People!
Welcome, welcome, welcome to the Sunside Kingdom show,
the place where we highlight successful individuals hailing from the Dutch Caribbean,
whether associated or doing big things throughout this globe.
These accomplished persons are true role models
that are the examples, the epitome of hard work, perseverance and focus.
I'll be your host today, John Sandefur, aka Jam Sandefur.
Let's get into today's episode.
People!
Welcome to the Sunside Kingdom show.
Welcome, welcome. Thank you, sir.
For today's episode, we have with us Mr.
Rigel Peters, a well accomplished personal trainer.
A business developer has built over three gyms now in the Eindhoven region.
Was more or less the founder of, yeah, I could say the whole CrossFit scene in.
Oh, my God, I'm blushing.
At least from my knowledge.
This is the dude that introduced it on a whole next level to the region
and is currently transitioning into
one of the forward slashes, also becoming a life coach.
Welcome, welcome. Thank you.
Mr. Rigel Peters.
Yeah, you got me blushing.
Yes, sir. Yeah, this is this.
This has been a little while in the making.
Yeah, man. Yeah, man.
This is cool. This is cool. Yeah.
Yeah, like this. Like in the vibe.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
We spent we spent quite some time here on the setup and everything.
And we slowly getting this ball up and running.
Yeah, man. Where we yeah.
Where we want to talk to our Caribbean folks
and highlight the amazing things that they've been doing in their lives.
Also talking about some of the things that maybe hasn't been going as well.
Yeah. But the lessons that we learned from that valuable lesson.
Oh, yes, sir.
Or the youth for the youth, for the upcoming for the upcoming.
Yeah. Once upon a time, we were also like super youthful, right?
I said, hey, I see the grace in your beard.
You're going to edit this out, right?
Huh? Yeah.
You got filters. We got after effects.
Give me a more hard.
Yes. All right. For the folks that don't know you at home.
Introduce yourself.
Who is Rachel Peters?
We're going deep.
Who is Rachel Peters?
Yes. Humble young man from the Caribbean.
Yeah. Born in Aruba.
Spent some years in Zimato.
Yes. Spent some years there.
Move back to Aruba, then to Holland.
Who am I?
Yeah. Individual learning himself.
Yes. To control himself in this world.
His emotions. So right now, just enjoying myself.
Training other individuals.
Um, yeah, everything that has to do with health.
I like it. This. Yeah.
Is it the emotional problem?
Doesn't matter. Is it physical?
Is it injuries? Is it just to get back on track?
Just to be a little bit healthy.
So for me, I it's like a coach.
Let's say that's a coach, but I just like being a facilitator of health.
Let me put it that way. OK.
Just to help everybody.
And it doesn't matter what your problem is.
I like solving those problems.
Yeah, like solving those problems.
That's my main challenge.
So let's maybe try and rewind back to the moment
when it sort of clicked for you that that this would be the path
you really want to follow.
Because I could imagine that you that as a 16 year old,
maybe you didn't have this answer, right?
Bro, bro. 15, 20.
Maybe I was closer at 16 to this after that.
Twenty, 21 different people.
Yeah. Yeah. But no, no, no, no.
This came upon me.
Let's say or let's rewind a bit further.
So so. What was what was there anything in your youth
that you can say that that already sort of clicked and inspired?
Yeah. Connected to this.
Well, what examples?
For me, it would be like the biggest example would be like my dad.
I would say we
we've always had like training equipment at home
from just a little dumbbell to a push up or it doesn't matter.
But it was always at home.
Yeah. And I could see him doing some some, you know,
trying to keep his youth. Yeah.
Yeah. Like you do now for your boys.
I'm like, I stay in right here.
But I'm going nowhere, bro.
I'm getting ideas in your head.
No, but I could definitely see that that has influenced me
that made this transition because because of that.
And my parents, they were always like active. Yeah.
So even with my mom, we will be playing soccer.
We will be playing.
I can still remember going to my mom's.
She's played softball. Oh, she is.
Wow. Yeah. So sport was always there and it was not like it was
it was encouraged like you got to know it was just there.
It was just part of life. Yeah. It was just part of it.
So that contributed to I always did something.
So I was always playing one type of sport.
If it was for a team or outside, it was we were playing ball, you know.
You grow up, you're playing street.
Yeah. Play ball, soccer, losing those toes from the toe, you know,
even for the people who know skin in those knees.
So you're playing streetball in St.
Martin as well. Yeah.
I could imagine those dirt roads being ball.
Yeah. Playing baseball or being you can get out.
I'm trying to hit. I'm trying to knock it.
It's different. Yeah, it's different.
It's different. It's different.
That it makes you more of an athlete. Yeah.
You better know how to run and dodge.
You better know how to dodge, otherwise you're coming home black and blue.
Yeah. Yes. Yes. You're always alert.
So so that's the those are some of the examples then in your youth.
What already sort of prepped and always moving.
Yeah. Always kept me in one form or the other moving.
So even when I got to like when I was 18, that was the first time
I was. Yeah, it was the first time that I entered a gym.
OK. So was that in the Netherlands?
That was on Aruba. OK. That was on Aruba.
So but since that time I was in and out,
it was like not like a year that I didn't do anything.
So I was always even when it was just maybe once a month.
Doesn't matter. But it was still in the routine.
I would still just go for a run.
Just just like, yeah, cool. Yeah.
Gym was that here.
That was my best.
That was my best part of. School.
Yeah, Marvel. Sorry.
Spabal everything, but I'm there, sir.
You're right there.
Like, didn't you have class right now?
No, you're skipping classes, but I'm coming back to school.
To. Or they had a gym in the school.
Yeah. Yeah. OK.
So I'm coming back to school for.
Yeah. For that hour.
That. Yeah, of course.
Hello. My favorite class.
Oh, the gym class. Yeah.
The gym class. OK. OK. OK.
You skip. You skip in history and.
I skip everything. I go by my grandma.
OK. You don't listen to that part.
Go to schools. Go to your classes. Yeah.
Or don't as long as you pass, as long as you pass, as long as you know.
So now if we fast forward to
you arrived in the Netherlands, how old were you when you came?
24, 24. OK. Yeah, boy.
OK. So what what what what sort of happened in between 18 to 24?
So those highlights.
So I finished my half.
Then. Yeah, I couldn't really like make a decision to come to the net.
It was either I'm going to the Netherlands, I'm going to the States.
Yeah. So I was really like, OK, so I'm just working on Aruba and just.
Enjoying. Not going to school anymore and being that working person,
you know, living in a home and just, yeah, more partying and just that life,
the island life, the island young life, the island life just almost
got fully sucked into it that I didn't come to the Netherlands.
So how how much of that island life percentage wise?
How deep were you enjoying just the young party?
Too much. Don't give a shit about too much.
Too much. Did not give.
I mean, we know each other. Wow.
We know each other. Wow. So, you know,
you know that guy, you know that guy.
So then, yeah, I that's another part of me.
So I don't mind getting in trouble.
I don't mind going that extra mile.
I don't mind. It doesn't bother me that way.
So not really a very positive
come back unless you got a hold of me.
If you got a hold of me, then it helps.
Yeah. Then you can find a balance.
Yeah. But then the island life.
So between 18 and 24, it wasn't really balance.
It was more tiptowards.
I was enjoying it, enjoying blowing everything I make.
Just it was it was a night like that was what it's all about.
So 24, you arrive in the Netherlands.
Yes. And you came to follow a study, right?
Yeah, because what I did do is so my uncle,
I came to study business management.
Yeah. My uncle, yeah, he passed.
But he has still in St.
Martin, New World Freight.
So he has a business there and he wanted to open one on Aruba.
Yeah. Now, mind I'm 18.
My uncle's telling me I want to open up this business here.
Yeah. I jumped fully into it because I'm like, I like it.
I like the challenge.
He gave me the ropes, taught me they used to fly to
Curaçao to meet other
clients as we used to ship from the free zone in Curaçao.
Yeah. Find clients there, bring the products over to Aruba where
like all those clothing stores in the main street
would buy them from there and then I would ship it.
Yeah. So for those that don't know the main street,
well, used to be, yeah, the
yeah, yeah, used to be the the the main
shopping street in Aruba.
Yeah. But I think just like everywhere else in the world, retail, retail,
retail is dying.
So it's it's definitely not that mean anymore.
Yeah, because it was a good vibe.
Yeah. I can imagine Friday.
Yeah. Yeah.
Cars used to. Yeah, it was just a good vibe.
Yeah. But yeah, taught me the ropes.
So got me really engaged in what it is to be business minded
and do business. Yeah.
