I was sitting around, doing nothing really.
Here I was watching "Little House on the Prairie" and trying
to figure out for like the 4,000th time why Pa just didn't add on
to that little cabin when he clearly worked in the lumber business
when it hit me. Hard. We, (meaning Staley Training Systems) are A
LOT like "little house"
Now, don't go getting all judgmental
on me :"but Jules, you guys are NOTHING like "LHOP".
Sure, I can see you saying that. But really, on my very best of
days I can so much be a cross between Half-pint, Nellie and Mrs.
Olson all rolled into one. And Phil Stevens? Catch him on a bulking
phase and no razor to the face for a few days and we are talking
Mr. Edwards here.
And Charles. Yes, even Charles himself
can very much be all Charles Ingalls, what with his careful advise
and complex simplicity-saving the show by the end of the day.
But all of these things have nothing
to do with what set me off and got me to thinking. No, it was one
of those beginning episodes. The one where old Charles piles everyone
into a horse drawn wagon and heads out into a different direction
so they could all have a shot at a greater life. For the greater
good.
Ok- so maybe it was a Chevy Avalanche
and no horse or wagon. Maybe it wasn't a one room cabin in the middle
of Walnut Grove but more like a $400,000 condo in Scottsdale. And
maybe it wasn't the fear of starvation and wild animals that scared
us all into this. (although, and I say with complete respect that
I have been scared 70% of the time by scorpions and fire ants) But
enough of that.
What I am trying to convey is that
Charles KNEW that moving us out here would be his new frontier.
He saw it as a new world, a new way of how his business should be
and how to make it grow in this strange land they called Arizona.
That was more than 5 years ago. I
had interviewed him at the time and 5 years later I pretty much
want to know the same things. The only thing that stays the same
is change. This is my love letter to you all. A Valentines of sort,
past and present. As for me, I gotta go- 7th Heaven is on...
Interview
With Charles Staley...
Note: This following article
originally was published back in August 2003. Coincidentally,
I checked google today along with roughly 5 different ways to
find us and have found more than 946,900 things. Now, know that
we have changed servers a few times & ratings start over
each time. Two years ago before a switch we were well over 4
million.
Jules:
About 14 months ago my best friend in the entire
world asked me to do her and her boyfriend a favor. They were going
to Italy and would I answer the phone for his business. Yeah, ok...I
really had nothing better to do and they promised to bring me back
a purse so why not?? I remember that Rebecca's boyfriend was a writer,
that he worked with athletes, and that he was, ok sort of famous
in the field he was involved in. All I really knew was that he was
the greatest guy for both Rebecca and Ashleigh. Boy, did I get a
wake up call. I did a google search on Charles back then and I remember
telling him that I found like 42,000 things about him. He was like
"oh really"
Flash forward to a year later and
my best friend is now his wife and he has become the daddy Ashleigh
always wanted. I am still here answering the phone for him, yet
I am in a whole new capacity of this industry. That, and a whole
other state away from where I started. I have worked out there in
corporate America with pretty big job "titles",etc. and
Charles is by far the best Boss I have ever had and the most inspiring.
The other day we were setting up some business account with some
random guy on the phone who knew of Charles and he said" Did
you know on google he has like 90,000 things about him?" Oh
really.
Thanks Charles
for letting me interview you for my birthday (just so everyone knows
I asked for a cruise but like Charles said "why would I want
to be stuck in the middle of a bunch of water with only buffet food
to sustain me?".... Anyway- I figured this would be a great
opportunity to let me give a gift to everybody and share a bit of
you that I get to see on a daily basis and maybe even answer some
of those "enquiring minds want to know" questions.
I guess first off I will ask you this:"
Growing up you really did not have an Athletic background, are you
surprised at where you have ended up, and does all of this recognition
still amaze you?"
Charles:
OK, nothing surprises me about my life< it's all by design (in
fact I dislike surprises in general). But I get your point and I
am a pretty unlikely candidate for the path I'm now on. As far as
recognition, at a moderate level it's gratifying, but on the rare
occasion it gets a little weird. I'm definitely NOT interested in
being famous on a large scale. It's one of those things that looks
great at a distance, but once you're there, it's not so great.
Jules:
Give me the defining moment-was it with "The
Science of Martial Arts" or "The Ultimate Guide to
Massive Arms" that you realized that you really had something
unique to share and really wanted to get that message out?
Charles:
Much earlier I think. At the risk of sounding like an ego-maniac
(and by the way I do have a big ego, but I'm pretty slick at creating
the opposite impression!), I've almost always had good powers of
observation and communication. I was a truly gifted martial arts
instructor, despite being avery mediocre martial artist. Any time
I'm watching someone coach or teach, I'm always thinking "Why
doesn't he...?" I can even teach things that I've never done
or don't know how to do myself.
Jules:
Charles you have a very extensive library- share a few of your very
favorites and if they could only choose one of them ,which book
do you think is the "must have" for anyone in this industry?
Charles:
" Science And Practice Of Strength Training" by Zatsiorsky,
"Getting Everything You Can Out Of All You've Got "by
Abraham, "To Do, Doing, Done!" by Snead & Wycoff,
"Think On These Things" by Krishnamurti, and "Stop
The Anger Now Before It Takes Over Your Life!" by Thomas. OK,
I'm just kidding about that last one.
Jules:
Share with everyone here what is your favorite work out, as well
as what was your best "moment" in a gym?
