Back in the day, when I was struggling to grow my personal training business at LA Fitness, I took forever to do anything…

Even on the advice from my first mentor, Jim Franco.

I literally had two jobs and was trying to launch my fitness business – all without success.

Only when I look back do I realize how S-L-O-W I moved with my decisions and actions.

The opportunities that I saw pass me by, or slipped through my fingertips were happening because I was being slow to take action.

Here’s why that happens to newer business owners… FEAR.

Fear of failure.

Fear of looking stupid if it doesn’t work out.

Fear of going broke.

Fear of success (that’s a real one).

What most people will never tell you about success is that success loves speed.

It’s like a universal law or something…

Money and success are attracted to speed and decisiveness.

If you want to be successful, you must be fast.

Speed is key.

9 out of 10 times when an entrepreneur asks me why they’re not where they want to be, it’s because they’re slow in making decisions and execution… because they’re afraid.

I get it.

I used to be the same way.

Here’s a tip that helped me put a fire under my ass…

You’re going to want to write this down or frame it somewhere.

People are needlessly suffering because they’re slow to take action.

That doesn’t just apply to business either.

It applies to your fitness, your relationship and in your work.

You know what moves you need to make… but you’re too slow in making the moves because of fear.

BOOM!!!

Is this registering? Are you getting it?

Rant done.

Talk soon,

Bedros

PS. Speaking of fear. If you have a fear of money or a weird relationship with making money then check out this post I put up on IG.

Marcus Aurelius was one of the last Emperors of the Roman Empire before it fell to sh*t.

The dude was totally tuned in!

That’s probably why business exerts and thought leaders today still talk about him even though he’s been dead for centuries.

It’s because his ideas and philosophies have outlived him, and they will most likely outlive me, and even my great-grandkids.

Talk about leaving an impact!

Don’t you want that kind of impact? The kind of impact that shapes the leaders of today and the leaders of the future.

At the time, Marcus Aurelius was the most powerful man in the world. He could have easily let it all go to his head, but he didn’t let it happen.

He had bigger things to worry about, and it wasn’t the Vikings pillaging villages, disease, and other leaders. His biggest enemy was his mind.

HINT: Your mind is your biggest enemy, too.

Every day my dude Marcus would go to war with his mind.

He would constantly fight to be a virtuous man, not a powerful emperor.

Think about that.

Because this applies to the both of us more than you think.

Marcus Aurelius got it.

Before you can lead others, you must lead yourself.

And in order to do that, you must reflect on what you’re doing every day.

Reflect on your thoughts.
Reflect on your habits.
Reflect on your actions.

This is how Marcus fought off his negative thoughts. It was how he defeated his inner-demons.

And it’s how he became one of the greatest leaders in history.

He led himself FIRST, before he led his Empire.

Are you doing the same thing with your Empire?

Lead yourself before you try to lead others. Otherwise you’re leading by hypocrisy.

Bedros

PS. Speaking of Leadership. If you want to lead people to better health, fitness and mindset while owning a fitness business then you might want to look into owning a Fit Body Boot Camp franchise.

He wasn’t good enough to make his high school basketball team, yet he became one of the greatest to ever play the sport.

Michael Jordan, first a failure… and then a massive success.

The other players chosen over Michael Jordan didn’t come close to accomplishing anything near what Michael Jordan did in terms of basketball.

This is one of the most famous stories ever told about Michael Jordan and it contains one of the most valuable lessons, not in basketball but… in life and in business.

It’s a lesson you can easily apply in your life and business today.

Our biggest lessons are learned in failure, not victory.

You won’t find a book, a course or a university education that will teach you the REAL lessons of winning like failure can.

If Michael Jordan would have made his high school basketball team he wouldn’t be the same person we know today.

He may have not even made it to the pros or had the legendary career he did in the NBA.

His failure put a chip on his shoulder to become one of the best to ever play the game.

He even talked about his failure in his Hall of Fame acceptance speech decades later.

This failure showed him that he needed to get better and that there was a price to pay.

