I get asked a lot about when it’s time to leave the team sector and start your own thing. I don’t think I have gone a week without a strength coach asking when it’s time for them to leap. I have been asked a lot, and the truth is I don’t have a simple answer. This weekend reminded me of that.

This past weekend, I helped a dear friend put together his gym in his garage, where he will run his business. The time and energy it takes to do something like this is beyond comprehension. I have done this multiple times and have a certain level of comfort with the process, but it is still hard to imagine just how much detail and effort are required. Building something is hard. There is simply no way to sugarcoat it. Working as a strength coach, it is natural to want to go on your own and build a gym business. However, there is often a misguided view on building your own thing. We are typically not aware of the lack of skill set we will need to be successful. Michael Gerber talked about this in his book The E Myth: most people fail at starting businesses because they are “technicians” (doers) having an “entrepreneurial seizure,” not true entrepreneurs.

To further that thought, Gerber went into what you will need:

1. Work ON, Not IN: Owners must stop doing the daily technical work (working in the business) and instead focus on designing systems, processes, and strategic growth (working on the business).
   1. This is where strength coaches will struggle the most; we are the ultimate technicians
2. The Three Roles: Successful owners must balance three roles: the Entrepreneur (visionary), the Manager (planner), and the Technician (doer).
   1. We lack entrepreneurial and managerial knowledge and skills
3. Create a Turnkey System: The goal is to build a business that can be replicated, similar to a franchise, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
   1. There is very little realization that we are running already existing systems
4. Avoid the “Job” Trap: If the business depends on the owner to function, it is not a business, but rather a “worst job in the world”.
   1. Delegating is often lost on us
5. Systemization is Key: Every company should be a system, defined as “how we do it here”.
   1. Can you replicate what you do is the real question

The goal of this is not dream kill. The goal is to ask a simple question: If you are not certain on the above criteria…. WAIT. Or at least find a way to outsource the deficiencies. My friend, whom I helped this weekend, has a lot left to do. He has been in the private sector for 15 years and still feels the overwhelming pressure of building something. We both have faced the metaphorical brick wall of building a business from nothing based on our expertise, without really knowing how to manage and sell it.

You see, building the gym is the fun part. It is brutal work, but it is the best part of the journey. You may have seen the pics I posted this weekend. This can give the false impression that all you have to do is just make the decision, and you get to build a gym of your dreams! Unfortunately, that is the best part of the journey. You have complete control of the experience. You decide what to buy, where to put it, and when to build it. That is where the control ends.

The next steps are convincing someone that what you do is valuable, and then getting people to do what you do at the level you do it. This is by far and away the hard part. This will be the ultimate test of any business. The distinguishing factor of failure or success is the willingness to overcome these obstacles.