Charles:
Well if I can expand this to athletics in general:
1) Martial arts competition, about
age 25, dropped a 6-foot-6 Korean at a point competition...it was
an accident and I took no joy in hurting the guy, but it's an amazing
experience to knock someone out with a tiny little punch that you
can barely feel...one of those mind-body experiences
2) Power snatching 200 pounds. Only
did it once (so far).
3) Throwing the discus 139-10...my
best throw so far.
Jules:
I see you now and again with your spoon in your hand (yep-peanut
butter), but tell me what is the ultimate cheat meal for you? Also,
what is the one staple that you could not do with out?
Charles:
Ice cream, hands down. Couldn't live without it.
Jules:
Give me a typical day for you food wise-what's on your plate?
Charles: Man, I knew it'd ultimately
get to this. OK, about 8am, usually a piece of sausage. But last
week Rebecca made some of Berardi's apple crisp protein bars which
are awesome. 10am, I'll have a chicken/brocolli thingy that you
microwave. I live off these things< healthy, quick, easy, and
tasty. 1pm (after a workout) a serving of Surge. 3pm, this is where
the peanut butter sneaks in sometimes, but otherwise maybe a Grow!
shake. Dinner at maybe 6 or 7, steak, chicken, or fish with veggies
or a salad with vinegar and oil.
Oh, also, 3-6 liters of water and
a few(!) Diet Cokes throughout the day.
Jules:
Charles I know how much you like to go out and play with all your
friends on Saturday mornings-in fact I see you now have a new toy
(tire) that is taller than me in your garage. Why is this so much
fun for you and what does it really do?
Charles:
Well I love when you can see Josh's neighbors peering at us through
the blinds< that totally gets me off. I guess I just like the
competitive atmosphere that Josh, Shawn, Ray, and the rest of the
gang provide. I'm not terribly competitive by nature so this helps
me. But these workouts make you strong and fast, and I like being
the oldest one there (!).
Jules:
This is something that I think is funny but interesting-your theory
on running as a hobby/sport. Can you elaborate on that?
Charles:
Well I think the so-called "Runner's High" is just your
brain re-organizing it's chemistry to protect you from what it thinks
is you final demise. It's basically a near-death-experience...40,000
years ago, if you're running, it was for one reason and one reason
only: something was chasing you. So don't run. But you can push
a truck...that won't trick your brain into thinking that you're
about to die.
Jules:
Speaking of sports- (every now and again Charles will come to me
with some hysterical websites. This is the Charles you don't see
but some of these sites are very off the wall.) Now Charles you
were really a bit serious about getting into extreme-ironing. (to
learn more go to: http://extremeironing.com ) You have a great moniker
for yourself (staticcling) and I think you and your fight club buddies
here should start your own chapter. What are your thoughts on that
and do you "see" this as a future Olympic event?
Charles:
Well despite my affection for extreme ironing, actually I don't
have the genetics to do very well at it (story of my life). But
it's great for overall conditioning...as for it becoming an Olympic
event, they'll need to work on the performance enhancing drug problem
that's pervaded the sport. A lot of those guys are dropping dead
at age 30 from EPO and GH abuse.
Jules:
Also, speaking of Olympics- what has been the best to watch and
what would you like to see in the future? I have heard you say that
you think they should do separate Olympics for steroid users and
do scientific research on them as well-do you think that will ever
happen?
Charles:
The shot put events held in the original Athenian stadium just made
the hair on my neck stand on end...I've never seen anything like
that in sport. As for the all-drug Olympics, I'd love to see that
but it won't happen< it just makes too much sense.
Jules:
A lot is going on for you (some new products coming soon) between
all the traveling and writing the Book what is keeping you grounded
and what is the most exciting to you?
Charles:
I think writing really floats my boat the most because it allows
me to have the widest impact. I like teaching when I'm "on,"
but I'm rarely happy with my speaking and tend to stress myself
out about that.
Jules:
Let's talk a minute about the fabulous Ashleigh- she is amazing
with those tires and lifts- Olympic potential ?? When you see that
kind of power in a young person is it hard not to want to mold them
into that, especially with her being your daughter and all?
Charles:
Boy that's for sure. I think it's more important to do what you
love than to do what you're best at, even though they tend to be
the same thing. Life is all about accomplishment, I think. But if
she chooses, Ashleigh can be a heck of an athlete, so we'll see
I guess!
Jules:
Ok, lets say Charles that you were giving a dinner party and you
could only invite 5 guests. I know the steaks are on the grill but
who is on the guest list and why?
Charles:
Well Rebecca and Ash of course< we're like 3 peas in a pod. After
that, hmmmm...oh wait, I thought it was on a desert island, but
it's a dinner party. OK, so Rebecca and Ash, then, jeez, this is
unanswerable I'm afraid. How about P-Diddy and Hillary Clinton<
that'd be interesting anyway.
Jules:
Finally, remember this time last year around my birthday and you
got us all in the Avalanche and took us on a road trip to Scottsdale?
You said " I really think we all should move here" Well,
in less than a year we all packed up and moved here. So tell me,
1 year from now where is this business and what's going on?
Charles:
I think I need my own reality show. Serious. Only there's nothing
very dramatic about my life, it's pretty routine. Which is how I
like it..
Look for Episode two of this series
next week, When Charles answers these questions NOW, 5 years later.
