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AustinS28

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I felt like it'd be nice to get some new goals down on paper and that this forum was the spot to do it.

As some know, I have a Personal Training business primarily servicing Midtown Manhattan, but do have some work in Lower Manhattan and Queens.

I've had the absolute good fortune to have nearly tripled my weekly amount of appointments since I began this business some time ago. I've learned a ton of valuable lessons. I've also seen some friends in the industry fail pretty miserably because they didn't understand the concept of sales especially through the 80-20 rule.

I feel like I am having a snow ball effect (knock on wood) of getting busier and busier quicker and quicker. I picked up 6 new customers in the past 6 weeks..It took me 6 months previously. I also train primarily fast lane type people with great incomes, quite a few business owners. It's amazing to have been with a lot of these people for a very long time with the amount they've been able to teach me about life and business as I teach them exercise.

My first paycheck in NYC roughly 2.5 years ago was 194 bucks for two weeks of work at a gym making minimum wage. I have the deposit receipt in my statements for proof. On my busiest weekdays I've been able to gross over three times that with a lot less work.

This is a business I want to continue growing, but realize I want more time for myself, and more control over my schedule. At the moment I am at my clients beck and call.

To do this, I have two plans in action. I am going to find an employee to work the sessions I don't have time for and don't want to do. I am changing my business from Austin's Training, to Manhattan's Trainers, so people are not confused and recognize my business as a place to buy PT, not Austin.

Second, I am in the process of taking my first swing at wholesale purchasing fitness equipment and reselling. To start it will be through amazon's FBA.

I found a niche product people use, there isn't a lot of competition and the margins are high for how much it's selling for and what price I'm getting on a 2000 pc order. The mark up is 483%.

I currently have:

-An ebook in the final stages of editing that covers use of the product and other things. It will be the first ebook I have written, it will be free and the idea is to collect emails through downloads to build a an initial marketing list for future books and products. I may setup a strong PPC campaign to get these email addresses.
-A wholesaler that I've purchased samples from and will be buying some of the products.
-A graphic designer currently designing my logo and new website, and a web developer taking care of the back end stuff. It's deadline is the week of October 10th, but they've been a bit slow.

I will have the retail business in place before the new year. Rent is $1200 a month. I'd enjoy netting $14,400 in 2016 as a minimum goal for retail to cover the years worth of rent and then take it from there.

I will try to update every time I hit a mile stone so hopefully the next time will be on 10/10/15 when the website is up.

Thanks for checking in.
 
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Last edited:

AustinS28

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Good luck. I will be watching your journey.

Aim higher... realistic goals = one way ticket to mediocrity

x10 your goals (at least), when you do, you will start thinking differently.

Go get em'

That's definitely the plan. I want to make a lot more than that. However, exercise has taught me something that's been helping me with business and life. Aim high, but don't forget that the consistent achievement of small goals is what leads up to the achievement of mid range and large goals. I've hurt myself too many times forgetting about the steps it takes to achieve a goal by focusing on the end without considering the beginning and the middle.

Hope that made sense, but I wholeheartedly agree, 10x + is definitely the big picture. Thanks for following.
 

AustinS28

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So a little progress, graphic designer finally has logos in for me to choose from. I'm leaning towards designs A and V. She also did a lot of work on the actual website design so we have a design finally picked out today and a color scheme. Programmer said he'd be finished with some of the back end stuff tonight which includes specialized updatable reports for my clients.

Once she gets the logo finalized, then I can move forward with ordering my product. I'd leave the product plain, but I have hopes of possibly converting some clients off of it too if I garner any sales from the NYC area.

