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The Fitness Disruption Podcast with Dr. Ted Vickey
The Disruptive Fitness Podcast is a podcast for personal trainers who want to grow their business and work smarter, not harder, by using technology.
The guests will be my industry friends from my White House days, the people you need to know.
The Fitness Disruption Podcast with Dr. Ted Vickey
Beyond Stretching: The Power of Stick Mobility in Fitness with Dennis Dunphy
Discover how Stick Mobility, a unique fitness tool, is changing the game for mobility and strength training in our latest episode featuring expert Dennis Dunphy. As a veteran in the fitness industry, Dunphy reveals the journey behind Stick Mobility's creation, rooted in a desire to enhance movement for individuals across various fitness levels.
In this engaging conversation, we explore how this versatile stick serves as more than just a stretching aid. It combines principles of isometric strength training with joint mobility techniques, making it accessible to everyone—from beginners to elite athletes. Dunphy shares remarkable stories of clients who've transformed their training and regained movement through innovative techniques that can also be adapted for those with physical limitations.
We delve deep into entrepreneurial lessons learned from building a successful brand. Dunphy emphasizes spotting opportunities in unexpected places and the importance of collaboration, especially with past clients who become partners. The episode also highlights the significant impact of social media in establishing a community around fitness and how trainers can effectively use Stick Mobility to generate new income streams and enhance client experience.
Join us for a thought-provoking discussion filled with actionable insights on the future of fitness tools and the entrepreneurial spirit that drives innovation in the industry. Don't miss the opportunity to follow us for more exciting content, subscribe to our podcast, and join our community!
Welcome to the Fitness Disruption Podcast with Dr Ted Vicki. From presidential push-ups to wearable wonders and award-winning academics, he's been called the most connected man in fitness. We will explore the intersection of fitness and technology, from cutting-edge apps to the latest in powerful prompts. This is your go-to source for staying ahead of the fitness tech curve. Spend just 30 minutes with us and we guarantee you'll learn something new, no matter if you're a new personal trainer or an established fitness brand. Ted and his guests have insights and tips for you to use today. Ready to be disruptive, it's time for the Fitness Disruption Podcast. Here's your host, dr Ted Vicki.
Speaker 2:Welcome to this edition of the Fitness Disruption Podcast. I'm joined today by my new friend from San Jose, Dennis Dunphy. Dennis, how are you today?
Speaker 3:Good Ted. Thank you for having me on your podcast. I appreciate it, Thank you.
Speaker 2:Well, my pleasure. You know, as I was mentioning to you in the pre-interview, I've had stick mobilities for about a year and a half now and I'm quite impressed. So can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you came up with the stick mobility tool?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I started.
Speaker 3:I've been in training for 25 years now, and back in 2014, myself and Neil, we went and started working with a chiropractor over in Santa Cruz, california, who was using Rattan sticks to help his clients stretch.
Speaker 3:And so Neil and I with more of a performance, strength and conditioning background we were like, wow, there's a lot more that you can do with the stick than just basic stretching. Like, mobility requires strength. They have to be combined right. So we were like, wow, some isometrics, we throw that in there, and this changes our thought process on what mobility work actually is. So we created our own system, which is what you now know as Tick Mobility, and so we started that. We launched that back in 2015 and we've seen nice steady growth ever since then, so it's been well accepted by the community. It's been very beneficial for all age groups and all skill sets, which I think is amazing. In fact, right now I have a client who's wheelchair bound. She's my third client that I've worked with that's wheelchair bound and she loves the sticks. It's such a powerful tool for someone in her situation to use.
Speaker 2:You mentioned rattan sticks, so is there a kind of basis? Is that from a different?
Speaker 3:Yeah, yeah, it's like an offshoot of bamboo, but the problem is it's very inconsistent in its dimensions. It's not really that strong, so it has a lot of flexibility, but you can't really put a ton of torque into it. The other thing, too, is it warps a lot, so once it warps, it's not going back to its original shape. So we needed something that was a little bit stronger, more resilient. So we ended up starting to use PVC that you would typically get at a hardware store. And then we have some clients who became our business partners, who designed the sticks. They're in the aeronautics industry, so they are the ones that said hey, let's design you an actual stick that's going to be really strong, very resilient, and when you go to actually flex the stick it's going to require some strength output.
