>> From WXXI News.

This is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson.

Well, our connection this hour is made in the names that you recognize when you think about Black History Month in schools, they learn about Martin Luther King Jr.. They'll learn about Frederick Douglass, maybe a few more.

My colleague Racquel Stephen had a different idea.

What if we got to know some of the black leaders making a difference in our region today?

These are names and faces you might know, but you probably don't.

And Raquel's working on a series on exactly this theme.

The first brings us the story of a force of nature bringing women of color into her gym to recognize their own power.

Brianna Cromartie is the owner of Cromartie Fitness in Rochester.

She grew up here.

She became a section five track and field Hall of Famer for Aquinas.

She was a Nike All-American in 2009, and now she is here with us.

Brianna Cromartie, owner of Cromartie Fitness.

Welcome to the program.

It's nice to have you.

>> Thank you for having me.

>> And Raquel Steven, health equity and community reporter and producer for WXXI News.

Always nice to see you.

>> A pleasure, Evan.

Always.

>> so let's just talk a little bit about the idea that you had.

And actually, the first time I heard about this was in we had kind of this company wide meeting, and Raquel was talking about February coming up here, and I thought the point was really powerful, that, yes, it's important to know, to read and understand the speeches and the stories and the themes that MLK brought.

And yes, of course, we should know Frederick Douglass in Rochester.

And yes, of course we should read James Baldwin and others.

But it's that sort of small constellation of black leaders and voices that we study.

And you wanted to kind of go outside that.

Tell me about that.

>> Yes.

Like Rochester has a very robust history, right?

We have a ton of trailblazers.

We always pick from each year.

Right.

And we highlight each year because we're just fortunate enough in this city to have that, that history.

but I, I'm aware of other movers and shakers that are trailblazing currently that I feel that we should highlight, that are doing big things in our community and, and they're making a difference in their in their own way.

So when I pitched this series it was well received.

And we're like, yeah, let's, let's do it.

So I think a lot of people should get their flowers now while they're here to smell it instead of when, you know, they pass on.

And now they don't know how much of a difference they're making and how much they're being seen.

>> And one of the things you and I have talked about in the past is what people, what stories people are told about our country, our city, our community.

Now, you didn't grow up in Rochester.

You grew up a long way away from here.

remind people where you grew up.

>> Yeah, I so I was born in Saint Lucia.

a lot of people.

I was born everywhere on vacation, and I.

>> You were born what?

>> Where?

Everyone vacation.

Everyone vacation.

And I was raised where everyone vacations as well.

I was raised in the Virgin Islands, so.

Yeah.

So my history is Caribbean history.

>> Did it feel like a vacation growing up?

>> no.

It just felt like everyday life.

yeah, it's it's some stuff you don't realize until you're not there anymore how privileged you were.

being raised on an island where it's always 70, 80 degrees.

Yeah.

where where?

Fine beaches and crystal blue waters is is in your backyard.

and where the the hospital, the hospital hospitality is just.

>> All right.

I can't do this.

>> Ever present.

>> It's too cold.

>> Stuff that you don't you take for granted.

Honestly, you do.

>> So just briefly, though, as a kid growing up.

Yes.

What was the story?

If you knew anything about sort of the way this country tells its story about how our, our interaction with people of color, the history of enslavement, black leadership, civil rights, I mean, were those stories told?

Were you reading much about that growing up?

>> Yeah.

I mean, we we learned a lot in our history classes about American history, right?

Because we are the U.S.

Virgin Islands, of course.

So we were told a lot about American history, Martin Luther King Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, you know, all the all the pillars.

>> The big ones.

>> We knew all the pillars.

Right.

But Caribbean history, we, the Caribbean slaves were very rebellious, very rebellious.

So they had a lot of uprisings.

Right.

So that's our history.

Uprisings, burning crops.

just being just being a force.

So that's what we that's what we know about our Caribbean history.

>> And here in this city.

I mean, I'm glad to see this community taking more.

I think of an interest in making sure the country knows the Frederick Douglass story, for example.

I mean, because I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, I don't know that Frederick Douglass was in history books outside of the state.

I think maybe, but I don't know for sure.

I don't remember it.

>> Yeah, I don't I don't remember it as well.

I mean, when I came here.

Yeah.

Like this, I'm like, oh, okay.

This is.

Yeah.

Great.

Yeah.

This is great.

We you know, we know about the Harriet Tubman's and and.

Yeah, the, the pillars, the ones that that.

And that's the point of doing this, right?

Like, we know these names, we know the history.

We know about the walks and.

But who, who who's doing that now?

>> Who are we now?

Yeah.

Yeah, I think that's really interesting.

So.

All right.

Raquel, how did you first meet Brianna Cromartie?

>> Brianna and I have a long history.

We do have a long history together.

I was actually there when she first started.

Like, when this was just a thought, and.

And she just had that fitness enthusiasm.

And this was.

Yeah, about seven years ago.

And I interviewed her on another platform and we kind of just.

And to watch her how this grew, how her baby, this little mustard seed kind of grew into this big old oak tree is it's very impressive.

And the lives that she's changing is what really underscored what she's doing for me.

>> We're going to get to the story of what's going on now, but let's go back a little bit.

So, Brianna, you grew up in Rochester.

Yes.

Okay.

And where did you go to school?

>> I first started at Franklin High School, and then I transferred to Aquinas Institute.

>> Were you always a force of an athlete?

>> Absolutely.

>> Even as, like a young kid.

>> As a young kid, I started out at Swan.

It was a program where we would run track in and and it was like you making your way up to being a star, right?

And I would always.

>> At what age were you doing that?

>> Eight years old.

>> Eight years old?

>> Yes.

It was Swan.

And my dad was like, she's so quick.

I got to put her in a program.

