1 00:00:00,560 --> 00:00:02,639 Speaker 1: You could be building a brand but not making any money. 2 00:00:03,000 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: You can be all types of things like that. You 3 00:00:05,440 --> 00:00:08,240 Speaker 1: got to find out whatever that victory is for you 4 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:11,840 Speaker 1: and then kind of stay on that path and give 5 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: yourself a chance to succeed. There's so many people that 6 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:19,080 Speaker 1: kind of start and then they switch over because they 7 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: feel like, ah, this isn't working, and so they're not 8 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 1: consistent and they're not kind of committed to the commitment 9 00:00:25,880 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 1: of business and of the repetitions of business, and of 10 00:00:30,720 --> 00:00:35,319 Speaker 1: like just the grind and the ugliness. You know, this 11 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: is not pretty. 12 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,879 Speaker 2: Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of Butter. I'm your host, 13 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,200 Speaker 2: Brandon Butler. Found the CEO of Butter atl And Today 14 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:52,240 Speaker 2: we got a special guest. Then we got the mayor 15 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 2: of Fitness up in here. Yes, we got the founder 16 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 2: and CEO of the fit Hub here in Atlanta holding 17 00:00:59,240 --> 00:00:59,640 Speaker 2: it down. 18 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:02,680 Speaker 1: Got Tomic math t. How you doing, baby, man, I'm great, 19 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: I'm great. It's good to be here. Thank you so much. 20 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: I've been waiting on this one. 21 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,880 Speaker 3: Hey man, wait you to pull up in here. Man, 22 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 3: you know what I'm saying. You just as busy as me. 23 00:01:10,880 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 4: Well, that's that's a fact. That's a fact. That's a fact. 24 00:01:14,200 --> 00:01:17,240 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's been awesome just watching the episodes. You know, 25 00:01:17,920 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: you've been having some heavy hitters on here. Learned a lot. 26 00:01:20,760 --> 00:01:22,680 Speaker 2: Hey, man, appreciate appreciate it, you know, man, you send me 27 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 2: a couple of screenshots, you listen to podcasts. 28 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:26,080 Speaker 3: It's good to have you in it. It's like a 29 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 3: full circle moment. 30 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:28,680 Speaker 4: You know what I'm saying. It is it is. 31 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:32,120 Speaker 1: And I think when we first met, you came over 32 00:01:32,240 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: not to work out at the Union, but to kind 33 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: of party. 34 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:36,040 Speaker 3: Yeah. 35 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:37,560 Speaker 2: I came over there for a party. That was right 36 00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:39,360 Speaker 2: for a little event, you know what I'm saying. Came 37 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 2: over to cookies and everybody. Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. 38 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:43,920 Speaker 1: I was like, all right, we got to get you 39 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: over here to actually work out. Normally, normally people come 40 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:49,120 Speaker 1: to party after the workout of the workout, but you 41 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:49,880 Speaker 1: skipped that part. 42 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 3: You know. 43 00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 2: Man, I like to like to do I like to 44 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 2: do my own thing, you know what I'm saying. But nah, man, 45 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 2: it's good for those of don't know time just tell them, man, 46 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 2: what is what is the Union? 47 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: So the Union is a I truly wanted to create 48 00:02:01,640 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: a space that I felt like fitness entrepreneurs wellness entrepreneurs, trainers, 49 00:02:08,080 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: all this talent we have in Atlanta, they needed a 50 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:14,800 Speaker 1: place where they felt like they can truly build and 51 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:19,120 Speaker 1: scale their business, whether that's online or whether that's in person. 52 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:22,120 Speaker 1: I wanted to create that, and I felt like, what 53 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:24,480 Speaker 1: better place to do it than on the belt line 54 00:02:24,880 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: where you have millions of people coming by, the traffic, 55 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: just the energy of the city. 56 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:31,720 Speaker 4: It's just felt right. 57 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:35,040 Speaker 1: So the Union is a fitness hub created to help 58 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: wellness entrepreneurs and fitness entrepreneurs build their business. 59 00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:39,520 Speaker 4: At the end of the. 60 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 2: Day, now look, man, the belt line where y'all are at. Man, 61 00:02:42,600 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 2: that's some prime real estate. Bro Oh boy, do I 62 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 2: know some how did that come together? How'd you find 63 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 2: that location? How did that come together? 64 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 4: Oh? Man, that's a great question. 65 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 1: So in my previous business, I was basically working with developers. 66 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:03,440 Speaker 1: So in my previous business, we worked with apartments, multifamily, hotels, 67 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:07,520 Speaker 1: and things of that nature. And so I've been I 68 00:03:07,560 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: was an early person on the beltline, So I was 69 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,720 Speaker 1: walking around when it was no belt line and when 70 00:03:13,760 --> 00:03:17,040 Speaker 1: it was gravel. And I remember at one of my 71 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: buildings that we had, we basically activated, we created these 72 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,680 Speaker 1: micro gyms right and one of the places that we 73 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,560 Speaker 1: had was a place that was right adjacent to the beltline, 74 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:31,720 Speaker 1: and in this young lady's back office, it had the 75 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,880 Speaker 1: map of what the beltline was going to be. So 76 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: I had a very early view on like, wow, this 77 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,520 Speaker 1: is all this traffic is going to be at the 78 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: beltline and all these things. So I had an early 79 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:46,040 Speaker 1: view on it, and that was around two thousand, I 80 00:03:46,120 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: wanted to say, twelve twenty thirteen when I first started 81 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:55,040 Speaker 1: kind of noticing it, And so I always knew that 82 00:03:55,200 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: if I had a actual location, I wanted it in 83 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: what I felt like was the heart of the belt line. 84 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: And then once I started meeting people like Clyde his 85 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: and and the folks from the belt Line and really 86 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: understanding like the purpose, I felt like that was where 87 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:14,240 Speaker 1: we needed. 88 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:16,080 Speaker 4: The most entrepreneurs to participate. 89 00:04:16,760 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: The real estate, as you said, is so high it's 90 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: hard for a solo entpreneur to be able to build 91 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: a business there, so you kind of have to do 92 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,360 Speaker 1: it in a shared economy type of way. But they 93 00:04:30,400 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: have so many people there that want to participate in 94 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: whether that's pilates or yoga or zoomba. So that's that's 95 00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:39,279 Speaker 1: kind of why I built it there. But it was 96 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:43,839 Speaker 1: just walks with different people that have real estate on 97 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: the belt line talking to them about the vision because 98 00:04:46,680 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: you don't get in a place like that without knowing somebody. 