Team Leadership Through Crisis with Andrea Savard (Firepower Training)

In this episode, I interview Andrea Savard, co-founder of Firepower Training, about building a gym from a 2005 boxing hobby into a large-scale operation and leading a tight team through major disruption, including Metrolinx expropriating their one-acre property, losing leases, and moving locations three times amid COVID lockdowns.

Andrea explains how Firepower hires from within to maintain loyalty and retention, and how they set expectations through documented standards, a culture book, and a “perfect session” SOP focused on the felt experience of great coaching.

We discuss gaps like inconsistent formal performance evaluations, evaluating both tasks and characteristics, handling a long-simmering staff conflict through direct, clear conversations and empathy, and leading with transparency, vulnerability, and a “non-anxious presence” to keep the community together.

00:00 Meet Andrea Savard

01:11 Starting Firepower in 2005

02:43 Hiring From Within

04:20 When Structure Became Necessary

06:35 Standards and Culture Book

09:32 Measuring Performance and Fit

11:53 The Staff Conflict Turning Point

15:49 Hard Conversations and Firing

17:36 Expropriation and Moving Locations

19:39 My House My Guest Culture

24:43 Non Anxious Leadership Presence

27:25 Realness Over Image Management

30:00 Empathy Without People Pleasing

33:31 Owning Mistakes and Rebuilding Trust

36:30 Closing Thoughts and Thanks