Dear Friends,
Nearly 15 years ago, I founded Elitefts.com Inc. with the primary aim to: "Live, Learn and Pass On." The idea was to provide strength and conditioning information based on education, research, and experience; to provide “under-the-bar” instruction and lessons to everyone that wanted it; and to be a strength education company that also happened to sell products used by the strongest athletes and coaches around the world. I have always known there is, and will always be, a bigger purpose behind what we do.
Passing on and giving back is how I define the success of our company, our team, and our brand. I have always felt that for long-term success, it is critical to stay true to your roots, operate with transparency, and give back to others. To lose sight of our aim, hide the truth, or make decisions based on money first is not the way we will ever run our business.
Staying this course, however, has not been easy. Over the years, there have been many opportunities where we have had to make decisions based on "who we are" and "who we want to be," completely separate from what "we do." I know for certain that some of these decisions have cost us certain growth, market share, and revenue. However, these same sacrifices that could have resulted in immediate gains have also afforded us the ability to remain committed to our original aim and further solidify a solid foundation for our planned long-term success.
Over this past year, I have seen two particular dynamics come into play. On one side, there has been the constant societal influx of "how bad everything is and how we are all doomed in the future." The wave of recent political ads only amplified this sentiment, and it soon became part of everyday conversation. Yet, as everyone's level of frustration and uncertainty continued to grow, one consistent beacon of encouragement could be seen in nearly every gym across the world: people standing right back up after heavy loads took them down. "Back, back, back…. UP." "Chest up, chest up, CHEST UP." "Drive, drive, DRIVE." These simple lessons serve as everyday reminders that all of us will face adversity. We all will strain, and we all will be taken down. But, if we keep our heads up and never lose our drive, we are certain to find our own personal triumphs and happiness.
This is where I find my hope, my spirit, my drive, and my passion. On this Thanksgiving Day I am grateful for my faith, family, and friends. I am also grateful for my extended family here at elitefts™. I am fortunate to have staff, sponsors, and team members who share with me the exact same aim that began almost 15 years ago—"Live, Learn, Pass On." I am also thankful to YOU. The reader, the customer, and the critics of elitefts™. For it is YOU who are the target of our aim.
I always knew that we could help you break records in the gym, and I hope we have demonstrated how you can apply those same principles in everything else that you do. What I never expected is how, after three decades under the bar, I would still be the student—learning, growing, and being driven by you. Your influence is seen in the articles we publish, the questions we answer, the training logs posted, and the products we sell. You are, and have always been, "who we are” and not "what we do.”
From all of us at Elitefts.com Inc, have a very happy, safe, and strong Holiday Season.
Live – Learn – Pass On
Dave Tate