In this series, I’ve been talking about building your business flywheel and your personal flywheel. I told you how to get each one turning, how to build momentum and then how to keep it going forever.
Now it’s time to talk about the things that stop your flywheel.
Flats, Potholes, Roadblocks, Detours
First, of course, it’s hard to push a poorly shaped wheel.
Here’s your business flywheel, as a refresher:
There are six handles on the flywheel. Push any one and the wheel turns faster—unless one is missing: Then you have a flat spot. It’s not a wheel at all. It requires ridiculous work to make one simple turn, and you can’t speed up because you’re flat.
For years, marketing was the flat spot on the wheel for many gym owners. You’d upgrade your team through weekend certifications. You’d keep clients longer because you gave them amazing experiences. You’d sign up 100 percent of the people who came through the door. But … almost no one was coming through the door.
So you’d push really hard through the “get more leads” part of the wheel. You’d put out enormous effort. You’d run a short-term challenge or something and make just enough money to keep the wheel barely moving. Phew! Then you’d hit the next flat spot: Your staff would get burned out and leave.
It’s pretty hard to push a hexagon down the road. But that’s what most gym owners are doing every day. We fix that problem in the Incubator.
Severe Tire Damage?
Now the wheel is turning smoothly, and you’re working hard to speed it up. You’re getting leads and signing them up. You’re teaching your vision to your staff and the local community, and it’s sinking in. They get it. You’re streamlining operations and giving every client the same excellent value. Faster and faster the wheel turns …
… and then—bam!—you stop dead. Or you hit a bump and lose most of your momentum.
Those bumps could be:
– Low rates.
– Toxic clients.
– The wrong coaches.
– Your inability to make hard decisions.
– Your unwillingness to have hard conversations.
– Your cash flow runs out.
– Your fear.
Of course, your personal flywheel can also hit bumps: your home life, your fitness, your health—these can all derail you.
Can You Do the Hard Things?
Your job as a leader is to knock the bumps off your flywheel and clear the road ahead. Your success as a leader is 100 percent dependent on your willingness to do these hard things. In fact, it’s the only thing that matters.
It doesn’t matter how much you know, or read or watch. It doesn’t matter how much you pay your mentor. All that matters is your ability to do these hard things.
Can you work hard? Of course you can: As a fitness entrepreneur, you’re used to hard work. You can grind. You can do it for 16 hours a day. But these aren’t the truly hard things: These are the “easy hard” things.
The “hard hard” things are firing a coach, raising rates or telling a client “this isn’t going to work anymore.”
The “hard hard” things don’t usually get easier because they’re big. And they’re rare. You don’t get a lot of practice doing them.
The “hard hard” things are the things that move the flywheel. Not “grinding.” Not reading 1,000 books every year.
Help With Hard-Hard Decisions
After working with thousands of fitness entrepreneurs, I know my value as a mentor really comes down to this: Can I help you do the hard-hard things?
We publish information and education every single day. I get three to five emails back every day (and I love them—thank you!). If you follow the instructions in these emails, you will push your flywheel. You will get results.
But those results pale in comparison to the results you’ll get with a mentor. Because experience shows you where to push. And empathy puts another hand on the wheel.
Mentors remove obstacles. Let’s travel this road together.
Other Articles in This Series
How to Build an Unstoppable Business
Building Your Personal Flywheel
The Flywheel Turns on Trust