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, when I do use it it gives a nice little bend in the stick, so they're safe to use, like you said, for all all different uh groups within the fitness industry. Any uh sports specific program that you're doing with, with uh things like that?
Speaker 3:oh we do have some golf programs, uh. So, uh, we do have some of those on our site. Uh, we also do have with dr am Amelie Splickle. We have a run injury free program that we designed with her a few years back.
Speaker 3:We know people love to run that's a big thing in our country so we want to make sure that people, when they do run, they know how to have the resiliency and strength in their system, how to have the resiliency and strength in their system and their kinetic chains to be able to handle the day-to-day stresses of running. We tend to know that runners kind of, when it comes to strength training, it's just running, running, running and you're like, well, you want to put some strength training in there and want to make sure that your joints are nice and mobile so that way when you're running, we can continue to run. Because that's our goal for everything. Uh, when we work with clients or we work with teams, our, our goal for everyone that uses the sticks is to help you maintain your skill sets and your abilities, your physical skills, to continue to do what you love doing, and that's our. That's the longevity game.
Speaker 2:We have a lot of folks that listen to the podcast, that are aspiring fitness entrepreneurs, and you and I share that common theme. Did you ever think you'd become an entrepreneur?
Speaker 3:No, not in the least. My private practice, like I said, I've had for 25 years, that was different. Right, it was just local business and you know, and I'll do my, you know, 40 hours a week plus of training. But then this opportunity came along and and I always tell people, I'm like, you know, a lot of people say, well, I don't get the opportunities, and i'm'm like no, there are always opportunities. Number one you have to recognize it right Opportunities don't just come and jump in your face and say, here we are.
Speaker 3:Sometimes those opportunities are hidden and you have to be able to look for them. But when you do spot an opportunity, you have to take that risk. And there is a risk, I mean, from the time I've opened up my own facilities. I have my current facility, but I had a facility years ago. That was a big risk.
Speaker 3:Like, oh my God, like I'm investing money, investing time into something and the fear is there and it's legitimate, but you don't know what you're capable of doing until you take that step. And once you do it and you're successful and you've come out the other side, you're like, okay, what's the next thing I want to do? And so, when this opportunity presented itself right place, right time, saw the opportunity and said, okay, let's do this. And when we started, honestly, we didn't have this envisioned of what it's become, not even close Like. Neil and I are like okay, well, this will help us with our local practices you know our private practice, we'll get some, we'll drum up some new clients with it. But then, all of a sudden, when we started posting on social media, the community started accepting it and also we started getting inquiries from all, all around the world and from high level educators and instructors. And that's when him and I looked each other went, oh wow, this is, this is the thing like. This is gonna be way bigger than we expected.
Speaker 2:You said something there when you started Stickmobile. That stuck out to me is that you've got a partner and you've got somebody, and I think a lot of entrepreneurs don't realize how important it is to have someone that you can talk to and share ideas and bounce things back and forth. Did you have a partner when you did your private practice? And compare that to now with your partner, what were some of the differences?
Speaker 3:So when I opened up my first facility, I did have a business partner. There were four of us him, myself and our spouses. We all had our own different roles that we played in opening the facility and maintaining the facility. And the thing is is, when you're looking to open up a business a startup business is you have to know your strengths and your weaknesses and what you're good at. That's what you're good at, but your business is going to need other things that you're not good at, and so business is going to need other things that you're not good at, and so you're going to have to trust somebody and find somebody that has those strengths that is what they're really good at and bring them in. Like, for instance, like construction people. They love to build stuff, but they're typically not good at the business management side of the business. So you need that person that does the work that everybody sees, but that person needs that business partner on the back end that keeps the business doors open and the business flowing, and so for the stick, mobility is the same thing.
Speaker 3:We had, neil and I were designing the programs. We're getting everything out there the content, but then the opportunity to have an actual finished product presented itself. Well then, great. But then we brought them. We ended up bringing them in and merging as business partners with them, because I know local business Like I know how to create LLCs, things like that, from a local perspective, but when it comes to international taxes and shipping and all, I don't know how to do that right.