So he started out.

We started out at Swan and I ended up doing elite fliers, which is they go to like Junior Olympics.

and that's how I started out.

>> It's so competitive that world.

Very right.

Were you a super.

Have you always been a super competitive person?

>> So when we talk about competitive, it's always me versus me, you know?

So I don't look at I didn't look at the competitiveness as a person.

I looked at it as a time because in track you you dwell on the time.

And that's all my coach used to tell me.

It's not the people around you.

It's the time.

It's the clock.

You have to be.

So it's always been me versus me.

>> But that takes a lot of maturity because what you're describing, you can look at your personal record, your PR, and you go, all right, today it's just about if I can break a PR, it's not about if I win this race or if I beat this person, it's me versus me.

>> Absolutely.

>> But then you're looking around at other people and you're like, no, I want to beat these other people too.

So I mean, like, I think it takes a lot of maturity to have that approach.

And it sounds like that that's been your approach from the beginning?

>> Absolutely.

Because I know that if I beat the time, the people will not be around.

So I wasn't looking for them.

>> Wow.

>> Well.

>> There we go.

>> Yeah.

>> Did you were you the type of kid at 8 or 9 years old that you wanted to be doing this, or was it like, your dad's like, you're good, you should be doing this.

>> My dad and my parents never forced me to.

It was like, you know, you have the barbecues and then, you know, all the cousins come together and they were like, let's race.

And I'm I'm beating all the cousins from the girls to the boys.

and then I we started going to track small track meets at like your elementary school.

And then it's like, okay, I'm beating all the kids in the elementary school.

And then I just told my dad, like, I think I want to kind of do this more.

And he's like, okay, let me look into programs.

And then he started looking into like summer programs.

And then he found Swan.

And then I did Swan for a couple of years.

And then he was like, you're really good.

And even the coaches, like Brianna is really good.

I think you need to step her up.

And that's when I went to Elite fliers.

And elite fliers exposed me to Junior Olympics.

>> And so what were your events?

>> the 400, which I dreaded when I was younger.

>> You dreaded the 400.

Why is that?

>> Because I just knew I was like a one and two girl.

But I was really a 400 meter runner.

I was very quick, but I was absolutely quick as a 400 meter runner at the end.

But I didn't like doing it in the beginning.

I had to I had to fall in love with the 400.

>> You liked 102 hundred.

>> Better, yes I did.

>> Is that just because it's like full gas the whole time?

No pace.

>> I mean, it was it was more of.

>> Like how much I know about race.

>> Yeah.

Nothing.

>> Nothing.

I know nothing about this.

>> I think it was a mindset thing.

I felt like it was quicker.

I was like, you know what?

I don't want to go around this track.

One lap.

Wow.

Fast.

Full speed.

And then I learned the processes.

It's not just full speed.

You have to take your time.

And that actually taught me life lessons.

Learning, doing the 400 taught me life lessons.

>> Okay.

Like what?

>> Like life is not how you start, it's how you end it.

It's the process.

It's the process.

So me wanting to get through it is too quick.

I need to learn the process in order to get the result.

So that's what it really taught me throughout life.

>> What's a good 400 time?

>> So are we talking high school or are.

>> You talking collegiate?

I don't know, like what's your.

>> What's your PR.

452 52 seconds.

>> Yes 52.7.

>> Okay, not that we're counting.

We are counting.

And it sounds like that's flying.

>> It's it's blazing.

And I did that in college.

>> In college I mean, I don't know, I mean, like, this is like a different world.

>> Of yeah, I might be two minutes.

>> 52 seven.

Was that your best event?

400 or 1.

Two.

>> The 400 was my best.

was your best.

But I was pretty good in the 200.

But I was really good in the four.

>> So when you're training now, eight, nine, then your teenage years and you know that you got something special, how do you get better when it's like tenths or hundredths of a second, what are you doing?

>> It's really based off of your coaching style.

And then also not just coaching style.

How bad do you want it?

So when your coaches is teaching you okay, you have to do repeated two hundreds.

That's half the track.

But then you have to go again in a matter of 10 seconds 20s the coaching style is what helps you with getting better.

And then in the beginning, I didn't understand that.

I'm like, why are we doing two hundredths over and over again?

But I knew it was a reason for it, so I just did it.

But as I got older, I understood it.

And as I became a trainer and understood it even more so, it's really the coaching style.

And how bad do you want it?

Like my coach used to always say, you have to want it as bad as you can breathe.

And it was a quote, but it's the truth.

Like if you want to beat this time, you have to do something that nobody else is doing.

So I would always just believe in you have to really believe in your coaches.

>> Are you thinking about how your arms are moving, how you know whether you're a heel strike first or toe strike landing?

I mean, like, is that in play as well?

>> Absolutely.

Your your technique and your form is actually how you can win a race.

Because when everything else, when it's the finish line.

You have no gas left.

So you have to use your arms, you have to use your body mechanics.

a lot of people think it's your legs, but it's the fastest your arms go.

And the more technique you have in your arms, the more your legs will go faster.

Especially when you are at that 100 meter dash.

And it's like you versus the clock, or you versus the people around you.

your body mechanics is absolutely the key.

>> I mean, all the fine detail.

>> Yes.

>> You know, thinking about I go back to what Seinfeld said about like, you train for four years for like a race.

And then how much did you lose by.

It was like, well, from now to now, it was like, no, no.

>> No, that's how I lost.

Yes.

>> That's that's first to fourth place.

>> Yes.

>> It's all these fine details.

And I think people who see especially sprinters or runners, you know, the lay public is like, well they're just fast, they're just running.

But there's a there's.

some science.

>> And there's technique.

>> It's definitely technique.

It's definitely science in it.

So you got to think about when you first start out the race.

