March 17, 2025 • 45 mins
Bonus 7 - Unlock your motivation in our latest episode featuring Devan Gonzalez, a dynamic entrepreneur and fitness enthusiast whose journey inspires countless individuals. From a young age, Devan was pushed to explore different sports, leading him to become a martial arts instructor at just 13. This early exposure laid the groundwork for his lifelong passion for fitness and entrepreneurship.
In this engaging conversation, Devan reveals how he transitioned from personal training into founding Strive 11 Fitness—a unique gym model that mixes the energy of boot camps with the personal touch of individualized training. Through a flexible schedule and passionate coaching, Strive 11 allows members to achieve their fitness goals while fitting seamlessly into busy lives.
Delving deeper, Devan shares valuable insights on the critical role of mindset in overcoming obstacles and building a lasting legacy. He emphasizes that our beliefs can significantly impact our actions, shaping our personal and professional paths. Learn how Devan masterfully balances family life with the demands of being a successful entrepreneur, reminding us that presence within our homes is just as important as our pursuits outside.
Ready to break limits and inspire greatness? Tune in to this motivational episode, and don’t forget to visit Devan's website www.devangonzalez.com for resources and further inspiration! Subscribe, share, and leave a review to support our journey as we explore fascinating stories from remarkable individuals.
Want to be a guest on Journey with Jake? Send me a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/journeywithjake
Visit LandPirate.com to get your gear that has you, the adventurer, in mind. Use the code "Journey with Jake" to get an additional 15% off at check out.
Visit geneticinsights.co and use the code "DISCOVER25" to enjoy a sweet 25% off your first purchase.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey everyone, happy St Patrick's Day and happy
Motivation Monday.
I'm not sure if MotivationMonday is officially a thing,
but today I'm making it one withthis special bonus episode.
My guest is Devin Gonzalez, thecreator of Strive 11 Fitness
and the Mindset Cafe podcast.
Devin's journey is one ofperseverance, passion and
(00:20):
purpose and, if you're anythinglike me, you'll walk away
feeling truly inspired.
So buckle up and get ready foran incredible ride with
entrepreneur Devin Gonzalez.
Welcome to Journey with Jake.
This is a podcast aboutadventure and how, through our
adventures, we can overcome thechallenges of life that come our
way.
While I expect you will learnsome things about different
(00:40):
adventures, this show willentertain you.
Each episode will featuredifferent guests or guests as
they share experiences andstories from the different
adventures they have been on.
Not only will you beentertained, but you'll also
hear the failures and trialseach guest faces and what they
have done or are doing toovercome the hardships that come
their way.
My goal is to take each of uson a journey through the
(01:03):
experiences of my guests, withthe hope that you'll be
entertained and inspired toovercome your day-to-day
challenges.
After all, it's not all aboutthe destination as it is about
the journey.
(01:28):
Hey everyone, welcome back tothis bonus episode of Journey
with Jake.
I'm your host, jake Bushman,and it was an absolute honor to
have Devin Gonzalez on the showwith me.
We'll be back to our regularThursday episode soon, starting
with Jorge Salas-Guevara thisweek, but in the meantime, sit
back and enjoy this specialbonus episode with Devin.
I've got Devin Gonzalez with mehere today.
(01:49):
Devin, welcome to.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Journey with Jake.
Thank you so much for having me.
This is going to be fun.
This is awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, absolutely I don't know you, devin, so I kind
of want to get to know you alittle bit.
I know we're going to talkabout fitness and mindset, those
type of things, and I knowyou're a entrepreneur, a CEO,
you're, you're doing all kindsof things.
But before we dive into allthat, I want to know just a
little bit about your background, kind of maybe where you're
from, where you grew up, thatsort of thing.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, I'm the oldest of threeboys, you know, so you have
that older brother.
You know role growing up.
I grew up in Los Angeles, inCanyon country, santa Frida, you
know, I grew up in Los Angeles,in Canyon Country, santa Frida,
you know, growing up as thefirst of three boys.
I just realized this earlierwhen I was talking to someone
that I had a rule with myparents that they didn't make my
other brothers do and that wasessentially with sports.
(02:35):
I had to try a sport at leastone time and if I didn't like it
then I didn't have to do itafter that.
But it wasn't like you go tryit and play one time.
It was a season I had to try.
I've done everything, from liketennis to, you know, fencing,
to martial arts, you know thewhole nine.
I remember even with likefencing, my mom was I won a
(02:57):
little trophy in the competitionand I was like I hate this and
she was like you got first place.
I was like I hate it, I triedit, I don't want to do it again,
don't make me do this Right,but I mean that was one of those
things where they made me tryeverything and that led into me.
Getting into martial arts, youknow, even though I didn't like
it in the beginning, I gotcoached and, you know, ended up
loving it, became a martial artsinstructor at the age of 13.
(03:17):
And that was really the initialball rolling for me of finding
my passion, or my calling card,unbeknownst to me at the time.
That led me into getting intopersonal training, switching my
college major from businessmanagement to kinesiology.
Going into opening up my ownpersonal training company, where
(03:38):
I mean, I was a solopreneur butstill it is a company helping
launch a prep school formiddle-aged basketball athletes,
and then eventually opening upmy own personal, you know, gym
bootcamp style.
It's called Strive, love andFitness and we just launched the
franchise model of that lastyear.
In the midst of all that, youknow, I just launched my my book
(03:59):
Money Muscle Mindset as well,which was Amazon bestseller.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Woo, that's a lot of stuff you got going on.
Let's go back to the childhoodfor a minute.
The oldest of three boys andlike you said you, you had to
stick with something, youcouldn't just quit.
I'm guessing that wasn't thatway for your brothers, right?
Your younger brothers didn'thave to, didn't have that same
rule that they had to follow.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
No, the middle brother, it was similar but he
didn't have to try all thesports, you know, as long as
they were just happy if he didone.
I mean he was, you know, as akid he was the kid that would
find every angle to get out ofstuff.
You know where I was, just theokay, that's fine, okay, that's
fine.
And then my youngest brotherwas definitely the baby of the
(04:41):
family, you know, since I wasalready doing martial arts and
stuff, they didn't make him dotoo many sports and you know he
gravitated towards the martialarts already and they're like
look, you found, you found whatyou like, that's fine.
Well, you're, we're cool withit.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
All right.
So you did fencing, you did allkinds of different things, not
your common average everydaysports for kids.
Martial arts somewhat, but nottotally.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
How old were you when you started martial arts?
At first I was probably aroundfive and then I had stopped.
I mean, I did different youknow styles.
And then I started again when Iwas right around eight or nine.
And that was because, you know,they were getting my middle
brother to do it and theyconvinced me that I needed to be
the role model you know, showhim that, you know he needs to
go, whether he wants to or not.
And so I, you know, put my bigbrother pants on and I was like,
(05:27):
okay, like you know, we'regoing today, like we got to do
it, you know.
In that, you know, is when Ireally started to really like it
.
But I mean, the two main sportsI think I liked was martial
arts and competing in martialarts and then rugby was probably
my two favorite, both toughsports Got to be tough to be in.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Both of those things I know you said at first you
didn't really care for martialarts.
What was it that?
What made you start to enjoy it?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's not that I didn't care for martial arts.
I liked the actual martial artspart of it.
I didn't like I mean, as a kidyou either do or you don't I
didn't really like the fightingaspect of it, like I didn't like
getting punched in the face Notthat I do now, but it was one
of those things where I wasalways the younger kid in the
older kid class, right, and so Iwas too old to be the young kid
(06:09):
class and I was too young to bein the older one.
But you know, you naturally getmoved up, just get punked on
and, you know, beat up a littlebit in that older group class.
So I think for me it was my dadsaw, you know what was happening
and taking advice from yourparents, you always, you know,
(06:30):
view it a little bit differentlythan an outside source.
So he hired one of, like, myfavorite coaches at the gym and
he also brought in some of myfriends that were he was a
police officer, so some friendsthat were you know SWAT and you
know military and stuff to youknow coach me.
You know, even though he wassaying the same stuff he, you
stuff it was different whensomeone else said it.
So my coach, who's a boxingcoach and a jujitsu coach, at
the studio he would literally beon top of me telling me all
(06:54):
these different things, morethan just the technique and how
to do things, but sending mequotes or sending me different
mindset reframes, and I didn'tknow it at the time.
But it was starting to turnthat light bulb on and it was
flickering and then all of asudden I went for a belt
ceremony like a testing he.
I remember he whispered, youknow, in my ear one of the
quotes that he said.
(07:14):
It was the Teddy Roosevelt youknow one about.
You know how no one on theoutside can really judge the
person that's in the ring.
And I, all of a sudden he waslike what are you going to be?
And I was like, all of a suddenI was like, all right, let's do
it.
You know he's like you'vealready been knocked out, you've
already been hurt.
He's like what, either you'regoing to fight and you get hurt,
or you don't fight and youstill get hurt.
(07:34):
He's like you might as welljust fight.
And I was like, yeah know,eight to.
I was probably.
I think I was 13 at times.
The other kid was probably 15.
It looked like two UFC fightersthat just finished their fight.
Afterwards that blood gushingand everything, and it was just
like all of a sudden I was like,oh man, there's my
self-confidence.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Wow Okay, I love the fact that some of this mindset
stuff came into play at such ayoung age and maybe you didn't
know kind of what was going onwhen it was was happening.
Cause I feel like for me I lovehearing that's why I'm glad I
have you on the show today,cause I love hearing about
mindset and things like that andI think it's taken me a while
later in life to kind of reallyrealize you know, hey, the
(08:18):
importance of of these quotesand these things you know, to
kind of get my mind in the rightplace.
So I think that's pretty neatthat you kind of were were
getting fed that at such a youngage.
Maybe you didn't know what itwas, maybe it was just kind of,
but it was it did something foryou.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
No, definitely.
I mean, I didn't know what washappening at the time in terms
of, like, why they were sayingwhat they're saying, why, you
know, they're reframing my wayof.
They knew it would work, and soit.
Obviously it did work.
And later in life, diving into,into fitness and diving into
mindset and all these otherthings, even into the
entrepreneurial space, all thatstuff now started to make sense
(08:54):
on reframing and looking at itfrom a different perspective and
all these aspects, and it'slike oh, wow, like that's.
They knew what they were tryingto do and they knew they're
going to achieve it.
It was almost like a mental,like psychology, you know, twist
on it.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Being an instructor at only 13 years old.
What kind of influence did thathave on you?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I mean, I didn't know at the time but you know,
looking back on it, I thinkthat's when I really started to
establish myself in terms oflike knowing that I could coach
and lead, because I mean, mostpeople you know say, you know
would classify me as a leader,even though I wouldn't classify
myself as a leader, you know,outside of the business and
stuff like that, right, and itwas one of those things where
(09:36):
that was a testament to whatthey're saying.