---

On a side note I wanted to mention the importance of rest. I think some people would benefit more from more quality work over quantity and quality work comes with a well rested mind. I am a person that always needs to be working on something. I don't watch tv because I can't. My roommate binge watches netflix, but anytime I am in the room and about to watch an episode I find myself on the computer working on my projects. I constantly need to be doing something. That said, I rarely relax. I often will work to the point of feeling burnt out. After doing that enough I realized my best work was also correlated to how fresh I was feeling, physically and mentally. Those late nights with little sleep, or that workload that would always leave me exhausted was maybe a time I was doing more work, but was it higher quality of work? No, it wasn't. I'm trying to take an approach now where I concentrate on doing things that keep me healthy which includes getting adequate sleep and giving my mind a break at certain points in the day just to unwind. This has benefited me tremendously because I get more work done, and more quality work. With editing/writing, I don't make as many tiny mistakes, find myself more creative, find myself actually wanting to write instead of looking at it like a chore. With training clients and making sales, jeeze...I am so much happier when I am well rested, I am also a lot more confident. I realized when I am tired, I feel less confident and much less social. That is not a good combo when working with customers and making sales. I also have better ideas when my mind is rested and sharp.

So in short, when your body and mind are telling you it's time to relax...get some relaxation, you'll work better/harder and you're attitude will be better. This is just some advice for those workaholics out there like myself.
 

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Mr_Maravish

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Yes, A & V are the best looking in my opinion, specifically A!!

Good luck, I will be following your progress as I am also in NYC!!
 

AustinS28

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Ebook - I am getting a bit frustrated with the edits, but will power through. I have a 6 hour flight to California Friday and plan to tackle the chapter that has been giving me the most grief. I've literally wrote it 5 times and scrapped every single one. I think the current draft I began yesterday will finally be a keeper.

Website - I confirmed that it'd be done within 7-10 days on Monday. The designer and developer are on the same schedule, so I am happy about this.

Retail - My supplier is on Holiday until the 8th which is tomorrow. I have my logo so it will be stamped onto my product. Talked to FBA customer care about packaging and since they won't put 4 pieces in one order (I am selling my product in packs of 4), I purchased zip lock bags with the dimensions of what I am selling and was told that they would suffice if I pack all 4 pieces together before sending them to the fulfillment center.

My Training Business - I've been busy. I have some clients that I've known for years now and when they ask how business is, I always respond "great, I just need 3-4 more clients to be comfortable," I've picked up a lot of business, but regardless of how busy I get, I always need 3-4 more customers.

Personal - Flying out for a long weekend in California with my girlfriend in Palm Springs. We are going to do some hiking in Yosemite National Park. I am pretty excited about that. I hired a tax accountant to help me organize my taxes and write-offs this week. I'm at a point where I am working hard on a few things I have a lot of faith in. I'm ready to move to the next step, where the hard work begins translating into sales!
 
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AustinS28

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So I was able to bust through some serious writers block this past weekend. I took a trip out to Palm Desert where my girlfriend lives. I had flight with a connection in Salt Lake City on the way in, and Phoenix on the way out. Total travel time from JFK to John Wayne Airport was around 6.5-7 hours, a perfect time to take out the laptop and write. I was struggling with a chapter that was taking much longer to write than others and finally went in an entire new direction that flows a lot better than the other work I had done.

This was my first trip to Cali as my girlfriend just moved last month, she lived in Manhattan before this. That said, I think this move is healthy for the both of us as it's a pinnacle point in both of our careers that if executed properly is only setting up a much brighter future and the time apart allows for that. I'm personally embracing this time alone as time spent growing this business with 100% of my attention as that is what is needed.

I dream of the day when I no longer need to physically get up at 5 in the morning to see clients and deal with the face to face customer service side of my business. I am fortunate to have a laundry list of clients that I also consider friends, but it does get tiresome practically having a different work schedule everyday with the businesses unpredictability, client cancellations, chasing people down for repeat business. I cannot wait to sell books, fitness products, be the boss of other personal trainers who work for my business so I can do all the back end work which I enjoy most (sales, marketing, innovation)....

I'm going to try and finish this book this week, or at least make a major crack in these final edits. I have a final web design as well...Let's see if these guys pull through and finish the work this week.

Attached is a pic from the hike we took in Palm Desert, the mountains were beautiful.
 

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mws87

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So a little progress, graphic designer finally has logos in for me to choose from. I'm leaning towards designs A and V. She also did a lot of work on the actual website design so we have a design finally picked out today and a color scheme. Programmer said he'd be finished with some of the back end stuff tonight which includes specialized updatable reports for my clients.

