The Business Cousins Podcast
We mix family and business!
The Business Cousins Podcast
Success is Loud Discipline Quiet
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Episode 9 Business Cousins Podcast
I can't change yours. Oops, we're done.
SPEAKER_00Hey, yes, indeed.
SPEAKER_01There you go. It's the Business Cousins Podcast, hosted and sponsored by HLS Collective. I'm yours truly, your better questions coach, Bruce Hill, and one of my favorite cousins.
SPEAKER_00Yes. Hey Cousin. Hey, how you doing this week?
SPEAKER_01I'm fantastic. Introduce yourself for the folks that may be the first time.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I'm Tasha Cooper Ware. I am the CEO and founder of HLS Collective, Healthy Lifestyle Collective. We do lifestyle management for those of you who know what to do but need to be made to do it.
SPEAKER_01You know, I really appreciate these conversations. Let me tell you that. We we started off, I forget, we just hit record like on Google Meet or something.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And then we said, Man, this really wouldn't be the worst podcast idea. Because there's all there's always a that conversation we all have. Maybe been drinking a little bit and partaking. We should start a podcast. Yeah, we weren't definitely sober when we said yes, for the record sponsors. Um but we say, okay, well, where can we create some conversations that are meaningful that can provide insight, that can provide some advice to folks on the journey? So uh shout out to Tasha. She's been coming up with all the themes and topics. I love this one. Success is loud, discipline is quiet. Yes, our topic for today. What does that mean?
SPEAKER_00It means success gets the spotlight. You get to see it, you're like, oh my God, they're so successful, but they don't see all the grit that goes into it to get there, you know, like on a daily basis, which you have to put in 1% of to get to that success. It's not a magic success wand that people are just, you know, at least not in our demographic, maybe it's for others who have some head start. But in reality, if you're really gonna start something from scratch, like we both did, like the idea didn't exist. Yes, there are personal trainers, but there were no lifestyle management six years ago, you know, to really bring it all together. And with Bruce's better questions, something so simple that needed to be said and needed to be shared that could really change your life. Um but I don't think anybody sees, even today's podcast, like how much work goes in. So like being ready, is the mic right? You know, what's the lighting doing? You know, those are the things that after a while they will become second nature, but you gotta just do it.
SPEAKER_01There's a lot to unpack. We will be here for four hours.
SPEAKER_00Um indeed.
SPEAKER_01I will say personally, this is right on time for me. One second.
SPEAKER_00Yes, almost allergy season.
SPEAKER_01Man, um, I made a bunch of calls last week. I called every incubator accelerator in the state of Georgia to create a sales program for them, and I was feeling really frustrated because well, half the numbers were bad. Um the other 25% were wrong. Um, another 25% like didn't answer. And I was like, man, I felt like this is the this was when it's quiet part. You can't really brag about, oh, I called 40 people, and 30 of them couldn't even get connected, right? Um, it's tough to brag about a 75% fail rate. But today, someone called me back and he said, Oh, I got your message. I was on vacation, and he's telling me about you went to the islands and Barbados. We're having a good old conversation. He's like, Well, listen, Bruce, you seem like a real nice guy. He's like, I'm gonna introduce you to the director of the program.
unknownI was like, Yes.
SPEAKER_01And so that's where the work you did yesterday, the results show of today. And I needed that reminder. I hope that helped somebody else.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. I it's similar story. I um did what Bruce said because I read his book, and one of the things I took we took away from it was to just go back to the well, go back to the people who already appreciated you, and if it's not them who want to sign up, maybe they can refer you to someone else. And I did exactly what he said, and I would say out of the 50 people I contacted, I scheduled 10 and seven closed.
SPEAKER_02Let's go. Yes, I didn't tell you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I didn't tell you, I got five that closed last week, but it was interesting because consistency is what did it. These are the people that were consistent with me circle 2021, 2020, and then they stopped.
SPEAKER_01So now, yeah, you know, why didn't they stop?
SPEAKER_00Because personal training is not and and wellness coaching is not always linear. There are some people who stay in it forever, and then there's others that they give themselves reasons where I got it, and then before you know it, they've gone the other direction again.