But it's just naturally one ofthe things that I'm able to
communicate and get on someone'slevel and view things from
their perspective and make itmake sense to them.
Because it's like majority ofthe time I've been in your shoes
to a degree, right, so it'slike relating it in a way.
But at 13, I was teachingthree-year-old to five-year-olds
(09:57):
the little we used to call themlittle ninjas.
You know, all the way up to youknow grown adults.
Like I was running like thecardio kickboxing class with
grown adults at the age of 13.
And I mean I was a little bitmore mature for my age, but
still it's a 13 year old.
Like you know, they're not 18,19, 21.
Like majority of people couldbe like, okay, like there's a
kid teaching me right now.
(10:17):
The demand for respect in thatinitial authority was already
kind of set when I would walk onthe floor and not take excuses
and so forth from grown adults.
It's like you're here to getbetter yourself, like we're
going to do it, like I don'tcare if you cry, I don't care if
you, whatever you're like we'regoing to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Okay, man, you're, you're intimidating me right now
.
No, just kidding.
That's amazing for someonewho's only 13 to be able to have
that, especially with adults.
Like you know, you kind of whenyou have kids that are younger
or whatever you kind of can see,okay, yeah, I'm the older kid,
I'm the teenager here, they'rejust the, you know, five or six
year old.
But when you've got an adult inthere, you know that's going to
(10:55):
be a little bit intimidating,it sounds like that didn't,
didn't phase you.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Maybe it was a gradual progression, right, you
know.
So you started off with notbeing the person leading the
class.
So there's months that you knowI would be assisting the class
and so one, the people aregetting used to me, I'm getting
used to teaching adults and soforth, just correcting form and
motivating and so forth, fromlike not behind the scenes, but
you know, from the side a littlebit.
(11:24):
And then all of a sudden Ineeded it was the main coach
wasn't there, he was sick orsomething.
So I had to step in for thatone class and I was like, okay,
it wasn't like anythingdifferent than I was already
doing.
You know, it's just, it's mytime, right, and I've been in
the shoes where I didn't want towork out.
I've been in the shoes where Iwas you know it didn't want to
(11:44):
do some of the exercises becauseit was painful.
So it's like not being a drillsergeant but also not being I've
never been one of those likefluffy, like raw, raw kind of
trainers.
I think, as weird as it is, alot of people resonate with that
more than that like Energizer,bunny trainer, that's just, you
know, motivating and pumping youup in your ear nonstop.
It's like you came here for areason, like I'm going to help
(12:06):
you achieve what you want.
Like I'm not going to yell atyou, I'm not going to scream at
you, but at the end of the day,you're not going to make excuses
either.
We're going to get through thistogether.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I love that.
I think I have a good examplein that my running coach, ryan
Head, who I've had on the showbefore.
I think he's kind of that wayhe's.
I remember one time I was justlike I did not want to do.
I was doing like a 10 mile runor something.
I did not want to do it and Iremember messaging him partway
through it my leg was hurting orsomething.
I was kind of like, oh man, I'mjust not.
(12:35):
And he messaged me backimmediately and was like, hey,
you went out there to do thesemiles, get the miles in.
I love that.
I still appreciate that abouthim, that he was able to do that
with me.
And he's great about mindsettoo.
That's why, again, I'm excitedto talk to you about that.
So how do you think you made?
Or I guess maybe why or how?
I guess both why fitness, why acareer with fitness?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I would say, around that same time that I was, you
know, starting to become amartial arts coach.
I remember for the listenersthat you know, know what VHS is
right, you know it's.
You know there are these tapesbefore CDs.
But my dad had VHS tapes ofbodybuilders and you know these
workout tapes and stuff.
And I remember being 12 or itwas the 11 or 12.
It was a year before I could goto the gym, right, and I really
(13:18):
wanted to go to the gym but Iwasn't old enough yet, and so I
was taking down notes and I waswatching the videos and taking
notes and then working out withwhat equipment I did have at my
house or my uncle's house.
Finally I was able to go to thegym and I was that annoying kid
that was going around andasking every buff guy or even
girl, like I didn't care gender,I was like.
I was like yo, you have muscles, I'm trying to get those Right.
(13:38):
And so I'd walk around that,hey, what does that do?
And then sometimes they wouldkind of try to brush you off,
and then I would just watch andthen like be doing the movements
, like feeling like my muscle,and then trying to figure out
what it's doing, and then theywould realize I'm serious.
So then they would, you know,usually like, oh, you're serious
, like yeah, so then they'relike, okay, cool.
And then they would tell mewhat it did.
(14:02):
I would write it wasn't themuscle group of the day that led
me into, you know, building myself-confidence even more on a
physical standpoint, you know,from strength, but just
appearance and everything.
And then getting into personaltraining was one of those
transitions from martial artsinstructor, because this martial
arts studio didn't align withmy college schedule.
(14:22):
So it was like, obviously I notgoing to quit college, so I had
to make that decision.
And I was like, okay, well, Idid a different job, worked at
retail for less than a year, andI was like this is not me.
And then the gym I was workingat or work out at, they had a
hiring sign and I applied for itand I called and it was a VP of
(14:42):
the area and he was like howserious are you about this?
He's like meet me at the gym in30 minutes.
And I was like, damn, I live 30minutes away.
And so I just threw on myprofessional looking clothes,
didn't even have a suit oranything Showed up and I was
like sorry for the appearance.
I live 30 minutes away, so he'slike awesome.
He's like did a littleinterview.
He's like show me how bad youwant it If you show up to Costa
(15:04):
Mesa tomorrow, we're opening anew location.
Be there at 6 am.
I was like you got it.
Didn't even know where CostaMesa was Right, and I was like
I'll be there at 6 am.
Get home, tell my dad.
I was like I got the job.
He's like where I was likeCosta Mesa.
He's like you know where thatis.
And I was like no, he's prettymuch near San Diego.
(15:26):
And I was like I have to bethere at 6 AM.
And he was like, well, you're,you better be leaving early.
And so I showed up 6 AM.
The VP was super impressed.
He was like you know, you canwork out today, do your thing,
but yeah, you start tomorrow at8.
At the gym, you know I'll seeyou there.
I was like all right, coolDoing that.
And seeing people and teachingpeople just about general
(15:46):
fitness that I knew I wasn'tcertified or anything like that.
And so just seeing theirinitial like self-belief and
self-confidence and then prideof the results that they get,
you know, it was one of thosealmost natural highs is the best
way I can put it Seeing likeyou can't get it from anything
else.
Going to college, I chosebusiness management because
(16:07):
that's like pretty much like anundecided major, and then
realized that there was a studycalled kinesiology, which was
the study of human movement, andI was like this is super
interesting, I can learn this, Idon't have to sit through
accounting anymore.
I was like switch, you know.
And then that led me to.
Even though I was doingkinesiology, I still saw
personal training as like acollege job and I was like you
(16:28):
know what?
Like this fits around myschedule, it's perfect.
But you know, I need a career.
So my parents say I needed acareer.
So I was trying to become afirefighter through that whole
time.
And then it was like actualtime to, you know, got EMT
certified and everything.
And I was like do I really wantto become an EMT to?
Or you're like, and you alreadybuilt up a business, you know,
(16:50):
and not officially yet, but youcould be something serious with
this.
And I was like I thought aboutit for a couple of days and I
was like, yeah, I can't do afirefighter Like.
It's just not me Like, andthough full in on, you know,
went private and did my ownthing for personal training,
grew up the clientele and youknow that's when I really got my
you know dive into the coldwater and learning
(17:13):
entrepreneurship.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
That's amazing because I find that people like
you, who you know, find what youwant.
At first you're like, okay,maybe I'll do, you know, be a
firefighter, and it just wasn't.
You wasn't who you were, andthen you dove into to being a,
an entrepreneur and kind ofbuilding up your own clientele.
There's a lot of businessacumen that has to go into this
and that's something I strugglewith.
(17:34):
I mean, you got to be asalesman somewhat to get people
to want to work with you.
Tell me a little bit about that.
How did you I mean, how did youget these clienteles?
Was it just from the peoplethat you met working at the gym
and just kind of spread the wordthat way?
How did you do it?
Speaker 2 (17:47):
So at first I worked for LA Fitness when I first
started personal training rightduring college and, you know,
then left LA Fitness, worked fora private gym and still work
for them, helped them build apersonal training department and
, you know, ended up coming inthe personal training manager
that whole time while I wasstill working for them.
I I I'm big on understandingthings and really diving in, so,
like YouTube, university ishuge for me and Google, and then
(18:11):
I'll buy textbooks and not bein school.
That's just who I am.
I don't like reading fiction.
I'd rather learn about peoplethat are successful and figure
out how they did it, and so Iwas watching a lot of sales.
I never got traditional salestraining.
I would watch people that Iaspired to be, watch their sales
videos, buy books andeverything that, and just take
(18:31):
notes, try stuff.
It didn't work, try somethingelse didn't work, try it again.
All of a sudden you start tofind your way with things.
But then when I did take thatfull leap in, it was all due to
a disagreement between me andthe owner of the gym that he
wanted to move me for to adifferent location, which I
needed to be a you know,primarily a Spanish speaker and
my Spanish is okay, but not tothe degree of being able to sell
(18:53):
and personal train.
So I was like you know what?
I quit, I'm not doing this.
And he said wait, wait, wait.
And I was like no, no, no, Iquit.
Even if you put that on thetable and put that as a threat.
I was like this was just thepush I needed.
And so I remember quitting andcalling my girlfriend who's now
my wife at the time and I waslike you know, I quit.
She said quit what?
(19:14):
And I was like I quit my job.
And she's like so what are yougoing to do?
And I was like well, I'm goingto personal train, that I'm
going to start my own personaltraining business.
And she said how are you goingto and she's like you know stand
in front of the grocery storeand sell personal training
before I go to work for someoneelse again.
And then she already knew she'sseen my work ethic and it was
(19:35):
one of those things where itwasn't a matter of if I was
going to build a business or besuccessful, it's just when.
So that's my whole thing islike if I want something, it's
not a matter of, if it's just amatter of when it'll be achieved
.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
I'm just amazed by this because that's something I
struggle with, that you know, assomeone who's trying to do my
own podcast, and I've been doingit for three years now.
But I struggle with that wholemotivation to like get it done
and to I guess I have a littlebit of fear.
There's all kinds of things andI know something that says on
your on your profile, and it'skind of has to do with this, but
it says breaking limits,building legacies, inspiring
greatness.
