Episode 410
Build Confidence During Hard Times for Men Who Feel Stuck with Devin Gonzales
Confidence can be elusive, especially when life throws unexpected challenges our way. Devan Gonzalez reveals how he navigated the turbulent waters of business and personal growth with unwavering determination. Devan's journey from personal trainer to successful gym owner and franchise developer is proof to the power of resilience and self-belief. He shares invaluable insights on how to maintain confidence when faced with challenges and setbacks, plus why welcoming uncertainty is crucial for personal and professional development.
One of the most compelling parts of Devan's story is his ability to pivot and adapt when faced with obstacles. He shares how he turned a potentially career-ending disagreement into the catalyst for launching his own business. This adaptability, coupled with a growth mindset, has been key to his success. Devan also shares about the often-overlooked benefits of physical fitness on mental and emotional well-being. He explains how regular exercise not only improves physical health but also enhances problem-solving abilities and overall life satisfaction. Devan offers practical advice and motivational insights to help you on your journey, to be able to turn your setbacks into stepping stones to success.
In this episode, you will be able to:
- Build resilience and confidence through overcoming challenges.
- Experience increased resilience and balanced approach to success.
- Learn effective strategies for maintaining a balanced personal and professional life.
- Overcome the fear and uncertainty of starting a new business venture.
- Understand the impact of mindset on personal and professional growth.
The key moments in this episode are
00:11:20 - Importance of separating business and personal relationships
00:16:01 - Building confidence through past achievements
00:21:40 - Overcoming self-doubt and developing a growth mindset
00:24:08 - Taking Action and Embracing Uncertainty
00:28:20 - Overcoming Criticism and Self-Limiting Beliefs
00:34:20 - Universal Impact of Mindset
00:39:30 - Mental and Emotional Benefits of Working Out
00:41:36 - Impact of Consistency and Habit Formation
Connect with Devan Gonzalez
Website
https://www.linkedin.com/in/devangonzalez/
https://www.instagram.com/devan.gonzalez/
https://www.facebook.com/devangonzalez.official
Connect with Mike Forrester
Podcast Website
https://LivingFearlessTodayPodcast.com
Coaching Website
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hicoachmike/
Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/@hicoachmike
https://www.facebook.com/hicoachmike
https://www.instagram.com/hicoachmike
Transcript
Well, hello and welcome back my friend.
Speaker:Uh, this week Devan Gonzalez is joining me and Devan's got just like this
Speaker:story of tenacity and resilience and not letting those things that come
Speaker:up unexpectedly keep you hostage.
Speaker:You know, it's like confidence can be one of those things where it's like when
Speaker:things are going, going well and going easy, we can feel confident pretty easily.
Speaker:Man, when we face those hurdles and those unexpected, you know,
Speaker:challenges arise, the bills can't be paid or Hey, I got laid off, dude.
Speaker:That's when confidence is really hard to.
Speaker:see yourself being confident, being courageous.
Speaker:And so we're gonna jump into that and just really, figure out, Hey, how can I rise up
Speaker:when I feel like I'm just getting smashed down by the day-to-day events of life?
Speaker:So, Devan, how are you doing today, my friend?
Speaker:I'm doing great.
Speaker:Thank you so much for having me on.
Speaker:This is an honor.
Speaker:Absolutely, man.
Speaker:I just, in talking with you, listening to your journey,
Speaker:I'm like, dude, you have just.
Speaker:Hung in there and not been like, you know, Hey, I've got it all figured
Speaker:out, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna adjust.
Speaker:I'm gonna figure this out.
Speaker:I'm gonna show up for myself and do the best I can with what I have.
Speaker:And I'm like, man, that, that would've saved me so much
Speaker:headache, you know, over the years.
Speaker:And I'm like, there's other guys that need to hear that.
Speaker:so with that, let's, let's jump into like what does today look like for you, Devan?
Speaker:On the professional side of things,
Speaker:uh, I mean in terms of like what my days look like now, you know, I opened a
Speaker:gym, that gym has scaled, and now we are launching a, you know, where we launched
Speaker:it last year, a national franchise.
Speaker:So now we're opening up in Tampa, Florida.
Speaker:We'll be opening up in Dallas soon, and I have a few other, you know.
Speaker:Candidates are going through the process right now.
Speaker:Um, but those are the two that, you know, in the first year it, I mean,
Speaker:I would say 13 months, it actually took me to close my first deal.
Speaker:So, you know, that that's what I'm really focused on now is growing the franchise.
Speaker:You know, really focusing on my, my corporate gyms opening up
Speaker:more corporate gyms and so forth.
Speaker:But, you know, in that whole process really shaping not just my employees
Speaker:and, and my members lives, but also the franchisees and their members
Speaker:and their trainers lives as well.
Speaker:Hmm.
Speaker:Dude, that's, that's a large lift right there.
Speaker:I mean, you're not just going, I want to get people in the door first of
Speaker:the year, new year's resolutions.
Speaker:I'm just gonna chaching, you are looking for like a long.
Speaker:Like impact and that transition.
Speaker:Um, dude, that's, that's so powerful.
Speaker:And it's not just, you know, getting people as they're coming in, but you're
Speaker:talking about building a long-term relationship to have that deep impact.
Speaker:And I just, that's so pivotal.
Speaker:. that was one of the biggest things for us was like.
Speaker:I have my core values that my personal core values, and I mean they're the
Speaker:same, maybe a little bit twist on the business, but my biggest core value
Speaker:is to have a positive impact on as many people as I can while I can.
Speaker:And it's like, you know, doing that with a franchise and taking that route is
Speaker:like one of those things where I like taking the path these traveled, but
Speaker:also it's like how many more lives can we change if we allow other people to.
Speaker:Hop on the opportunity of the gym.
Speaker:Not only are we changing their MEM members' lives and their trainer's
Speaker:lives, you know, via proxy of a ripple effect from us, but also the franchisees.
Speaker:So that's that, you know, route that makes all of that heavy lifting worth it.
Speaker:Yeah, dude, that's just top down.
