I still have so many people to thank helping to get Haven off the ground.
The five amigos (Brett, Dan, Bryan, Rock and Jason): In preparation for Haven’s opening, these guys have let me bounce ideas off them for 3 years straight. Brett allowed me to use his storage space and drove out to nearly every available piece of property in CNY before finally landing in our current space.
The Yorks: Since I am the opposite of handy, Mike basically built everything that Keith wasn’t involved in, including our beautiful front desk. Mike and Jessica (along with their 3 amazing kids) have spent many long days and late nights helping us to build, clean, prep, etc…
Bill Hoff: Bill has provided me with so many “hookups” with different people in the industry. Bill has helped with so much. Thank you!
There are numerous others who have come in on random days to clean, build, and/or support – there are honestly too many to name. What an amazing feeling it is to know that we have so many amazing people in our corner. Although there are countless individuals who have helped in many ways, there are two more that I need to give a major shout out to.
Frank Parella has been my business mentor for the better part of four years. I couldn’t have asked for a better person to study under. It is no secret that opening a business is a lot of work. Frank sent over webinars, books, news articles, other school programs, and a never-ending amount of other material to look at, in preparation for the big opening. Any time I had a question, he was there for guidance. When I had hip surgery, Frank even took time to drive me to Rochester for appointments. Not all family is blood.
Frank, thank you for being family and the best mentor anyone could ask for.
Last, but certainly not least, my beautiful wife, Danae. How many people would allow their spouse to be a full time stay at home dad and Jiu Jitsu instructor for eight years? She had enough faith in my vision that we endured all things necessary to make this dream come to fruition. For 15 years, she has been by my side and never wavered through this grind. None of this would have been possible without you, Danae. Thank you for being the glue that holds everything together. I love you.
Some people think having a successful business is luck. Actually, it is having great people that you can listen to and trust. Because of these people (and so many more), we are sitting at 150 members after just two months. Haven Jiu Jitsu is here to stay. We will be a rock in the Jiu Jitsu community, bringing a safe place for everyone to hang out and train. There are big things coming and I am so excited to be sharing the journey with all of my members and friends. Thank you for helping to grow The Haven community and I look forward to seeing everyone on the mat!
-Ben
PS…this will be the last sappy post for a while. Honestly, I have never been so happy. I truly appreciate all of you. Thanks again.
Have You Heard About Our Local Partnerships?
We are all about forming partnerships that support local businesses and organization. Haven Jiu Jitsu is now partnering with Powerhouse Gym Baldwinsville, which is also located in River Mall plaza. Powerhouse Gym has the best strength training equipment, cardio equipment, and trainers to support your journey. Haven Members are eligible for $0 enrollment plus 1 month free at Powerhouse Gym Baldwinsville. Powerhouse Members are eligible for $50 off fees for a 1 year commitment at Haven!
Don’t miss a chance to save 15% off pizza at Cam’s Pizzeria in Camillus! Check out our flyer here to learn how.
We are very proud of our participation with the Adopt a Cop BJJ program. Learn more about these partnerships and more here.