And loved it.
That that was the reason that I came to the Netherlands to study
business management, because I'm like, OK, I love I love.
I enjoy doing this.
I enjoy the whole process, everything that has to do with it.
The conversation done with the clients, trying to win
new clients and get more people to ship with the negotiation.
Yeah. The whole sales.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I like I like that interaction with the mainly
Hindu is mainly people from from India.
Many do so.
Oh, yeah, because the the mainstream was made
a little Indian.
Yeah. It's similar in Simart.
Yeah. Yeah. All the jewelry stores, electronics.
Electronic. Yeah.
Actually went to school with some guys from Bolchan.
Yeah. I know. I know a lot of people in the Indian community pretty well.
Yeah. They would teach you how to negotiate.
Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
They are master negotiators.
They got no shout out to my Indian squad.
Yeah. Yeah. So it was nice.
I really like interacting with them and learning from them at that young age.
Yeah, because they had a lot of things that they had that
they were I was I could have soaked in that confidence to go into that conversation
and to just like, boom, no, this no, a very good price.
No more done. Sorry.
Yeah. Yeah.
And then to try to counter that with them, with the knowledge that they have.
So it was more like a challenge for me every time.
So I really enjoyed it.
That's the reason I came.
Then I was like, OK, I can't do this.
I want to go and continue my studies.
So then we shot down in Aruba and I
before because I was I had to leave that year, but I stayed two years more.
Just, you know, just partying and bullshit.
Party and boom and party.
All right. So you're here.
Began international international business.
Yeah. So how did that go?
Or how did we go from from there to the to start in the transition?
Yeah, that was.
Yeah, you know, the legs from the party island touches European soil
that has kilometers of party scene.
So that first year.
Right. You came to study.
I came to study your mother, your father, your uncle said you to study.
I came to study with them books that which books are we using books?
Yeah, it was it was a difficult transition.
It was a difficult transition, especially because I was out of school
for like three years already.
Yeah, just working.
So now I have to fall back into school.
I felt like I was somewhere else mentally.
And I'm there in class with a very younger generation.
Yeah, I felt and also I was still on that hype.
I was still on that party.
I still had like maybe too much of a piggy bank also for the nightlife here.
So it was a whole different mixture of things of that sort.
So if you if you look back, right.
But I also feel that you're the type you look back and there's no regrets.
But yeah, but there are there are.
Would you recommend someone to leave sort of immediately
or would you recommend them to to to maybe first take their time
a bit longer and try and figure out what you want to do?
Yeah, I think that's the best way to do it.
Figure out what you want to do. Yeah, yeah.
And this is from me talking to a lot more other ex students
or my peers or new students that are coming.
The transition from coming to the island
onto the Netherlands is a is a very big step.
Yeah. The way of life is different, totally different.
And you're coming from a place of chill.
I mean, you work, but it's still on a chill level.
And as soon as you touch down here, it's go time.
Yeah, it's going like project after project and study.
And it's not like, OK, I'm going to do this tomorrow.
No, sorry. You're you're already you just because of that difference.
You're already months behind. Yeah.
So every day that you let pass, it just hopes up hopes up.
We just get more and more and more and more.
So I find that we we we need to.
Make sure that when the youths are coming this way,
they are better prepared that they truly understand
what it is to like really work hard and or maybe have like a system
depending on where they're going.
They're going to the States, if you're going to the Netherlands,
that they have like a time period that they would go through that whole process.
Yeah. This is like this is how it goes.
You have to do your own.
You have to like not like the the week or two that they usually do in the island.
I think it has to be very much prepared.
Because usually they come from from a havo.
Yeah. And you switch from the havo to that havo.
I mean, bro, I I did have a.
Einstein, bro.
Just to be honest, you know, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Like I was.
And when we did that exam, they just introduced that calculator, the KM.
So you have to do everything with the KM.
I went to my risk and the teacher.
Yeah, so the math, the math, the math teacher like, bro.
I ain't got time for this.
It's like, break it down for me.
So he broke down our. Yeah.
Took me like forever to finish the exam, but I did it without a calculator.
So you cannot do that when you get to the havo.
You got to really learn that stuff.
And it's a lot more if you're going to take those type of shortcuts.
It's a lot more.
So if you have two hours for an exam, it's going to take you five hours to do it.
On that way. So you have to be continuously ten steps ahead.
And you're not accustomed to that when you're coming from.
I mean, I studied like the night before. Yeah.
Or some things I just didn't even study was just from listening
from what the teacher said. Yeah.
And done. Got my stamp.
You passed.
But that doesn't play when you get here.
It's a whole different ballgame.
So the whole different.
So that year, I had a lot of challenges in the first year.
A lot of challenges, a lot of personal challenges.
It was fighting with, OK, you got to study, but that was.
The streets were calling.
So when you because how long did you spend in the in that study?
International business, two and a half years.
So I did my first year and second year.
So then I went to Stasia and.
A lot of personal things was going on, too, because my grandmother passed.
Oh, shit. Like growing up, I had my granddad,
my dad's dad and my mom's mom.
Yeah. So they were my grandparents.
And then my grandpa passed before I came.
But then my grandma, she was sick and had a whole team.
And I got a lot of my jokes and my character and my positive vibe.
That's that's that's my grandma that you see right there. Yeah.
So that was also a moment of.
Yeah, yeah.
They want to do anything and, you know, just feeling bad at the last
like the last few moments of her life.
I was here in the Netherlands. Yeah.
You know, having the regret, I should have just stayed.
You know, she was sick.
This that played a role in then
just sitting in the office one day and but that oh, yeah.
Sports, party life.
I ain't going to school. Yeah. But I'm hitting the gym. Yeah.
So that was always in the equation from that time.
Like I said, from 18, it was always in the equation.
So not going to school, but I'm more faithful to
help first in here in the clock about.
Oh, snap. Yeah. Upstairs.
Yeah. This building.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Now it's fit for free. It was held first.
Oh, that was. Oh snap. Yeah.
Yeah. It's held city. It was held city. Yeah.
The blue. Yeah. It was held city.
Now it's fit for free. Yeah.
Well, that's gone now, too. Yeah.
That was really a while back.
That was 17 years.
We hear a lot. Yeah.
We hear a lot. But.
So after. So it was during your internship that
that certain things clicked for you.
That was like, I was like, I was like, I was like, I was like,
this was this is this is not it.
I can't I can't see myself just sitting in an office and just doing this.
No, no, no, no, no.
I was I was hearing the people, them talk like lunch lunch break and
tell about their life routine, just general conversation.
But I'm just filtering it. And I'm like, no, this is not me.
Yeah. You say me.
So after that, I had like a year of even more hardship as in, you know,
go tell your parents, I'm dropping out of college.
I'm not going to drop out. What?
Excuse me. So you're working.
I'm doing that either.
You know, so my mom's like, what you doing?
Are you living? Yeah.
But the gym, that was my mecca.
That was my place of peace. That was where I went to.
So when I'm just feeling somewhere, I'm going there and I'm just just running.
Just running on the treadmill, just get in some way, just keep on moving and thinking,
what? Yeah. What is this? Yeah.
What am I going to do? I mean, I'm here.
Am I going to go back? I'm not going back.
I'm going to enjoy this at least a while. Yeah.
So I think it was a year, year and a half
after that, someone in the gym is like, bro, you're here like continuously.
Sometimes I wish to go literally like two times in a day.
So I go in the morning and then so that so that year and a half is basically
when when you more or less dropped out.
Yeah. After the two and a half years.
Yeah. I drop. I had like a year and a half of
where who am I? What I'm going to do. Yeah.
If I don't want to do that, but I'm good at it.
It was I was not a dog because I did it. I can do it. Yeah.
But but you were like, is this going to be the rest of my life?
I don't think so. Am I going to make these hours like this?
There's no problem. You got to make hours.
But how are you going to spend those hours?
And then technically while he was trying to figure out yourself, you were always in the damn gym.
Yeah. That was twice a week.
Yeah. No, twice a day.
Oh, shit, shit. Twice a day.
Just to twice a day.
Five days a week or seven days a week?
Five or six sometimes.
Yes. Yes. It was a lot.
It was like so. So basically the answer was right there.
Yeah. There was someone in the gym. Who was this dude?
I have no idea.
OK. I don't even.
All right. Random dude. Yeah.
Random dude. He was working at random dude, AKA angel dude.
Yes. He was working at the again, Health City in the PSV stadium.
Because then I moved to that gym because in here started to get really crowded and a whole different group.
So I moved to that one.