See, that’s the thing. Oftentimes we think we have all the skills and abilities to become successful but failure will humble you and show you what skills and abilities you still need to master and refine.

With this, he reassessed his work ethic. His skills. His drive. His grit…

…and he placed that chip firmly on his shoulder and went into practice like a man possessed.

Victory wouldn’t have done this for him.

Failure is the launching pad for all who have seen massive success.

I share this with you because failure is part of the road to being a successful entrepreneur and leader.

But only if you get back up, humble yourself and do the required work, and put in the time to level up.

It’s just part of the job description. It’s what you signed up for.

Anyone who thinks that they DESERVE success because they’ve put in the time to learn, research, understand the industry, and the customer’s needs is a damn fool.

Without failure, at several points throughout the journey, you will never succeed.

That’s a fundamental fact and it’s how you’re tested by the universe to see if you’re really deserving of success.

It’s okay to fail. Just make sure you’re failing forward.

Bedros

I’m the BIGGEST control freak I know.

I am the control freak king.

Now before you get all uptight, understand this…

Being a “control freak” has gotten a bad rap in society. The same way Pitbulls, Rottweilers, and Doberman Pinschers have.

So many people get bent out of shape when someone says they’re a control freak because they lack the personal discipline and emotional resilience needed to take control of their lives.

It’s that simple.

I know plenty of “control freaks,” they’re some of the most generous people on the planet.

Look at Craig Ballantyne…

Jocko Willink…

Joel Marion…

Ed Mylett…

They’re some of the biggest control freaks I know.

They control their thoughts.

They control their actions.

They control their attitude.

They control their time.

They control their environment.

And all this control gives us a massive advantage in business and in life.

Every single successful person on this planet is all about taking control of the situation and forcing the outcome in their favor through sheer will.

If you don’t take control of your outcome, someone else will control YOUR outcome.

I want you to sear this into your brain.

Because if you can’t control your life, prepare to be someone else’s puppet.

This may be a hard pill to swallow, but that’s what I’m here for. Think of me as your uncle you’ve never had.

I’m here to point you in the right direction, so you can dominate in life and in business.

Bedros

PS. If you want to take control of your business and lead it to massive success (even in these crazy times) then I want to mentor and help you increase your business by multiple six figures to seven figures in just one year.

 

 Apply for My 12 Month Mentorship Here

Here’s the secret to having it all you want in life…

You MUST suffer for the outcome you want.

Suffering is a part of life. Sacrifice is required.

Think about it when you’re born, you have to suffer to get your first breath of air.

When you’re growing up, you have to suffer through the growing pains.

Suffering isn’t easy, but it means you’re growing. 

You’re evolving.

When you suffer it sucks in the moment. But if you suffer through it, you appreciate the results. 

When you suffer, you gain greater understanding and wisdom.

If you really want something to happen in your life, you must suffer and sacrifice. 

Adversity is the seed to wealth, success, and even greater opportunity. 

Look at Jesus Christ, he suffered to forgive us of all our sins.

Do you get what I’m saying?

If you want to have something worthwhile, choosing the easy route won’t work. 

Giving up when things get hard isn’t going to cut it.  

The easy route doesn’t let you suffer and suffering is the dues that must be paid to have a life that most will never experience.

Easy doesn’t push you to grow.

Easy doesn’t make you wiser.

Easy doesn’t make you tougher.

The easy route makes you soft and leaves you full of regret. 

Sadly doing things the easy way is the default for most people but…

You and I are not here to be normal.

We’re here to find our purpose and reach our fullest potential.

Now the only way to do that in business and life is to suffer, sacrifice, take risks, and outwork everyone else! 

I know this might sound backward to you, but suffering is the real secret to having it all.

Here’s proof in this video. 

Talk soon, 

Bedros

Is social media a waste of time?

Well, it is if you spend life scrolling through your timeline, comparing yourself to everyone else out there instead of working on yourself and your business.

OR you could spend your time on social media posting engaging content, interacting with your followers, funneling those followers into your programs, and making 4 and 5-figure sales.