SPEAKER_01So interesting. So, okay, so two things I want y'all to take away from that. If you fell off uh your success path, don't feel guilty. Let's help you get back on track. Reach out to hlscollective.com. Um, let's get you back on track. Health and wellness, right?
SPEAKER_03Yep.
SPEAKER_01So, two, it's okay to get some help, and which is is parallel to the first one. You don't have to feel guilty for getting a little help. You don't have to feel guilty for getting a coach. It's to help prevent the detour, it's help prevent that lapse. You look up, it's been six months, it's been a year. Um, it's helped to keep you on track. And so learn from the mistakes other people make. Yeah, I'm glad you called them and get back on track. That's that's so obvious. So, coaches out here, it's the takeaway for you. Go call them back, go call them back, don't uh email them, go call them.
SPEAKER_00Although I did do text, I used a script, I use a sales script text to start because the times that I have to that fit in with my time block are usually on the later side. And so I'm like, okay, well, if I do it, if I do it during this time slot, then that gives me time to respond and get to more people at once. And I schedule the call because that's the thing about personal training, it gets real personal real quick.
SPEAKER_01Yes, please. Unless you have no, I should say for the general population, do not try and book business through text. While it is possible, it's very transactional. Um, and you're right. I do both. I made calls today, uh, made 25, and everybody also got a text. What I want to avoid is you saying a text because you're afraid of rejection, you're afraid of what they're gonna say. Um, it both is good, and you're like, oh, I'm busy. Don't tell me you're too busy to make money. Don't tell me that you're gonna piss me off.
SPEAKER_00None of us are rich enough yet. Getting there, working on it.
SPEAKER_01So, I mean, you're you're an outgoing person, uh you're friendly, but phone calls is is aggravating, it can be a little boring even at times. How do you this is a quiet part, right? This is a discipline part. How do you exercise a display to pick up the phone when there's a million other things you could be doing in your business?
SPEAKER_00So, what I started doing now is I started putting it in my schedule just like as a client. So when I look at my day, I know I'm like, okay, I got client, client, client calls, because otherwise it's easy to go to to do other work because I'm CEO to get done. This other it's always something, payroll, there's always something. But to make it time block, well, no, no, no, this is non-negotiable, and especially now that I've seen success with it, I'm like, oh, it's extra non-negotiable because whatever else I thought I was gonna do, this is what actually put me the ROI was the ROI was higher.
SPEAKER_01So man, we need to change this name of this podcast to like gyms. So, first of all, you schedule it, and I'm glad you said that loud because I did not schedule it, and there's a lot of things that could have got done that didn't get done because I did not schedule them. Simple as that. So I appreciate the reminder. And then what was uh what was the last thing you said about the ROI?
SPEAKER_00I I realized whatever else I was gonna do, or I would have been doing had I not scheduled it, the ROI is higher on actually doing the call and the text. Or the bottom line, based on what my goals are set for the month. Like I set real live numbers. Yes, I'm servicing people, but they each equate to a dollar amount that I know I have a goal. So I know at minimum I'm they need to buy from between 99 to$2,500 when we get on the phone. And which package serves them best is what they should get. Of course, I know what they need, but you know, people got budgetary things. But at the end of the month, I know the numbers do work. I did it for corporate. It's like just like you said, if you do 40 calls and you can schedule 10 and you can have a high closing ratio, that's something that you can repeat.
SPEAKER_01And that's where we start to build a business.
SPEAKER_00Yes, that's where you start to build a business, and then if you really get down in it, you can you can set up your automation so the people who said no can still get information from you without being salesy. You can send them a tip of the day. There's lots of things you can do to keep nurturing the people that technically said no.
SPEAKER_01Yes, I actually teach a workshop on that, and it's called Drama O Please What to Say When They Say No. And having an SOP for that. Uh, I wish I could tell you uh had a secret formula where everyone would tell you yes. Uh, I might be too busy getting an extra mojito on a beach somewhere if that was the case. Um, but there's a plan for when people say no. And most of the time, as long as they're the right person, um, most of the time it really just means later.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's that's what I found too. Most people, 10 out of 10, if training was free, they would sign up.
