Today we’d like to introduce you to Daniel Nyquist.
Hi Daniel, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My life journey (as it relates to employment) might look similar to taking a long road trip across the United States – stopping at multiple and distinctly different destinations for varying periods. In college, I studied biology and was most interested in working in an animal-based research facility. I interned at a research facility connected to the University of Minnesota before graduation. I quickly realized I wanted to work in something other than this field in the long term. I continued in my last year of study but began considering other options for employment.
Upon graduation, my wife (Sarah) and I were married, and I found my first job working at a local college in the admissions department. During this “stop” of my journey, I grew tremendously in interpersonal communication and building personal relations; during this “stop,” my wife and I had our first two children. After several years at the college, I transitioned into pastoral ministry (working within a local church). I graduated from college with a double major – one of which was biblical studies. I could say much about this “stop” / season of life, but during this season, I learned how to care for and come alongside people with compassion, mercy, grace, and understanding. Additionally, I built upon my communication foundation and added to it organizational administration, large group communication, and developing vision; during this season, we were blessed with two more children.
My journey’s next “stop” brings us to the present time. We’ve added one more child to our family – which keeps our house exciting and full. For the last number of years, I have managed a research and results-based exercise company serving around 100 clients with one-to-one, private, high-intensity forms of exercise. Now, my work essentially incorporates all aspects of my journey to date – biology (human/muscular physiology), interpersonal communication, administrative organization, vision development for the business, personally caring for and helping people, and everything else that comes from running a small business.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As is the case for nearly everyone, my life journey has included several challenges/obstacles. I have walked through the uncertainty and treatment of a pre-cancerous tumor, the treatment of a unique tumor in my mouth with the potential of losing nearly all of my jaw, the struggle of infertility, purchasing a home, and having to vacate (for 8 months) due to significant mold growth, and being forced to renovate our entire home on our own nearly. Professionally, I have had several challenges as the general manager of MYO – atomic level training. The owner of MYO is a good friend of mine, and he lives overseas doing full-time mission work in Eastern Europe. We have a great relationship, and at the same time, we operate on two entirely different schedules – which proves difficult in various ways. As a business, we’ve had to lead through two Covid-19 MN government shutdowns, build out a couple of new/different studio facilities, develop and train a team of high-character individuals who operate with excellence in our services and also genuinely care about the health and vitality of our patrons.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My interest in the body, exercise, and understanding human physiology began at a young age. I followed the traditional model of strength training principles throughout my high school and collegiate sports career. After college, I continued using many of these same principles until I was introduced to MYO’s form of exercise through my friend, co-founder, and owner, Kevin Ness. I graduated college with a BS in biology and biblical studies. With an understanding of many physiological processes the body undergoes in exercise, I was intrigued and compelled to continue studying the new exercise principles I was introduced to – learning the theory and science experientially through my training with Kevin.
After some time, I was invited to join MYO’s team, at which time I dove deeper into understanding the intricacies of the exercise philosophy MYO has adopted. In general, our exercise philosophy is to safely, effectively, and efficiently stimulate the major muscles of the body to stimulate the body’s growth mechanism. Each MYO workout lasts 20 minutes, is individually crafted to meet the need(s) of our patron, and is held in a private, one-on-one, and clinically controlled environment; because of the uniqueness of our training, we only allow a member to exercise twice per week (rarely allowing three workouts in seven days). A person’s recovery from exercise is critical to their overall health and progression in our training.
My role at MYO is managing the day-to-day administrative duties and needs of the business, leading our team, and instructing individual members through their workouts. MYO is the only exercise studio in Minnesota that uses this philosophy of muscular stimulation in a private, one-on-one, and clinical context. Additionally, all of our equipment is hand-built according to muscle and joint function, and no one in the Midwest (that we know of) has and uses our line of highly specialized equipment: Renaissance Exercise Equipment.
I am most proud of our unique services because we have worked with people who have found success, growth, and progress through our training when they have not worked for them. Our clients/members have ranged from 12 years to 88 years old. Because of our safety features and clinical environment, we can work with people who are highly sensitive to physical exertion, are rehabbing from injury or surgery, are fighting osteoporosis/osteopenia, training for marathons or triathlons, lack enough time to visit a gym regularly, and everything in between.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I have taken several risks in my life. That said, I may not have taken risks in the same sense as many others do. I have given my life to Jesus, and my risks are viewed more as steps of faith/trust in him.
Professionally, it has been a risk for me to transition into entirely different areas of employment – I wonder if I have what it takes to function within my responsibilities or if I will even enjoy the work long-term. Looking back at each step/”stop” in my journey, I can see the growth and development that prepared me for the next season of life. Some of the additional risks we have taken in our business include hiring new team members, moving studio locations, and building new studio locations (in addition to our Minnetonka and Dassel studio locations, we have also had a location in Minneapolis for five years).
From a personal perspective, we (my family) have moved homes multiple times and into different communities over our fifteen years of marriage. Each of these transitions has brought on a lot of uncertainty, especially considering buying and selling homes during tumultuous economic and political times. Most recently, as I began working as the general manager of MYO, we began praying about our willingness to move to the Minneapolis area (from a rural community an hour west of the Twin Cities). Jesus answered our prayer by someone expressing interest in buying our home – unsolicited (we prayed explicitly that someone would have to come to us to buy our home and that we wouldn’t talk with people or advertise anything). We sold our home two months later but needed a home to move into. If Jesus didn’t provide for us, then we would be homeless. With the expectation that Jesus would give us a home for us, selling our home was a tremendous set of faith (risk) for us. We trusted that Jesus would provide us with a home in the suburbs (closer to our Minnetonka studio location). With just a week to spare before our closing date, he offered a single-family home for us to lease and move into for a year in Bloomington. Then, a year later, our lease ended, and we were looking to purchase a home in a more rural context to the west of the Twin Cities. He provided again for us.
Pricing:
- Multiple pricing options depending on level of membership. Pricing options can be viewed on our website.
Contact Info:
- Website: myostrong.com
- Instagram: myo_strong
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BEMYOSTRONG
- Youtube: @myostrong
