"Working on a Dream" Part II

By Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, NCTMB,
Founder of Fitness Quest 10, San Diego, CA

 

     This is a continuation of the story I began in last month's feature, Working on a Dream, Part I.  Fitness Quest 10 was born in the last quarter of 1999 - exactly 10 years ago.  We opened our doors for business on January 2, 2000.  This month's feature article is all about building the infrastructure of my dream - the roadblocks, the adversity, the milestones and the celebrations. Here is part two - check it out!

 

      First, a little background on opening a business - most small business owners know the drill.  You start with an idea, a plan and money. These three ingredients form the basis of most entrepreneurial activity, and most small business owners know that you don't take any one of them lightly.  First, the idea should be sound and it should be tested - research, focus groups, etc.  Second, the plan is serious business.  I know people who have spent two years or longer developing their business plans.  And third - the money.  Don't get me started about the money.  You've gotta have money to launch a business and you probably need more than you think.

 

The Roadblocks

 

      It's Business 101 - the idea, the plan and the money.  But, rewind to 1999 and I had only the idea - no plan and no money.

 

      My idea was to be different, to use all that I knew and all that I was, to blend the East and the West and transform people's lives in a studio environment.  Training, coaching, teaching, massage therapy - all of it under one small roof - my small roof.  Focus groups and research - you've gotta be kidding! Ten years ago, I didn't even have regular clients who would drive all the way to Scripps Ranch!

 

     In 1999, studios of this kind didn't exist.  People went to big box gyms. They signed on the dotted line, and if all went according to the business model of these mammoth fitness centers, "members" showed up two or three times a week for about four to six weeks.  Often, they were never seen again, but they kept paying the monthly fees for the rest of the contract year.

 

The Adversity

 

     I knew people needed and deserved better.  By November of 1999, I had found my dream location.  Soon after this, I met with a small business counselor from SCORE. I told him about my idea.  My dream was real and my passion was palpable. The SCORE counselor wanted to know about my plan and my money. He laughed at me and told me I was crazy. 

 

     Luckily, I didn't know enough to be scared, so I just kept going. I was driven, passionate, and persistent and I wasn't willing to stop and consider if that was enough.  In my way of thinking, I had everything to gain and nothing to lose. I was teaching part time at two local colleges, I didn't have a mortgage, and I drove a beat-up Volvo with the headliner falling apart. I entered the very first lease negotiation of my life and came away with a signed agreement and three months rent for free. I was walking on air. 

 

The Milestones

 

     On the list of milestones for launching my business, the standout for me was naming Fitness Quest 10.  We spent hours, days and weeks filling up yellow pads with ideas. I laugh now when I think about it because the name of my center seems so right. I can't imagine having considered any other!

 

     I believe that people enter our lives when we most need them.  I met Wayne Cotton when I needed him most.  Here was a self-made man and a success story, if there ever was one.  He listened to my dream, and he believed in it and in me.  Wayne became my mentor.  He taught me to build my business and to develop my infrastructure, not just for my small studio in Scripps Ranch, but as if there would be 500 just like it someday.  Think creatively, develop thoughtfully and document everything.  Dreams become real.  He also convinced me to do it by myself - no formal partnership with anyone.

 

     At the same time, I was given important advice from my sister, Patti.  Patti owns a massage therapy center in New Jersey.  She was a big help to me through this journey, but especially with one particular piece of advice. She told me to visualize my dream, to imagine my studio hustling and bustling with people.  I followed her advice and meditated on my vision daily.

 

     There were two other milestones that made a difference.  I was so thankful when a member of my wife Melanie's family became my angel investor and gave me a loan of $5,000.  And I was equally relieved when I confirmed that you really could equip a gym by leasing all refurbished equipment!

