Meet Tucker Kistner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Tucker Kistner and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tucker, have you ever found yourself in a spot where you had to decide whether to give up or keep going? How did you make the choice?
There is no Plan B in my mind. I HAVE to make this work. With that in mind, I put my 100% into everything I do – client relationships, coaching, and working on my business. I heard a great quote from another entrepreneur, “It isn’t about winning the race, it’s about staying in the game.” For every 10,000 gyms and personal trainers that start, another 9,000 close. The fitness industry’s rate of failure and burnout is high and I understand it will be a grind to create a sustainable business that supports me and my family. I’ve already endured immense failure, hardship, and struggle as a young entrepreneur and it’s just a part of the learning process. You have to fail, learn, make changes, pivot, and continue to move forward. The way I see it, there is no giving up. My members, my community, and my family are all counting on me to grow my business. That kind of pressure gets me up at 4:30 AM every day, whether I want to or not.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the owner of CrossFit Showdown in Davie, Florida. We help busy moms and dads who want to look good with CrossFit. We are very clear about our ideal client. Most people who walk into our doors are parents who have taken a break from fitness for family or personal reasons. We welcome them back into the gym with open arms and give them a plan to succeed with their fitness and health goals – whether that is weight loss, muscle gain, getting stronger, or just feeling better. I’m super proud of our culture and community. The support inside the gym is incredible. Members high-five, fist bump, and support each other during tough times. I’m proud to be in a position where I can bring people together who support each other. If you’re a busy mom or dad who wants to socialize and be coached, we are the gym for you and I bet you’ll love it here.

It was not easy to get to where I am today. My first mentor, Tommy, was there for me emotionally when nothing was going right for me. I’d make a change, or improve an aspect of my business and I would see negative results. It takes time to see progress (about 3 months), so I kept my head down and kept working hard even though I wasn’t succeeding.

I want people to know that I want to help them. I want to show you that CrossFit is the greatest fitness and health methodology in the world and when applied correctly, it can change your life. It changed my life. It’s the reason why I left the military and bought my gym.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting, I would take him to my gym for our daily workout of the day. We’ve always shared a bond over fitness and it’s part of the reason why we are still best friends today. After our daily morning workout, we’d probably do something active like kayak or paddleboard. My favorite place to paddleboard is Whiskey Creek. I’d also take him to the Everglades. We both love being active and outside, so we can keep ourselves pretty busy by hiking, swimming, and playing sports. We’d probably play pickleball at the Hollywood pickleball courts and play volleyball at the beach in Fort Lauderdale. We are big sports guys too, so we’d check out a Marlins or Panthers game if they are in town.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d like to shout out my mentors with Two Brain Business, the largest gym mentorship group in the world. Their mission is to “Help one million fitness entrepreneurs become wealthy by growing their businesses through mentorship.”I signed up for mentorship in December 2022, after 8 months of struggling and feeling lost. I was frustrated by a lack of progress and I needed professional guidance. My first mentor, Tommy, was like a best friend. 2023 was a very hard year for me, emotionally and financially and he was there for me like no one else was. We probably exchanged over 1,000 emails over that year, along with another 15 hours of video calls. Along with mentorship, I am connected to 1,000 gym owners from all over the world who have gone through similar circumstances. The support is amazing. Entrepreneurship can be a lonely struggle, but I feel comforted knowing that I have a mentor who is dedicated to helping me succeed.

Website: showdowncrossfit.com

Instagram: @crossfit_showdown

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Crossfitshowdown/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/crossfit-showdown-davie-2