Lynch Hunt is no stranger to success. Most people know him as an accomplished entrepreneur, widely published author, gifted motivational speaker, and health expert. But the journey to get to where he is now started with serving 10 years in prison for being the leader of one of the largest drug rings in New Jersey’s history. This is Lynch Hunt’s incredible success story that has inspired millions of people across the world and helped them change their lives for the better.
Lynch Hunt’s A.W.O.L Fitness Centers are rapidly expanding throughout the country, his books are being published and sold around the world, his fitness program is enjoying massive popularity, and his widely acclaimed TV segment Motivation Mondays might become a nationwide phenomenon. In other words, Lynch is by all accounts a vivid image of success and prosperity. And yet, his life looked a lot different a few years back. So, let’s find out how Lynch Hunt came to be the man he is today and the challenges he had to overcome to achieve his goals.
From running a drug ring to running a gym empire
Born in Riverhead, NY on November 23rd, 1975, Lynch Hunt had a rough start in life. He grew up in poverty, surrounded by drugs and violence. Despite attending college and his mother’s efforts at instilling the values one needs to achieve success, the influence of the environment led him on a dangerous path. He ended up selling drugs on the streets and, using his wit and skills, in a short period of time he became the leader of a multi-million-dollar drug ring in New Jersey. In 2003, he was convicted for his crimes and served a 10-year sentence in prison.
Ironically enough, Lynch ended up marrying a police officer. He met his wife before going to prison and she started studying to become a police officer while he was serving his time. They got married after he was released, and now they’re the proud parents of three beautiful girls.
Getting locked up was Lynch’s S.E.E. or Significant Emotional Event, as he calls it – the moment when he realized that wasn’t the life he wanted to live and decided he had to do something to turn things around. So, after he got out of prison, he focused on building a new life for himself and starting fresh, but the process was anything but easy. He started working at LA fitness, earning 6 dollars for a 30-minute training session which was quite a huge income gap after running an 8.3-million-dollar drug ring.
However, he managed to push through the hardship by being committed to his vision. He took every opportunity he had to expand his knowledge and change his perception. Ultimately, that’s what led him to come up with a new approach to fitness and set the foundation for the thriving gym empire that would revolutionize the fitness world. His gym AWOL, which stands for A Way of Life, focuses on a Boot Camp and HIIT style training for its members, having a high rate of success among customers.
Lynch has been working for a decade on building his system which is based on integrating cognitive behavioral change and mindfulness practices into fitness to help people achieve the transformation they’re expecting. As he explains, a proper fitness routine starts with changing the mindset and having the right attitude. It’s as much about training the mind as it is about training the body. And it seems that his approach is paying off, with new centres opening up across the nation and reshaping the fitness landscape.
Transition to writing
Fitness is without a doubt one of Lynch hunt’s greatest passions, but as he was training people, he started noticing certain patterns. A lot of them would have trouble focusing on their workout and staying motivated due to the problems that were constantly distracting them. When they would reach the exhaustion point, what they needed the most was someone to push them to go further and achieve their goals.
He soon realized that although people would react well to his speeches, it was difficult to make those teachings stay with them long-term. So that’s how the idea of putting his knowledge and strategies into a book came up. Over time, Lynch came to publish 17 books containing valuable tips and techniques that all people can apply in their lives to better themselves.
What makes Lynch Hunt’s books so powerful and successful is the way he structures them. He strives to convey his messages through developing systems, so he breaks down all his concepts into simple steps that he expands on. He also tests his strategies in real life with the people he trains, revising them multiple times to make sure they lead to the overall goal.
A man with a mission
When asked about his plans for the future, Lynch Hunt has a simple answer: to continue his mission to change people’s lives for the better. Everything he lived, from the time he spent in prison to the struggles he had to face to become a successful entrepreneur, helped him develop a superhero mentality and made him realize that he can persevere through anything. And if he could achieve so much, coming from such humble beginnings, others could do it too.
Now he wants to put all his knowledge and wisdom into the service of others. What drives him the most is the idea of helping people break the barriers that are holding them back from achieving their full potential. He strongly believes that everyone has the power to make a meaningful change and he is set on helping as many people as possible through his work.
And he has a great support system as well. His family is his why. His loving wife and daughters are what keeps him grounded, giving him the motivation to continue his incredible work and bring his contribution to making the world a better place.