This is an internal memo posted to elitefts team and staff members about new team members. Because our readers (you) are why we select who we do I thought this would be interesting for you all to read. I XXXXX out the names as we have not added these team members to the site yet. - Dave Tate

To: Team Elitefts
Cc: Team Elitefts Representatives
Re: New Team Members
From: Dave Tate

Typo alert - I really need to read this over again and will go back to edit later but wanted to get this posted today.

New Team Members: 
* we are not done adding yet but I wanted to make a note to everyone because it has been sometime since we added team like this. Many of you have been part of the team for a long time, many a very long time, and a couple for a very very long time. Many of you have been with elitefts for over 10 years and a couple for over 15 years.

    Over 18 years the process of adding team has changed many times and significantly. This is due to mistakes I have made and changes to the industry. The goal has always been the same; to find those who embody living, learning and passing on.

Elitefts is NOT an easy team to make.

I would actually say right now it is the hardest in the industry to make. This is because team members do not just represent themselves but also: every supplier we have, every alumni we've had on the site, everyone who has ever worked on the site, and every current team member we have. For 18 years we have been know for "educating" athletes, trainers and coaches who place training as one of the top 4 priorities in their life. There is a reason why you always see "education" before "equipment" or "outfitting" in all the marketing messages we have.

    Elitefts (you) has - read this --->... https://www.elitefts.com/long-articles/team-elitefts-alumni/     This is the standard that has been set and is being built stronger each and every day. When we look for team we look for those who will become the leaders of today and tomorrow.

    I will not give out our exact process of vetting team members but I will point out a few things.

    We have over 4000 applications on file. I just skimmed thought them here are some things you may not know.

    our recently added team members averaged  over 1 hour and 15 minutes filling out this application.

    Out of the recent adds they all have been watched and vetted for over one year before bringing them on. XXXXX wrote they filled the application out over a year ago, so did XXXXX, XXXX, XXXXXXXXX, XXX, XXXX, and XXXXXXXX- some of you were watched for two years, I will not mention names but some for three years. This is all behind the scenes so if someone take off a few months we have no idea why because we don't ask people about them that we know may tell them they are being looked at. We know when we do begin asking it can get back to them quick so we need to be pretty sure before this happens. The take away is the average time to add someone new is getting closer and closer to two years. One you do not know of yet was being vetted by our reps for 26 months.

    I said we - this does include some staff but more so your four team representatives. - they all know who is being watched as they are part of that team. They also know who is being considered and there is an approval process. If I wanted to add someone without them knowing - They would rip me a new asshole and defeats the entire process.

    With this brand comes a culture, a very unique one, that can't be duplicated. We make sure the person has the values of the company, fits the culture, will represent what the brand standard is, can and is willing to educate and pass on.

    Notice I have written all of this and have not once mentioned what they can lift. We do look at these and we do look at education and experience. We also look for education level and currently have several Masters and Phd's on the team.

We can teach people how to get stronger, We have some of the very best strength coaches and lifters in the world with decades of education. We can't change someones values nor do we want to. This would be called parenting and that is not what we do. We educate others on how to get stronger inside and outside of the gym.

    If you want the pure business standpoint. People do NOT buy products and services they buy PEOPLE. They buy people they like and trust. In training they follow and will listen to and learn from people they like and trust - their ranking doesn't mean a damn thing. This is true if you are selling products or training services. We are not just doing that but also advising people on how to become stronger and I do believe this takes a higher level of trust than selling products and services.

    BUT - we look for people who know what life under the bar is. Training is a great equalizer in society. The bar doesn't care what you do for a living and in most cases neither does anyone in the gym. This is very important as well but only one piece of the equation. We do want all time records, top lifts, etc but if that is all someone can offer they have other places they can go. We are all here because we feel we owe it to the communities we represent to give back for all the great things these sports have provided us.

    Social media following doesn't mean shit to us. Our traffic from socials to the site isn't even significant. Our site sends FAR more traffic to socials than they send to us (in the form of article and blog sharing). XX,XXX IG followers doesn't matter to us because we will get way more than that with each article posted. Most athletes and coaches have more readers to their Blogs than friends on facebook,

    In other words we do not just pull these people out of our ass, they have been vetted harder and longer than any other company in this industry. Being selected is an honor as over the entire history of the company their have only been just over 100 alumni team members. Out of these 100 we have had many who have helped to change hundreds of thousands of lives.

    We are having some fun with new ones we are currently adding but please do not think for a second they have not been heavily vetted or not earned. The days of friends of friends being team members died years ago. This company and what we do became way bigger than any one person - including myself a long time ago.

    We have a couple more to add (and we know who they are) and then this cycle will be complete and then they will begin popping up on the site as columnists and athletes.

    Finally, I am very proud of the work our representatives have done since putting them in place a couple years back, the changes made have been substantial and very noticeable to the educational content being provided by elitefts.com.

    We all look forward to watching all team members grow as professionals in the industry, break records and become leaders in the field but what we look forward to the most is the difference you will all make in the lives of the readers and customers of elitefts.

- Dave