Once she gets the logo finalized, then I can move forward with ordering my product. I'd leave the product plain, but I have hopes of possibly converting some clients off of it too if I garner any sales from the NYC area.

---

On a side note I wanted to mention the importance of rest. I think some people would benefit more from more quality work over quantity and quality work comes with a well rested mind. I am a person that always needs to be working on something. I don't watch tv because I can't. My roommate binge watches netflix, but anytime I am in the room and about to watch an episode I find myself on the computer working on my projects. I constantly need to be doing something. That said, I rarely relax. I often will work to the point of feeling burnt out. After doing that enough I realized my best work was also correlated to how fresh I was feeling, physically and mentally. Those late nights with little sleep, or that workload that would always leave me exhausted was maybe a time I was doing more work, but was it higher quality of work? No, it wasn't. I'm trying to take an approach now where I concentrate on doing things that keep me healthy which includes getting adequate sleep and giving my mind a break at certain points in the day just to unwind. This has benefited me tremendously because I get more work done, and more quality work. With editing/writing, I don't make as many tiny mistakes, find myself more creative, find myself actually wanting to write instead of looking at it like a chore. With training clients and making sales, jeeze...I am so much happier when I am well rested, I am also a lot more confident. I realized when I am tired, I feel less confident and much less social. That is not a good combo when working with customers and making sales. I also have better ideas when my mind is rested and sharp.

So in short, when your body and mind are telling you it's time to relax...get some relaxation, you'll work better/harder and you're attitude will be better. This is just some advice for those workaholics out there like myself.
Don't know how I missed this thread. Wow, I'd have to agree that A & V are excellent. Really great branding!
 

AustinS28

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Don't know how I missed this thread. Wow, I'd have to agree that A & V are excellent. Really great branding!

Thanks dude, just got the final versions in tonight. Pretty happy and it definitely trumps my previous logo for my old training business.
 
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Unknown

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In the future you can probably get your supplier to package your product into fours before sending it.
 

AustinS28

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In the future you can probably get your supplier to package your product into fours before sending it.

Yes, I already talked to the supplier, it's about a 17% increase in price if they were to bag the items in the bags they supply. I can do it for ~20-40 bucks buying 500 ziplock bags on amazon that match the product size. If/when the product begins to sell in higher quantities that may be a better option if I can get some price break buying in bigger bulk.

I just talked to the guy in China that I am going through and he clarified that he can print my logo on the product, I just need to send it in PDF format. Basically I just have to pay for the supply at this point. Finalizing a few things in the next week or two and I should be good to go.

Also reached out to Amazon FBA because I was having a problem signing up. The system rejected my EIN number but I assume it's because I got it a few days ago so hopefully that can be squared away soon as well. Ready to get this rolling.
 

McFirewavesJr

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[TE="AustinS28, post: 489606, member: 26340"]I felt like it'd be nice to get some new goals down on paper and that this forum was the spot to do it.

As some know, I have a Personal Training business primarily servicing Midtown Manhattan, but do have some work in Lower Manhattan and Queens.

I've had the absolute good fortune to have nearly tripled my weekly amount of appointments since I began this business some time ago. I've learned a ton of valuable lessons. I've also seen some friends in the industry fail pretty miserably because they didn't understand the concept of sales especially through the 80-20 rule.

I feel like I am having a snow ball effect (knock on wood) of getting busier and busier quicker and quicker. I picked up 6 new customers in the past 6 weeks..It took me 6 months previously. I also train primarily fast lane type people with great incomes, quite a few business owners. It's amazing to have been with a lot of these people for a very long time with the amount they've been able to teach me about life and business as I teach them exercise.

My first paycheck in NYC roughly 2.5 years ago was 194 bucks for two weeks of work at a gym making minimum wage. I have the deposit receipt in my statements for proof. On my busiest weekdays I've been able to gross over three times that with a lot less work.

This is a business I want to continue growing, but realize I want more time for myself, and more control over my schedule. At the moment I am at my clients beck and call.

To do this, I have two plans in action. I am going to find an employee to work the sessions I don't have time for and don't want to do. I am changing my business from Austin's Training, to Manhattan's Trainers, so people are not confused and recognize my business as a place to buy PT, not Austin.