SPEAKER_01Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00Absolutely. It's just where do they see the value based on the way I present the product? Because no, I'm not coming to you, getting you out of bed, making you do your workout. Like that's not. I would, but that's premium.
SPEAKER_01That's a premium service.
SPEAKER_00It's a premium service. You want me five days a week, like the celebrities do? And I have a friend that is a celebrity, and there's still ways around it that it doesn't have to be done that way. So, you know, um, but that's typically where the know comes is that what they think they want and how much it costs is not is not aligned.
SPEAKER_01What do they say? Uh champagne tastes on a budget.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yes. The one thing I get all the time is, oh, I just think I need someone in person. And I go, Great. The in-person price is, and they're like, and I'm like, or there's other solutions to said problem. Pain point. Would you like to know the alternative answer?
SPEAKER_01Okay, wait, let's go back. So I tell you, oh, you know, Natasha, I just I can't do this online stuff. I need somebody in person, and it's it's up here. My expectations are down here, it's up here. What kind of responses do you usually get?
SPEAKER_00Oh, I definitely get you mean after they tell me they have to do in person.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so they tell you have to do in person, you tell them the in-person investment. What do they say?
SPEAKER_00Usually they go, Oh wow, it's okay. I say, Well, and if you don't go with me, if you go to what with a new trainer, because you figure I have 24 years experience, so the price is the price, but if you go to a new trainer, minimum it should still be this, and then I still show them the program that fits, that's probably still less and more valuable than what that one time a week in time in-person trainer is.
SPEAKER_01That's good education. I love that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because the the industry standard is what it is, but I mean, if you go to a$20 trainer, you're gonna get$20 service. Maybe they show up if if they don't injure you and give you thumbrosis on the first session because that happens, you know. So those are the things that I try to educate them with our program. We have an app, so they get all their macronutrients, they get their exactly what workout they're gonna do every single day, they get support on days that are they're not with their trainer. So that's the part, and then the accountability is what they really need. But most people can't afford accountability five days a week in person. So our program mixes that up and says, but here's a solution because through COVID, we've seen it happen.
SPEAKER_01So check this out. I really love how you describe that. You need to clip that right there. Okay, it's not just an exercise program because any any let me be polite, anybody can give you an exercise. The difference that you need to understand is we're helping you inside and out, right? Yeah, yeah, with uh with the recipes, with the nutrients tracking, we're making sure you don't get injured, and we're holding you accountable. So when we talk about holistic, what does HLS stand for?
SPEAKER_00Healthy lifestyle collective.
SPEAKER_01When we talk about a holistic approach, it's your lifestyle, it's not just your body. We just don't want your body to be healthy or to even look healthy because you've run into that before, right? They look good, but they don't feel good, right? Um, we want all of you to be well. So check this out. If you want to live a healthier lifestyle, what you check out hlsfit.com.
SPEAKER_00Yes, hlsfit.com, get the accountability you need to actually have a transformation from the inside out, yes, and longevity and vitality, and things that will stay with you, and you can teach to your family and children.
SPEAKER_01I love it. I love it. That's gonna be we're gonna put in some sponsors spots in there. Exactly. No, but I I love that. That's something that's so important for me where I created my business is New Skills New You. The most requested uh services, sales, sales programs. What happens most of the time is they need discipline, they need clarity, they need confidence, which isn't purely the sales related training, but it impacts every area of your business and it impacts every area of your life. That's why I think we we vibe so well as we recognize I can't just change one part, right?
SPEAKER_00Right. So when um when you started your business and the excitement faded, then what?
SPEAKER_01Oh man, it got old so fast.
SPEAKER_00It got old so fast.
SPEAKER_01I was like, yeah, the biggest challenge for me, especially when I started, I started uh coaching, was when you would tell people they would ask you, it's not even I just volunteered, they paid me for XYZ, and then I helped them on XYZ, and then they did four, five, six. And I'm like, yo, it's right here.
SPEAKER_00I gave you the open book test.
SPEAKER_01So I actually had to start charging more.