Speaker 3:So where our business partners already had that established, they already knew how to do that. They were shipping stuff out of the country and into the country, so they had those expertise and so for us it was okay, this is a no brainer. We merged together, and I think a lot of it too. For people that are owning their own or starting their own business, it's a control thing, right, and they want to control everything. But I always tell them I say, hey, having a whole lot of nothing is exactly that right. It's better to have a small bit of a big thing, and that's why you do need to bring in some business partners who are good at what they do.
Speaker 2:And if I heard you say correctly, your business partners were clients of yours at your practice. Is that right yeah?
Speaker 3:Neil trades them. And then they saw what we were doing. But they saw the quality of Rattan and then they saw the quality of PVC that you get at the hardware store and they were like you know, we're in this field, we deal with these materials. Let's get you something that's really solid. And because they had the feedback, they knew what they were supposed to feel when they were using the sticks. And so then they said, okay, well, let's give you something that's going to be more resilient and going to give you better feedback when you use it. And so they came up with some prototypes and Neil and I tested them out and said, okay, this is what feels good to us, this looks good. And so we ran with it.
Speaker 3:The coloring as far as the color scheme with the orange and the black, that I had tested out with just local friends and family and clients when we were comprising the logo, we did different color schemes and then everybody basically picked orange and black. It pops, Like you walk into a place, you see it, it pops. And orange is a more therapeutic color on the color spectrum. So those two factors just made sense to us that hey, this is the color scheme we should go with.
Speaker 2:And I would assume that knowing you know they were your clients, so you knew and you trusted them, so it made that partnership a little bit easier. So I guess the lesson to all of us is you can find partners that you don't even know are there by simply talking about what you're doing and sharing what you're doing.
Speaker 3:You know, and the one thing I've learned is, no matter what industry you're in, you can learn so much from other people that have nothing to do with your industry. As long as you keep an open mind and are receptive to advice and input, it's only going to make you a better business owner, a better entrepreneur. Sometimes, honestly, you get better results from, or a better entrepreneur, and sometimes, honestly, you get better results from people that are not in the industry, because they have a different perspective. Right, and when you keep talking to people in your own industry, sometimes you keep hearing the same things over and over again, and so sometimes you need that outside perspective of somebody that doesn't have any idea and says, hey, this is what I see. And then you're like, oh, I never thought of that.
Speaker 2:You know, one of the reasons I wanted to have you on the podcast. We look at a lot of technologies and newer things, but your stick is very simple, and to be able to create a business around something as simple as opposed to, you know, creating an Apple Watch or an app or something like that is amazing. So tell us a little bit about how can a personal trainer use the stick with their clients to make a little bit more or have an alternate revenue source in their business.
Speaker 3:So some of the coaches that come to our courses and get certified in our education, we do teach them some group X style formats. So we do have some coaches that do small group training using just the sticks. So they'll set up the format. So we teach them. We say, hey, our system is set up in three phases. Number one we do joint by joint mobilization, then we do some straight training and then we do the stretching. So they'll set their classes up in those three phases. So when their clients come in that's the three phases they do, whether they're half hour classes or onehour classes then they format that time appropriately.
Speaker 3:As far as one-on-one, when a trainer gets the sticks like we said just a few minutes ago they pop right. So when you're using them with a client number one you're going to give the better client, better feedback, and that's huge, right? So, kinesthetically, things that you may have been spinning your wheels on, trying to get them to feel or learn, all of a sudden, with a simple tool like this and just a few simple cues, all of a sudden they feel it, they now know what it is that you've been trying to talk to them about, right, and they give you that feedback. And now you know, okay, we have that connection, I'm getting what I'm aiming for. And as you're working with the client, we've had other people look over and go, wow, what is that stick and what are they doing with that? And how come my trainer doesn't have a stick right.