My coaches will always say take off, but you have to save some energy.

When I went to when I went to college, my coach taught me, well.

It's a part of your ATP system.

I'm like, what is that?

You know, like what?

And then he started to teach me and the first 10 to 14 seconds, you have a free energy where your body doesn't understand that you're even moving at that at that point.

So go as fast as you can and then stride.

Keep your momentum at that same rate.

But don't don't don't overexert yourself.

And once I learned the process of how to run the 400, that's when I became even better.

That's when I started breaking even more records.

>> Do you have to, like, embrace suffering to some degree?

I mean, the feeling that you're pushing your body in a way that is at the max or beyond the max?

>> Absolutely.

What are you willing to sacrifice in life?

You gotta sacrifice something to get to a greater good, right?

>> Brianna Cromartie.

Owner of Cromartie Fitness.

We're going to get to the Cromartie Fitness story coming up here, but I'm sorry, Raquel, I just I wanted to go deep because my mind's like, last Friday on the show, we had a guy, Rochesterians who's going to Italy to compete in the Winter games.

>> That's amazing.

>> He's in the air and skiing.

I said, you know, when's the first time you were upside down on skis?

He's like ten years old.

But I'm thinking the same thing we talked about with him.

I want to hear Brianna talk about because.

So, Raquel, when you and I grew up watching the Olympics, I don't know if you were like, a nerd watching.

>> You know, like, if you were, like, stuff that you like, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

Exactly.

Right.

So.

>> Or to me, you know, who's, you know, sort of stereotypically one of the greatest, maybe the greatest ever is Usain Bolt, right?

>> Yeah.

>> So you look at Usain Bolt or you look at Brianna Cromartie, you look at some of the top athletes and you wonder, like, are we seeing the peak of what a human being could do?

Is this, like, the farthest it can go?

Because when you and I were growing up, I mean, Usain Bolt would have roasted every Brianna Cromartie would have roasted everybody on those tracks.

In the 1980s if they were doing there.

They were amazing athletes, but they didn't quite have the highest level of what Brianna just talked about training the science, understanding, sort of mentally the approach of what you're doing.

So now you're able to do things that a generation or two ago, people were like, no way.

Yeah, well, now they can, you know, I mean, I it was amazing to me to watch what LeBron could.

I'm from Cleveland.

I watched LeBron James play basketball for years.

And he looked like he could jump out of the gym.

I mean he's still going in his 40s because of what sports science has done for him.

But also there's a bunch of guys jumping out of the gym who are doing things in the if they did this in the 1970s, people would say, no way, not possible.

So I'm just curious to know, like, are we near the end of what's possible?

And like, we're going to hit a wall?

Or is it like, are the records going to keep getting broken?

Brianna.

>> The record is going to keep getting broken.

Because remember what I told you, they're going against the clock.

So if they PR they know they can go to another higher, higher potential.

And that's always going to be a record is always going to get broken.

>> Like if we're going to go 1/100 faster, we.

>> Could do it.

>> And then another hundredth faster than that.

>> Absolutely.

>> But at some point it's like, no, that's that's it.

That's the best it can do.

Yeah.

You're saying like we're going to keep pushing.

>> We're going to keep pushing someone amazing.

Someone is going to break the records.

>> And I would say this, I remember one time I ran into Brianna Cobbs Hill, right?

Cobbs Hill is like, that is the ultimate, you know, conditioning Hill right in Rochester.

And I, I was winded, I was almost at the top and I was getting winded.

And Brianna came right next to me and said, move your hands.

And I'm like, move my hands.

Like, move your hands.

And I just started moving my hands like a track star.

And I made it up the hill.

I was like, oh, oh.

So hearing her speak about moving your hands and how you know, your body functions and is more than just your legs, I'm like, you taught me this, and I made it up that hill and I'm like, oh, oh, I'm not going back down.

>> Part of the reason Brianna's here, she is a teacher and she is someone who's sharing these kind of gifts with others, which we're going to be talking about.

But no.

It's great.

What was your best day on a track if I asked you, like, right now, first thing that comes to mind?

Your best day on a track.

>> I think my best day on the track was when I broke the section five record.

Because those records at that time, I graduated in 2009.

So from freshman to my senior year, those records were broken.

You're talking about Camberton.

You're talking about East High School greats.

Those records were not broken.

so I felt great because they were years and years of not being broken.

>> And that was you?

Yes.

That was amazing.

Did did you expect that day to to do that?

>> No I didn't every time I broke a record, I did not think I was going to break it.

So like I knew like I was confident in myself, but I just didn't know my ability to break it.

You know, it's just like, well, I think I could do it.

I trained before I could do it, but then it's just something about me getting on that line, and it's just like, nah, you have to do it, Brianna.

You have to go for it.

And then just the crowd just cheering me on.

It just gave me that energy to like, let me go for it.

And then the body mechanics.

>> Amazing.

How has that helped?

Not just that day, but how has your career helped you in your life outside of the track?

>> It taught me obedience, discipline, especially when motivation leaves.

You got to be disciplined, right?

It taught me how to wake up early in the morning.

and how to late nights, early mornings.

Right.

So really, I really learned discipline.

I really learned how to be obedient and structured even when I don't want to.

It's times where I don't want to eat the healthiest, but it's like, how do you want your body to look?

How do you want your body to feel?

You know, so it taught me greater lessons.

Sacrifice, discipline, obedience.

These are things that in life that we have to we have to make sure that we it's a standard.

It's a structure standard.

>> You also see.

Well, I mean, I know you do a lot of coaching.

The way that you interact with people is coaching the way you bumped into Raquel and helped her.

Cobbs Hill is coaching.

Yes, but you seem to me to be a person who, in your own athletic career that you are very coachable.

Do you think that you were very coachable?

