Put It Up Crossfit

Put It Up Crossfit is one of Orem's newest and most exciting gyms. The owner and head trainer is Seth Berbert. I first met Seth several years ago when we were both working as personal trainers at a local gym. He told me he wanted to start his own gym and with hard work, he has made that a reality. He started his facility with humble beginnings, but over time it has grown and he now has many loyal clients who are excited about the results they are getting.

Seth is an intimidating specimen at 6'4" and 230 pounds with single digit body fat, but he is also one of the nicest guys I have ever met. He is a giver and really cares about his clients. He is passionate about fitness and helping people get in shape and improve their conditioning.

CrossFit is a popular trend in fitness these days. It focuses on functional full body exercises as opposed to isolating single muscles on machines or spending hours on a treadmill. It utilizes Olympic style lifts, kettle bells, sleds, ropes, and a variety of other equipment. The workouts are very intense and effective. CrossFit has gained a loyal following of men and women who have made great progress when it comes to improving their fitness levels.

Some might think this type of workout is just for big muscle heads, but women love CrossFit too and get great results from it. It can benefit everyone from elite athletes to beginners who haven't worked out in years who are looking to get in shape. One of the things that impresses me most about Seth's facility is the camaraderie and support that the members have for each other. It's almost like a big family and that is very unique compared to your average gym experience.

It might sound strange that I'd promote the services of another personal trainer who might be considered my competition, but I am really impressed with this gym and when I need help with my own conditioning, I look to Seth. Put It Up CrossFit is located at 1061 N State Street in Orem. They just recently expanded their facility to make room for all their members. Swing by some time and check them out. You can also learn more about the gym at their website here.

Community Action

Community Action Services and Food Bank does not fit into my usual category of businesses I normally review since they are a non profit organization, but I'd like to highlight some of the work they do for the community.

The most noticeable service Community Action provides is operating the food pantry. They act as the food bank for Utah, Summit, and Wasatch Counties. They also assist with heat and utility programs for low income families. I was recently surprised to learn that nearly 10% of Utahns live within poverty levels.

It's admirable to provide food for those in need, but I am even more impressed with their efforts to address the root of the problem of poverty. Some of the other services offered include community gardening, and counseling services for home buying and mortgage counseling as well as many other educational programs to assist people to get out of poverty and achieve self reliance.

Because Community Action is a non profit organization, they rely on donations from the community. You can donate food, do volunteer work at the center, or make financial contributions, but I think the funnest way to promote and help their cause is by participating in their annual 5K race. This year, the race will be held on May 26th. Proceeds go to the center and there will be lots of great prices given away again this year which have been donated by local businesses.

You can register for the race at this website. If you procrastinate, you can still register the morning of the race as long as you do so before the 9:00 start time. Community Action is located at 815 S Freedom Blvd. in Provo and you can visit their company website at communityactionProvo.org.

The Briar Rose String Quartet

Today I'd like to feature a business that can improve the ambiance of any activity. Having a string quartet play background music can add character and and class to any event.

String quartets are typically associated with weddings, corporate events, receptions, dinners, and concerts, but they could probably even class up events like Wrestling, Nascar, and Superbowl parties. Okay, maybe it's not for every event.

The Briar Rose String Quartet was started by Emily Ricks and it's members are all professional musicians with advanced degrees in music performance. Although they are most frequently asked to play classical music and dress in concert black, they are very versatile and can adjust their dress and music style to create the atmosphere you are looking to achieve. These styles might include classical, pop, swing, religious, or even ragtime.

Although classical music is their forte, they have a huge repertoire and styles of classical music that they perform. Since they are all accomplished musicians, you won't be stuck listening to the Pachabel Cannon repeated over and over throughout the evening. Their experience allows them to help their clients plan what music would be most appropriate for their event if they are unsure.

Live music performance can make a huge difference in how one feels. It can add class, refinement, and sophistication to an event, which is something we are typically deficient in as a society. If you'd like to make a social event you are hosting more memorable and classy, then you should contact the Briar Rose String Quartet. 

J. Kirk Richards Art

J. Kirk Richards is a man of many talents. He is best known for his paintings, but he is also a musician, sculptor, writer and illustrator of children's books, and he has even made music videos. As a youth, Kirk was a talented musician, but during his teenage years he decided to change his emphasis and pursue a career in art.

