214: How GYMGUYZ Became the Top Mobile Training Brand Nationwide with Josh York

Hi, I'm Natalie Jill, fat loss expert turned lifestyle and high performance coach. When odds are stacked against us, how do we shift and create everything from nothing? How do we level up when we aren't feeling it yet or have had a big setback? And how do we adjust quickly when life throws us major curveballs? On this podcast, I do what I do best. Taking complicated information that is relevant to us now and breaking it down simply with actionable steps you can implement to love level up your own life. I also regularly interview some of the most inspiring and courageous men and women on the planet who at their worst learned how to achieve success greater than they ever dreamed possible. Leveling up, creating everything from nothing. If you are new here, I encourage.

You to go back and listen from.

Episode one for the full transformative experience. Josh York did not have it easy growing up. An ill mom, a dad not around. He learned from the school of hard knocks. And then 12 years ago during the economic crash, Josh had a vision and he had clarity around a goal on how to scale his hourly personal training business and help so many more. He had no one that believed in him. All friends and mentors told him his plan had too many holes and would not work. But he was clear. He knew what he wanted to scale. Today, Josh York, vision of Gym Guys, a mobile in home fitness training provider. Today bouncing 251 locations across 30 states and 3 countries is the fastest growing and number one in home personal training.

Business in the USA.

Join in today and learn exactly how Josh York leveled up and created everything from nothing.

Today I'm leveling up. I've got Josh York who is the founder of Gym Guys, who is the fastest growing fitness franchise that there is right now. And I was so excited to talk with him because what I didn't understand is that he had built his whole business, his whole idea, his whole concept from a time of hardship and setback and depression and all the things. So Josh, thank you so much for being here today. I can't wait to dive in and chat with you.

Oh thank you so much Natalie for having me on. I'm really excited. We're going to, we're going to, we're going to give out golden nuggets. We're going to provide a lot of value and it's what it's all about. So I'm looking forward to it.

I love it. So talk to me about who you were before Gym Guys. You were a personal trainer. You said this was 2008. Who were you right then?

I was a personal Trainer. You know, I was working in a small studio, I just graduated college and here I am. I have this degree that, you know, everyone says you have to get, which, you know, I really, you know, honestly it's, you know, my wife hates when I say this, but I really think school is a waste of time in my personal opinion, if you want to be an entrepreneur because it doesn't really teach you what you need to really do in life as far as business. But you know, just graduated school and you know, being a trainer is not scalable. So I said, you know what, this is what you're supposed to do. You're supposed to get a 9 to 5 job because that's what they teach you to do. So here I am. Now, I left a very successful career as a trainer, like high level six figures successful to go make 40 grand a year. So now here I am working in a marketing firm with the most miserable people I've ever met in my life. Now let me tell you something. I hate negativity. I take negative signs and I slice them down the center and make them a positive. I can't be around negative people. I will literally cut off a family member if they're negative.

Yeah.

So, you know, it's an actual step that people spend literally three to four hours per day at work working on non work related tasks. It's also another step that 85% of people drive to work every day committing spiritual suicide. So I do not want to be one of those people.

What do you mean by that? Say that when you drive to work committing.

85% of people drive to work every day committing spiritual suicide. They hate their job, they're miserable, they stare at the clock all day and they're just so unhappy. People need to follow their passion. That is the number one most important thing, to follow your passion. And I said, you know what? I, I can't be here anymore. I just don't know what I'm going to do. But every no will always get you closer to a yes if you have stamina. And I'm not talking about stamina, you and I running on the treadmill. Although this would be a pretty serious competition, you and me. But I'm talking about mental stamina. People don't know what mental stamina is. And you have to have a very strong mindset to keep moving because I could tell you stories that will give you instant ulcers of what I've been through to get to where we are today.

Okay, I want to hear some of those stories. But before we do that. When you were. Take me back a little bit more. So when you were a personal trainer, you said you had this job that you were doing really well as a trainer. And then you said you left to go to a lower paid job that you didn't love. But what made you even do that? What was that first step there? Why did you decide to leave that?

You can't be a trainer forever. It's just not, you know, like you just can't. It's just, you know, look, a trainer and a doctor are exactly the same. And everyone's like, no, what are you talking about? No, they are. A doctor without patients is unemployed, and a trainer without clients is unemployed. And there's only so much you could scale. You can't scale being a trainer. And that's when I said, you know, I need to figure out how I can make money when I'm not working. And one day my client came in late, said, josh, I wish you'd come to my house. I just don't have any equipment. And I was like, wow. I was like, this is like one of those ideas where it's like, why didn't I think of this? You know, I'll get a van. I'll stock up with all the necessary equipment. Enough equipment to provide you a fantastic workout, 365 days a year, backed by our three Cs, convenient, customized and creative workouts. And we're going to service clients anywhere. No one's ever done it, I'm going to do it.

So you decided this, you said in 2008. So this was like, this was because a client has said it to you or what? Because were you working at this other job at the same time that you.

So she said this to me in 2007. And, you know, then I started really brainstorming and thinking about this, how this would launch and how this would work. And then, you know, in 2008, January 1st, literally, she said this probably around, I'd say November. And then January 1st, I launched the business.

Okay, so how did you. Because now you're working at a firm that you don't like the job 9 to 5, making the 40,000 a year. What was the conversation in your head? Because a lot of people listening right now, they're like, okay, I want, I want to follow my passion, but I'm doing this to pay bills or doing this. What was your. The conversation you were having with yourself before you took this risk and this change?

