By Sean Gagnon, Special AFS Contributor
Recently I received a package in the mail and I immediately got excited because I knew what was inside. It was the official ribbon copy of a new patent we were just granted on our TireFlip 180® product! It was my 20th patent including the US and Worldwide and it represented a significant milestone for me. Innovation is the heart our company and we are proud of the intellectual property we’ve been able to obtain.
It’s one piece of the puzzle that has helped me to create my own version of a ‘fitness empire’. I am so blessed to have been able to have a 20+ year career in the industry that I love and the best news is that I feel like I'm just getting started.
Below are some tips to help you create an empire of your very own - whatever that may mean to you.
Know WHY You're in Business
As Simon Sinek teaches Most people can tell you what they do but very few can tell you why they do it! Having a clearly defined WHY not only connects you to people who share your beliefs (HINT: these people make the best team members and customers) but it also gives you the strength and motivation to push through the inevitable hard times that business brings!
It’s a belief in something much bigger than you and a purpose that can lead you to the ultimate goals - JOY and FULFILLMENT! At The Abs Company, our purpose is "We Change Lives from the Core" and I’m so grateful to do just that every single day!
Look for Problems - Don’t Chase the Money
In business the person who provides the best solution to people’s problems wins. Period. Problems are all around you - LISTEN. It’s not about what you want or what you think is best. Successful business owners solve problems for their customers and then they go out and look for more problems to solve.
Rinse and repeat. Step one is to know what you are passionate about. Then define the problems in that area and figure out how YOU can solve them for people. If you can make things easier for people or save them time - you win.
Patience - There is NO Overnight Success
We live in a world where it seems that everyone is making success happen instantly. That’s what the media and socials want you to believe. It's simply not true. For every person you meet who has had success - Talk to them. I guarantee you that they have been working quietly 5, 10, 15 years before you ever heard about them! If someone pitches you the next - be a millionaire in 90 days program - RUN!
Don’t think because things are moving slowly that you are a failure. Just make sure you are moving forward. We developed the Ab Coaster® for 2 years before ever showing anyone or selling a single unit. It’s generated over $100 million dollars now!
Don’t think because things are moving slowly that you are a failure. Just make sure you are moving forward.
Embrace the Routine (there will be more routine days than exciting)
Much of life is routine! There are certain non-negotiable tasks that you MUST complete daily to move forward. For example, prospecting, follow up, content creation. Those things aren't always the most exciting but without them, you will not get anywhere. Consistently doing the little things well is how you win!
Don’t feel discouraged looking at social media and seeing all these people flying first class, driving fancy cars, holding stacks of money, etc. Most of it is fake anyway! If it is real they certainly aren’t telling you what it took to get there! Run your race!
Hard Work on the RIGHT Things to get RESULTS!
Hustle, grind, flow, team no sleep...these are the BS terms of the day. News flash - no one cares how hard you work. They care about RESULTS. If someone is constantly telling you how hard they work maybe it’s because they don’t have results to tell you about! Hard work is the great equalizer. Hard work doesn't care about your background, your race, your education on and on. At TAC one of our Core Values is that We believe that hard work pays off and produces RESULTS that MATTER.
The key is that your hard work must be yielding results or you need to make changes. You have to be busy doing the RIGHT things - things that move the needle, not just things that take your time! Then, honestly evaluate the outcome and adjust as needed!
Be All-In or All Out
There's a lot of talk today about your “Side Hustle”. If you have the chance to test your ideas while working your full time job - Great! You are hedging your bets and that’s not a bad thing. However when you know you have something, when you truly believe that you’ve found your passion GO ALL IN. Ultimately if you truly want to build something amazing you have to go ALL IN. Burn the boats. Have no PLAN B. If you are forced to succeed - you will find a way. If you give yourself a way out, you’ll take it because the road to success is TOUGH! You have to be TOUGHER!
Dream Big
It takes the same amount of effort to Dream Big as to just try and ‘get by’. Whatever you are dreaming for your business and your life - dream bigger! Dream so big that people laugh at you! When I told people we had the next multi-million dollar fitness product I could see the look in their eyes. That look of ‘yeah right’! Now that I’ve done it, again and again, no one is laughing! Anything is truly possible if you believe in yourself. There are enough people who are going to tell you what you CAN’T do. Don’t be one of them.
For me success is living life on my terms. It means that I get to do the things that I love, in the industry that I love with people that I love. It means that I get to live every day with JOY and GRATITUDE for the opportunities, the struggles and yes - even the failures that I face. Tony Robbins once said that success without fulfillment is the ultimate failure. As you build your empire - whatever that may be - find joy. Be Fulfilled. Be Great. To Your Success!
Sean Gagnon is the founder and president of The Abs Company. He received his master’s degree in clinical physiology from the University of Florida. For over 10 years his company has been focused on core-based functional training products for the commercial and consumer fitness markets. The Abs Company products can be found in over 10,000 facilities and millions of homes in over 40 countries worldwide. The company mission is "We Change Lives from the Core”. Sean and his team are proud to do just that every day!
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