5 Big Changes That Better Reflect EM's New Direction
Behind the scenes, a wave of change has been happening at Experience Momentum. To keep everyone up to date and well-informed, we wanted to address these new changes, including what’s happening, why they’re happening, and what they mean for EM and our clients moving forward.
And who better to tell everyone than our very own Shanon Tysland, Founder (Coach and Physical Therapist) of Experience Momentum.
Shanon shares his views and reflections on what’s new, what’s in the works, why this is just the beginning for EM, and how these shifts will help us redefine what’s possible in health and fitness – and beyond.
What’s New For Experience Momentum
Rediscovering Our ‘Why’ Through A New Website Design
Earlier this year, we invested in a new website, including a brand refresh, website copy, videography, and photography. “The website design has been, for me, very uplifting and reinvigorating. Working with our website team – they've been absolutely amazing. And in that process, I was reminded of our why,” Shanon said.
After being asked “probing” questions to get to know EM and capture the essence of who we are for the website, Shanon realized “how much I love this company, and I love what we're doing for our team members, our community, and our clients. I'm hoping that it really comes through in this new website, and I'm hoping that folks can see themselves on the screen while they're navigating through trying to find out who we are.”
Shanon’s Reflection On Having External Support
For the first time in EM’s history, we outsourced a website design and copy. Shanon began, “It’s been really helpful because things that we take for granted, that we know we're kind of swimming in the water with–someone is outside of the water trying to figure out who we are.”
The design team, Minty Made, is also a 1% For The Planet company. “So they understand the core focus we have as a company,” says Shanon, “And they can also look at Experience Momentum through a unique lens, which we are too close to see.”
“They just did a really good job seeking to understand who we are,” Shanon says, “when they would pose a question, we would answer it, and they would try and capture that essence and put it on the screen in the form of a photo, within a design, and through words.”
But it was still collaborative the whole way through. “We had an opportunity to say, hey, do we like that? Did that capture what we were trying to convey? Sometimes it was yes, and sometimes it was no. But I think we both gained a lot of clarity in that process.”
Shanon shares, “It was scary. They're asking a lot of questions. You have to answer them, but before you answer, you realize this is what’s going out to the world. This is how we’re going to be portrayed,” Shanon continues, “so you really want to be intentional around the answers and thought process. You don’t want to be whimsical and say, ‘Oh, just do this or that.’ No. For each page on our website, for each caption, there is an intention that is in alignment with who we are and who we want to become more of.”
Reinvigoration With New Core Values
Alongside the new website and design, one of the most exciting shifts at Experience Momentum has been our Core Values.
As a values-aligned business, Shanon understands that values are “the essence of the experience with our customers that we're trying to create. They are the foundation that we really work to build on” and what keeps EM moving in the right direction.
Experience Momentum is now defined by Trust, Integration, Connection, New Inspiration, and Possibility. Each one has a deep-rooted significance that influences
How we approach integrative wellness services
How we interact and support our clients
What we look for and encourage in our team members
How we show up for our clients, our team, our community, and our planet
TRUST
We leverage meaningful relationships and deep knowledge to instill trust in our services and in our commitment to providing care.
“Trust is the cornerstone of our core values,” says Shanon. Trust requires authenticity. “People can tell if you're in it for the right reasons.”
Shanon continues, “But trust takes time. Consistently showing up in your authentic self and for the community is how you slowly but steadily build trust. That’s why we’re determined to keep showing up consistently for a long period of time –so our community, our team members, and our customers know we're here for them, and that's our priority.”
We’re in this for the long haul, and we want our people to know this, rely on us, and hopefully, trust us to help them redefine what’s possible.
INTEGRATION
We offer a fully integrated experience that bridges individual wants and needs with collective impact.
“We offer so many different services,” Shanon begins, “and we really want to bridge our customer’s personal goals, their health goals, their fitness goals, their nutrition goals and let them know our team is here to support every single one.”
He continues, “We want our clients to know that we see all of them through a human-first lens and will meet them where they are at –but we’ll also plant seeds of possibility and let them grow.
Having our team collaborate with vulnerability and transparency on behalf of our customers to create fully-integrated experiences is why we created this core value.”
CONNECTION
We create an inclusive environment where people connect with themselves, each other, and our shared planet.
“I believe that we're wired to connect as a human species,” Shanon says, “and so how can we connect with each other? In this digital age, it's easier and easier to become disconnected. To create some authentic, genuine caring relationships is what we're all about.”
At EM, our capacity to create deep and trusting connections is pivotal. Not only does it extend to our connection with our clients but our connection with our community and our planet.
NEW INSPIRATION
We act as a source of inspiration, so that in health and in community, we make progress toward what matters most.