>> Absolutely.

>> Why?

What about you?

I ask because I think every person can benefit from being coachable.

I'm not just talking athletics and I probably myself.

I could do better at times, but there's times where we all need to be coachable.

Why were you able to be that person early in your life?

>> I think really, my dad really instilled my mom to my.

My dad really instilled that in me.

He really just he spoke life into me without me realizing it.

As as you grow up, you don't realize the tools that you're utilizing.

Like my mom used to do words of affirmations with me, and I didn't realize what that was until I got older.

And my dad, he spoke so much life into me, like, you're great.

I'm like, okay.

Like, you know, like you don't know what that looks like or what that means, right?

So I really think it starts from home.

And then once I realized who I was and how good I was, like, even if I didn't feel it, I knew something in me was great, right?

It's like a sense of purpose.

And then you have to have good coaches to also be like, believe in you.

So the more my coaches believe in me, the more I believe than myself.

I'm like, well, if y'all said I could do it, I know I could do it.

>> But you have to be humble enough.

to say, I believe in myself, I think I am great, yes, but if you're telling me something is wrong, I'm going to trust you.

>> Absolutely.

>> And not be stubborn and tell, you know, I got this.

You can't tell me what to do.

It takes humility.

>> Absolutely.

Because if if that person is the expert, even if I question it like, can you explain?

I know that he's an expert.

He's going to that the person that's the expert is going to get me to where I need to go.

So I never like even even if I was like, I don't know if I want to do that.

I never like, questioned the why of it.

I knew it was a purpose to it.

And that just comes from just like me wanting it that bad, as I say I do.

So if I want him to coach me, if he's the coach, then he knows the tools that I need to do to get to where I need to go.

Right?

So I already already knew that even if I questioned it, I still have to do it.

My coach was like, either you're going to do it or you're going to walk away.

And I was like, I don't want to walk away.

So I'm just going to do it.

And over time, I learned the why in it, and it took years for me to learn the why in it.

But it didn't matter at that point.

I wanted to do it because I wanted to be great.

>> Any coaches stand out in your memory?

>> Yes.

Leroy Dixon he's a head coach at Aquinas Institute.

Still Donna Ray Stevens.

She was at Wilson High School, but she was also my elite fliers.

Coach.

>> Tell me about Coach Dixon.

>> He was my personal trainer.

and he was just an amazing coach.

He brought.

He brought the best out of me.

it could be snow.

Rain.

He'll call my parents and say, hey, I don't care if it's snowing and raining.

We're going to the hill, which was Cobbs Hill, and my mom and dad would be like, well, Coach Dixon said, you're going to we dropping you off to the hill.

I'm like, what?

I'm like, it's it's snowing.

And then he would always say, how bad do you want it?

We have to do, we have to do we have to work out our program, have to work out like nobody else is working out.

Nobody else right now is going to run in the snow.

But you are.

Nobody else is going to go outside and run in the rain.

But you are.

So when it was track meets where it was like literally raining, they were like, how is she running in the rain?

I was okay with running the rain because I already have done it.

So I would go back and say, oh my God, Coach Dixon, and it felt great because I was already doing it.

So I understood why he was saying it at that moment.

At the time I'm like, oh, this man is insane.

But when once it happened, I understood, like, oh, this is the reason why you wanted me to run in the rain.

>> Well, I don't know, Raquel.

Should we?

>> Yeah, I think so, yeah.

Yeah, I think it's time.

>> Okay.

I think we we want to play something for.

>> For Brianna.

>> For Brianna here.

>> Oh my goodness.

>> Let's let's listen.

>> Hey, Bri, this is Coach Dixon.

I am so proud of you.

I am really happy that you're able to change and save lives of these ladies that you're working with.

I know you're tough on them, and you should be.

They really appreciate you, even though sometimes they give you a hard time.

But I am really happy that you're doing this.

This was your calling.

I am so glad that you're doing it for our ladies in Rochester and around the country.

That's cool.

Hey.

>> Coach Leroy Dixon there.

So what do you think?

Y'all right.

Grab that tissue.

>> Oh.

>> Well, y'all showed a.

>> Lot.

>> That means a lot to me.

That means a lot to me.

Coach Dixon is hard.

He don't just just tell you like he's proud of you.

He'll say, work harder, you know?

And I understood what that meant.

Like, there's never a point where I want you to be comfortable.

I always want you to be better than who you are.

Right?

So I feel like now, as I'm training, I just want to be better than who I was.

Every year I'm going to get better, right?

So just hearing that from him, that's like probably like the not the first time, but it's like the first real time where he's like, I'm so proud of you.

Because he's always telling me like, no, do better.

>> So, you know, you've earned it when you get that from him.

>> Yes.

>> You know, it's authentic.

>> Yes.

>> Oh, you got her, Raquel.

So I gotta say Raquel, Steven gets in touch with us last night.

This is why you're the best.

>> Just.

>> You know, Raquel, Raquel's not only just really good at her job, but Raquel cares about human beings.

And for you to track down Coach Dixon.

That was.

That's powerful stuff.

That was really good stuff.

>> Yeah.

During the interview, she just kept.

Just kept underscoring how important Coach Dixon was.

and all the other coaches.

But Coach Dixon, you can tell through her the way she responded and her her to her questions.

That Coach Dixon, there's something about him that really pushed her to be who she is.

So I found him and I said, hey, I'm doing I'm doing a show on Brianna.

Can you just record a nice little audio message?

We're going to surprise her.

He was like, okay.

And he sent it to me through Facebook.

And we we got it.

downloaded whichever way we could so we can have it for you today.

And I thought that would be the perfect touch for her to let her know that, you know, the person you admired is admiring what you're doing, and I thought it'd be a perfect touch.

