CEO of Influence – Roc Pilon

When Roc Pilon was in high school, his first job was in the health care field. There, he learned important life principles that revolved around strong moral ethics, compassion and respect. Along with this, principles around his personal health and wellbeing were reinforced, which largely impacted his mindset and fueled his passion for fitness and wellness.

He said that his defining moment as a leader came when he was living in a mobile home with his dad. He realized that he wanted a life that would not be possible unless he did it for himself.

“I wanted to build a business that could elevate not only my life, but the lives of those around me,” Pilon shared.

So, he set out on his entrepreneurial journey based on his passion for weightlifting and launched Gymreapers 10 years ago.

Pilon said, “Being the CEO and founder of Gymreapers gives me the opportunity to not only strongly impact each of my employees and show them they are in charge of their daily life, but also reach people all over the world and help empower their fitness goals. I have the ability to build an environment that surrounds everyone with the same work ethic, accountability and mindset I have myself. This gives employees the opportunity to grow into roles they may have otherwise been unable to achieve. The goal has always been to help athletes feel comfortable and strong in their journey, regardless of what stage they are at.”

As Gymreapers established a presence and loyal following, Pilon continued to hone his skills to ensure the company ― and his team ― could thrive. His goal is to be a strategic leader, one that values empowering individuals and working with them to be accountable, productive and collaborative.

“I worked through my 20s to learn from every leader I have met,” he said. “I would say the constant search for growth and looking to learn from as many that would teach me has pushed me to be where I am today. I have always had a leading presence, however growth in the position I chose to build for myself requires constant leadership presence and growth. As the company grew, my leadership skills evolved to where we are today and will continue to evolve for the foreseeable future.”

Pilon said that the advice he would give to ambitious leaders, is to lean on others ― in good times and bad.

“Find people who can understand the experiences you are going through and can also provide meaningful guidance to navigate the difficult situations that will arise,” he shared. “Finding a mentor is also a great way to elevate yourself to get you closer to your goals. If you find someone who has ‘done it’ before, you should learn as much as possible from them, ask questions along the way and analyze what worked and what didn’t for them. Be unrelenting in your search to become the version of leader you look up to.”