Thursday, 7 May 2009
Creating Chaos
I just recently took some time out to catch up with Phil Wright, who along with his partner Jenny Gwynne has set up an Outdoor and Corporate Training Company- Creating Chaos. Phil and Jenny attended our EKI course last year and Jenny has been back for our Advanced Course. Phil and Jenny in setting up Creating Chaos have an interesting business model which combines Training, NLP and Nutrition.
The following is part of my recent conversation with Phil:
BJ:- I've had a look over your website in your own words tell us a little bit about your business, it's background, length of running, structure, goals etc...
Phil:-· The Company has been going since October last year. Having both spent time in gyms and at the same time a little bored by them, we wanted to put together something that catered for peoples health and well being goals and provided more than just a membership which nowadays, seems to be as much a social statement than it is a great platform for people to learn and improve from. We spent a great deal of time researching statistics for gyms, usage, and everything surrounding them. We base our company on 3 pillars: exercise, nutrition and the commitment to it which can often seem one of the greatest problem areas for many. The greatest focus is on regular outdoor exercise groups. We use a huge range of training methods including kettlebells, free body conditioning, powerbag work, strength endurance and a little bit of boxing. Currently, we run this in Leeds and surrounding areas soon to include York. Our goal is eventually to have a centre of excellence training trainers and providing an active retreat in the Lake District.
BJ:- Creating Chaos- it's an interesting business name, please explain?
Phil:-· Creating Chaos, it stands out a little! Well, when we were thinking of a name, if you’ve seen Cannonball Run and the character that Burt Reynolds is quite good friends with, well, it’s nothing to do with that. Actually, if you heard of the Chaos theory which acclaims that nothing in the world is ever random, in fact, every one thing is a consequence of the initial inputs and stimuli. If we can support people by giving them the right inputs and ingredients then they can create their own chaos.
BJ:- Chaos theory- I like it! What are both yours and Jenny’s backgrounds, previous careers?
Jenny:- I’m still working fulltime as a project manager for the highways agency and have been doing this for a good number of years. Before this I graduated as a biologist and have always had two great passions, music and sport. I’ve played hockey for as long as I can remember and still play competitively. I’ve coached hockey also for a long time as well as competing in synchronise swimming, athletics and a good few number of endurance sports. I love skiing and Phill owes me a holiday as we had to miss going to the Alps this December whilst he got his collarbone fixed. Since the idea of this was born I decided to also complete the Nutritional Therapy course, NLP practitioner and have done kettlebells up to advanced.
Phil:- A mixed back ground. Studied music technology at university and then, for no apparent reason other than needing to repay debts, joined the forces and spent six years serving two tours of the Middle East as an Arabic interpreter and managed to do the paratrooper course. Whilst, prior to the forces, I’d enjoyed football, I’d never really been that sporty and I started getting into more endurance sports during my service. Once I decided to leave I completed the personal training course, then did a host of others including GP referral, functional training, NLP as well as the kettlebell course which we both really enjoyed. (Editors note: that's our course!!)
BJ:- When did the pair of you decide to team up?
Phil:- We decided to team up as, being engaged to marry, we wanted to do something that we were both passionate about and that would give us the chance to spend as much time as possible with each other. Last May whilst walking through the Lakes we actually came up with the idea.
BJ:- Why did you decide to go out by yourselves?
Phil:- At the time, I was working in a gym and managing for an agency of personal trainers. Whilst getting into the industry the management role was ok, it seemed that all that mattered was money and after a series of incidents highlighting that individuals weren’t as valued as bank transfers, it was time to go it alone. As well as going alone, we were keen to provide a training environment that wasn’t full of mirrors, people in lycra and was actually quite relaxed.
BJ:- Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?
Phil:- In 5 years we’d like to be in if not very close to establishing a place in the Lake District. A centre for training for trainers as well as excursions for corporate, school groups as well as families. We want to work with the forces and help improve their training facilities, professional teams as well as non-competitive groups.
BJ:- You've run some pretty hard core races marathons and the like- do you have anything coming up?
Phil:-· We're currently training for a mountain navigation marathon it's called the Wharfedale Mountain Marathon. Jenny has traditionally been a short to middle distance athlete and this marathon is her first which is exciting. We’ll be navigating as well so my map reading skills are going to be put to the test.
BJ:- Marathons scare me, mountain marathons more so. Have Kettlebells helped your training at all?
Phil:-· With us both being reasonably keen runners, we noticed a huge difference once we started using the kb’s. We started to integrate them into our own training programmes and noticed huge differences. In December we became the strength and conditioning coaches for Airedale Athletics and created preparatory programmes for people building up to a 10km road race. The programme was 13 weeks long and we had roughly 20 people on the course. Everyone loved the training which incorporated a fair amount of kb’s and everyone who completed the event walked away with a PB. We were hugely overwhelmed to find such a massive improvement with some people shaving 5 minutes off their existing time. We now have varying courses including fell races, 10km’s and half marathons and have trainers doing these for us.
BJ:- Those results are great- well done!
Phil:- We loved the extreme kettlebell courses and would greatly recommend them to anyone wanting to progress to the next level.
