As the story has it, one day I headed to the opposite side of the globe – the Flipside. I arrived in Korea February 16th, 2005 and thought I’d do a year, then leave. I was wrong. I stayed, launched my first company, Flipside Fitness, and then opened Korea's largest boxing club, Hulk's Boxing (now called Hulk's Club).

After 11.5yrs in Korea, I then picked up one day and returned to Toronto, Canada. But then I left again.

Now I live in the Philippines where I am the CEO and head coach of Empowered Clubhouse, the Philippines' first and only boxing clubhouse exclusively just for women. I also am the founder of the Lil' Sistas Project, CEO and designer of Slay Gear and Baa Baa Black Sheep .Ph.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Planning on Planning for the Holidays... Wednesday, November 20

It's been decided upon -- we're having a holiday party!!!
 
It's been decided upon but not yet made official so I suppose posting about here will be a true test as to who among my friends in Korea actually read my homepage.  Hmm... not sure.  I know many of my Korean friends do but they only look at the pictures because they can't read English.  Come to think of it, Snickers still can't really read English, nor write it for that matter.
 
But anyways... back on topic.
 
So it's been decided upon, a party. 
 
 
It'll be a club member-only party for the following 3 reasons:
 
1.  My members rock... I really don't need to say more!
Perhaps it's the supposedly lucky horse shoe that everyone who knows Snickers is convinced he has around his neck that has brought together all the awesome people we train, I don't know.  What I do know is that I've been really enjoying trying to get to know my members beyond just trying to work with them on their jab or sumo squat.   So if I'm going to put in all the needed time and effort to make such an event, I want to do it for those I care about.  I am wanting and willing to do it for them because they're worth it.
 
2.  It keeps the party age-appropriate.   
First of all, I don't think the late time, the loud music and drinking, nor the place of our party is appropriate for any young child to be attending.  If there's anything the massive gash to the head and stitches on a two year old at our grand opening party taught us is what a "great" idea it was having children running around in a boxing club.  A child getting hurt is not cool and I felt terrible for him but having to tell a parent to watch their child is so not cool.  All those attending will be members -- consent form-signing people who can't turn around and hold my club responsible for their actions.
 
3.  It avoids any potential outsider spoiling something special.
Planning a dinner party for my most favourite holiday of the year -- Thanksgiving -- was hard enough but having to deal with a rude non-club member who never did apologize and then hearing my club members go on about it was harder.  I don't want to share sentimental holidays that are important to me with people who don't make our club and our members important to them.  Snickers and I really put ourselves out there for our members, we're trying really hard to make a sense of "familyship" at Hulk's, and our members know this, respect this and feed it.  It's in the text messages they send me to tell me they'll be late or absent from training, the small bags of bread and snacks others share with us, the phone calls parents make to us to tell us good job, in members sticking around after training to chat, and so forth.  We've got a great thing going and there's a hell of a lot of people really wanting to see it continue.
 
4.  It encourages our members to cross paths and socialize.
People are pretty much creatures of habit and the same is true for our members (me too).  They have their set time they like to train at and, for many of them, I can tell you what days they do or don't train and when you can expect them.  Having said this, there are a lot of members that I'm sure would click with other specific members but because their schedules and routines are different, they've never really crossed paths.  But a party with them all at Hulk's at the same time... hello crossing of paths.
 
 
I talked about my party idea with a particular member tonight and he suggested a members only list but added that perhaps an extended VIP guest list be included.  Close friends and many members who still stay in touch or frequent visitors at Hulk's would be on this list.  I think that's a good idea because I've got some good friends I'd love for them to join but it's yet to be decided.
 
The party isn't set in stone yet but come this week it will be penciled and coloured in on our club calendar.  If it's going to be directed towards our club members than those who need to know about it will know via the calendar by the Coach's Corner wall.
 
Now as for what do plan for this party, that's a whole other question yet to be answered.  Stay tuned.

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