[jbox color=”blue” vgradient=”#fdfeff|#bae3ff” border=”5″ radius=”5″ shadow=”5″]
This blog post is from our very own in house apprentice Alex Hormozi.
Alex left a very comfortable life to pursue his passion and learn “the trade”
Without further ado, here is Alex.
A girl introduces her new fiancé to her family:
Harvard MBA
Management Consultant
Graduated Zuma Cum Laude in 3 years
Making +$100k/year
The father takes a deep breath in, still judging the individual. He isn’t sure, but something seems off. He seems exhausted, like he is wearing a mask.
The mother is ecstatic, her daughter nabbed a “keeper.” Her daughter and her grandchildren will be financially secure, for the rest of her life. They can finally stop worrying.
The mother grabs his arm, pulls him in close and escorts him, shoulder to shoulder into the house where a dinner is prepared asking all sorts of easy conversation starters to warm them both up for the dinner to come.
During the meal, they talk at length about official “business” and what his line of work entails and some of the fascinating people he has met at Harvard, and the interesting businesses he has improved.
The fiancé announces “My father always said, doing what you love is a myth. You can either do what you love and be poor, or do something that people value and get paid, allowing you to pursue the lifestyle you desire for the rest of the hours outside of work.”
Wait. Rewind.
This is pretty much exactly where my life was headed. I was 22, making a very solid income, with an apartment to my name in a high-rise in downtown Baltimore. As I sat on my balcony and looked out over the lights of the city, I couldn’t help feeling a sharp stab of terror in my gut – is this it?
I had done everything I was told to do my whole life and I had received everything I was promised, except something was missing. I had worked hard in school, studied for the big standardized tests, got into the big name universities and was in the process of submitting my applications for Harvard, Stanfard, and Wharton MBA programs when I stopped being able to write. It wasn’t a writer’s block, it was a life block.
It wasn’t that I hated what I was doing, it was that I had something else that had been gnawing at my core for the last 9 years – another love.
Just as you cannot date someone when your heart is committed to another, I could no longer feign my love for this profession that presented so well, but left me empty inside.
I knew what I was supposed to do, but I was afraid. I was afraid to fail.
I was afraid of being called an idiot for leaving other people’s dreams to pursue something less prestigious – something that someone can do without even a high school diploma.
I was afraid of what my parents would think, and my peers. I was afraid they would whisper what a disappointment I had become, and how I had shown so much promise…so much…potential.
This ate at me so much I could hardly sleep. I took off from work because I needed to get my head straight.
Then all of a sudden, I thought about this:
If I don’t do it, I will always be miserable wondering what would have happened if I had, and that will be true misery. If I fail, I will never regret taking the decision to pursue my dream. And, besides, It would be a great essay. Most business schools like to see an entrepreneurial flare and a comfort with calculated risk.
As soon as I thought this, my decision became clear: I was going into the fitness industry. It had been my obsession – and everyone in my life knew it. After I broke the knews, my friends said “Finally, we’ve been waiting for you to come around.”
My family was less excited. They were seeing their golden child march off into a battle where the enemy was unknown, and this scared them, as much as it scared me.
But what was my next step?
A consultant and researcher by trade, I know that the best way to find out information is NOT to read books but to track down experts and find out what they do and where they get their information.
So, I looked all over the internet to see if there was anyone who was doing particularly well in the fitness industry – someone I could emulate.
After about a week of incessant reading, I came upon Sam Bakhtiar’s Fitness Concepts. I watched the videos, I read all the free material, I saw his facebook and youtube videos. He seemed to be conscious about balancing life and work. Passion and profit. He was a dedicated father and husband, and I instantly saw what my old profession would have silently robbed me of – a life. So, I decided to reach out.
Sam responded almost instantly and asked what he could do for me.
After a 1.5 hour skype conversation, Sam offered me an apprenticeship. I would learn the ropes while also giving my particular viewpoint on things given my consulting background. And, in time, we would hopefully open up new locations together.
I was young and had lots of time and hunger.
Sam had years of experience and less time to give but the desire to grow his company nonetheless.
A perfect partnership.
It all sounded too good to be true until I put all of my belongings into the back of my car, gave away the rest, sold my apartment, and drove across the country with a cooler full of food.
Then I realized it was even better.
Since I arrived to California, and have been so warmly welcomed into the Fitness Concepts family, it has been a whirlwind of excitement. I actually work about as many hours as I did when I was consulting, but never once look at a clock or feel like I am at work.
I change people’s lives using the knowledge-base I have been blessed with an addiction to.
In the coming weeks, I will be posting some of the lessons I have learned while working with crazy man Sam everyday. If you don’t know me, please introduce yourself, I am always looking to help people look better and change their lives. After all, it’s what I’ve dedicated my life to.
Look out for some crazy lessons I learned from Sam to improve your business and life.
Alex
PS – Checkout Alex’s Non-Profit Website
[/jbox]