99 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,440 Speaker 1: And we actually had to convince them to allow us 100 00:04:53,480 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: to basically break down walls because where we're at that 101 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: was four different units, so we had to get one unit, 102 00:05:02,960 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 1: wait a couple of months, then get another unit, wait 103 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: a couple months, then get the final unit, and then 104 00:05:09,040 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: kind of smash these all together. So it was a 105 00:05:12,440 --> 00:05:18,919 Speaker 1: process of real estate, getting the drawings, architects, you know, 106 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 1: license all those things. But we made it happen, and 107 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: it took us around two years to actually build and 108 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: lay out and create with you know as a Union 109 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: fit hub right now. 110 00:05:32,320 --> 00:05:34,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, man is an amazing space too. 111 00:05:34,400 --> 00:05:36,239 Speaker 2: I mean, like even when you look at it, it's 112 00:05:36,279 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 2: interesting to know because I didn't know that part of 113 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 2: the story that like y'all to kind of do it 114 00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:41,080 Speaker 2: in increments like that, yes, and now how it's all 115 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,440 Speaker 2: come together. It was just the architecture's beautiful, is very 116 00:05:43,520 --> 00:05:45,920 Speaker 2: nicely laid out, like all the stuff, like there was 117 00:05:45,920 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 2: a lot of intentionality within all that. 118 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 4: Thank you, thank you. 119 00:05:48,400 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: Yeah, we were I knew that we needed a space 120 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: at least ten thousand because you want to have different disciplines. 121 00:05:56,240 --> 00:05:58,760 Speaker 1: You want to have like a yoga room, you want 122 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,240 Speaker 1: to have a podcast, you want to especially nowadays, you 123 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: want to have a place where somebody can Really we 124 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,040 Speaker 1: have a cafe area, we have a recovery room area. 125 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: You need place where people can build and grow. So 126 00:06:14,160 --> 00:06:18,320 Speaker 1: we needed at least ten thousand square feet. But it's 127 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: hard to find that on the Beltline that's actually open, 128 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:25,120 Speaker 1: especially where we're located right next to two Our Lakes 129 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: and Pola City Market. Normally you have to kind of 130 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:32,160 Speaker 1: fit into a small little spot. And so luckily the 131 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:37,000 Speaker 1: Aaron Goldman, who is the owner of Perennial Properties, he 132 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: probably doesn't want me to tell him his name, but 133 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:41,000 Speaker 1: he's an awesome guy. 134 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,640 Speaker 4: Luckily he believed in the vision. Yeah, and he. 135 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: Allowed us, really allowed us to be creative with his space. 136 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: And we just waited it out, you know, we were patient. 137 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: So we took one space and then just waited it 138 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:57,120 Speaker 1: out and got all of them. 139 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 2: Yes, so what we call land and expand for there 140 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 2: you go, then get in there, getting there, get you 141 00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 2: a spot set up and then you can kind of 142 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,640 Speaker 2: spread out. Now when it comes to the fitness entrepreneurs, 143 00:07:06,680 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 2: like why did you think that was an Like why 144 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:10,320 Speaker 2: did you think that was an important element in general? 145 00:07:10,400 --> 00:07:10,560 Speaker 3: Right? 146 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 2: Like are there other spaces like that or is this 147 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 2: kind of something that has been a brain child of 148 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 2: yours for a while that you know, creative and well 149 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:18,960 Speaker 2: fitness entrepreneurs and people that are kind of in that 150 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 2: space need a place they can also kind of help 151 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 2: build their businesses, not just a traditional gym by all senses. 152 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:25,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I. 153 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,680 Speaker 1: Mean honestly, it was kind of like my why it 154 00:07:28,720 --> 00:07:32,480 Speaker 1: was it was in my heart. So as a fitness entrepreneur, 155 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:39,400 Speaker 1: I remember the difficulties of scaling, right, being a trainer 156 00:07:39,440 --> 00:07:43,640 Speaker 1: that woke up early in the morning trained somebody from 157 00:07:43,680 --> 00:07:47,040 Speaker 1: six am to six pm. It's hard because you know 158 00:07:47,200 --> 00:07:49,920 Speaker 1: you're trading your time for money, right, So it's hard 159 00:07:49,920 --> 00:07:52,800 Speaker 1: to scale those type of businesses. And I was fortunate 160 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: enough to be able to scale my company. My previous company, 161 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: we scaled to like twenty six different states, and we 162 00:07:58,840 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 1: ran five hundred different unities, and we built all these 163 00:08:01,400 --> 00:08:04,480 Speaker 1: micro gyms, so we had a lot of fitness professionals 164 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: as actually was contracted that worked with our company. And 165 00:08:07,800 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: so I saw the pain points. Whether I was in Austin, Texas, 166 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: or in Denver, Colorado, or in la or in New York, 167 00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:17,760 Speaker 1: a lot of the pain points were very similar. Like 168 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: they didn't have any place where they can truly build 169 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:24,160 Speaker 1: a business. They might have had gyms where they can 170 00:08:24,160 --> 00:08:26,800 Speaker 1: rent out space, but they didn't have a place where 171 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: they can truly build a business and build their avatar, 172 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 1: you know, find out where they can actually raise capital, 173 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:38,080 Speaker 1: do the research, all these type of things. And in 174 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:44,000 Speaker 1: other industries they were already creating that. So and you 175 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,520 Speaker 1: know in the hair industry they have like salon suites, 176 00:08:46,559 --> 00:08:48,839 Speaker 1: and in the food industry that have ghost kitchens. And 177 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:52,800 Speaker 1: we have places like Cross Street Market or election on Krog, 178 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: and we have amazing places like the Gathering Spot, Rice 179 00:08:57,280 --> 00:09:00,280 Speaker 1: Wrestle Centers. But in the wellness industry, they had ever 180 00:09:00,320 --> 00:09:04,400 Speaker 1: been a place that was built with us in mind 181 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:06,439 Speaker 1: and with the Union. 182 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 4: We say we created the union with you and mind. 183 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:13,079 Speaker 1: We were the first actual fitness space to be created 184 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:18,640 Speaker 1: for the actual entrepreneur. Most places are created for the members. 185 00:09:19,400 --> 00:09:22,720 Speaker 1: And so that was the difference, and it was just 186 00:09:22,960 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 1: years of watching talent, like years of watching how talent 187 00:09:26,800 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: had outpaced the market. There were so many entrepreneurs that 188 00:09:30,640 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 1: they were They wasn't necessarily trainers. They were really marketing agents, 189 00:09:35,559 --> 00:09:38,040 Speaker 1: and they were you know, they were psychiatrists, they were 190 00:09:38,080 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: like all these other other disciplines and they just happened 191 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,280 Speaker 1: to train and and there was companies that were starting, 192 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: like wearable companies and they were starting technology companies and 193 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,760 Speaker 1: they were starting at leisure were companies, and they didn't 194 00:09:51,800 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: have anywhere that they can place their items. Always thought 195 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,120 Speaker 1: about it, like when I was watching like celebrities like 196 00:09:59,360 --> 00:10:03,559 Speaker 1: Kevin Hard or Gabrielle Union launched their apps, my mind 197 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: was going to where would they launch that they were 198 00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:07,960 Speaker 1: back in the day when they were doing their books 199 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:09,880 Speaker 1: or their apps, they would go to places like Barns 200 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:14,120 Speaker 1: and Nobles and bookstores and maybe hotels, but those aren't native. 