This entry is sort of a continuation of what I posted last week regarding being invested in your success.

We've found that the best business system in the world is completely useless without a core product that stands head and shoulders above the rest. The affiliates who have been through our program and here at CFLA we are constantly checking and evaluating our coaches. One of the things we found really helpful is to bring in coaches, some formally but most informally, who are masters at CrossFit into our box and share ideas. Recently we had the pleasure of having Dutch visit and share some of his programming ideas and all I could say is that he helped me, personally, raise my game.

Dutch is teaching a seminar on improving your coaching and I think it's great for our CrossFit community. Here's a link: http://crossfitatm.com/blog/training-seminar/

If you don't know who Dutch is here is a video of him doing a WOD.

BWOD:
Make a list of several things that you can do to improve your coaches abilities.

"the world is a looking glass and give back to every man the reflection of his own face."
- William Makepeace Thackeray

"Most people live... in a very restricted circle of their potential being. They make very small use of the potential consciousness and of their soul's resources in general, much like a man who, out of all his bodily organism, should get into a habit of only using and moving his little finger."
- William James

I assume that most people are certified in multiple speciality areas for their CrossFit coaching such as kettle bell, Olympics lifts and pose, just to name a few. When you go to these certs, for the first time, or maybe the third, you're expertise as a coach is raised. If you're not, you should be attending at least one new or refresher per year.

But have you done this for your business?

Since most affiliates are running their own business the need to keep a lean ship is paramount and that means you need to have many skills. If you weren't born with a brain for all things business (marketing, public speaking, accounting, social dynamics, motivation, web site design... etc) you need to learn it until your business can support hiring an expert. Yes, we have a seminar coming up in December but that isn't the only thing you should be doing. Any length of seminar could be useful from an afternoon to a weekend retreat.

BWOD
Look online for any seminar or class that will enhance your business knowledge and sign up today.

some examples:
Tony Robbins (motivation, goal setting)
Strategic Coach (business)
Toastmasters (public speaking)
Landmark Forum (life coaching)
Depak Chopra (balancing your life)
Community college (accounting, excel, powerpoint)
Check online

What will you choose? Post to comments.

Enjoy this video by Depak Chopra, a little long, but worth it.

"A man's action is only a picture book of his creed."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

I recently was made aware of an affiliate closing and going out of business so I thought this is something the community should know since you won't find anything about it anywhere else. It wasn't one major problem... they didn't get sued, there wasn't a fire... it was many small things that happened daily.

So, it's out there... what can we learn from it?

Out of respect for the affiliate I am keeping their identity to myself however I will speak to what I knew about the first-hand information they told me. It is actually kinda simple in explanation. They had major difficulties finding clients and had a big problem keeping the ones they did find.

Why should this matter to you? Because if you look at your numbers of new clients and they are fewer than the number of departing clients you need to act quickly. and when I say quickly anything you do today has a window of return, meaning you're actually working for 60-90 days out because nothing has "immediate" effect on business. You can't just flip a switch and, presto, change your business. This analysis requires you to resist the thinking "oh, that person will be returning because of..." if they are not active they don't count.

BWOD
Look back 6 months in your records and compare the new client numbers to the lost client numbers. If you have 2 months or more where you are in a deficit memorize the book RAVING FANS by Kenneth Blanchard.

Although the following video isn't about CrossFit but there is valuable info in it.

Comments? Let your voice be heard.

"Once you wake up thought in a man, you can never put it to sleep again."
- Zora Neale Hurston

People want underdogs to succeed in the worst way. I believe it's the reason SO MANY people screamed their head off when Calista Papas and Chris Spealler were finishing the clean and jerks at the 2008 CrossFit games. Or when a sporting event is happening so many people who aren't firmly rooting for the favorite will root for the up-and-comer. Maybe this has to do with the hope that springs forth from people witnessing our claim of what we want to do and they get inspired to take greater healthy risks in their lives.

Here is what the dictionary has for underdog:
1. a person who is expected to lose in a contest or conflict.
2. a victim of social or political injustice: The underdogs were beginning to organize their protest

Think about that for a second... I am an underdog... CrossFit is an underdog... honestly, ALL small business owners are underdogs.

If you step back for a moment looking at what WE want to do... topple the Globos, we have a huge DIS-advantage. We are poorly funded (no one from the venture capital community has approached me, have they approached you?). The health and fitness industry easily makes $45 Billion without out us. Yes, that's with a "B." We're challenging the "conventional wisdom" of decades of bad education. We consciously compete with the laziness and apathy of the masses who have been brainwashed into believing that a "gadget" could give them better abs... and that having washboard abs meant they were in shape. And none of us have a 4 year degree in Crossfit because that doesn't exist. Yet.

So I implore everyone to continue to tell everyone your dream of Crossfit world dominance. By doing so you strengthen your commitment to your cause. And you may just inspire the person within earshot to follow their own dreams.

