Episode 132: The Pebble

Episode 132– Pebble How you do anything is how you do everything. In other words, consistency > everything else. We can talk ourselves into anything. We're masters of justification. We tell ourselves, "I can live with it" when we encounter small problems in our lives, and in our business. We avoid hard conversations because we fear the downside. We allow people to take advantage of our goodwill because, on balance, the relationship is slightly more positive than negative. But sooner or later, these little "pebbles" cause us to walk with a limp. We compensate for the bad habits of others. We shift our schedule around to cover. We stay at the gym to "make sure" a coach shows up on time instead of making sure they always show up on time.  After awhile, we just become accustomed to the limp. But others notice, and the more we compensate the more long-term damage we do to ourselves, until eventually we need surgical action to repair our problem.  Worse, in the service industry, we think no one notices our limp; that it's our own private sacrifice. But they do. We think, "Clients won't care if I jump into class and exercise with them instead of coaching them." But they do. We tell ourselves, "My staff will know that they should take the garbage out when they leave tonight." But they don't. We're willfully blind to the service we're offering, and believe our clients will see past the overfilled garbage cans, past the never-answered phone, past the bad language of our 7pm coach...they won't. They see our limp.  When problems grow to become crises, are they too late to fix? No. Pricing errors, even carried for ten years, can be corrected. We have the best surgeons in the world at TwoBrain. But that doesn't mean it's going to be easy, or painless. You'll still probably require some rehabilitation, and we'll be there for you when you do. But it's SO much simpler to remove the pebbles in your shoe instead of waiting for a hip replacement. In this episode, I share a half-dozen pebbles that I've removed at Catalyst over the years. Then I give you a few tips on taking action to identify and remove your own. Some listeners might dislike the overall message here. Some might really dislike one of my decisions in particular. They'll say "It's my gym, and I'll do what I want!" And it's true: they own their gym. But it's really their CLIENT'S gym. And if there's a pebble in your client's shoe, they won't stand it for long. Some of the Pebbles I've Removed (and How I Did It): Allowing "gym dogs" Giving discounts Selling access instead of coaching Offering each client an inconsistent experience Free trials What areas of your gym need improvement? How are you doing as an entrepreneur? Take our test at www.twobrain.com/test and find out! Then, with your mentor, identify the pebbles within your business and create a plan to start removing them from your life. The best way to get started is to start right away! The anticipation of removing the pebbles is often worse than actually doing so and because of this you need to get started right now. Timeline: 2:17 – Ask yourself the important questions, What is my Pebble? 5:40 – Entrepreneurs are meant to get people away from saying maybe 6:29 – What pebbles did I incur when I started my CrossFit gym, Catalyst 7:47 – Why I don't allow gym pets at Catalyst 11:03 – Is offering discounts to new or existing clients a good idea? 14:03 – Why I no longer sell Open Gym 18:43 – The importance of treating each of your clients with consistency 21:12 – Why I no longer do free trials 25:20 – How to determine the pebble in your shoe and maximize your gyms potential 26:34 – How to begin to start removing pebbles from your life and business 29:38 – Two Brain Stories with John Franklin