201 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,200 Speaker 1: So we needed a place where they could launch and 202 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:20,160 Speaker 1: that was native. And so I kind of noticed that 203 00:10:20,200 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: for years in the industry, and I just felt like 204 00:10:23,360 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 1: it was a perfect time to create a space where 205 00:10:26,040 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs can really grow. 206 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, you know, it's one of my favorite things. 207 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:32,719 Speaker 2: Or you know, when I see people do stuff or 208 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 2: I even think about all the time, right. I always say, 209 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 2: like when there's a gold rush, there's lots of ways 210 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 2: to make money, right, Like you go look for gold, 211 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:39,920 Speaker 2: or you can kind of. 212 00:10:39,920 --> 00:10:41,160 Speaker 3: Go sell picks and shovels. 213 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:41,680 Speaker 4: Yep. 214 00:10:41,760 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 2: And I kind of feel like that's really kind of 215 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 2: what the union is, right, it's the picks and shovels 216 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:47,959 Speaker 2: for the people that do want to go and build 217 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:49,679 Speaker 2: a fitness business, and all of a sudden, you have 218 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,679 Speaker 2: a space, you have resources, you have access to equipment, 219 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 2: and so you're kind of giving them all those things 220 00:10:54,800 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 2: they don't necessarily to invest in themselves so they can 221 00:10:57,720 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 2: focus on kind of having the best business. And you 222 00:11:00,559 --> 00:11:02,520 Speaker 2: had to notice that Sleep to your point, you've been 223 00:11:02,559 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 2: an entrepreneur in the fitness space, you've seen people in 224 00:11:04,520 --> 00:11:05,800 Speaker 2: the fitness space. You kind of knew this was a 225 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:08,079 Speaker 2: pain point, you know, when it was all built and 226 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,760 Speaker 2: said and done, Like you, when did. 227 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:15,560 Speaker 1: It first start working? Oh? Man said, when did it 228 00:11:15,640 --> 00:11:19,960 Speaker 1: first start working? I think it's still we're still in 229 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:23,440 Speaker 1: that process. Okay, but I'll tell you an early victory. 230 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 1: An early victory was watching it was a young lady 231 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:33,720 Speaker 1: she worked for a pretty popular chain. She probably taught 232 00:11:33,720 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: over five thousand classes, and she was a traveling trainer 233 00:11:40,679 --> 00:11:44,920 Speaker 1: and she came to the Union and did probably two classes. 234 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:47,880 Speaker 4: She rented out the space and did two classes. 235 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 1: And after renting out the space and doing her two classes, 236 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: she literally came up to us and was like, I've 237 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 1: never had a space where I felt home that I 238 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: didn't have to kind of down my brand. I didn't 239 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: have to like, hey, not put up the tripod or 240 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: maybe sneak the tripod in and record some content like 241 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: she was like, it was almost like you ever give 242 00:12:13,840 --> 00:12:15,959 Speaker 1: somebody some stuff and be like, no, it's yours. 243 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:19,000 Speaker 4: This is actually for you. You're like you sure. 244 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 1: That's how the fitness professional was Actually was really kind 245 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:26,600 Speaker 1: of coming in and this physness professional was like, I've 246 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: never seen anything like that where we didn't do anything 247 00:12:30,920 --> 00:12:35,280 Speaker 1: necessarily special for her. We just allowed her the space 248 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 1: to create, and by doing that, she was so grateful 249 00:12:40,840 --> 00:12:43,920 Speaker 1: just for the actual space. We're not even talking about 250 00:12:43,920 --> 00:12:47,120 Speaker 1: the technology. We're not even talking about the cameras, the 251 00:12:47,240 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: video production, all those things. She was just like wowed 252 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:55,960 Speaker 1: by We're actually invited in this space and that had 253 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: not been done for fitness entrepreneurs. So for her to 254 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: feel like this was home was a victory for us 255 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: because she was our avatar, Like she was the type 256 00:13:06,880 --> 00:13:08,720 Speaker 1: of person that we want to be able to give 257 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:13,120 Speaker 1: that opportunity to. And and now she's able to create 258 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: her own content. She's able to do her own functions 259 00:13:17,240 --> 00:13:20,960 Speaker 1: and have a space to do them, and take that content, 260 00:13:21,120 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 1: take that concept and then possibly go raise capital to 261 00:13:25,559 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 1: go get her own facility, or she can go raise 262 00:13:29,040 --> 00:13:34,200 Speaker 1: capital to go create her own online You know, that's 263 00:13:34,240 --> 00:13:34,959 Speaker 1: really special. 264 00:13:35,040 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 4: So it's kind of cool to see that. 265 00:13:37,720 --> 00:13:42,400 Speaker 1: But I still think we're learning because we're first, and 266 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: so we're still learning, like what what is it? 267 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 4: You know, what what are. 268 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,920 Speaker 1: The things that some of the fitness entrepreneurs need and 269 00:13:48,920 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 1: and how can we get better to serve the community. 270 00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:05,840 Speaker 3: How did you get your first you know customers. 271 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 2: I mean you kind of mention that you've been in 272 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:09,400 Speaker 2: the space, so I'm guessing that you also knew a 273 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:11,640 Speaker 2: lot of fitness professionals. But then you also also have 274 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 2: members too that come in. And I think again, for 275 00:14:14,120 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 2: a lot of people when they build businesses, they don't 276 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:18,440 Speaker 2: think about, Okay, how I'm gonna get my first couple 277 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 2: of customers in the door. Right, So when you kind 278 00:14:20,680 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 2: of take it back to that step, how did you 279 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,440 Speaker 2: get the first you know, again, fitness professionals, customers actually 280 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 2: start coming. 281 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:28,800 Speaker 3: In and really believing in what y'all are doing and 282 00:14:28,840 --> 00:14:29,520 Speaker 3: being a part of it. 283 00:14:29,760 --> 00:14:30,000 Speaker 4: Yeah. 284 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:35,000 Speaker 1: Like so I've always believed like like, I don't need 285 00:14:35,040 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 1: a place to start selling, you know, like right, It 286 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:41,640 Speaker 1: wasn't like I was like gonna wait till weak when 287 00:14:41,640 --> 00:14:43,760 Speaker 1: this is done, then got a star. Now I'm gonna 288 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:46,120 Speaker 1: go out there and go get a client. So I 289 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: was selling the concept and the thought, and we started 290 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: doing deals with with big brands like Lou Lennon and 291 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:59,720 Speaker 1: and Rebok and deador before our doors was even open, okay, 292 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:02,760 Speaker 1: because we knew there was a need. There was a 293 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: need from a brand, there was a need from a 294 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:08,600 Speaker 1: fitness professional and a talent. It was almost like matchmaking. 295 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 1: There was matchmaking. So the first thing that I did 296 00:15:11,920 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: was go find brands that needed an audience. They wanted 297 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: to talk to these creators. They wanted to find these creators. 