Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Building the biggest organisations on a mission to save the world, CEO of dotFIT Neal Spruce has few people that can match his passion. From a tough background, his journey has led him to success through huge names such as 24 Hour Fitness, Gold's Gym, NASM and more, all in a bid to bring fitness to every household.

Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/gsNjTYfIskY

Sports and fitness saved Neal Spruce from an outlaw life of motorcycle gangs. Once on the right path, he turned his life around by winning bodybuilding competitions, where he expanded on his nutrition knowledge and developed the correlation of how nutrition is 100% responsible for what you can do for your body.

To fund his bodybuilding passion, Neal worked as a mechanic before he was spotted during a Mr Western America competition and offered a job at Gold's Gym under a sponsorship deal.

Here, Neal would hand write a diet plan for new members before they even joined – pioneering the importance of nutrition and selling it at point of sale. All of this was based on the fact that members wouldn't stay members without a diet plan because, in practice, they wouldn't see the results they wanted. It was a groundbreaking approach. By the time Neal left his position, the programme had been progressed through 535 gyms.

Already on a profitable path but not feeling fulfilled, Neal's success story took an even bigger upturn upon him meeting lifelong business partner Mark Mastrov, who bought many successful Gold's Gym locations, leading to the famous franchising of Gold's. Between them, they launched 24 Hour Fitness, one of the first big box gyms that dominated the industry.

With Mark, Neal built the business to bring in $400m a year in personal training and $100m a year in nutrition. When 24 Hour Fitness was sold in 2005, it went for $1.68 billion, with the nutrition component valued at $700m. Nutrition had never been more valuable.

It was a unique model, with both partners putting together the perfect package that had nutrition at its heart. This has been the case with every venture they've been a part of since.

Whether talking about Gold's Gym (Neal's initiative named Nutritionalysis), Apex Fitness, NASM personal trainer certification, 24 Hour Fitness or more – there's a lot more – nutrition has been at the heart of every opportunity and output.

Today, dotFIT is Neal's research development company specialising in fitness and nutrition programmes and products for health, weight control, sports and fitness professionals.

Neal argues that nobody is qualified to buy a dietary supplement on their own unless they've gone through particular schooling that's a requirement for dotFIT employees. On top of that, all the raw ingredients in dotFIT products are required to pass rigorous third-party screening to validate purity and potency.

Unlike many suppliers, all of Neal's ventures integrate products with exercise and programming. He's also passionate about battling competitors that are cheating the system with protein spiking, and teaching the difference between mass market supplements and practitioner products.

Everything he does is nutrition-centric from years of experience and education that he's always building on further.

Episode Highlights:

• With two professional sportsman sons, Neal has found the secret to passing on his knowledge and incredible work ethic to his family as well as living the life of hard work and fitness himself.
• Discover how Neal found just how important nutrition is when it comes to performance and endurance, and how he pioneered nutrition at point of sale when it comes to gym memberships.
• If you're going to do something, aim to be the best at it. It's advice that's served Neal well throughout his life, and also the reason why he doesn't ski…
• Learning the history of how some of the biggest fitness chains such as Gold's Gym and 24 Hour Fitness came about and what caused the developments and success of each brand.
• Find out an innovative approach that works for the trainer, works for the business and works for the client, and how you can implement a strategy that lasts.
• How does someone so successful define success? And how arrogance can lead to regret, regardless of finance.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Neal Spruce, nutrition guru and CEO of dotFIT….

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In this special episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, we hear from nine industry experts on what they think of the future of fitness and how you can make a difference.

Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/UEsOvz5BtI4

Our expert panel for this entrepreneur leadership quotes compilation covers every aspect of fitness, with secrets to success for now and the future. The panel includes…

Donovan Green, personal trainer to Dr Oz, founder of My Green Living and author.

David Weck, inventor of the BOSU ball and founder of WeckMethod (hear more from David Weck at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-20-david-weck-of-weckmethod/id1321349827?i=1000408473637&mt=2).

Tamer El-Guindy, senior vice president of global franchising and head of UFC GYM University.