>> So in our second half hour, we're going to really dive into Cromartie Fitness.

And the story of now and the future for Brianna Cromartie.

One other question before we get to that only break that I'm thinking about your reaction to that moment with the coach and how hard it was to get his praise.

>> Yes.

>> You know how hard you had to work to get his praise.

And, you know, for those of us who coach kids, it can be tough because I've been in a spot coaching kids where it's like, I want every kid to know that I love them.

You know, like that.

It's not going to be the be all, end all.

If, you know, I want you to be as best, the best you can be.

But I don't want to break you.

And at the same time, false praise doesn't really help anybody.

You know?

False praise, miss, can mislead people.

>> Yes.

>> So how do you feel now that you do some coaching yourself here?

Walk in that line of I'm going to praise you.

I'm going to pull you along with love, but I'm not going to give you false praise because I don't want to lie to you.

>> Absolutely.

>> How do you how do you find that edge?

>> It's a balance, right?

I'm pretty.

I'm pretty much like Coach Dixon, so I'll give him a positive.

Like you are doing a good job.

However, we have to do better in these areas.

So, like, if, if they lost, like, say they lost 5 pounds, but say if they body fat mass went up, I'll say you did lose five, you did lose 5 pounds.

So that means that you are counting your calories.

You're staying within your caloric deficit, but your body fat mass went up.

So I know you're you're a little bit rocky with your nutrition, right?

>> So just put it right out there.

>> It's give and take, you know.

So if if they're not doing good I am not that trainer to tell you I'm do better not like coaches can do better and and that's what makes me different too because I'm not going to I'm not going to fib to you.

I'm going to tell you the truth.

And I think that's what my clients respect about me.

>> You know, Raquel met some of your clients, and we're going to talk about that in our second.

>> Half hour.

>> Because sometimes we all need tough love.

We're talking to Brianna Cromartie, owner of Cromartie Fitness in Rochester, Racquel Stephen, bringing this story to us as part of a series of conversations and interviews and reports that Raquel is doing black leaders making a difference in our region today, Black History Month.

As we said, off the top, of course, you you've got to study the sort of the paragons of American history.

But sometimes that overlooks the people who are doing that work right now.

And Raquel's doing this great work for us and for the community.

So we'll come right back and we're going to dive into what's happening at Cromartie Fitness on the other side of this only break.

I'm Evan Dawson Wednesday on the next Connections, the Trump administration, particularly the vice president, says that we can't trust egghead economists, that they don't live in the real world.

They live in theory.

And the Trump administration's policies will prove them wrong.

Well, we're going to bring in just such an economist.

Kent Gardner is going to review what we've learned in the last year about tariffs, markets and the economy.

And we're going to ask, did anything surprise you?

That's Wednesday.

>> Support for your public radio station comes from our members and from Mary Cariola center, supporting residents to become active members of the community, from developing life skills to gaining independence.

Mary Cariola center, Transforming lives of people with disabilities.

More online at.

Mary Cariola.

>> Org this is Connections.

I'm Evan Dawson so Brianna Cromartie has this great athletic career that you've heard about, and in 2018 you launched Cromartie Fitness.

>> Yes.

>> Where's it located?

>> 1900 South Clinton Avenue.

It's in the Tops Plaza, suite 760.

>> And who do you serve?

Who do you work with?

>> I work with alongside.

I just got a new trainer.

Her name is James Graham, and it's me and her.

>> And you guys are primarily working with women of color?

>> Yes.

>> Women of color.

>> Yes.

>> And as you said, Raquel's piece you've got, I think, a couple hundred black and brown women who come to you.

>> Absolutely.

>> And they come to you for what?

>> Personal trainings?

One on ones group sessions.

>> Tough love.

>> Tough love.

>> If you're watching on YouTube, you'll see some of the the photos of the work.

They're Racquel Stephen bringing us there.

So okay, so there you go.

Now, now she's seeing some of the pictures that we're, we've got on YouTube.

So take me through the growth of what you've been doing here.

Now you're up to more than 200 people you're working with here.

You started off with how many in 2018?

>> Like four.

>> Clients.?

>> For quite.

>> A few people.

>> Wow.

Yes.

So Cromartie Fitness, like, just happened.

It wasn't something that I had structure.

I had to learn along the way, but it was in search of me finding my purpose.

I was trying to, like, get away from, being known as Brianna, the track star, because I was trying I was in search of my identity of like, okay, who I who am I outside of my accolades, you know, who am I outside of?

Brianna, the track star?

Who who am I outside of?

What's being posted in Democrat and Chronicle?

and that was just identity.

Me trying to find my identity as I grew up and became, came into my adulthood.

You know, I wanted a career, my career was I wanted to be in healthcare.

I wanted to be like, a CEO of like, a hospital.

I have my master's in health, education and health administration.

So I was literally on the track to, like, being like the superstar in healthcare.

but one thing about life, it has a way of bringing you back to what really is meaningful in your life.

So what I felt like wasn't part of my identity.

I felt like it wasn't a part of my identity anymore.

it ended up coming back full, full fledge.

and I was just literally going to the gym to work myself out to get to know me better.

And it ended up having, like, literally messages on top of messages every day.

Can you show me how to do that?

you should just, like, be my coach.

And I'm like, what?

Me?

I'm like, no way.

and I was literally in my career, I had, like, the best job ever.

I was a credentialing coordinator, and I was like, this is the best job.

I'm making the most money I ever made.

I got my master's.

And then it's like, nope, this is like, even though this is something you thought you were going to do, let me bring you to what you need to do.

So I ultimately end up giving and giving my resignation for literally, I felt like that was the best job of my life that I had for my career.

And coming back home and living out my dream.

>> Wow.

>> I've been tough.

>> And you've been out to Cromartie Fitness?