298 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: So I kind of went that route. So I kind 299 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: of did the hardest thing first, you know, and convinced 300 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:27,400 Speaker 1: those brands that we will be a good partner. So 301 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:30,960 Speaker 1: before we actually had the space open, we were doing events, 302 00:15:31,400 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: and we were doing events on the Beltline. We were 303 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 1: doing events outside building community. We were building community, like 304 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:40,560 Speaker 1: literally starting from the community. We were doing events with 305 00:15:40,680 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: Pond City Market. We were hosting Super Bowl parties and 306 00:15:44,120 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: things like that. Before we had anybody on a treadmill 307 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: or anybody doing any yoga or anything like that. So 308 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: we kind of created a buzz before and so when 309 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 1: we finally opened the doors, the members actually came in first, 310 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: even though we didn't created for just like you to 311 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 1: come in and just get on the treadmill or work out, 312 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:07,240 Speaker 1: but the members just started coming in because it felt 313 00:16:07,280 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: like it was convenient the location. Obviously we're twenty four 314 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:12,720 Speaker 1: to seven and you have all these things to play with. 315 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:16,800 Speaker 1: But I think the buzz made them come in because 316 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:19,760 Speaker 1: we were truly serving the community and we were doing 317 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,160 Speaker 1: so many things within the community, so they kind of 318 00:16:22,200 --> 00:16:22,880 Speaker 1: just start coming in. 319 00:16:23,160 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 3: Absolutely. 320 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,000 Speaker 2: Now you've kind of mentioned a few times before you 321 00:16:26,040 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 2: were doing this, you were also an entrepreneur another space. 322 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:30,480 Speaker 2: You were building gyms, Like, tell us a little bit 323 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:31,960 Speaker 2: about that business. What was that business? 324 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, So that was my that was a company called 325 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 1: Torch Fitness and Nutrition, and so I built that with 326 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:39,000 Speaker 1: my wife. 327 00:16:39,040 --> 00:16:42,120 Speaker 4: We basically found a gap in the market. Again. 328 00:16:42,680 --> 00:16:45,600 Speaker 1: So back in I don't know, two thousand and nine, 329 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: there was huge opportunities with all these apartments that was 330 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: being built where they had a lot of underactivated spaces, 331 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:59,520 Speaker 1: and we basically went in and created micro gyms. So 332 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,840 Speaker 1: think about it, like when you go to a resort 333 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:04,520 Speaker 1: or you go to a hotel and they have restaurants 334 00:17:04,560 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: and you know, Bobby flays this and you know, yeah, yeah, 335 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,480 Speaker 1: So like an airport has all these different restaurants, they're 336 00:17:11,480 --> 00:17:15,080 Speaker 1: activating the spaces, and so we basically did that in 337 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:19,320 Speaker 1: the fitness industry. So we created micro gyms so we 338 00:17:19,359 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: would have multiple classes and multiple activations with hotels, apartments, 339 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 1: corporate things like that, and we activated those spaces and 340 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:33,160 Speaker 1: we just found a true niche that had not been 341 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,520 Speaker 1: done before. And so we worked with developers to build 342 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,479 Speaker 1: this amenity space and we built that and we end 343 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:44,359 Speaker 1: up actually exiting that company around twenty twenty one to 344 00:17:44,720 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: a company called Valet Living. So that was a really 345 00:17:47,800 --> 00:17:51,840 Speaker 1: cool kind of ten year journey of activating these spaces, 346 00:17:52,240 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: meeting so many different entrepreneurs, fitness entrepreneurs and building kind 347 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,720 Speaker 1: of creating a hub where we were able to kind 348 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,840 Speaker 1: of grow and then scale and then exit. So you know, 349 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:05,919 Speaker 1: it was kind of a really cool story. 350 00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 2: You make it sound so easy, man, like we were 351 00:18:08,119 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 2: just working with developers and building these gyms out. Like, 352 00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:12,840 Speaker 2: how do you even get those kind of relationships? Y'all 353 00:18:12,840 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 2: have a background in that space. Is that something that 354 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 2: you have experienced with or is it just kind of 355 00:18:17,160 --> 00:18:20,760 Speaker 2: again like organically meeting people and asking questions and building 356 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:22,639 Speaker 2: relationships and like figuring out what you got to do 357 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:23,480 Speaker 2: to make it happen. 358 00:18:23,320 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: The latter, No, I had no industry, Like, I had 359 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:31,680 Speaker 1: no experience. When I went into an apartment. I didn't 360 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,720 Speaker 1: know the manager, I didn't know the a developer, I 361 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: didn't know an owner operated. I didn't know any of 362 00:18:38,240 --> 00:18:42,600 Speaker 1: that stuff. I mean, it's very organic how things happened. 363 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:46,760 Speaker 1: I have a I basically interned at the Rich Carleton 364 00:18:46,880 --> 00:18:51,000 Speaker 1: and Bucket, and so from working at the Rich Carlton, 365 00:18:51,119 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: you learn. 366 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:55,000 Speaker 4: How to kind of meet people, You introduce. 367 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: Your hospitality, you go there, you go, and so is 368 00:19:00,119 --> 00:19:01,919 Speaker 1: that part is ingrained in you? 369 00:19:02,400 --> 00:19:04,359 Speaker 4: So you kind of take that skill. 370 00:19:04,400 --> 00:19:08,200 Speaker 1: I took that skill, and I knew that I wanted 371 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:10,520 Speaker 1: to do something in wellness and fitness. 372 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 4: I just didn't know what it was. 373 00:19:13,160 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 1: So as I was going around trying to figure it out, 374 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:21,320 Speaker 1: I actually just met somebody that was in the apartment industry, 375 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: and I knew that there was an opportunity because when 376 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:27,919 Speaker 1: I would go to visit my friends at these apartments, 377 00:19:28,440 --> 00:19:31,440 Speaker 1: I never saw anybody in the gyms, like it would just. 378 00:19:31,400 --> 00:19:32,560 Speaker 4: Be like dead space. 379 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 1: But these were beautiful apartments and beautiful gems that just 380 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,680 Speaker 1: didn't have anything going on. So when I met somebody 381 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,040 Speaker 1: that actually worked at an apartment, I told them about 382 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: my thought. It was literally just speaking it into existence. 383 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: I was like, hey, yeah, you know, I want to 384 00:19:49,880 --> 00:19:52,159 Speaker 1: build this and this is how I think it can 385 00:19:52,200 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: be built. And that next day she introduced me to 386 00:19:57,320 --> 00:20:01,560 Speaker 1: a manager at an apartment apartment. It was actually Enzo 387 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,480 Speaker 1: on glenn Wood and it was before as they were 388 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: building that glen Wood area, and so I just so 389 00:20:09,119 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: happened to go in there after the introduction and they 390 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: allowed me to try this model out with them, and 391 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: I got to know everybody in that building, from the 392 00:20:22,280 --> 00:20:27,360 Speaker 1: genitor to the front desk to the owner. Of the building, 393 00:20:27,800 --> 00:20:31,879 Speaker 1: and I just asked questions just every day, like, okay, 394 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: so what would make you want to come to this classy, Okay, 395 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: if you had another building, would you take this class 396 00:20:37,160 --> 00:20:40,600 Speaker 1: with you? Because I've always thought kind of like within 397 00:20:40,760 --> 00:20:45,200 Speaker 1: goal in mind when I'm doing anything, So I didn't 398 00:20:45,240 --> 00:20:47,640 Speaker 1: just think about it like, man, this is awesome, I'm 399 00:20:47,680 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: getting paid. I don't have any overhead, you know, Like, 400 00:20:51,080 --> 00:20:52,120 Speaker 1: I didn't just stop there. 