Today we’d like to introduce you to Phill Reed.
Phill, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I guess the start of my story technically begins in 7th grade. I literally tried out for football, basketball, and the baseball team from the 7th grade to the 9th grade not making a single team. During my freshman year of high school, the Varsity Coach saw my potential and work ethic so he invited me to join the Varsity Girls practice to get experience and guidance. My sophomore year, I finally made the JV Men’s Basketball team and I was quickly moved up to play on the Varsity team. I started getting recognition in Charlotte, North Carolina for my basketball skills but the one thing that was always said about me is I am weak, needed to gain weight and need to be more aggressive. My Junior Year, my Mom would make me these massive breakfasts and would pack me lunches/snacks that had to be gone by the time I got home.
That same year I met Coach Jeff Mccinnis and he totally changed my life. He was one of the hardest coaches to play for. He expected a lot from you and if you didn’t meet his expectations he would surely let you know. This was the best thing to happen to me, it toughened me up both mentally and physically. I would then transfer to Northside Christian Academy with a few of my AAU teammates. This year was a HUGE developmental year for me. I was playing under three former NBA Coaches and we ended up winning the State Championship with a record of 32-2. I earned All-Conference honors and was fortunate to be able to continue my career at Hampton University. I spent a short two years at Hampton but had the opportunity to play in the Post Season both of my years there, we played in the CBI and the NCAA Tournament and made it to the second round to face the University of Kentucky. I went to spend my summer in Los Angeles, California where I had the honor to play in the Drew League pro-am and faced high-level NBA Players, Overseas Players and the top College and High School players from across the country. I decided this was it and I am never going to leave California.
At this point, I was slowly introduced to the Fitness Industry and soon met my Agent Annette Dominguez from The Naturally Fit Agency. I have been honored to be apart of Nike, Gatorade, ESPN, SportsCenter, and quite a few other commercials and Campaigns. I would then drop out of college to pursue the fitness industry full time. I also became a personal trainer so I can help others unlock their full potential. I never lost my competitive edge and decided that I am going to continue pushing myself like never before and Competed in a Classic Physique Bodybuilding Competition where I placed 2nd and also have the Title of Being the World’s Tallest Bodybuilder at 6’10”, I also decided to give MMA a shot and competed in an MMA Match where I broke my wrist warming up but still continued on with the fight, unfortunately, losing in the second round. The experience, confidence, and training made it all worth it still.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Obstacles I have faced is not making a sports team until my Sophomore year of High School. I was told I was too weak and not strong enough to play Division 1 basketball. I dropped out of school to pursue the things I am passionate about and was told that was the biggest mistake I could make. I was told I was too tall and skinny to be able to successfully compete in Bodybuilding. I was told I was not mentally strong enough or tough enough to compete in MMA. I’ve broken my ankle, eye socket, suffered from 6 concussions while playing basketball. I had to drive over 2.5 hours a day, six days a week to train for my bodybuilding competition. I broke my wrist warming up for my MMA Fight. I’ve been told I had to lose weight for certain photoshoots and commercial campaigns. My motto is to Adapt, Overcome, and Conquer, I enjoy the challenges and obstacles because I know a lot of people in my situation would have quit and taken the safe path. I believe they just add to my story.
Please tell us about JacksOnly Fitness.
The two business that I am truly proud of is The Daily Jacks and Forward Focus. Both are based on personal development and physical fitness. The Daily Jacks is where I send out daily bodyweight and equipment-based workouts so people don’t have an excuse. They will always have a plan when they are walking into the gym. It is only $7.99 a month and the goal is to provide people with the proper knowledge needed to workout.
Forward focus is a business my girlfriend and I created. She is a life/relationship coach and I am a personal trainer. We decided to team up and create a 3-month program focusing both on mental and physical fitness. We help our clients by creating custom nutrition, lifestyle & workout plans, tailored to their goals & duties. What sets this program apart from any other training program is you get a life coach who is going to be there for you to help you create accountability within yourself, as well, as guide you through any sort of life problems, whether you can’t seem to make time for yourself, are struggling in your relationship with yourself or with your significant other.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite childhood memory is playing in the woods of my grandparent’s house in North Carolina. I would run around all day using my imagination and having a blast. I built a fort with my Grandpa out of materials we found in the woods and we would build fires and the entire family would come and just hang out. Life for me is simple and being in nature is where I thrive.
Pricing:
- 7.99 a month or $70 annually for The Daily Jacks
- Forward Focus: $300 a month for 3 months or $850 one time payment
Contact Info:
- Website: thedailyjacks.com
- Phone: 310-513-3854
- Email: jacksonlyfit@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phill.reed/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacksonlycommunity/
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCp1KEDOlAmuzh7SlaFyAAfA?view_as=subscriber
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