Vigor Life Podcast

http://www. VigorGroundFitness.com I grew up watching my oldest brother play rugby – something he still does to this day. The current captain of the Slovenian National Rugby Team, he has become someone the sport respects. Growing up I would watch rugby with him; which led to an infatuation with the New Zealand All-Blacks. There was something different about them. And I loved the Haka they did befo...

There are only two types of businesses: those who are going through tough times, and those that will go through tough times. The same goes for life. This is not just me being negative, it's me being real. If you don’t think you’ll ever go through tough times, you won't be prepared for them when they come. And if you're not prepared, it's hard to make it through your challenges as a winner. In toda...

3 or 4 years ago I wrote a blog post with 99 lessons from life in it. At the time, I didn’t think much about. So when it went viral I was surprised by how many people enjoyed and shared it. Last year I decided to give my original post an upgrade. I ended up rewriting a lot of it – pulling from my notes in my journals, my voice recordings, as well as insights on things I had changed since then. Wha...

In this episode of the podcast I sit down with Vigor Coach, Theo Bowie to discuss the lessons we have learned and would tell our younger selves. We dig into things from two perspectives: 1. What we would tell ourselves if we were a young coach just coming into the industry who is looking to learn and grow personally and professionally. 2. What we would tell ourselves if we were a fitness business...

I met Paul Mort in a business mastermind almost a decade ago. At the time, he was a personal trainer running boot camps in England and had built it up to 17 locations. He was brilliant — but at the same time — crazy, and a roller coaster. Throughout the years we became close friends as I watched him build and sell companies, all while struggling personally with bi-polar disorder – which wrecked ha...

I’ve always been a hard worker. What The Rock calls, “the hardest worker in the room.” In a lot of ways, I had to be. I was dealt a “bad hand” and made some bad choices because of it growing up. I was short but chose to play basketball anyways. I grew up in Communism. Wasn’t great in school because I had what many would consider ADHD today. My Dad was away from age 11 doing his best to provide a b...

It’s important to get insight from multiple angles when it comes to fitness business, coaching, and succeeding as a team in a small business. To talk more about that, I brought in Vigor Coach, Theo Bowie to help answer your questions on coaching, programming, mindset, business, the things that influence our lives, and everything in between. Theo has been developing and growing within Vigor Ground...

I've been playing basketball since I was a kid, but started playing the sport seriously at age 11 after going to summer camps for years. I sucked at first, but got better the more hours I put in – which grew my love of the game. The game, the people, and many of the coaches that I've worked with over the years have taught me so more than the skills of the game. They've taught me skills for life an...

Recently I was asked to come and present to a group of team leaders at Boeing – with the goal to help with motivation and culture. This came about because some of the leaders at the company have been following my career and what I do at Vigor Ground. I had a few weeks to prepare so I dug deep into the bottlenecks I have faced in my career and business. I also thought through how I could best inspi...

I started business consulting in 2011 after having many coaches ask me how I was building Vigor Ground and its success at that time. For a long time I didn’t feel “comfortable” doing business coaching, but eventually pulled the trigger because I could see how I could help people build better gyms. A year later as I built a relationship with Steve Krebs, who at the time was also running a successfu...

When it comes to giving advice on anything, I am a proponent of a principle Ray Dahlio calls “believability”; which essentially boils down to listening to someone who has been there, done that, gone through/overcome the struggles, and is still doing it successfully. When it comes to fitness business and coaching Q & A’s I answer from a place of knowledge. I draw from all of the things that I’ve st...

Everyday I get asked hundreds of questions – whether from clients at Vigor Ground, podcast listeners or the gym owners I coach/mentor. Today I thought I'd open up the floor as a sort of Q & A to share some of these questions and the experiences that have inspired my answers to them. I start the episode with what I believe is the secret to success—and a foundation for achieving any big goal in your...

A need to feel connected and a valued part of a team / group is part of our DNA. It recently occurred to me that deep down we all know that we can't do it alone. We know that NBA championships are not won by individuals. They are won by a collection of individuals who make that team great. It's the same with work and life. We are better together when we are surrounded by great team members. In thi...

It’s easy to go through your day, week, and even life saying that certain things matter to you—that you stand for or against them and that they’re part of your values. But how often do you live up to these values? What guides you to stay on the path of living in integrity with your own personal life, business and career? The key is being honest with yourself. A super effective way to make sure tha...

I tend to be careful not to take advice from anyone who hasn’t been in business for at least 5 years. This rule is not set in stone, but I like to get wisdom from people who have been there done, that and are still doing it. The people who have withstood the test of time, change and innovation. Mike Robertson is one of those people. Mike has been a friend of mine for a decade. He owns one of the t...

Ideas, effectively packaged and delivered, can change the world. So, wouldn’t it be amazing to identify the *exact* techniques shared by the world’s greatest communicators, then apply their secrets to wow your audiences? One of the most valuable skillsets that I have built in the last two decades is the skillset of communication. Whether it’s with my clients, on stages where I get to present, or t...

We have sacrificed conversation for mere connection. At work, at home, with friends, and in love, we find ways around real conversations – instead choosing to engage with people via text, social media, email and other communication methods where we don't have to engage with people in real life (and reveal our true selves). Without conversation, there can be no genuine connection. I don't believe t...

The road to a disengaged team is paved with good intentions. Nobody sets out to make their team overwhelmed, stressed out or miserable. But unfortunately, that often happens when people manage people. As hard as it may be to accept, that horrible boss, manager or owner that you know likely isn't a bad person. In fact, if you got to know them, I'm sure you'd find them to be a good hearted person wh...

Some call him the most interesting man in the world, I just call him my brother. From becoming a core justice translator at a record breaking 23-years old, to speaking seven languages fluently, traveling to almost 80 countries across the world, and coaching some of the highest level soccer players in Europe, you could say the title fits. In this episode we dive into the topics of sports performanc...

Have you ever created an assessment of who you’re around and how they affect your mood, behaviors, and energy? Assessing how the people you surround yourself with make you react/respond is crucial to not only the direction of your life, but also the quality of your experiences. In this episode I explore the mindset around the reality that your life is strongly influenced by the people you choose t...

Everyone now knows that managers and leaders need to coach their people. There’s endless articles about it, yet hard to find actionable steps that outline HOW to become a good coach. Surprising given the fact that coaching continues to prove that it has  “markedly positive” affects on performance. You’re probably not getting very effective coaching, and you’re probably not delivering very effectiv...

Americans have become some of the most active humans in the world. In the last 20 years, there’s been a huge increase in gym memberships and people are training more than ever.  It may sound like things are (finally) headed in the right direction. The only thing is: they're not. Obesity continues to climb as do cardiovascular related diseases, while general health is declining. So what's wrong? Ho...

After I got off my 16th strategy call for fitness business coaching this month, and hearing that one of the bottlenecks in their business was lack of commitment from coaches and clients, I realized I needed to shoot this podcast. While it’s a possibility that coaches and clients are not as committed as you’d like them to be. It’s probable that the reason behind this is something else. It wasn’t th...

I have been in the gym business for almost a decade in a half. After reflecting deeply on where I am right now, I realized that there are some key principles and lessons (that I've learned along the way) that are crucial to not only building your vision long-term, but also to enjoying the journey along the way. Some of the lessons come in the realm of personal mindset. Others come from creating de...

Do you believe that you’re a coach? Do you believe becoming a better coach would help you improve your business, family, profits, and lifestyle – not to mention how much you enjoy what you do? I certainly do, and it’s at the foundation of all my businesses. This time around I sit down with my friend and one of the people that’s influenced me more than anyone else — to become the greatest coach I c...