E36: This gym teaches you to train like a fighter without taking a hit.

Have you ever wanted the benefits of boxing training without taking a punch to the face? Joe Buckner, founder of Beautifully Savage Boxing, joins us to reveal how he's revolutionizing fitness with his boxing-based group concept where you "train like fighters but get fit without getting hit."

After helping open Title Boxing Club in 2013, Joe recognized a fundamental problem—traditional boxing fitness programs weren't authentic to how boxers actually train. Taking a massive leap of faith, he abandoned a lucrative sales career to create something revolutionary. Nine years later, his franchise operation offers a unique blend of boxing, strength conditioning, and yoga that's changing how people approach fitness.

Joe candidly shares his remarkable personal journey through imprisonment, homelessness, and financial hardship, revealing the mindset shift that transformed everything: "If I'm the root of the problem, then I'm probably also the solution." His philosophy changed when he stopped asking for fame and wealth and started seeking opportunities to share his gifts with the world. This transformation is reflected in his business philosophy, creating spaces where people don't just work out—they belong.

What truly distinguishes Beautifully Savage Boxing is its community-first approach. As Joe explains, "People want to feel like they matter to the thing that matters to them." Whether you're a fitness veteran or someone who's never worn boxing gloves (like 99% of their new members), you'll experience high-fives, fist-bumps, and genuine connection from day one. It's this commitment to community that makes Beautifully Savage not just a workout, but a place where transformation happens—inside and outside the ring. Ready to experience the workout Joe calls "the best boxing fitness workout in the country, hands down"? Visit https://www.bsboxing.com/ or follow @beautifullysavageboxing on Instagram to learn more.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place
where local businesses andneighbors come together.
Here's your host, Nick George.

Speaker 2 (00:10):
Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast.
Are you in need of abeautifully savage boxing
training experience?
One might be closer than youthink.
Today I have the pleasure ofintroducing your good neighbor,
joe Buckner, with BeautifullySavage Boxing.
Joe, how's it going?

Speaker 3 (00:26):
I'm doing great.
How are you?

Speaker 2 (00:28):
Good, we're excited to learn all about you and your
business.
Tell us about your dojo orboxing gym.

Speaker 3 (00:37):
Well, it's a boxing-based group fitness
concept, so it's a franchisethat I started in 2016, where we
train people like fighters butthey can get fit without getting
hit.
So it's a non-contact boxingfitness gym that also includes
strength conditioning and boxingand yoga classes called Hustle
and Flow.

Speaker 2 (00:59):
How'd you get into this business?

Speaker 3 (01:03):
I helped open Title Boxing Club in 2013.
And then I just saw that that'snot really how fighters train
Like.
A boxer's not going to hit aheavy bag for 30 minutes a day,
every day, as hard as they can,and so I just thought you know,
there's a way to do thisdifferent.
So I left a very lucrativesales career to open a gym.
Do not recommend anyone doingthat, but it seems to have

(01:24):
worked out pretty well for menine years later.

Speaker 2 (01:26):
So yeah, it's always been a dream of mine to open a
gym.
I get it Okay.

Speaker 3 (01:32):
What are some myths?
Let me know.

Speaker 2 (01:35):
What was that?

Speaker 3 (01:36):
I've got two for sale , so let me know.

Speaker 2 (01:39):
Okay, what are some myths or misconceptions in your
industry?
Are you talking boxing fitness?

Speaker 3 (01:44):
specifically misconceptions in your industry
Um?
Are you talking boxing fitnessspecifically, or the gym
industry?

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Specifically what you're doing.

Speaker 3 (01:56):
I would say some myths or misconceptions.
Yeah, one misconception would bethat you have to be in shape to
get started.
Um, I hear that often frompeople.
Well, I'm not in good enoughshape to get started.
Another misconception would bethat you're going to get punched
in the face.
We are one of a few non-contactboxing gyms.
Boxing fitness is probably morepopular in our country than

(02:17):
actual boxing because there'snot that many people that really
want to get hit.
I think a lot of people areexcited about hitting, but not
about getting hit, and so youwon't get hit.
I think a lot of people areexcited about hitting, but not
about getting hit, and so youwon't get hit in the face.
You don't have to be in greatshape to start, and it's not.
It's.
A lot of people say it'sintimidating, and I understand
the the newness of it could beintimidating, but at the end of

(02:39):
the day, 99% of the people thatwalked through our front door
have never had boxing gloves on,so everyone's a beginner Okay.

Speaker 2 (02:49):
Who are your target customers and how do you attract
them now?