Speaker:That's awesome.
Speaker:Well, let's jump into the personal side of things.
Speaker:What does that look like for you today, man?
Speaker:My mean personal life.
Speaker:I mean, what life, no, I'm just kidding.
Speaker:No, I'm just kidding.
Speaker:Like your personal life.
Speaker:You've got the business going.
Speaker:There's no personal, right.
Speaker:No, I mean, I. I'm not like, I'm married and, you know, we have a a 3-year-old
Speaker:daughter, and for me, my wife is, I would say that the better half, the
Speaker:social half and all that, like, I actually do like, you know, business
Speaker:and, you know, the game of business because I do think of it as a game.
Speaker:And for me, I could work, grow the business and be happy.
Speaker:But with her, she's, you know, wants to go out, see things.
Speaker:So she's, you know, people ask What you guys doing this weekend?
Speaker:I have no idea.
Speaker:You know, she's, she sets that all for us.
Speaker:Um, but you know.
Speaker:My, my personal life, it's really just focus on the business.
Speaker:'cause that's my my why.
Speaker:You know, why I get up, why I'm motivated and all those things.
Speaker:And I'm doing it for my family.
Speaker:But also now I have that level of I'm doing it so that I don't
Speaker:let my trainers down, don't let my franchisees down and so forth.
Speaker:But then it comes down to like, I do have a family as well, and as an entrepreneur.
Speaker:I mean, I believe me, I was guilty of it in the beginning as well.
Speaker:Sometimes we don't have an off switch.
Speaker:And then you're building this thing for your family, but you're
Speaker:losing your family in the process.
Speaker:So that was something I had to have that self-talk with myself and realize,
Speaker:okay, how do I make this all work?
Speaker:So now when my wife, you know, gets off work, 'cause she has a career
Speaker:in she, it really drives her.
Speaker:So, you know, more power to her.
Speaker:But when I know she's gonna be home, that my daughter's gonna be home,
Speaker:I make sure that I'm home as well.
Speaker:And my phone, it's on, but it's on silent.
Speaker:I won't, won't answer it in front of them unless I already had a meeting and
Speaker:stuff and I let my wife know ahead of the time, but I don't you, you're not
Speaker:accessible to me during those two hours that, you know, at night with my daughter
Speaker:and it's like after they go to bed, you know, I might work a little bit more if
Speaker:I have something to do, but I really may.
Speaker:I think it's important to separate those things in my life.
Speaker:So you're doing that, like not allowing business to really encroach on the
Speaker:personal, being intentional there unless something's already scheduled.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:Are you able to do the same thing as far as, hey, I'm working the business
Speaker:and as families wanting to do something, do you have like a boundary or like
Speaker:an understanding of, Hey, I'll, when I've got some time I will get back
Speaker:to you, but right now I'm focused on this is they're kind of that same
Speaker:on both sides, that same boundary.
Speaker:Oh, definitely.
Speaker:I mean, but the difference is my phone is always on, and if my wife calls
Speaker:me, which she doesn't call me during the day, so if she calls me like I'm
Speaker:answering the phone, you know, like it's, that's, that's one of those things
Speaker:that's the differentiating factor.
Speaker:But my wife, I mean, she's been with me, you know, we were dating when
Speaker:I was a personal trainer and she knew my crazy schedule and that, you
Speaker:know, I don't get sick, you know, PTO and all those other things.
Speaker:So she understands and, and has kind of grown with me on this thing.
Speaker:During a busy phase, like I'll let her know.
Speaker:And that's, that's the biggest key is like, in the beginning, I wouldn't
Speaker:tell her any of the issues, any of the, the things that are going wrong
Speaker:with the business or my frustrations.
Speaker:So it felt like to her, like what I, what I can only imagine was
Speaker:that I was growing this one side of my life and then I have them.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And so if you create too much separation.
Speaker:Then they feel like you have a different life indirectly.
Speaker:And so now like I'll bring a problem or a frustration to my wife, even
Speaker:though I might have an answer, right?
Speaker:I already, I already know what I'm gonna do most of the time.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And then I'll tell her it.
Speaker:And so it's like, you know, she can be a soundboard and you know, gimme
Speaker:some advice back and she can feel like that shoulder to that I lean on.
Speaker:And also she feels like her giving the answer or her feeling
Speaker:like me venting the problems.
Speaker:She's growing the business with me.
Speaker:I. Even though she's not the one in the mud doing the, you know, the work.
Speaker:So now they, everyone feels a, a part of it.
Speaker:And so like, when my daughter's old enough to understand as well, like I'll be doing
Speaker:the same thing, let letting her know, Hey, dad's gonna be busy for this next week.
Speaker:Like, he has, you know, A, B, and C. This is why I'm doing it.
Speaker:This is why, you know, and let them know what's happening.
Speaker:So they feel like they're included.
Speaker:But I will say like from the scheduling and the personal life and all those
Speaker:kind of things, especially now having franchisees, like I let my
Speaker:wife know that she has, you know.
Speaker:I told her, like I said, look, create a Google, you know, calendar account.
Speaker:So that I was like, I'll send you everything.
Speaker:I'll add you in certain things so that you're not surprised by it.
Speaker:You know?
Speaker:And that way it makes it easier for me.
Speaker:'cause she had a calendar on the fridge and I was like,
Speaker:I'm checking that calendar.
Speaker:I'm checking the other one you're sending me.
Speaker:Sometimes.
Speaker:I was like, look, I already do all everything off of one calendar, you know?
Speaker:I was like, let's just do it this way.
Speaker:And she was like, oh, that's way easier, you know?
Speaker:And I was like, that way, even if you wanna do something, I was like, if I
Speaker:already have something scheduled to franchisee, you have to realize that.
Speaker:I can't just drop everything because we're gonna go to Disneyland.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And I was like, we have to be on common terms with that.
Speaker:You know, like obviously if we have plans for Disneyland, I'm
Speaker:not gonna schedule this trip then.
Speaker:Same thing.
Speaker:And she was like, no, that definitely makes sense.