Richard Earney, national program director at Midtown Athletic Clubs (hear more from Richard Earney at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-3-richard-earney-national-programme-director-for/id1321349827?i=1000397637246&mt=2).

Brad Houx, general manager at Midtown Athletic Clubs.

Michol Dalcourt, founder and director of the Institute of Motion, and creator of the ViPR (hear more from Michol Dalcourt at https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep-5-michol-dalcourt-of-the-institute-of-motion/id1321349827?i=1000398831155&mt=2).

Brian Blacher, co-founder of Workout Bar, San Diego.

Irina Kutina, CEO and founder of ENCOREfitness, Russia.

Derek Gallup, executive vice president of fitness for New Evolution Ventures and chairman of IHRSA.

With business located around the world from personal training, innovation and invention to the fight game, social fitness, and investment, this episode brings a wealth of insight in the form of answers to three questions…

1. What brings you to IHRSA?
2. What gaps have yet to be filled in the industry?
3. What emerging trends do you see in the industry right now?

Episode highlights -

• What approaches should you be implementing to grow your mind and pass that knowledge onto your clients?
• How these questions related to the reversal of the global physical inactivity epidemic, and what can be done to forward progress on this important issue.
• Discover the future of fitness and how trade shows can take your business to another level.
• How can you appeal to other groups in society such as the younger generation and the elderly; not just focussing on fitness for adults?
• How to encourage people to live their lives with integrated fitness for improved health and betterment on a personal level, too.
• How technology and the virtual world is set to expand and will data take over in importance?

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with the thought leading experts of fitness at IHRSA….

In this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, we meet David Weck, creator of the BOSU ball and his eponymous training methodology, WeckMethod, to learn everything there is to know about the importance of movement and money.

Founder of WeckMethod, inventor of BOSU Balance Trainer, patent expert, trainer and entrepreneur, for 25 years David Weck been helping people reach their potential at the peak of their fitness while also rehabilitating those that have mobility impairment or disability.

From his San Diego laboratory, David tests and vets the next fitness and movement innovations before releasing them to gyms and programmes around the world. From a young age, he's trained with the intensity of a world class athlete throughout college, pouring through assets, researching training techniques and the latest science in sport.

He became a PT to make money after getting into acting. Through a passion for roller blading around Manhattan (he didn't travel on foot for six years) he understood the importance of flow. It was an injury to his back led to him discovering the stability ball, and the rest is history.

David's used the BOSU ball to train world class athletes from the US Olympic Ski Team, the New York Yankees, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Baltimore Ravens, the New Jersey Devils and more. His revolutionary product, backed by his movement methodology is relied upon in gyms around the world.

David's Chinese medicine background has led him to innovate and revolutionise the approach of many within the fitness industry.

WeckMethod is all about discovering the importance of training ambidexterity through fluidity in movement and strength. It was the danger of standing on a stability ball that led to the creation of BOSU; David came up with the idea while post-rehabbing after injuring his back in a motorcycle accident. Not only is BOSU a manufactured product worldwide, but it's accompanied by a methodology that can be applied to every movement in any workout.

The BOSU ball helps with stability and core functionality by allowing athletes to transmit force through the body and train to leverage the power of your heel and your core, for example.

David explains his reasoning for each business venture in his own words: "Just knowing that I'm going to do whatever it takes and I'll die trying to make this thing go. I will not fail. That's the thing that keeps you going. Then you get thrilled by the successes."

Episode Highlights:

• Why answering the existential question of "what I'm going to do with my life" doesn't have to be the final direction for your entrepreneurial decisions.
• Discover the joy of being able to move with speed and have no effort, and how David found his passion through roller blading.
• How risk versus reward can lead to practical problem solving, and why the BOSU is the best example of instability with the perfect stability.
• Realise your relationship with force, and how you can use time-served techniques to overcome any resistance, whether physical or metaphorical.
• Why your intellectual property rights are extremely important and how protecting them can immediately give you a better start in business.