So I feel like breaking limitsis a big part of what you did,
(20:14):
where you're just like I'm notgoing to work for anybody else
again, I'm just going to do this, and you just you broke that
limit.
Talk to me a little bit aboutbreaking limits, because I feel
like that's what you did.
Maybe I'm not reading thatright, but that's what I feel
like you did.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
The limits that you have are all self-put right, so
it's the only thing that holdsyou back.
My biggest thing is everythingbegins and ends with your mind
right.
So, even like my book, thefirst chapter and the last
chapter are about mindset andit's to symbolize if you can
believe in something, if youknow you can do it and you have
that self-confidence in yourself, anything is possible.
(20:47):
But the moment that you stopbelieving in yourself, it
becomes impossible.
With that drive or thatself-belief, that
self-confidence, it's builtthrough repetition you telling
yourself you're going to go tothe gym today and you don't feel
like it later in the day, butyou still go either way and that
.
So you start to believe thatanything you tell yourself,
(21:07):
anything that you say you'regoing to do, you do, because
every time you've done it in thepast it happens, let's say, for
business.
And you know, for any of thosethings, those limiting beliefs,
majority of the time it allstarts from external sources.
You know your parents tellingyou that you need to get a job.
You know someone saying thatyou shouldn't start a podcast or
your podcast isn't going to bea huge thing, and it's like you
(21:28):
could take that in and take itat face value and believe that.
Or you could be like, okay, youknow, just watch right.
For my thing is like I liketaking the path least traveled.
You know, being a trainer, howmany trainers say they're going
to open a gym?
Almost every single one of themat one point.
And then it's like actuallyopening a gym, right.
And now, from the ones thatactually opened a gym, it's like
(21:51):
how many of them have actuallytaken it and franchised it into
a successful franchise, right?
So it's like taking that nextlevel and taking the hard path,
because it does have an impacton more lives and that's my
biggest core value, but also notjust taking the easy right out
for me and just settling when Iknow I could achieve more.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
I think that's what I'm impressed with you, devin,
is because, yeah, you said, allright, I'm going to just do my
own training thing and get thatgoing on the side.
You did that, you built that upto then get your own gym, to
then do franchising.
That.
That's amazing, the steps thatyou've taken and where you've
gone.
So tell me a little bit aboutthat whole getting your own gym
and then the franchising thingand tell and it's strive 11,
(22:33):
right, is that the name?
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Yeah, tell me a little bit about strive 11.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
So strive 11 was?
I mean before strive 11 andbefore my current business
partner there was a plethora ofdifferent, you know failed
investors, failed businesspartners that you know.
We were trying to createdifferent models and then it
came down to you know what?
I'm just going to do thismyself.
I'm over it.
I was either going to buy intoa franchise or do something.
I didn't have the idea orconcept of Strive 11 yet and I
(22:59):
was like you know what, I'llfigure this out by myself.
That was the frustration of fiveyears, of not working out time
and time again and getting backup, dusting myself off and then
going to the next one, and so Iended up training who's now my
business partner.
I did.
I helped him out for a bodybuilding competition and it was
(23:20):
one of those things where it wasjust helping him out.
I didn't you know, he didn'tpay me as a client or anything
like that.
It was just, you know, I knewhim in the gym and just wanted
to help him out.
I told him I was like you knowwhat?
I in the gym and just wanted tohelp him out.
I told him I was like you knowwhat, I'll help you out free of
charge, as long as you knoweveryone else.
I've watched you ask otherpeople and get turned down that
are actually in the bodybuildingscene and I was like we'll all
work with you, but the momentyou start seeing results,
(23:42):
they're going to come in and askyou to basically coach you.
I was like the moment that youallow that, I was like I'm out.
I was like I'm out.
I was like I'm not being one of10 cooks in the kitchen just
because they want therecognition of you stepping on
stage.
I was like I can care less.
I was like but at the same time, I'm not going to do this for
free and help you out.
And then you didn't flip it onme and so he was like okay, I'm
(24:03):
with it.
He's like that makes a hundredpercent sense.
So that was really a test ofhis loyalty and his word as well
, as it was a demonstration ofhis work ethic, because I wasn't
training him like a normalclient, but I would text him
what to do for the day and hehad a normal job at.
He worked at a hospital.
He would show up at 8 PM atnight and I would be there
(24:24):
training clients and I would seehim looking at his phone,
seeing what he has to do andthen getting it done.
He would look exhausted beforethe workout even started, yet he
still just did what he neededto do and I was like, oh, that's
awesome, he did his show andeverything.
And a little while later Ifound out that he was starting
to do personal training andworking for a bootcamp who's now
one of our competitors, and Iwas like I reached out and I was
(24:46):
like, look, I was like you'retrying to do what I already did.
I'm trying to take the nextlevel and I would rather do this
with someone that I am alignedwith.
And you and I get along well.
You're a super good dude.
Pitch them the vision to thesebootcamps in between our
sessions, because clients don'ttypically pay for, you know,
(25:12):
everyday training, but they needthat coaching and the majority
of them won't follow.
You know an email or a text,like you know he did.
So it was like, okay, go to agroup class, go to a bootcamp,
do something in between.
And they would do it.
And over the years I alwaysheard the same complaints the
class times didn't work out.
You know the class times areover, always overbooked, the
(25:36):
membership is crazy expensiveand I get hit with these.
You know late fees if I don'tshow up to the class, because
you know my mom died, whateverthe case is like.
There was just you know, samethings and I was like it's weird
that these different models allrun the same and but yet
they're.
You know they promote that theydo different things.
But I'm looking at them, theyall do the same thing, just
different logo, different paint.
And I was like all right.
(25:56):
So then I started, you know,one day, with my ADHD brain,
just let it run.
All of a sudden that was likethe initial, you know, 1.0
version of Stripe.
So our model essentially is abootcamp style model.
We have no class times, so youcan come in during our operating
hours just like a big box gym,like an LA Fitness 24 hour
(26:17):
fitness, something like that.
But once you walk in the doorsyou get the same energy, the
same environment like you wouldin these bootcamp classes.
The difference as well is thatthe 11, even though majority of
people think there's somemetaphor or analogy behind the
11, it's because we have 11stations.
The stations change everysingle day depending on the
muscle split, and then themuscle splits also change every
(26:40):
day of the week as well, so thatyou're not doing, let's say,
monday is not always chest andback, it always switches up,
because people do get inroutines and I want to make sure
that people get a full body'sworkout every single time.
You know they accomplish theirweekly workouts.
Each station could be madeeasier or harder depending on
the person's fitness level.
So it's like you get theflexibility of a big box gym so
(27:03):
you fit busy schedules, you getthat energy and that motivation
in.
You know coaching from thetrainers and everything like a
bootcamp.
Yet you get the customizationof having a personal trainer.
So we've been able to broadenthe demographic from a
traditional bootcamp demographicto a full spectrum from 13 to
seven.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
I like that.
So, instead of oh, I got mybootcamp at five o'clock today.
If, oh, I can't make it becausesomething at work came up and
I'm not going to get there till535, you can still walk in at
five 35 and do your thing, withthat same feeling, that same
energy as a bootcamp class.
Is that what I'm hearing?
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Exactly, exactly Like .
You can show up at five, 32 andwalk in, right?
The difference majority of likebootcamps, it's, let's say, an
hour long class, but noteveryone has an hour to work out
every single day, right, and soit's like.
I mean some models are 45minutes, whatever the you know,
(27:57):
it's a set standard of time.
Ours is tailored around you.
Your schedule is the dictatorof this, not our schedule.
So our bottle can be ourworkout.
Same membership.
You can do a 30 minute versiontoday, a 47 minute version
tomorrow, you know, all the wayupwards of a 75 minute version.
And the difference is we have awarm-up station, which is
usually two exercises, not timedor anything.
Once you're done with thewarm-up, you hop in.
(28:17):
The trainers will put you intoone of the 11 stations.
All the 11 stations are goingoff a singular timer that
rotates every roughly twominutes, a little over two
minutes, with a 30-second restin between.
So you're not waiting on anyone, no one's waiting on you, and
it just keeps the flow moving.
(28:37):
You can do one round, which is30 minutes.
You can do up to two rounds,which is an hour, and then, once
you're done with your rounds orany combinations of the rounds.
Then you go to the ab stationor cool down station, just like
the warmup, not timed.
Two exercises, stretch out andyou're on your way, and 75
minutes if everything iscomplete.
Next day you come in.
You're like I only got 30minutes Cool.
Just do a light stretch.
When you're ready, hop in onthe next station and then do one
round.
You're in, you're out.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I love it.
I need to join.
I love it.
That's fantastic.
Tell me about the individualside of things, because I love
the story you told about yourpartner and what's going on
there.
But when you see somebody who'scoming in who may be struggling
with their fitness, and thenyou see them making that change
and you see them developing andyou see them progressing you
(29:20):
said that gave you like adopamine hit or whatever.
Give me a couple of examples ofthat and why that's so
impactful to you.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Every interaction, every conversation, every as a
service based business, everyservice you give someone, like
it leaves an imprint on theirlife, whether you want to or not
, it does Right.
Every conversation you havewith someone, that is a piece of
their history and their memorythey will always have having the
ability to transform someoneand are not.
I mean, we're not doing thework, right?
(29:49):
Right, they're doing the work,but giving them the information
and the guidance and themotivation to basically
transform their life and they'llforever remember that.
And you can.
You know, you could rememberback to one of your grade school
teachers and that just stoodout from the rest, being able to
be that for someone else, it.
There is no other feeling likeit and knowing that now that
(30:09):
person has an indirect rippleeffect on, let's say, anywhere
from one to 10 more people thatI've watched them do that
transformation.
They're now trying to betterthemselves, so we had an
indirect impact on their livesand, same thing, it's the spider
web of it, right, that is.
It's one of the most rewardingfeelings seeing someone so
excited to tell you.
(30:29):
It's almost like a little kidcoming home and showing their
parents you know, I got an Aplus and then putting it on a
fridge, right, and so seeing aclient come in and show us their
before and after and be like,hey, can I show you something
real quick and show us thepicture, like, dude, like that's
so awesome, right, and likeseeing them light up, it's like
there's no better feeling thanthat.
That's one of those thingswhere I knew that personal
(30:51):
training I could only do thatwith my schedule.
I was already overbooked and itwas like the only way to really
spread that.
It was like to create a modelor create a gym where I can
continue doing it at scale.
And now, even with ourfranchisees, even though I might
not be the owner of that actuallocation the whole product and
the whole service, everythingabout it that is changing
people's lives.
I'm having an indirect impacton their lives as well.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
With how busy you are now with all the you know the
different franchises you gotgoing on and things like that.
