Thanks, Lauren.

A little over a year ago I posted an ad on Craigslist for an assistant personal trainer/group fitness instructor. I wanted to grow Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp from a fledging side project into a “for real” business. Since I had a full time day-job at the time I needed help to cover some of the classes so I could focus more time/energy on building and growing the program. With all that I had put into starting this boot camp I knew the search would be tough. I wasn’t going to let just anyone teach my beloved campers.

I received over 50 genuine replies. I responded to ten. Of those ten, I invited one person – a Columbia grad with a degree in art history, work experience ranging from working for an art dealer to marketing for the NY RedBull and close to ten years of fitness instruction -  to come in and try a class or two to see how she liked them. A week later, Lauren Howe became an official instructor at Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp and “hooaaah!” was officially part of her vocabulary.

Anyone who’s attended one of Lauren’s classes or personal training sessions knows how fortunate we all are to have found her. With a style of teaching all her own she simultaneously embraced and enhanced our unique approach to group fitness and I can comfortably say the classes have evolved and improved almost weekly since she joined us.

But really, that’s just a small part of what Lauren has brought to this team. I hired her to be an assistant instructor. What I got was a partner.

Thanks to her hard work, dedication, one-of-a-kind teaching ability, and unswerving positive attitude, in the past year we’ve met, taught, and helped hundreds of Brooklyn-ites. Our number of active clients has tripled in size. We opened our indoor boot camp and personal training studio. Our boot camp classes are, without question, the best in Brooklyn. We are among the best personal training services in Brooklyn and we’re quickly growing a following with our kids fitness program (Lauren’s absolutely brilliant idea!). Sprinkle a free running club and the occasional free kick boxing class on top and you get a pretty impressive picture of growth in just one year’s time. And there’s more to come to be sure.

A vision I shared with her a year ago has become a reality and I can say without any shadow of a doubt that none of that would have happened as quickly and as smoothly (if at all) without Lauren.

The business may have my name but anyone who walks through our door knows that the “Captain Quinn” experience has as much to do with Lauren Howe as it does Jon Quinn.

So, if Lauren has helped you, inspired you, or improved your life in some way over the past year, I encourage you to join me in thanking her and congratulating her as she begins her second year (of hopefully many) with Quinn Essential Fitness (AKA Captain Quinn’s Fitness Boot Camp and Personal Training).

Can I get a hooaaah! for Lauren?!?!!!