401 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,399 Speaker 4: I just kept asking questions. And it just so happened 402 00:20:55,400 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 4: that at that. 403 00:20:56,080 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: Building, the owner built more communities, so he took us 404 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: with The manager ended up starting her own company, so 405 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: she took us with her. The other assistant manager ended 406 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 1: up being the president of the apartment association, so she 407 00:21:12,920 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 1: took us with her. There was like all these things. 408 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: Another young lady that had just graduated from Georgia State. 409 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,439 Speaker 1: She was a marketing director for a competitor. So she 410 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,760 Speaker 1: goes over there. She takes us with her. So we 411 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: started kind of scaling because we were good to the 412 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:31,840 Speaker 1: people at. 413 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:32,479 Speaker 4: That one building. 414 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:36,040 Speaker 1: Now we didn't know that all this would happen, that 415 00:21:36,080 --> 00:21:37,280 Speaker 1: all these people would. 416 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:39,000 Speaker 4: Move up and go here. 417 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 1: We were just I was just asking questions and we 418 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:44,800 Speaker 1: just was serving the need, and we were focused on 419 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: that building, and we made that building the best experience 420 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 1: that we possibly could, and through that, we just kept 421 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:53,960 Speaker 1: meeting more and more people. So when I went to 422 00:21:54,000 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 1: the next when I got to Tampa, when I got 423 00:21:56,160 --> 00:22:00,080 Speaker 1: to Nashville, I started meeting the people in Nashville, and 424 00:22:00,119 --> 00:22:03,520 Speaker 1: I started asking more questions, and we just scaled and 425 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 1: scaled and scaled from there. But it was really like 426 00:22:06,960 --> 00:22:11,200 Speaker 1: simplify and repeating the same thing. It wasn't really rocket 427 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: scized what we were doing. We were going into apartments, 428 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: we were activating under utilized space, we were charging the 429 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: apartments to do it. In my mind, that's not like, 430 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:24,199 Speaker 1: oh wow, what's the secret sauce. It was really the 431 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:26,439 Speaker 1: secret sauce was that they trusted us to be in 432 00:22:26,480 --> 00:22:30,440 Speaker 1: their building. They trusted us with their residents, They trusted 433 00:22:30,520 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: us to kind of take care of their people. And 434 00:22:32,880 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: because you took care of their people, they trust you 435 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: with more buildings. Well, if you can take care of 436 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:40,000 Speaker 1: them in Charlotte, you can probably take care of them 437 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:43,960 Speaker 1: in Denver too. And if you can find trainers or 438 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 1: fitness professionals in Tampa, you can probably find fitness professionals 439 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,720 Speaker 1: in Nashville, and so we just kind of continued to 440 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:58,240 Speaker 1: scale from there, and we stayed very focused niche So 441 00:22:58,440 --> 00:23:01,960 Speaker 1: as we grew, other people will come in like, man, 442 00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 1: you should sell products and then you should open your 443 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:08,320 Speaker 1: own gym, and and I was very focused, like, nope, 444 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:13,480 Speaker 1: I know my avatar, I know my customer that is 445 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:17,119 Speaker 1: in multifamily. I'm speaking to them. And it wasn't a 446 00:23:17,119 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 1: popularity contest. Like we just made sure we took care 447 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: of our avatar, which was in multi family and hotels 448 00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:28,760 Speaker 1: and in corporate settings, and we just focused. 449 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:31,199 Speaker 4: And niched down on them and we were able to scale. 450 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, Like I've heard people say, like it's it's simple, 451 00:23:34,359 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 2: not easy. Yes, And again I don't say that, like 452 00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:39,239 Speaker 2: in a disrespectful way, right, Like to your point, it 453 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 2: wasn't like y'all were out here, you know, coming up 454 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,960 Speaker 2: with a new formula for some new you know, medical 455 00:23:45,040 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 2: vaccine or something like that. Like, like the idea was 456 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:51,439 Speaker 2: a pretty straightforward idea, but it's not easy in the 457 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:54,080 Speaker 2: implementation of it, the scale and of it, the understanding. 458 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:54,320 Speaker 4: Right. 459 00:23:54,359 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 2: But like, and that's where I think a lot of 460 00:23:55,600 --> 00:23:58,480 Speaker 2: people misunderstand. A lot of businesses are kind of that way. 461 00:23:58,920 --> 00:24:01,720 Speaker 2: You know, like the concept my quote unquote simple. You know, 462 00:24:01,720 --> 00:24:03,480 Speaker 2: it's not hard. You know, again you don't need a 463 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:05,720 Speaker 2: PhD to do it, but it's definitely not easy to 464 00:24:05,760 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 2: do it. And that's where the dedication and just kind 465 00:24:08,840 --> 00:24:22,479 Speaker 2: of sticking through comes in. What was the model? Exactly 466 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 2: the model was to your point, it was y'all were 467 00:24:24,040 --> 00:24:26,480 Speaker 2: doing these classes and training, but then y'all started going 468 00:24:26,520 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 2: into building actual gym. 469 00:24:28,080 --> 00:24:30,040 Speaker 4: Yes, yes, yes, that's a great cause. 470 00:24:30,080 --> 00:24:34,280 Speaker 1: So once you're in there and you're trusted right with 471 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: occupying the space or activating the space as we would say, 472 00:24:38,960 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: then like you're the subject matter expert. So once you're 473 00:24:43,040 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: the subject matter expert, they they're going to ask you, Okay, 474 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:49,240 Speaker 1: should I have a peloton or should I have a mirror? 475 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: Or what type of treadmills? And what type of strength 476 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 1: equipment should we have? So at that point we become 477 00:24:56,080 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: a really like a consultant to these buildings. And this 478 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:04,200 Speaker 1: is how I start to build with the developers, because 479 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 1: we were getting to buildings before anybody even knew they 480 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: were coming. So you know, we were in the plans 481 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: as they were drawing it out, and you know, normally 482 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: when they're having these meetings, there's a person that's that's 483 00:25:19,800 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: taken care of, like the big the money guy, and 484 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,320 Speaker 1: then there's another person that's like the architect, and then 485 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:28,879 Speaker 1: there's another person that's like talking about how many doors 486 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:30,800 Speaker 1: is going to be in there, and then there was 487 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:35,399 Speaker 1: like me, a fitness guy that that that wasn't necessarily 488 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 1: you know, as important, I would say, as these other 489 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 1: groups of individuals. But our value and and and how 490 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:50,879 Speaker 1: we made the process feel was made us be become 491 00:25:51,000 --> 00:25:54,160 Speaker 1: like a part of that conversation. So as they were 492 00:25:54,200 --> 00:25:57,359 Speaker 1: thinking about building a building, like I remember Pont City 493 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: Market before it was Pont City Market City Hall East, Yes, there, 494 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 1: So we were in the conversations before they even built 495 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,480 Speaker 1: Pond City Market, and so we were talking to them 496 00:26:10,520 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: about their two little fitness centers they have in there, 497 00:26:13,320 --> 00:26:14,920 Speaker 1: and the type of equipment they were going to put 498 00:26:14,960 --> 00:26:17,000 Speaker 1: in there, and then how we were going to activate 499 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: Pond City Market and do all these classes. We even 500 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: came up with the name pons or Sizers, which is 501 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: actually like if you go to Pond City Market, they 502 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:29,240 Speaker 1: still have a sign up from a concept that we 503 00:26:29,400 --> 00:26:32,920 Speaker 1: kind of helped create. And this is all coming from 504 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:35,800 Speaker 1: just doing a couple of yoga classes and zoomer classes. 