Second, I am in the process of taking my first swing at wholesale purchasing fitness equipment and reselling. To start it will be through amazon's FBA.

I found a niche product people use, there isn't a lot of competition and the margins are high for how much it's selling for and what price I'm getting on a 2000 pc order. The mark up is 483%.

I currently have:

-An ebook in the final stages of editing that covers use of the product and other things. It will be the first ebook I have written, it will be free and the idea is to collect emails through downloads to build a an initial marketing list for future books and products. I may setup a strong PPC campaign to get these email addresses.
-A wholesaler that I've purchased samples from and will be buying some of the products.
-A graphic designer currently designing my logo and new website, and a web developer taking care of the back end stuff. It's deadline is the week of October 10th, but they've been a bit slow.

I will have the retail business in place before the new year. Rent is $1200 a month. I'd enjoy netting $14,400 in 2016 as a minimum goal for retail to cover the years worth of rent and then take it from there.

I will try to update every time I hit a mile stone so hopefully the next time will be on 10/10/15 when the website is up.

Thanks for checking in.[/QUOTE]

Hey buddy, I won't be too long since I'm writing on my mobile.

I started my "business" with personal training as well. I got super busy and hired trainers to do my job. We expended fast, but as soon as I started educating myself about business I realized that it was a dead end since most of the 5 business commandments were violated. I found great ways to expend in ways that offered way more value to society.

We still have an awesome and active personal training division, but it's definitely not fast lane. It's pretty much like owning a restaurant.

Hope it helps.
 
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AustinS28

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[TE="AustinS28, post: 489606, member: 26340"]I felt like it'd be nice to get some new goals down on paper and that this forum was the spot to do it.

As some know, I have a Personal Training business primarily servicing Midtown Manhattan, but do have some work in Lower Manhattan and Queens.

I've had the absolute good fortune to have nearly tripled my weekly amount of appointments since I began this business some time ago. I've learned a ton of valuable lessons. I've also seen some friends in the industry fail pretty miserably because they didn't understand the concept of sales especially through the 80-20 rule.

I feel like I am having a snow ball effect (knock on wood) of getting busier and busier quicker and quicker. I picked up 6 new customers in the past 6 weeks..It took me 6 months previously. I also train primarily fast lane type people with great incomes, quite a few business owners. It's amazing to have been with a lot of these people for a very long time with the amount they've been able to teach me about life and business as I teach them exercise.

My first paycheck in NYC roughly 2.5 years ago was 194 bucks for two weeks of work at a gym making minimum wage. I have the deposit receipt in my statements for proof. On my busiest weekdays I've been able to gross over three times that with a lot less work.

This is a business I want to continue growing, but realize I want more time for myself, and more control over my schedule. At the moment I am at my clients beck and call.

To do this, I have two plans in action. I am going to find an employee to work the sessions I don't have time for and don't want to do. I am changing my business from Austin's Training, to Manhattan's Trainers, so people are not confused and recognize my business as a place to buy PT, not Austin.

Second, I am in the process of taking my first swing at wholesale purchasing fitness equipment and reselling. To start it will be through amazon's FBA.

I found a niche product people use, there isn't a lot of competition and the margins are high for how much it's selling for and what price I'm getting on a 2000 pc order. The mark up is 483%.

I currently have:

-An ebook in the final stages of editing that covers use of the product and other things. It will be the first ebook I have written, it will be free and the idea is to collect emails through downloads to build a an initial marketing list for future books and products. I may setup a strong PPC campaign to get these email addresses.
-A wholesaler that I've purchased samples from and will be buying some of the products.
-A graphic designer currently designing my logo and new website, and a web developer taking care of the back end stuff. It's deadline is the week of October 10th, but they've been a bit slow.

I will have the retail business in place before the new year. Rent is $1200 a month. I'd enjoy netting $14,400 in 2016 as a minimum goal for retail to cover the years worth of rent and then take it from there.

I will try to update every time I hit a mile stone so hopefully the next time will be on 10/10/15 when the website is up.

Thanks for checking in.

Hey buddy, I won't be too long since I'm writing on my mobile.