Speaker 3:And so we've heard numerous cases where coaches have said, yeah, I had people come off the gym floor, come up to me and go, hey, what is that and what does it do? And it opens up the doorway. Right, so there's your opportunity. That actually is just popping up in your face, right. So there's your opportunity, there's your lead. Now it's time to capture them, right? So you can say say, hey, let me show you just a couple quick moves here. And once the clock, once people feel what we, what we're teaching, they have that epiphany and that aha moment. They go wow, I felt that.
Speaker 2:That felt incredible you said something that I'm a big fan of that system, so you're teaching your pros on how to use the system. And the other thing that I noticed is you created this simple product but you used your exercise science background then to be able to create all the different moves and things like that, and I'm on your website. Do you have any idea of how many different movements you've actually filmed or created just using your sticks?
Speaker 3:I would say it's probably over 300. That's amazing, yeah, because, well, for the strength and conditioning world, what some people lack in the strength and conditioning world is the concept of movement exploration, right, and we see that all the time when people are debating the merits of what they do, right, people are like, no, this is the only way we do this, and boom, boom, boom. And so for us, it's about teaching resiliency, right, and so you know, michelle Dahlkorn talks about odd position strength, right, and we're very big fans of, especially from a sports performance standpoint, you need to have odd position strength. Right, and we're very big fans of, especially from a sports performance standpoint, you need to have odd position strength. And so for us, it's okay, let's teach the basics of strength and conditioning. We can use the sticks to help with that.
Speaker 3:But now, with the sticks, when we bring stability to somebody's body, right, and the brain senses that stability and we can teach them how to utilize leverage and utilize isometrics, from there we can say, okay, let's play around with new postures, new angles, and can you access these? And when you access these positions, can you breathe, can you produce force in these positions? That's movement exploration. So that way, if and when the time comes that you have to be in that posture or be in that position, your body is now good with it your uh, your website is stickmobilitycom and you mentioned something earlier about it really changed when you started using social media and we're posting things on there.
Speaker 2:how important was it for you to have a social media presence as a fitness entrepreneur?
Speaker 3:it's extremely important. It really is and, like I like to tell people that ask me for advice on starting a business, you live in a time where you have the best opportunity to start your own business and create your own brand for the least amount of financial investment. Much would it have cost to do print ads, radio ads, cv ads right, with no specific target audience. We would literally just throw the ad out there to whoever. Right now, with social media, you can create your own organic community. Then you can invest a little bit of money and when I compare it to what we would have had to invest 30 years ago, it is a little bit of money, right. You can invest a little bit of money and target specific demographics that are going to be much more apt to want to look at your content and look at your product or your services.
Speaker 3:So, yeah, social media it's a tool, and I know some people say social media is bad. Social media is good. It's just a tool. How you use it is what determines if it's good or bad. Right. So use what you have and right now, like I said, if you're looking to start your own business, or start your own business or start your own brand you are. There is no better time point in history for you to do that than right now you know my background.
Speaker 2:I ran the fitness center at the white house for 11 years and I can tell you, dennis, that this is something I would have put in the white house and I would have had the president using this. So, without without giving a name or anything like that, did you ever get an order from somebody saying, holy cow, this is going to the White House or this is going to? Do you get any orders like that?
Speaker 3:Yeah, we do, we get some. For me, being such a sports nut, it's awesome when I see certain athletes using the sticks. Photos with certain athletes using the steps. I think I'm. I grew up in the big hair band era and Nick and Nikki six reached out and I like, oh my god, are you kidding me?
Speaker 3:and? And he uses the sticks, he loves them. I think that's freaking amazing. I just that's the stuff that I'm just. And so, you know, jake Gyllenhaal, his trainer, was posting how he used the sticks for his new movie, roadhouse, and that's the stuff. When I see, for me it's like, wow, I never would have envisioned that yeah, I really never would and for me to be, uh, just a small part of helping people uh achieve their goals and maintain what they do on a day-to-day basis. That's what I'm in this for. And so, whether it's the person that lives next door down the street, or whether it's the Hollywood celebrity it's, it's all the same I just want people to move better, feel great and keep doing what they're doing.
