How Losing His Hockey Dream Helped Ilan Cumberbirch Rebuild His Identity and Build Yard Athletics

Built For This: Stories of a Maverick

In this episode of the Built for This Podcast: Stories of a Maverick, host Jenna Bayuk speaks with Ilan Cumberbirch, Founder & Owner of Yard Athletics. Ilan takes listeners through his journey from growing up in Vancouver to becoming a professional athlete and ultimately transitioning into entrepreneurship.

He shares his experiences in the world of sports, the lessons he learned from his athletic career, and how they shaped his approach to building a successful business. Ilan also shares the challenges he faced while founding Yard Athletics and how he strives to create a training environment that is accessible to all, from elite athletes to everyday individuals. This episode highlights the importance of perseverance, adaptability, and building a culture of respect and growth within a business.

Key Takeaways

From Athlete to Entrepreneur: Ilan’s journey from hockey player to fitness entrepreneur, learning valuable lessons along the way.

The Importance of Diverse Sports Experience: How playing multiple sports at a young age shaped Ilan’s approach to fitness and business.

Building a Training Facility: The challenges and rewards of transitioning from renting space to owning and running your own facility.

Creating a Strong Business Ethos: Ilan’s approach to building Yard Athletics with a focus on strength training, proper movement patterns, and inclusivity for all fitness levels.

Adapting to Change and Overcoming Challenges: Insights into dealing with adversity and using setbacks as motivation for growth.

The Power of Teamwork and Community: How teamwork in both sports and business contributes to the success of Yard Athletics.

Entrepreneurial Lessons: The importance of persistence and learning from mistakes while navigating the entrepreneurial journey.

Noteworthy Quotes

“The longer you stay in it, the bigger the reward at the end.” – Ilan Cumberbirch

“You’re not paying the coach for the session, you’re paying for the years of knowledge behind that moment.” – Ilan Cumberbirch

“If you can’t skate, you can’t play hockey.” – Ilan Cumberbirch

“The longer you can stay in the game, the bigger the reward at the end.” – Ilan Cumberbirch

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Trailer & Introduction to Ilan Cumberbirch and Yard Athletics

[00:01:50] Growing Up in Vancouver and Getting Into Sports

[00:06:38] Transitioning from Hockey to Entrepreneurship

[00:10:15] The Challenges of Starting Yard Athletics

[00:18:30] Finding the Right Space for Yard Athletics

[00:25:00] Creating a Strong Business Culture and Ethos

[00:28:00] Building a Community: The Value of Inclusivity in Training

[00:36:00] The Entrepreneurial Journey: Learning from Mistakes and Moving Forward

[00:45:00] Ilan discusses their onboarding process for new trainers.

[01:08:30] Ilan discusses the motivation to train and the role of his son.

[01:12:30] Ilan shares his thoughts on building a real body versus chasing aesthetics

[01:17:00] Jenna asks about squats and muscle growth.

[01:26:00] Ilan talks about the possibility of working with top athletes or teams.

[01:28:43] what “built for this” means to Ilan

[01:31:12] Ilan shares the details about the Yard Athletics giveaway.

FOLLOW OUR GUEST ILAN CUMBERBIRCH ON:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilan-cumberbirch-58135966/

Website: https://yardathletics.ca/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/ilancumberbirch/?hl=en

E-Book: https://yardathletics.myflodesk.com/lessons

FOLLOW OUR HOST JENNA BAYUK ON:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennabayuk/

Website: https://kinshipkollective.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenna_bayuk/

Email: [email protected]

FOLLOW BUILT FOR THIS - STORIES OF MAVERICK! PODCAST ON:

Website: https://kinshipkollective.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kinshipconsulting/

X: https://x.com/JBayuk

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@builtforthispodcast?

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinship.consult

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kinshipconsult