Speaker:And I was like, I don't care if, you know, family gets mad at me and stuff
Speaker:like that, but I was like, I just need you to be on the same page with me.
Speaker:And, and that was a conversation that we had.
Speaker:And I mean, sometimes she can get frustrated and, you know, we'll talk
Speaker:about it, you know, and sometimes it is letting me, letting things kind
Speaker:of over creak that boundary line a little bit and her bringing it to my
Speaker:attention and me having to recenter.
Speaker:Or sometimes it's like her wanting me to.
Speaker:Be that nine to five, you know, husband and say, look like
Speaker:we both agreed on this life.
Speaker:You know, and it's like, now we've, we basically went all in.
Speaker:Like, I have too many people riding on me.
Speaker:Not just you and, and our daughter, but also like their lives, their families.
Speaker:And then she, and then she's, sometimes it's like, oh, you know, you're right.
Speaker:Sometimes that, you know, not being an entrepreneur too, you tend to
Speaker:forget those other things that come with the job role of being an owner.
Speaker:So how did you guys create a space where it's like you can push and
Speaker:pull on each other and be, you know, open in your communication?
Speaker:'cause Devan, man, I've heard way too many guys where it's like, nope, I don't,
Speaker:I don't share the stuff with my wife.
Speaker:I'm afraid of what her action reaction would be, or, you know,
Speaker:I'm trying to guard my wife and protect her, um, you know, to, to.
Speaker:And not, not let her know the stress and the risk and everything like that.
Speaker:How did you guys create a space where it's like you can, you know,
Speaker:air your frustration and then also, you know, keep things where it's
Speaker:like you're still friends, you, you know, you're not, uh, like having
Speaker:this as a, something to divide, you know, the relationship with you.
Speaker:Um, but instead you're, you're just kind of.
Speaker:Going in the same direction, may need a little bit of adjustment, but, um, you're,
Speaker:you're still on the team for each other.
Speaker:I mean, it was a thought that I had.
Speaker:I was like.
Speaker:And this might just be a weird way to Ana, you know, put it as an analogy,
Speaker:but everything is a team, right?
Speaker:Your business, you have a team, your household is a team, your
Speaker:extended family is a different team.
Speaker:And you know, and all those teams are their own mini businesses.
Speaker:And you can, you know, create the link between, you know, our
Speaker:income is our revenue, you know, and so all those analogies, right?
Speaker:And I had that realization like, I have a business partner.
Speaker:Who, you know, I told him my, the idea for Strive 11 Fitness and
Speaker:convinced him to jump on ship with me.
Speaker:But me and him had that same conversation like, look, we're good friends, but when,
Speaker:like, I'm able to separate it when we talk business, I need it to be business.
Speaker:Like this is not a, an attack on our friendship.
Speaker:If we're putting each other in check like it, that's business, then we can BS
Speaker:and do all the other stuff afterwards.
Speaker:Like, but you have to be willing to understand that because.
Speaker:There's a separation, and me and him have been really good at it.
Speaker:Now, with my wife as well, I'm big on communication in terms of like, I know
Speaker:things, I understand things happen.
Speaker:As long as you let me know, like, cool, we'll work it.
Speaker:We'll work it out as it comes, right?
Speaker:But at the same time, I'm big on communication from others, but I haven't
Speaker:always been the best at communicating myself, just like what you're saying
Speaker:in terms of I didn't want to scare her with the gravity of certain things.
Speaker:And so some things I do shield.
Speaker:Because I know that unfortunately, any advice that she gives me or
Speaker:me telling her it doesn't, there's not, that doesn't help the solution.
Speaker:It only creates more stress.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Other things, like let's say I'm having an issue with an employee or whatever,
Speaker:you know, and she can give me just, you know, some base, base level advice.
Speaker:Like it didn't make a lot more sense to her too, otherwise, if she can't even
Speaker:come up with a solution around it because it's outside of her scope of just reality.
Speaker:In terms of like knowledge base, then now she, there is no advice.
Speaker:She's her, she's worried.
Speaker:Now you're worried, you know, and or stressed and it's like that,
Speaker:that just creates more stress.
Speaker:But knowing that she is a part of your team and that's the most important team,
Speaker:I let my business partner know ahead of time, like, look, if anything came up
Speaker:with my family life, that that's priority.
Speaker:I could build another business.
Speaker:You know, we could build another business.
Speaker:Same thing goes for you.
Speaker:I never want you to jeopardize your family over this business.
Speaker:And so it's like something happens, you know, someone goes to the
Speaker:hospital, you, I, I, I want you at the hospital, someone else.
Speaker:I will cover your, your spot.
Speaker:You know, someone else will cover that.
Speaker:We'll figure that out.
Speaker:We don't open for the day, you know, we lose members, whatever.
Speaker:We can get more members, right?
Speaker:So that was those things where me and my wife have had fights
Speaker:and, and stuff, financial and all that stuff in the beginning.
Speaker:And then it was one of those things where we had to sit down was like, look at.
Speaker:It's us against the world.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And that's the, that's the mindset you kind of have to have.
Speaker:So it's like, you might be scared to tell your wife something 'cause
Speaker:you don't how she's gonna react.
Speaker:Well, how do you think she's reacting with you not telling her anything?
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So it's like it,
Speaker:that stuff doesn't happen though.
Speaker:Come on.
Speaker:So it's like, but like it's, that's the thought process too, that we're
Speaker:scared to tell them and seem like we don't know everything, but they, they
Speaker:know us better than we know ourselves.
Speaker:They know we don't know everything.
Speaker:So it's like that fear is all internal and once you just rip the bandaid off,
Speaker:even with just a, a general, something small, you're gonna be, you're gonna see
Speaker:a light that you've never seen before.
Speaker:They're gonna see a light of you, they've never seen it before, and
Speaker:they're gonna appreciate everything that you are doing, even though you're
Speaker:doing all the same stuff before, because now they get to feel a piece of that.
Speaker:Dude, I can.
Speaker:Vividly.