It was a little bit more relaxed, a little bit less busy.
Yeah. And yeah, he was like, bro, you're here like every day.
You're literally working here.
But it stuck. It stuck in my head. So I'm like, yeah, if I'm investing so much time in this.
Why not? Exactly.
Movement was always in my life. It was always there.
It was always something you enjoyed. Yeah.
Something I enjoyed.
It kept me sane, kept me from the streets.
You weren't forced to go.
No, no.
It's crazy because it wasn't like school.
It was crazy.
Like skip school to train.
But yeah, it stuck for me for a while.
So I started to look into it, started to look into it and like, hey, how does that look like?
Yeah. So I was like, okay, again, am I going to go to Fontys?
So am I going to do that study for years and I didn't want to.
Like I really, really didn't want to sit down in that bench anymore for that amount of time.
I was like, I'm done with that.
So I went for a course.
I went for a personal training, trainer A, trainer B was it then a personal trainer.
And from there, I started working in a gym.
So I started working in the gym that was in Utrecht.
And yeah, after a while, I got still searching, still searching.
So I definitely made a decision.
This is the route that I'm going to take.
This is the path I'm going to take in life because it comes naturally.
I don't feel like I'm going to work.
It feels like I'm just passing my day the way that I want to pass my day.
So that made it easy, made it easy to wake up, easy to go to, easy made that all easy.
Let's say maybe a year because then I was I moved to Utrecht for a year or two.
But then it started to like, I'm helping people.
But like maybe it was just where I was at.
The location, but like the people that I'm coaching, they just want to come in and do like two, three movements.
And yeah, so no one that really wanted to push themselves to the next level.
Me being new in the game, I want to see changes.
I want to push you to that another level.
I mean, but I also think you have a certain competitive nature, right?
Yeah, I'd say if I can't stand it, if you say I can't.
Yeah, then my something boils in me and I got to get you there.
Yeah, I have to get you there.
I have to get there even if you don't see it in yourself, if you don't believe it.
Yeah, it's a beautiful moment when it happens.
Yeah, that's sort of your unlock and there's a big sense of accomplishment there when you can take people out of their head.
Yeah, into that transition and actually pull the best out of themselves.
It makes it more than just physical.
Because of being a sports coach, it's physical.
I see those challenges that they see before themselves.
But I see it just like a daily routine, just like, OK, if that's the way you think about that movement in your life,
you might have the same things over different situations.
Is it maybe you want to go ask your boss for a raise?
Yeah, I can't.
I can't.
Maybe you want to.
So for me, it was the more that the more opportunity I get to push you over that one challenge,
the more you practice that, maybe, maybe, maybe you would take it on with your life outside of the gym.
Yeah. So I actually did.
You also see this as a big confidence booster.
Yeah, yeah.
So, so yeah, because of what it was for me in those moments of.
Yeah, I know that because I kept moving, it helped me stay balanced.
Yeah. So it helped me that I know at least physically, at least I'm good.
I'm feeling, you know, I'm OK.
So then somewhere in you, even though there's still a fight, your path wasn't like exactly clear
and you were still searching and still trying to figure it out.
But because the physical aspect, you continue to push yourself there.
It also helped you to continue to push yourself mentally.
I could think I had more clarity.
Yeah. They said that I didn't go to the gym like literally I would be because there were more moments.
I was more there were a few were going to have a few of those drop points in life.
But every time it was that it was like literally.
Can't fall asleep three o'clock midnight literally.
Backpack wastes in it.
Henry Dunham Park.
No shit.
Running that shit up and down at 3 a.m.
People if people walk by, they'll be like, what?
What the fuck is going on?
It's a rock and shit.
It's dark and shit. You just hearing.
And I'm just talking to myself.
Cue the eye of the music.
Yeah, yes, yes.
I did always have that in me like moments and I and that's what that's what sport did for me and training.
So how would you say then that correlation is between the physical health and the mental health?
Yeah, it's the same battle.
I.
Out of my perspective, it's almost impossible to be mentally strong and physically weak.
It's almost impossible because every cell in your body is what makes a strong mind.
So for me, if I'm weak here, bro, up here, you do have those individuals, those pit bulls that they're already all torn up physically can't do shit, but they're still up here going.
But if you're physically fit, as in there's nothing holding you back, just your mind.
It's incredible when you're in shape and I'm not talking being an athlete.
Just just feel good. You know, you got that.
You got that drive. You got that push. You wake up. You feel clarity. You feel it.
It helps when life starts.
Yeah, yeah.
Throwing those punches, throwing those punches at you.
It helps a lot because you can take it. I can take it.
Yeah, punch me. I don't care.
I got it. I ain't nobody can beat me up like I beat myself up.
You can't. That's a lot of times I get the question.
You're always so happy.
Bro, I beat myself up every day.
You don't know how I'm beating myself up every day.
Like, what you doing? Get up.
Yeah. So during that one and a half years.
Well, actually, we passed the one and a half years, right?
Okay. So after that one and a half year period where the guy approached you like, Hey, I see you here all the time.
It's basically like you work in here.
How long did you take to do those courses?
I think it was like a year.
Like a year. And then you did three courses in the year.
Yeah, I did three courses.
After I did the first, I was already then working in the gym because there was a...
You just needed a one course to be able to get started.
And then you leveled up every time.
Because I wanted to be keep on.
Yeah, I wanted to choose a career path.
So it was okay. Let me get everything that I can.
And so I can start like being a personal trainer.
And from there, find out.
Yeah. So how long did you then spend doing the personal training?
Not long. Not long because the way that I was doing it was not really intriguing and not really...
Yeah.
It wasn't fulfilling.
Fulfilling. No, no, at all. It wasn't fulfilling.
And that's why I say maybe it was a place that I was or but I wasn't getting that fulfillment from it.
Because I knew I could do much more than what was happening at that moment.
So you felt like the path is right.
Yeah.
But then the current place you needed to move beyond that.
Yeah. So I wanted to see and explore what type of...
How can you train someone? What are the different ways?
Because I find like this is not the only way that it can't be.
So I started to dive into how do athletes train. It's like a baseball player because I love baseball.
So that was the first that I was really diving into.
Oh, so different sports train different ways. Oh, wait a minute. You have. Oh, wait a minute.
So where did you do that research then?
Dr. Google, bro. Dr. Google.
Google, bro. Nights. Night times.
So that because around which period we talking now?
Now we're talking about 2011.
OK. Yeah, around there.
So were you getting this content more like in blog form or videos?
A lot of blog. YouTube was empty.
Yeah. It was a lot of blogs, a lot of university documents that I also like research.
Yeah. Yeah. Like a lot of just blank text, bro.
A lot of just reading. And before you even get to a part that talks about training, you're like, oh, my God.
Where are we going to be talking about?
Yeah. So essentially what I'm hearing is the traditional college route was just not meant for you.
No. But then when you started to find your team.
I actually mailed schools for can I just can I not just do this curriculum?
Can I not just get this part? Yeah. Because I'm interested in this.
Yeah. Just the rest. Keep it. Keep the rest.
I want to learn more about this. But that was not an option.
They wanted to sell you the four year course.
They want to make money. I want to make money too.
Not the three month. No, no. They're like, no, we cannot chop things down for you, bro.
But now it's different. Now it's a whole different ballgame.
Now there's so many other information is out there. Yeah.
It's out there. I think school is a dying form. It's a dying form.
The information is out there. And it's I find that if you're hungry for knowledge.
Yeah. Bro, there's no limit. Everything is right at your finger.
Yeah. It's on your phone. Everything is right there. Everything is right there.
You want to learn about something? Google. Yeah.
You're getting even crazier now. Yeah. Yeah. It's getting even crazy.
Excuse me. Yeah. Yeah. I'm sorry, Siri.
But all the work for you that chat GPT. Yeah. Going crazy now.
It's on a whole new level. Yeah. But it just makes information way more accessible, way more accessible.
Because that is yes, it does. So let's so you spent a very short period there, but you essentially went to a midnight college because you were researching all of the good college papers, university research.
I still have I'm going to show you. I still have those my script, my exercise books, stoppies. I got stacks. Yeah.
And sometimes I go through them and I'm looking at the ten years ago. I'm like, are you so stupid?
What were you thinking here? But it's beautiful that I kept those because I can see myself developing and my way of thinking.
And but really the interesting part that I hear in your story now, because I mean, even though we know each other, we never have these type of conversations about that whole transition.
Yeah. Yeah. You essentially went to the University of Rigel. You went out to research your own curriculum, put it together.