SPEAKER_00Oh, is that why you went up?
SPEAKER_01I had to because people were not executing, and it was making me look bad because people like, oh, yeah, I work with Bruce. I didn't get any results. Well, yeah, you didn't do what you were supposed to do. Um, I had to charge more because it held them accountable to say, man, I paid this money, I need it back. And I would say, if you're if I had 20 clients, 19 of them saw um positive RIV. There is one, it's still to this day the most valuable learning lesson, where we just did not talk to enough people fast enough.
SPEAKER_02We just didn't.
SPEAKER_01Um, there were some life things going on that that also undermined it, uh undermined the business. So I can't take responsibility for that, but I learned a lot. So I'm I'm pretty happy with the 95% success rate. And again, it was from people that executed. Uh, one of my favorite stories, I spent 15 minutes on the phone with a friend of mine. Shout out to Erica. Testimonials on the webpage or on the YouTube, New Skills New You. And uh 15 minutes on the phone with her, she called me back an hour later. She was like, He signed. And I was like, You signed what? She signed a five-figure deal of a 15-minute conversation, and I just taught her to ask better questions. So I love those stories. I'm like, Yes, that's about 15 minutes you're ever gonna spend, right? Yeah, but it takes execution, it takes a discipline, um, and it takes consistency. So to answer your question, eventually, right? What kept me going when I didn't feel like it is I know that I can impact lives for the better, and I know if I follow the process that I that I teach everyone else, I just follow it for my business, you're going to see results. Uh, lives change, businesses impacted, and money made. So that's what keeps me going when I don't feel like I know that it works.
SPEAKER_00Yep. I feel the same way. Usually it's kind of if my success rate would be higher if execution hadn't been had. That's one of those things. I can it's I'm giving you the answers. Um, sometimes my clients they want to give me what they like to do or what they've made up that fits into their life. And I'm going, yeah, but Chick-fil-A is not gonna get it done. I'm just gonna tell you this straight up. Like, and so sometimes it takes some time to get them to comply. You know, it's like I just need you to comply to the answers. You came to me for the answers, yet you're still maneuvering like you're the expert. And then as far as execution, I've made it very simple where just check the boxes and just do it. But people won't just do it sometimes, you know, and it's not it's um not incapable, it's unwilling.
SPEAKER_01Sometimes cool, that's a tough one. So, how do you separate your emotions from their unwillingness? Because I'll be taking it personal.
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah, no, I've been doing it so long, I learned that decades ago that look, I can't care about everybody. I'm actually not that empathetic in that way about other people's um visceral fact or their sleep patterns. Once I'm finished in that moment, I'm like, I taught you how to fish, I need you to go. And then so, like for a long time, people would I'll go out with a friend and like don't look at my food. I don't care. It's just a level of like I I have a knack of I care about you, but I don't care about what you're not doing to make yourself better once we finish that conversation. Once we finish that coaching session, once we finish that training session, um, I just have to leave it where I left it.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I gotta work on that. I I don't accept excuses, so I've gotten there, uh, but I still I still want to see folks win because I know what these skills have done for my life.
SPEAKER_03Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_01I want it to change other people's lives. I mean, I've helped people get jobs and sell businesses and start businesses, and it's it's a beautiful thing to watch. And so, you know, I go into every conversation. Like, if you do this, it'll change your life.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And they don't see it. And that's that's the part that haunts me.
SPEAKER_00I'm like, uh, because they don't see. Well, think about it this way. We deal with some high-end executives. We deal with people who have been good at something before they got to us. And because they're so intelligent, they're good at convincing themselves what to do, even when it's wrong. It's like the lawyer that knows that this person is a good thing.
SPEAKER_01The smartest people are the toughest coach. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yes. So most of the clients that I have are usually the smartest in the room when they leave me. So I expect, I almost expect the pushback. I've even signed people and I said, Hey, so when you sign up with me, I don't want you to listen to they anymore because they'll always hit you with the they said it on TikTok, or they my they, my homegirl is walking every day. My, you know, they'll find all the other things. And I'm like, Yeah, but you pay the expert to give you a custom program. So they should just do what you do.
