Introducing Our New Coach: Jess West

In the summer of 2016, Nate and I embarked on our first workshop tour around the midwestern US. It was the first time we’d spent any considerable time together, particularly in a car for hours upon hours. Nevertheless, we quickly and easily fell into a rhythm of listening to a chapter of the audiobook “Tribe,” pushing pause, and then spending twice as long discussing that chapter.

We chose that book because we knew it shared the value that Power Company Climbing, which will be 4 years old this May, needed to grow via community. We threw out the typical methods of small business building – the spreadsheets and business plans – and instead decided to focus on the people. On building relationships. On getting to know our listeners and clients by visiting their gyms and having conversations with them. By climbing with them.

On one of our first stops, at Climb SoiLL in St. Louis, we met an eager to learn climber/setter/Personal Trainer named Jess, who also happened to far outrank us with her Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology.

She showed up at our live podcast with a notebook. I don’t even bring a notebook.

Over the subsequent two and a half years, Jess and her husband Miles switched cities to pursue setting and coaching jobs, and we often crossed paths with them, regularly getting into deep and complicated conversations about the world of training and coaching. We worked on a few small projects together.

I’ve often been asked when I was going to hire a female coach.

Well, now.

We’re lucky that as things have grown for us as a company, Jess is reaching a point in her life that fits perfectly with what we do. I hugely value not only her knowledge and opinions, but also her work ethic and desire to constantly improve. She brings a new perspective to our company and our community, and it’s exciting to know she won’t hesitate to challenge me when my perspective is flawed. I’m looking forward to being schooled.

It’s been a long time coming. Jess, welcome.

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As Jess learns the system here, she’ll only have room for a couple of custom clients at a time. Be on the lookout for a few future projects we have in the works with her: “She Strong,” will be a strength training ebook written specifically for women, along with an accompanying podcast episode. We also hope to launch a remote group training initiative for women, so that more of you can get the chance to work with Jess.