>> Yes.

>> What's the vibe like there?

>> Oh, the vibe.

It's tough in there.

Okay, you walk in and there's this woman standing there yelling at people with her abs out.

and they're listening.

No one is.

No one is complaining.

No one.

I they believe in her.

You can see that.

Because a lot of times when you go to the gym and you see a personal trainer, someone is like, oh, I can't do it, I can't do it.

There's no complaining, okay?

Everyone is like, I guess, okay, we're going to do it.

We don't want to get yelled at.

We want abs like that.

So they they believe in their trainer.

And you can see that.

And and despite it all you can tell you can you can feel the love.

There's a tough love there.

And yeah, she may be yelling at you, but you know she's doing it because she wants the best for you.

And the word that Brianna used all the time, she wants her clients to thrive.

And you can see that they trust her with with that.

>> So we've been hearing about your toughness.

>> Yes.

But you're also.

>> You're a lot of you're a friend to a lot of people.

>> Absolutely.

>> How do you separate being a trainer from being a friend?

>> I have structure, right.

So I know when you come in here, we're turning we're turning it off.

And my clients really respect me.

And it took it took some time.

You know, the first year you have to gain the respect, the second year you have to prove yourself.

So they know the structure between this is when we turn it off and this is when I'm your trainer.

It is times where I do have to put the trainer mode off.

You know, we all go through our daily lifestyles.

We all go through different things.

So it's a moment where if I know my my client is coming in, she's overwhelmed.

You know, just not having a good day.

The first thing I say is, how are you feeling?

And depending on how they're feeling is how I'll have their workout go.

Sometimes we don't work out.

Sometimes I sit them down, I say, okay, let's make a plan because we're not going to just talk about the problem.

We need to have a solution.

I like to make a plan, so let's make a plan, okay?

If we're not going to work out today, what is the plan?

How are you feeling?

How is your daily structure okay I believe structure and behaviors lead to habits.

So if behaviors lead to habits, then I need to know how your behaviors are going.

And that way we can create a better habit so they know when when I say okay no this is the trainer mode.

Then I say okay, then this is when I can be a friend to you.

>> And then there's times where you, after having that conversation, you say, we are working out today.

>> And our minds and.

>> We're going to get.

>> After it.

Yes, yes, yes.

>> And people need that sometimes, right?

>> I mean, absolutely.

>> We talk about being coachable and and needing to hear that.

Have you lost anybody?

Has anybody ever said that's too much for me?

>> Absolutely.

>> Yeah.

>> Yes, absolutely.

They're like, oh my God, Brianna's too tough.

But I had to learn in the process of entrepreneurship that it's not personal.

and I always say all my clients, they work hard.

I'm not saying it to disregard others.

What I'm saying is you.

It's a standard.

They know when they walk in here that I'm not going to be nothing but wanting to see the best out of you.

So if I want to see the best out of you, I'm going to push you to your potential.

If you're not there yet in your life, that is okay.

Some people leave and they come back and say, you know what?

I'm structured now, Brianna.

I'm ready.

And I go, well, are you sure?

Because I don't know if I want to add you in back in, if you're not structured right.

So they know I do a consultation.

So all my members now, they know when they're coming in that it's, it's it's very strict.

It's a strict program.

>> Well I think we've.

got one clip from one of your clients Destiny parks who said she chose you because of your grit.

Let's listen if we can.

>> To Destiny's clip.

>> For one.

She's a black woman like myself and she's very strict.

And that's what I need.

I need that I need that discipline back.

So I know she's gonna hold me accountable and have me ready.

>> How do you.

How do you make that?

What do you make of that?

Is that that's that's what you want to hear from your clients?

>> Absolutely.

If it's if it if it was easy, everybody would be doing it.

If it was easy, everybody would want to book with me.

I don't want everybody to book with me.

And it's not and it's not being cocky.

It's just me being confident to know that when my clients walk in there, their result is what they put in.

I already know when they walk through the door that they're going to get the result, because once they keep showing up, I'm structured.

>> But there's a part where you talked about in Raquel's reporting, you talked about the importance of just showing up, showing up.

Sometimes when you're stressed, showing up when you're in a good mood, showing up when you probably when you don't want to or don't feel like it.

It is so easy to choose anything else.

It's easy to just choose this.

I'm just going to be on this for the next hour.

I'm not going to go to the gym.

It's easy to choose.

Sitting on the couch.

>> Absolutely.

>> And I I've been there.

I think everybody has those moments.

it is not easy.

>> Not at.

>> All.

>> To choose.

Especially when it's cold, especially in the winter, to get out and to go to Cromartie Fitness, to go to your gym, wherever you're going.

>> Yes.

>> It's easy to choose anything else, isn't it?

>> It is easy.

But remember what I said in the beginning, and when motivation leaves, you got to be disciplined.

You got to have that structure.

You got to have that.

If it was easy, everyone would be doing it.

That that mindset that that the time let me look at the time clock and let me be let me beat that time.

So it's really the structure within itself.

What are you willing to sacrifice?

>> Yeah.

I mean I just thinking about the conversation yesterday, Reverend Ricky Harvey Jr.

from Mount Olivet was on this program talking about seeing a smaller congregation over the years and fewer people deciding to get up, and they're going to go to church and they're going to come worship with him and and thinking about like, what are we doing to reach kids?

What are we doing to reach adults?

What are we doing to be a place where people will choose?

It will choose to either sacrifice time away from something else to not, you know, be on their phones, to not be doing other things, but to come be present here.

And it takes a lot.

>> Yes.

>> But one of his conclusions was, you know, we have to live our values and show that that matters and that we are authentic, that we are not hypocrites.

>> Absolutely.

And the experience.

>> People want to see that from you too, I imagine.

>> Right?

