Vassallo: Oxford Entrepreneur Strengthens Her Company One Workout at a Time

Hayley Wommack Gregory and her famous father Dave Wommack, the defensive mastermind of the Ole Miss Rebels, have more in common than meets the eye.

Both father and daughter clearly understand that in order to be successful, strength is critically important in every respect. Hayley, a young 24-year-old and aspiring businesswoman, has just begun her new venture…Landshark Crossfit which is already drawing a crowd!

HottyToddy.com: Hayley, tell us about the path that led you to Oxford and starting a business here at such a young age.

Hayley Wommack Gregory: I received my undergraduate degree in Exercise Physiology from USM and my Masters in the same discipline here at Ole Miss. My father definitely inspired me because of our love for sports. My passion for this interest actually developed while in high school as I attended three different high schools due to dad’s coaching career moving us around. I really developed this passion in college when I got into strength and conditioning learned about how amazingly adaptive and strong the human body can be.

HottyToddy.com: Starting and owning a vibrant business venture at such a young age is rare.

Hayley Wommack Gregory: I have learned the business from the ground up having been a manager at Crossfit prior to owning it. When the opportunity approached me earlier this year, I jumped on it and here I am.

HottyToddy.com: Wow! And the name Landshark?

Landshark Crossfit is located behind the Holiday Inn Express
at 204-B Cannonade Lane.

Hayley Wommack Gregory: This was my mom’s idea and I couldn’t think of a more fitting and perfect name. I didn’t grow up being a Rebel fan but am I ever now! I never miss a game, but may have to miss one or two this year due to my business.

HottyToddy.com: It’s tough when business gets in the way of other interests. How does Landshark Crossfit actually work?

Hayley Wommack Gregory: You buy a membership which allows you unlimited classes and supervised training by a certified coach as well as access to open gym times. There is a four-phase process which takes one hour to complete. It starts with the warm up followed by the strength portion. Then comes the conditioning “WOD” (workout-of-the-day) with the cool down completing the cycle.

HottyToddy.com: Tell us about your clients.

Hayley Wommack Gregory: Approximately 60 percent of our members are guys but I’d like to see that even out in the future. This program is so great for men and women of all ages so I would like to see more diversity as we continue to grow.

HottyToddy.com: Do you think there is an intimidation for women to start CrossFit?

Hayley Wommack Gregory: I think there is an intimidation as well as a worry that they will build too much muscle. This is truly an unnecessary worry. 90 percent of muscle mass characteristics are attributed to genetics and diet. Weight training is the fine tuning to help remove body fat and lean out those muscles, not bulk them. There are several direct benefits
to attract our female clients. Self-confidence is number one as they feel better having accomplished a physical goal. It’s great to see a woman get her first pull-up or accomplish something she never thought she could walking in. Losing body fat and increasing metabolism are primary results of becoming active with us. And feeling better and more energized is another positive benefit attributed to this program. Higher intensity exercise releases endorphins, which make you feel better and ready to take on your day!

HottyToddy.com: How do you promote your business?

Hayley Wommack Gregory: We are part of a national organization which is headquartered in California. We rely a great deal on social media including Snap Chat, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The word-of-mouth is helping us a great deal as well as we provide child care for young moms with 9am classes every day except Thursdays.

Haley and the trainers are ready to help y’all reach your potential best.

HottyToddy.com: Let’s shift gears a minute and talk about your relationship to the Ole Miss football program. Starting out, how do you handle game stress? Let’s focus on the LSU game last season.

Hayley Wommack Gregory: I was extremely excited during that game with my heart totally into it. The ride home was not fun. However, there is a bigger purpose in life than winning or losing any one game.

HottyToddy.com: Your dad is now starting his fourth season here with a track record of success unequaled in many, many years by a defensive coordinator. Tell us from your perspective what has been the greatest high and low points during this run.

Hayley Wommack Gregory: The high point was definitely last season’s confrontation with Alabama. The low point was the 2013 Egg Bowl where I nearly froze!

HottyToddy.com: And your expectations for 2015?

Hayley Wommack Gregory: I fully expect us to be great. I am “very excited” and am enjoying seeing our young players stepping up into big roles. I take one game at a time and never make predictions for an entire season as to number of wins.

HottyToddy.com: Your dad is now talked about town as a defensive genius.

Hayley Wommack Gregory: I am definitely daddy’s girl and I think he’s great! With our highly ranked defense, I think this speaks for itself. I am extremely proud of my dad and consider him an expert in what he does.

HottyToddy.com: Enough about football (for now). What are the goals for Landshark Crossfit for the balance of 2015?

Hayley Wommack Gregory: Growing the membership is important. I would like to double it from where it is now as we’re about 100 members.

HottyToddy.com: Do you have a family aside from your famous parents?

Hayley Wommack Gregory: I was married in June, 2014, here in Oxford. My husband Jeremy is a mortgage loan originator and has offices here in Oxford on the West Oxford Loop and also in Southhaven. We actually met on the Square!

HottyToddy.com: From a 24-year old’s perspective, tell us the top three items on your bucket list.

Hayley Wommack Gregory: I want to have a family of two to three kids. I’ve always wanted to be a mom. I would like to learn to surf in Hawaii since my husband graduated from high school there. And I want to grow Landshark here and share with everyone how this best-kept secret of strengthening my body has changed my life and can also change theirs.

Hayley has definitely found her niche and being around her you can immediately sense the passion for what she is doing. Not only is she beautiful inside and out, she’s definitely her daddy’s girl (as well as her mom’s) as she is focused on success and results. She is as much an educator as a physical trainer as clients will learn more about themselves while growing stronger physically.

Landshark Crossfit located behind the Holiday Inn Express at 204-B Cannonade Lane may be a secret now, but not for long. Just as Dave Wommack’s defense was a well-kept secret only a couple of seasons ago!

Steve Vassallo is a HottyToddy.com contributor. Steve writes on Ole Miss athletics, Oxford business, politics and other subjects. He is an Ole Miss grad and former radio announcer for the basketball team. Currently, Steve is a highly successful leader in the real estate business who lives in Oxford with his wife Rosie. You can contact Steve at sovassallo@gmail.com or call him at 985-852-7745.