Watch the full episode on YouTube – https://youtu.be/1oE4tH8ybus

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with David Weck, creator of the BOSU ball….

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Meet the Hollywood trio that has found the groundbreaking formula to help bring the chaga mushroom's powerful benefits to the masses. They're all about making the best product possible, through education and understanding and doing it because they care.

Friends for over a decade, the Shroomsmen – Tulsy Ball, his brother Prema and their business partner Doug Kraft, never thought they'd be in business together. Collectively, their background of personal training, spirituality, acting and directing has come together to contribute entrepreneurial insight that is at the heart of Chagit.

Doug had been a personal trainer for 20 years. Tulsy and Prema, however, had an altogether different background, growing up in a Hindu commune in northern California where their mother cooked for George Harrison. The trio met in Hollywood working in the film industry, where their love for storytelling aligned their passion behind and in front of the camera.

Having heard about the chaga mushroom through a television opportunity, brothers Prema and Tulsy researched the process after they were told how intense it could be for harvesters fighting bears and dealing with the wilderness, all for chaga's direct medicinal and indirect financial benefits.

The Chagit Heath Shot uses the most powerful antioxidant ever known – the chaga medicinal mushroom. According to research, this mushroom has 215 different components, with 14 found nowhere else in nature and one that's effective in more ways than we can name when it comes to your health!

For athletic performance, the chaga mushroom also increases blood flow around the body, which in turn benefits energy, endurance and battles inflammation. It also boosts your immune system in ways beyond many other ingestible options.

All three Shroomsmen have a personal stake in the company, with family health and personal wellbeing at the forefront of the venture. Hear how they're making the world a better place for every client and customer.

Episode Highlights:

• How multiple skillsets within a business can complement each other and be put to great use in any new industry, and how to prioritise business direction.
• Overcoming personal health issues and how your own wellbeing can affect business decisions for the better.
• Why not being in business together can grow significant roots that can lead to the best business partnership you'll find.
• The challenge of making a profitable sales venture from something that you know has value but isn't widely known in the world, and how to overcome it.
• Why it's vital to research legislation, and what to do when growth leads to legal issues forcing you to give away your product for free.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Tulsy, Prema and Doug of the Chagit Health Shot.

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Best selling author, CEO of futurethink and keynote speaker of IHRSA, Lisa Bodell has transformed thousands of organisations to make more of their time, and inspired even more people to innovate in strategy, ideas, process and climate.

IHRSA's keynote speaker for 2018, Lisa is CEO of futurethink, internationally recognised innovation, research and training gurus. Her background of working in corporate America means she's used to dealing with speaking to huge crowds that are passionate for change, which made her the perfect pick for the San Diego stage.

On top of her forward-thinking and public speaking, Lisa is also the author of Why Simple Wins: Escape the Complexity Trap and Get to Work That Matters, among other titles, meaning that we can all learn a lot from this respected thought leader, in an industry that's always hungry for innovation and new ways of leveraging time and resource.

Lisa founded futurethink 20 years ago on the premise that everyone can innovate, they just need to know how. futurethink focuses on helping people all around the world eliminate complexity and be able to unlock innovation within their teams through practical tips and advice from experience.

From futurethink's award-winning library of innovation resources to dynamic trainers, Lisa and her team inspire and enable entire organizations to think differently, drive change, and achieve innovation success.

Episode Highlights:

• Why most of the complexity we deal with in our work is not put on us, but chosen by us, and how to distinguish between valuable work and what's not worth your time.
• How "We create the beast that we become the slave to," and why it's important to rely more on your gut feeling.
• Is culture important in a company? What does it mean and how can you use this to encourage simplification in processes.
• What is meaningful work? Can you articulate what you want? Do you feel that you should be doing something more? Learn how to shift your time to more valuable things, whether that's quantifiable or perceived.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Lisa Bodell of futurethink…

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From NFL Hall of Famers to Hollywood superstars, Todd Durkin has improved and inspired them all to be the best that they can be physically, mentally and spiritually. This episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast is more than just workout motivation or business advice, it will change your life for the better.

