If you’re ambitious but inconsistent, please watch this

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares a powerful message about pursuing passion in business. Reflecting on his journey from fitness to a $46 million exit, he emphasizes that passion alone won’t sustain long-term success. Instead, proficiency, frustration tolerance, and a commitment to solving difficult problems are key. He urges viewers to stop idolizing passion and focus on consistent execution, even when tasks get repetitive and boring. He stresses that real success comes from embracing the grind and overcoming obstacles, not just following your passions.

Takeaways

• 😀 Passion may drive you to start, but proficiency and persistence are what keep you going in business.
• 😀 It’s important to acknowledge that most of what you do in business will not be your passion, but it’s necessary for success.
• 😀 Real success comes from solving difficult problems, consistently executing, and building frustration tolerance.
• 😀 Passion in business can quickly turn into monotony. Being good at something and executing it well is more important than constantly pursuing passion.
• 😀 The idea of 'do what you love and never work a day in your life' is a myth — business is hard work, no matter what your passion is.
• 😀 You’ll likely face a lot of repeated, unexciting tasks. Learning to embrace the discomfort of these tasks is key to business success.
• 😀 Passion is a bad judgment filter for business. It can narrow your focus too much, while success often requires broadening your approach.
• 😀 The real value lies in being consistent and doing the work even when it gets boring or tough. This is where many people give up.
• 😀 The concept of 'doing what you love' often ignores the reality that scaling any business involves doing many things you don't love.
• 😀 Building business success requires embracing pain tolerance and perseverance — those who can keep going through tough times are the ones who make it.
• 😀 Don’t be afraid to fail early on. Everyone starts somewhere and will face awkwardness or rejection — the key is to keep pushing through it.

Q & A

Why did the young man stop doing sales despite making $80,000?

The young man stopped doing sales because he no longer felt passionate about it, despite being financially successful.

What lesson does the speaker share from his own experience in pursuing passion?

The speaker shares that pursuing passion can be misleading. He learned that, even when pursuing something he loved, like fitness, there were many aspects of the business that were unappealing and tedious.

What is the difference between passion and fulfillment, according to the speaker?

Passion is often narrow and specific, whereas fulfillment comes from broadening one's interests and engaging in activities that may not be immediately exciting but contribute to growth and success.

How did the speaker's journey with fitness evolve over time?

The speaker started by training athletes, then opened a gym, expanded his business, and eventually scaled to 6,000 locations. Despite his initial passion for fitness, he found that much of the work was repetitive and not as fulfilling as he expected.

What does the speaker suggest is the real challenge of turning a passion into a business?

The challenge is that, in business, much of the work involves tasks that are not directly related to the passion itself—like logistics, sales, and management—that can become exhausting and uninteresting over time.

What does the speaker mean by 'frustration tolerance' and why is it important?

Frustration tolerance refers to the ability to endure setbacks, rejections, and repetitive tasks without giving up. It's important because success often requires perseverance through difficult and boring parts of any journey.

How does the speaker view the concept of 'follow your passion'?

The speaker criticizes the idea of following your passion as oversimplified and unrealistic. He argues that passion alone isn't enough for long-term success, and it's often the skills and ability to handle challenges that matter more.

What does the speaker say about the role of failure in business?

The speaker highlights that failure is a psychological construct. In reality, as long as you are still able to work, you're not out of business. Failure often comes from self-imposed limits, not external circumstances.

Why does the speaker suggest that passion is not a reliable guide for business decisions?

Passion is too narrow and specific to guide business decisions effectively. The speaker points out that successful entrepreneurs often have to deal with unglamorous aspects of their business that have nothing to do with their initial passion.

How does the speaker suggest we should approach difficult tasks in business?

The speaker suggests that we should reframe difficult tasks as opportunities for growth. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects, we should embrace challenges as part of the process and focus on getting better at handling them.