On this episode of Build Your Network, Host Travis Chappell interviews Bedros Keuilian, owner of one of the fastest gym franchises in the world and author.
Topics Discussed:
- About Bedros Keuilian
- He calls himself the immigrant edge and the American dream.
- They lived in the communist country of Armenia.
- His dad was Americanized in a communist country, which was frowned upon.
- In 1981 his brother was about to be shipped off to war and his father had to come up with a way to get them to the U.S.
- His father began to sell suits on the black market to save up enough to bribe the government to let them escape.
- Talk about why it’s important to do hard things?
- Once you know there’s a better opportunity for you, you have a built-in opportunity to explore.
- The most you’re putting at risk is some of your time and money.
- His dad was a master networker and knew how to win people over.
- His dad taught him that every day you need to wake up and serve other people.
- When they came here and needed the money to make rent, his father had him dumpster dive.
- His dad discovered that grocery stores throw their expired foods into dumpsters, that’s what they ate.
- If you don’t have your humor, are resourceful, or resilient, you will fail.
- Do you have memories of your early life in the U.S. that are negative?
- No, his dad framed it as fun and helped frame his whole attitude.
- He does remember being laughed at and yelled at for being foreign.
- One of the ways they found clothes, furniture, and more was through dumpsters.
- For three years he was known as Herman because of a shirt that he wore.
- Talk about how to prepare yourself for an economic downturn?
- Preparation is all mental, you have to be willing to believe that the future is going to be bright again.
- If you get sucked into pessimism, you think you have to keep living at a lower standard of life.
- If your competition is starting to contract, you have to figure out how to kill them faster.
- Figure out who else you can recruit, and get some of the best talents for pennies on the dollar.
- Talk about how to make sure you’re on the right end of the equation during an economic crisis.
- The money doesn’t disappear in a crash, it just changes hands.
- Your job as an entrepreneur is to find the people who have the money and sell them your product.
- Many businesses were built during the economic crash when other businesses were crumbling.
- Why is your goal for Fit Body Bootcamp 2,500 franchises?
- He’s noticed that businesses in his space grow too big and too fast and then implode on themselves.
- He knows that he needs 2,500 franchises with 500 members each to reach 5 million people.
- Talk about how to do the inner work of “manning up.”
- If you want to move ahead in life you have to “man up” and get out of your comfort zone.
- It’s about taking control of your situation.
- Take control of your situation as a human whether you’re woman or a man.
- How long did it take you before you took control of your leadership?
- Because he hadn’t grown as a leader, his leadership ability became the lid of his success.
- In 2014 he had a massive anxiety attack that he thought was a heart attack.
- He then had a whole bunch more attacks afterward.
- In 2015 he got a therapist, and he taught him that he was living in anticipation of future pain.
- He had to man up and have a difficult conversation with his business partner.
- Does your ability to have tough conversations directly affect your success?
- Yes, there is a direct correlation.
- He still sees the same therapist he’s always seen.
- A therapist will roleplay with you and teach you how to communicate.
- Working with a therapist has a negative connotation.
- How did you overcome limiting beliefs?
- He had an unhealthy relationship with money, that it was unattainable.
- For affluent people, money is a means to impact.
- The number one thing that people can do to change perspective is to get a mentor who is already leading the life that they want and be open-minded.
- His original mentor turned him on to virtual mentors.
- Cut out the mediocre people from around you.
- If you want to have a successful life, you have to be willing to take risks and live in the extreme.
- Proximity is power.
- Environmental exposure is important, you start to pick up on their habits.
- Get around people who are on a different level, and then keep leveling up.
- Do you believe that who you know or what you know is more important, and why?
- Who I know, because what I don’t know I can get from who I know.
The Random Round:
- What profession other than your own do you think it would be fun to attempt?
- Bartender
- If you could sit on a park bench with anyone for an hour who would it be, and why?
- Oprah Winfrey
- How do you like to consume content?
- Audiobooks
- What’s a book you’d recommend?
- Napoleon Hill’s Outwitting the Devil
- Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz
- Give us a glimpse of your morning routine?
- Wake up between 5 am and 5:30
- Protein, coffee
- Play with dog
- Text people he’s grateful for
- Sit on the couch and go through magic time
- He dominates his list between 7 am and 9 am
- Head to the gym at 9 am
- Get home, shower, meeting
- The day starts at 12 pm
- What is something that you are not very good at?
- Reading a book out loud.
- What is your go-to pump up song?
- Roar by Katy Perry
- What is one place where we can find you the most?
- Instagram @bedros
- manup.com
Tweetable Quotes:
- Come with a giving hand.
- When the economy crashed, that’s when I created Fit Body Bootcamp.
- At the end of the day, we have jobs so we can enjoy our family and our lives.
- Trauma creates lens.
Resources Mentioned:
- Man Up – book by Bedros Keuilian
- Visit Travis’ website at travischappell.com
- Join the Build Your Network Facebook group travischappell.com/group
- If you want to amplify your network through podcasting apply at travischappell.com/makemypodcast
- Leave a rating and review for World Class on iTunes