Speaker:Remember as I had started in it consulting Devan, I was trying to
Speaker:protect my wife and figured, hey, if I don't tell her, she won't know.
Speaker:That was the biggest lie.
Speaker:She knew something was up 'cause she, she could read me and so she
Speaker:didn't necessarily know what was up.
Speaker:Just that there was something that was stressing me out and was able to,
Speaker:you know, read the room, so to speak.
Speaker:And I'm like thinking in my head if.
Speaker:You're oblivious and you know, you'll just see rainbows and unicorns.
Speaker:No, not at all.
Speaker:So it's, it's much better, like you're talking about, hey, you know,
Speaker:it's you and me against the world and we're gonna figure this out.
Speaker:And as long as you know, we're gonna have disagreements, but as
Speaker:long as we stay on the same team, you know, that's super powerful.
Speaker:so you're now.
Speaker:Doing franchising with Strive 11.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:And at one point, you know, you were in the gym offering personal training
Speaker:and dude, you're like, I'm done.
Speaker:There was just stuff going on that it's like, it was, you know,
Speaker:couldn't be maintained, right?
Speaker:So you're like, Hey, I'm done.
Speaker:I gotta get out.
Speaker:How do you get beyond?
Speaker:You know, where it's like you pull that parachute cord and you're like, I'm done.
Speaker:I have to get out to, you know, maybe keep yourself in a healthy place.
Speaker:Maybe it's, you know, unhealthy as far as business and you just, you know,
Speaker:need your integrity and you can't have that there, whatever the case may be.
Speaker:How do you keep your confidence when it's like you're doubting
Speaker:or you're unsure about the situation that you're jumping into?
Speaker:So, I mean, I'll, I'll give my answer and then I'll give you a story to, to
Speaker:kind of relate to the answer, right?
Speaker:So, confidence in my opinion, confidence and, and belief in
Speaker:yourself are the same thing.
Speaker:That's all.
Speaker:Confidence is just your, your belief in your abilities to do something.
Speaker:Now, at every stage of life, there's been obstacles.
Speaker:It may not have been this obstacle, but there was an obstacle and you got over it.
Speaker:You overcoming that obstacle was a brick that you laid down in the foundation
Speaker:of your belief in yourself, right?
Speaker:And so sometimes we forget to, to look back on that, that wall that we
Speaker:built of self-belief because this new brick looks so heavy, but at the end
Speaker:of the day, it's just a new level.
Speaker:It's a new brick, right?
Speaker:It's the same thing.
Speaker:You've acquired the skills use, you've acquired the knowledge to allow this brick
Speaker:to even be put in front of you, right?
Speaker:And so what I mean by that, to make it a little, make it a little more sense,
Speaker:was when I was working for a gym.
Speaker:Like I worked for a corporate gym, then I went to a private gym and I helped
Speaker:build their personal training com, uh, side of the company and the owner
Speaker:and I got into a disagreement and.
Speaker:He basically was going to move me to a different location, which I needed
Speaker:to be a primarily Spanish speaker.
Speaker:And even though I am Hispanic, like I'm not that good to sell personal training
Speaker:and do personal training in Spanish.
Speaker:So the whole time I was working for him, like I saw the other independent trainers
Speaker:and I was like, man, like I I, I'm gonna do that, you know, one, you know, soon.
Speaker:And it was always that soon, right?
Speaker:Two years goes by, I'm gonna do it soon.
Speaker:And so when this disagreement happened and I was like.
Speaker:So you're moving there so that I fail and then you're gonna fire me.
Speaker:Then I already knew what, what was gonna happen, and I was like, I quit.
Speaker:And then he was like, hold on.
Speaker:He's like, wait.
Speaker:And I was like, nah, look, you brought it up.
Speaker:You put that on the table.
Speaker:Like for you to even, even if it was just a threat, like, I'm done, I'm out.
Speaker:Now and then a year later, you know, a little side note, a year later,
Speaker:that whole side of his business ended up crumbling because no one else
Speaker:knew how to like run it because they just had base level trainers there.
Speaker:But that initial step, that, that was the initial little
Speaker:nudge I needed to make that soon.
Speaker:Now, right.
Speaker:The soon, if I'm gonna do it one day is okay, well now it's now.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So I remember, you know, that happening and I called my girlfriend, who's now my
Speaker:wife, and told her, I was like, I quit.
Speaker:I.
Speaker:Hold on.
Speaker:She's like, what are you talking about?
Speaker:And I was like, I was like, oh, sorry.
Speaker:I was like, you know, I just, I quit my job.
Speaker:I was like, I'm done with it.
Speaker:I'm gonna work for myself.
Speaker:And she's like, alright.
Speaker:You know, well what are you gonna do?
Speaker:And I was like, I'm just, I'm gonna do personal training.
Speaker:I'm gonna go independent and you know, so forth.
Speaker:And she was like, how?
Speaker:And then she, and she started and she's like, nevermind.
Speaker:Like, she was like, you got it.
Speaker:And I was like, I was like, I'll stand in front of the grocery store and
Speaker:sell personal training and try to get people if that's what I have to do.
Speaker:I was like, I refuse to do this again.
Speaker:And the confidence that I had in myself wasn't that I knew everything to go launch
Speaker:an independent personal training business, which I did scale that to six figures.
Speaker:And there's some different assets that, you know, were created along the way.
Speaker:I build a prep school for, you know, middle, uh, middle school basketball kids.
Speaker:Me doing that.
Speaker:I knew that I had already left a corporate gym, which I had the most amount.
Speaker:I was the youngest trainer when I first started, and I became the
Speaker:busiest trainer and most sought out trainer at that corporate gym.
Speaker:I left the corporate gym and went to a private gym with zero
Speaker:clients, 'cause they're all under contract with that corporate gym.
Speaker:So I, again, I had to start from zero and I, again, I went from not having a trained
Speaker:department helping build the training department and then becoming the busiest
Speaker:and highest paid trainer in that gym.
Speaker:Then again, I was like, okay, well I've done it once.
Speaker:I've done it twice.
