WHATS YOUR @%$#!& EXCUSE?

SC19 has grown over the past year, and we hope that our amazing readers continue to like the direction the site is going to grow into. It is our direction at SC19 to start adding more lifestyle and news into the rotation. Never forgetting our roots in Fashion and Style. To kick off our new initiative we wanted to share with you a site we recently came across and totally dig.

The site is Manning Up USA, and after the jump SC19 got the opportunity to talk to the man behind the brand, Jeremy B. Manning. You will not want to miss his story.

"Manning up is media with a mission to share and inspire with stories of people who are changing their lives through the process of fitness, wellness or other practices that leads them to doing good in the world." - Manning Up USA 

Jeremy B. Manning is the man behind Manning Up USA. Jeremiah Williams, got the opportunity to talk to Manning. [To bad it wasn't in person, because I am sure it would have been a great convo.]

[Williams] When I first came across Manning Up USA, I found it perfect for exactly what I was looking for. Where did the idea for it come from?

[Manning] When I was featured on the cover of The FIGHT magazine in 2011, the feature story was titled "Manning Up". It was the first raw and honest voice I ever really spoke about how I used martial arts to overcome a 4 year meth addiction. "Manning Up" obviously connected to me. The name became about taking responsibility for myself and my life, but it grew into something so much more than that.

It became about sharing my story in a way that unlocked my spirit from isolation. It made me realize that I ... we are not alone in our suffering. So, I started hosting a radio show with that title and the topic, using fitness to overcome adversity and the company grew out of that concept. [I highly encourage you to read Manning's story of overcoming addition and his back story in The FIGHT article.]

[Williams] How did you get from radio show to Manningupusa.com?

[Manning] I launched the Facebook page in September of 2012 and the site went live on November 1, 2012. Funny thing was the very first post on the Facebook page was a picture of this obscure guy, (to me) with the image of what I believed Manning Up USA to stand for. Less than a year later I was introduced to Alex Minsky through my first sponsor and our "family of fighters" has been growing since.

[Williams] Oh yea, I know about Alex Minsky's story. Manning Up USA has stories of bad ass men and women who are a part of the "family of fighters". Any interesting stories of people who were inspired by the stories and information on the site, to make healthy life changes?

[Manning] Oh tons. We get several stories everyday from people who have suffered through accidents, lost loved ones and some who have almost lost their own lives. We're less than a year old and we're getting a LOT of feedback from people who are starting to "Man Up", and we hope to be able to share their stories as we develop.

[Williams] The site isn't about counting calories or a strict meal plan. I was drawn to the site because of the information and stories of inspiration. What are some of the key ways Manning Up USA supports and encourages healthy life changes?

[Manning] First by showing others that there are people out there who have gone through it. It's not a contest when it comes to who has endured or suffered more, but we want to be an example, a beacon of hope for our audience. Along with our inspirational stories, we develop fitness and nutrition articles. And we are planning to develop more community engagement as we build out the site. A "channel" built into the sit for regular programming, as well as our leadership programs are in development.

I'd like to say that we're community of fighters coming together to share our stories of hope, and to help each other triumph over our shared struggles. We have teams in various charitable endurance events, and as we grow we plan to invite fighters across the country to join our teams. What we are as a "brand" is really about packaging a handful of ideas and encouraging our community to participate in their own healing, and then to help someone else. everything else is mechanical, so we can provide resources for our "Manning Up USA Family". We hope to reach as many fighters as we can.

[Williams] Thanks for giving a little insight into Manning Up USA. I am happy to launch the new Health/Lifestyle content on SC19 with a site of inspiration to make healthy life choices.

[For more information on Manning Up USA you can visit Manningupusa.com. Starting July 22, you can follow SC19's Executive Editor, in his journey and challenge of living a healthier lifestyle with a new personal blog feature. Have your health tips, favorite exercise, or advice - we want to hear about it. Tweet them to @_Jeremiah_ . We want to share with our readers]