Are you still able to findthose moments with the
individuals or is it it's so bignow that it's hard for you to
to get that that time with withindividuals?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
It's a.
It's a different now, right?
So I mean, I still go to, likeyou know, our corporate one, and
every now and then I just didthis past weekend I did the
outing, which is, you know, wedid a hike and it was like just
to get people outside the gymand do something together, like
I actually did the hike withthem, as much as like just
training on the floor.
I'm not doing that as muchbecause I have so many different
assets and things that I'mdoing, but I also get that same
(31:52):
rewarding feeling when I'mtalking to, let's say, our
coaches at our locations andteaching them how to overcome
objections and how to learn howto sell, and watching them all
of a sudden come in and theyhaven't ever sold a single thing
and be like dude, I just soldfive supplements and I'm like
awesome, but run me through it,why did it work this time?
Why didn't it work before?
And then having them explain itand while they're explaining it
(32:14):
, I'm watching the light bulb goon in their head because
they're they know the answerthat.
And then also, even from thefranchisee side, my, I'm a I'm a
people person and I just needto be able to interact with
someone to a degree.
Things like this, you know, isstill giving me that you know,
that same feeling.
So, even though I'm notdirectly on the floor,
everything that I am doing isstill interacting with people
(32:35):
and trying to leave that imprinton anyone that I can when
coming across them inconversation.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
What are some of the challenges and difficulties you
face?
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I don't know if I coined this right or if I heard
this somewhere, dude, I keepforgetting to look it up.
But a lesson that I learnedfrom my own reflection was when
I went to launch the franchiseside, my business partner.
Basically, we agreed he wasgoing to take role over managing
the gym and you know all that.
And all of a sudden thingsstarted taking a dip and I was
like what's going on, like?
(33:07):
And he was like I don't know,I'm trying to figure it out and
I didn't want to bother you.
And I was like well, one botherme, because now I have to take
more time, wait to fix this.
I was like, but it's, these areeasy things.
Like I don't like what I don'tget what you don't get.
And he was like I didn't knowwe were, that's what we did.
And I was like, thinking back,I was like okay, well, it's
(33:27):
common sense.
And I didn't tell him that.
But then I realized it's onlycommon sense.
Common sense is only common tothe person that knows it.
That was one of the big thingsthat I had to realize that I
can't just expect things to bedone a certain way if I haven't
created a system or a process todo it, because someone that's
never done it before doesn'tknow how to do it, necessarily
(33:49):
Going from a solopreneur runninga personal training business to
me and my business partner,bootstrapping the first location
with no employees to thenhaving employees and now scaling
that to a full team.
We have VAs and we havefranchisees and they have
employees and so forth.
It's like now having to manageand learn people on a
(34:10):
psychological basis differentlyto be able to explain it to them
so that they can explain it toother people who explain this to
other people.
Understanding all those thingsand still knowing that I don't
know everything and having thehumility to ask for help.
And that's I mean.
I'm a part of business networks, I have a franchise advisor and
other resources that I do leanon because I know I don't know
(34:34):
everything.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yeah, you've got a lot to take in, I mean,
especially from where you'vecome from to where you are now.
You still seem like you're apretty young guy.
I'm not sure how old you are,but you look pretty young still.
So how is this with buildingthis business, doing all this?
That's a huge part of who youare.
You've got the mindset going.
You're, you know, breakinglimits, inspiring greatness,
kind of like.
(34:55):
We talked about One thing themiddle of that that says it says
building legacies.
First of all, what is buildinglegacies to you?
And then, how is thisrelationship with your, with
your wife, and I believe youhave a, maybe a daughter.
I'm not sure if I got thatright.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
I like the word legacies because it sounds so
stoic and it sounds so, you know, so elegant when you, when you
say it.
But I like to reframe what alegacy is to someone and that's
why I like to say you knowbuilding legacies, because it
really is directly your impacton people.
At the end of the day, yourlegacy is the impact of the
(35:28):
lessons and the interactionsthat you've had with people At
your eulogy, the things thatpeople say about you.
That's what your legacy isRight.
It's not.
You know he had the most pullups.
You know, let's say, for DavidGoggins, you know he broke the
pull up record and that's hislegacy.
Now, that was maybe one aspectof it.
But what happens when the nextperson breaks it?
Is his legacy gone, right?
(35:51):
It's not.
The legacy is everyone thathe's inspired from that one
action and you know everyinteraction that he's had with
someone.
So when you're creating yourlegacy, it's like what are you
leaving here?
Not not necessarily physicallyor financially, but what are you
leaving back for the rest ofthe people, right, for your kids
, for your wife, you know, foryou know our husband depending,
(36:12):
you know.
And it's like you're also youremployees, your team, your, you
know customers, just yourgeneral circle.
That's your legacy.
So every day, even though youmay not want to have that, that
conversation with someone,someone may want to talk to you
but you just don't feel liketalking with them.
Maybe they're trying to reachout to you, but you just don't
feel like talking with them.
(36:33):
Maybe they're trying to reachout to you because you're their
shoulder, you're someone thatthey can, you know, trust, or
they look up to you and it'slike you may be exhausted, but
it's just someone that might bereaching out for help and you're
the go-to.
That's, that's your legacy.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Yeah, How's this whole with building this
franchise and doing all thisthat you're doing?
How's that affected life athome?
How's the things with the wife,daughter?
How do you still find the timefor that?
Speaker 2 (36:55):
I mean, obviously, when you first start off a
business, you wear all the hatsand over time, as you grow and
you can bring on a team anddelegate more, you can start
reducing some of the hats.
But since we are in anaggressive growth, growth phase,
you know there are more hatsthat come with that.
I've learned over time that youknow you need to be present
(37:16):
where you are, when you are,meaning that when I'm at home
with my daughter and with mywife, like I'm at home with them
, like I'm not working, I'm notcalling people unless I work
from home, and it's still duringthose hours Like I set time
aside for them, right.
(37:37):
And one of the big things thatI learned recently, or kind of
came to realization recently,was that as an entrepreneur, you
build things for your family,right?
You're, you're building a lifeand you do these things for your
life, for them.
But if you don't communicatewith them and you're not present
with them, you start to losethem in the process of what
you're trying to build for them,right.
So at the end of the day theylook back and they're like we
would have rather had you.
That's not to say you can't putin the grind and you can't do
(38:00):
all these things, but you needto let them feel included, right
.
So even for my wife, forexample, she doesn't need to
know every fire or everyobstacle that we, you know, face
, but every now and then I'll,you know, throw her one of the
problems, even though I may havethe answer already.
I just give it to her just tobe a soundboard and, you know,
let her hear and have her knowthat I can vent to her.
(38:20):
Then, you know, she'll throwout her opinion and you know all
that.
Oh, that's awesome.
And now she feels like she's apart of it, right, because at
the end of the day, this shouldfeel like you guys are growing
this together, even though theymay not be physically doing any
of the things or stressed outabout all the stresses of a
business.
As far as my daughter, I mean,she's only three, so it's not
like, you know, she understandsa ton, but she does understand.
(38:42):
Like you know, I have to go towork right now, but then I'm
gonna come back so we can playRight and later note that you
know I've talked to a bunch ofpeople about this as well and
kind of establishing that whereit's like hey, dad is going to
be super busy for the next, youknow, couple of weeks, but then
everything like the goal is thisright, and that's why I'm going
to be really busy for inletting them in on what the game
(39:03):
plan is.
Otherwise, there's two lives toyou.
There's the entrepreneur andthen there's the family person
and it's like they need to beblended or else the family is
never going to feel like they'rea part of the business and
that's a part of that side ofyour life.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
I appreciate you sharing that Cause I think
that's something I've kind ofstruggled with through the
course of my career and nowdoing this podcast is that
relationship and keeping themblended somewhat, and I think
you do need to do that.
I agree with that.
Otherwise, yeah, it's almostlike two different things.
You're on two different roadsand they're not crossing at all.
They're not.
You know, there's kind of runin separate ways.
So I appreciate you sharingthat.
I think that's that's reallyimportant as we wrap up here.
(39:37):
I know you've got a book aswell.
You mentioned the book.
Tell us a little bit about thebook and then where can people
find you if they want to lookyou up and see what, what you
got going on with strive 11 andall those good things?
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Definitely so.
The book is called Money MuscleMindset, right, and I mentioned
earlier the first and the lastchapter about mindset, but
everything in the middle andthere's 11 chapters.
You know the link betweenStrive 11, the middle chapters
are all about.
You know the gym in terms ofwhere do you find a location?
How do you find a location?
What can you negotiate?
(40:08):
How do you find your clientavatar?
What is an avatar?
Everything that I wish I wouldhave been able to find and get
(40:29):
to how to build a gym and makeit a reality, what do you need
to look up?
You know how do you do thesethings.
At the end of each chapter,there is a QR code Now, majority
of people would make that likelead magnets where people scan
it and you have to input yourinformation.
I wanted everything to be astraight give.
So when you scan that QR code,it'll take you to a landing page
for that one chapter, whereyou'll get a video of me
(40:51):
explaining it more in depthalmost have a video podcast and
then there's downloadabletemplates to align with in
scripts, to align with what wasin the chapter, and then where
you can connect with me.
I mean, all my social mediasare pretty much the same.
You know Devin Gonzalez, but ifyou can, you can go to my
website.
You know Devin D-E-V-A-NGonzalez, g-o-n-z-a-l-e-zcom,
(41:11):
and all my social media is thebook, the.
You know the Strive 11.
Everything is right there, aslike a hub of one place.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
This has been fantastic.
I feel motivated now hearingfrom you, so that's what I was
hoping to gain from that andthat's what I think I got, so I
appreciate that.
Devin, since this is anadventure podcast, how does
adventure play into fitness andentrepreneurship for you?
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I mean adventure.
Most people see adventure as agame, right, and you know it
gives you that natural rush andstuff.
And for me, as much as I lovefitness like I love the game of
business and the risk that youhave to take on yourself it's
always an adventure because youdon't know what's around the
corner.
You know and you know takingthose things and scaling them.
(41:56):
So in terms of generaladventure, I mean trying to
scale it, to be, you know, oneof the top dogs in the fitness
industry is my adventure.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Devin, thank you so much for coming on Journey with
Jake.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
A huge thank you to Devin Gonzalez for joining me on
the show and bringing some muchneeded motivation.
I truly admire the mindset ofentrepreneurs like Devin and I'm
grateful he was part of Journeywith Jake today.
If you'd like to learn moreabout Devin, be sure to check
out his website,devingonzalezcom, and follow him
on Instagram at devingonzalez.
(42:28):
And Devin is spelled D-E-V-A-N,gonzalez spelled
G-O-N-Z-A-L-E-Z.