Speaker 2:You know we got in this business to help others. I think that's the bottom line and if you really stick to it and you find something, you can definitely make a great in my mind, a great career out of doing something like this. Um, you, you know you sell the sticks, but you also then sell the continued education, so you've actually have two lines of of income, probably others. Um, have you seen a difference in that? So is, was it first the sticks were selling and the cecs weren't, and then has it switched over the years?
Speaker 3:No, the product will always outperform the education First and foremost. I mean whether me as an educator sometimes that's like, but it is what it is right Products will always outsell the education, and we will, because coaches will buy the sticks and they'll watch our content and they'll know what we're after. Right, they get it. They'll be like, okay. So if that's the case, then great, use the sticks right, help your clients out or yourself, right, and so we do have high-level people out there that just, they get what we have. Others need a little bit more education. So hopefully those are the coaches or trainers that'll be like, okay, I do need some education here. I'll make sure I get some ccs in it.
Speaker 3:But yeah, the ccs are always going to lag behind the product itself, and now we're targeting more of the general population, so we're kind of diverging away. So now, hopefully, but we'll see what we've made our content uh, I feel neil and I both think we've made our content digestible enough and easy enough to absorb that some people, just a person, a fitness enthusiast off the street, will be able to take the course and be like I get it, like, okay, I've learned a lot. We try not to talk over people's heads, you know, is I think it's hard for educators to kind of bring that information down. I've heard, I've heard people say hey, if you can't teach this to a 10, 10 year old, you know how good, how effective is it really? And in many cases I think that's very true. So if we're trying to hit pretty much across the board, then we have to make sure our content and our education is digestible by all skilled people.
Speaker 2:I think you answered my next question, and that was you've got this great business. What's next? I mean, do you see other avenues, other vertical markets that you can go after? It sounds like you're trying to go after the direct-to-consumer piece and that's fantastic. Any others?
Speaker 3:Well, I mean, we've launched some new products, basically just white labeling products, physio balls, sliders, bands, making it just a one-stop shop instead of being going to three or four different sites. You know, we we brought some products that are that are common use. Uh, I think from a professional standpoint, the products we've offered are something that coaches can travel with, which is huge, right. So that way, with your in-home clients, you just pack that stuff up in the car and you're good to go. Or for clients that you can say hey, let's buy these products for your home gym, that way you have them. So when I show up, boom, they're already accessible for you and they're not overly priced. Where the consumer is going to be scared off, and that's a big thing, so that's where we see ourselves going.
Speaker 1:Yeah, well, you got your back there.
Speaker 2:You know it was this big package and I was so excited. I mean I was wondering how they're going to ship this to me. But you guys figured out a way and there's something on the stick. You know, when I was at the white house, it would be very important to me. It says made in the usa. Do you find that that the people actually tell you that that's important to?
Speaker 3:them or they say you know what, thanks for making the us? I think so. Uh, I know. For me personally, when we started the company, that was a big thing for me, uh, because, uh, my whole life I've very much been a pro-manufacturing in the US person. I grew up in the 70s and the 80s where we started to see jobs getting taken outside the borders and for me, this is where I live. I want to see people and my own fellow citizens at work, you know, and with the jobs they need. So for me, I'm a very big let's make it here.
Speaker 3:It's a quality product. We can keep an eye on the quality control. It's hard to keep an eye on quality control when the manufacturing site is 10 000 miles away. Right, we're here, it's local boom, you can go check it out anytime you want and you can see that the product is going to be the same on day 2586 as it was on day one, and so that consistency is huge. And I think what's interesting is in a lot of other countries they love seeing that. They love yeah, they love it, they absolutely love it, especially in southeast asia.
Speaker 2:They really love seeing that made in the usa uh, that's how can people follow you, learn from you and and buy the sticks. Where do they go?
Speaker 3:So we have our website, stickmobilitycom. We have our YouTube channel. So, stickmobilitytv, please subscribe. We have a ton of free content on there. Loads of free content, so many videos your head will be spinning. So if you get the sticks, you'll have plenty of free content there. We do offer our private level. We have our level one and our level two courses. We do have some live, but we do also have our online offerings, also for those two courses. We did just release our new group training program, so we do have that live going now.
