Set Your Rules and Live By Them

I have a book recommendation for you…

In fact, it’s a quick read of a book and it’s one that I just got done reading myself.

“The Warrior Ethos” by Steven Pressfield.Warrior-Ethos-cover

If the author’s name sounds familiar to you it’s because I’ve recommended other books by him… “Turning Pro” and “Do The Work” for example.

The Warrior Ethos talks about the code that warriors have and the rules they live by.

The book examines the evolution of the warrior code of honor and “mental toughness” and talked about how you and I as professionals and entrepreneurs should have our own ethos… a code to live by.

For me, a code or set of rules is something that I’ve had, but never took the time to define for myself until a few years ago.

Back in 2009, I figured out my set of rules that I live and do business by and it’s served me well during those times of having to make tough decisions or decisions that most people would stall on.

See, 99.9% of the time, every decision I make is based on three simple rules that I have for myself.

For example, when we first launched Fit Body Boot Camp within the first 12 months we had set the core values that would define us and that we’d do business by.

Back in 2010, I spoke at Yanik Silver’s Underground Online Seminar along side Zappos.com CEO Tony Hsieh who also wrote “Delivering Happiness”… another great book to check out.

Tony spoke about the core values that he uses to guide his business by. I realized at that point that even though we didn’t have defined core values… there was a set of rules that we did business by.

Within a month of my speaking at Underground Online Seminar, everyone at the HQ came together and we put together the Fit Body Boot Camp core values.

Here they are…FBBC Vector Logo

1. Inspire fun and deliver happiness
2. Be determined and driven
3. Take pride in ownership
4. Be quick and decisive
5. Instill confidence
6. Be humble
7. Embrace, encourage, and drive change
8. Cultivate a positive team and family culture
9. Exceed the client’s expectations
10. Communicate openly and honestly

Now for me, on a personal level, I have three rules that I live and do business by.

Rule 1: Lifestyle First. Money is not the motivating factor for what I do. Freedom and lifestyle are.

Freedom is my currency and delivering value is how I get it.

While I work hard and efficiently, my lifestyle is relaxed for the most part… I wake up a 7:30 each morning, hang out with my kids while they get ready for school, then I’ll write you an email (like this one here), head on over to Starbucks for an iced coffee, and then slide on into my workout.

My workday at the HQ starts at around 10:30AM… and I like it that way.

I only do the things that are “factory installed” for me and that I enjoy doing. If I’m not good at it, or if I don’t like doing it, then I won’t do it.

That’s how I developed the 5% rule.

See, I do the critical 5% of the things that I enjoy, that I’m good at, and that drive my business forward.

The remaining 95% of the things that need to get done are outsourced to my assistant, my staff, or to freelancers.

I won’t take on a business venture just to make more money and I’ve been known to dissolve businesses and business ventures if they don’t align with my code or if they’re likely to throw my lifestyle off balance.

Rule 2: A Players Only. I won’t do business with, hang out with, or have a friendship with anyone who I don’t feel is an A player.

Making a lot of money does not make you an A player in my book.

I won’t do business with those who operate out of fear, are scarcity minded, greedy, or like to gossip.

I know plenty of people who make good money but are ethically misguided and morally askew.

Life’s way too short to get involved with people like them no matter how much money I stand to gain.

Last year, I dissolved a business venture that was estimated to generate us 1.8 million dollars with a VERY well known business and marketing guru because I discovered that his way of doing business wasn’t inline with mine.

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I only do business with people who I want to be friends with and who I consider “A” level players.

To me, an A player is a value adder. An A player is someone who is beating a new path, reinventing, and making the status quo better.

An A player to me is a pioneer, they keep their word, they don’t only claim to be positive and optimistic, they prove it with their actions and the way they live their lives – an A player lives in abundance and is never desperate.

That’s the type of person I want to hang out and do business with.

Rule 3: Common Sense Prevails.

This is a simple one. If you lack common sense… we’re not going to get along well.

Three simple rules, but they’ve served me well.

Feel free to make these your ethos if you’d like.

Committed to your success,

Bedros Keuilian

P.S. BTW if you subscribe to Inc Magazine be sure to check out the editorial by Mark Hendricks, he interviewed me about Fit Body Boot Camp and the secret to our rapid growth in the industry. A pretty good article if I do say so myself 😉