And, of course, a big thank youto all of you for tuning into
this bonus episode.
I'll be back on Thursday withJorge Salas Guevara talking
about the incredible trips heplans.
Who knows, maybe you'll want tobe part of one, so be sure to
tune in.
Just remember, it's not alwaysabout the destination as it is
(43:02):
about the journey.
Take care, everybody.
Hey everyone, happy St Patrick's Day and happy
Motivation Monday.
I'm not sure if MotivationMonday is officially a thing,
but today I'm making it one withthis special bonus episode.
My guest is Devin Gonzalez, thecreator of Strive 11 Fitness
and the Mindset Cafe podcast.
Devin's journey is one ofperseverance, passion and
(00:20):
purpose and, if you're anythinglike me, you'll walk away
feeling truly inspired.
So buckle up and get ready foran incredible ride with
entrepreneur Devin Gonzalez.
Welcome to Journey with Jake.
This is a podcast aboutadventure and how, through our
adventures, we can overcome thechallenges of life that come our
way.
While I expect you will learnsome things about different
(00:40):
adventures, this show willentertain you.
Each episode will featuredifferent guests or guests as
they share experiences andstories from the different
adventures they have been on.
Not only will you beentertained, but you'll also
hear the failures and trialseach guest faces and what they
have done or are doing toovercome the hardships that come
their way.
My goal is to take each of uson a journey through the
(01:03):
experiences of my guests, withthe hope that you'll be
entertained and inspired toovercome your day-to-day
challenges.
After all, it's not all aboutthe destination as it is about
the journey.
(01:28):
Hey everyone, welcome back tothis bonus episode of Journey
with Jake.
I'm your host, jake Bushman,and it was an absolute honor to
have Devin Gonzalez on the showwith me.
We'll be back to our regularThursday episode soon, starting
with Jorge Salas-Guevara thisweek, but in the meantime, sit
back and enjoy this specialbonus episode with Devin.
I've got Devin Gonzalez with mehere today.
(01:49):
Devin, welcome to.
Speaker 2 (01:50):
Journey with Jake.
Thank you so much for having me.
This is going to be fun.
This is awesome.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
Yeah, absolutely I don't know you, devin, so I kind
of want to get to know you alittle bit.
I know we're going to talkabout fitness and mindset, those
type of things, and I knowyou're a entrepreneur, a CEO,
you're, you're doing all kindsof things.
But before we dive into allthat, I want to know just a
little bit about your background, kind of maybe where you're
from, where you grew up, thatsort of thing.
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, I'm the oldest of threeboys, you know, so you have
that older brother.
You know role growing up.
I grew up in Los Angeles, inCanyon country, santa Frida, you
know, I grew up in Los Angeles,in Canyon Country, santa Frida,
you know, growing up as thefirst of three boys.
I just realized this earlierwhen I was talking to someone
that I had a rule with myparents that they didn't make my
other brothers do and that wasessentially with sports.
(02:35):
I had to try a sport at leastone time and if I didn't like it
then I didn't have to do itafter that.
But it wasn't like you go tryit and play one time.
It was a season I had to try.
I've done everything, from liketennis to, you know, fencing,
to martial arts, you know thewhole nine.
I remember even with likefencing, my mom was I won a
(02:57):
little trophy in the competitionand I was like I hate this and
she was like you got first place.
I was like I hate it, I triedit, I don't want to do it again,
don't make me do this Right,but I mean that was one of those
things where they made me tryeverything and that led into me.
Getting into martial arts, youknow, even though I didn't like
it in the beginning, I gotcoached and, you know, ended up
loving it, became a martial artsinstructor at the age of 13.
(03:17):
And that was really the initialball rolling for me of finding
my passion, or my calling card,unbeknownst to me at the time.
That led me into getting intopersonal training, switching my
college major from businessmanagement to kinesiology.
Going into opening up my ownpersonal training company, where
(03:38):
I mean, I was a solopreneur butstill it is a company helping
launch a prep school formiddle-aged basketball athletes,
and then eventually opening upmy own personal, you know, gym
bootcamp style.
It's called Strive, love andFitness and we just launched the
franchise model of that lastyear.
In the midst of all that, youknow, I just launched my my book
(03:59):
Money Muscle Mindset as well,which was Amazon bestseller.
Speaker 1 (04:03):
Woo, that's a lot of stuff you got going on.
Let's go back to the childhoodfor a minute.
The oldest of three boys andlike you said you, you had to
stick with something, youcouldn't just quit.
I'm guessing that wasn't thatway for your brothers, right?
Your younger brothers didn'thave to, didn't have that same
rule that they had to follow.
Speaker 2 (04:19):
No, the middle brother, it was similar but he
didn't have to try all thesports, you know, as long as
they were just happy if he didone.
I mean he was, you know, as akid he was the kid that would
find every angle to get out ofstuff.
You know where I was, just theokay, that's fine, okay, that's
fine.
And then my youngest brotherwas definitely the baby of the
(04:41):
family, you know, since I wasalready doing martial arts and
stuff, they didn't make him dotoo many sports and you know he
gravitated towards the martialarts already and they're like
look, you found, you found whatyou like, that's fine.
Well, you're, we're cool withit.
Speaker 1 (04:53):
All right.
So you did fencing, you did allkinds of different things, not
your common average everydaysports for kids.
Martial arts somewhat, but nottotally.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
How old were you when you started martial arts?
At first I was probably aroundfive and then I had stopped.
I mean, I did different youknow styles.
And then I started again when Iwas right around eight or nine.
And that was because, you know,they were getting my middle
brother to do it and theyconvinced me that I needed to be
the role model you know, showhim that, you know he needs to
go, whether he wants to or not.
And so I, you know, put my bigbrother pants on and I was like,
(05:27):
okay, like you know, we'regoing today, like we got to do
it, you know.
In that, you know, is when Ireally started to really like it
.
But I mean, the two main sportsI think I liked was martial
arts and competing in martialarts and then rugby was probably
my two favorite, both toughsports Got to be tough to be in.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Both of those things I know you said at first you
didn't really care for martialarts.
What was it that?
What made you start to enjoy it?
Speaker 2 (05:49):
It's not that I didn't care for martial arts.
I liked the actual martial artspart of it.
I didn't like I mean, as a kidyou either do or you don't I
didn't really like the fightingaspect of it, like I didn't like
getting punched in the face Notthat I do now, but it was one
of those things where I wasalways the younger kid in the
older kid class, right, and so Iwas too old to be the young kid
(06:09):
class and I was too young to bein the older one.
But you know, you naturally getmoved up, just get punked on
and, you know, beat up a littlebit in that older group class.
So I think for me it was my dadsaw, you know what was happening
and taking advice from yourparents, you always, you know,
(06:30):
view it a little bit differentlythan an outside source.
So he hired one of, like, myfavorite coaches at the gym and
he also brought in some of myfriends that were he was a
police officer, so some friendsthat were you know SWAT and you
know military and stuff to youknow coach me.
You know, even though he wassaying the same stuff he, you
stuff it was different whensomeone else said it.
So my coach, who's a boxingcoach and a jujitsu coach, at
the studio he would literally beon top of me telling me all
(06:54):
these different things, morethan just the technique and how
to do things, but sending mequotes or sending me different
mindset reframes, and I didn'tknow it at the time.
But it was starting to turnthat light bulb on and it was
flickering and then all of asudden I went for a belt
ceremony like a testing he.
I remember he whispered, youknow, in my ear one of the
quotes that he said.
(07:14):
It was the Teddy Roosevelt youknow one about.
You know how no one on theoutside can really judge the
person that's in the ring.
And I, all of a sudden he waslike what are you going to be?
And I was like, all of a suddenI was like, all right, let's do
it.
You know he's like you'vealready been knocked out, you've
already been hurt.
He's like what, either you'regoing to fight and you get hurt,
or you don't fight and youstill get hurt.
(07:34):
He's like you might as welljust fight.
And I was like, yeah know,eight to.
I was probably.
I think I was 13 at times.
The other kid was probably 15.
It looked like two UFC fightersthat just finished their fight.
Afterwards that blood gushingand everything, and it was just
like all of a sudden I was like,oh man, there's my
self-confidence.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Wow Okay, I love the fact that some of this mindset
stuff came into play at such ayoung age and maybe you didn't
know kind of what was going onwhen it was was happening.
Cause I feel like for me I lovehearing that's why I'm glad I
have you on the show today,cause I love hearing about
mindset and things like that andI think it's taken me a while
later in life to kind of reallyrealize you know, hey, the
(08:18):
importance of of these quotesand these things you know, to
kind of get my mind in the rightplace.
So I think that's pretty neatthat you kind of were were
getting fed that at such a youngage.
Maybe you didn't know what itwas, maybe it was just kind of,
but it was it did something foryou.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
No, definitely.
I mean, I didn't know what washappening at the time in terms
of, like, why they were sayingwhat they're saying, why, you
know, they're reframing my wayof.
They knew it would work, and soit.
Obviously it did work.
And later in life, diving into,into fitness and diving into
mindset and all these otherthings, even into the
entrepreneurial space, all thatstuff now started to make sense
(08:54):
on reframing and looking at itfrom a different perspective and
all these aspects, and it'slike oh, wow, like that's.
They knew what they were tryingto do and they knew they're
going to achieve it.
It was almost like a mental,like psychology, you know, twist
on it.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
Being an instructor at only 13 years old.
What kind of influence did thathave on you?
Speaker 2 (09:13):
I mean, I didn't know at the time but you know,
looking back on it, I thinkthat's when I really started to
establish myself in terms oflike knowing that I could coach
and lead, because I mean, mostpeople you know say, you know
would classify me as a leader,even though I wouldn't classify
myself as a leader, you know,outside of the business and
stuff like that, right, and itwas one of those things where
(09:36):
that was a testament to whatthey're saying.
But it's just naturally one ofthe things that I'm able to
communicate and get on someone'slevel and view things from
their perspective and make itmake sense to them.
Because it's like majority ofthe time I've been in your shoes
to a degree, right, so it'slike relating it in a way.
But at 13, I was teachingthree-year-old to five-year-olds
(09:57):
the little we used to call themlittle ninjas.
You know, all the way up to youknow grown adults.
Like I was running like thecardio kickboxing class with
grown adults at the age of 13.
And I mean I was a little bitmore mature for my age, but
still it's a 13 year old.
Like you know, they're not 18,19, 21.
Like majority of people couldbe like, okay, like there's a
kid teaching me right now.
(10:17):
The demand for respect in thatinitial authority was already
kind of set when I would walk onthe floor and not take excuses
and so forth from grown adults.
