t grey on.

I had no idea about commercial leasing or how to communicate with, or negotiate with, real estate people. No experience running a business. No experience employing or managing staff. Limited leadership experience. No experience dealing with, or negotiating with, equipment suppliers. No idea about business plans. No marketing skills and no idea what 'branding' was. No profile. N

*Before we get started..... I was hesitant to write this article the way I have because I know that some people may mis-interpret my intentions ... so I will clarify them before we begin so there is no mis-understanding. My reason for writing about parts of my professional journey is not to impress you, but to impress upon you how possible it is for us to create 'amazing' if we consider, apply and embrace certain principles. I don't think that I'm amazing and I don't consider myself to be particularly gifted but I do know that if I'm prepared to deal with some regular discomfort (hurdles, speed humps, setbacks, problems, challenges.....failures) then I drastically increase my chances of succeeding. I know the more prepared I am to make mistakes, fall over, look silly....fail, the more likely I am to create long term success IF I learn from my mistakes and adapt, grow and change.

By the way, failure is merely a label people give certain events. I personally don't use the term, but I will for the purpose of this conversation.

When I set up my first commercial business I was twenty six. I had no real idea was I was doing. I thought I did but looking back... I didn't. I knew I wanted to set up a commercial Personal Training centre. There were none in Australia, so I had no blue-print to follow, no mentors to rely on and a whole bunch of people who (thoughtfully) informed me that the concept wouldn't work in this country.

In my mind I had a picture of what I wanted to create... (the end result).

It was just all the in-between steps that I was a little grey on. A lot grey on.

I had no idea about commercial leasing or how to communicate with, or negotiate with, real estate people. No experience running a business. No experience employing or managing staff. Limited leadership experience. No experience dealing with, or negotiating with, equipment suppliers. No idea about business plans. No marketing skills and no idea what 'branding' was. No profile. N

brace certain principles. I don't think that I'm amazing and I don't consider myself to be particularly gifted but I do know that if I'm prepared to deal with some regular discomfort (hurdles, speed humps, setbacks, problems, challenges.....failures) then I drastically increase my chances of succeeding. I know the more prepared I am to make mistakes, fall over, look silly....fail, the more likely I am to create long term success IF I learn from my mistakes and adapt, grow and change.

By the way, failure is merely a label people give certain events. I personally don't use the term, but I will for the purpose of this conversation.

When I set up my first commercial business I was twenty six. I had no real idea was I was doing. I thought I did but looking back... I didn't. I knew I wanted to set up a commercial Personal Training centre. There were none in Australia, so I had no blue-print to follow, no mentors to rely on and a whole bunch of people who (thoughtfully) informed me that the concept wouldn't work in this country.

In my mind I had a picture of what I wanted to create... (the end result).

It was just all the in-between steps that I was a little grey on. A lot grey on.

I had no idea about commercial leasing or how to communicate with, or negotiate with, real estate people. No experience running a business. No experience employing or managing staff. Limited leadership experience. No experience dealing with, or negotiating with, equipment suppliers. No idea about business plans. No marketing skills and no idea what 'branding' was. No profile. N

m to create long term success IF I learn from my mistakes and adapt, grow and change.

By the way, failure is merely a label people give certain events. I personally don't use the term, but I will for the purpose of this conversation.

When I set up my first commercial business I was twenty six. I had no real idea was I was doing. I thought I did but looking back... I didn't. I knew I wanted to set up a commercial Personal Training centre. There were none in Australia, so I had no blue-print to follow, no mentors to rely on and a whole bunch of people who (thoughtfully) informed me that the concept wouldn't work in this country.

In my mind I had a picture of what I wanted to create... (the end result).

It was just all the in-between steps that I was a little grey on. A lot grey on.

I had no idea about commercial leasing or how to communicate with, or negotiate with, real estate people. No experience running a business. No experience employing or managing staff. Limited leadership experience. No experience dealing with, or negotiating with, equipment suppliers. No idea about business plans. No marketing skills and no idea what 'branding' was. No profile. N

ted to set up a commercial Personal Training centre. There were none in Australia, so I had no blue-print to follow, no mentors to rely on and a whole bunch of people who (thoughtfully) informed me that the concept wouldn't work in this country.

In my mind I had a picture of what I wanted to create... (the end result).

It was just all the in-between steps that I was a little grey on. A lot grey on.

I had no idea about commercial leasing or how to communicate with, or negotiate with, real estate people. No experience running a business. No experience employing or managing staff. Limited leadership experience. No experience dealing with, or negotiating with, equipment suppliers. No idea about business plans. No marketing skills and no idea what 'branding' was. No profile. N

t grey on.

I had no idea about commercial leasing or how to communicate with, or negotiate with, real estate people. No experience running a business. No experience employing or managing staff. Limited leadership experience. No experience dealing with, or negotiating with, equipment suppliers. No idea about business plans. No marketing skills and no idea what 'branding' was. No profile. No tertiary qualification.

In my first year of business I asked some questions which were so stupid (to the person I was asking) that they thought I was joking. I was absolutely serious. I didn't know the most fundamental things because I had never been taught. I was a bodybuilder who had worked in gyms. My life (essentially) revolved around lifting heavy things, eating too much chicken, chasing girls and training my clients. Simple. Enjoyable. But not great training for the would-be entrepreneur. And not a great long-term success strategy.

When I was looking for premises for my first centre, the real-estate guy asked me what type of lease I wanted (as in the duration of the lease and options following the initial term) for the building I was about to sign up for. I had no idea what he was talking about.

Here's the conversation: "So what type of lease are you after?" "What kind are there?" (He laughs at me). "You're kidding, right?" "Nup." "Oh." (Embarrassment).

It's fair to say that I was humiliated, discouraged, criticised, ripped off, lied to and embarrassed many (I mean many) times in the first five years of owning and operating my own business. More things didn't work, than did.

In a similar position, I believe that many people would have said "I gave it my best shot... it didn't work (I failed)." I was either too stubborn, too driven or too stupid to throw in the towel. I knew that because I wasn't especially gifted or talented it was always going to come down to my perseverance, attitude and ability to finish things.

(The No.1 reason