We recently connected with Ben Wales and have shared our conversation below.
Ben, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I’ve been in the fitness industry for over a decade as a personal trainer, group fitness instructor, youth sports coordinator, coach, and gym manager.
During this time I learned about the concept of “Blue Zones”, regions where people live longer, happier, and healthier on average.
One of the primary lessons researchers have found with these Blue Zones is that people are shaped by their environment. If you’re in an environment that encourages healthy habits and the people around you are active and try to eat well, then there’s a good chance these factors will be a positive influence on you too (often without any conscious effort or decision-making).
I’ve made it my mission and purpose to create environments like these that people can thrive in. Places where community, health, and movement are ingrained in the design and layout of the space.
Most people spend much more time working than at the gym, so I focused on what a community-centered, health and wellness-focused workspace would look like and how it would function. After 2 years of planning, research, financing, and construction, The Wilderness Fitness and Coworking opened in Minneapolis!
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My business partner, Bobby, and I met in 2016 when we were both training for the reality TV show American Ninja Warrior. We have a shared love for fun movement and wanted to bring that energy to our coworking space.
There is a full gym, free fitness classes, a yoga room, meditation room, and game room with ping pong and a pool table at The Wilderness Fitness and Coworking.
Our goal was to create a workspace with offices and desks for local businesses, digital nomads, and remote workers that we ourselves would love to work in, take breaks to move or exercise, and connect with other like-minded professionals in the Twin Cities.
It’s been exciting to see people of all ages and backgrounds share space and collaborate around the local business scene and the broader movement culture represented at The Wilderness!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
1. Determination: It was a long process finding the right space, getting approved for an SBA loan, signing a lease for a large commercial space with a new, largely unproven business model, and doing the build-out for a 17,000 sq ft space in 60 days. We took it one day at a time and accomplished many projects that felt overwhelming and hopeless at times.
2. Knowing what you don’t know: I had an extensive knowledge in the fitness industry as a coach, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, and gym manager for the last 15 years. I didn’t know a lot about the accounting, licensing, marketing, and logistics of running a start-up in the coworking industry. I found business partners that were experts in those fields. Together we make a great team and compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses.
3. Time prioritization: I’ve had to become skilled at constantly deciding each day what part of our business needs my time and attention and what can be delegated to our other owners and employees. There are so many moving parts in running a successful small business. Every day I’m learning where my energy is best spent.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are starting to plan and location scout for future Wilderness locations. We want to be an industry leader in providing workspace for individuals and companies interested in health and wellness, whether they work in that field or are just trying to take better care of themselves or their employees.
We’re always looking to collaborate with other professionals in these industries and lately have been looking for a sauna/cold plunge company to work with as we love the community and health benefits and want to incorporate these modalities into future locations.
Contact Info:
- Website: thewildernessmn.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewildernessmn/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thewildernessmn
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-wilderness-fitness-coworking/
Image Credits
Micah Bain Bobby Burns