I'm still in it. Yeah. Because if you're describing that you're reading these research papers and you go through pages and pages before you get to the meat of it.
Yeah. Yeah. Essentially, that's also kind of what you do in class. And it sticks. Something sticks.
Like I think like I oh, but then I'm in a training or I see someone moving. I'm like, wait. Yeah.
You're like shifting to that. Wait, wait, wait, wait. And I'm back back on those papers. Yeah.
But again, just like that guy in the gym that said, maybe you should.
I was searching for a new way to train. Yeah. A new way to train people. Yeah. And that was one guy.
I told him to because I met him. I didn't meet him because I remembered him and I met him later.
And he introduced me to CrossFit. Yeah. He said, hey, I'm training like this.
So he showed me a video of what he was doing. He's like flipping the tires and running and hitting it. I'm like, yeah.
Yes. I was sold. I was sold. So I dove immediately into it.
And that was then 2012. But then like right now, if you want to, there are a lot of you can go for those applications for level one, level two.
You can do that in the Netherlands. But back then, we're talking about 2012. You had to go somewhere else.
Yeah. So I went to England. I went to. Oh, God.
Oh, man. Oh, beautiful story about that. Yeah. Yeah. Because I met some like.
Okay. So you went to a place, a city in England. England went there to get the level one CrossFit.
And from there, it began. So first I did. I searched for a CrossFit in Eindhoven.
There was nothing. There was like Heimert and there was one in Helmond. Yeah.
And shout out to Renato from Blumhouse because he was like the first trainer I got in contact to.
He introduced me to it again. Same same gym routine. Coming in the morning, coming in the evening. Same thing.
So it was incredible. So you first started just going to CrossFit yourself as an individual.
Just going in. They didn't say I was trained. They didn't say I had ambition for it. No, I just wanted to soak it in.
Yeah. What is it? What is it about? I just wanted to be a student. Yeah. So I just wanted to coach me.
Just get me moving. I want to. That's the best way that I learned. Yeah. It's just by being present.
And still doing my research. So he's now he's watching me coming in and doing things. He's like, hey, what's that?
You never think, where are you going? Hey, hey, legs. But when I leave from because I used to work less. I was working twice a week.
The rest of the time I'm turning. So now I'm fully in that zone stage of this is what I'm going for. So I'm still in school.
Yeah. So every other moment that I have. In the school of Rydrum. Yeah. I'm in there learning, teaching and I was there.
If one thing about CrossFit, if you start with like those Olympic lifts, you got to be mobile.
So you got to get the bar in an overhead squat, like holding the bar above your head and squat. Yeah. Yeah. You know. Yeah.
You guys try and kill me. You know what I'm talking about. You know what I'm talking about.
No, no, I got something for you, bro. I got something for you. Yeah. You're going nowhere.
But so I got injured. So I got injured. I messed up my shoulder. Yeah. Really bad. Like I had no grip hours.
Like if I picked this up, it would just like slip out my hand. I was like literally hitting three ibuprofen, three pills to go train in the morning.
I hit one immediately after training because they didn't want to overdose.
And then at night I would train through pain because I want to take them before I go to sleep. Otherwise, I can't fall asleep.
So then it was like this is that's some addict stuff. Yeah. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Looking back, I'm like, bro. But that was my journey.
That's how I came into. Oh, wait a minute. Mobility is stability is something. Yeah. It's not just go hard.
You can't just go. It doesn't matter where you I want. I was when I'm in there, I'm in there. I'm going 100, 200%.
But you have to prepare the body to be able you like one way that I see it right now is you can't just do that. That movement. Yeah.
It has to be earned. You got to earn the right to perform that movement and to earn it. You got to go through that process. Yeah. Yeah.
And if you don't go through that process and you take that shortcut, you're going to learn. Yeah. You're going to learn like I learned. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Pain.
So it was messing up the shoulder. It's kind of like with everything in life. Yeah. You. Yeah. There's no shortcuts.
There's no shortcuts. And I remember experiencing some of those first mobility classes and really thinking like, Whoa, they're really pushing you to the limit here. But also the way how you broke down a lot of the reasons behind what you do and how it prepares you to then to be able to do these other aspects.
And I could even imagine. And I mean, it's not my profession, but I'm thinking about someone like LeBron James. Yeah. He's been 20 years in the sport and I know he puts his he has like a huge regimen to put his body.
He makes sure his body is at 100 to perform that way. Yeah. Because otherwise it's gonna. My issue was later on with high intensity training is that because it got so famous, a lot of people were doing the movement.
There was a lot of injury. There's nothing wrong with those movements. What the problem is that you haven't earned the right to perform those. Yeah. So you haven't taken the time to prepare your body to be able to perform this movement. That's where all those injuries came from.
So you have a lot of people. And that's really the mobility aspect of it that you need to go through. Yes. And that brings that a lot of people would talk bad about certain training forms. Yeah. It's not bad. It's just that the people that are doing it without that preparation.
So they skip the step. Of course it's gonna be bad. Step one is you. It's like taking my child right now. He's in kindergarten. No, no, no, no. He's supposed to be in college right now. Yeah. Put him in college. What's gonna happen?
Is he dumb? No, he's not dumb. He's just not prepared for that. Yeah. So there's steps to it. There's steps to it. There's level to the game. Let me put it that way. There's level to the game and there's no shame in the game. You can still do high intensity but without those complex movement and keep it safe. Yeah.
And this for me was finding out the hard way. But that's how I again rabbit hole boom. How do I rehab my shoulder? What's wrong with it? I can push in this position that does pain that position if I go out where it's painful. Okay.
So how do I rehab my own body and the shoulders and that was my hips and my ankles and was my back because after I blew my shoulder, I did. All right. You're getting rest. But I was still going twice in the gym. What am I doing? Squats, lunges, jump.
You. So after a while, my back said, bro. So the University of Rigel, it first started with the knowledge gain, right? And then it went into some courses. Then it went into practicing. Yeah. Then within that first aspect, it wasn't sort of deep enough.
So you went looking for a new type of way of training. You found this way. Then you first started to become a student of it. Then you destroyed your whole body. Not understanding. Not earning those rights.
So you became your own guinea pig. Like, okay. So how do I fix my body? But then that makes you a great trainer to know and see that people are going to. Yeah. You continue with that. Yeah.
Immediately. And also, like you just said, also, like when I'm giving a class, I'm explaining. So my whole point and that's still how I teach and I look at it.
Even if you're not training with me anymore, if you've trained a while with me, you know how to train your body. That's like my sole purpose. If you've trained at primary performance, if you train someone, you know how to warm up.
You know how if you do it or not, that's on you. That's on you because you've been taught how to do it. But my sole purpose is to teach the reason. Yeah. And that was definitely something that I highly appreciated.
Even though we just had a few sessions together, but in those sessions, like the learnings that you got from that, it's definitely the type of stuff that sticks with you and what is super valuable, whether or not you train together. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Because now I still get messages from people that used to train with me from everywhere like, oh, I went to this new gym and they're already telling me like, oh, and that's the beauty of it because it's a gift that keeps on giving.
Because sometimes I would be like in the gym and I would see someone explaining a certain movement or warming up or whatever to another athlete. Yeah. Another. And I'm like, yeah, that's what it is. That's it.
Yeah. That right there. Those moments are incredible. But it started with breaking this up, bro. It started with laying on a massage table with my pants half down and a dude with his elbow just breaking this shit out of my hand.
It's a really humbling moment in my life. I was crying not because it hurt, but it hurt in here.
It hurt in here. The physical pain didn't make you cry, but your soul was crying. We got this far.
Never again.
I learned that day. Yeah, I learned that day. I learned to appreciate what your body does for you and started diving deep into, okay, how can I keep my body healthy, mobile, moving the way that I want it to if I want to do this type of training, if I want to.
So if that is what I need my body to do, I still have to prep. So I have to do that type of thing.
So we're now. What was this moment? Where are we at 2012?
That moment is yes, that moment is 2012. That was 2013. 2013 because then when I dive into it, I started to get the confidence that okay, I'm getting a very broad understanding of what needs to be done from beginning to the end.
Mobility wise to rehab injuries to prevent was that's the biggest one is to prevent because we don't want those injuries.
And conditioning wise, how to push different type of your engines and because I had my shoulder and my back, I know. Okay, so this is a way if accidents happen, if you get injured, these are ways that you can still get back on the game.
So it's not like, oh, the pain is gone and just jumping back in. Baby steps back up, baby. It's very humbling. It's very humbling when you get injured because you have to start this ego crushing.
So that's what I really like also about that type of training because you can think, oh, yeah, you come in there like you're alpha male and you get humble.