BJ:- Thanks for yoru time Phil, it's been great hearing what you're up to. All the best.
BJ Rule
The following is part of my recent conversation with Phil:
BJ:- I've had a look over your website in your own words tell us a little bit about your business, it's background, length of running, structure, goals etc...
Phil:-· The Company has been going since October last year. Having both spent time in gyms and at the same time a little bored by them, we wanted to put together something that catered for peoples health and well being goals and provided more than just a membership which nowadays, seems to be as much a social statement than it is a great platform for people to learn and improve from. We spent a great deal of time researching statistics for gyms, usage, and everything surrounding them. We base our company on 3 pillars: exercise, nutrition and the commitment to it which can often seem one of the greatest problem areas for many. The greatest focus is on regular outdoor exercise groups. We use a huge range of training methods including kettlebells, free body conditioning, powerbag work, strength endurance and a little bit of boxing. Currently, we run this in Leeds and surrounding areas soon to include York. Our goal is eventually to have a centre of excellence training trainers and providing an active retreat in the Lake District.
BJ:- Creating Chaos- it's an interesting business name, please explain?
Phil:-· Creating Chaos, it stands out a little! Well, when we were thinking of a name, if you’ve seen Cannonball Run and the character that Burt Reynolds is quite good friends with, well, it’s nothing to do with that. Actually, if you heard of the Chaos theory which acclaims that nothing in the world is ever random, in fact, every one thing is a consequence of the initial inputs and stimuli. If we can support people by giving them the right inputs and ingredients then they can create their own chaos.
BJ:- Chaos theory- I like it! What are both yours and Jenny’s backgrounds, previous careers?
Jenny:- I’m still working fulltime as a project manager for the highways agency and have been doing this for a good number of years. Before this I graduated as a biologist and have always had two great passions, music and sport. I’ve played hockey for as long as I can remember and still play competitively. I’ve coached hockey also for a long time as well as competing in synchronise swimming, athletics and a good few number of endurance sports. I love skiing and Phill owes me a holiday as we had to miss going to the Alps this December whilst he got his collarbone fixed. Since the idea of this was born I decided to also complete the Nutritional Therapy course, NLP practitioner and have done kettlebells up to advanced.
Phil:- A mixed back ground. Studied music technology at university and then, for no apparent reason other than needing to repay debts, joined the forces and spent six years serving two tours of the Middle East as an Arabic interpreter and managed to do the paratrooper course. Whilst, prior to the forces, I’d enjoyed football, I’d never really been that sporty and I started getting into more endurance sports during my service. Once I decided to leave I completed the personal training course, then did a host of others including GP referral, functional training, NLP as well as the kettlebell course which we both really enjoyed. (Editors note: that's our course!!)
BJ:- When did the pair of you decide to team up?
Phil:- We decided to team up as, being engaged to marry, we wanted to do something that we were both passionate about and that would give us the chance to spend as much time as possible with each other. Last May whilst walking through the Lakes we actually came up with the idea.
BJ:- Why did you decide to go out by yourselves?
Phil:- At the time, I was working in a gym and managing for an agency of personal trainers. Whilst getting into the industry the management role was ok, it seemed that all that mattered was money and after a series of incidents highlighting that individuals weren’t as valued as bank transfers, it was time to go it alone. As well as going alone, we were keen to provide a training environment that wasn’t full of mirrors, people in lycra and was actually quite relaxed.
BJ:- Where do you see yourselves in 5 years?
Phil:- In 5 years we’d like to be in if not very close to establishing a place in the Lake District. A centre for training for trainers as well as excursions for corporate, school groups as well as families. We want to work with the forces and help improve their training facilities, professional teams as well as non-competitive groups.
BJ:- You've run some pretty hard core races marathons and the like- do you have anything coming up?
Phil:-· We're currently training for a mountain navigation marathon it's called the Wharfedale Mountain Marathon. Jenny has traditionally been a short to middle distance athlete and this marathon is her first which is exciting. We’ll be navigating as well so my map reading skills are going to be put to the test.
BJ:- Marathons scare me, mountain marathons more so. Have Kettlebells helped your training at all?
Phil:-· With us both being reasonably keen runners, we noticed a huge difference once we started using the kb’s. We started to integrate them into our own training programmes and noticed huge differences. In December we became the strength and conditioning coaches for Airedale Athletics and created preparatory programmes for people building up to a 10km road race. The programme was 13 weeks long and we had roughly 20 people on the course. Everyone loved the training which incorporated a fair amount of kb’s and everyone who completed the event walked away with a PB. We were hugely overwhelmed to find such a massive improvement with some people shaving 5 minutes off their existing time. We now have varying courses including fell races, 10km’s and half marathons and have trainers doing these for us.
BJ:- Those results are great- well done!
Phil:- We loved the extreme kettlebell courses and would greatly recommend them to anyone wanting to progress to the next level.
BJ:- Thanks for yoru time Phil, it's been great hearing what you're up to. All the best.
BJ Rule
posted by Tommy Matthews @ 12:37
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