 

     We might be state-of-the-art today, but the beginnings of FQ10 were humble when it came to facilities and equipment.  I ordered all refurbished pieces, put carpet on the floor and Melanie and I painted the massage rooms ourselves.  There was no interior designer, no $15,000 treadmills and no prototype testing of the newest "toys" in the industry.  BOSU and TRX didn't exist and kettlebells weren't popular.  Swiss Balls were never seen outside of a rehab environment.  Music was on a boom box, and the only thing that separated the training area from the Pilates and yoga area was a cloth curtain!  Basically, it was some equipment, some carpet and me.  Sid, my 11 year old Golden Retriever was still just a puppy, and was my constant companion who served as the official "meeter and greeter."  Melanie was my working partner and soon to be life-long partner.  These were the roots of Fitness Quest 10!

 

The Celebrations

 

     When I look back on ten years ago, a few things stand out to me as the most important.  I felt lucky at the time, but today I know how blessed I really was.  I had no experience starting or owning a business.  I had no money, no plan and no clients to bring with me.  But, I also didn't let fear rule me.  I woke everyday, seven days a week to pursue my dream.  I was creating something new in an industry that had been running on a bad business model.  I wanted to transform people's lives and every time someone walked through my door I would be given the chance to make a difference - one person at a time. Soon, I would open my doors for business with no financial goals, no pre-determined definition of success.  What I had was the desire to work with people.  It's what I loved ten years ago and still what I most enjoy today - my core competency - coaching.  The celebrations were daily because I was loving life!

 

     Looking back, it feels great to remember how "simple" it seemed back then.  My work in the fall of 1999 set the foundation for what we do today.  Before I even opened my doors, I learned some lessons that continue to be valuable:

 

• Don't be afraid to dream.  It was scary as heck to open a business.  It was even scarier to create change in an industry.  Don't let FEAR guide you, if you BELIEVE in something.
• Take ACTION in your life.  Action creates mo-mentum and mo-mentum creates mo' results!
• If your dream involves brick and mortar, start small, burst at the seams, and then grow.
• Remember, people will appear in your life when you need them.  Wayne taught me that if you want a referral from a client, you must ASK for it.
• The power of visualization helped me "see" the realization of my dream.  Try it - it works!
• Keep your need for perfection in check. It can create analysis paralysis that prevents you from taking action.  When your will-power and desire is strong, the answers will appear along the way.
• Focus on the "why" and not just the "how." Build your systems/business like you are going to build 500 more. 
• Remember, everything you build and everything you are begins with your values.  As the monk says from The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari, "What lies behind you and what lies in front of you matters little compared to what lies within you."

     How timely to tell this story in November, for I am truly thankful for my roots.  By Thanksgiving of 1999, I was feeling anxious, nervous, excited, scared and fired-up - all at the same time!  I entered the month of December with such eager anticipation for the opening of Fitness Quest 10; it couldn't come fast enough. In next month's feature article, I'll tell you all about what it was like ramping up for the big day.   Thanks for joining my on my trip down memory lane.  It's a sweet ride.

 

Peace and love,

 

Todd

 

Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is a personal trainer and massage therapist who motivates, educates and inspires people worldwide.  He is the owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA, where his wonderful team of 35 focuses on personal training, massage therapy, Pilates, yoga, sports performance training and nutrition to help transform the bodies, minds and spirits of a broad clientele.  Todd trains dozens of NFL and MLB athletes and provides motivational talks and programs to companies and conferences worldwide. Todd is the Head of the Under Armour Performance Training Council.  Men's Health recently named his gym, Fitness Quest 10, one of the Top 10 Gyms in the US.  Todd has appeared on 60 Minutes, ESPN, NFL Network and has been featured in Sports Illustrated, USA Today, Business Week, Prevention, ESPN the Magazine, Men's Health, Men's Fitness, Men's Journal, Stack Magazine, Self, Shape, Fitness, the NY Times and Washington Post.  Todd has authored 28 DVDs on strength and conditioning, functional fitness, massage/bodywork and business/personal growth.  Todd conducts 3-Day Mentorships several times per year and ongoing Mastermind Groups for trainers seeking business and personal growth.  Sign up for his FREE award-winning Ezine newsletter, TD TIMES, at www.FitnessQuest10.com or www.ToddDurkin.com.