You get humble real quick. So yeah. And so then I started thinking about maybe I can open up my own place. So then it started to really like falling.
Then the business side came back into. Maybe. I don't know. Maybe. Then I remember somewhere around 2013 us having some of those initial conversations.
Yeah. Weren't you somewhere in the Czech Republic too at some point? Yes. Yes. Because that was one of the beautiful relationship that I built when I went to the level one in England.
Yeah. Is I met a guy and he had he was organizing a CrossFit competition. He already organized one this time was going to go bigger. CrossFit was backing him up. So and he was like, David, David is his name.
He was like, yeah, would you come and help? And then I did. And all in jokes. So I'm like, I'm coming. He's like, yeah, you know, he's taking it for a joke. Yeah, I'm like, dude, I'm coming.
He's like, no, I didn't contact him for like, I think a month. And after that Monday was like a few like two weeks before the competition.
So I texted him. There was a message, Facebook, Facebook Messenger. Yeah. Hey, this is this day. You can't pick me up.
But that was that was an incredible experience because I got to get involved with high level athletes, people that were making a career out of CrossFit from that time. We were talking way back.
So it barely touched the Dutch scene. CrossFit wasn't really something there. But being able to work with the team also from the CrossFit headquarters, they send like a team from Reebok and everything and being able to be backstage and work and learn.
Soak up the knowledge. Yeah. University of Rigel continued. That was an incredible experience. Still today I still say thank you.
Yeah, I remember how lit up and full of energy you were after that experience. Because I think at the time when we saw each other, we didn't see each other for a little while. And then when we ran into each other at the barbershop.
And he started talking about what you've been up to and yeah, with the journey that actually solidified me as in. Yes. Yes. I'm going for this. 100%. I'm diving in, bro. I don't care what's going to happen.
I mean, I already dove in, broke that, but rebuilt, right? Rebuilding it back up. I was like, yes, this is definitely something I want to pursue.
So let's fast forward now to the first business opportunity of being part of building up a CrossFit gym. Yeah. Yeah. That was in Helmond. So I was coaching there.
Again, with the trainer where I started. So I was coaching there and I was really changing it up a little bit.
So you were coaching CrossFit? Yeah. Like breaking down the movements, breaking down the science, mobility wise is really changing the way that the class was being given it more my personal, what I was thinking.
And he gave me the freedom to do it also. So I really appreciate that. And I met Jan Hang. Jan Hang, he passed also. Rest in peace. Yeah. Rest in peace, man.
I met him. We got into good conversations every time that I'm giving him classes. He had a house in Aruba. So we had a lot in common.
We could talk about a lot. And he was like, he had just a craftmaga, you know, the gym. Yeah. And he wanted to expand and go bigger.
And so I was like, oh, I'm thinking about opening up. He's like, maybe we should do something together. Maybe we can look into that.
So he called me one day out of the blue. He's like, I got two, three locations that I'm going to watch. What are you doing? Yeah. I'm like, this is cool. Let's go. Let's go.
So we went to look at some location. Then right now we're the gym name and it's Powerhouse. Powerhouse 040. Where it's located, bro. I got picked.
You've been there. I was there when all the cobwebs was quite beginning. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And like anything was I always told him he needs to hang up pictures of what we found.
Seriously, I was standing there and this is something that I truly appreciate. Jan, we didn't look at everything from the same point of view, but I learned so much from this guy.
And he challenged me emotionally. Oh, business wise. It's incredible. But we were standing there outside of where they're at. Powerhouse right now. Yeah. And I'm like, bro, what are we doing?
This old dude that owns the place, they opened the door and there were lights in there. We're walking like above our ankles in mud and slush. And the roof is like...
Okay, I didn't see it in that state. Exactly. That's why I'm telling you. He needs to hang up pictures of what if you look at the place now, this is just my opinion.
To this day, it's still for me, it's still the best looking and it's the best gym in Anja. I'm sorry. I really love that location. I really like what he did with the place.
But especially seeing it from what I saw. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, so that Jan Hein taught you... Vision, vision. Vision, vision.
Vision, bro. I didn't see that, bro. He taught me that. He showed me that. To be able to see the beauty in the mud. Yeah. It's not what you're looking at. There's more.
There's a lot more into it. So and it was another floor in it. So it was like maybe, I think, three meters. And then it was... Oh, so you took out the other floor.
You know, at the wall, you see like this line that runs across the wall. But that was a floor in there. Like a floor from the front all the way to the back.
So they put up like a little like a little bore machine just break down that whole floor piece. It was a hell of a job.
But an incredibly beautiful experience that till this day, I'm thankful that he allowed me to be part of it. Yeah. Allowed me to be part of it.
And as soon as the door opened up, because mind, I... It took... Mind, I went to Aruba, got married, came back.
So he took his time and waited for me for me to go do that. When I came back, we opened up and gave me the liberty to like, bro, this side is fight.
Yeah. This side. Do you think? Yeah. Do you think? So I'm here.
I have no like financial responsibility. All those information and all those tactics and all of that that I've been learning, I can implement and see what works, what doesn't, what works faster, what slower, what strength looks like, what strength and conditioning looks like.
So to be able to do that, and especially because we just opened, there was nothing in Eindhoven, we got a lot of raw people, like people that haven't been moving.
And now I have to mobilize them and get them into those type of positions. So again, that the training of the Rigel University that you broke down your whole body.
Now you see each person coming in. Now I got projects. Everybody's walking in. That's our project. That's like literally a new project looking at me right in the face. So I'm like, yes.
And... So at the height of it, like approximately how many members did you guys get to when you were still collaborating business-wise?
We were at 250. 250 within what amount of time? 2014 to 2016. Okay. So in two years time. Yeah. So going from zero to 250. Zero to that place was wrong. That place. Yeah. Yeah.
It still feels like a foster child of mine. I still have that feeling with that place and still have that, you know, because that's why I'm incredibly grateful for him. I'm incredibly grateful for Jan-Hein, because he allowed me to be able to implement that knowledge, implement and had the...
He trusted me. Yeah. Yeah. So that's also something because, you know, you got to be able to get it. But it made me work even harder then and wanted to do it even better. Yeah.
I had in the back, I had like a whiteboard with injuries. So if people are getting injured, I got the name down. I got because I'm going home.
Back to the school to figure out how to make sure that people avoid getting those injuries and how to help them back. Yeah.
So I was building a program for when new people come in, what do they need to do? What are the better ways to get them moving before they go into class? Yeah. And trying my best to keep it safe. Like keep it safe. Push you to the limit, but keeping it safe. Yeah.
That was at Powerhouse. And what I also remember about those days, well, I only joined a few classes because I'm not really the type for the group classes. But my wife, she was a fanatic at some point.
So every now and then I used to come there. But I do remember there was a very, very strong sense of community there. Yeah, bro. Which was something pretty amazing to see. It's the barbecues in the summer. It's something that I...
Yeah, you know where we come from. You know how we get down. Yeah, you don't need to call me. You're coming over, bro. You just come over. We're eating. You're eating. I don't care if you just ate. You're eating. Don't disrespect my face, bro.
So that warmth of the Caribbean love, I made sure that it was embedded in that place. For sure, for sure. Because it felt like that. Yeah. And of course, I want to bring home closer.
And to be able to, especially because, you know, from our culture, there is already... it comes with a certain OD.
Oh, those type.
But that's also why this podcast has to exist now, right? Exactly. We got to show a lot more positive examples. Exactly. And I'm sick and tired of these stereotypes.
That was the whole reason to embrace everybody even more. Just to show that there's also an other side.
Because with those two 50 members, I remember it was also a very diverse group, right? With people from the Netherlands, Caribbean, all over Europe, Americans. Yeah, it was very diverse.
Yeah, for sure. So transitioning out of the partnership business relationship with Jan Hyn. I know that there's then a chapter two there, so to speak. Yeah.
So could you tell us a bit about that transition? And then what were some of the motivations?
When I was... so we got really busy. And when I was training there, that's actually where I found out I want to work more on clothes with people.
Yeah, because then when you're up to 250 members, it's way more group activities. Yeah, I like it. It's fun for the weekend.
But I want one person, what's your goal? And then move on from there. Yeah. So that was what I wanted to transition in.
So essentially you also figure that out by doing that. Yeah, by doing that. Everything. I'm like, oh, wait. Oh, this is nice.
But now I have like a program that I knew that if I go more specific, I would get you there faster. Yeah. And that's what I was looking for.
That's what I was... So you were looking for making a deeper level of impact. Impact. Yeah. Even though it would be with less people.
