They only way you'll be judged by the folks at WORK is if you don't walk through the door. Dane Miklaus, WORK founder, is a hard worker, married to a hard worker, from a long line of hard workers, who created a boutique fitness studio to help people connect their effort with their outcome, and it's working.

A California native, Dane received his Bachelor of Science in Applied Exercise Science at Azusa Pacific University. Here, late in his college career he decided he wanted to be a trainer. He landed his real first job at Equinox, and it was there, in the trenches seven days a week, that he learned the professionalism he carries with him today.

After three years at Equinox, he went onto lead group training at The 12, falling in love with the group training model. Eventually, his deep desire to do more kept burning strong, so he left The 12. With the help of his wife and a business partner, he founded WORK in 2015. As quick to give others credit as he is to pepper his conversation with motivational soundbites and throw out a golden advice nugget or two, Dane has created a concept in WORK that members love.

WORK is a boutique fitness studio, not a gym. Its classes take place in groups led by passionate instructors who have dedicated their lives to health and fitness. Members range from weekend warriors, 9-to-5ers, stay-at-home parents and business owners to artists, professional athletes, celebrities, mailmen and everything inbetween. At its heart, WORK aims to instill that each member is his or her own foundation. And WORK, provides the environment, instructors and group instruction for their minds and bodies to undergo construction to forge stronger internal and external compositions. All to get results through a blend of traditional strength and conditioning with athletic functional training. Because, as they like to say, this is how your body was designed to WORK.

Episode Highlights:

• Treat everyone as if they are the most important person. It's the right thing to do and it will help you build relationships you may one day need.
• Starting a company? Anticipate that it will take longer to build out, be more expensive than you thought, and be slower to catch on with clients than you planned.
• Even in the most challenging times, take the high road, if for no other reason than that you are a good person and that's what being one dictates you do.
• The meaning behind "Performance matters less in this place than effort."
• The best business motivation book list ever.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Dane Miklaus of WORK for a solid dose of inspiration and the most excellent booklist we've ever featured in a single episode of EYL.

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