I started my "business" with personal training as well. I got super busy and hired trainers to do my job. We expended fast, but as soon as I started educating myself about business I realized that it was a dead end since most of the 5 business commandments were violated. I found great ways to expend in ways that offered way more value to society.

We still have an awesome and active personal training division, but it's definitely not fast lane. It's pretty much like owning a restaurant.

Hope it helps.[/QUOTE]

I appreciate the feedback from your experience.

This is exactly why I'm venturing into ebooks and e-commerce. I don't want to be doing this long term. However, I think the niche market I am working with right now has been the best experience of my life working with fast laners (clients) who've actually made it in life financially day in and day out has left me a lot more than financial reward.

I'm trying to build a fitness brand more than a training gym or company and I'm trying to cater to a market different from the mainstream (6 pack secrets crowd) that I think is largely untapped and has much more disposable income and will spend it on the right type of services.
 

AustinS28

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Good week. A lot of updates on my website although it's not up yet, however I got to see some of the work they've been doing and I approve big time.

I got the final edits of my first short ebook completed, now I need to professionally have it edited.

Ordered my first batch of product. Most excited about this. It's a small order, but the initial idea is to see how it sells then go from there. It is 500 pieces though and like I said there is a 483% mark up using prices it is selling for already.
 

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AustinS28

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Last weeks completed objectives;

Edited version of ebook finalized.
Fitness product in production in Shanghai. (20-25 day turnaround from manufacturer to supplier (me)).
Website hurdle completed by developer (graphable fitness progress charts).
All content for webpages finalized for website (took me 6 hours to write a 200-250 word bio on myself....)

Thoughts,

I am definitely happy that progress is being made in all areas. I still fear the little guy in my head that questions "what if I fail." Knowing myself, I'll stand back up and try again, but it does scare me. I could have a lot more money saved if I wasn't reinvesting in myself. I could be spending more time pursuing other things since this venture isn't guaranteed. However, what would that extra money do? It wouldn't make me rich, or provide me with passive income. What would those other ventures create? The answer is "I don't know," and that is the same answer I have now. I do know that I have made more money continuously since day 1 and I haven't stopped growing. My fears also lie in my ability to eventually provide for a family, another goal of mine. I feel the pressure right now of trying to get my affairs in order as quickly as possible, but patience must be had when creating anything great. I know I excel in sales. I can sell things to people. I am very good with face to face transactions. I am quick on my feet, well read and researched on the activities I choose to pursue, I am convincing, I know how to use language to eloquently garner the responses I am looking for from people, and on top of that, good or bad, I fit the stereotypical white color look in my suits and standing at 6'2. I feel my entire presentation helps win people over. So with that in mind I wonder what other deals I could make that are bigger than what I am doing either in this line of work or others. Maybe seeing if I can bring my fitness products to bigger distributors. I'm beginning to ramble...Hopefully some bigger updates in the upcoming weeks.

I've always felt I'd be great in real estate as a broker. I have a growing network of high net worth residents in Manhattan...but I also know the grass always seems greener and to focus on one thing at a time. For now I am completing all the things I set out already at the start of this thread and then taking it form there.
 

AustinS28

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Been a couple weeks.

11/7 - Chinese manufacturer informed me that my product will be finished.

Interior of my website is almost finished. Expected launch is this week. Fingers crossed as I've been saying this for months.

Here are a few of the pages. The cool stuff you can't see just yet. The cool stuff is what the developer has been working on and made this a much lengthier project than anticipated.

hwllwk.png


2qkuus5.png


2zoxj4o.png


29lz5l1.png


2u4rq7l.png


My short ebook is done...it will be a free download and programs sold separately, so the book itself is being sold if you want the complete version, but without the programs it is free. Idea is to build a list of leads.

New book ideas in the works with bigger topics.

I'm creating blog posts with topics I researched that are popular searches in the fitness world. I'll be doing PPC as well to promote.

I'm also working on a youtube show with a buddy about politics and policy as it's something I am passionate about other than fitness.

Everything is a work in progress, but I have the vision of my business empire set very firmly in my head. All this work is just the foundation.