It's like you're here to getbetter yourself, like we're
going to do it, like I don'tcare if you cry, I don't care if
you, whatever you're like we'regoing to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:34):
Okay, man, you're, you're intimidating me right now
.
No, just kidding.
That's amazing for someonewho's only 13 to be able to have
that, especially with adults.
Like you know, you kind of whenyou have kids that are younger
or whatever you kind of can see,okay, yeah, I'm the older kid,
I'm the teenager here, they'rejust the, you know, five or six
year old.
But when you've got an adult inthere, you know that's going to
(10:55):
be a little bit intimidating,it sounds like that didn't,
didn't phase you.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Maybe it was a gradual progression, right, you
know.
So you started off with notbeing the person leading the
class.
So there's months that you knowI would be assisting the class
and so one, the people aregetting used to me, I'm getting
used to teaching adults and soforth, just correcting form and
motivating and so forth, fromlike not behind the scenes, but
you know, from the side a littlebit.
(11:24):
And then all of a sudden Ineeded it was the main coach
wasn't there, he was sick orsomething.
So I had to step in for thatone class and I was like, okay,
it wasn't like anythingdifferent than I was already
doing.
You know, it's just, it's mytime, right, and I've been in
the shoes where I didn't want towork out.
I've been in the shoes where Iwas you know it didn't want to
(11:44):
do some of the exercises becauseit was painful.
So it's like not being a drillsergeant but also not being I've
never been one of those likefluffy, like raw, raw kind of
trainers.
I think, as weird as it is, alot of people resonate with that
more than that like Energizer,bunny trainer, that's just, you
know, motivating and pumping youup in your ear nonstop.
It's like you came here for areason, like I'm going to help
(12:06):
you achieve what you want.
Like I'm not going to yell atyou, I'm not going to scream at
you, but at the end of the day,you're not going to make excuses
either.
We're going to get through thistogether.
Speaker 1 (12:15):
I love that.
I think I have a good examplein that my running coach, ryan
Head, who I've had on the showbefore.
I think he's kind of that wayhe's.
I remember one time I was justlike I did not want to do.
I was doing like a 10 mile runor something.
I did not want to do it and Iremember messaging him partway
through it my leg was hurting orsomething.
I was kind of like, oh man, I'mjust not.
(12:35):
And he messaged me backimmediately and was like, hey,
you went out there to do thesemiles, get the miles in.
I love that.
I still appreciate that abouthim, that he was able to do that
with me.
And he's great about mindsettoo.
That's why, again, I'm excitedto talk to you about that.
So how do you think you made?
Or I guess maybe why or how?
I guess both why fitness, why acareer with fitness?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I would say, around that same time that I was, you
know, starting to become amartial arts coach.
I remember for the listenersthat you know, know what VHS is
right, you know it's.
You know there are these tapesbefore CDs.
But my dad had VHS tapes ofbodybuilders and you know these
workout tapes and stuff.
And I remember being 12 or itwas the 11 or 12.
It was a year before I could goto the gym, right, and I really
(13:18):
wanted to go to the gym but Iwasn't old enough yet, and so I
was taking down notes and I waswatching the videos and taking
notes and then working out withwhat equipment I did have at my
house or my uncle's house.
Finally I was able to go to thegym and I was that annoying kid
that was going around andasking every buff guy or even
girl, like I didn't care gender,I was like.
I was like yo, you have muscles, I'm trying to get those Right.
(13:38):
And so I'd walk around that,hey, what does that do?
And then sometimes they wouldkind of try to brush you off,
and then I would just watch andthen like be doing the movements
, like feeling like my muscle,and then trying to figure out
what it's doing, and then theywould realize I'm serious.
So then they would, you know,usually like, oh, you're serious
, like yeah, so then they'relike, okay, cool.
And then they would tell mewhat it did.
(14:02):
I would write it wasn't themuscle group of the day that led
me into, you know, building myself-confidence even more on a
physical standpoint, you know,from strength, but just
appearance and everything.
And then getting into personaltraining was one of those
transitions from martial artsinstructor, because this martial
arts studio didn't align withmy college schedule.
(14:22):
So it was like, obviously I notgoing to quit college, so I had
to make that decision.
And I was like, okay, well, Idid a different job, worked at
retail for less than a year, andI was like this is not me.
And then the gym I was workingat or work out at, they had a
hiring sign and I applied for itand I called and it was a VP of
(14:42):
the area and he was like howserious are you about this?
He's like meet me at the gym in30 minutes.
And I was like, damn, I live 30minutes away.
And so I just threw on myprofessional looking clothes,
didn't even have a suit oranything Showed up and I was
like sorry for the appearance.
I live 30 minutes away, so he'slike awesome.
He's like did a littleinterview.
He's like show me how bad youwant it If you show up to Costa
(15:04):
Mesa tomorrow, we're opening anew location.
Be there at 6 am.
I was like you got it.
Didn't even know where CostaMesa was Right, and I was like
I'll be there at 6 am.
Get home, tell my dad.
I was like I got the job.
He's like where I was likeCosta Mesa.
He's like you know where thatis.
And I was like no, he's prettymuch near San Diego.
(15:26):
And I was like I have to bethere at 6 AM.
And he was like, well, you're,you better be leaving early.
And so I showed up 6 AM.
The VP was super impressed.
He was like you know, you canwork out today, do your thing,
but yeah, you start tomorrow at8.
At the gym, you know I'll seeyou there.
I was like all right, coolDoing that.
And seeing people and teachingpeople just about general
(15:46):
fitness that I knew I wasn'tcertified or anything like that.
And so just seeing theirinitial like self-belief and
self-confidence and then prideof the results that they get,
you know, it was one of thosealmost natural highs is the best
way I can put it Seeing likeyou can't get it from anything
else.
Going to college, I chosebusiness management because
(16:07):
that's like pretty much like anundecided major, and then
realized that there was a studycalled kinesiology, which was
the study of human movement, andI was like this is super
interesting, I can learn this, Idon't have to sit through
accounting anymore.
I was like switch, you know.
And then that led me to.
Even though I was doingkinesiology, I still saw
personal training as like acollege job and I was like you
(16:28):
know what?
Like this fits around myschedule, it's perfect.
But you know, I need a career.
So my parents say I needed acareer.
So I was trying to become afirefighter through that whole
time.
And then it was like actualtime to, you know, got EMT
certified and everything.
And I was like do I really wantto become an EMT to?
Or you're like, and you alreadybuilt up a business, you know,
(16:50):
and not officially yet, but youcould be something serious with
this.
And I was like I thought aboutit for a couple of days and I
was like, yeah, I can't do afirefighter Like.
It's just not me Like, andthough full in on, you know,
went private and did my ownthing for personal training,
grew up the clientele and youknow that's when I really got my
you know dive into the coldwater and learning
(17:13):
entrepreneurship.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
That's amazing because I find that people like
you, who you know, find what youwant.
At first you're like, okay,maybe I'll do, you know, be a
firefighter, and it just wasn't.
You wasn't who you were, andthen you dove into to being a,
an entrepreneur and kind ofbuilding up your own clientele.
There's a lot of businessacumen that has to go into this
and that's something I strugglewith.
(17:34):
I mean, you got to be asalesman somewhat to get people
to want to work with you.
Tell me a little bit about that.
How did you I mean, how did youget these clienteles?
Was it just from the peoplethat you met working at the gym
and just kind of spread the wordthat way?
How did you do it?
Speaker 2 (17:47):
So at first I worked for LA Fitness when I first
started personal training rightduring college and, you know,
then left LA Fitness, worked fora private gym and still work
for them, helped them build apersonal training department and
, you know, ended up coming inthe personal training manager
that whole time while I wasstill working for them.
I I I'm big on understandingthings and really diving in, so,
like YouTube, university ishuge for me and Google, and then
(18:11):
I'll buy textbooks and not bein school.
That's just who I am.
I don't like reading fiction.
I'd rather learn about peoplethat are successful and figure
out how they did it, and so Iwas watching a lot of sales.
I never got traditional salestraining.
I would watch people that Iaspired to be, watch their sales
videos, buy books andeverything that, and just take
(18:31):
notes, try stuff.
It didn't work, try somethingelse didn't work, try it again.
All of a sudden you start tofind your way with things.
But then when I did take thatfull leap in, it was all due to
a disagreement between me andthe owner of the gym that he
wanted to move me for to adifferent location, which I
needed to be a you know,primarily a Spanish speaker and
my Spanish is okay, but not tothe degree of being able to sell
(18:53):
and personal train.
So I was like you know what?
I quit, I'm not doing this.
And he said wait, wait, wait.
And I was like no, no, no, Iquit.
Even if you put that on thetable and put that as a threat.
I was like this was just thepush I needed.
And so I remember quitting andcalling my girlfriend who's now
my wife at the time and I waslike you know, I quit.
She said quit what?
(19:14):
And I was like I quit my job.
And she's like so what are yougoing to do?
And I was like well, I'm goingto personal train, that I'm
going to start my own personaltraining business.
And she said how are you goingto and she's like you know stand
in front of the grocery storeand sell personal training
before I go to work for someoneelse again.
And then she already knew she'sseen my work ethic and it was
(19:35):
one of those things where itwasn't a matter of if I was
going to build a business or besuccessful, it's just when.
So that's my whole thing islike if I want something, it's
not a matter of, if it's just amatter of when it'll be achieved
.
Speaker 1 (19:54):
I'm just amazed by this because that's something I
struggle with, that you know, assomeone who's trying to do my
own podcast, and I've been doingit for three years now.
But I struggle with that wholemotivation to like get it done
and to I guess I have a littlebit of fear.
There's all kinds of things andI know something that says on
your on your profile, and it'skind of has to do with this, but
it says breaking limits,building legacies, inspiring
greatness.
So I feel like breaking limitsis a big part of what you did,
(20:14):
where you're just like I'm notgoing to work for anybody else
again, I'm just going to do this, and you just you broke that
limit.
Talk to me a little bit aboutbreaking limits, because I feel
like that's what you did.
Maybe I'm not reading thatright, but that's what I feel
like you did.
Speaker 2 (20:25):
The limits that you have are all self-put right, so
it's the only thing that holdsyou back.
My biggest thing is everythingbegins and ends with your mind
right.
So, even like my book, thefirst chapter and the last
chapter are about mindset andit's to symbolize if you can
believe in something, if youknow you can do it and you have
that self-confidence in yourself, anything is possible.
(20:47):
But the moment that you stopbelieving in yourself, it
becomes impossible.
With that drive or thatself-belief, that
self-confidence, it's builtthrough repetition you telling
yourself you're going to go tothe gym today and you don't feel
like it later in the day, butyou still go either way and that
.