Most 7-figure badasses use video to get their message across, because that’s the easiest way to communicate their passion and personality over social media. And with the limited attention span that people have today, you need to rope them in with something compelling.

Today’s lesson is about making money and growing your empire through social media videos. Let me show you how to do it.

 

YouTube Videos

Is YouTube dead?

For whatever reason, some entrepreneurs believe that, and it’s absolutely not the truth, YouTube is still a massive platform to market on. If your product’s not found on YouTube, then it’s not found period.

YouTube is your product’s television channel, and it sure beats those late-night infomercials you only see at 3 in the morning. You can make videos about your product vision, why specific audiences need your product, or even testimonials from some of your satisfied clients.

See what you’re doing? You’re adding the context—the “why”—that some of your prospects need to hear before they commit their money to you. You’re also positioning yourself as an authority in your field, which will get people to know, like, and trust you even more.

 

Instagram TV

If there’s one thing I know about Instagram and Facebook, it’s that they love to promote their newest features.

Instagram’s newest feature is called Instagram TV. With it, you can make 10-minute long videos for your audience (or longer, if you’re verified)—yet another platform you can deliver quality content on.

Here’s something to remember: Instagram wants these videos to be episodic and focused on a common theme. Choose one theme and push out valuable content related to that theme only.

How do I use it? I give my followers a look into how I’m growing Fit Body Boot Camp and what they can take away and use in their own businesses. No motivation “rah-rah” videos or “day in the life” videos—strictly lessons from my experience growing Fit Body Boot Camp.

 

Instagram Feed Videos and Stories

Timeline videos and Instagram stories are the two most popular ways to post videos on Instagram. Your stories are limited to 15 seconds, while your feed videos can be as long as 60 seconds.

There’s a simple formula you can use to post valuable, engaging content, 100% of the time: star, story, solution. Use this formula if you can’t think of anything to post, or if you want to double check the quality of your latest video before you send it out.

Star – Who is the star of your video? You? A client? Your followers?

Story – What’s the star’s story? Get personal with this one.

Solution – What action steps do your followers need to take right now?

When your posts answer those 3 questions, they make people want to comment and act. And if you funnel them to your inbox, you can close them on your higher-priced programs.

 

Instagram Direct Messaging

Direct messaging is your best opportunity to connect with your prospects one-on-one. My friend Craig Ballantyne is a master at closing prospects through direct messaging. What does he say you need to do?

When someone responds to a story or messages you out of the blue, you’re going to make them a video response. This video should be short and to the point: “Hey Bedros! So great to meet you! Tell me a little more about the opportunities and obstacles in your business.”

First, figure out where their business is at now and where they want their business to go. Then, position your workshop/product/service as the solution to get them there.

That’s when you close them. You tell them about all the other people—people just like them—that you’ve helped with your workshop/product/service. You don’t even need to mention price; just show them social proof. Make sure you don’t pose your offer as a yes-or-no question either; rather, give them the option to choose between two deals—it raises your conversion rate.

 

Social Media Ads

Advertising on Facebook, YouTube, and  Instagram is like selling something to the people at Starbucks.

You wouldn’t just approach some random person at Starbucks and ask them to buy something from you. Rather, you’d sit down with them and explain to them your vision and story, the “why” behind your product or service. Over time they buy into the idea and into the sale.

That’s how you should approach running ads on social media. Use case study videos to tell stories that get people to buy into what you’re selling. Answer their questions and concerns, and give them confidence that what you’re offering them does work.

At the end of each case study, we hit them with a soft pitch. Not a hardcore commitment like “Click here to become a Fit Body Boot Camp owner”. Instead, we’ll say something like “Interested in seeing if there’s an FBBC territory in your area?” That call-to-action requires a lower level of commitment and leads to more clicks and therefore more prospects moving through your funnel.

 

Want to learn more Instagram tricks and tips? Click here to listen to the latest Empire Podcast episode, where Bedros and Craig dive even deeper into Instagram strategies and social media marketing.