Recommended habit - I find that I have developed a lot of good habits the past year. One is that I read the newspaper everyday. I read basically the entire thing especially US and World News. I have a subscription to the Wall Street Journal as I find it to hold views similar to mine regarding policy and my political standpoint. The newspaper is good for several things. It informs you about what's going on in the world. It enlightens and educates about topics you may not have known and could potentially help create success in your life. It also allows you to discover what you're passionate about. If I didn't read the paper I wouldn't know that I am intrigued by politics and policy . Reading an article can get me fired up. It's nice knowing what you actually care about and sometimes it comes from unexpected places.
 

AustinS28

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It hit me tonight. Does my life control me, or do I control it? Am I deliberate?

The answer is yes and no. With certain things I am very regimented, diligent and hard working. With others, not so much.

Having some rough patches right now in a relationship, it's allowed me time to reflect on who I want to become. So with that and doing some thinking while eating my fourth bagel today, I asked myself "why the hell are you eating 4 bagels, Austin?" This question was very important.

Granted those four bagels were my only carb source throughout the day, and I've eaten well throughout the week, but it hit me, I am not in the driver seat with all my decisions.

I then envisioned who I want to become, what kind of man I want to be, what I want to do with my life, what I want to look like all the way from how I build my body to the clothing I wear. What type of attitude I want, what type of business I want to grow.

It hit me and it hit me hard. To be that guy I need to act deliberately with everything I do and if I don't then that was a deliberate decision.

How often are we passengers in our own lives? I think diet choices are a relatable example for many people. Am I in great shape? Compared to the general population, yes. Do I workout 6 days a week? Yes. Do I typically eat healthy? Yes. Have I been deliberate with my health? Not fully.

The thing is when we have a vision we can ask the question, "is this a habit that will make me the man/woman I am striving to become."

By unlocking that purpose it is easier to achieve goals because you have a reason for acting the way you want to act.

You're not going to be perfect 100% of the time. You should allow time to relax and enjoy life. That time should be deliberate and reflect upon the big picture. Everyday is a new day to strive to be the best version of yourself. Yesterday is gone and tomorrow hasn't come. Live deliberately.
 
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AustinS28

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My website is almost done - http://manhattantrainer.com

It still is not 100% graphically completed. My developer has been working the past few days to fix the layout to match what the designer created so so pages aren't complete and certain things like the login, orientation of pictures and the spacing on the footer need work, but I am happy.

I got all my product ready to sell, but I am struggling to get it on FBA. I don't have a UPC, JAN or EAN and could use any advice on how to get it on these products or to bypass this requirement so I can begin selling. Right now my product has been collecting dust for two weeks.

I spoke with my business mentor, he suggested to map my week, where I a lot time for 3 things...My current business, my e-commerce business and my end goal a scalable business that can make the money I want to make.

I have an app idea and got a partner who loved it. Thing is my partner is a client of mine who is a corporate lawyer and can take care of all the legal things and help us fund the prototype, but at this point I've been trying to find a developer. Two clients of mine in the industry told me to look for kids in college, talk to professors or find a clinic where they teach people to build apps. I'm afraid to outsource to India as my client who works in a start up with a very successful app, said a lot of stuff comes back broken if it's a complex app, and it seems to be....

I have a lot on my plate....trying not to get overwhelemed but also realize I need to continue focusing on what is paying the bills right now and set time aside for the big ventures that doesn't chop into my current business and its revenue streem.
 

AustinS28

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I use this site for UPC code. They are cheap.

You would only need one per SKU

https://www.cheap-upc-barcode.com/

Awesome thank you so much, I was thinking $250 to do this $19.90 for 10; I will take that in a heartbeat. so my product has nothing but my logo on it, no barcode, no sku. You purchase the barcodes from this site and that is sufficent? I see I have to buy 10. After that do you print labels and put them on your products?

Really appreciate the help. I have 6 weeks to reach my goal of making a sale!

Saw this today as well and liked it.

