What Jack Brown lacks in shoes and a shirt, he makes up for in homespun charisma and a comfy pickup truck bed. We sat down in that generously-sized pickup truck bed parked just outside of the Hyde Park Shop with a six pack of Karbach Light Circus Hazy IPAs for a late March interview. With a class in progress, this rollicking interview lent itself to a number of charming cameos.
Coach Chad: Take it Jack, what did you just say?
Jack Brown: I did just get back from Vegas.
How are you feeling?
Not ideal, not great. But for me if I don’t (come to workout) I feel worse. And this was a good one. I love power cleans.
That is great. Why do you like power cleans?
I used to not like power cleans- it was the hardest thing in the world for me to catch it lower. Once Keith gave me some tips and tricks, I realized that once you do it right, because it is such a technical lift, that it is so much fun when you hit that max lift. So many things have to come together.
Just like in life-
Fabiola Londoño, DBS member and former Spotlight Athlere, stopping by: What is this beautiful gathering here?
We’re doing a little Athlete Spotlight interview, just like the one you and I had not too long ago.
I see! But we didn’t have this wonderful truck to be sitting on top of.
Well, we’re always innovating!
Cheers! That is fantastic. Well enjoy your interview.
You enjoy your class! So I asked the other coaches if they had questions they wanted me to ask of you-
Did the shoe thing come up?
It did- it was the main thing that came up. I’d like to go ahead and address the fact that you don’t wear shoes or a shirt to class. I want to get that out of the way because I suspect it is the least interesting thing about you, just the most visible thing. Briefly, how did that start?
So I’ve never been one of those people who likes taking my shirt off for a workout, but last summer I took it off one day in class and I just kept doing it. I think a big part of it is I come 5-6 times a week and I just go through shirts. I liked not having to (do all that laundry). My first knee surgery Sophomore or Junior year, I was working out with one of my brother’s friends who was becoming a trainer. He would coach me to take off my shoes for lifts and so I got comfortable with that-
Hey buddy!
Dane Krager, owner of DBS and America’s favorite dad, just pulled up next to us in his truck: Hey guys!
Do you need a beer to take with you buddy?
Are they good?
You haven’t had these yet?
No I haven’t. I can really have one?
On average we go through a total of 4 during these interviews.
Thanks! I’ll be here for a little longer, so if you need me to go on a beer run- wait, you’re recording this?
*laughing* You’re adorable Dane!
(Dane drives off shaking his head… so back to Jack) So the shoe thing started out just with lifting. I got the go ahead from Keith to go shoeless during Strength Class and then I started just doing it during Fusion too. For some reason it has always just been more comfortable.
That’s good. We’ve addressed the elephant in the room- that is the origin story of Shoeless Jack. Coach Autumn was curious about your experience working with your father’s Nonprofit, Miracle League. You’ve been involved with that for a long time right?
Yeah, my parents started the branch here in Austin when I was around 7 or 8 years old. So I was too young to be a buddy, one of the kids who help the younger kids run the bases-
Can you give a quick overview of Miracle League?
Yeah, it is a baseball league for disabled children. There are many throughout the country and it is different from regular baseball because you don’t keep score and also the field is a synthetic rubber- easier for wheelchairs and walkers and things like that. Most places get a volunteer base to be the buddies, but what we do is get middle school and high school kids to volunteer. We think that is a little more fun because it helps the kids to feel like they are playing with their peers.
Coach Beth Felker wandering over: It looks like you two are rednecks. I like the chair in the back of the truck.
This is my chair for when I go to Zilker in the morning and let Isla run around.
I like that she is putting her nose in my ear! *yep, Isla was actually putting her nose in Beth’s ear!
This is all going to make it in the transcript Beth- we’re recording.
Oh, sorry!
No, just go ahead and tell us where the bodies are buried…
No!!!
They’re under the tires aren’t they?
*Beth meanders back to the class and reassumes the mantle of coach*
So we have a field up in Northwest Austin and I’ve been a part of it since they started. Buddies have to be at least 13, so I started out announcing games over the PA system that we had donated.
Miracle League is a phenomenal organization and I cannot shout them out enough; one of the coolest things we have done as an organization was working with you guys.
We cannot wait to have you come back. Recording this or not, you are without a doubt the most energetic and enthusiastic group that we had.
We did rails of cocaine before we came out-
Well then do it again, as long as it isn’t on the property.
So how did growing up around that influence you?
I’m still a part of it- I coach one of the teams and I’m a part of the board. I run our charity golf tournament. At first, it felt like “oh man, I’ve got 7-9 hours on my Saturday taken away from me fourteen times a year”. But there are so many moments that you see out on the field that are, for lack of a better word, miracle moments. So it quickly changed from being something I had to do to something I was eager to do. It made me appreciate what I had in my life and also how just doing something little can be a lot for someone else. The kids love Miracle League, but the parents love it just as much.