So you start to believe thatanything you tell yourself,
(21:07):
anything that you say you'regoing to do, you do, because
every time you've done it in thepast it happens, let's say, for
business.
And you know, for any of thosethings, those limiting beliefs,
majority of the time it allstarts from external sources.
You know your parents tellingyou that you need to get a job.
You know someone saying thatyou shouldn't start a podcast or
your podcast isn't going to bea huge thing, and it's like you
(21:28):
could take that in and take itat face value and believe that.
Or you could be like, okay, youknow, just watch right.
For my thing is like I liketaking the path least traveled.
You know, being a trainer, howmany trainers say they're going
to open a gym?
Almost every single one of themat one point.
And then it's like actuallyopening a gym, right.
And now, from the ones thatactually opened a gym, it's like
(21:51):
how many of them have actuallytaken it and franchised it into
a successful franchise, right?
So it's like taking that nextlevel and taking the hard path,
because it does have an impacton more lives and that's my
biggest core value, but also notjust taking the easy right out
for me and just settling when Iknow I could achieve more.
Speaker 1 (22:10):
I think that's what I'm impressed with you, devin,
is because, yeah, you said, allright, I'm going to just do my
own training thing and get thatgoing on the side.
You did that, you built that upto then get your own gym, to
then do franchising.
That.
That's amazing, the steps thatyou've taken and where you've
gone.
So tell me a little bit aboutthat whole getting your own gym
and then the franchising thingand tell and it's strive 11,
(22:33):
right, is that the name?
Speaker 2 (22:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
Yeah, tell me a little bit about strive 11.
Speaker 2 (22:38):
So strive 11 was?
I mean before strive 11 andbefore my current business
partner there was a plethora ofdifferent, you know failed
investors, failed businesspartners that you know.
We were trying to createdifferent models and then it
came down to you know what?
I'm just going to do thismyself.
I'm over it.
I was either going to buy intoa franchise or do something.
I didn't have the idea orconcept of Strive 11 yet and I
(22:59):
was like you know what, I'llfigure this out by myself.
That was the frustration of fiveyears, of not working out time
and time again and getting backup, dusting myself off and then
going to the next one, and so Iended up training who's now my
business partner.
I did.
I helped him out for a bodybuilding competition and it was
(23:20):
one of those things where it wasjust helping him out.
I didn't you know, he didn'tpay me as a client or anything
like that.
It was just, you know, I knewhim in the gym and just wanted
to help him out.
I told him I was like you knowwhat?
I in the gym and just wanted tohelp him out.
I told him I was like you knowwhat, I'll help you out free of
charge, as long as you knoweveryone else.
I've watched you ask otherpeople and get turned down that
are actually in the bodybuildingscene and I was like we'll all
work with you, but the momentyou start seeing results,
(23:42):
they're going to come in and askyou to basically coach you.
I was like the moment that youallow that, I was like I'm out.
I was like I'm out.
I was like I'm not being one of10 cooks in the kitchen just
because they want therecognition of you stepping on
stage.
I was like I can care less.
I was like but at the same time, I'm not going to do this for
free and help you out.
And then you didn't flip it onme and so he was like okay, I'm
(24:03):
with it.
He's like that makes a hundredpercent sense.
So that was really a test ofhis loyalty and his word as well
, as it was a demonstration ofhis work ethic, because I wasn't
training him like a normalclient, but I would text him
what to do for the day and hehad a normal job at.
He worked at a hospital.
He would show up at 8 PM atnight and I would be there
(24:24):
training clients and I would seehim looking at his phone,
seeing what he has to do andthen getting it done.
He would look exhausted beforethe workout even started, yet he
still just did what he neededto do and I was like, oh, that's
awesome, he did his show andeverything.
And a little while later Ifound out that he was starting
to do personal training andworking for a bootcamp who's now
one of our competitors, and Iwas like I reached out and I was
(24:46):
like, look, I was like you'retrying to do what I already did.
I'm trying to take the nextlevel and I would rather do this
with someone that I am alignedwith.
And you and I get along well.
You're a super good dude.
Pitch them the vision to thesebootcamps in between our
sessions, because clients don'ttypically pay for, you know,
(25:12):
everyday training, but they needthat coaching and the majority
of them won't follow.
You know an email or a text,like you know he did.
So it was like, okay, go to agroup class, go to a bootcamp,
do something in between.
And they would do it.
And over the years I alwaysheard the same complaints the
class times didn't work out.
You know the class times areover, always overbooked, the
(25:36):
membership is crazy expensiveand I get hit with these.
You know late fees if I don'tshow up to the class, because
you know my mom died, whateverthe case is like.
There was just you know, samethings and I was like it's weird
that these different models allrun the same and but yet
they're.
You know they promote that theydo different things.
But I'm looking at them, theyall do the same thing, just
different logo, different paint.
And I was like all right.
(25:56):
So then I started, you know,one day, with my ADHD brain,
just let it run.
All of a sudden that was likethe initial, you know, 1.0
version of Stripe.
So our model essentially is abootcamp style model.
We have no class times, so youcan come in during our operating
hours just like a big box gym,like an LA Fitness 24 hour
(26:17):
fitness, something like that.
But once you walk in the doorsyou get the same energy, the
same environment like you wouldin these bootcamp classes.
The difference as well is thatthe 11, even though majority of
people think there's somemetaphor or analogy behind the
11, it's because we have 11stations.
The stations change everysingle day depending on the
muscle split, and then themuscle splits also change every
(26:40):
day of the week as well, so thatyou're not doing, let's say,
monday is not always chest andback, it always switches up,
because people do get inroutines and I want to make sure
that people get a full body'sworkout every single time.
You know they accomplish theirweekly workouts.
Each station could be madeeasier or harder depending on
the person's fitness level.
So it's like you get theflexibility of a big box gym so
(27:03):
you fit busy schedules, you getthat energy and that motivation
in.
You know coaching from thetrainers and everything like a
bootcamp.
Yet you get the customizationof having a personal trainer.
So we've been able to broadenthe demographic from a
traditional bootcamp demographicto a full spectrum from 13 to
seven.
Speaker 1 (27:21):
I like that.
So, instead of oh, I got mybootcamp at five o'clock today.
If, oh, I can't make it becausesomething at work came up and
I'm not going to get there till535, you can still walk in at
five 35 and do your thing, withthat same feeling, that same
energy as a bootcamp class.
Is that what I'm hearing?
Speaker 2 (27:36):
Exactly, exactly Like .
You can show up at five, 32 andwalk in, right?
The difference majority of likebootcamps, it's, let's say, an
hour long class, but noteveryone has an hour to work out
every single day, right, and soit's like.
I mean some models are 45minutes, whatever the you know,
(27:57):
it's a set standard of time.
Ours is tailored around you.
Your schedule is the dictatorof this, not our schedule.
So our bottle can be ourworkout.
Same membership.
You can do a 30 minute versiontoday, a 47 minute version
tomorrow, you know, all the wayupwards of a 75 minute version.
And the difference is we have awarm-up station, which is
usually two exercises, not timedor anything.
Once you're done with thewarm-up, you hop in.
(28:17):
The trainers will put you intoone of the 11 stations.
All the 11 stations are goingoff a singular timer that
rotates every roughly twominutes, a little over two
minutes, with a 30-second restin between.
So you're not waiting on anyone, no one's waiting on you, and
it just keeps the flow moving.
(28:37):
You can do one round, which is30 minutes.
You can do up to two rounds,which is an hour, and then, once
you're done with your rounds orany combinations of the rounds.
Then you go to the ab stationor cool down station, just like
the warmup, not timed.
Two exercises, stretch out andyou're on your way, and 75
minutes if everything iscomplete.
Next day you come in.
You're like I only got 30minutes Cool.
Just do a light stretch.
When you're ready, hop in onthe next station and then do one
round.
You're in, you're out.
Speaker 1 (28:57):
I love it.
I need to join.
I love it.
That's fantastic.
Tell me about the individualside of things, because I love
the story you told about yourpartner and what's going on
there.
But when you see somebody who'scoming in who may be struggling
with their fitness, and thenyou see them making that change
and you see them developing andyou see them progressing you
(29:20):
said that gave you like adopamine hit or whatever.
Give me a couple of examples ofthat and why that's so
impactful to you.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Every interaction, every conversation, every as a
service based business, everyservice you give someone, like
it leaves an imprint on theirlife, whether you want to or not
, it does Right.
Every conversation you havewith someone, that is a piece of
their history and their memorythey will always have having the
ability to transform someoneand are not.
I mean, we're not doing thework, right?
(29:49):
Right, they're doing the work,but giving them the information
and the guidance and themotivation to basically
transform their life and they'llforever remember that.
And you can.
You know, you could rememberback to one of your grade school
teachers and that just stoodout from the rest, being able to
be that for someone else, it.
There is no other feeling likeit and knowing that now that
(30:09):
person has an indirect rippleeffect on, let's say, anywhere
from one to 10 more people thatI've watched them do that
transformation.
They're now trying to betterthemselves, so we had an
indirect impact on their livesand, same thing, it's the spider
web of it, right, that is.
It's one of the most rewardingfeelings seeing someone so
excited to tell you.
(30:29):
It's almost like a little kidcoming home and showing their
parents you know, I got an Aplus and then putting it on a
fridge, right, and so seeing aclient come in and show us their
before and after and be like,hey, can I show you something
real quick and show us thepicture, like, dude, like that's
so awesome, right, and likeseeing them light up, it's like
there's no better feeling thanthat.
That's one of those thingswhere I knew that personal
(30:51):
training I could only do thatwith my schedule.
I was already overbooked and itwas like the only way to really
spread that.
It was like to create a modelor create a gym where I can
continue doing it at scale.
And now, even with ourfranchisees, even though I might
not be the owner of that actuallocation the whole product and
the whole service, everythingabout it that is changing
people's lives.
I'm having an indirect impacton their lives as well.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
With how busy you are now with all the you know the
different franchises you gotgoing on and things like that.
Are you still able to findthose moments with the
individuals or is it it's so bignow that it's hard for you to
to get that that time with withindividuals?
Speaker 2 (31:27):
It's a.
It's a different now, right?
So I mean, I still go to, likeyou know, our corporate one, and
every now and then I just didthis past weekend I did the
outing, which is, you know, wedid a hike and it was like just
to get people outside the gymand do something together, like
I actually did the hike withthem, as much as like just
training on the floor.
I'm not doing that as muchbecause I have so many different
assets and things that I'mdoing, but I also get that same
(31:52):
rewarding feeling when I'mtalking to, let's say, our
coaches at our locations andteaching them how to overcome
objections and how to learn howto sell, and watching them all
of a sudden come in and theyhaven't ever sold a single thing
and be like dude, I just soldfive supplements and I'm like
awesome, but run me through it,why did it work this time?