5cbza9.png
 
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Devin Out

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This is a great thread Austin, looking forward to seeing the updates to come in a few weeks. Just the other day I was watching a video about the morning routine of a billionaire who lives in New York, and he mentions that his day starts at 6:30 when his personal trainer arrives. I didn't give it much thought at the time other than thinking about how nice of a setup that personal has going on training the billionaires of the world. Reading this thread reminded me of the "miracle morning" video I watched about this billionaire and got me thinking. You know more about this industry than I do, but a possible funnel would be teaching people of how a miracle morning can transform their lives and then incorporating your personal training business into that. Just a thought, best of luck!
 

AustinS28

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This is a great thread Austin, looking forward to seeing the updates to come in a few weeks. Just the other day I was watching a video about the morning routine of a billionaire who lives in New York, and he mentions that his day starts at 6:30 when his personal trainer arrives. I didn't give it much thought at the time other than thinking about how nice of a setup that personal has going on training the billionaires of the world. Reading this thread reminded me of the "miracle morning" video I watched about this billionaire and got me thinking. You know more about this industry than I do, but a possible funnel would be teaching people of how a miracle morning can transform their lives and then incorporating your personal training business into that. Just a thought, best of luck!

That's a great idea dude and corresponds with my current train of thought. I've really had the fortunate and accidental pleasure of calling some of NYCs elite investors, business owners, lawyers, and top people in other professions my clients. I've developed a vast network of these people and it's done tremendous things not just for my business, but my train of thought. Talking with others who have walked in my footsteps and started their only own ventures or made a lot of wealth starting in places many of us are in is inspiring and educational. I even have a client who's interested in partnership with an idea of mine not involving the gym. Thanks for stopping by!
 

AustinS28

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I've detoured a bit and have not been on the ball with this business as I anticipated.

I'm ready to launch and plan to finish come the holidays when I have a few days off to focus. I got professional photos done this week, bar codes. I just need to get proper packaging and the E-Commerce biz is ready to launch.

On a positive note my excuse for not being on the ball is worthy. My other business has had a large influx of new customers. I've added more clients to my training business this month than any month in the past and it looks like the next few months will be my most profitable to date. I've been up between 4:30-5:30 am everyday, squeezing in a nap in the afternoon and getting to bed around 1130 each night. I am exhausted, but once I get my schedule in order I am excited to use the extra funds to lighten my workload and get all of my projects off the ground.

I am also working diligently on an IOS/Android app unrelated to both and have a very great business partner who is also a client of mine. We have been working full steam and hope to have an MVP launched in the spring, the app rolled out in the summer and things in full swing by the end of the year. I can't wait to achieve freedom, although I already have it in many ways. I am the sole dictator of my life at the moment. 2015 has been a great year, 2016 looks to be a multitude better.
 
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AustinS28

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I sometimes feel lost and usually what I'll do is jot down my life, some goals, and ask myself questions to see if I am on the right path. I did this yesterday when I was getting down on myself for being 25 and feeling like I'm behind the game....

This is from my iphones notepad, (another way to kill time on the subway).

What Are My Career Goals?
  • To build a highly scalable business.
  • To allow my work to bring purpose to the world.
  • To allow myself the freedom to work wherever I want whenever I want. To work on a business that works for me, rather than in my business as an employee.
What Have I Accomplished?
  • Do you own a business? - Yes.
  • Is it highly scalable? - Yes and No. It can scale, but not in the exact way I'd like.
  • Does your work bring purpose to the world? - It brings purpose to my clients and to me.
  • Do you have freedom - Not yet. I’m still an employee in my own business.
  • What path would allow your vision to become a reality? - Sale of my products and other people’s services. Creating a technology that's usable.
  • Are you on that path? - Yes
  • What are you worried about then? - Failure
  • Why are you worried about failure? - Because if I fail then I passed up on a lot of opportunities and a different life.
  • Are those opportunities and life the one you want? - Not really.
  • What is failure? - Quitting, not learning from mistakes, not completing projects.
  • Do you struggle with any of those? - Overwhelming no. However, sometimes I don't finish what I start, or it takes me longer to finish what I start than anticipated. I don't quit. I learn from my mistakes.
  • What is your plan to finish what you start? - To see my ideas all the way through before quitting to start something else that seems more appealing. To realize a year is a lot of time to do great things, but if a project doesn't work, after giving it a year I still can get back up and go on, learning and bringing something better to the world.
  • Are you practicing what you preach? - Yes
  • Do most people who created something great fail and struggle before they conquer? - Yes.
  • So why do you think it'll be different for you? I guess I don't.
  • Are you closer to accomplishing your goals this year than the year before? Are your weaknesses improving? - Yes, I am closer to my goals than any year to date with continuous improvements each year. I am more disciplined, smarter, more determined and I understand where I need to improve and have been even if it’s been a challenge.
  • You are on the right path.
---