Speaker 3:Also, as far as personal content, I am diamondphysiquesj on Instagram and Neil is nvstrength, so you'll see how we use the principles that we use with the sticks. We use those same principles with pretty much any other tool that we use. So physics is physics and science is science. So those principles that we use behind the sticks, well, they apply to other use. So physics is physics and science is science. So those principles that we use behind the sticks, well, they apply to other things. So it's not just the sticks. So we like to display that. We like to show that to people.
Speaker 2:We'll make sure that we add all that information on the show notes. Dennis Dunphy Stick Mobility. Thanks for us for joining us. Hope you have a great 2025.
Speaker 3:Thank you, you too, thanks, doug. Appreciate it. Us hope you have a great 2025.
Speaker 2:Thank you too. Thanks, I appreciate it. One take, dennis, I love it.
Speaker 3:I tried to. I tried to. You're the man you must be a fan, no, actually a Bears fan. Oh, I grew, I grew up, I love that Hail Mary. Oh, my God, I cannot, I was, oh, I could not believe. I saw that.
Speaker 3:I was like are you kidding me? I have NFL Red Zone, yeah, so they were of course, showing that and I was just on that. Oh, I was just so flabbergasted I was like you got to be kidding me. But yeah, I grew up a linebacker, or running back are my two favorite positions in football. So between Walter Payton and and Mike Singletary and before that, you know, watching highlights of Dick Butkus, I I was like you know, and when I was growing up in the 70s, yeah, oj was kind of tailing down by the time I was getting into football so he had already been shipped off to San Francisco, so the bills weren't very good, yeah, and I just loved the way Walter Payton ran the football. He was just, he was power and elegance all in one.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I think our generation probably had Barry Sanders. The guy was just.
Speaker 3:Right. I think what's interesting is my three favorite running backs of all time have been out of the same division Walter Payton, barry Sanders and Adrian Peterson All in the same division, and Barry is honestly. Barry Sanders is the only running back that's made me stand up and chant his name that hasn't worn a Bears uniform. I just loved watching him run. Uh, it just just just incredible, and we'll never see a running back like him again no, I don't think we will.
Speaker 2:So, dennis, I still have connections at the white house. Uh, would you like the the person in charge, and maybe you can see if you get some sticks in there.
Speaker 3:That would be fantastic. I would be absolutely thrilled with that. Yes, please, all right, I will.
Speaker 2:I'll make the introduction. It probably takes about a week or two to go through it and do everything with the podcast. I'll make sure I email you the link. Feel free to cut it up, use it. However, I really appreciate you taking time hopping on here. When you get down to San Diego, please let me know. Are you a golfer? Miniature golf.
Speaker 3:All right, we'll go miniature golf. I'll do top golf.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we should do top golf. It's owned by Callaway now, but they're putting two in San Diego, which would be kind of fun. Oh, you have none, huh of fun. Oh you have none, huh, and now we have none. You know you're gonna get two, oh okay. Yeah, you know, the old uh rental car at san diego airport was across the street. Yeah, they're putting it right there. They're putting it there facing the city. Oh, that's gonna be nice, yeah. Okay, you know, it took it took years to get the permission, but but yeah, I think I'm going to start groundbreaking here pretty soon, but yeah, it'll be nice.
Speaker 3:Fantastic. Yeah, I will definitely make sure we get in contact next time I'm down in San Diego. Cool.
Speaker 2:Thanks, and I'm going to go buy that, that golf, the golf one, so I can make sure I stay loose and limber.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think you're going to like it Cool.
Speaker 2:All right, dennis, thanks much.
Speaker 3:It was wonderful have a great day, buddy, you too Bye, all right, bye-bye.
Speaker 1:Well, that's a wrap for this episode of the Fitness Disruption Podcast with Dr Ted Vicki. Don't forget to connect with Ted on X, instagram and LinkedIn. If you love the mix of fitness and tech as much as we do, make sure to subscribe, write us a review and spread the word. Got a topic you want us to cover or a guest you'd love to hear? Let us know. Stay tuned for our next podcast for more tips, tricks and trends. Be disruptive, stay innovative and, most importantly, keep making waves.