I’ve seen a kid walk for only the second time in his life- and I was calling the game! He was in a full wheel chair and he got to third base. It was the last game, the sun was going down, it was like a movie. My mom comes up to me- I always say that my dad is the president of Miracle League, but my mom is the boss– and told me the kid was going to try walking from third base to home and that it would be only the second time in his life that he has walked. So he stops his wheelchair and his mom and dad are standing at home plate and he just starts walking. I was trying to call the game and it was one of those moments where you look around and not one person wasn’t crying.
That is a beautiful story. So it obviously had a profound effect on you just in terms of the value of helping other people. You’re obviously someone who has physical activity and fitness as a big part of your life; how did an experience like that inform the way that you view fitness?
Yeah, I think there are two parts to that. You see some of the things these kids can do with their limitations and you just think, “I’m never going to complain about what I have to do”. When I was born, my umbilical cord was tied in a knot and I was fine, but I had to do a bunch of physical therapy and (my parents) didn’t think I would ever play any contact sports. So that coupled with Miracle League gave me a mindset that it is never as hard as you think it is. Having had four knee surgeries, I miss (working out) when I’m not able to do it.
So you have a deeper appreciation for fitness because you understand that it isn’t a given thing.
I’m not taking it for granted and I don’t do it without proper guidance because I know it can be taken away. There were kids in Miracle League who weren’t born with a disorder- something happened to them and that is scary as all get-out. Working out is a mental escape as much as a physical thing. It helps me get through my day mentally.
So what is a day like for shoeless Jack Brown?
Most of my life is consumed by this Isla dog, this always in your face and very needy black lab.
She is a very well-behaved dog.
She’s a sweetheart, but she does love attention; I get to wake up with this one literally dive-bombing into my body. I usually take her out to Zilker in the morning- she gets to run her energy out and I get to take in the day slowly. I get to work with my dad- a bit of a curse and a blessing. My dad is mentoring me and training me to become a residential appraiser. His office is a few blocks from here which is nice. Then depending on the day it is either Fusion or Strength and once that wraps up it is a whole lot of nothing. Just going home and relaxing.
What does relaxation look like for you?
I used to do a lot of going to Zilker and playing spike ball, but coming back from my knee surgery it is more like hanging out with my roommate and watching some television. I love to just go home and relax during the week- there is normally enough on the agenda during the weekend. It isn’t an eventful day.
Do you wear shoes and a shirt at home?
Shoes, never. I don’t wear them at the office- I have an emergency pair of flip-flops in my truck just in case I forget to bring shoes when I drive somewhere (which is quite often). A shirt? That is a toss-up. At my office I have a Dane’s hoodie on my chair and I wear that every day. At home, I’ll put on a shirt if my roommate’s girlfriend comes over.
Very kind of you Jack- if you didn’t put on a shirt then she would just instantly fall in love with you.
Exactly! I don’t want to break any hearts or anything. I try to be a gentleman when I can.
I’m intrigued by your father also being your mentor and boss. Can you talk a little bit more about that relationship?
I’ve been working for him for almost a year now and it has definitely changed a lot. We’re a lot closer now which I think is awesome; I don’t take for granted being able to see my dad every day. We definitely do have different ideas on how to do things-
Like I’ve never seen Steve Brown shirtless-
Exactly! He is a very big shoes and shirt guy. For me, it is a lot about figuring out how to work his way- he’s looking to retire soon, so he isn’t going to change. I get to pick his brain and, as bad as it might sound, learn how not to do things. And he knows it! He is showing me everything he possibly can.
So he’s showing you things that he has done wrong?
Yes! There will be times when he will say that he wishes he had done something different.
That is an incredibly valuable teaching tool. I already like your father a lot and this makes me respect him even more.
I got very lucky. (Having my mentor be my father) is making the learning curve just shoot up for me because I get so much more hands on experience. So it is a balance of dad and boss. We still butt heads, but I feel so lucky.
How about sharing a gym with him?
This might surprise anyone who has ever shared a gym with their dad, but it is absolutely my favorite thing. My brother had been working out at Dane’s and eventually he got my dad to try it. So I went with him and signed up immediately. I loved it here anyway, but I also get to hold my dad accountable in coming and when he is in class. I enjoy having that ability to make sure he is taking care of himself. It is also cool to just sit there and joke with my dad.
Because you two do give one another a hard time-
Oh yeah! If I could have my whole family come here and work out at the same time I would. It would probably be bad because my brother and I get really competitive, but I love being able to see my dad commit to something and take care of himself. I’d love to see him come to class even more.
If I may editorialize, Steve Brown does work hard when he’s in class. He does a very good job!
Exactly. It is really cool to see someone his age doing stuff that my friend’s can’t do. Isla, don’t put your paw up!
What is with the paw? Is she not supposed to do that?
She tries to slowly climb up on you without you noticing. If you’re not careful she will be in your lap with her front paws on your shoulders.
She’s adorable and this is going to make for some great content. Okay, I think this is a good time to segue into some more random territory. Where did the name Isla come from?
*sheepish giggle* I was backpacking in Scotland and we went to this family style hotel in the highlands. There was this like do-it-all woman, she’d check you in, she’d bartend, everything. I may or may not have had a very serious crush on her in the two or three days we were there. Her name was Isla and she knew her whiskey better than anyone I ever met. I thought her name was great, so I asked my mom to get the spelling of her name so I could add it to my dog name list-
Wait, you were already thinking about getting a dog?