505 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 1: Now we're in the actual conception and the strategy, but 506 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:42,640 Speaker 1: that I think that just comes from just adding value. 507 00:26:42,960 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 1: So we then started outfitting the space, and then we 508 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 1: started like really talking about all right, what do we 509 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:52,080 Speaker 1: want this resident experience to be when they come in 510 00:26:52,200 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 1: and when they're leaving. And so it's just kind of 511 00:26:54,600 --> 00:26:58,399 Speaker 1: continued to stack wins and add value on to the 512 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:02,200 Speaker 1: point where nobody really looked at us as just a 513 00:27:02,240 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 1: brand that's just doing fitness classes. 514 00:27:05,240 --> 00:27:07,080 Speaker 2: No, that's yeah, I mean that's how these things evolved. 515 00:27:07,080 --> 00:27:09,880 Speaker 2: And again y'all built this to a pretty deeseent sized business. Again, 516 00:27:09,960 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 2: like you know, you had an exit, you sold a 517 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:13,879 Speaker 2: private equity. I mean, yeah, it was for more than 518 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:16,000 Speaker 2: a couple of dollars, which was good. You know, that 519 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 2: was a good experience. Just what was it like going 520 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:20,560 Speaker 2: through that whole process of actually selling a business to 521 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 2: private equity? 522 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 4: Yeah? 523 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:26,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, and at that time, for me personally, 524 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: I didn't know a lot of fitness companies or a 525 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:32,119 Speaker 1: lot of fitness entrepreneurs that had sold to a private 526 00:27:32,160 --> 00:27:34,919 Speaker 1: equity company. So when I was going through it, it 527 00:27:34,920 --> 00:27:39,840 Speaker 1: felt like a very isolated process because I didn't know 528 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:41,399 Speaker 1: a lot of people that I can go to them 529 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:44,440 Speaker 1: and talk about like hey, what what was your multiple 530 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: when you sold or what were they looking at? So 531 00:27:49,040 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: it was truly very organic, similar to how I started 532 00:27:53,600 --> 00:27:58,800 Speaker 1: the company. When I started thinking about an exit, it 533 00:27:58,880 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 1: was because we had skilled and we had built such 534 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:07,520 Speaker 1: a huge pipeline that my wife and I we were 535 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:12,399 Speaker 1: be in Italy doing like working and we would be like, 536 00:28:12,520 --> 00:28:15,959 Speaker 1: you know, like it was non stop and we loved 537 00:28:15,960 --> 00:28:17,960 Speaker 1: what we were doing. But I felt like it was 538 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:20,359 Speaker 1: a point where I was like, all right, we have 539 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 1: so much work, We're creating almost competition in these different 540 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:30,320 Speaker 1: areas that I felt like we needed either a partner or. 541 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:33,239 Speaker 4: We needed some type of exit. Now. I didn't go 542 00:28:33,280 --> 00:28:34,000 Speaker 4: get my NBA. 543 00:28:35,000 --> 00:28:39,440 Speaker 1: I had only watched Shark Tank like I was that 544 00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:43,840 Speaker 1: type of person. So when I first thought about an exit, 545 00:28:44,280 --> 00:28:47,640 Speaker 1: I just called friends. I literally called a couple of 546 00:28:47,720 --> 00:28:51,160 Speaker 1: people and said, hey, I'm thinking about this, what do 547 00:28:51,240 --> 00:28:54,400 Speaker 1: you think? And so I had breakfast, had a couple 548 00:28:54,400 --> 00:28:59,440 Speaker 1: of conversations that led to another just literally conversation. I 549 00:28:59,480 --> 00:29:02,440 Speaker 1: didn't go oh, I wasn't working on like a deck. 550 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:06,080 Speaker 1: There was not like a sales deck. It was a conversation. 551 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 1: Then that person introduced me to another person that I 552 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:14,920 Speaker 1: met in Nashville that worked for this private equity firm, 553 00:29:15,560 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: and I just asked him like a list of questions 554 00:29:19,440 --> 00:29:22,160 Speaker 1: to the point this was our first time really meeting 555 00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:27,479 Speaker 1: in person. The conversation led to me staying at the 556 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: gentleman's house overnight because we hit it off so much. 557 00:29:33,360 --> 00:29:37,360 Speaker 1: And so after that conversation, between that time, in about 558 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:42,479 Speaker 1: eight weeks, we had exited our company. And it was 559 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:46,760 Speaker 1: pretty unique because I think that the one thing we 560 00:29:46,800 --> 00:29:51,480 Speaker 1: did right during the whole process of building our company, 561 00:29:52,080 --> 00:29:55,480 Speaker 1: we kind of kept the main thing, the main thing. 562 00:29:56,000 --> 00:29:58,880 Speaker 1: So when it went to our books, when it went 563 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: to our business, it was I mean, thank God for 564 00:30:03,360 --> 00:30:07,800 Speaker 1: my wife. Yeah, it was so clean, it was very simple. 565 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:12,720 Speaker 1: We had contracts, we had a certain amount of a 566 00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: year contract or you know, thirty day outs. Our books 567 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 1: were very clean. So when we went to talk to 568 00:30:19,760 --> 00:30:23,680 Speaker 1: this private equity company, we understood our ebada, you know, 569 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:27,960 Speaker 1: we understood what we were making. We understood like, okay, 570 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:31,240 Speaker 1: in a five year projections, this looked like where we're 571 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:35,400 Speaker 1: going to be, you know. So because we we without 572 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:40,000 Speaker 1: knowing we were doing all the blocking and tackling and 573 00:30:40,040 --> 00:30:42,880 Speaker 1: the and all the little things that sometimes you don't 574 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: want to do. We were up to date with everything. 575 00:30:45,600 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: So when they were like, hey, all right, well we 576 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:49,320 Speaker 1: need you to go get this, this and this, We're 577 00:30:49,320 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: in the meeting and my wife was like, okay, let 578 00:30:51,640 --> 00:30:52,400 Speaker 1: me get my laptop. 579 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 3: Well think yeah. I mean I think a lot of 580 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:54,560 Speaker 3: people don't understand. 581 00:30:54,560 --> 00:30:56,760 Speaker 2: Like a lot of people they see Shark Tank and 582 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:58,280 Speaker 2: they think, oh, I get an investment and that's it. 583 00:30:58,360 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 2: A lot of people don't know, even from a Shark 584 00:30:59,760 --> 00:31:02,600 Speaker 2: Tanks standpoint, like over fifty percent of those deals on 585 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:05,240 Speaker 2: shark Tank don't even get done because to your point, 586 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,040 Speaker 2: people don't have their books together. A lot of people 587 00:31:08,160 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 2: use shark Tank to just negotiate. Yes, people don't know 588 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 2: this kind of stuff, right, but again like having been 589 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:15,720 Speaker 2: in situations where I've seen exits and been parts of 590 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:17,320 Speaker 2: that too. Right Like again like yeah, you got to 591 00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:19,880 Speaker 2: have your house has got to be in order, because 592 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,360 Speaker 2: deals can fall apart because you don't have your paperwork together. 593 00:31:23,600 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: Yes, yes, yes, And you don't know everything's an interview 594 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:29,560 Speaker 1: right from the start. 595 00:31:29,680 --> 00:31:32,720 Speaker 4: Everything's an interview. How you go get your paperwork. You know. 596 00:31:33,360 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: I think one of the things we did was we 597 00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:41,400 Speaker 1: were always very transparent on where we never fabricated every 598 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:43,960 Speaker 1: single one of our buildings, paid us. We didn't do 599 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: anything for free, We didn't do it complimentary, you know, 600 00:31:48,760 --> 00:31:53,600 Speaker 1: we had just business very transactional, you know, and that 601 00:31:53,720 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: made the process just better for us. And then like 602 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:01,080 Speaker 1: I didn't go in there trying to shark. We were 603 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 1: fortunately like when I built Torch, I didn't have any investors, 604 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:07,360 Speaker 1: we didn't have any debt, we didn't you know, we 605 00:32:07,520 --> 00:32:11,080 Speaker 1: just built it truly from the ground up. Like when 606 00:32:11,080 --> 00:32:15,360 Speaker 1: I started that company, I was like on Marta, like 607 00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:16,320 Speaker 1: you know what I'm saying. 