Speaker:Like, it's not that I can't do it, I just maybe don't know how to get
Speaker:clients or leads or, you know, whatever.
Speaker:I don't know how to sell traditionally.
Speaker:Like I've, you know, other people have done the selling part of it.
Speaker:Like, okay, let's just, I'll look it up.
Speaker:And so every area that I look back on, you know, from college to, you know,
Speaker:high school, like all the things that, you know, I've done in my life, it was
Speaker:like every time I didn't know something.
Speaker:I, it was like if I really wanted it, I, it was not a matter of if it was
Speaker:gonna happen, it was just when, so I knew I might not be a busy trainer
Speaker:right now, but there's no, there's no stopping me from being doing that again.
Speaker:I will, I refuse.
Speaker:Like I, there was sleepless nights, but just watching YouTube videos, like
Speaker:I would learn, I learned how to sell.
Speaker:Literally watching YouTube videos, taking notes, going, trying it on like
Speaker:the next couple people didn't work.
Speaker:Go back, watch the same YouTube video, take more notes like,
Speaker:oh, I missed that whole section.
Speaker:And so it was like that belief in myself that has been built
Speaker:from all the previous actions.
Speaker:Aren't in a position where you're pulling from, you know, like a catalog of, Hey,
Speaker:I've done these things, I have this proof.
Speaker:If you have somebody that doesn't have that kind of proof, you know, and
Speaker:they've got a history of, um, more of Devan where it's like, Hey, I don't know
Speaker:what I'm doing and I that I can do it.
Speaker:You know, that self doubt.
Speaker:But if you were, you know, sitting across the table from, from a guy that was in
Speaker:that kind of position that didn't have the history and, and was just like,
Speaker:I don't know if I can do this, what would you say to them to guide them to
Speaker:have like that drive and that tenacity?
Speaker:like you've shared that you had to really say like, I'm not in this
Speaker:place right now, but I will get there.
Speaker:Mm-hmm.
Speaker:I mean, it, it has to be, you have to want it.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And I mean, that, that has to be the immediate thing.
Speaker:Everything begins and ends with your mindset, right?
Speaker:With your mind.
Speaker:If you believe you can achieve something, if you believe something
Speaker:is a realistic goal, right?
Speaker:And even when I was a trainer, like, you know, launching the gym and
Speaker:launching and making it a franchise, that was still in my vision.
Speaker:I didn't know how to even open the gym, let alone to launch the franchise.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And so.
Speaker:It.
Speaker:It's one of those things where, but I knew it was a possibility 'cause
Speaker:other people have done it right?
Speaker:And so if you think that it's not possible for you, that's the moment.
Speaker:It does become impossible.
Speaker:And so I will say that if other people have done it then and you
Speaker:believe you can't, you're not special.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And what I mean by that is that I say it that way to make
Speaker:it sound, you know, harsh.
Speaker:It's, it's, you are not special.
Speaker:You are not special enough for it to be a possibility and a reality for
Speaker:everyone else on earth and it not be a possibility or reality for you.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:So you have to realize that you may not know how to work out right now.
Speaker:That's okay.
Speaker:I didn't either until you do.
Speaker:Common sense is only comments to the person that knows it.
Speaker:It becomes common once you know it, once you've learned it.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:So it's like you don't know right now that, we'll, we'll go over it together.
Speaker:Or you find the resources, you find the tools, you find the, the
Speaker:knowledge, and then you apply it.
Speaker:But the main thing is you have to apply it.
Speaker:There's such a, a knowledge or an information overload, and there's such
Speaker:an implementation overload, right?
Speaker:You know, we feel like we needed more information before, you know,
Speaker:jumping off, you know, jumping into the water and it's like, no,
Speaker:sometimes you just need to jump in.
Speaker:Figure it out once you're in.
Speaker:So in essence, don't wait until I've fully figured it out, do some research, figure
Speaker:it out as I go, which is what you were talking about, like with the franchising.
Speaker:So that whole like analysis paralysis.
Speaker:When I have it all figured out, Devan, then I will go do
Speaker:it, build a plane on the way.
Speaker:Is that kinda what you're saying?
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:You'll never have it always figured out.
Speaker:And you, you telling yourself that you need to have it all figured
Speaker:out before you do it is just your excuse or your reasoning to yourself
Speaker:why you're not starting now.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Because I guarantee the knowledge that you get or seek is gonna open up a new
Speaker:door to something else you don't know and that you're always gonna find that
Speaker:next closed door that you don't know yet.
Speaker:And so it's like you have to, I mean, it's like creating, we created
Speaker:a business plan to open the gym.
Speaker:And that business plan didn't, it's not that I went out the window,
Speaker:but that business plan isn't the same thing as the gym is now.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:So it's like those things and those nuggets of knowledge that you
Speaker:have, that's just so you can take the next step and then you look
Speaker:what is the next step from there.
Speaker:You don't need to know the entire marathon's path.
Speaker:You just need to know the next step to get you to the next milestone.
Speaker:And as crazy as it seems, there is a correct way to
Speaker:run, which I have discovered.
Speaker:I'm like, I, I'm in my fifties, I should know how to run.
Speaker:Nope.
Speaker:There is a, a correct way to run.
Speaker:And you know, I think having the humility to be able to like what
Speaker:you're talking about, like you research stuff, you figured it out.
Speaker:Not expecting yourself to have all the answers, but to look for.
Speaker:You know, the way, the method, the process, um, just being hungry for it.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:So how have you helped people that may not have that mindset that, you know, is
Speaker:built on, like, growing them?
Speaker:If somebody's got like a victim mindset or they're, you know,
Speaker:dealing with something that's holding them back, you know that, that.
Speaker:Mindset that almost self-sabotage this, right?
Speaker:It's like we're our, we're our own worst enemy.
Speaker:How are you having people take steps to change their mindset, to
Speaker:make it so it's like their biggest asset, not their biggest adversary.
Speaker:the first thing is just to, to set your, set a goal, right?
Speaker:You set a goal and the goal could be big.