Why didn't it work before?
And then having them explain itand while they're explaining it
(32:14):
, I'm watching the light bulb goon in their head because
they're they know the answerthat.
And then also, even from thefranchisee side, my, I'm a I'm a
people person and I just needto be able to interact with
someone to a degree.
Things like this, you know, isstill giving me that you know,
that same feeling.
So, even though I'm notdirectly on the floor,
everything that I am doing isstill interacting with people
(32:35):
and trying to leave that imprinton anyone that I can when
coming across them inconversation.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
What are some of the challenges and difficulties you
face?
Speaker 2 (32:44):
I don't know if I coined this right or if I heard
this somewhere, dude, I keepforgetting to look it up.
But a lesson that I learnedfrom my own reflection was when
I went to launch the franchiseside, my business partner.
Basically, we agreed he wasgoing to take role over managing
the gym and you know all that.
And all of a sudden thingsstarted taking a dip and I was
like what's going on, like?
(33:07):
And he was like I don't know,I'm trying to figure it out and
I didn't want to bother you.
And I was like well, one botherme, because now I have to take
more time, wait to fix this.
I was like, but it's, these areeasy things.
Like I don't like what I don'tget what you don't get.
And he was like I didn't knowwe were, that's what we did.
And I was like, thinking back,I was like okay, well, it's
(33:27):
common sense.
And I didn't tell him that.
But then I realized it's onlycommon sense.
Common sense is only common tothe person that knows it.
That was one of the big thingsthat I had to realize that I
can't just expect things to bedone a certain way if I haven't
created a system or a process todo it, because someone that's
never done it before doesn'tknow how to do it, necessarily
(33:49):
Going from a solopreneur runninga personal training business to
me and my business partner,bootstrapping the first location
with no employees to thenhaving employees and now scaling
that to a full team.
We have VAs and we havefranchisees and they have
employees and so forth.
It's like now having to manageand learn people on a
(34:10):
psychological basis differentlyto be able to explain it to them
so that they can explain it toother people who explain this to
other people.
Understanding all those thingsand still knowing that I don't
know everything and having thehumility to ask for help.
And that's I mean.
I'm a part of business networks, I have a franchise advisor and
other resources that I do leanon because I know I don't know
(34:34):
everything.
Speaker 1 (34:35):
Yeah, you've got a lot to take in, I mean,
especially from where you'vecome from to where you are now.
You still seem like you're apretty young guy.
I'm not sure how old you are,but you look pretty young still.
So how is this with buildingthis business, doing all this?
That's a huge part of who youare.
You've got the mindset going.
You're, you know, breakinglimits, inspiring greatness,
kind of like.
(34:55):
We talked about One thing themiddle of that that says it says
building legacies.
First of all, what is buildinglegacies to you?
And then, how is thisrelationship with your, with
your wife, and I believe youhave a, maybe a daughter.
I'm not sure if I got thatright.
Speaker 2 (35:08):
I like the word legacies because it sounds so
stoic and it sounds so, you know, so elegant when you, when you
say it.
But I like to reframe what alegacy is to someone and that's
why I like to say you knowbuilding legacies, because it
really is directly your impacton people.
At the end of the day, yourlegacy is the impact of the
(35:28):
lessons and the interactionsthat you've had with people At
your eulogy, the things thatpeople say about you.
That's what your legacy isRight.
It's not.
You know he had the most pullups.
You know, let's say, for DavidGoggins, you know he broke the
pull up record and that's hislegacy.
Now, that was maybe one aspectof it.
But what happens when the nextperson breaks it?
Is his legacy gone, right?
(35:51):
It's not.
The legacy is everyone thathe's inspired from that one
action and you know everyinteraction that he's had with
someone.
So when you're creating yourlegacy, it's like what are you
leaving here?
Not not necessarily physicallyor financially, but what are you
leaving back for the rest ofthe people, right, for your kids
, for your wife, you know, foryou know our husband depending,
(36:12):
you know.
And it's like you're also youremployees, your team, your, you
know customers, just yourgeneral circle.
That's your legacy.
So every day, even though youmay not want to have that, that
conversation with someone,someone may want to talk to you
but you just don't feel liketalking with them.
Maybe they're trying to reachout to you, but you just don't
feel like talking with them.
(36:33):
Maybe they're trying to reachout to you because you're their
shoulder, you're someone thatthey can, you know, trust, or
they look up to you and it'slike you may be exhausted, but
it's just someone that might bereaching out for help and you're
the go-to.
That's, that's your legacy.
Speaker 1 (36:45):
Yeah, How's this whole with building this
franchise and doing all thisthat you're doing?
How's that affected life athome?
How's the things with the wife,daughter?
How do you still find the timefor that?
Speaker 2 (36:55):
I mean, obviously, when you first start off a
business, you wear all the hatsand over time, as you grow and
you can bring on a team anddelegate more, you can start
reducing some of the hats.
But since we are in anaggressive growth, growth phase,
you know there are more hatsthat come with that.
I've learned over time that youknow you need to be present
(37:16):
where you are, when you are,meaning that when I'm at home
with my daughter and with mywife, like I'm at home with them
, like I'm not working, I'm notcalling people unless I work
from home, and it's still duringthose hours Like I set time
aside for them, right.
(37:37):
And one of the big things thatI learned recently, or kind of
came to realization recently,was that as an entrepreneur, you
build things for your family,right?
You're, you're building a lifeand you do these things for your
life, for them.
But if you don't communicatewith them and you're not present
with them, you start to losethem in the process of what
you're trying to build for them,right.
So at the end of the day theylook back and they're like we
would have rather had you.
That's not to say you can't putin the grind and you can't do
(38:00):
all these things, but you needto let them feel included, right
.
So even for my wife, forexample, she doesn't need to
know every fire or everyobstacle that we, you know, face
, but every now and then I'll,you know, throw her one of the
problems, even though I may havethe answer already.
I just give it to her just tobe a soundboard and, you know,
let her hear and have her knowthat I can vent to her.
(38:20):
Then, you know, she'll throwout her opinion and you know all
that.
Oh, that's awesome.
And now she feels like she's apart of it, right, because at
the end of the day, this shouldfeel like you guys are growing
this together, even though theymay not be physically doing any
of the things or stressed outabout all the stresses of a
business.
As far as my daughter, I mean,she's only three, so it's not
like, you know, she understandsa ton, but she does understand.
(38:42):
Like you know, I have to go towork right now, but then I'm
gonna come back so we can playRight and later note that you
know I've talked to a bunch ofpeople about this as well and
kind of establishing that whereit's like hey, dad is going to
be super busy for the next, youknow, couple of weeks, but then
everything like the goal is thisright, and that's why I'm going
to be really busy for inletting them in on what the game
(39:03):
plan is.
Otherwise, there's two lives toyou.
There's the entrepreneur andthen there's the family person
and it's like they need to beblended or else the family is
never going to feel like they'rea part of the business and
that's a part of that side ofyour life.
Speaker 1 (39:16):
I appreciate you sharing that Cause I think
that's something I've kind ofstruggled with through the
course of my career and nowdoing this podcast is that
relationship and keeping themblended somewhat, and I think
you do need to do that.
I agree with that.
Otherwise, yeah, it's almostlike two different things.
You're on two different roadsand they're not crossing at all.
They're not.
You know, there's kind of runin separate ways.
So I appreciate you sharingthat.
I think that's that's reallyimportant as we wrap up here.
(39:37):
I know you've got a book aswell.
You mentioned the book.
Tell us a little bit about thebook and then where can people
find you if they want to lookyou up and see what, what you
got going on with strive 11 andall those good things?
Speaker 2 (39:48):
Definitely so.
The book is called Money MuscleMindset, right, and I mentioned
earlier the first and the lastchapter about mindset, but
everything in the middle andthere's 11 chapters.
You know the link betweenStrive 11, the middle chapters
are all about.
You know the gym in terms ofwhere do you find a location?
How do you find a location?
What can you negotiate?
(40:08):
How do you find your clientavatar?
What is an avatar?
Everything that I wish I wouldhave been able to find and get
(40:29):
to how to build a gym and makeit a reality, what do you need
to look up?
You know how do you do thesethings.
At the end of each chapter,there is a QR code Now, majority
of people would make that likelead magnets where people scan
it and you have to input yourinformation.
I wanted everything to be astraight give.
So when you scan that QR code,it'll take you to a landing page
for that one chapter, whereyou'll get a video of me
(40:51):
explaining it more in depthalmost have a video podcast and
then there's downloadabletemplates to align with in
scripts, to align with what wasin the chapter, and then where
you can connect with me.
I mean, all my social mediasare pretty much the same.
You know Devin Gonzalez, but ifyou can, you can go to my
website.
You know Devin D-E-V-A-NGonzalez, g-o-n-z-a-l-e-zcom,
(41:11):
and all my social media is thebook, the.
You know the Strive 11.
Everything is right there, aslike a hub of one place.
Speaker 1 (41:17):
This has been fantastic.
I feel motivated now hearingfrom you, so that's what I was
hoping to gain from that andthat's what I think I got, so I
appreciate that.
Devin, since this is anadventure podcast, how does
adventure play into fitness andentrepreneurship for you?
Speaker 2 (41:34):
I mean adventure.
Most people see adventure as agame, right, and you know it
gives you that natural rush andstuff.
And for me, as much as I lovefitness like I love the game of
business and the risk that youhave to take on yourself it's
always an adventure because youdon't know what's around the
corner.
You know and you know takingthose things and scaling them.
(41:56):
So in terms of generaladventure, I mean trying to
scale it, to be, you know, oneof the top dogs in the fitness
industry is my adventure.
Speaker 1 (42:04):
Devin, thank you so much for coming on Journey with
Jake.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker 1 (42:08):
A huge thank you to Devin Gonzalez for joining me on
the show and bringing some muchneeded motivation.
I truly admire the mindset ofentrepreneurs like Devin and I'm
grateful he was part of Journeywith Jake today.
If you'd like to learn moreabout Devin, be sure to check
out his website,devingonzalezcom, and follow him
on Instagram at devingonzalez.
(42:28):
And Devin is spelled D-E-V-A-N,gonzalez spelled
G-O-N-Z-A-L-E-Z.
And, of course, a big thank youto all of you for tuning into
this bonus episode.
I'll be back on Thursday withJorge Salas Guevara talking
about the incredible trips heplans.
Who knows, maybe you'll want tobe part of one, so be sure to
tune in.
Just remember, it's not alwaysabout the destination as it is
(43:02):
about the journey.
Take care, everybody.
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