Yeah. Yeah. That was it. Exactly. And I started there to get one on one with people, but I was all that time, I was the face. Yeah.
So anything, any question, any doesn't matter. It's me. It's me. It's no other coach.
There were other coaches, but I was like the head coach. So I'll be giving one on one class, but one people will run up. Hey, what about, oh, what did you tell me again about that? Oh, my arm. Oh, my leg. Oh, my. So, but.
So I can imagine that also kind of became overwhelming to some degree. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So especially.
Because that's the type of stuff that you can't really anticipate. No, no, no. I did not expect that to go to the event. It was nicer. Yeah. If I did not want to go on that one on one project, I would probably still be there. Yeah.
Because there was no problem. I had a blast. It was incredibly fun. And the community, as I said, everything. But I was looking for another route. I wanted to work that one on one. I wanted to see how far can I push. How good am I?
You know, as a coach, how can I get someone? Let's say someone has a herniated disc. Let's go. What you doing? You ain't got no degree, bro. What you doing? Where your knowledge at? Yeah. You know, but I've worked with people with herniated disc. Got them off their chronic pills. You know how?
I just got. Yeah. Yeah. Trial and error. But also talking a lot with physiotherapists. Yeah. Yeah. You know, just not just doing my own thing. Asking those questions because that I seek in additional knowledge from experts.
Not only like your knowledge. Yeah. So not only on the paper that I find, but also like, hey, like I went to different physios and I go, what do you think about this? What do you think about that? At the end of the day, I ended up with one guy that I'm still I send most actually everybody.
Not most. I sell everybody to him because I find that the way that he looks at movement, it's yeah, it's on the same level like the way I look at movement. Yeah. So for me, it was it got too much.
So I wanted to have my own space. Is it a small, it doesn't matter. Does not matter. But because I cannot give a personal training at the gym because of that the whole time, all the questions that then I have to give it between a little space from like 12 to four.
But yeah, the most people want off early in the morning or late in the afternoon because people got to work.
So it was then started a conversation with John A. I'm looking for that from there. We parted ways and I came here for the logo and for it to give the idea to pitch everything from and prime performance was born.
Prime performance is born. Yeah. Yeah. Gorilla dumbbell. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's still incredible that he led literally how he put that. Yeah, I still love that. Yeah. Yeah. It's incredible. It's incredible.
Back then it was Derek. Now it's Robin. So shout out on the logo collaboration. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, then that was born. I was born and I wanted.
I took a route. Actually, you always learn. It's always a learning factor. But I would have. I can't even say I can't say I would have been better if I did what I wanted. What I talked about. But what I did was I opened up a gym.
I opened up the same format formula, but with the thought that, okay, a year or two, I'm going to grind and afterwards I can transition that that run and transition on the side and do that one on one still on the side.
But then I like just because of because of the way that it went by. I love that community and not wanting to miss that. That was more the idea behind it.
And then end up getting a way bigger place that I was supposed to end up doing way more than I was supposed to.
But again, the Raija is just that go. Let's go. I got this. I got this. What are you talking about? I got this. Grind. I don't care. I got this.
I have no problem with pulling up my sleeve and doing 40 hours a day. Yeah.
I got no problem with that, but it was a tall. It was a tall. It wasn't at all. And I had this conversation with Jan Heng and he was like, bro, I told you so.
Shut up, bro.
Because when you were collaborating with Jan Heng, then there was also certain aspects of the of the business that you would have to think about.
So you just focus in on the cool part of it. Yeah, I had I didn't have to think about it. Yeah. Now I'm like, oh, I got it. I'm gonna do that.
No problem. Yeah. And then I can still work on my project. But that took is like 50 50. So all that time now that I have to spend
on the administration, everything that has to do with the business aspect of it, I can't not put it down now for the knowledge. Yeah.
So now I'm actually want to practice the profession and not necessarily got to deal with that. Yeah.
But because I jumped into it that deep, it was not if I went smaller, I would have easily pay someone off to handle that and grow. Yeah. But I just jumped into the deep part.
Yeah, you jumped in. Well, I remember we have in some of those conversations.
You said about something about swimming with sharks when they're hungry.
But I'm like, I got tea too, bro.
So yeah, you think you could go swim with these sharks and bite them. I can bite, bro.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it took a while to get things to a place where I could step away. Yeah.
So it took a longer. I took a longer route to pull that rubber band really hard, almost snapping it.
And took a lot of hits, bro, took a lot of hits. But again, I could take it because I'm moving.
Yeah. I'm training, pushing my body then to a certain degree.
And not only that, I'm getting that energy back from the people that I'm training.
Now I'm seeing people change. I'm literally seeing like the place is changing lives.
You know, it's touching people to a degree that they're getting more confident there.
So that energy was keeping me alive. Let me put it that way. That energy was keeping me alive.
So now on this journey, if I do a quick little rewind, coming here to the Netherlands,
starting off doing business studies, realizing that that wasn't really the best fit for you.
It's actually funny because it comes back later as well. It sort of reconnects.
So the business studies, but then spending a lot of time in a gym, getting that first introduction like,
hey, since you're practically living here, it's like you're working here.
So why not actually work here? That sort of kickstarted University of Rydell.
Doing all the courses, doing a whole lot of research, then started training people.
That sort of led to there was still something missing because the training was just too simple, too boring.
You felt that there was a lot more to it. Being introduced to CrossFit, diving very deep into that itself,
being a student of it, injuring your whole body and having to rebuild yourself back up.
Then being introduced to Jan Hein, founding a first business partner to actually then fulfill that dream of wanting to open something yourself.
So that collaboration went very well where he was handling more the deeper business side of things.
And you were handling the complete concept, the coaching, getting the community building,
got up to 250 members, but then started that there was an itch again, scratching like, OK, I love this community aspect,
but want to go deeper, I want to take on these individual projects or individuals and really get in the back and helping them get the maximum out of their selves.
So you seek to transition into creating your own gym where you would be able to do that more or at least so you talk going in.
But then ended up with the location being way bigger than what you initially envisioned.
And basically saying, effort, we're going to do it.
And then sort of rebuild similar type of community aspect, but then having to also handle all of the business side as well, as well as the community building, coaching, etc.
And that sort of, yeah, as you said, it took a toll on you.
So I can imagine that toll extends beyond just the work environment, also into the personal sphere.
Yeah, could you get into?
Yeah, for me, when I let's say when I dive into something, I can easily just zone in.
You know, I know I have to do this to get to this position.
So cost what is cost. That's what I have to continue on this road to get to that point.
So essentially it's almost like the racehorse.
And I want to get there as soon as possible. No distractions.
Yes, I want to get there as soon as possible because when I'm there, I'm there.
You know, but then that's all lessons because for me, then it was like, no, looking back, I'm like, yeah, but did you enjoy the journey?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You know, you could have enjoyed it a lot more.
You know, it could have maybe be a different destination.
Yeah. So it's just like work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work, work.
Because I there was a moment that I realized, like I think it was like maybe half a year open and I'm like, oh, my God.
This is what it's going to be. And that's that moment that is just.
Yeah, I have to do this because there's no way that I'm going to feel this.
Yeah, there's no way. No, I know this too well.
And even though I am not the best for that business part of it, what to juggle all those models, I don't care.
I'm going to make it happen. You know, the power of.
The mind, the mind, you know, believing, believing I have it.
It's already been achieved, like walking in there and just seeing it full.
It's like calling on that energy.
But ended up like really isolating myself then from.
Yeah, my wife, my brother, my sister, like other friends, like really isolating myself because I wanted to be so in focus.
I did not want any other type of feelings or energy mixing with mine and throwing me off that track.
Yeah. So really the horse on the race track that they put the blinders on.
Yeah. And that was new for me. Yeah.
So I was on like the secret, like like like reading, going through all those types of that was all new for me because I just started to
embed, dive into myself. Yeah. Self discovery.
Like so you do you. So now the school of Rydell sort of transition into self development.
Yes. Self development. So it got really personal. Yeah.
Got really personal with myself.
To a degree that I isolated everyone, not to, but I was also like really lonely.
Yeah. It was a really lonely period that I had, but it ended up costing my marriage.
Yeah. Because yeah, we were not on the same page.
So for me, I'm like, how can you not see where I'm going?
You know, you see like and I was really flossed.
I was like writing things down like my nest, my bed was, bro.
And she would get on my, she would get my case, full of false systems.
Full, all colors. Every color had a goal. All of them.
All of them. And she was like, yeah, you're working too much.