Speaker:It could be, I mean, I, I would rather you set a big goal.
Speaker:Let you know we're right now, it's January, and you
Speaker:know, people set a year goal.
Speaker:Now I want that goal to seem unrealistic as you're saying it.
Speaker:So let's say in fitness, you set a 30 pound goal, right?
Speaker:Or actually we'll make it a little bit more round.
Speaker:40 pounds, right?
Speaker:So you wanna lose 40 pounds by the end of the year.
Speaker:Now that seems huge, but if you break that into quarters, right?
Speaker:There's four quarters in the year, okay?
Speaker:10 pounds a quarter.
Speaker:And you're like, okay, there's three months in a quarter, so 10 pounds,
Speaker:three, so it's a little bit, you know, over three pounds a a month.
Speaker:Okay, well that's like a pound a week.
Speaker:Now, does a pound a week sound unrealistic?
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And so it's like when you break it down that way, it's
Speaker:like it doesn't seem that bad.
Speaker:And so it's like you never know what's gonna allow you or make you
Speaker:have to pivot or adjust as you go.
Speaker:But the main thing is like realizing that you don't need to have all the confidence,
Speaker:you know, or the delusional confidence that you know everything right now.
Speaker:Because I guarantee you, even from being this far along on the journey,
Speaker:I still know I don't know everything.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:And you never will, right?
Speaker:Because there's so many different areas.
Speaker:There's so many different things coming out, so many different knowledge pieces
Speaker:that are, you know, being developed and being, you know, researched.
Speaker:It's like there's always going to be more, and that's fine.
Speaker:You can learn that more as you're in it.
Speaker:But if you never jump in.
Speaker:Then why?
Speaker:Why does it matter if you know the knowledge or not?
Speaker:One thing that I'm curious about, like as you start something new,
Speaker:there's gonna be people that are like, nah man, you can't do that.
Speaker:I know who you are, and I just don't, I don't see that.
Speaker:Devan, how are you?
Speaker:pushing beyond, kind of battling that fear that says like,
Speaker:Hey, you, you can't do this.
Speaker:This is something new.
Speaker:You don't have what it takes.
Speaker:How do you put that fear of other people's judgment, like their criticism?
Speaker:How do you put that, um, back of mind or just out of the way and be
Speaker:like, thank you for your opinion.
Speaker:Later,
Speaker:I'll say that.
Speaker:Most people's judgment and most people's criticism comes
Speaker:from their view of themself.
Speaker:They could never see themselves doing that.
Speaker:They could never see that being a reality for them.
Speaker:And then they convey that in a way, 'cause they don't, it's, it's the crabs
Speaker:in the bucket, you know, mentality, right?
Speaker:Where crabs starts to crawl out of a bucket, the other crabs
Speaker:start reaching down to pull it back into the bucket, right?
Speaker:Crabs don't help each other out, right?
Speaker:And that's just the way it works.
Speaker:And so people that are above you in the journey.
Speaker:Will want to bring you and try to help you and give you along, but people at
Speaker:the same level necessarily, if they're comfortable there, they're not gonna be
Speaker:the ones that are gonna be your soundboard and motivating factor all the time.
Speaker:There are those, you know, people that are, but for the most part that,
Speaker:that's just a, a self-reflection that they're analyzing, giving out to you
Speaker:and trying to make you stay around them.
Speaker:But I would say at the end of the day, it was your vision, it's your goal.
Speaker:It was put into your mind, not theirs.
Speaker:And if again, other people have done it, who's to say you can't.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:You are not someone until you are that person.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:I wasn't an entrepreneur until I was an entrepreneur.
Speaker:I wasn't a business owner.
Speaker:I wasn't a a leader until I had a lead, right?
Speaker:So it's like your, these classifications that we like to put
Speaker:on ourselves are only a matter of you accomplishing something, right?
Speaker:And some people have that self, uh, imposter syndrome when in reality it's.
Speaker:They don't give it to themselves because they're analyzing or
Speaker:comparing themself to someone else.
Speaker:And I'll say the comparison is the thief of joy, as they say, but it's
Speaker:like, let's say you go to the gym every day and you wouldn't classify
Speaker:yourself as a fitness enthusiast.
Speaker:Well, what is a fitness enthusiast?
Speaker:Someone that goes to the gym all the time and you know, is doing that
Speaker:process, but just because you are not an Instagram model or you're not a Mr.
Speaker:Olympia or something, it's like, so.
Speaker:That's what you're saying.
Speaker:Uh, fitness influencer, or I mean, sorry, fitness enthusiast looks
Speaker:like that's just, you need to change the frame on what it is.
Speaker:You have the title already, whether you wanna think about it or not.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:So that self-limiting belief is all, again, that it's self.
Speaker:You just need to believe it's a reality.
Speaker:You need to believe that you are capable of doing it.
Speaker:And if someone tells you that you're not, then you just tell 'em, okay, cool.
Speaker:Watch me.
Speaker:Yeah, that can honestly be one of the most powerful things because
Speaker:it's like, like you talked about, the crabs pulling you down, man.
Speaker:It can be friends, it can be family, coworkers.
Speaker:You know, when you start to change, it puts them in a position where they then
Speaker:have to question, well, if Devan was able to do this, Now, am I gonna do this?
Speaker:Or, you know, it puts them in a reflective state where they have
Speaker:to assess why am I not, you know, accomplishing what Devan has.
Speaker:it sounds like we want to look for relationships that
Speaker:aren't with other crabs, right.
Speaker:That are gonna try and keep us in that bucket.
Speaker:So how are you?
Speaker:Finding those relationships where it's like the people that are at the same
Speaker:level or on that same track or even ahead of you, that are those uplifting
Speaker:and encouraging relationships helping you to accomplish what you're out for.
Speaker:How do you find those, those relationships?
Speaker:I mean, I will say it's, it's all, you know, conditions around place, right?
Speaker:So it's like if you're looking to become an entrepreneur and you're just going to
Speaker:the gym, and that's where you're looking for other entrepreneurs, you may or may
Speaker:not find those entrepreneurs there, right?
