Benjamin Beck, CFP®Today we speak with Ben Beck, CFP®, Managing Partner & Chief Investment Officer at Beck Bode, a deliberately different wealth management firm with a unique perspective on investing, business, and life.
Ben is a CrossFit disciple, passionate about nutrition, FRAN, and the power of equities investing. Above all, Ben a devoted husband and father of four, puts family above his many interests.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with Ben about CrossFit and investing for the future.
It’s known that you're a lifelong athlete, but when and how did you discover CrossFit?
I've been involved in sports and working out since childhood.
Years ago, a good friend, Josh Plosker, introduced me to CrossFit. Josh had played football with my now business partner, Jim Bode, when the three of us attended Northeastern University. My path took me into professional baseball for a few years after college. Josh eventually went into the fitness world.
It was years later in 2012 when he called us at our office (we were at Merrill Lynch at the time) to let us know he had recently opened his first CrossFit affiliate in downtown Boston. He invited Jim and me to try a workout. The next day, we joined his noontime class and ended up in a pile of sweat on the floor.
Like many others after their first CrossFit experience, we were hooked.
How did that first CrossFit workout impact you?
From that moment on, CrossFit completely transformed my understanding of health, nutrition, and wellness.
It challenged long-held traditional beliefs, like the outdated food pyramid and conventional approaches to fueling the body. It also contrasted sharply with the idea that fitness was about logging endless miles on a treadmill or spending hours on low-intensity cardio. At the time, this was revolutionary.
Before CrossFit, there wasn’t a clear, working definition of fitness.
CrossFit defined fitness as “increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains,” which means being proficient in a wide range of physical tasks, whether short or long distances, high or low intensity, and across various movements. The CrossFit methodology itself — constantly varied functional movements performed at high intensity — redefined what it meant to be fit.
CrossFit also introduced me to a new way of thinking about diet. It wasn’t just about "calories in versus calories out." It was about food quality and how nutrition impacts overall health.
Back then, I thought I was fit at 260 pounds, playing squash three times a week and lifting weights. But in reality, I wasn’t even close to the fitness level I have today. I was on a path to becoming unhealthy, not paying attention to the quality of my diet or the effectiveness of my workouts like I do now. I was slowly becoming sick.
You said you were hooked. What exactly “hooked” you onto CrossFit?
The challenge is what hooked me.
Every day, I walked into the gym knowing I’d be pushed outside my comfort zone. That feeling of being uncomfortable but knowing it’s making you better — that’s what kept me coming back. And the atmosphere of group workouts, where everyone is battling alongside you with that ticking clock, fed right into my competitive nature.
CrossFit also had this perfect mix of intensity and community. You’re all suffering together, but that shared experience makes the victory even sweeter when you finish. There’s something special about that. The constant challenge, the varied movements, and the group dynamic — it checked all the boxes for me, physically and mentally.
Again though…that clock…I better have a faster time than you!
What were some early parallels you drew between CrossFit and the work you were doing at Beck Bode?
For those who don’t know me, Jim and I founded Beck Bode in 2013 after years of working together in traditional financial services.
Early on, it became clear that the vision we had for our firm and our clients couldn’t be achieved within the conventional model. Just like CrossFit challenged traditional ideas about fitness, we created Beck Bode to challenge conventional thinking about investing and financial planning. We didn’t set out to be different; we simply are.
One of the biggest parallels between CrossFit and Beck Bode is the concept of "getting a little better each day."
In CrossFit, there's a prescribed plan, and if you follow it, you'll get fitter. We apply the same disciplined approach in our work, with a clear plan that helps our clients get financially stronger over time.
Another thing I love about CrossFit, and something that resonates with me as a business owner and investor, is the sense of community.
In CrossFit, you’re working out alongside others who share the same goals, and that creates an instant camaraderie. Everyone is having their own experience, but you’re all in it together. At Beck Bode, we have that same sense of community — our team has a strong culture, and our clients are aligned with our philosophy. We’re all in this together.
CrossFit has been described as almost a religion by some. What is the foundation of your belief system as an investor?
At Beck Bode, one of our core, unshakeable beliefs is in the power of equities.
As an equities investor, you likely understand that short-term volatility is part of the process — something to be endured if you're in it for the long haul.
Our approach to investing is always focused on the long term. This is much like the CrossFitter’s mindset toward health and wellness: you don’t commit to CrossFit for a short-term goal only to quit afterward. True CrossFitters are in it for life.
Similarly, we believe that successful long-term investors are patient, well-informed, coachable, and willing to weather frequent but temporary market fluctuations for the sake of a bigger, long-term payoff. They are disciplined, lifetime investors, and unshakable believers in the enduring power of equities.
You have said in the past that you believe CrossFitters have the right “DNA” to be successful long-term investors. Can you say more?
In CrossFit, there are days during a workout when you feel like you just want to “DNF” (Did Not Finish). You want to quit, step to the sidelines, and it feels like you’re about to collapse. This happens to all of us.
Sometimes we miscalculate how a workout will hit us on a particular day. Maybe we let our ego get the best of us, take on more than we can handle, or maybe we just aren’t feeling great. Or it’s simply a brutal workout.
The same thing happens to investors.
They might think, “Oh my gosh, look at all this volatility. I don’t want to be uncomfortable. I need a break.” But, like in CrossFit, we push through. It’s painful and uncomfortable, but it’s temporary. Once the “workout” is over, you start to recover, feel better, and eventually, you’re asking, "When do we do this again?"
This is what it really comes down to: the willingness to do hard things.
