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My guest today is Bedros Keuilian. He is the founder of Fit Body Bootcamp.
Bedros talks to us today about how to build an empire. He shares with us how he grew a franchise to selling one every 36 seconds. He also tells us how he became an entrepreneur and started his empire.
[0:37] Building an Empire
Bedros helps gym owners and personal trainers take it to the next level. He’s grown Fit Body Bootcamp into a franchise. He realized he has a gift of building empires. He uses his gift to help other entrepreneurs build their empires.
Fit Body Bootcamp is growing at an exponential rate. They have recently moved into a much more spacious office. If you were to go to their office a year ago it didn’t showcase the brand properly. Bedros is opening a new location on the map every 36 hours.
He also runs 3 masterminds and a private coaching service. The majority of his clients are online business owners who want to move to the next level. Bedros’ journey wasn’t always easy.
The first entrepreneurial step Bedros took was being a DJ. Within the first 9 months, it began to go under. He then started an online supplement company totalmuscle.com in 1997. He was going through AOL profiles to find his audience at the time. He would send an e-mail blast out to his leads and would see a rapid increase in revenue.
In his early days, there wasn’t address verification for credit card purchases online. Because of this Bedros was on the wrong end of a scam. This resulted in him losing thousands of dollars due to orders with a stolen credit card. He ended up going out of business and he was kicked out of his apartment. Bedros lived out of his vehicle for several months.
People sometimes let their failures define them. Bedros found that when he was working the 9-5 style he wasn’t happy. He had to be the boss.
[8:54] Being Self Employed vs. Building an Empire
Being self-employed is going to burn you out. It can be the most expensive minimum-wage job you ever have. Bedros found that his time was being spread out throughout the day and night. Bedros uses pain as a motivator. You can continue to be in pain or step up to systems.
Systems save time, effort, and money. Hiring good talent to do your work is buying back your time. You may be a good sales person, but you need someone to handle admin work. Find the talent who can do what will give you freedom.
Self-care is important. Focusing on systems will allow you to expand and grow. Bedros used this to expand and create more locations for his business.
People think being self-employed is freedom, but it could be a trap if you don’t put systems in place to scale. It’s a stepping stone to move forward. If you’d rather be self-employed it’s better to be in the job world. Building an empire is passing on a legacy.
[12:54] Setting Goals and KPI’s
KPI’s and setting new goals are very important. When we have a win we get so excited that we’re afraid of setting a new goal. Failure shouldn’t be something we’re afraid of. Change your definition of failure to an opportunity to improve. Paint the next steps on what your future should look like.
KPI’s are the best way to judge your success. Regardless of your role, you should have KPI’s set to track your success. When you don’t hit your KPI’s drill down onto what the problem is and fix it. We get so excited when we post an ad and get engagement. But if that’s not converting into leads, there’s no long-term success.
Long-term success gives us peace of mind. KPI’s and systems will give you short-term success. Scaling your business with from your KPI’s will give you long-term success. It doesn’t matter how much your business makes monthly, it matters what your profit is.
You need to be able to make tough decisions in business. You need to look at your business and see where your money is going. Cut the fat. Tough conversations need to be had to grow your business.
[19:17] Growing Your Empire
It’s important to ask for help. But you need to ask the right people. It’s one thing to have thousands of followers and engagement. But how high is your revenue? Don’t judge success by the number of followers you have. Actions behind your words, that’s where the story is told.
We’re in a great economic time. But don’t get comfortable in your space. Economies always crash, and it can happen at any time. This is something you need to be prepared for.
To continue your success, you need to innovate. Anybody can be an entrepreneur but not everyone should be. Being a phenomenal team member is an asset and huge opportunity. There are tons of these people who can help you build your business.
Hiring team members who have buy-in will help your business grow. Make them feel like an entrepreneur within the business. By empowering your team members, you will grow as fast as you can. But they need to be clear on your vision.
Without vision, people perish. Everyone has to know where you’re trying to go. Otherwise, they may take the wrong turn. Encourage your team to make mistakes of ambition not of sloth.
[24:50] Turning Your Empire into Legacy
Bedros went to an event hosted by Russell Brunson and brought his eleven-year-old son with him. He wanted to expose him to the world of being an entrepreneur. His son set a world record for bubble soccer and was surrounded by successful people. His work has allowed him to share his legacy while still allowing time for family.
Don’t try to make enough money to get by. Make enough money to buy back your time, your spouses time. Take care of yourself and have high expectations. Live a higher standard of living.
Episode Outline
Introduction: How to Build an Empire
[0:37] Building an Empire
[8:54] Being Self Employed vs. Building an Empire
[12:54] Setting Goals and KPI’s
[19:17] Growing Your Empire
[24:50] Turning Your Empire into Legacy
Resources