Personal short term goals
  1. Get more sleep -
  2. Eat healthier -
  3. Organize clients more productively -
  4. MVP created for app -
  5. Figure out FBA and get 1 sale -
  6. Move from Queens to Manhattan -
  7. Do my taxes -
  8. Increase savings for down payment on real estate investments -
 

AustinS28

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Alright let's grab some updates!
  • Items listed for sale as of this morning.
  • Google Adwords campaign created Monday for my personal training business (time to capitalize on resolutioners)!
  • All leads new/old have been contacted this week. Hoping to close some new sales and reconnect with some old customers.
  • Research is being done to start a non for profit subsidiary adding it to my for profit business. I work with certain special needs clients. I have a phone call setup this week with an organization that works with one of those populations.
  • Project remove the clutter is almost complete! Threw out 9 bags of useless clutter and items that have filled the cabinets and closets in my apartment with crap. I have been trying to live by a new philosophy that revolved around organization and cleanliness. I believe they'll greatly help me accomplish more professionally and also create less stress in my life. I sat around throwing out bills from two years ago. I need to throw things out immediately from now on that off no value to my life. Also made a couple hundred on eBay selling items that have been collecting dust.
Short term goals.
  • 10k sales this month
  • Buy home office furniture. I truly believe I'd accomplish more if I didn't sit on the sofa and do my work off the coffee table. Too many distractions, too uncomfortable. A space dedicated just for work. I have a feeling that will change the game.
  • Complete my udemy course in beginner iOS development.
 

marklov

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Website needs some bullet points to make it easier to skim.
Project remove the clutter is almost complete! Threw out 9 bags of useless clutter and items that have filled the cabinets and closets in my apartment with crap. I have been trying to live by a new philosophy that revolved around organization and cleanliness

I own the bare minimum

Necessary appliances.

Bed , office desk, laptop and a couch.

Whiteboard surrounds my entire apartment.

Lady comes and cleans every 3 days.

It's great.
 
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NewJamesBond

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Website needs some bullet points to make it easier to skim.


I own the bare minimum

Necessary appliances.

Bed , office desk, laptop and a couch.

Whiteboard surrounds my entire apartment.

Lady comes and cleans every 3 days.

It's great.

This is how I want to live. I'm working on doing it. Can you post a picture of your giant Whiteboard? A whiteboard surrounding an apartment sounds awesome.
 

AustinS28

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Website needs some bullet points to make it easier to skim.


I own the bare minimum

Necessary appliances.

Bed , office desk, laptop and a couch.

Whiteboard surrounds my entire apartment.

Lady comes and cleans every 3 days.

It's great.

I've been shopping for a desk. I don't want some piece of crap particle board, but also don't have the means to spend 1-2k on a desk like the ones I've found here, http://manofmany.com/home/25-best-desks-home-office. I do strongly feel that work environment is so important and would be more comfortable mentally at a "nicer" desk. The other option I am looking into is having my brother build one for me. He's heavily into woodworking, particularly custom furniture and he'll be getting back to me about it.

Any recommendations for office furniture? I wouldn't be opposed to spending more than planned if necessary as it is a great, longterm invesemnt.

--

Regarding my website. I agree, it needs some more work and organization. I am already over 1k into it. It was built by someone on drupal...and I'm almost regretful at how I handled this project. I don't know html. I have blog content and feel trapped, that I will need someone to always post it for me. If I went through a platform like wordpress, I'd at least be able to easily create updates. In the meantime I am trying to figure out a solution. It'd be nice to be able to log in an make edits without having to know code.
 

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