That mindset attracts a certain type of person to both CrossFit and long-term investing. It’s someone who doesn’t shy away from the pain but chooses to push through it. This is why I believe CrossFitters have the discipline and mental strength to be successful long-term investors.
At Beck Bode, one of the things we do is put together a document called a GPS — just like the navigation system in your car. It’s built on an in-depth conversation about your motivations for investing. It captures the commitments you’re making to yourself as an investor and serves as a reminder of why you’re exposing yourself to the volatility of the market. CrossFitters value truth, and this document is an honest look at your financial situation and the realities of the market. It also emphasizes the importance of discipline, which is a core value at our firm.
CrossFitters appreciate straightforwardness. You never walk into a workout expecting the coach to tell you it’ll be easy. No, you expect it to be tough, but you go after it anyway because you know you have a plan to recover and build strength over time.
Our approach to finance is exactly the same. That’s why CrossFitters are some of my favorite people to work with.
How do CrossFitters make it through painful moments, and what can investors learn from that?
There’s no avoiding the emotions that come up during a hard workout. But that’s where community plays a crucial role.
When you’re in a class with 15 other people all suffering alongside you, it becomes much harder to quit. The shared struggle gives you that extra push to see it through.
The competitive aspect, the shared suffering, and the knowledge that the only way to improve is by facing and overcoming those temporary periods of discomfort — that’s the key to making it through.
But ultimately, you need to believe in why you’re doing it. CrossFitters know exactly why they’re putting themselves through the pain — whether it’s to stay healthy for their kids, to enjoy a long life, or to simply climb a flight of stairs with ease.
In the same way, you need a solid reason behind your desire to invest.
In my experience, wanting to make more money isn’t enough. You need a deeper motivation that will keep you invested for the long haul. That, combined with a community of like-minded people who are in it with you, is what gets you through the tough times.
I’ve noticed that CrossFitters tend to have a "glass half full" mentality. It may be a simple way of putting it, but it’s true. This is also why our approach to money resonates with so many CrossFitters. We look to the future with optimism and opportunity, and that outlook attracts a certain kind of person — someone who is excited about life and ready to take on the challenges ahead.
How does having a financial plan support a CrossFitter’s lifelong vision?
In CrossFit, the workouts you do today and tomorrow are referred to as ‘programming.’ It's a structured training plan. At Beck Bode, we start every financial plan with a GPS, which is essentially our version of programming — a financial training plan.
As a CrossFitter, you might set a goal like running a six-minute mile, back squatting 400 pounds, or completing the FRAN workout in under three minutes. A coach will then guide you, saying, "Here’s what you need to do. Show up every day, follow this plan, and trust the process. These are the steps, and this is what I'm responsible for. But know that along the way, you may face setbacks — injuries, plateaus, and moments where you question the methodology." The key is to understand that these challenges are part of the journey, and you need to keep following the programming.
Just like in CrossFit, we create financial programming to address your weaknesses and build on your strengths, helping you become a more well-rounded investor. The GPS works the same way — it’s financial programming designed around your life goals.
During a discovery meeting with a client, I’m always curious about their reactions to market conditions. I want to know how they feel about investing, what drives them, and what their ultimate purpose is for growing their wealth. If your goal is retirement, what will achieving that allow you to do with your life?
Once I understand these things, we can create a GPS tailored to your goals. It’s a financial training plan that accounts for your strengths and weaknesses and helps you move steadily toward your vision for the future.
From the outside looking in, some may say that CrossFit is not appropriate for everyone. It’s also been said that being exposed to a highly concentrated position in stocks is not appropriate for everyone. Can you comment on that?
I used to have a quote on my whiteboard: “Vary in degree, not kind.”
Think about an 80-year-old versus a 30-year-old. Is CrossFit only for the younger athlete, or is it right for both? My 80-year-old father isn’t going to back squat 400 pounds like I do, but he can still benefit from squatting at a level appropriate for him.
Conventional wisdom says an 80-year-old should be more conservative with investments, but at Beck Bode, we challenge that. The real questions are: How long will that person live? How much income will they need? What are their goals? For who or what do they want this money to impact?
It’s like the outdated belief in the food pyramid, where carbs were emphasized over proteins and fats. It seems sensible at first, but once you dig deeper, it doesn’t hold up.
Shouldn’t a 75-year-old be focused on ensuring they have enough money to last? To maintain their quality of life without depending on others?
After more than a decade of doing CrossFit, how has your life changed?
The first thing I noticed, without a doubt, was my increased confidence.
CrossFit isn’t the only reason — my growth in my professional field and the experience I’ve gained have also contributed significantly. But being physically fit has helped me overcome some of the self-doubt I used to have. Now, when I face challenging situations, I have a different perspective. I know I’m capable of handling both physical and mental challenges, and that makes a huge difference in how I approach life.
The bigger impact, though, is how CrossFit has allowed me to demonstrate the right way to take care of myself — for my health, but also for my family.
It’s given me a path to be the best version of myself. I can be strong for my family, a source of strength and protection — physically, emotionally, and financially. That’s what matters most to me.
Many people, if they found the right formula for improvement, would be willing to follow it. CrossFit works for me, just like the Beck Bode strategies work for our clients financially. It’s an equation that clicks, and I’m grateful to be able to demonstrate that for the people who mean the most to me.
To learn more about Ben, Beck Bode, and his views on investing, business and life, follow Ben on Instagram, connect with him on LinkedIn, read his writing on Relentless - The Blog, or visit beckbode.com.