It's too much. And every time it then it became a thing like.
One post it down.
No. What?
Accomplished. See, I told you so.
Like not knowing how I'm going to accomplish those goals, but feeling inside like I can achieve it.
So when you talk about the secret, then it's then it's then it's sort of like those posts,
it knows became like a bit of the vision board slash road map.
Yes. And that was the feeling of accomplishing what it was.
It was waking. It was looking at them, reading them before I went to bed, waking up and reading them.
Like I had on my mirror, wrote down notes to myself and then and like focus.
And then after that, there was a vibe. I got that I was sleeping in the gym.
Oh, shit. Yeah. So I think it was like maybe eight months. Oh, shit.
Yeah. It was quite a long period. And and read that when we got already have one one Jayden's already had one child.
Yeah. Wife was pregnant with the second one.
That second one was born. So I was like, no, taking she's got to go to work.
So I'm like, no, they're staying here. So when I want I have to start early in the morning.
I can't go all the way because we were living in Helmos.
I can't go all the way home and then come back and then the gym and where you were living was like 30 minutes.
Yeah. And then it's very slow. So. Yes.
And sometimes I'm there and I'm done like at maybe 10. Yeah.
So then to close up to fix it up, it's long to go home.
So I'm like, no, I'm staying right here. Yeah.
So is I'm or I'm with the kids there or they're with mama.
But that created a distance between. Yeah.
But for me, I was focused. I was like, I have to make this space a success.
But that was it was it was it got really personal.
Yeah. And to a degree that I was trying to make her understand what I'm doing.
But yeah, not knowing myself or not never engaging in those type of conversations.
Yeah. So because you also isolated yourself to the degree that you didn't want those distractions.
So then you also didn't really let her. I would.
I would not. I would touch it. Yeah.
But then let it go. Yeah. You know, because I wanted to stay focused.
Yes, I would touch it. But then I would let it if she does not react or react in the way that I that that would help.
Yeah. What my thought was back then.
Then it's like, well, no, I can't go deep into this because then it would take me three weeks to get back.
In line with what I'm doing right now. Yeah.
And that was a whole other school.
That was a whole other university really finding out who I am as a person, how I react, why I react like that,
what to be able to take on everything and still stay focused and still stay sane and not deviate from what I'm doing.
It did cost that relationship. So with the knowledge you have today, is there looking back, is there anything that you would do different in the same situation?
I think this is literally the path that me as an writer had to take to be where he's at right now.
Yeah. So I have no, literally I have no, I have a good relationship now with my ex-wife.
Of course, we got two beautiful children. So there is a lot of beautiful that was birthed from that relationship.
Yeah. It was at that moment of life that was the right thing. Yeah.
So you never know where life takes you. So I have no regret of how I took, because I know for myself, if I went to school, if I did that other route, who would I be?
Yeah. Like would I have the knowledge that I have right now? Would I be the person? Would I have gone deep into who is Raidjo?
Yeah. I have no clue, bro. We don't know.
But I'm grateful for this journey that I and the way that it ended up in the journey that I took to be where I am right now.
Oh, also the reason that it made it more comfortable to get to that other decision that I had to take.
So even doing that gym, all that process, got it to where I wanted it to be. All the numbers are correct.
Yes, we got there. And just feeling exhausted, feeling a sense of, yeah, not fulfilled.
So there was a certain emptiness. Yeah. Yeah. I'm there. Now I'm looking.
There's a picture and Derek, shout out to Derek, he took that picture and he stood on the stairs because there were stairs when you walked in.
And there was a workout that everybody was running in. And you could see like the whole place.
Because remember, I started with, I think, 80 square meters of mat in the floors, like 200 something square meters.
So we started really humbled and build it up to what it was at the end. It was work. But then it was there.
And as I saw it, so before one mat was placed in that place, how it was at the end, I saw that way before that happened.
And knowing, OK, this is your vision, bro. Yeah. This is what you envision. You accomplished it.
Why are you feeling that way? Yeah. No feeling that sense of this emptiness.
Yeah. And then came the C word.
Then came the C word. I don't even want to say it. 2020. Yes. Yes. And for me, it was a blessing, bro.
Yeah. Yes. Because I was what you would, what people would call a burnout. I was really close to that.
I was pleased. I was going to. I didn't have that energy anymore. The people there were the ones that were lifting me up and my kids.
They were there because the marriage actually was already done by then.
It was a toll. So emotionally and personally, I was at a low, a very low place that time.
I wouldn't have. That's the C word that will always remind me of not that, but where I was as an individual.
Yeah. Because that was a big that that year. That was a big turning point in my life.
So when we got that first shutdown that we had to close everything, that was a blessing because I went home and I had time because I had to work.
I was continuously working. I wanted to go one on one, bro. But now I'm still on that horse having to give class, having to give people that whole shenanigans.
I'm there getting tired. Shut down.
Now I cannot, even if I want to go and give class. So I'm at home on bed.
The one I think the first three days, I'm just literally from a bed to the fridge, fridge to the bed. I'm like, bro, just breathe.
Yeah. Take this time. Just breathe. Take this time and started to dig, dig deep in myself, dig deep in myself.
If that wasn't what you're doing, then you need to take a different route again. You need to make a change.
Building that community, building that everything. And now I got to break that down. Yeah, it was difficult.
Yeah, I had two years. Took me two years. Took me two years.
There were different moments that I were the perfect timing to do it, but I couldn't do it. Yeah, I couldn't find it in me to do it.
And again, lesson, life lesson, bro. If it's in here, three, two, one, let's go.
Yeah. Opinions of people will always have opinions. Doesn't matter. But if you're not feeling it anymore, if it's not giving you that positive energy, it's done.
No changing it. Just just move. Oh, you're going to try to keep fixing something. But if it's not, it's not.
And that was my lesson with that. And then that was four, five, five. No, that's a month and a half ago that I that I made that decision.
Officially made what decision? Officially to close primate as an official place as a box. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
I didn't know that. Drop in. Exclusive. Exclusive right here. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It took a while, but I knew that that was not it wasn't working anymore.
And I didn't have that energy because after when I came back, because I stayed at home when that Kovac and had time to do some self development and thinking what I want for the future, I knew that's not the format that I wanted.
Yeah. So now with Kovac to keep on fighting and keeping it at one level and pushing it to stay in alive. And I just did not have that energy anymore. Yeah. And what didn't help either.
You know, most people, a lot of people had a bad vibe because of Kovac. A lot of people got into a slump. Slump and a lot of because essentially we were all on house arrest.
You know, so like the dialogue was very negative. Yeah. You know, and then feeling that this is not my purpose. And then every member is coming in and I have to lift them up.
And also that took a big toll on you. It's another school, bro. Yeah. Because I'm looking at people. See what I'm doing right now. I'm looking at people. I want to choke you. Shut up. Bring that positive vibe.
You know what? So it really took a toll. Really took a toll on me personally, but beautiful because again, that's a lesson. That's the pressure. It creates the diamonds. It creates those moments in your life. And I've learned a lot.
Like the last five years was incredible. Like, you know me. You know who I am. So now if I tell you, I wake up at 530. I wake up at 530 every day. Drink 600 milliliters of water. I literally do my stress session.
I go meditate before the kid. I wake up because sometimes they wake up and they do a set. I have some. I'm going to post some of it because I have them recorded. Yeah, it's cool. They actually join me. Yeah.
But change that whole aspect like from who am I? Like really dive into what's the healthy routine? What's it about? Like, what are those guys doing that are up there in those skyscrapers? They got that dough. How do they get there? Where are they mentally? What's that lifestyle? What's it about?
And got looking myself in the mirror again, put on your time. You got to change some things. So like again, dig deep in digging deep in myself and forcing myself to get that routine going.
So you made the decision about a month and a half ago to shut down Prime Performance as a box. Yes. And there's something new emerging. Yes. It's been three years on the shelf, bro. This right here.
Maybe try and get a clear shot of it. The Fit Dad Gang. Is it this side? Yes. No, it's the other side. The other side, right? No. No. Maybe the other side. Yeah.
Be the hero, bro. Be the hero. This was born at the second lockdown. So this was 2020 that I wanted to do this. I'm like, okay, so this is the one on one. I want to start coaching and really I'm going through the self development phase.
I got kids and I take that. A lot of people say like you don't have like a gray zone. You're all the way there. Are you all the way there, bro?
So even with my kids parenting, I take it like, wow, man, I take it to a crazy level. Really diving into the psychology and really having conversation with my kids and seeing how they react to certain conversations and to certain stimulus and
making sure they're emotionally alive, like get especially because I'm divorced, don't have no one in my family around. So I have no experience, let me put it, with parents that are divorced and how is that going to work?
