Cannoli Strength / Cannoli Gang - Trainer Profile & Business Analysis

Business Overview

Business Name: Cannoli Strength (brand: "Cannoli Gang") Head Coach: Joe Cristando (aka "Joey Cannoli") Location: Brooklyn Training Hall, 321 Scholes St, Bushwick, Brooklyn, NY 11206 Website: cannoligang.com Instagram: @cannoligang_powerlifting (~1,300 followers) Email: cannoli.strength@gmail.com Podcast: Squats & Science Podcast (co-host with Arian Khamesi, USAPL National Team Head Coach)

Coach Background

• Experience: 12 years competitive powerlifting, 7 years coaching
• Age: 38
• Education: English degree from CUNY Queens College
• Certification: Pursuing NSCA CSCS (final stages)
• Federation: USAPL / Powerlifting America
• Affiliation: Co-owner/Coach at S&S Barbell (Squats and Science)
• VBT Expertise: Actively implements Velocity-Based Training in athlete programming

Competition Stats (OpenPowerlifting)

Notable: 1st place at Murder of Crows December Open (2018), multiple top finishes at USAPL state/regional meets.

Coached Athlete Results

• 52 USAPL New York State records (past and current)
• 2023 USAPL Raw Nationals Junior 60kg silver medalist
• 2024 USAPL Raw Nationals M1 75kg bronze medalist
• Multiple state and regional medal winners

Training Philosophy

"Always science-backed and data-driven. Always collaborative and adaptive."

• Meets athletes "where they're at" regardless of experience level
• Strong emphasis on technique excellence
• Individualized program adaptation based on athlete needs
• Uses VBT as a core programming tool
• Evolves methodology as new S&C research emerges
• Explicitly avoids "stripping humanity from training and competition preparation"
• Core value: "dedication to putting a barbell in anyone's hands who is interested"

Services Offered

In-Person

• Fitness and Movement Assessments (free 30-minute initial)
• Personal Training (1:1)
• Individualized Programming
• Injury Rehabilitation
• Powerlifting Competition Preparation
• Game-Day Coaching (at meets)
• Training Packages (no long-term commitment)
• Free drop-in group sessions for experienced powerlifters

Remote

• Remote powerlifting and S&C coaching
• Programming templates (published free template, Feb 2025)

Events

• Organizes/promotes powerlifting meets (e.g., 2025 Powerlifting America North Brooklyn Classic)
• Deadlift clinics and educational workshops

Content

• Squats & Science Podcast (co-host)
• Blog ("Whiteboard") with educational articles
• Newsletter for events and programming updates

Target Clients

• Competitive powerlifters at all levels (beginner to national-level)
• General strength and conditioning clients
• Brand new barbell trainees
• Injured lifters needing rehab-oriented training
• Athletes preparing for USAPL competitions
• Broad accessibility: "anyone interested in putting a barbell in their hands"

Facility

• Primary: Brooklyn Training Hall (family-owned S&C and Olympic weightlifting gym, 24-hour member access)
• Expansion: Additional Williamsburg location coming soon (likely S&S Strength at 88 Waterbury St)
• Model: Independent coach operating out of an existing gym (does not own the facility)

Current Technology Stack

Key Business Gaps Identified

Critical

1. No visible programming delivery platform - No mention of any coaching software for writing, delivering, or tracking remote programming. This is the most significant operational gap for someone offering remote coaching.
2. No client onboarding system - Process appears to be Calendly booking → manual coordination. No intake forms, client portal, or structured workflow.
3. Solo operator scaling limits - Growth capped by Joe's available hours. No systems for group programming products, template marketplace, or scalable offerings.

Important

4. Brand fragmentation - Unclear relationship between "Cannoli Strength," "Cannoli Gang," "S&S Barbell," and "Squats and Science"
5. Small social footprint - ~1,300 Instagram followers, no TikTok/YouTube/Facebook. Significant credibility-to-visibility gap given national-level results.
6. No public pricing - Consultation-first model creates friction for self-qualifying leads
7. Gmail as business email - Unprofessional for the brand level
8. Sparse content - Only 3 blog posts visible. Inconsistent cadence limits SEO and audience building.
9. No testimonials/social proof - Only one brief client testimonial found on site

Platform Feature Priorities (Inferred)

Based on business analysis, ranked by likely impact:

Tier 1: Core Needs

• Programming delivery & athlete tracking - Write, deliver, track individualized programs (in-person + remote)
• VBT integration - Connect VBT devices, use velocity data for autoregulation within programming
• Client management - Centralized profiles, intake forms, assessment tracking, communication
• RPE/RIR and load prescription - Support percentage-based, RPE-based, and velocity-based load models

Tier 2: Growth Enablers

• Template/program marketplace - Sell programming templates as digital products for passive revenue
• Competition prep tools - Attempt selection calculators, warmup timing, weight cut tracking
• Progress analytics - Data visualization for client progress (strength gains, volume trends, bodyweight)
• Group programming - Manage drop-in days and small group training with shared + individualized programs

Tier 3: Professionalization

• Branded client-facing app - White-label or co-branded mobile experience
• Scheduling integration - Native scheduling or Calendly integration
• Content delivery - Attach educational content (videos, articles, cues) to exercises
• Payment processing - Structured billing for training packages

Tier 4: Nice-to-Have

• Exercise video library - Movement demos attached to programs
• Injury/rehab tracking - Track rehab protocols, pain scores, return-to-training progressions
• Community features - Leaderboards, group challenges, shared wins for the "Cannoli Gang" community