The first fitness business that I started (selling brand name supplements
from my apartment on the internet) served as a big lesson for me.
1. I couldn’t move enough supplements to make a profit.
They would expire and get trashed before I could sell them.
2. Back in 1996 the internet was just starting out as a place of
commerce and there was no Google, SEO, PPC, or Facebook
to advertise on.
3. Putting money out to buy stuff first before you can sell it is a
stupid way of doing business.
(That’s the beauty of being a fitness trainer… once you have your
own place and some equipment you have nothing else to buy…
you’re selling training which is results, motivation, accountability,
and knowledge.)
I think that’s the thing that most fitness pros forget when they
want to start a fitness business – you’re in the outcome business.
Now in my supplement sales business I learned these lessons
quickly. It *only* cost me $55,000 in credit card bills.
That was my first attempt at entrepreneurship and it scared the
holy heck out of me, so much so that I went and got a job at a big
box gym as a trainer and was happy getting a measly pay check.
I had many other business ideas (like wanting to open up my own
training studios) but I was way to scared to pull the trigger fearing
that I might repeat the $55K supplement sales debacle.
I was paralyzed by fear, doubt, and negative self talk. And even
though I knew I had a better business idea, I chose to work at a
job I disliked, in a big box gym becuase I was too scared to try
my hand at entrepreneurship again.
Now since then a lot has changed.
I’ve overcome my fears, doubts and anxieties about entrepreneurship.
There’s no negative self talk loop playing in my head.
Since then I’ve opened up multiple personal training facilities and
in fact, I’ve done what most people have never done in business
which is to build it up and sell it for a massive profit.
I’ve created Hitech Trainer, FitPro Newsletter, and FitPro Magazine
for the fitness industry.
I have over 100 high level coaching clients who’s businesses I get
to positively influence.
I’ve got over a dozen info products and programs that help tens of
thousands of trainers build better business, get more clients, boost
their income, and have more freedom and time off.
I host the annul Fitness Business Summit where over 400 fitness
trainers from all over the world come out for three days to get the
most cutting edge systems, tactics, and strategies to take their
business to the highest level.
I’m CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp the fastest growing brand in
fitness business today with locations in 7 countries and growing.
I co-own a publishing business where I get to help out hundreds
of thousands of people who want to lose weight, eat better, and
get better workout programs though my publishing partners.
I speak on stage an average of six times per year sharing my message
of the American Dream and entrepreneurship with the masses (btw,
getting up on stage for me was one of the SCARIEST things I’ve ever
done – but I did it)
And I consult with $40 Million dollar companies helping them better their
lead generation, add greater value to their customers and clients and
improve their bottom line.
All this happened in a span of 12 years. Relatively quickly considering
the amount of things I listed.
My point here is not to impress you though…
It’s to impress upon you that I was the only thing that was in my own
way.
I was the problem.
My beliefs, thoughts, self doubt, and unreasonable fear of failure is
what stifled my climb to success in the beginning.
Since then I’ve discovered five failure factors that cause otherwise
successful people to pause, to live in mediocrity, to never reach full
potential in business AND in life.
Here they are…
Failure Factor #1: Limiting Self Beliefs
Failure factor #2: Lack of Clear Focus
Failure Factor #3: Lack of Action
Failure Factor #4: Lack of Self Discipline
Failure Factor #5: Lack of Specific Deadlines
These five things are the destroyers of dreams and the ruiners
of hope.
But you can overcome each and everyone one of them if you so
set your mind to it.
It all starts with doing the opposite of failure factor #3 which is
to take massive action and do something about it.
I believe in YOU.
Bedros