Entrepreneurs are always looking for that “one trick” or that “one hack” that will give them a leg up on their competition. Really though, the edge they seek is already right under their noses…

What the hell am I talking about? Sleep, that’s what!

By changing your sleep habits and daily rituals, you can get a sound sleep, so you can wake up in the morning ready to perform at your best. For entrepreneurs, this isn’t optional; if you expect to be massively successful, then you need to be firing on all cylinders.

My pal Shawn Stevenson recently stopped by our HQ, and I got the chance to talk with him about performance, sleep. and hydration. He told me stuff that every entrepreneur needs to hear, stuff that I want to share with you right now…

 

Move in the Mornings

Science backs this up: everyone—especially entrepreneurs—should exercise in the mornings.

Shawn told me about a study that Appalachian State University conducted to determine the best time of the day to exercise. They found out that people who worked out in the mornings spent more time in the deep, anabolic sleep cycles.

Anabolic processes build our bodies up. This is when we build more tissue and generate more human growth hormone—both of these build the body up. When you exercise, you also reset your cortisol levels, which allows you to sleep more at night, and you get an energy boost for the remainder of the day too.

Shawn always says, “A great night of sleep starts the moment you wake up in the morning.” As an entrepreneur with a busy schedule, you need to make the most of every second you get, because entrepreneurship is about keeping your body at peak performance. You can only do that when you sleep well and exercise regularly.

 

Feed Your Brain

The brain is made up of fat and water. We need omega-3 fatty acids, for example, to facilitate the synaptic connections in our brains and to maintain the integrity of our brain cells.

You need your brain for everything you do. As an entrepreneur, your ability to survey a situation and then make rapid-fire decisions is critical. You can only do that if your brain is well-nourished.

How do you get more omega-3 into your diet? Fish oils! There are plenty of supplements out there that will add omega-3 to your diet, but you want to make sure you don’t increase your omega-6 at the same time (your omega-3:omega-6 ratio should be 1:1 or 1:2)

Take care of your brain—it needs to be sharp if you want to make moves and build your empire.

 

Hydrate Right!

All water is not created equal. In fact, water is a universal solvent that can pick up chemicals and particles with ease. If you want to perform at your peak, drink the cleanest, least polluted water you can find.

But what in the world does this have to do with business? You want an edge? You want to feel prime and ready to make big decisions in the heat of the moment? Proper hydration helps you work at your best and reduces your chances of getting sick.

How do you find the cleanest water? Shawn says that filters are a great way to purify your water. However, since some don’t filter out all the harmful chemicals and particles inside of regular water, he suggests to invest in a reverse osmosis filter, which runs the water through tiny pores so that it’s clean and ready to drink.

Shawn also has a morning ritual he describes as “taking an inner bath.” See, as we’re asleep, our bodies process the stuff inside us. That builds up a lot of metabolic waste that needs to be flushed out of our bodies when we wake up. To do that, Shawn drinks 20-30 oz. of water within the first 10 minutes he’s awake. That keeps him from being dehydrated and constipated.

 

Sleep Like a Baby

No one knows sleep like Shawn does. The man’s built his reputation as one of the world’s leading sleep experts.

His advice to you? Protect your sleep.

We all know what it feels like to wake up groggy and out of sorts. As an entrepreneur, that’s damaging. If it takes someone 5-6 hours to get their engine revved up to go, then they should probably reevaluate the quality of your sleep, because their lack of efficiency loses them money.

Notice how I didn’t say to reevaluate how long you sleep. Shawn’s big on this too: it’s not about how long you sleep; it’s about the quality of the sleep you get.

Shawn adamantly protects his sleep. He powers down electronics 30 minutes before bed so that his brain can wind down. As I mentioned earlier, he wakes up in the mornings to move and reset his cortisol levels, which affects how much melatonin—the hormone that makes us sleep—we have in our bodies.

 

Want more performance-maximizing sleeping tips? Click here to listen to the full-length podcast Shawn and I recorded together, filled with tips and the science to back them up.