Tremendous 24: 3G Boxing Club CEO Aaron Remy

Being an entrepreneur is no easy task, especially if you’re starting from the ground up. It takes sacrifices, commitment, consistency, a vision, and the belief that it will all pay off one day. The following person in my Tremendous 24 series is Aaron Remy, a remarkable individual who has transformed his life. From a troubled kid, he has become a successful entrepreneur, leading his 3G Boxing Club in Rockland County. This club is a business and a community service that teaches people boxing and self-defense and promotes physical and mental health through exercise. Aaron's journey is a testament to entrepreneurs' commitment and sacrifices.

He’s a man of faith, and this belief has guided him through his journey. Remy, the CEO of 3G Boxing Club, is not just one of the hardest working people but also a testament to the power of faith in achieving one's goals. Let's dive in.

It was Saturday, March 23, 2024. It was a cold, cloudy day, and the rain was downpouring in Rockland County. That day was my first time doing a show on the road outside of the studio.  This was the appetizer ahead of the Rob Parker interview three weeks later. I wanted to switch things up and try something new to take things to another level. 

As the rain poured like Niagara Falls' waterfall, I gathered the equipment (hard drive, bookbag) I needed for the show. Todd met me in Spring Valley, where we were conducting the interview. Aaron and I had discussed conducting it in his basement, a unique setting with a full-on boxing gym where he trains his clients and works out. 

It was the right decision. Once I got to his house, about 20 minutes from my house, I knocked on his garage door so he could let me in. I arrived before Todd came, and as the rain wouldn’t let up, I was on a time limit since I had to bring my sister to work that day afterward.

While we waited for Todd, Aaron showed me around his boxing garage, from where his gloves and posters are on the wall to the “Gains, God, Grind” slogan at the top of his garage. We figured out where to sit to get the best lighting and how we wanted to take the pre-interview photos before Todd arrived.

Once Todd arrived, he set up the camera equipment and took extra footage of the place so I could make a great intro. I used the song “That Ain’t Love” by Little Brother, which I heard the night before thanks to my friend Christopher Julien for the episode, and then we took photos. After all that was done, we finally got into the interview. 

I wore a sleeveless red shirt to show my physique, and I wore black gym gloves to match the color scheme of his gym background and showcase a boxing look. We were all excited to be a part of a collaborative effort.

The interview started with me greeting Remy, as I did with all my guests when beginning the interview. We joked and laughed at how long it took to get him on, but it finally happened. Remy was born in Spring Valley, New York, where he spent most of his life aside from two years in Georgia.

Remy grew up with many cousins and his younger brother Abraham. As a kid, he loved being outside playing basketball, football, and baseball—the stuff kids do. Remy’s dad wasn’t in the picture growing up, as his mother primarily raised him. Despite his dad not being in the picture, Remy admitted to being cordial with his father despite both being busy as businessmen.

Remy described himself as a hot-headed kid who never played for an organized team. He did not like being told what to do, but it did help keep him sane. He was never the most skilled athlete in any particular sport, but he wanted to rough it up in his battles when competing.

When we discussed his time at Pomona Middle School, Remy described it as a “culture shock.” Seeing kids curse out security guards, having your locker, etc., was a big adjustment for the young CEO.

“So Pomona Middle School, I remember, you know…It felt weird…It was like, “Whoa,” you got to walk to your own classes, you got your own locker. Everything was like culture shock. Nobody really prepares you for that, and I’m seeing people curse out security guards.”

Remy described his time at Pomona as traumatic that changed him. Those days taught him to stay in his lane and know what you’re doing. We then discussed his time in high school, where Remy was a troubled kid who was in gangs, getting into fights, drug dealing, infidelity with women, and scamming people.

He was going down a dark path. Including being a part of a gang called “Squad,” he mentioned the question before dropping off one woman to pick up another. Remy started to shift his life after one night being pulled over by a cop in his girlfriend’s car with three bags, one with money, drugs, and weed. He told me that he remembered that night, saying to God that he would change his ways if he got him out of this situation.

Luckily, he did.

“There were three bags in the back. This was my girlfriend's car at the time, who I was cheating on. There were three bags–a bag with money, a bag with baggies and scales, and a bag with drugs…I said God, if you get me out of this, I’ll follow you, I’ll get rid of the weed, I’ll get rid of it all. I won’t even flip this. I don’t care how much money I lost. I just don’t want to go to jail.”

After getting out of that dilemma, Remy never smoked or sold drugs again. Remy expressed struggling with social anxiety growing up that led him to do drugs, expressing that seeking God helped him with his identity. God wasn’t the only thing that shifted Remy’s direction in life as we discussed a remarkable woman: His fiance Kelsey.

Remy and Kelsey had known each other since third grade, as they had been neighbors for years once he returned from Georgia. Remy mentioned that they had a six-year falling out. However, they’d reconnect, and he described her as his crown and glory—someone who’s helped him become a better man and person.

“My wife is my glory, my crown, and my life. I’m literally nothing without my wife…She’s helped me mature as a man.”

We then discussed boxing and entrepreneurship in the interview. Remy started boxing at the Double R Fight Club in Haverstraw, where Jonathan Edmond took him in after seeing him struggle with anger. Edmond trained Remy, who he saw as having much potential. 