Todd started out from humble beginnings with no money, no clients and no business plan, simply wanting to share his passion. Through his insatiable thirst for learning and unshakeable faith, he's gone from putting everything on the line to inspiring people around the world through innovative culture implementation and a positive mindset.

His approach to training goes way beyond simple sets and reps, with an outlook of: "conditioning drives success." If you're training hard and eating right, you'll be inspired. With everything he does, Todd nurtures the head, the heart and the hunger for accomplishment in countless walks of life through mastermind coaching, mentorship, motivation, keynote speeches and development programmes.

Guided by his mentor, Wayne Cotton, Todd Durkin founded San Diego's Fitness Quest 10 in January 2000. It's grown from 2000 sq feet with carpet on the floor and refurbished equipment to 8000 sq ft of inspirational fitness space where work is more than just how much you can lift. Here, mindfulness and a whole-body approach is taken to improving your personal and professional world.

In Todd's own words: "We change lives and we're the best part of your day, every day."

Episode Highlights:

• You're part of a team in any business; in this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast you'll hear how to use the NFL as a comparison for success.
• Why it's important to delegate enough so that you're able to grow the business, and why your entrepreneurial venture needs a director of first impressions.
• How hard-hitting advice from a business partner can really make you take a step back and fully understand what changes you need to make.
• Discover Todd's ultimate morning routine that will leave you ready to conquer the day spiritually, physically and mentally.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with a fitness legend and motivational guru, Todd Durkin…

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Through his construction and real estate background, whether weightlifting or in business, Miguel Aguilar is someone who has never stopped building. Now, with what could be the largest training facility in the United States at 18,000 sq ft, Self Made Training is proof of how establishing concrete foundations can lead to huge creations.

Miguel starts his story with three hard-hitting words: abandoned, homeless and broke. His mother abandoned him when he was 12 years old, leaving him with an alcoholic, drug addicted father who soon became incarcerated. From there, Miguel and his brother were kicked out at 16-years-old by their step-mother. It's this hard start to life that left Miguel with the determination to overcome circumstances out of his control and accept responsibility for barriers to success that he himself has caused since.

On a fitness front, wrestling was Miguel's family, keeping him away from the depths of the dark side before getting into the construction industry to put his work ethic to good use. Literally and metaphorically, Miguel wrestled to win. He soon moved on from his construction path and into real estate and it wasn't long before he was selling 98 homes in a year.

Now, as founder and CEO of Self Made Training Facility in California, Miguel invests his time and efforts towards the company he's built to ensure that his personal training staff members are successful in their own business ventures as well, giving them flexibility and entrepreneurial opportunity with clients in the Self Made family.

The Self Made Training business began as a creation in Miguel's garage. This is a theme that's continued through to the success we see today, in expansive fitness spaces that are very high end but stick with that garage feel.

Through Instagram and Facebook, Miguel blew up engagement to create a movement that grabbed attention and cemented Self Made Training in the fitness industry. Within six to seven months of being fully functional and fully staffed, Miguel had his investment back and started to research if the model would work in another location 25 miles away.

Today, over 90 personal trainers take to these non-membership gyms with a sales-free approach on high-end equipment that has motivation at the heart of everything they offer. In the company's own words… Self Made Training Facility has the tools you need to be a champion.

Episode Highlights:

• How to overcome dark times and real challenges, plan your professional life and then have the courage to try something completely new.
• Use what you're good at to model your approach in everything else you do. This way, you can take inspiration and advice from a way of thinking that you may have previously discounted as being totally unrelated.
• Why it's important to give your PTs and self-contracters the flexibility to run businesses in the way they want to, and how this entrepreneurial approach brings big returns.
• How etiquette and understanding allows every division of a company to operate whether professionally speaking, or physically when sharing the same space for different goals.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Miguel Aguilar of Self Made Training Facility…

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Scott Perry, co-founder of MOTION Fitness Group believes that it's time for familiar interval training to move aside, as high intensity resistance training is the way forward. Here's how he and his team have forged the new fashion in fitness that's here to stay.