Please proudly post and tell me if you're an Underdog.

Here's a video of one of the most famous underdogs. Plus I'm a Rocky fan.

BTW - I couldn't decide which was best so you tell me.

"It is better to wear out than rust out. There will be time enough for repose in the grave."
-Richard Cumberland

I’m not sure if you experience this but if I haven’t trained for a small period of time, something nominal like 2 days in a row, my body feels different. I’m sluggish, not as light in my step, kinda out of it. I find this also happens when I don’t train my brain by reading something of substance. Now I don’t believe you have to be enrolled in something like a Masters program in applied math to get your mental workout. However I feel that if you’re constantly reading easily digestible content and nothing else it’s probably like a diet of McDonalds all the time. This isn’t necessarily a problem with what we choose to read, although that does need to be addressed. Sometimes I find having too many choices (tv, internet, Playboy) distract me when I do have time to read.

BWOD:

Choose one of these books to read within the next month. THE E-MYTH, GOOD-TO-GREAT, FIRST, BREAK ALL THE RULES, THE DIP, PURPLE COW, RAVING FANS.

If you have read all of these then you could email me and I will give you another couple of choices.

Enjoy this clip of Seth Godin:

"Business is a combination of WAR and SPORT."
Andre Maurois

There is a time when getting mad as hell is appropriate and finding that time is difficult at best however I believe it is useful. To do something great in our society, such as change people's lives through fitness, requires emotion to wake people out of their daily routine. The secret to using the emotion of anger (similar to happiness, fear, sorrow etc.) is to actually DO something with it. Channeling that energy into an action will move you from being a "talker" to a "do-er" and that action will attract like minded people who previously may have not noticed you.

So, if you're feeling MAD AS HELL... do something about it.

BWOD:
None this week due to the Apprenticeship seminar.

Enjoy the video and see the movie NETWORK if you haven't.

There are many great aspects of running this blog. Maybe the best thing is I get to communicate with many people from around the world who are passionate about CrossFit and their business. If I can impart any insight into what we’ve done here at CrossFit LA that aids in running a smoother, more profitable business with better trained clients then I am happy.

One of the down sides of running this blog is every so often I get a question where the person asking me is looking for the “secret idea.” You know that secret idea don’t you? It’s that “one” mysterious idea that will instantly make you more money and make your life easier that you somehow haven’t yet found.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news but there is no ONE idea that will do it for your business. And if you spend a lot of your time jumping from one “sure fire” idea to the next you’ll be spending a lot of time and money on wasted efforts. You may have seen this in people you know at another box. They grab onto a new concept and immediately throw away everything they did previously. Six months down the road they find out they haven’t improved and they aren’t sure why.

Here’s the only “secret” I’m willing to call a secret. The ideas you currently have, for the most part, are already AMAZING you just have to work them. That said, the only ideas I have ever found to work are the ones that ARE being worked. There are many people who are very unsuccessful in their life with great ideas that they have done nothing with. Give me a choice of who I think will succeed faster between a guy with several half baked ideas that they work to their fullest or the guy with amazing ideas that never see the light of day... I’ll take the half baked guy every time.



This video is THE SECRET-ish.

Have you ever thought who, in your community, really needs your help? In my humble opinion CrossFit has a responsibility to reach those who are not ideal candidates for the program. And I agree, as the old adage goes “you can’t push a rope”, however I disagree with solely training those who are amazing athletes already. Sure, you and I want the natural fire-breathers running along side us. But the real rewards will be in taking the guy who is a cubicle dweller and turning him into something closely resembling an athlete. And those rewards will be with the way we feel about ourselves, the way the client feels and the way the community is affected.

If you search on youtube for FAT PEOPLE the videos are mostly mocking. I know, I watched several that were honestly disturbing and weren’t funny just sad. Sad to watch as Americans slowly eat their way into their grave. This video is the one I found to be most palpable and yet, it’s still disturbing to me.

BWOD
Look at the number of fire-breathers in your gym. If the percentage is too high, like 40%, you’re preaching to the choir. Take 1/2 a day to analyze your programming and see where you could reach more people who honestly need your help. Look at things such as your website, flyers, photos and other things that don’t champion the “soon-to-be” athlete and make some small adjustments.

Feel free to post anything that you may need a second opinion on.

As small business owners the challenge of growing a business to one that operates like a well oiled machine take a lot of work... personal work. In initial discussions with affiliate owners one of our suggestions is to start by looking in the mirror for what should be fixed first. If you want long term success you should be invested in your personal growth and awareness for the years to come. The reason for this is simple; your small business is a direct reflection of you and your ideas. How do I know this? I know this because there is no one else to point the finger at. And you are also the person who should take a bow when everything goes right.

We take the approach of professional and personal development when doing our seminars. The most recent graduates; Jim Turnbo, Carole Stevens and James Stella have reason to smile in the photo below... they’re done with our extensive week or training.