>> Yes.

And the experience my clients book with me continuously for the past seven years because of the experience I provide.

They know that Brianna will allow me to see my results, and I know that if I go to her, I have to put in the work.

I will not see the result unless I put in the work, not just at her gym, but at home.

So the reason why my program is strict is because when they leave my gym, they're structured.

A lot of my clients say I went to the gym when I when I didn't have a session with you, and all I can hear is your voice saying, keep going.

>> Well, Raquel, you talked to people like Destiny parks and other clients.

>> Yeah, I have friends that are that are her clients and one of my one of my core, I would say she's part of my core group of girls.

we all we meet up as four of us.

We meet up, like probably once a month just to have girl time and, you know, and just talk and gossip and, you know, man bash and just have a great time and everything.

Eat whatever we.

>> What was that last one?

>> Man bash you know okay.

And one of my friends, she, she just she restarted with Brianna.

Right.

Like she said, they come back, they leave and they come back.

So she decided to go back.

And we're we're ordering all types of stuff.

We're like, oh, let's get the eggrolls, let's get the lobster rolls with the fried panini.

Like we're just ordering everything.

And my friend is like, I will get the bake.

Had with the buttered green beans.

And we're like, oh, we can't stand Brianna, right?

Like, come on, indulge.

You're like, okay, let's get a martini tower.

And she's like, I'll get water with lemon.

You're like, oh, here we go.

>> So she got.

Brianna on her shoulder.

>> Brianna on her shoulder right there.

And I was want to flick her off and want to enjoy.

We want to enjoy her time.

But she also said, like, this is just me getting back in.

She's like, eventually I will just start to indulge, but slowly.

Right.

And I think that's what she tells her clients like.

It's real.

Like she she's realistic.

Like, listen, I know I'm not telling you to just not do not eat these things or not do these things, but we're going to do it gradually.

We're going to we're going to get it.

Get your right.

We're going to control it.

How about that?

We're going to control it.

So I can't wait till she's back to her control plan.

>> You like being on people's shoulders.

>> There I do.

So I do give I do let up sometimes.

But it it takes 60 to 90 days for your body to understand that.

Hey, I'm making a change.

Right?

So if your body is addicted to sugar, that's a dopamine spike.

So why are you cheating in the first 30.

>> To.

>> 90 days?

It's not teaching your body that it needs structure.

The moment that your body understands.

>> Because I'm weak.

>> That's why.

Okay.

>> It's mindset.

You got to have the mindset, right?

So in 60 to 90 days, your body is literally saying it's craving sugar, right?

So I'm trying to reset your body to understand that, hey, we're making a change.

And then once you show me through my body scans that I have and you show me, hey, I am making a change.

And I'll say, okay, you earned a cheat meal, not a cheat day.

You earned either a cheat meal, a cheat snack, or cheat drink, and then your body starts to learn the process of okay, this is a balance.

This is what balance looked like.

So the next time my client does go out with Raquel, she'll know, okay, instead of having four drinks, I'm going to have one.

>> Okay.

>> Do you.

>> Have a cheat.

>> Snack or meal that.

>> You go.

>> Absolutely.

>> Yeah.

>> I do, but when I do, it costs me because my stomach is hurting.

>> Your body feels it.

>> My body feels it.

It really does.

>> Go to McDonald's.

And she'd reject a Big Mac like a bad.

>> Organ.

Yes, I am.

>> Literally runs right through me.

>> That's amazing.

>> But there's something else here, too, Raquel.

You know, when you talk to the destinies and the.

other clients, more than one person told you that for them, as a black woman, having a black woman training me matters?

>> Yes.

Having a black woman treating me that I want to look like matters.

>> How often do you hear something like that?

And appreciation for, especially among women of color who want someone like you to be in charge, to be training it?

>> It's it's very like mind blowing and the most amazing way because I, I never seen myself here and I just literally told Raquel, I said, I need to start appreciating me more and start appreciating that this is who I am.

Because sometimes that impostor syndrome comes into play and I'm like, oh my God, this is really happening.

Like, I'm the person that everyone's relying on.

And then it's like, no, Brianna, you are this.

You are.

You're confident you are that.

And sometimes it's just it's really amazing.

I'm really still in shock after seven years.

I'm literally in shock, like, wow, this I created this masterpiece.

And women are coming together, believing in themselves because I took a risk.

And that to me, I'm still in shock.

If if I can be honest, I'm really still in shock.

>> Okay, so before we wrap here, we're going to talk about a couple of other things.

Are you taking new clients?

>> Yes I.

>> Am you are taking new clients.

>> Yes.

>> What's your what would be like the max out for you go like this is as much as I could do.

>> Well, I feel like right now.

So.

Okay, so what I'm feeling and what what is required out of me.

The obedience is different.

So what I'm feeling is I'm maxed out.

But in order to be better and to be greater, I know I have to add more clients.

The future for me and Cromartie Fitness is I would love to have other female trainers in my gym.

Like that's the future.

Like an all women's gym with other black women of color.

I'm diverse.

Don't get me wrong, I'm diverse.

but to have that as a gym, I would love that.

>> And so when we talk again in five years, that's what that's what we're going to be talking about is the growth of.

>> The business.

>> The growth.

Like not me per se, having new clients, but me being able to build up other clientele, other clients, other trainers to have clientele.

That's the future.

>> What is it like for you to get a phone call from Racquel Stephen for a series like this, where she's going to talk to as many people as she can this month?

But, I mean, look, we're all busy here.

She can do 3 or 4 stories on this kind of a subject.

Where in Black History Month, she wants to tell the story of black leaders now, and you're on that list.

What would.

Eighth grade, Brianna, have thought of that?

What would ten year old Brianna have thought about that?

>> That's powerful.

