watertown / Oakville area. They opened up Great Minds Coffee Roasters in November of 2019 and they had about 4 months of normal business before getting hit with the covid curveball. Chris was first exposed to roasting back in college and had worked his way up to head roaster at Capitol City Roasters throughout his college years. Emily’s family had owned small businesses and moving back to CT inspired them to explore potential options for businesses and side projects they could do. They have an amazing story and I fully vouch for the quality of their coffee after enjoying the Guatemala mix this past week. There are links to Great Mind’s website and social media pages in the show notes below. I have to thank Chris & Emily for taking the time to sit down and chat with me. I hope you all enjoy⁠ Social Media Links: Website: https://greatmindscoffee.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/greatmindscoffee Instagram: https://instagram.com/greatmindscoffeeroasters

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Charlotte Adams of Rustic Charm in Woodbury. I had reached out to Charlotte to see if she had any interest in being on our podcast. Over the past 5 years she has been able to turn her hobby and passion into a full-time career and thriving local business.⁠ What started off as sharing the custom farm-house table her husband made for her as a birthday gift has led her down the rabbit hole of DIY crafts and custom furniture refinishing. ⁠She’s now in her 2nd location and has an amazing team of friends and family that are involved in the business. She has a great story and I’m excited to see her continue to grow. She has also recently partnered up with Ashley of Sweet Nelsons cottage food bakery to start a separate Instagram account called “allupinyourctbusiness” that highlights some of their favorite local businesses around the state - which is a great idea and something I hope to dive into on a future episode on. There are links to Rustic Charm’s website and Instagram pages in the show notes below and I have to thank Charlotte for taking the time to sit down and chat with me. I hope you all enjoy⁠ Social Media Links: Website: https://www.rusticcharmhome.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RusticCharm4/ Instagram: @rusticcharm77 Instagram: @rusticcharmgarage Instagram: @allupinyourctbusiness

This week’s episode is a sit-down conversation with Susie Jones. Susie has been a member at Strongtown since 2013 and has owned Edgewood Bath and Tennis Club since 2009. She’s a regular face at our 9:30am or 12:00pm depending on the time of the year and she is the reason we’ve been able to do summer swim wods throughout the years. We talk about what brought her to open Edgewood, how she found Strongtown, and the difference between Pickleball & Paddle Tennis. I have to thank her for taking the time to chat with me and hope you all enjoy! https://edgewoodbtc.com/ https://www.facebook.com/EdgewoodBTC

This week’s podcast is a bit of a different episode and is something I’m hoping will become a regular addition to the show. It’s a conversation between Mikey and myself about current gym events and what’s happening at Strongtown. I’m hoping to mix in these type of episodes with our member interviews and sit-downs with local business owners to add a bit of variety to the show. The plan is to call these conversations a “Sidebar” episode. I know Mikey and I have had a few of these in the past but plan is that this will be the first official Strongtown Talks Sidebar episode. I hope you all enjoy.

After having Stacy on the podcast a few weeks ago it only seemed fair that we get the real Boroski on the show, Rob. Rob is a native of Derby and much to my surprise he grew up doing martial arts and rumor has it he actually used to be flexible. I’m a bit skeptical of these wild claims and if anyone has any photographic proof of this I would request that you please send it to dan@strongtowngym.com If you’ve had the pleasure of meeting Rob you know he’s basically everyone’s best friend and is never far away from a good laugh. We get to talk about how he’s always wanted to be a cop, how he collected unemployment in High School, life as a retired State Trooper and starting over in Oxford. It was a great conversation and I have to thank him for giving up his time to come talk with me, I hope you all enjoy. IG @rob2123