Cherubim and a flaming sword

Kirk's work has a distinctive look to it. His paintings frequently portray religious themes, but he also works in landscapes and portraits. His versatility allows him to paint both traditional classical forms and more abstract images. There is also quite a range of sizes to his art work. His smallest portraits have been just inches and his largest painting is 6 feet tall and 18 feet wide. His paintings are also know for their beautiful custom frames, which are works of art by themselves.

Last Supper

Painting is not jut a hobby for Kirk. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2000 with an art degree and has been supporting his family as a full time artist since then. Kirk lives in Utah County, but also has a studio in Redmond, Utah. His success in not limited to Utah. His work is featured in art shows and personal collections across the country.

Christ and the palsied man

Here is a time lapse video clip of Kirk in action painting one of his famous mother and child portraits.

Kirk's website can be found at jkirkrichards.com. If you haven't seen it, you should check it out. Viewing great art is a good way to improve the quality of your day.

Ridley's Market

I'm the kind of person who can't stand shopping at a grocery store that I'm not familiar with. I like knowing where to find everything I need without wasting my time backtracking and going in circles all over the store. I guess I just have a guy's mentality when it comes to shopping and I like to get the job done fast. If speed grocery shopping were an Olympic event, I'm pretty sure I'd have some medals. 

A couple years ago, the Albertson's supermarkets in the area were bought out. Most of them were converted to Fresh Market stores, but a few were purchased by Ridley's. I was not excited when this change took place, since I don't like changes and I thought the new store had a strange name, but I have to admit that since that time, Ridley's has impressed me and earned my business over the years.

After the buyout, I was surprised to see most of the original employees still working there. I was told they offered continued employment to the existing staff, which I thought was impressive for a buyout. What impresses me the most about Ridley's is that their prices are very competitive. With food prices having increased everywhere over the last year, I still feel I can get more food for the money at Ridley's.

I occasionally shop at Coscto and Maceys for certain items, but Ridley's is still my store of choice. They have a good selection, but I don't ever feel like I'm shopping in a crowded warehouse store environment. I've gotten to the point that I'd rather donate a kidney than drive through a busy Walmart parking lot again.

Ridley's offers a clean store, bakery, pharmacy, deli, friendly employees, and low prices. They also have a customer loyalty rewards program where you can cash in the points you earn by shopping for gift cards to local restaurants and businesses.

Carriage House Mill

Carriage House Mill is known for high quality custom cabinets. They design, manufacture, and install custom wood work and cabinetry for residential homes, commercial properties, and municipal buildings.

Their cabinets are found in many higher end homes. They have consistently won awards for their craftsmanship and last year their cabinets were featured in three of the most prestigious estates at the Utah Valley Parade of Homes. They also won the award for the best kitchen.

Michael Richards is the principal owner at Carriage House. He is a gifted craftsman who has been making custom wood furniture since the 80's. He is passionate about his work and is  the lead designer at Carriage House. He has many satisfied clients including Steve Young and Mike Weir.

Carriage House Mill is located at 560 S. 100 W. in Provo. The first time I went there I was surprised at how beautiful the showroom was since it was located in an older, industrial part of town. I was also shocked to see how elaborate their 20,000 square foot shop is. For more details about this company go to Carriage House Cabinets.

PopCred

Today I'd like to feature an exciting new business that provides support for people interested in blogging. PopCred is an all-in-one resource for bloggers. It provides Word Press blogs, hosting, domain names, tutorials, seminars, and other resources for people who want to learn how to start a blog and for those who want to make money blogging.

The PopCred site was developed by Alison Moore Smith who is a professional blogger. She noticed that there were many people who wanted to start a blog but didn't know how to create a successful one. Many others already enjoy blogging, but few know how to make money with their blogs, so she started offering seminars on how to make money blogging. The concepts and principles Alison teaches are not theoretical. They are things she has been doing successfully since the mid 90's.

I recently attended one of her seminars on how to monetize your blog and gained quite a bit of valuable information. For someone with 5 blogs and over 800 posts under my belt, I found it to be very helpful as well as affordable. I am currently in the process of changing blog providers and utilizing the PopCred services in order to be a more effective blogger.

I appreciate the fact that Alison does not promote her business as a get-rich-quick idea. She makes it clear that with any venture, success requires hard work and patience, but it is much easier to be successful when you follow the advice of someone who has already done what you are trying to accomplish. You can see and compare the many different services that are available at PopCred.net.