I told Rocky.

I'm like, thank you so much for even believing in me.

Like she started.

I was her I she interviewed, I was that first interview was with Raquel.

And I'm like, you want to interview me?

I just started and she's like, yes, like, I believe in you.

And then from the first year to seven years, I feel like Rocky is so powerful and I connect with powerful women.

And her believing in me, it has to be the belief she believed in my system.

She believes in me.

And for that, I'm so thankful and grateful for.

>> You telling some important stories.

>> Raquel.

Yeah.

>> And you got more to come this month.

>> Yes.

>> More local leaders and people whose stories we should hear.

>> Yes.

>> So we got we got more coming up here.

let's close with this.

There's a lot of people who have ideas of what they would love to do if they only had a way to start a small business, to take a shot.

But a lot of small businesses struggle.

I mean, you can have a great you can be great at what you do and still struggle financially.

It's so hard.

>> Absolutely.

>> So take me through some of the lessons that you've learned in seven years about just small business in general.

>> So I knew I was so nervous to start the business, so I knew that I needed to take baby steps.

So each time I would take small steps to get me to where I needed to go, don't put your eggs in one basket.

Don't.

When you when you do, when the when the income does come in, be able to not spend it.

Save a little for you and put it back into the business.

So I started small.

So if I can tell anyone that starting a business, start small and then lead to bigger steps, have everything in place, have your business account in place.

When I started, I didn't know any of that.

I had to literally start from scratch and I had to learn along the way.

So start small.

Small steps lead to big results.

Don't just go big in the beginning.

Get build your clientele.

Have the finance, have the finances, and then build a system.

I have built a system, a personal training system where I just don't allow people to book me per session because I know if I lock them into the system, you have to show up.

I have your money.

So build a solid system, and along the way I, I have failed systems and I get back up and I say, okay, this system didn't work.

That is fine.

I don't dwell on it.

I move forward with another system.

This is really my seventh year is really me scaling and me utilizing my resources for from the first to sixth year, I didn't utilize my resources I had around me because I wanted to make sure that I can do it myself.

Now, in my seventh year, I'm going to utilize my resources.

I'm going to speak out now.

I'm going to utilize resources because I want to grow more.

I want to have even more structure.

So if I can tell anyone that is starting the business, start small first, then you.

Once you get your income and get everything established, then go big.

Don't put your eggs in one basket.

>> As a small business owner, what surprised you the most?

>> That I have an all women's gym.

It's still shocking and that I have a location for all women, all women.

>> And you.

have lasted and survived longer than most small businesses.

>> Yes, I actually started thriving in 2020 and I was like so nervous to say that.

>> Well.

>> What does that mean.

>> To you.

>> In Covid?

My business grew I was having clients say, I've gained 30 pounds since I've been at home.

I gained 50 pounds, so I did, I did online, I did zoom, I had zoom group calls.

I had one on one zoom calls.

So my business was thriving in Covid.

I was nervous, I was like, what is going on?

And I learned the power of online.

>> Found a way through that.

>> Yes.

>> I did.

>> And where will people find you online now?

>> WW dot Cromartie Fitness.

Com Instagram Cromartie Fitness.

I have a TikTok comedy underscore fitness and Facebook is Cromartie Fitness and wellness therapy.

>> Lastly, you said though it hasn't been perfect, there have been mistakes.

>> I have.

So I have made so many mistakes.

in business, just because I didn't know, you know, you don't know what you don't know.

and the mistakes I have made have helped me learn.

And one thing I can say is you can fail, but fail fast.

And that means, like, fail, drop down, get back up.

Don't you know you're going to be discouraged a little bit?

Everyone gets discouraged.

But don't look at failure as you failing as a person.

Look at it as just another step to your success.

If it wasn't for failure, I wouldn't be here right now.

Failure made me who I was.

Me learning and falling and getting back up again made me who I was.

>> Earlier this hour.

Raquel.

She talked about speaking affirmations.

>> Yes.

>> Your mother speaking affirmations.

People in your family speaking.

affirmations.

Listen, she's doing that now.

Yes, yes.

You hear it, don't you?

Yeah.

I mean, it's really powerful stuff.

Do we cover everything?

How'd we do?

>> I think we did.

I think we did great.

>> You did phenomenal.

>> You did phenomenal.

>> Thank you for having me.

>> Well, listen.

>> You're pretty good at this job.

They should.

They should keep you, Raquel, you do all.

>> The stories, and I just talk about it.

Come on.

Really, really good stuff from Racquel Stephen.

You want to tell people anything else you got planned for the month?

>> Yes.

So for the rest of for this series, I my next feature would be this gentleman, Stacy Hardy.

if you are in the beauty barber industry in Rochester, this is someone that's been a pillar in that industry, he's trained multiple master barbers, and and he's done celebrity clients.

And he's also pretty much I would call him a community activist as well.

Like, he just gives back from from his heart.

Just so I just wanted to highlight him.

And then I have other people throughout the month.

>> Well, we're going to be looking for that.

And it's it's a really smart, I think, important series that you're putting together.

So thanks, by the way, for cutting into your day and popping into Connections.

It's always great to see you.

We appreciate that.

Racquel Stephen bringing the story of Brianna Cromartie, owner of Cromartie Fitness, and not just Cromartie Fitness, but an amazing athlete.

What would you run a 400 today?

And by the way.

Come on.

>> Maybe 5657.

That's still flying.

>> That's pretty good.

>> That's still flying.

It's not like you're training for that every day.

No, that is amazing.

Thank you.

>> Thank you for being here.

>> Thank you.

Thank you for.

>> Having me.

>> That's Brianna Cromartie Racquel Stephen.

And from all of us at Connections, wherever you're finding us, whatever platform you're on, thanks for finding us.

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