The Weight We Choose to Carry

A message from Will...

As we’ve shared recently in our blogs and through social media posts, we have a wall of images in our office that represent our teammates’ “Coins”. This display has become a great reminder for all of us of the depth of our full-time staff and our team of Expert Facilitators, and what we all value.   

In this week’s Blog, our colleague and dear friend, Will Luera, gives us a glimpse into his values, and shares some of the currency beneath one of the images he chose.  

Will is the Executive Director of Lifeline Productions, and former Director of Improvisation at Florida Studio Theatre. He is the co-creator of Healing Moments for Alzheimer’s, a non-profit organization that provides education, advocacy, and ministry for persons with dementia and their caregivers. He is a conflict mediator that focuses on workplace issues. He sits on the boards of Miss Sarasota Softball and A Head Above, a local non-profit focusing on post-incarceration work placement.

As one of our most active Game On Expert Facilitators, we’re honored to have Will on our team. And we’re so grateful for his improv and storytelling skills, and for the creativity and care he brings into every space he enters.  

- Steve Shenbaum  

If you've spent any time around me, you've probably heard me talk about CrossFit. Some people see barbells, kettlebells, and workouts. I see a leadership laboratory.

Every workout begins the same way...standing in front of a challenge you haven't completed yet. Sometimes it's heavy. Sometimes it's technical. Sometimes it simply asks you to keep going when you'd rather stop. The only way through is to trust the process, stay present, and take the next rep.

That's why the kettlebell became my Coin.

A kettlebell is deceptively simple. It doesn't do the work for you. It simply gives you the opportunity to become stronger through consistency. Every swing, every carry, every lift reinforces a lesson that extends far beyond the gym...growth rarely comes from comfort. It comes from embracing challenge with intention.

That philosophy is exactly why I love the work we do at Game On Nation.

Whether we're helping leaders communicate with greater impact, strengthening trust within teams, or creating cultures where people feel seen and valued, we're not handing people a shortcut. We're giving them opportunities to build the habits, mindset, and confidence that sustain high performance. Just like training, transformation happens one rep, one conversation, and one courageous decision at a time.

One of my favorite sayings in CrossFit is, "The workout doesn't get easier...you get stronger." I think leadership works the same way. Difficult conversations don't disappear. Change doesn't slow down. Teams don't magically become more connected. We simply develop the capacity to meet those challenges with greater skill, resilience, and purpose.

Every time I pick up a kettlebell, I'm reminded that strength is something we build...not something we're given.

I'm grateful to Game On Nation for creating experiences that challenge people to grow together, celebrate the journey, and discover the strength that has been inside them all along. Whether we're in a gym or a boardroom, the goal is the same:

Show up. Do the work. Get better together.