608 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:19,040 Speaker 4: So when I started making ten k. 609 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 1: A month, it was like, oh my gosh, this is 610 00:32:21,720 --> 00:32:23,920 Speaker 1: more than enough to put back in the business and survive. 611 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:28,200 Speaker 1: And I was very like conservative and so like when 612 00:32:28,280 --> 00:32:31,960 Speaker 1: we go into those meetings, we were very like upfront 613 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,680 Speaker 1: and honest. And I remember one of the questions they 614 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 1: asked me, They were like, all right, well, what would 615 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:39,640 Speaker 1: you want to sell it for? It was it was 616 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:42,720 Speaker 1: kind of like that that moment on TV, you know, 617 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 1: like you know, everybody wants you to give me an 618 00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:52,479 Speaker 1: so you know, I remember that part, and in my mind, 619 00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 1: I was like, well, I mean, if I'm going to 620 00:32:55,120 --> 00:32:59,840 Speaker 1: shoot my shot, yeah, I'm going to shoot my shot. 621 00:33:00,120 --> 00:33:02,440 Speaker 4: I'm gonna go all the way right. 622 00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:04,760 Speaker 1: And I remember telling him the number and he was like, 623 00:33:04,760 --> 00:33:07,040 Speaker 1: all right, Ty, we can't take this to the board, 624 00:33:07,520 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: but thank you. You know. But I think even that 625 00:33:10,920 --> 00:33:14,480 Speaker 1: lays a groundwork of how we're going to our intentions. 626 00:33:14,560 --> 00:33:14,880 Speaker 3: Yeah. 627 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:17,840 Speaker 1: I was always very open about my intention is this 628 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:21,040 Speaker 1: I want to exit because I would like to see 629 00:33:21,040 --> 00:33:23,280 Speaker 1: this scale to this, I would want to I want 630 00:33:23,320 --> 00:33:24,120 Speaker 1: to do this with this. 631 00:33:24,280 --> 00:33:25,280 Speaker 4: My wife wants to do that. 632 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: So I always led with my intention so you don't 633 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: we're not confused on why I'm here. 634 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,160 Speaker 4: And what you need. And it just made the relationship 635 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:40,560 Speaker 4: and the and the exit that much easier, you know. 636 00:33:41,200 --> 00:33:43,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, And again like you've you've learned a lot, You've 637 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:45,320 Speaker 2: been through a lot of experiences. Again, we've kind of 638 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 2: talked about, you know, it's not a thing to give 639 00:33:48,520 --> 00:33:50,520 Speaker 2: away the game because a lot of times too it 640 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:52,480 Speaker 2: still comes down to execution, right, Like, but at the 641 00:33:52,560 --> 00:33:54,680 Speaker 2: end of the day, like for people that are listening 642 00:33:55,120 --> 00:33:57,239 Speaker 2: in general, when it comes to business, like, what is 643 00:33:57,240 --> 00:33:59,000 Speaker 2: one thing that you kind of see because you work 644 00:33:59,040 --> 00:34:01,120 Speaker 2: a lot of fitness influence. I'm sure you know a 645 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,640 Speaker 2: lot of other entrepreneurs. Just like, what's one thing you 646 00:34:03,680 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 2: see that people could do in general, or a couple 647 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:07,760 Speaker 2: of things they can do in general, just to just 648 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 2: kind of go to the next level, you know what 649 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:09,680 Speaker 2: I mean? 650 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, I think, especially right now, it's such a information overload. 651 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:20,560 Speaker 1: And when I was building Torch and I was building 652 00:34:20,560 --> 00:34:24,960 Speaker 1: my other companies, I didn't have the pressure I think 653 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:29,400 Speaker 1: young entrepreneurs have right now, which is online and trying 654 00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:34,560 Speaker 1: to keep up and trying to almost be perfect. There's 655 00:34:34,680 --> 00:34:37,560 Speaker 1: like this perfection And so I see a lot of 656 00:34:37,640 --> 00:34:40,879 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs go to like conference after conference after conference after 657 00:34:40,920 --> 00:34:44,280 Speaker 1: conference after conference, they go to networking event after networking 658 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:47,800 Speaker 1: event after networking event, and it's almost like they're getting 659 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:51,560 Speaker 1: these little highs, these little dopamine pushes, but they're never 660 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:56,680 Speaker 1: really making any real traction. And so I always tell 661 00:34:57,719 --> 00:35:02,880 Speaker 1: an entrepreneur has to start with a a transaction of sale. Actually, 662 00:35:03,000 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 1: like work, Like you can work on your digital assets, 663 00:35:07,080 --> 00:35:08,920 Speaker 1: and you can work on your Instagram page, and you 664 00:35:08,960 --> 00:35:11,400 Speaker 1: can work on your logo, and you can go to 665 00:35:11,520 --> 00:35:14,680 Speaker 1: fifty thousand people about your plan, but at the end 666 00:35:14,760 --> 00:35:18,680 Speaker 1: of the day, you actually have to have a sale 667 00:35:18,840 --> 00:35:23,240 Speaker 1: or something to have a business. So like, actually go 668 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:26,880 Speaker 1: and do like real work, and real work to me 669 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:30,000 Speaker 1: is actually going to go ask for a sale or 670 00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:32,880 Speaker 1: going to go actually put a product in the market, 671 00:35:33,440 --> 00:35:37,680 Speaker 1: and that would be my first thing. Like, so making 672 00:35:37,719 --> 00:35:41,080 Speaker 1: the business a little bit simple. Don't be so distracted 673 00:35:41,160 --> 00:35:45,399 Speaker 1: with other businesses that might look similar to yours, because 674 00:35:45,440 --> 00:35:48,359 Speaker 1: you never know. And then I think that the other 675 00:35:48,400 --> 00:35:51,680 Speaker 1: thing that I see a lot of entrepreneurs do is 676 00:35:51,800 --> 00:35:57,240 Speaker 1: kind of like nowadays, victories come in many forms because 677 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:01,280 Speaker 1: you can have an emotional victory that doesn't necessarily mean money, 678 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:04,280 Speaker 1: or you can have any emotional high because people think 679 00:36:04,320 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 1: that your company is doing this or that, and so like, 680 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:13,600 Speaker 1: because the victories don't necessarily come in exchange of money. 681 00:36:13,760 --> 00:36:16,000 Speaker 4: We're back in the you know, I'll keep on saying. 682 00:36:16,040 --> 00:36:19,200 Speaker 1: Back in the day, I'm forty three, so but you know, 683 00:36:19,480 --> 00:36:21,879 Speaker 1: businesses was kind of more black and white. Now they're 684 00:36:21,880 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 1: a little bit different. You could be building a brand 685 00:36:23,719 --> 00:36:26,200 Speaker 1: but not making any money. You can be all types 686 00:36:26,239 --> 00:36:28,800 Speaker 1: of things like that. You got to find out whatever 687 00:36:28,880 --> 00:36:31,840 Speaker 1: that victory is for you and then kind of stay 688 00:36:31,880 --> 00:36:36,360 Speaker 1: on that path and give yourself a chance to succeed. 689 00:36:37,120 --> 00:36:38,400 Speaker 4: There's so many people. 690 00:36:38,160 --> 00:36:41,080 Speaker 1: That kind of start and then they switch over because 691 00:36:41,080 --> 00:36:44,040 Speaker 1: they feel like, ah, this isn't working, and so they're 692 00:36:44,080 --> 00:36:47,560 Speaker 1: not consistent and they're not kind of committed to the 693 00:36:47,600 --> 00:36:52,560 Speaker 1: commitment of business and of the repetitions of business, and 694 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:57,480 Speaker 1: of like just the grind and the ugliness. You know, 695 00:36:57,600 --> 00:37:01,880 Speaker 1: this is not pretty and it's very very it's a 696 00:37:02,040 --> 00:37:05,719 Speaker 1: volatile sport. When I talk about an exit, it's a 697 00:37:05,760 --> 00:37:09,600 Speaker 1: full context. It's a full you know, people like man, 698 00:37:09,600 --> 00:37:11,160 Speaker 1: I want to scale an exit. Do you know how 699 00:37:11,160 --> 00:37:15,840 Speaker 1: many people we had to compete against to scale? You 700 00:37:16,040 --> 00:37:20,960 Speaker 1: compete it every day. Nobody just led us into Nashville, 701 00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:25,840 Speaker 1: like to get into Texas. The market of Texas is 702 00:37:25,880 --> 00:37:31,080 Speaker 1: a very like local place. They have local fitness professionals there. 703 00:37:31,239 --> 00:37:33,440 Speaker 1: They have people that can do my same job. So 704 00:37:33,520 --> 00:37:36,040 Speaker 1: I have to go into Texas and convince them that 705 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:41,759 Speaker 1: this Atlanta company can serve the Texas market. That's competitive. 