Chideha Warner - The 3K Movement

Conquering the Hurdles of Life

CHIDEHA WARNER

NEW YORK

LONDONNASHVILLEMELBOURNEVANCOUVER

THE 3K MOVEMENT

Conquering the Hurdles of Life

2020 CHIDEHA WARNER

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing. Morgan James is a trademark of Morgan James, LLC. www.MorganJamesPublishing.com

ISBN 978-1-64279-673-5 paperback

ISBN 978-1-64279-674-2 eBook

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019907436

Cover Design by:

Rachel Lopez

www.r2cdesign.com

Interior Design by:

Bonnie Bushman

The Whole Caboodle Graphic Design

Morgan James is a proud partner of Habitat for Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg. Partners in building since 2006.

Get involved today! Visit
www.MorganJamesBuilds.com

This book is dedicated to my family, friends and clients.

Thank you for continuing to inspire me to raise the bar.

When all the dust is settled and all the crowds are gone, the things that matter are faith, family and friends.

Barbara Bush

by Lauren Schwarzmann

I met Chideha in 2008. I had just graduated from Johns Hopkins University, where I studied Public Health and Business. I loved school, but my passion was and still is the sport of lacrosse. I was fortunate enough to play lacrosse at Hopkins and decided to try out for the US Womens National Team during my senior season of college. Being a member of the US National Team has been one of my greatest sports achievements. I moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, to coach womens lacrosse at the University of Cincinnati and continue my education in its Public Health masters program.

With my move to Cincinnati, I got the opportunity to train and work with Chideha. He helped me become the best lacrosse player I could be. I was more confident in my abilities on the field because of my physical fitness and a more confident person. He challenged me and pushed me to be the best version of myself each time I entered the gym. I wasnt just another number in the gym or another client on his to-train list; he cared about me as a person, a lacrosse player, and most important, a friend. He is the best trainer Ive ever worked with. He treats his business like he treats his family. Thats what real leaders do. Chideha is a leader by example and someone I will have in my life forever. I walked into Fitness3K looking for a trainer and walked out with a friend and mentor for life.

Bringing my best to the fitness arena each day in an effort to help others attain optimum physical conditioning and emotional well-being (the two are closely linked) and continuing to grow a successful business are at the core of who I am and what I love. The marketplace is filled with books focused on nutrition or fitness regimens, and while many of them likely bring value in their own way, Id rather share with you the driving forces behind overcoming challenges big and small and the keys I believe open the door to our successnot just in fitness or business but in life in general.

Trainers are the lifeblood of a personal training studio. They must be knowledgeable, of course, but also strong communicators, which means having the essential ability to listen, to relate to a potential or existing client, and to ask key questions to understand that clients emotional makeup, challenges and goals. Each client is unique, and successful training is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Sincerity is crucial for a trainer; if were playing games and putting on masks just to make a few bucks, were missing the mark. Clients can smell insincerity, and they know when theyre being taken for a ride. Theyre smart, and theyll disappear, never to return, off to another studio and trainer who truly care about committing to their well-being. And you can bet theyll also share word of their poor experience of a suspect trainer with others.

From a business owners perspective, Ive learned the necessity of wearing multiple hats each day. Its all about earning the respect of our clients and employees, whether that means washing the equipment, cleaning the bathroom, and basically doing all of the unglamorous but essential work. Its about being a good leader and listener and finding ways to make our teammates better, instead of seeking opportunities to criticize them or cut them down. Nobody wins with that approach.

Mentorship is vital to sustained success in business and in life. Its important to seek out others who have had success so we can learn from them, and to share with others our own positive experiences. Coming up short, sometimes, is just part of the game. No one has succeeded every time, at every turn, in business or in life. Coming up short can provide valuable lessons for achieving success when facing a similar challenge the next time around, and hearing of others experiences and sharing our own can be invaluable learning opportunities for everyone.

A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability in you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.

Bob Proctor

W hen I consider mentorship and those who have filled that role for me along the way, I first think of my parents. They were my first true mentors; they have helped me to believe in myself and develop strength of character. Their influence is rooted in my first name, something that caused me much trouble as a youngster. The kids at school mocked and bullied me because of it. Chideha looked and sounded strange to them, and to me. It caused me much anxiety and harmed my self-confidence.

Isiah & Della Warner, Dr. Warner receiving 2016 SEC Professor of the Year Award

Frankly, it was embarrassing to me. I was bitter toward my parents for naming me Chideha. Why couldnt they have just given me a normal name, I wondered? Why couldnt I have a name that was easier to pronounce and spell or that just sounded right, especially to the other kids? Why couldnt they have named me something cooler, like my older brothers name (hed been named after my father), or simpler, like Edward, my younger brothers name? In fact, hed been named after my beloved grandfather, Edward James Blount, who was such an important mentor to me and whom I admired tremendously. Why hadnt my parents named me Edward before my younger brother came along? I was so upset with my name that I told my parents I would seek to have it legally changed when possible, which greatly bothered them.

My dad explained to me how he and my mom had decided on my name. He said that since I was their second child and theyd named their first after him, they were seeking a unique and trendy name. My father had asked a graduate student from Nigeria who was in one of his classes at Texas A & M about possible African names for a boy. It was during the late 70s, and African names had become trendy for African American babies. None of the names the student suggested to my dad caught his interest, but the students name did. His name was Chideha.