SPEAKER_01That's it. That's why you're like, Well, there's a lot of uh online trainers. First of all, she's not an online trainer, and second, we're not saying this is the only way. The the value add is she's gonna find the best way for you, for you. That's the value add, that's the competitive advantage, that's the reason why.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. Like, some people wake up at 5 a.m. Some people wake up at 10. That doesn't mean stop eating before seven because you may be up until midnight. Like that's a simple one that I tell people that makes it custom. Like, what time do you really open your eyeballs? You'd be surprised how many people get up super early and don't eat anything, don't nourish your body with anything till for four or five hours later.
SPEAKER_01I usually try and do fruit before 12.
SPEAKER_00That's what time do you wake up?
SPEAKER_01Not too early, seven.
SPEAKER_00Okay. Well, that's a lot of hours of brain power that you could be fueled.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's why I'll make sure I have a smoothie, you know, eight, nine.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01So I might eat a meal at noon, but but you know what? This is not this advice. This is what works for Bruce. Oh, you beat me to it. Disclaimer.
SPEAKER_00This is custom for Bruce's lifestyle.
SPEAKER_01But my point is, I try not to go because if you wake up at seven and go till noon, that's not five hours. That's five hours plus whatever you are, asleep. Yes, and that's what people miss. Um, yeah, no, but tap in HL, hold on, I'm gonna put it back on here, just in case you forgot. Yes, I got the power to go.
SPEAKER_00No, I love that you have the power to push the buttons, do the thing, do the give me all of it.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's coming next. We're gonna sound effects, everything in this.
SPEAKER_00The reason why we kind of end up Is fitness important. I do see that people who are consistent in their wellness they are consistent in their business. They make that that skill set transcend into different parts of their lives that make them successful.
SPEAKER_01Okay. This we will wrap up right here. This is a perfect alley oop. In 20, I've done this over and over again. 2014, my best friend calls me up. It's December. He says, Bruce, we're gonna read 12 books next year. I'm like, 12 books, that's a lot of books, right? And I said, okay. So I picked up my 12 books, and I remember I was bored. You know, it was Christmas break, I wouldn't do nothing. I was just hanging out at my parents' house. Uh so I started reading Think and Grow Rich. Actually, oh, this is perfect. There we go. And I it was really intriguing to me. I actually finished it. I was like, oh man, um, New Year's is coming up. I gotta pick a 12th book since I already read a book. And then I thought about it, I said, wait a minute. If I read one book in one week, hypothetically I could read 52 books in a year. I'm like, what would happen if I read 52 books in a year? Now, before you say you're too busy, or you know, well, Bruce, I got kids, I got jobs, I got school. Let's just pull this one, let's just use this one, okay? Um, this one's got 300 pages. Perfect. Perfect. There's 30 days in a month. All you have to do is read 10 pages a day. Yeah, just 10. 10 pages a day. That's one book a month, that's 12 in a year. The average American at our high school reads 0.8 books a year. Okay, so that either means A, they're starting books and not finishing them, or it takes them five years to read four books. Somebody check my math. So, all I'm telling you is not even about the books. What can you take 10-minute slices of each day? Is it push-up setup stresses? Is it meal prep? Is it reading a book? Is it learning a language? Is it practicing an instrument? And do that every single day for a year. That discipline is going to impact every area of your life. And what I found when I was disciplined about reading every single day, I made my calls every single day. I exercise four times a week. That discipline spilled over into every area of the lives, and that's a habit you can tell how much I read is how successful I am in other areas of my life. When I that goes down, level success goes down, revenue goes down. So when we say discipline is quiet, it's maybe these days, I don't know, there's like a book talk you can watch me read live. I don't know. But the success happens because of the things you do that nobody saw.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. That's it.
SPEAKER_01That's the message, y'all.
SPEAKER_00That's the message. So thank you guys for tuning in. Success is loud, discipline is quiet, is what we discuss, and we are the business cousins for now.
SPEAKER_01Right. Name update coming soon.
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_01All right, cheers to your success, y'all. We'll catch you next week.
SPEAKER_00Catch you next week.