Today we’d like to introduce you to Jesse Thomas.
Hi Jesse, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m Jesse Thomas III, Founder of Active Strength Co., and my journey into sports performance and entrepreneurship began like many others, through passion and purpose.
I grew up an athlete. Sports taught me discipline, structure, and how to push beyond my limits. After playing and coaching at various levels, I realized that my real gift was helping others unlock their potential, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I wanted to create something that went beyond reps and sets something that truly developed young athletes into confident, resilient, high-performing individuals.
That vision led me to launch Active Strength Co., a space where athletes of all ages and skill levels could train with purpose. I started small, just me, a few athletes, and a deep belief that if I poured into them the way I wished someone had poured into me, it would grow. And it did. Word of mouth, results, and a commitment to building trust in the community helped me grow this business from a side hustle into a full-service, highly respected training facility.
Over time, I’ve refined our programs, expanded our offerings, built out systems, and trained staff who carry the same values I started with: excellence, empowerment, and energy. I didn’t just want to build a gym, I wanted to build a culture and a brand that speaks to transformation.
Now, with years of coaching and business experience under my belt, I not only run Active Strength Co., but I also mentor other fitness professionals, partner with schools and organizations, and stay invested in the growth of every athlete that walks through our doors.
It hasn’t been easy, the early mornings, late nights, setbacks, and reinventions but I wouldn’t change a thing. Every rep, every athlete, every challenge shaped the coach and entrepreneur I am today.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Not at all, it’s definitely not been a smooth road. But every bump and setback shaped me and the business into what it is today.
Here are a few of the major struggles along the way:
1. Starting From Scratch
When I first started, I didn’t have a huge facility, a marketing team, or a deep bench of clients. I had to build trust from the ground up. I was coaching, programming, scheduling, marketing, and cleaning all on my own. The hustle was real, 5 a.m. sessions, long days, and late nights just to keep the wheels turning.
2. Educating the Market
One of the biggest early challenges was educating people on the value of sports performance training. A lot of parents and athletes didn’t understand the difference between general fitness and what we do, developing speed, agility, movement mechanics, injury prevention, and confidence through structured, age-appropriate programming. I had to position myself as a teacher first, then a trainer.
3. Competing With Big-Box Gyms
We’re surrounded by larger facilities with bigger budgets. I had to learn how to differentiate through culture, connection, and results. I wasn’t going to win with flashy equipment or massive ad budgets but I could win by caring more, coaching better, and creating a personal experience for every athlete and family.
4. Scaling Without Sacrificing Quality
As we grew, the demand increased, and with that came the pressure to scale, hire staff, delegate training, and develop systems. But I didn’t want growth to come at the cost of quality. So I had to slow down and build internal processes, staff education, and systems that protected the integrity of the brand.
5. COVID & Shutdowns
Like many small businesses, we got hit hard during the pandemic. Everything paused. I had to pivot fast, creating remote programs, virtual check-ins, and trying to keep the community engaged and hopeful during uncertain times. That season tested our resilience, but it also built deeper loyalty from those who saw how hard we fought to serve them.
6. Balancing the Business & the Mission
There’s always a tension between doing what you love and keeping the business running profitably. Learning how to price fairly, manage costs, and still show up with passion took time. I had to grow from being just a coach into being a CEO and that’s a whole different skill set.
But through it all…
What kept me going was purpose. I wasn’t just building a training business, I was building a platform to change lives. And every struggle became fuel for that mission.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
🔹 Who We Are
Active Strength Co. is a sports performance training company based in Lee’s Summit, MO. We specialize in age-appropriate, structured athletic development, helping youth, middle school, high school, and collegiate athletes unlock their full athletic potential. From speed and agility to strength and injury prevention, we help athletes move better, get faster, and build real confidence both on and off the field.
But we don’t stop at youth.
We also train adults who want to move and perform like athletes. Our adult programs are rooted in the same performance-driven philosophy, designed for those who want to train with purpose, challenge their limits, and build functional strength for life and competition.