“We want to be a source of inspiration,” Shanon says, “because many of our clients are coming in because they're in pain. They're recovering from an injury. They're trying to improve their health.”
Creating a life that inspires you is not only one of our taglines but a goal we want our clients, team members, community, and anyone who walks in our doors to achieve. How can we cultivate progress towards creating a life that inspires ourselves and ripples to every individual we touch?
Our first step is to accept them where they’re at, no matter what that looks like. “You're whole and complete just as you are,” Shanon acknowledges, “so let's set some goals that inspire you. We want to know what those goals are and how we can move forward together.”
POSSIBILITY
We unleash human potential by planting seeds of possibility and awakening our ability to do things we never imagined we could.
“Possibility is probably my favorite value,” Shanon admits. “This is where we get to plant seeds of redefining what is possible in someone's life, something that they didn't think they could do, that wasn't even in their consciousness.”
For example, our EM team members might ask our clients, “Hey, do you want to do this?” And they usually respond with, “You think I could do that? Is it possible?” Our response is always, “Yeah! Let’s go do it.” And that possibility is what we're all about.
Other New Things Happening At Experience Momentum
New Location: Mill Creek, Washington
In January 2023, we opened our Mill Creek facility with a 3,500-plus square foot boutique facility offering CrossFit and Personal Training services and in February, added Physical Therapy.
With our grand opening in June 2023, Shanon says, “We're ramping up and really trying to connect with the community because there's a lot of folks that don't know who we are. So we're really excited to get the word out and have this grand opening be a celebration.”
With the success of our Lynnwood and Fremont locations, we’re excited to expand our impact and create lasting relationships with the Mill Creek community and beyond!
Our Redefined Approach To The Planet
As a 1% for the planet company, EM is trying “to bridge the gap between the health of our planet to the health of every human being,” Shanon states, “We are one of many species on this planet, and sometimes we forget that.” So we’re doubling down on creating a positive impact on our planet.
Between the most recent Earth Month, working with local environmental nonprofits like Viva Farms, and having Earth Corps (an environmental leadership development program) train our team, Shanon says, “It’s been really refreshing and grounding and, again, keeping me motivated to do the work and connect the dots on the health of our planet to the health of our customers, team members, and community.”
We’re so passionate about caring for the planet because it takes care of us. We make sure we are thoughtful in our people over profit and value-aligned approach to business with activities that bring us closer to the environment and closer as a team. This year, we closed our facilities for half a day and went out as a team to "get our hands dirty" and engage in environmental work. This is just one way that we engage in our approach to the planet as a business.
Every action we take is inspired by the possibilities generated by our impact –including our continued 1% For The Planet membership and our B-Corporation Certification.
Expansion Of Virtual Services
“As a company, we are excited to add more bandwidth within our virtual services in the latter half of this year. We will be offering more virtual services to reach people outside of our Mill Creek, Lynnwood, and Seattle area zip codes and help improve their physical, mental, and emotional health,” Shanon says, “I'm really excited about that.”
Currently, our on-demand virtual class membership options sync with our in-person class offerings so you never miss a beat. We’re looking forward to adding more classes from our expert fitness trainers, Registered Dietitian Nutritionists, and Physical Therapists so our location-independent clients can access a robust online library to help them gain the traction they need to achieve their goals.
May 2023: Move For Mental Health
Shanon has seen it before: health often gets reduced down to refer to just physical health. “But mental and emotional health and well-being are a part of all of that.”
More specifically, “mental health issues tend to be put on the back burner. But it’s coming to the forefront of health,” Shanon says. And EM is here for it.
In May, we’ll honor National Mental Health Awareness Month with weekly invitations to meditate, engage in ecotherapy, keep a gratitude journal, and experiment with the way movement influences mental health. “We're going to culminate that with a community workout called Murph, where we all get together and go out and move our bodies –and I’m really excited for that.”
What These Changes Mean For The Experience Momentum Community
“When I look at the new direction of EM, my hope is that people walking through our door, they are going to feel like they're met exactly where they are. That they're exactly where they're supposed to be regardless of the injury circumstance that is happening,” Shanon says, “I firmly believe that everything that happens to us is happening for us. Once we can sit with that, then we can move forward.”
He ends, “So theoretically, it’s about not resisting what is, but accepting and choosing what is. How can I redefine what's possible? What is something that really lights me up? We want to unleash human potential by planting the seeds of possibility for our clients –that is the goal we want everyone to really feel. And behind the scenes, we're working to create that.”
Learn more about the values and mission of Experience Momentum here! If you’re ready to redefine what’s possible in your life, join our monthly newsletter to keep up to date on the momentum happening inside EM!