4 - Building a business & a community during challenging times with SweatFitCo founder Conor Oakley

Big Takeaways:

If you don’t give yourself any choice, you’ll be more resourceful in figuring things out.

Other Takeaways for entrepreneurs:

2:18 - Conor’s ‘fight or flight’ approach to starting his business.
6:43 – Now that people have become comfortable with doing a guided workout over Zoom, attendance has picked up.
8:37 – The importance of physical fitness for mental well being.
9:22 – How to hustle when you have no connections or experience.
11:13 – If you’re going to sell yourself, you have to sound different than everyone else.
13:38 – Mistakes that gym owners make, not keeping overhead low to start.
15:20 – Lean Startup principles in action
15:40 – Persistence and creativity again.
18:10 – Finding the balance between delegating tasks and still being involved, particularly in a business where your clients choose you.
22:40 – Building a culture is about selecting the right people and creating repeatable systems.
32:23 – How to tell if a personal trainer knows what they’re talking about.
35:15 – What are the main exercises people should focus on if they’re short on time.
38:00 – You’re the only one responsible for your health.
40:22 – Conor’s story
44:50 – How Conor has had to be creative throughout the pandemic.
46:18 – How Conor thinks about growth and cash management for his business.

More on my guest:

Other businesses mentioned:

Related Reading:

Influence by Robert Cialdini is one of the best business/psychology books ever written. Conor uses some of the principles from the book early in his journey.
Grit – Angela Duckworth probably the most important attribute for an entrepreneur is Grit.