Speaker:But if you're looking for a community of people that are also looking to change
Speaker:their health, change their fitness, and and so forth, going to the gym is
Speaker:where you're gonna find that community.
Speaker:You don't need to have one circle for every aspect of your life.
Speaker:So it's like I have my fitness circle, I'll have my entrepreneur circle, I
Speaker:have, you know, my friends and all that stuff can be in those circles
Speaker:and they can also not be right.
Speaker:And it's like if someone starts to pull you down, some people will say, you know,
Speaker:oh, you need to cut them outta your life.
Speaker:And some, it depends, you know, it's, it, it's really for me, I don't cut people
Speaker:out necessarily, but I definitely limit.
Speaker:Their access to me or my willingness to, you know, just go hang out
Speaker:with them every moment of life.
Speaker:'cause you know, show me your, the five people that you hang out with.
Speaker:Like, I'll show you who you are, right?
Speaker:And it's like, at the end of the day, if you want to level up in fitness
Speaker:or level up in business, we'll find that circle that is bigger than you.
Speaker:Find the people that are above you on that next level and start
Speaker:hanging around those people.
Speaker:Because again, if five people you hang out around with, you know,
Speaker:is who you are, well guess what?
Speaker:You're gonna end up being in that circle at some point or another.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:It's one of those that, uh, dude, the, the people that we're surrounded by, it's more
Speaker:impactful because it's like they're gonna.
Speaker:Either be like, you know, other eos or Debbie Downers, um, or they're
Speaker:gonna be the people that elevate and empower and encourage us.
Speaker:And dude, it has such an impact and I think we kind of downplay the power
Speaker:of it until we're in the position to experience like what you're talking
Speaker:about, those people in the circles, whether it's fitness, whether
Speaker:it's finance, whatever, that are helping us to see what's possible.
Speaker:when you've talked about mindset, you know, is, is mindset relegated
Speaker:to just one area of life, whether it's fitness, finance, relationships,
Speaker:or is it kind of universal?
Speaker:So as you change your mindset and you start having like a healthier, more
Speaker:empowering mindset, does that impact all areas of life, or is it kind
Speaker:of relegated to just certain areas?
Speaker:No, it's definitely, it's mindset is the initial phase for anything, right?
Speaker:You want to increase your income or you need to believe that you can increase it.
Speaker:You want to increase your, your love at home and your relationship at home.
Speaker:Well, again, it needs to be that you believe that it can be achieved,
Speaker:so your mindset is the base of everything, every area of life.
Speaker:The mindset or the frame around, around what you look at things
Speaker:might be a little bit different.
Speaker:But again, they're all around.
Speaker:It needs to be around a growth mindset that there is potential for
Speaker:change, there is potential for growth.
Speaker:you're never at the destination.
Speaker:There's always a next level I. And so knowing that and thinking about
Speaker:that way, you have start to create more of an opportunistic mindset.
Speaker:And then those are the people that we look at and be like, oh man, they're so lucky.
Speaker:No, they're, they're putting themselves in the right places at
Speaker:the right times because they're looking at things as everything
Speaker:has opportunity in terms of growth.
Speaker:You know, they're not only just thinking that they're stuck here.
Speaker:They're, you know, they're born into this lifestyle, so they have to be, this kind
Speaker:of person said, no, you could be anything, as cliche as it sounds, you could be
Speaker:anything that you want to, as long as you're willing to sacrifice the cost.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:And the cost comes in one of three things, right?
Speaker:It's either your effort, it's your time, or it's a financial cost.
Speaker:So you wanna start a business?
Speaker:Well, there's a financial cost to that.
Speaker:There's also gonna be your effort and there's gonna be
Speaker:some time that's put into it.
Speaker:You want to build a family at home that doesn't necessarily have a financial
Speaker:one, but it is gonna take some time of your time and it is gonna take effort.
Speaker:So a lot of things have at least one, if not two of those costs, and you have to
Speaker:realize that and be willing to pay that cost just like you were to buy groceries
Speaker:because you want those groceries.
Speaker:So I have to worry about the cost of the chips, if I want chips.
Speaker:And not just the financial, but also the physical cost that it'll
Speaker:have is what you're telling me.
Speaker:Exactly.
Speaker:And the flip side of that, like not just the cost of the chips, but if
Speaker:your goal is to lose weight, what is the cost of eating those chips?
Speaker:That means you're gonna have to put more effort in.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:There's, there's a, a physical consequence, whether it's positive
Speaker:or negative, it depends on the decision or action that you take.
Speaker:So.
Speaker:Um, so how are you keeping yourself, like in a position where you have the
Speaker:energy to be resilient, to show up and to, you know, continue to drive?
Speaker:Is there certain stuff you're doing on a daily or weekly basis that,
Speaker:that kind of, almost, almost like putting fuel in the car, right?
Speaker:You're fueling yourself.
Speaker:Is there stuff that you're doing along those lines?
Speaker:For me personally, like, and, and I had this reality check, you know, when
Speaker:I was building the infrastructure of the franchise and gonna launch that
Speaker:was that my outlet is working out.
Speaker:Like I've always loved working out, you know, and, and so forth.
Speaker:But even when there was a hurdle in the business in the beginning, if I went on
Speaker:a run or if I, you know, just went to the gym and literally just zoned everything
Speaker:else out, like the answer typically came.
Speaker:When I went to launch the franchise, like I was trying to do so much and
Speaker:I was working, you know, crazy, crazy days and I wasn't working out because I
Speaker:knew if I worked out that was an hour, I couldn't be building something for
Speaker:the infrastructure of the franchise.
Speaker:Then all of a sudden people were telling me, oh man, you're leaning out.
Speaker:Were you cutting?
Speaker:Like in my head, I would say yes, but in my head I knew that it was because
Speaker:I was pretty much malnourishing myself and not working out and so forth.
Speaker:But also I realized like, I'm so stressed right now and everything feels like a
Speaker:bigger problem than it really is because I'm not giving myself that decompression
Speaker:time, whether it is meditating, whether it is, you know, just hanging
Speaker:out with the family, whatever your.