Oh, me getting a girl black lab was something I knew since I was a child. When I was going to physical therapy, my grandma trained one of her dogs for physical therapy and it was a girl black lab. I was very close with that dog. So I fell in love with the name- I may or may not have fallen in love with the bartender for a short time- but the name just stuck. I thought it was an original name, but then I came to Dane’s one day and Islay #1 was there.
And who does #1 belong to?
*grumbles* Rimas…
Do you feel a little bit of antipathy towards him?
Nah, I think it is the coolest thing. Maybe I’d feel antipathy if Islay #1 wasn’t just the sweetest dog- I mean, that’d be a misuse of an awesome name! But they both love each other so it is awesome to watch them play.
And at least the spelling is different. Alright, based on this scenario I’m going to tweak another question I often ask. Let’s say you are in a karaoke bar with Isla the Scottish bartender and you want to impress her by singing the sexiest karaoke song you can imagine. What song do you choose to sing?
I’ve only done karaoke once and that was “Pour Some Sugar on Me” so I’m not doing that. It was a bad choice. What is that Brian McKnight song, Step One? *actually “Back at One” is the title if we want to be technical dear readers*. It is romantic, but not too romantic. I don’t know why that crossed my mind- I can’t remember the last time I heard that song.
Keeping on the music thread, if you were to have a theme song play every time you walked into a place like The Shop, what would it be?
Oooo… I would go with “Life’s Been Good” by The Eagles *actually a Joe Walsh solo track dear readers*. I feel like it would put everyone in a good mood and would be a reminder that life has been good so far.
And it would also be a song that your dad wouldn’t bitch about.
Right! If dad wasn’t in class, I might do something like NWA and really get it going.
I think one of your dad’s favorite pastimes is complaining about the music that coaches play in class. What music have you played that Steve Brown has complained about?
Anything that was ever popular with anyone my age.
That is great. I also wanted to give you the opportunity to ask any questions of anyone in the community: coaches, members, Dane, anyone.
I did have a general question for the coaching staff. If there was a coach only workout, what would that look like? What is the dynamic? Who is getting everyone going? Who is coaching the other coaches? Who is getting competitive?
That is brilliant! We haven’t done it in the past year because of Covid, but we have historically tried to get everyone together for a workout every couple months. So I think what I’m going to do is poll all of the coaches on the mini questions that you have put forth in your response questions. *Read on below for the answers from the DBS coaching staff dear readers!*
That would be awesome. I worked out with John once and it was one of the most brutal workouts I have had. I need to stop asking you guys which weights I should use because you all suggest stuff that is heavier than I want.
Full disclosure, I don’t do this with most members, but if I have happened to have done a workout earlier in the day or week, and then am coaching you later, I love challenging you to approach the workout the same way. You initially have a skeptical look and then you get that “let’s do this” attitude.
That is one of the number one things I look for in class- I want to be pushed. I grew up playing football, so I want to be pushed and just see what happens. It’s gonna suck as soon as I hear it, but I know it is going to be a great workout. All the coaches do it to me. I love it.
Any shoutouts to other members?
Shoutouts to individual members is hard, but the Friday 11:45am class is one of my favorite crowds because it is such an energetic group. Like this (workout) is going to suck, but it is going to suck together. You get a lot of laughs and you get both Islas. The 5:15pm Strength class- they know who they are. We might have a little too much fun in that class. There are so many people; I don’t want to name names and then forget people. Everyone I interact with is so welcoming and that is what I love about The Shop. That isn’t the case everywhere- this has been the most friendly group of people. And on top of that, the coaches are above and beyond anything I’ve experienced- and I’ve gone to a lot of different gyms.
For the coaches, it is because Dane has blackmail on all of us that he threatens to release if our performance slips-
Now you have blackmail on him.
Finally! Handing him that beer while recording was the leverage that I needed! These interviews are a silly thing, but I really do believe that it is one of the most important things that I do. They give the community a chance to see one another in their entirety and not just as someone who works out. So as a Spotlight Athlete, do you have any words of wisdom or thoughts. Say I was someone new to working out, what would you say to me?
I would say just to remember that you’re starting in the same spot everyone else here started at, so everyone here knows that feeling and they are going to make it easier for the next person. I’ve been doing these kinds of workouts for a long time and if a coach doesn’t say something to me and correct me during class, I feel like I’m doing something wrong. Don’t be embarrassed, just dive into it. You’ll quickly realize that, yeah physically it is great, but it helps a lot with mental health. If you’re new, the feeling after class is always going to be better than the feeling before.
Jack. That was a good interview.
ANSWERS TO JACK’S QUESTIONS:
Most likely to coach other coaches?
Dane Krager! (answered by Stormie and John)
Most Competitive?
Beth Reyburn (first answered by Beth Felker, but unanimously agreed upon with Mark getting some acknowledgement as a runner-up)
