MANY Business "experts" will tell you how to run a business to make money.
Yea. YOU get that money, boy!
Systems. Team Building. Levels of Ascension.
I get that. I do these things. But wanna know what VERY FEW people tell you about?
CARING
When I opened my 2nd Underground Strength Gym location I listened to "the experts".
I did NOT, unfortunately, listen to my gut instincts and my PASSION.
That's the REAL shyt, right there. I did NOT start feeling the success until I did what was right in my HEART.
The passion and the caring for me will ALWAYS be number 1.
Let me explain further and how this is important for YOU......
You see, ANYTHING worth building takes TIME.
It takes some serious fucking work. You will not crush it until your heart pours everything you have in it.
"Chase The Dream, NOT The Dollar."
I know plenty of peeps chasing the dollar. They cut corners, the passion isn't fully there, but, the EGO is fucking massive and they will one day have to face their kids and tell the dirty ways they have built their business.
One of my athletes from The Underground Strength Gym shared this incredible documentary video with me of Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu. He told me that Cyborg's passion reminded him of me.
I was honored, especially after watching this video.
Cyborg reminded me of some of the people I met in Miami last January, super humble and incredibly caring. Guido Trinidad of CrossFit PEAK 360 is case in point, what an amazing person. Guido and his partners in Wodapalooza and the hotel hosting the after party were ALL heart and treated my friends and I like family.
You can't fake caring. It comes form the heart and it's real or it's not.
Trust me. The Gurus and experts say that following your passion is NOT the way to riches.
I know that with just a TINY bit of business sense and ALL your heart and caring, THIS is the way.
Watch & Enjoy.
[youtube width="640" height="360"]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWN7Tz-Ftbc[/youtube]
Would love to hear your thoughts and comments below.
Live The Code
Z
July Underground Strength Coach Cert
The Underground Bodyweight Files
20 Responses
Zach,
I’ve been receiving your e-mails for over a year now and I look forward to your daily dose of positive. Your an inspiration for health and fitness and life. There are many days where your words wake me up and get me going when I need it. Keep up the great work!
Randall – that means the world to me, homie. MUCH respect and I will keep inspiring!
Z, this is great! I agree 100% on what matters most.
I believe in living a simple life, free from fancy useless junk. We live in an old house, drive used cars, and stay free from debt. Myvkids are grown, so I spend as much time as possible with the wife I have been blessed with.
After she had cancer back in 1998, we have made extra sure that we take time for eavh other everty day.
Frank, you have what only you need and want…. simple man and simple life.
I love what you stand for, brotha!
True passion and caring is key. Thanks Zach 🙂
Pamela 🙂
Miss your face and hope to see you soon!!!
You and Mike should do a beach day here…. Like I said for the past 4 yrs ha ha ha
Nice inspiration brother.
Good to see things from the perspective of a wrestler.
Most of my exposure has been to around the bodybuilding world.
Thanks for sharing.
Haydo
Yes, spiritual warriors, brotha!
Zac and Cyborg are the same in that when you go to their gyms they change the way the world looks, they make the world seem better, brighter and life improves, no small feat….
Thanks Zac
Romanator I am so grateful you shared this with me…. love you like a brotha!
Zach,
Another honorable post bro. Here’s the bottom line. When we are old and grey Zach and look back at our life, can we honestly say we led a life of VALUES?
I did 20yrs in the military as you know Zach from our emails over the years and I still see the same old shit all over the internet in our industry.
Have these dudes and dudettes don’t believe in any God, unless its the dollar sign.
They don’t talk about how important family is. They preach about all the latest fitness or network marketing, but somewhere along the line they forgot why they entered the health and fitness industry.
What I don’t see Zach, are guys like you that often, that are all about being a man of integrity, honor, loyalty, respect, etc…
Well, during my military days, or later in my career, we came up with ARMY VALUES…..the acronym was LDRSHIP (Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity, and Personal Courage)
I bring this up because over the years reading your stuff and watching your videos, you show these values every time you speak bro. Either in your videos, to your clients, talking about your family and friends, in your blogs, etc… It’s totally clear you are grounded in faith, family, friends, and fitness…..and you realize the money will be there if you keep your integrity and honor in check.