However, as Remy mentioned, his punches were not robust, and he wasn’t good enough to start. Remy got better over time but eventually left the fight club due to getting pepper sprayed and jumped. After that experience, Remy began sparring with his friends Chris Phillips and Ben Tyrey, and YouTube helped him perfect his craft and technique by doing and visually seeing how things were done. 

Despite perfecting his craft, Remy never competed in boxing, as he always envisioned himself as a businessman.

“I’ve always been a businessman [both laugh]. I’m like, these dudes are getting punched in the face, and the coach is making the money. At least now, I don’t have to be the one getting punched in the face, but I can make my money.”

Remy has a background business. He was a former luxury salesman at MCM, a store he opened with four others at Garden State Plaza near Gucci and Versace. While there, Remy was the top salesman who connected well with people, including celebrities, which caused some of his employees to envy him.

Remy eventually left MCM and, in 2019, followed his calling to help others through boxing. He built the 3G Boxing Club in his garage. 

“Right after MCM… 2019 going into 2020…I took one of the managers, supervisor manager, pretty much the same thing, from MCM and had her become my assistant, and we opened this together.”

Remy and his assistant worked on invoices, architecting the business, etc., sometimes overworking themselves, waking up as early as 4 a.m. to start their days. Once his company was ready, Remy eventually shot a commercial, which boomed and helped get it out to residents. It took off.

Remy knew it was hard to make money as a boxer, especially if you weren’t in big fights or established. It’s why he chose to pursue his passion for the sport but in a different way. For Remy, it wasn’t just about the money but also about helping others through boxing, whether for their physical and mental health or if they wanted to take the sport seriously.

“I always ask them mental health questions in the boxing club because I feel like I didn’t have those people asking me those questions.”

Remy stated the five stars he focuses on to help better his clients: spiritually, physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially, in that order. He’s a true believer that everyone has a purpose in life and purposes connected to our purpose, such as the people we’re meant to impact, which I resonated with.

I then asked Remy about the positives and negatives of entrepreneurship. The positives were the relationships and connections he’s formed. The most challenging part he expressed was people were envious of his success and didn’t see the long, grueling hours he put in to get to where he is today. He even mentioned having to put some former prisoners down in his boxing club who tried to take advantage of him.

Remy then gave advice he would give to young aspiring entrepreneurs.

“Number one is make sure it’s God's will… When it’s not God's will, there’s a resistance. Number two, make sure you’re connected, not just spiritually to God, but to man. God will bring connections… You are called to be the visionary. Not to be the visionary and implementer. You can’t do everything by yourself. You need people with strong connections. Number three,  filter your friend groups. Your friends are not as for you as much as you think they’re for you.”

He emphasized that sometimes you have to leave the familiar to become comfortable with the unfamiliar, and that’s how you become successful. It was a mic-drop moment. I then asked him about the long-term goals for his company, which Remy has for his business, which is to have his company be in other locations to help others.

As we neared the end of the interview, we got into the quick hitters, and I asked Remy about the pivotal moment of his life. Businesswise, he discussed having a party once in his garage that was meant to be for his business. He felt he was testing God, and it took him a while to get things back in order, but once he got right spiritually again, it all worked out.

Remy runs his church's redemption ministry outside of boxing in his garage on Sundays. He admits to not having many hobbies. Remy shadowboxes to keep his boxing technique sharp, which he acknowledged helped him during a two-year hiatus. Despite being busy with meetings and calls for his business, he still makes time for God and his wife.

Remy’s favorite post-workout meals consist of salmon, rocket wraps, and homemade Haitian food made by his wife. When it comes to music, he enjoys listening to gospel music. His top five boxers of all time are Floyd Mayweather, Mike Tyson, Muhammad Ali, Terrence Crawford, and Canelo.

I asked Remy how someone would describe him, and he had an interesting response.

[Laughs] “It depends on when they came into my life and when they met me…Back in the day, they’d be like, “Yo, he is a crazy dude…I was real crazy, real hot-headed. Fun fact: shortly after that, I almost got sent to military school. Shortly after that, God saved my life…Now, they would say, “This man is passionate about what he does, and he’s genuine. I’m big on integrity. I don’t like to preach what I don’t practice.”

Remy’s ultimate goal is to continue filling himself with God’s spirit, and he believes that if God could save someone who was troubled like him, he could save anybody. I then asked Remy how he wanted to be remembered when it was all said and done.

“I love how you said the word legacy cause when I think of legacy, I think of what people are going to think of me after I die… I genuinely believe people are going to say this man not only got his life transformed but transformed a lot of lives…I think people will be like he helped me get closer to God…I feel like a lot of people would say he’s a great boxing coach, but he’s more inspiring just the way he lives his life.”

Remy then showed us a few boxing moves and techniques before closing the show, breaking down the attention to detail of boxing. Remy’s story is truly an inspirational one. Seeing someone who was going down the wrong path in life with infidelity, drugs, gangs, etc., before devoting his life to God changed his life.

To see the many sacrifices he made to build a successful business from the ground up is no easy task. Doing what he’s passionate about and making a difference in the community through boxing and God is why Remy embodies Greatness Within.