Speaker:You know, thing is make sure that you don't let that go and
Speaker:you put that on the back burner because you want something now.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:Because that's what it's gonna keep that fuel in the car instead of driving it
Speaker:all the way till the, the gaslight comes on and hoping and praying that you don't
Speaker:run outta gas before you get there.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:So it was one of those things where I started gonna the gym again, even
Speaker:though I, I own a gym, and this is the craziest thing, is that I own
Speaker:a gym, but it's like working out myself and being like, you know what?
Speaker:I could still work on that after my workout or I can just do that tomorrow.
Speaker:It's not gonna make or break the situation, but that one hour of working
Speaker:out or even sometimes 30 minutes of working out would give me those endorphins
Speaker:and make me feel a lot better and, you know, allow my brain to kind of clear
Speaker:and I can come back to the situation and look at it from a different lens.
Speaker:I'm not just in stress mode.
Speaker:Makes sense.
Speaker:So.
Speaker:You are removing your stress through like the working out and you
Speaker:know, it's kind of your recharge.
Speaker:What benefits, you know, if you're like, Hey, I do, I go and I work out.
Speaker:It's not just helping me build muscles or slim down.
Speaker:What is it doing like mentally and emotionally that you see as like a
Speaker:benefit for people that it's just kinda like overlooked or unexpected?
Speaker:No, definitely.
Speaker:I mean, I love, I love the analogy between business and fitness and
Speaker:even more so that I'm in the fitness business, but, um, you gotta think
Speaker:fitness is the perfect example.
Speaker:You know, first off, it's like you go to the gym, you give it everything you
Speaker:have today, and you look in the mirror.
Speaker:The next morning you lift up your shirt and you don't see a change.
Speaker:Are you discouraged?
Speaker:Do you not go that next day?
Speaker:No.
Speaker:You go again and you give it all you got and you lift up your shirt.
Speaker:Then the third day, still nothing.
Speaker:But you continuously do it.
Speaker:And so it starts to build this, this skill of discipline, skill of consistency.
Speaker:Right.
Speaker:But more so on a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint is like there is a
Speaker:chemical response to when you work out.
Speaker:Your endorphins release, your cortisol levels drop.
Speaker:And so that alone helps you see things from a clearer mind when you're, I mean,
Speaker:the stress isn't going anywhere, right?
Speaker:Like that's the problem is still gonna be there when you get back, but now
Speaker:you not getting to go into it right after solving something else stressful,
Speaker:lets you see it from a more relaxed mind and you can see the solution.
Speaker:Fairly faster.
Speaker:And then the the saying is, you know, if you look good, you feel good.
Speaker:If you feel good, you do good.
Speaker:And they typically are talking about how you dress well.
Speaker:I actually think about it as you physically in, in your, your physique.
Speaker:Like if you feel good and you, and you look good, you know, naked, right?
Speaker:And you look good and stuff, you naturally feel a little bit more self-confident.
Speaker:You feel a little bit happier, right?
Speaker:'cause now that's something that's a good area in your life, right?
Speaker:So there's a, a. A psychological standpoint to that too.
Speaker:It's like you're feeling good, you're decompressing.
Speaker:Everything else starts to align because you're naturally in a,
Speaker:just a happier place with yourself.
Speaker:So everything else, you're not seeing it from a stressed or a negative standpoint.
Speaker:'cause that can all start with if you're unhappy with yourself, everything else
Speaker:is a little bit, you know, unhappy, you know, to say in your life.
Speaker:Yeah.
Speaker:And I think for many of us as guys.
Speaker:Like going to the gym consistent basis and like you talked about, lifting
Speaker:up your shirt, but keeping at it.
Speaker:For many of us, that's the first time we've shown up for ourself on a
Speaker:consistent basis and then that habit carries over to all the other areas.
Speaker:So it's not something we've really, you know, thought about or considered,
Speaker:but man, it is a powerful, you know, um, skill and a. I don't know.
Speaker:Nitrous oxide almost to keep you going.
Speaker:Right?
Speaker:Because it's like, there's that confidence.
Speaker:There's that pride so well, dude, Devan, I appreciate you sharing
Speaker:everything that you have of like the tenacity, how you stay recharged, you
Speaker:know, how working out is beneficial, not just for us, us physically, but
Speaker:mentally and emotionally and just.
Speaker:All over.
Speaker:And that our mindset carries a lot of power.
Speaker:Um, so it's something that, you know, just like we would look at any other
Speaker:area of our life, it's something we should definitely consider.
Speaker:Are we on the right path?
Speaker:Do we have a growth mindset or are we looking at this from a,
Speaker:a victim or, you know, just kind of stale, you know, perspective.
Speaker:So, um, dude, Devan, outside of the podcast, how can guys connect with you?
Speaker:I,
Speaker:I mean, I, you go to my website, the website is literally just a
Speaker:landing page for all things that got going on, but you can also
Speaker:just reach out to me there as well.
Speaker:I mean, again, I'm more than happy to just get back where I can when I can.
Speaker:So my website's just my name, you know, dot com, Devan,
Speaker:D-E-V-A-N-G-O-N-Z-A-L-E z.com.
Speaker:You know, you can see everything I got going on there.
Speaker:If you have questions or anything, you know, you just wanna connect and just say,
Speaker:Hey, by all means, you know, reach out.
Speaker:Perfect.
Speaker:And where again are the Strive 11 locations right now?
Speaker:So right now we're in Los Angeles, um, in the San Fernando Valley, and then
Speaker:we're opening up, we just got our lease for Tampa and we're doing that process.
Speaker:So 2025 should be Tampa and Dallas as well.
Speaker:Dude, congratulations.
Speaker:And, uh, the link to connect with you will be in the show
Speaker:notes, so making it super easy.
Speaker:And, uh, dude, Devan, again, thank you.
Speaker:I appreciate it my friend.
Speaker:Thank you so much for having me.
Speaker:My pleasure.