How do you manage that? I mean, the kids not with you and then it's well and then that was the scariest part of it. We got it. We got it. We got it on lockdown right now. It's going great.
So you guys figured out the co-parenting model. Yeah, we got the co-parenting. It's good. It's going good. But I want my kids to be themselves.
But I want to be able to give them a platform to understand life and being able to understand who they are and what are emotions and that me, that is also an other being.
I'm a person. You know, you come by my name, you might lose a teeth, but we're in that belt mode, bro. No, but like respect, mutual respect.
So really treating them as individuals, as humans, helping them to discover themselves on this life journey. Exactly. And know that there's not, don't let nobody put you in a box.
No, you're you. Oh, you're like, no, I'm Jayden. I'm Zane. Yeah. Yeah. But you do that. No, no, bro. I'm Jayden. I'm Zane, bro. You know, touch them like that.
From there, that gang was born and three years, three years on the shelf, been developing the last year, a lot like diving into different other trainers, different other coaches, dissecting different philosophies, not only on coaching, mental health or movement, training, parenting.
Finding out. And again, it's beautiful because I have kids so I can experiment. Yeah, I can like see positive parenting, like positive, like when they do something like when they do something bad, I don't really like punish them.
I explain to them what just happened and want to get down to the core of why it happened and help them. Yeah. So let's communicate. I'm not mad, bro.
You have no idea what they're doing. They don't want to know.
I can't get mad at you. So when looking back now at the Prime 8 performance, what was then sort of the peak membership numbers?
We were at 130. 130. Yeah. OK. We were at 130. Nice. Yeah. Yeah.
It was going. It was going hard till the sea hits. But it was good because before that already, I knew this is not really, it was nice. Yeah. Perfect. But it was not my lane. Yeah. It was not my lane.
It was not. I can do again, just like from my uncle, I can do it as no problem. Continue doing it, but it's not my lane. It's not what I, I don't get the right energy out of it. Yeah.
So yeah, it was there. It was a difficult decision. It was a people said, yeah, they were not happy. The ones that were left at the end, they were not happy. They're still not happy. They might beat me up if I get.
But they understood. They understood. They knew because they knew for a long time already that my energy was different. Yeah. They know I was more alive and I was so they knew there was something like some of those members.
I mean, there's still like people have trained with for three, four years. Yeah. So they would know. Yeah. They know I've got six years. Yeah. My oldest is going to be seven. So people that have been training for like seven, eight years.
It was before that he was born. So they just felt like the trainer divorced them. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, the trainer also needs to continue his life path. Yeah, I'm on the life. I'm on the journey, bro.
And right now, so it's like a journey of 13 years to fall into what I know. No, I like right now I've I partnered up with someone at another gym. So I'm doing my personal trainer day training thing.
I'm starting to build up my platform, starting to get just introducing myself and reintroducing myself there. And I'm grateful for the road because I've learned so much.
Yeah, I've learned so much and I can't wait to work with you. Don't let me know you crying inside.
You're going to have to worry about that. So Rigel, it's been quite a journey. Yeah, we've been quite a lovely ride.
And it feels like right now you're you're opening a new chapter. Yeah. Yeah. There was there were tons of lessons in the previous chapters.
It also feels like those previous chapters helped you go on a pretty huge self discovery journey. Yeah. Yes. You seem way more calm, relaxed, confident about about this new chapter.
Yeah. Where things are going. But looking back, 18 year old Rigel with the knowledge of the 40 year old Rigel.
What would you tell your younger self today? Take over the world, bro. Yeah, I would I would I would encourage him if I could sit with him, I would encourage him to discover himself.
Okay, to start that discover yourself, discover, talk with yourself, go deeper in who you are and don't mind the outside noise.
Go deeper in who you are and ignore that noise. Yeah. Yeah. Because that work ethic that everything was already in there is just not knowing myself.
Yeah. And and why I react to certain situation, why I take long to take certain decisions, why I that is this finding out who I am.
And and then was it even earlier that I could have loosened up those knots. Now I got to get out some 30 year old knots.
So it takes time to teach the old dog a new trick. So essentially, the advice that you would give is self discovery, the self discovery, start that journey a lot, a lot faster, a lot sooner.
As soon as you put the side, put the side some of the party in and bullshit to be quicker on the let that be like a moment and not the thing and not the thing. Yeah. So the thing should be the self discovery and everything else around it.
Yeah. It's three days, don't sleep, doesn't matter. But that's not the thing. Yeah. After that, we're focused. Yeah. After that, we're focused and always, especially that because it was a long time in my life. I had no goal. Yeah.
You know, just just just living to see how it goes. No, no goal is clueless. Yeah. But that was incredibly. So when you tell the 18 year old you to make self discovery his goal.
Yeah, that would be the first way I expect. Yeah. Yep. Learn how to stay focused on that. Discover yourself and with totality. Yeah. What is me?
As in dive in different types of forms and different types of philosophies and different types and just find out. Yeah. Find out for yourself. Where do you stand in that thing? And then when you find it and just keep your leg grounded. Yeah.
Dig your roots deep into it and always believe in that. Let no outside noise take you off that path. Yeah. Yeah. Doesn't matter what it is because people I mean, we all believe different things. We all believe in. Yeah.
If we go on the religious side, not Jesus, Buddha, Allah, doesn't matter. But it's all about love. At the end of the day, it's all about love doing to others what you want to be done to you. That's what it's that's what it ends up at.
And from there we got spiritual levels we got. So you got to dig and go deep into that. Otherwise you will never find out who you are. Yeah. Because we're not just this game. I go. That's a whole different conversation. That's a whole different podcast.
Who knows? Maybe we might get into one of those. Yeah. Yeah. It's also a very it's a very that's one that I would also have with my 18 year old self. Yeah. It's not just this kid. It goes deeper. It goes deeper. Yeah. Yeah.
But it's a different podcast. Actually, we got to have that that conversation because it's also nice. It's also nice. I like going into that part also. The spiritual side of life, the spiritual side of life, mental side of life, health. Yeah. Yeah. Mind, body, soul. Yeah.
The NBR. That was Trinity. That was tried fitness. That was the name of my first business tried. Yeah. Yeah. I'm there. But Prime Performance is still there because I'm still using that platform to help people build up a community there.
But now we're really focusing on that. I want to help some dads. I want to embrace some fathers that are feeling hopeless. Yeah. Bring some hope. Bring some hope to the dad. Yeah. Yeah. So Mr. Peters.
Where can where can people find you in the in the web spheres in the web? You got to close your eyes and sit there and hum.
You can hit me up at Prime Performance. That's like my main platform. But Fit Dad, I just launched it. So I do. I'm already being active. So that's primateperformance.com.nl.com. Insta. Insta. Insta at Prime Performance at Fit Dad.
Fit on the score that gang. Yeah. Hit me up on Insta. If you're a dad, you want a guide. It doesn't matter. A root. A high five, bro. A bucks. Something. Something. Because some people just need that. Just need that little attention.
Some people think that they're more far gone that they really aren't. But just to help guide them on the right path. So hit me up on those platforms. And then from there, you would find a lot more about me because it's about to go crazy.
I'm about to release a lot of information. Alright. I'm curious. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like it's been boiling and bubbling up for some time. This is three years on the shelf. It was emotionally a challenge to do that move that I did.
And learning again sitting on my side. But why? Why? Outside. Come on. Let's go. This is what you want. You've been there. That's that conversation with myself. But meditating helped. That was it. My morning routine. That was it. Nice. That helped.
Mr. Peters. Right, Joe? Yeah, bro. Thank you. This is nice. This is nice. We go way back. These are default barbershop conversations. These are barbershop conversations. For sure. For sure. Yeah. Barbershop. Awesome, man. I really loved it. I really enjoyed it. I always loved having these conversations and then unlocking new levels of deepness.
And there's also nuggets and lessons for me in these conversations. And I would definitely hope for the listeners out there that there were lots of nuggets and lessons to be learned.
So once again, thank you very, very much for listening in to the Sunside Kingdom show. Don't forget to like, subscribe, place a comment. Any questions that additional questions that you may have for Raijo. Yes. If you're thinking, hey, I want to see these guys have that spiritual conversation. Hey, let us know.
Maybe we might organize that. Let's go. If enough people requested. Maybe that could even be a wider conversation with more people involved. With more people. Yes. But yeah, thanks for tuning in. It's been another great one. Yes, sir. See you in the next episode.
Bless.
You