🔹 What We Do
We provide tiered programming based on age, skill level, and performance goals:
Youth (7–10): Foundational athletic development, body awareness, coordination, and confidence building.
Developmental (11–13): Speed mechanics, strength fundamentals, movement skill refinement.
Advanced (14 & up): High-level sports performance training including strength & power development, plyometrics, mobility, and recovery protocols.
And for adults, we offer:
HYROX Group Training – Built for those looking to compete in functional fitness events or level up their endurance, strength, and mental grit.
Adult Personal Training — Tailored programming with a performance lens, whether your goal is fat loss, muscle gain, pain-free movement, or simply to feel like an athlete again.
All programs include options like:
Body composition scans
PDF workouts
Nutrition add-ons
Monthly testing & progress tracking
🔹 What Sets Us Apart
What truly separates us is our intentionality and culture.
✅ Coach-to-athlete ratio — We cap our sessions to ensure every athlete is seen, coached, and corrected.
✅ Movement-first philosophy — We don’t just chase numbers; we teach how to move better, with purpose and precision.
✅ Character-driven coaching — We don’t just build bodies, we build confidence, resilience, and mental toughness.
✅ True progression system — We meet you where you’re at and build a path forward, whether you’re 8 or 38.
From first steps to personal records, we train with long-term development in mind, not just short-term hype.
🔹 What We’re Known For
We’re known for creating complete athletes, not just fast ones or strong ones.
We’re also known for our energy and culture. When people walk into our facility, they feel it. It’s intentional, it’s structured, it’s personal but it’s also fun. You’ll hear music, encouragement, and people grinding together. That vibe? That’s what makes people stay.
Whether you’re a high school athlete chasing a scholarship or an adult preparing for your first HYROX or just wanting to feel strong again, you’re welcome here.
🔹 What We’re Most Proud Of
Brand-wise, I’m most proud that we’ve built something authentic, no gimmicks, no fluff, just real training that works.
We’ve created a brand that families trust, adults commit to, and athletes buy into. That trust is everything to us.
We’ve helped kids gain confidence, athletes earn scholarships, adults crush performance goals, and busy parents reclaim their health and strength. And we’re just getting started.
🔹 What We Want You to Know
We’re not just a gym. We’re not just for kids. We’re a movement-driven culture built on coaching, connection, and consistency.
Whether you’re preparing for a sport, a competition, or just a better version of yourself, Active Strength Co. is where performance meets purpose.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I was the kind of kid who never sat still, full of energy, competitive by nature, and always chasing something. Whether it was racing bikes in the neighborhood, playing pickup games at the park, or staying up late watching highlight reels, I was hooked on movement and the pursuit of greatness even before I understood what that really meant.
🔹 Personality-wise
I was a mix of:
Focused and intense, especially when it came to sports, if I was playing, I was all in.
Observant, always studying people, their habits, their mindsets, their work ethic.
Respectful but driven, I didn’t talk the loudest, but I worked the hardest.
And I had that “figure-it-out” gene, I didn’t always know how to do things, but I believed I could figure it out if I kept showing up.
🔹 Interest-wise
Naturally, sports were everything. Football, basketball, track, whatever I could compete in, I was there. I was always drawn to the idea of performance, not just playing the game, but understanding how to get better at it, faster, stronger, smarter.
I was also always curious about:
Why some people succeed and others don’t
How training affects performance
And later on, how mindset and environment shape who we become
Those early interests turned into a passion for human development, athlete performance, and ultimately, coaching and business.
🔹 The Core Never Changed
Even back then, I loved to lead by example. I wasn’t chasing attention, I was chasing impact. I wanted to earn respect, not demand it. And I always had this deep belief that I was meant to build something that mattered, even before I had the language or tools for it.
So in a lot of ways, the same qualities that define me as a coach and entrepreneur today, discipline, curiosity, grit, and empathy, were already showing up in me as a kid.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.activestrengthco.com
- Instagram: @activestrengthco & @activelyspeeding
- Facebook: facebook.com/activestrengthco
- Youtube: @coachjessejewel
