"A leader takes people where they want to go. A great leader takes people where they don’t necessarily want to go, but ought to be."

I have written the introduction to this post 6 times.  I would get 3 lines in, read out loud what was typed on the screen, and slam my hand on the delete button.  There didn’t seem to be a way to introduce Bill Shockley that would do him any justice.  I reminded myself that Bill doesn’t really NEED any sort of introduction, and came up with this…

If you’re reading this post, chances are you know my mentor, friend and coach, Mr. William Shockley, but do you know what motivates him? Or what he would change about the CrossFit community?  Do you know what he would do with an elephant if he had one? Or how his mother makes him work hard every day!?

Check it out…I present to you…  jD’s RANDOM LIST OF QUESTIONS FOR BILL SHOCKLEY, and HIS ANSWERS (because a random list of questions for Bill without Bill’s answers would be LAME.) One more thing before we start… If you have any questions for Bill post them here, and I’m suuuuuure he’d be more than happy to answer!

*Describe your life in 5 words or less.

>>>Constantly evolving, forever learning, unexpected.

*If you were given a million dollars, what would your first purchase be?

>>>I’d buy off my sister’s house, so they would have one less thing to worry about. MY first purchase would be a large piece of land in Belize.

*In a movie about your life, what actor would you choose to play you?

>>>Jean Reno (from “The Professional”) I really like his style. He has an intensity that is not too over the top. I’d like to think as I get older I’m going to morph into a quiet, assertive yet sensitive man. I hope that I will still be respected for having an inner strength when the physical strength is gone. It actually won’t ever be completely gone. You will be able to catch a glimpse of it in my eyes and facial expressions.

*People always say that you “demand respect.” What do you think it is about your personality that has helped you get so far in the CrossFit world, and as a business owner?

>>>Brutal honesty and an ear for learning. I tell it how it is and sometimes i might offend people, but I don’t worry about that.  In the end I’m trying to help. People are so used to being coddled and no-one ever truly knows when they aren’t doing/saying something stupid. As a child, if I did something,”not smart” I’d be told all about it, and I would think twice about doing it again. People are soft these days. People also are afraid to tell others that they are soft for fear of hurting their feelings. Sometimes…scratch that–all the time; honesty whether it hurts or not will always help a person’s self-worth. Now I’m not saying you should go out there and tell someone they suck at life and they’re ugly.  As for being a business owner, I think motivation and thought provoking ideas have gotten me to where I am. Everything I say is with the best intentions. I think i have a gift for reading people the moment I meet them. This helps me help them. In the end I give my heart to every individual. Every person i come in contact with I’d like to make some kind of lifelong impact…sometimes it’s exhausting, but I’d settle for nothing less.

*What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

>>>I slide to the end of my bed and give my puppy Daisy kisses for 5 minutes.

*If I put your ipod on, right now, what song would I hear?

>>>Ok, I just turned on my itunes and hit shuffle here is the outcome:  Song  #1    Aretha Franklin–Ain’t No Way. Song #2 : Rosetta Stone– Russian Lesson 3 Speaking.  Song #3:   John Legend–Slow Dance

*If I gave you an elephant and told you that it had to be hidden, where would you hide it?

>>>Ironically this happened once… any Buffet style restaurant and it’ll blend right in.

*What is your favorite tattoo? Why?

>>>The guns on my chest. The one over my heart is in memory of my dog Winston, who was an English pointer (gun dog). I wanted something really different from others tattoos in regards to the “RIP” style. I didn’t want people to think I was some kind of thug, so we put the swallow, a representation of peace and love, on the handle.

*Who is the most influential person in your life?

>>>My father. I strive every day to be the complete opposite of who he was.

*If you could add one piece of equipment to the box right now, at no extra cost, what would it be?

>>>A sand pit.

*ACT is very big on “community.” Why is that so important to you?

>>>There are times that I might not personally get through to someone, but there is possibly someone else at the box will have an impact. As long as the positive vibes are flowing, that’s what I really care about. My dream is that the CrossFit culture of being fit, healthy and above all, good to your fellow man is all I can ask for.  So right now I try to impact 100 or so people as a start. Maybe someday that’ll cause a chain reaction, decreasing the amount of assholes in the world, and increasing the number of chill people who actually want to be a part of something amazing—life!

*Were you popular in high school?

>>>Nope. I was a year younger than everyone in my class, and rather small. I got along with everyone but never was a standout personality.   I also hung out with a bunch of Spanish girls for some reason and I think that confused the “mainstream” high-school peeps!

*If you could change one think about CrossFit what would it be?

>>>That everyone is an expert attitude. I’m sick of it. I’m no expert…and I’m fine with that.

*What is your favorite “cheat meal?”

>>>White Manna

*What are you scared of?

>>>Allowing myself to be truly happy.

*How do you stay motivated to coach and be at the top of your game?  WHO motivates you?

>>>Knowing that someday I won’t be able to do the things I can now. I live to teach while I’m still able. My mom motivates me every time she comes in and talks about going heavy on a back-squats. It made me chuckle at first, but the fact that she takes it so seriously (I never knew how competitive she was) makes me think,” if she just started doing this and is succeeding then what the hell is holding me back from going harder!  Then I put my headphones on, listen to the words of Aretha Franklin and go hard. END OF STORY.