What have you committed to for your own personal development?


FYI - the upcoming seminar is filling. It’s 2 days, Dec 11th and 12th. Call us or email me for more info.

One of the most powerful tools that Crossfit WOD programming utilizes is the aspect of a prescription. Having prescriptions eliminate the chance of avoiding your weaknesses and allows us to work on areas that build a complete athlete. This applies for business as well so if you’ve been reading this blog and cherry picking only the things you like then today’s post is for you. I’ve found the thing I avoid most, and this is mostly an unconscious choice or due to irrational reasoning, is the thing that I need most. Just because we don’t like doing something doesn’t mean it isn’t a necessary part of our business.The benefits of doing what we hate (that are ultimately helpful) are far reaching and will bleed into other aspects of business and life.

BWOD:

Read back thru the posts and pick one of the BWODs you’ve been avoiding and get it done.

If you’re brave, post what you avoided and your results after doing it.

Borrowing the title from the upcoming Crossfit documentary allows me to touch on a subject that is happening in some boxes - time wasting. This invisible force can derail the most impressive business barely by doing anything at all. Don’t misunderstand me, I’m not accusing anyone of goofing off. Allow me to define “time wasting” as the work you do during the day that doesn’t allow you to get more business done. For sure, some things can’t be moved to someone else’s stack (coaching, for example - unless your business is mature enough), but there are lots of things that you may do that are not the best use of your talent. Could you hire someone to do your books/clean your place/paint something? Freeing up an extra 2-4 hours a week to focus on business is vital to your continued growth.

What are some things you could outsource to allow you to get more business done?

The following video by Brian Tracy illustrates some of what I’m saying.

I believe that a coach’s skill at engaging his audience is directly proportional to his success. Aside from the value of the content, meaning you can correctly explain a snatch/jerk/kip..etc, you also make it for lack of a better word... entertaining. I’m not advocating tap dancing or magic tricks to keep eyes on you however you may need to watch for these signs of losing your client’s attention. Some signs are; people shuffling in their spots, looking away, getting equipment prematurely, multiple WOD explanations especially during the WOD itself, frustration and honestly low class attendance.

I’ll let Nicole Carrol and the rest of the HQ training staff fill you with the “what” aspect of training because they are the best at it. I want to focus your attention on the “how” aspect. Every great public speaker (Tony Robbins, Ghandi, Ronald Reagan, Reverend Robert Shuller and Coach Glassman to name a few) have an amazing presentation ability (the how) for making what they say fun.

BWOD:
How do you know if you’re doing an acceptable job or a great job? Video yourself and the people in your class and then watch it to look for the problems mentioned above.

The following videos illustrate my point.

So The 3rd annual Fight Gone Bad event is upon us and this post will help with some last minute reminders of how to pull this off successfully for both your fundraising and business... yes, this event could affect your business if you strategize. The organic emotion of the event coupled with the participation and gathering of friends/family members make this ripe for results.

Consider this the BWOD for this week:

Greeter - qualified person with a good smile (NOT affiliate owner) at the entrance with a “guest sign in sheet” to welcome, gather the client’s name who invited them (to be later sent a thank you note) and ASKED if they would like to provide their email address to be sent updates on the gym.

Organized Heats (for more than 20 participants or as equipment dictates) - emailed out Thursday night and posted the day of the event.

Photos - ask/tell everyone who attends to stay to the end so you could take a great group photo.

Check in time - everyone show up at the same time. Supporting is a must and people who finish first stay and cheer the others on.

Recognition - Has one member of your team stepped up above what was asked of them? Now is the time to shine the spotlight on them.

Recognition #2 - who earned the most?

Merchandise - have some products available with a dedicated person or two manning the booth.

Enroll don’t sell - the energy of the event will be the catalyst to take action. Personally thanks people for showing but don’t don’t inquire if they thought about doing CrossFit... if they are interested let the GUEST bring it up, answer a question or two but let them know you have to get back to your clients... they will understand and appreciate especially if they one day see themselves as your client.

Video - the video below - From CROSSFIT CENTRAL - is one of the best with the highest production values. Great job Jeremy Theil!

The biggest difference between great businesses and good businesses, IMHO, is what happens daily on a small scale. It’s making one more “thank you” call to a client who referred a potential new client to you. Or, possibly, it could be making sure you greet your clients as they enter your gym instead of hiding in the office until RIGHT before class is supposed to start. The implications are far reaching... perhaps greater than you understand in that specific moment. In my experience the professional “muscles” that get worked daily, with the above mentioned items, will be seen months and years later. By holding yourself to that higher standard, like you do the standards of pull ups, OH squats, etc. you’ll find you’re business will grow with hardly any effort at all.

This video, provided by Leo at CrossFit Evolution, speaks volumes to this very subject.

Enjoy!

http://www.212movie.com/