The day that Scott got into fitness professionally, after choosing a path through firefighting school, a friend introduced himself during a bicep curls session to suggest a PT career with the main positives explained as: good money, free membership and a lot of girls.

Since then, he opened his first location aged just 29, and has now reached a successful state where he wears many hats of marketing, money, back end business and more for MOTION, with a bright future ahead.

In this episode, Scott discusses in detail the low points of his career, defining moments in his life that hurt at the time but helped in hindsight. He also explains how the a-ha moments at every point have helped shape his direction and bring him to where he is today.

Putting the HIRT on HIIT, high intensity resistance training is taking over from high intensity interval training as MOTION focuses more on things that take time to move, rather than jumping from one exercise to the next. Here, it's all about time under tension, using high energy exercises to great music, but with everyone focusing on form to burn more fat and benefit the body in every sense.

Episode Highlights:

• Is HIIT dead? Is HIRT here to stay? Learn how to take advantage of industry trends, and how to create your own.
• Hear how the language behind your business invokes feeling in clients and why it's important to nail down your verbiage strategy. Learn how to come up with a new name for your studio.
• Hear how this industry influencer lost a job as a trainer and went on to open their own studio, and why this was the best thing that could have happened to him.
• Why the traditional path to success, whether that be following tradition or solely going through the education system, may not be the way that works for you.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Scott Perry, co-founder of MOTION Fitness Group.

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With a huge level of energy from people cheering you on or pushing through their limits to reach the same finish line as you, sometimes literally, Fitness On Fire is an all-encompassing community. Here's how Josh and Haydee Graves have achieved a social hub of Spartan obstacle races, sweat and support to provide the "and then what" programme for forever fitness.

There's more to the couple heading up Fitness On Fire than simply a passion for fitness, each other and their clients. Josh and Haydee Graves have taken an innovative approach to training initiatives alongside creating a content engine for affiliate scheme benefits and growing themselves as authorities within the industry.

It's this fresh take that proves this California community gym is somewhere that clients can get more than just a physical benefit from a membership. Both Josh and Haydee have spent over a decade in the industry, honing their skills in 24 Hour Fitness locations, with different responsibilities that have benefitted their current joint venture.

Josh has a head for the sales and fitness side, knowing how to get the clients, while Haydee comes from a service and managerial background, with the skills and experience of running a business. Both complement each other's abilities from their previous experience.

Between the two of them, business acumen and passion and persistence come together to give Fitness On Fire a systematic success routine of detail for every aspect of the gym.

Built on foundations of community, good coaching and self development, Fitness On Fire has its members at the heart of everything it does, working together towards the same goal.

The way you do one thing is often the way you do most things, so believing you're going to keep working until you reach the point you want to reach is something that's at the heart of the entire business ethos and mindset.

First and foremost, members are introduced to the importance of movement – you have to move well first. So in order to take on bigger challenges, Josh, Haydee and the team approach the form, range of motion and more to ensure that everyone is as able as possible before taking on their first challenge.

Spartan races regularly bond the FOF community as each member trains for the same goal together. Each race becomes an anchor point, not just for those looking to get fit in the first place but for those looking to challenge themselves further after reaching their initial goals.

It's this aspect of achievement after achievement, both on a personal and team level, that ensures retention and longevity that is only bettered by enjoyment and enthusiasm.

Episode Highlights:

• How you can gain the skill to persuade people to take action, and why the word "sales" is something you should embrace, as opposed to avoiding.
• Learn how to motivate your membership, not just to get fit, but to keep engaged after they've reached their first goals and beyond.
• Discover why strength takes care of everything, and why it's important to ensure members move well before they even learn to do anything else.
• What's the difference between a business and a corporation in terms of structure, success routines, communication and more.
• Why you should treat your business as if you're going to franchise it, even if you have no plans to do so.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Josh and Haydee Graves of Fitness On Fire to discover how passion provides the perfect opportunity for personal and professional pleasure with a healthy dose of profit for good measure…

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