You always go the extra mile to share your love of strength training, fitness, and just plain succeeding in life.
In this day and age, especially in our industry, too many people are chasing the money, you are right. They forgot why they came into the health and fitness or coaching industry……FOR THE LOVE OF IT.
We all go through trials and tribulations in life. It’s having the faith in God and knowing we are learning a lesson with every step and breath we take in life. Our failures build us and make us stronger. It’s from all the ups and downs in life that our character is developed. By persevering and hanging in there when others tell us our dreams can’t happen, well that resiliency and bouncing back when we fall, and brother, we all fall and we are all sinful creatures.
It’s how you bounce back, with the aforementioned 4 F’s. that makes us who we are and continue to be.
No matter how successful we become or how much money we think we can earn, no of it matters unless we have our 4 F’s in order. Without that, we are nothing.
Great post again bro and keep being a great example for your kids to follow and look up to. When it’s all said and done, being a man of honor and integrity in this business is what it’s all about.
Regards,
Tom
Tom, from the heart, thanks, my brotha!!!
No problem man. One day I will get my old ass (LOL) to the Jersey Shore with the fam, visit the East Coast, and come to your gym. Take care.
Cyborg exudes passion. This vid shows how a person can live, eat and breathe something so much that not only can it transform them into kings or queens of their chosen paths, but also bring a humble sense of peace for that person. I”m not sure if you follow basketball, but the Spurs were a good example of this love for the game. No showboating and passing the ball to the best open man. All humble guys on that team. Last, but not least, you sir. You are passionate about what you do and say, and it shows. Honest, helpful, respectful and strong.
Forge on,
Mike G.
Great video! My facility is small but packed full of equipment to get the job done. I don’t run trendy classes or have cardio equipment (hell my cardio equipment is a sled). I don’t go to bars to pass out cards or kiss ass of people to invest.
I consider myself a blue collar worker. Lifting, carrying and dragging weights all day long. This past week we had our first dose of heat and the people that came in winter and fall realized that what I said is true “garage door goes open and don’t hope for rain because then it is shut and it really gets hot/humid in here! ”
I have up on my wall The Code. I live it each and every day. With every “business man” that happens to be a “strength coach”. It is what sets me apart. I have had people comment “your competition …..” which I quickly stop them and say ” I have no competition”. They dabble in olympic lifting but I am a level 2 USA weightlifting coach/judge/and competitor. They read a book or watched a video. They claim to know the power lifts but have no clue how to coach or program them. Many don’t teach them because they are “too dangerous”. They claim to know how to use strongman events in training. But they never competed or trained with anything substantial to even come close.
They run “bootcamps” or programs similar with a catchy name but have no clue what a bootcamp is like. They have no respect or care for those that have bled for them.
Strength coaches don’t dabble. We obtain as much knowledge as we can to get the job done. We practice what we preach and we do what we say.
Watching that video and reading your blogs over the year reinforce my pride as an Underground Coach. Best use of my money yet.
It is great to see people not giving in to trends and living life with passion.
Have a good one Zach! Tomorrow my big guy turns 9yo and will begin his training in olympic lifting. I am excited to teach him my passion. For years he has observed and now he will get to experience.
Take care!
Big D keep going BIG, brotha, take care of that fam and I am psyched to see your awesome success since the USC Cert!
Wow – true inspiration, right there! Really touched me deep down as I can relate to the things Abreu has to say.
Following through on the beliefs and ideas one has on life can be such a struggle – it can literally crush you. Inspiration and motivation from the outside is nice. But if you don’t have the true belief and the passion to put it all on the line you won’t go far. Period. That’s why it’s so important to know your why.
Thx Zach, for providing.
Not just following your passion but also pursuing excellence and being serious about always getting better!
So true. Although we never met – you cant imagine how much you helped me in so many different ways. Thx, man. Hope I make it to one of your certificates one day.
Just cheked the man behind the camera a bit: Stuart Cooper
http://instagram.com/stuartcooperfilms
He really makes some really cool vids and has some really interesting projects going. Now, I’m not into BJJ but his projects, documentaries and his own story are reallying worth a look!
Again – thx for the input!