Failure has it's own meaning to you as an individual. You view it through the lens of experience, or what you learned. It can be a word that's as vague as it is scary. Whenever I meet someone who allows the fear of failure to get in the way of a goal, I want to know why. What does failure mean to him or her?
Most of the time it is always more than just the loss of money, time or reputation. It has more to do with personal monsters than the process of a measurable loss.
To me, failure, which is trying something that doesn't end up working out is just a step in the process of creating.
While failure may be a step into the unknown, it's needed for you to become.
I fell in love with exercise for that reason. Because it taught me how to handle failure. Taught me how to overcome failure. And it showed me how to try again.
In my later high school years I knew that I wanted to impact the world in the health and fitness field. My goal was to be a great personal trainer, own a small health club, and expand my reach through online training. Being a living example and showing people the way to a healthy lifestyle is my passion. I'm grateful that I saw the industry from many levels and humbled to share the journey. I succeeded a lot, failed often, and never stopped trying.
Here is a little snapshot of the past 10 years.
Curiosity Gets The Cat. I picked up every magazine, online article, and book I could find. I spent countless hours studying the craft. I dedicated time to being a practitioner.
The Discovery. The next step in the process was to receive a personal training certification. I studied for the NFPT Certified Personal Trainer exam and passed at the age of 20. My first walk into the industry was selling personal training for LA Fitness. I was the young guy but determined to perfect my skills. After every 'No' I received I went back to my desk to figure out what I could do different.
The Grit & Grind. I was ready for the big leagues. I needed to prove to myself that I could be a positive impact in someones life. There was a brand new Gold's Gym opening not to far from my school and where I lived. Gold's Gym has been around since 1965 and was a top tier health club at the time. I applied for the position and was the first trainer hired to start opening day. I spent 3 years learning something new, and creating conversation with a new member. Pushing my own body to new limits became a daily practice. My days would go something like this: Trained clients from 5am-7am. Went to school from 8am-12pm. I worked out from 1pm-3pm. Trained clients from 4pm-10pm.
Earning My Place. After graduating college I wanted to go pro. There is no such thing of course. But a step up from Gold's Gym was a corporate gym that had huge growth potential. After doing my research I set my eyesight's on Lifetime Fitness. I went through a lengthy hiring process and became a trainer for them with three goals in mind. I wanted to impact hundreds of people by teaching them the benefits of corrective exercise and a balanced healthy lifestyle. Earn my place as the best trainer in the gym by doing right by members, clients, and peers. And I wanted to move up and become a department head within 3 years. I worked 5am-10pm every single day of the week and found pockets throughout the day to get my own workout in. I was 100% Focused. I failed over and over again. But I kept getting back up again. Needless to say, I accomplished it all.
Branching Out, Finding Failure. I was not satisfied with where I was. I still wanted the opportunity to open a gym. Big risk excited me and creating a new lane inspired me. I was not convinced that all the organizations that I had been apart of did it right. In the back of my head I said things like, "This could be better." or "If I were in control I would do this." That pushed me to jump and do it my way. I teamed up with a few friends and decided to build a brand. We opened a gym with the goal to take over the world with customer service and a balanced approach to health and fitness as our mission. Unfortunately I fell head first and the goals I had set for myself did not pan out. I was fortunate enough to learn some valuable lessons and have great friends to pick me up and encourage me not to give up.
Sky Is The Limit. One of my best friends knew that I did a lot of online training. At the time I used nothing but Excel Spreadsheets. He told me he could create an app that would make online training mobile. I was mind blown. I could not believe that someone finally shared a vision with me. He created an application that would allow me to reach people the right way. He gave me the tool to create content, programs, and extend my voice. For the past 3.5 years I have been working side by side with him to perfect the tool that helps spread the message of 3 W's. If your WILL is strong enough, you WORK hard enough, and you patiently WAIT long enough, you can achieve anything.
I continue to perfect my craft, advance my learning, and remain humble. WebFit has deep roots that will continue to hold as we grow. Failure is not an option because I see failure as an opportunity, and apart of the journey to growth.
My hope is that you don't allow failure to stop you either. Your best days are in front of you.