Speaker 3 (02:53):
You know, we have four very distinct avatars, so
our target customers changed alot.
We just did a big rebrand, aswe franchised and we wanted to
have something that isduplicatable, so it's hard to
say who the exact person is If Ihad to just go off the top of
my head.
Like my wife is our idealcustomer.
You know, 35 to 50 years olddual income household sees

(03:15):
fitness as an investment, not anexpense.
But right now we're actuallydoing a heavy push towards Gen Z
and younger millennials, asthey're the ones that are really
pushing the popularity ofboxing fitness in our country,
as well as fitness as anexperience and not just as a way
to, you know, run yourself intothe ground and, you know, hit
PRs.
So right now, the way that wetarget them is we do a lot of

(03:38):
stuff on social media.
We leverage my social mediachannels, which are pretty,
pretty big, and then we do a lotof digital stuff on Facebook
and TikTok.

Speaker 2 (03:50):
Have you done or ever thought about doing your own
podcast?

Speaker 3 (03:55):
have you done, or ever thought about doing, your
own podcast?
Uh, it's been brought to myattention multiple times, I just
you know.
I think at a certain point wehave to decide like, is this
shiny object syndrome or is thissomething that's really going
to help me?
So I do believe there would bevalue in it, but I just don't
know that I would have the timeto dedicate to it and be
consistent with it, so I haven'tdone it.

Speaker 2 (04:14):
That's what most business owners say Outside of
work.
What do you do for fun?

Speaker 3 (04:20):
I don't do anything for fun.
I do this.
We have a franchise, we havethree locations.
I'm traveling to a lot offranchise shows.
Currently, in my spare time,I'm a certified executive coach
and I work with NFL players whoare transitioning out of the
league and we coach them throughtransition.
So tomorrow I'll leave for fivedays, six days, to Nashville to
work with those guys.

(04:41):
So currently, unfortunately, Idon't do much for fun.
That's something that I'mworking on, it's on my list, but
I don't.
I don't really do anything.

Speaker 2 (04:54):
I'm from Nashville.
It's a beautiful place.
You're going to love it there.

Speaker 3 (05:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (05:00):
I was just there in February.
Let's switch gears.
Can you describe a hardship orlife challenge that you overcame
and how it made you stronger?
What comes to mind?
Life?

Speaker 3 (05:14):
challenge that you, that you overcame, and how it
made you stronger.
What comes to mind?
Uh, I feel like my whole lifehas been one long hardship.
Um, where do we start?
Do we start, you know, growingup 30 cents away from a quarter?
Do we start at getting sent toprison in 2005?
Do we go to being homeless in2013?
I mean, take your pick.
So there's been multiplehardships.
The way that I've alwaysovercome things is just

(05:34):
realizing that if I'm the rootof the problem, then I'm
probably also the solution.
So, you know, my Aunt Mary usedto say if I can just get the
prayer right, then God will giveme the answer.
So oftentimes I just wasn'tasking for the right things.
You know, I was asking for fameor wealth, but I wasn't asking
for the right things.
I was asking for fame or wealth, but I wasn't asking for the
right things, which wasopportunity.

(05:55):
And so once I started askingfor opportunity for people to
see me, for me to be able toshare my gifts with the world,
that's when everything changedfor me.
So I couldn't pinpoint onehardship, because it was like
one after the other, after theother.
But I'd say that from the ageof probably 40 on because I'm 50
now.
Things have been pretty cool.

Speaker 2 (06:16):
I shared one of those with you.
I hear you, joe.

Speaker 3 (06:20):
Please tell our listeners one thing they should
remember about beautifullysavage boxing one thing I'd say
that people should rememberabout beautifully savage boxing
is it's more than a gym.
It's a place for people tobelong and a place for people to
become.
I think that that's the thingthat a lot of gyms are missing
is people want to feel like theymatter to the thing that

(06:42):
matters to them.
Beautifully Savage is a placewhere you'll feel connected from
day one.
The minute you walk in, peopleare high-fiving you,
fist-bumping you, asking youabout yourself and your life.
That's what I wanted to createthe type of place where, if you
needed a ride to the gym, threepeople would offer to pick you
up.
Oh, and it's the best-.

Speaker 2 (07:04):
Joe, how can our listeners Repeat that it's the
what?

Speaker 3 (07:10):
It's the best boxing fitness workout in the country
hands down how can our listenerslearn more about beautifully
savage boxing?
They can check out our website,bsboxingcom.
Our instagram.
We're very active on there atbeautifully savage boxing.
They can follow me at Mr JoeBuckner.

(07:32):
I do a lot of collaborationposts with the gym.
They could also just hit theGoogle button.
Probably about six pages ofstuff on me and the gym there.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
Well, Joe, I really appreciate you being on the show
.
We wish you and your boxing gymthe best moving forward.

Speaker 1 (07:52):
Yeah, for sure Appreciate you.
Thank you for listening to theGood Neighbor Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tognpfortcollinscom.
That's gnpfortcollinscom, orcall 970-438-0825.