706 00:37:42,239 --> 00:37:47,320 Speaker 1: You can't be afraid of competing, and that means sometimes winning, 707 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 1: and if you win, that means somebody has to lose. 708 00:37:52,200 --> 00:37:55,319 Speaker 1: And it might be like that happens all the time. 709 00:37:55,360 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 1: But I think sometimes we are afraid to compete and 710 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:02,560 Speaker 1: afraid to do the things that it takes to compete. 711 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:03,319 Speaker 3: You know. 712 00:38:03,640 --> 00:38:07,319 Speaker 2: Look, you're transparent about the winds. You're also transparent about 713 00:38:07,320 --> 00:38:10,480 Speaker 2: the work. Like when people hear this conversation again, like 714 00:38:10,560 --> 00:38:13,480 Speaker 2: budding entrepreneurs or people that are even running businesses, whether 715 00:38:13,600 --> 00:38:16,280 Speaker 2: whatever wherever they're at in their entrepreneurial journey, whether they're 716 00:38:16,520 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 2: thinking about starting a business, you know, they call those 717 00:38:19,160 --> 00:38:21,160 Speaker 2: people you know or you know, getting caught up and 718 00:38:21,200 --> 00:38:22,880 Speaker 2: going to conferences all the time. I got a friendly 719 00:38:22,920 --> 00:38:26,200 Speaker 2: calls some entrepreneurs, you know, a nice way, but like 720 00:38:26,239 --> 00:38:27,640 Speaker 2: I said, at a certain point, you actually got to 721 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:30,080 Speaker 2: start making it happen. Right, So, whether they're on one 722 00:38:30,160 --> 00:38:32,520 Speaker 2: end of the spectrum or they're you know, working and 723 00:38:32,600 --> 00:38:34,640 Speaker 2: kind of trying to figure out where to go or 724 00:38:34,640 --> 00:38:36,440 Speaker 2: how to scale. Like what what do you want them 725 00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:38,840 Speaker 2: to take away from this conversation in your journey? 726 00:38:39,080 --> 00:38:43,320 Speaker 1: Man, I want them to understand that like fell fast, 727 00:38:43,600 --> 00:38:47,520 Speaker 1: Like we failed when we built Torch. It was not 728 00:38:47,680 --> 00:38:49,840 Speaker 1: just like oh we built it, we got into an apartment, 729 00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:52,920 Speaker 1: we scaled, we we were in twenty six different states, 730 00:38:53,000 --> 00:38:55,839 Speaker 1: and then we sold to a private equity company and 731 00:38:55,880 --> 00:38:59,880 Speaker 1: we went to go cash in. It was so many failures, 732 00:39:00,200 --> 00:39:03,520 Speaker 1: and it was embarrassing when I failed, Like people knew 733 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:07,120 Speaker 1: when I failed, you know, Like I remember my dad 734 00:39:07,520 --> 00:39:11,000 Speaker 1: not even really understanding what I did for a living 735 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:15,120 Speaker 1: because I wasn't a trainer and I didn't have a gym, 736 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,440 Speaker 1: you know, and it was very weird to say, yeah, 737 00:39:18,480 --> 00:39:22,960 Speaker 1: I do fitness at an apartment. That doesn't make any 738 00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:27,640 Speaker 1: sense to a normal person that don't really understand mante family. 739 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:30,400 Speaker 1: They don't even understand how they equate that money or 740 00:39:30,440 --> 00:39:33,440 Speaker 1: the math on that. So I would tell anybody that 741 00:39:33,640 --> 00:39:40,200 Speaker 1: like paying attention, like really trust your your gut, not 742 00:39:40,360 --> 00:39:43,080 Speaker 1: what you see, kind of like trust your gut and 743 00:39:44,239 --> 00:39:49,160 Speaker 1: like be okay with like bailing fast and then like pivoting, 744 00:39:49,239 --> 00:39:52,200 Speaker 1: And that doesn't mean like a pivot doesn't mean like rebrand. 745 00:39:53,400 --> 00:39:56,120 Speaker 1: A pivot can just mean like Okay, I was charging this, 746 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:58,080 Speaker 1: now I have to charge this, or I was going 747 00:39:58,120 --> 00:40:00,600 Speaker 1: after this market, now I'm going after another the market, 748 00:40:01,000 --> 00:40:07,120 Speaker 1: Like that's okay. And that embarrassment that we all feel, 749 00:40:07,560 --> 00:40:13,759 Speaker 1: and that imposter syndrome that we all feel, and that 750 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:17,520 Speaker 1: that feeling of loneliness sometimes as entrepreneurs, we all feel 751 00:40:17,560 --> 00:40:20,240 Speaker 1: it at every level, whether you've made one hundred million 752 00:40:20,840 --> 00:40:23,960 Speaker 1: or done a billion or whatever it is, we all 753 00:40:24,040 --> 00:40:27,080 Speaker 1: feel it. The people that make it through are the 754 00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:30,960 Speaker 1: ones that can take that feeling remember, bottle it up, 755 00:40:31,920 --> 00:40:34,400 Speaker 1: use it as like muscle memory. Okay, I did that, 756 00:40:34,520 --> 00:40:36,799 Speaker 1: don't want to touch that stuff again. And then they 757 00:40:36,880 --> 00:40:40,640 Speaker 1: keep going. Yeah, that's the literally the only difference between 758 00:40:40,840 --> 00:40:43,040 Speaker 1: the people that's successful and the people. 759 00:40:42,800 --> 00:40:46,400 Speaker 4: That keep on trying. And as you said, the entrepreneurs absolutely. 760 00:40:46,400 --> 00:40:48,480 Speaker 2: Man, before we get out of here, one question don't 761 00:40:48,480 --> 00:40:51,080 Speaker 2: if they ask everybody, is if there was a tomic 762 00:40:51,160 --> 00:40:54,400 Speaker 2: math billboard somewhere in Atlanta, you can put anything you 763 00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:57,680 Speaker 2: want to put on it, any any message, any statement. 764 00:40:57,880 --> 00:40:59,279 Speaker 2: I mean it could you could be a promo for 765 00:40:59,320 --> 00:41:01,640 Speaker 2: the union, whatever. What would you put on this? What 766 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,320 Speaker 2: message would you put on this to share with the 767 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:06,239 Speaker 2: people that will see it? 768 00:41:06,440 --> 00:41:09,760 Speaker 4: Do the math? Do the math? 769 00:41:10,480 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: And I think for me, we make things so hard 770 00:41:16,800 --> 00:41:21,480 Speaker 1: in a marriage and a relationship and anything. 771 00:41:21,719 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 4: Just do the math. 772 00:41:22,680 --> 00:41:26,319 Speaker 1: Think about it like your path can be. It's going 773 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:29,360 Speaker 1: to be hard, as you said, right, that's just life. 774 00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:33,240 Speaker 1: But I would think, like, do the math, think about 775 00:41:33,280 --> 00:41:36,120 Speaker 1: truly what you want out of this, Think about what 776 00:41:36,239 --> 00:41:39,680 Speaker 1: you can give out of this and be very transparent 777 00:41:39,840 --> 00:41:44,000 Speaker 1: upfront on that and then kind of step into it 778 00:41:44,239 --> 00:41:48,400 Speaker 1: after you do that due diligence. Don't just jump, you know, 779 00:41:49,160 --> 00:41:52,640 Speaker 1: do the math, think about it, and then kind of go. 780 00:41:52,840 --> 00:41:54,239 Speaker 4: So that's what I think, do the math. 781 00:41:54,520 --> 00:41:55,080 Speaker 3: I love man. 782 00:41:55,120 --> 00:41:56,840 Speaker 2: Look, before we get out of here, please tell the 783 00:41:56,840 --> 00:41:59,400 Speaker 2: folks how they can find you, how they can support 784 00:41:59,400 --> 00:42:02,200 Speaker 2: the union, you know, wherever they're at Little. 785 00:42:02,239 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 1: Yes, Yes, So the Union fit Hub it is literally 786 00:42:06,000 --> 00:42:09,800 Speaker 1: the Union fit Hub on Instagram and all that good stuff. 787 00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:13,400 Speaker 1: That's where you can find all the exciting things. Mine 788 00:42:13,800 --> 00:42:15,400 Speaker 1: is do the math. God, but you're just going to 789 00:42:15,440 --> 00:42:18,840 Speaker 1: see kids and babies and things like that. But the 790 00:42:19,760 --> 00:42:22,560 Speaker 1: Union Fit Hub right now where we're all over the place. 791 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:26,480 Speaker 1: Were actually have a five K with Grove Park April 792 00:42:26,480 --> 00:42:29,560 Speaker 1: twenty six, So if you want to kind of feel 793 00:42:29,560 --> 00:42:32,280 Speaker 1: that in person, please come out. We want to support 794 00:42:32,280 --> 00:42:36,000 Speaker 1: the Grove Park community and everything that they're doing. 795 00:42:36,040 --> 00:42:38,200 Speaker 4: But the Union Fit Hub is located on the belt Line. 796 00:42:38,360 --> 00:42:42,080 Speaker 1: We do many activations all over as I said before, 797 00:42:42,120 --> 00:42:45,439 Speaker 1: like what we're doing with Grove Park. We might even 798 00:42:45,480 --> 00:42:47,439 Speaker 1: have a nice little four or four day fit fit 799 00:42:47,600 --> 00:42:51,799 Speaker 1: Fit time over there too, getting ready and so yeah, 800 00:42:51,960 --> 00:42:52,959 Speaker 1: so you can find this at. 801 00:42:52,840 --> 00:42:54,359 Speaker 4: The Union fit Hub for sure. 802 00:42:54,400 --> 00:42:56,880 Speaker 2: Man, well look t appreciate this long time coming. I'm 803 00:42:56,920 --> 00:42:58,879 Speaker 2: glad we got a chance to make this happen. Thank 804 00:42:58,920 --> 00:43:02,440 Speaker 2: you and making congrats on everything and wish y'all much 805 00:43:02,440 --> 00:43:03,240 Speaker 2: continued success. 806 00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:05,480 Speaker 4: Appreciate you, my brother, thank you absolutely. 807 00:43:05,520 --> 00:43:07,040 Speaker 3: And with that said, y'all we out. 808 00:43:07,080 --> 00:43:09,960 Speaker 2: That's the pod you've been listening to Button Nomics and 809 00:43:10,040 --> 00:43:11,200 Speaker 2: im your host Brandon Butler. 810 00:43:11,320 --> 00:43:13,759 Speaker 3: Got comments, feedback? Want to be on the show. 811 00:43:13,960 --> 00:43:17,120 Speaker 2: Send us an email today at Hello at butteronomics dot com. 812 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:20,359 Speaker 2: Butter Nomics is produced in Atlanta, Georgia at iHeartMedia by 813 00:43:20,440 --> 00:43:23,160 Speaker 2: Ksey Pegram, with marketing support from Queen and Nikki. 814 00:43:23,560 --> 00:43:25,000 Speaker 3: Music provided by mister Hanky. 815 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:27,640 Speaker 2: If you haven't already, hit that subscribe button and never 816 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:29,719 Speaker 2: missed an episode, and be sure to follow us on 817 00:43:29,800 --> 00:43:33,120 Speaker 2: all our social platforms at butter dot atl Listen to 818 00:43:33,160 --> 00:43:36,200 Speaker 2: better Nomics on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 819 00:43:36,239 --> 00:43:37,359 Speaker 2: you get your podcasts.