CrossFit has given us a beautiful gift: entrepreneurship. The chance to OWN something, to build it any way we like. To kick away from bosses and fill our OWN cup. But this immense freedom to use a powerful brand any way we like makes us overconfident. It’s EASY to start a gym. It’s also HARD to keep one going. Eventually, success in gym ownership means more than being a good coach. Coaching is a different skill set entirely. Gym owners need business coaching. But the TYPE of coaching they need will differ. Some will need systems to follow (closer to a franchise model.) Others will take ideas from other gyms and apply them (peer modeling.) And still others will see opportunities and rise to meet them. Mentoring sometimes means guiding people to systems that will work. Other times, it might mean presenting a picture of the industry and saying, “Here’s what’s working in San Diego, and how it can be modified to fit your gym in Massachusetts.” And for many, it means “There’s a massive opportunity to add a tutoring service” or “It’s time to open another gym.” My greatest joy as a mentor is taking an owner from one step to the next. When a client asks, “What’s next?” I get very excited. But not every owner will want a second location or another business, and in those cases a mentor can best help by presenting the best systems. It took Elliott Jaques nearly 50 years to develop his theories around stratification of job tasks. I’ll try to sum it up in five minutes. Disclaimer: this is not a commentary on anyone’s intelligence, potential, or raw brain power. To the contrary: the purpose here is to identify friction and cognitive dissonance. If you’re working at things you LIKE, you’ll be happy and achieve your “Perfect Day.” And that’s always the point. Different owners find joy at different levels, according to Jaques. Level I – ...
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