So let me. So let me be very clear. No risk, no reward. People Say that, but it's very true. And you have to believe in yourself. The problem is people. People don't like the ta take action. You know, like, and I'll give a perfect example, there's been so many people over the years at any type of engagement I've been at, whether I was speaking or something, who've always asked me if it was okay. They reach out to me for some help or some guidance. And I've always said, of course, reach out to me. Give me a call. To this day, to this day. Now, you know how many people have actually reached out to me? 0. 0. Because people like to talk but don't actually do it. That's the big difference. So for me, I believed in myself when no one else did. My own parents didn't. My friends told me I was crazy. I actually have a holiday that's coming up in a couple weeks on August 1, which is a very big deal for me. It's National Swiss Cheese Day. So let me tell you about National Swiss Cheese Day. So I used to train this guy Bobby, very successful, self made billionaire, okay? I used to train him in his house. This guy has everything. He came from nothing. I used to look up to him, like, unbelievable. Like the knowledge I used to get from him was great. And I told him about the business and he laughed in my face and said, josh, Josh, the business is like Swiss cheese. It's got too many holes in it. You're never going to succeed. And I'll never forget leaving that day. And I sat in my car and I, you know, obviously I was a little upset, but at that point I created the five minute rule. The five minute rule is you spend five minutes and after five minutes you can kick, scream, do whatever you want, you move on. And I've developed this problem over the years with my neck, right? My neck doesn't turn, it only looks forward. I don't look backwards. Seven years later, I'm on the front page of the New York Times business section, disrupting the fitness industry. He sees it, calls me up and oh my God, I believed in you. And all this other crazy nonsense. I go, bobby, what are you talking about? You didn't believe in me. So every August 1st, I get a half a pound of Swiss cheese. I don't even eat it. I FaceTime him. If he doesn't pick up, I send him a video and I say, happy Swiss Cheese Day. And that's what I do.

I love it. Okay, I have so many questions around that because one of the reasons from everyone I've spoken with, I've done a lot of interviews on here, on how people achieved everything from nothing. One of the commonalities is they say that somebody believed in them. Maybe most of people did not believe in them, but they had someone who did. How did you manufacture and get that belief in yourself when, like, it sounds like literally no one believed in you? How did you fight that conversation in your head?

So I've always, like, when I set a goal for myself, no matter what, I'm going to accomplish it. And I've done it at a young age. From, like taking karate to becoming a black belt second degree, to, you know, learning to teach myself how to play ice hockey without even getting lessons to just whatever I do, I just set my mind to it, I make it happen. And I don't know if that's just something that's within me, but I've always never been afraid. And, you know, the problem is a lot of people are afraid. Lot of people don't know what to do. But you have to really just believe in yourself enough. And what I've done over the years, I've almost, like, created this alter ego in my mind. And when I've created this alter ego, and I'll give you an example, so when I first started my business and I opened up my business bank account, I asked the bank if I can have another account without any minimum balance in it so I don't get any charges. And they said, sure. To this day, now, to this day, I still have a dollar in the account every morning. I haven't missed a morning yet. I stare at the account every morning and truly believe in my head that I only have a dollar. And it's always kept me focused and kept me driven. But I create this alter ego with whatever I do. And I always believe in myself. And that's the most important thing. And the fact of the matter is, no one believed in me.

Josh, this is so interesting, and I have so many questions around this because. Okay, because what you've used to get you to believe in yourself and to be a high level of success is literally very different than most people. So, like, a lot of people will look at a bank account of a million dollars instead, or a hundred thousand or whatever it is to get them thinking that it's already there to act. You're saying you go the opposite. Like, you're looking at this lack thing. Talk about that a little bit more because that's interesting.

I act off, you know, like, what if I lose it all tomorrow, right? You have to be. And I say this in the most positive way. You have to be a savage. You have to be the most relentless person ever. Like, someone's going to run a mile, I'm going to run, too. Okay, I'll give you an example. I love the sauna. I love the sauna. And when I go in the sauna, like, I play this twisted game. Like, I go in for 30 minutes, Natalie, if someone comes in and I have 29 minutes, I have one minute to go. I can't leave. I, like, can't leave until that other person leaves before me. When I go to work out in the gym, I'm always the first person there. Someone got there 10 minutes before me. The next day, I was there 20 minutes before them. I always have to be number one. And I believe that in my head. So I also like to act off the emotion of, like, oh, my God, I can lose everything. Like, if I don't put every single ounce of effort into this, I'm going to fail. And I will never, ever fail. But success comes with a lot of uncomfortable pain. And I think that's where a lot of people go wrong, is, you know, here's the door to success. It's right here. They're about to open it, and they stop right there. They're so close. Every day that passes, the next day could be the day. But you have to have that stamina, that mental stamina, because I believe business in general and life is 80% mindset, 20% tactical.

I believe you. How do you get there? How? Like, how? If somebody's listening right now and they're going, okay, I hear you. But nobody in my life believes in me, and I'm stuck in my head, and I literally have a dollar. Like, I'm just. I'm just trying to think, like, going, how do they get there? Because they can hear you, and your energy is great, and it's like, wow, that's amazing. I want some of that. But what would you tell them? And, like, how did you get there? Like, were you born that way? Did you. Did something happen to you? Like, what advice would you give somebody to get there?

First of all, you need to surround yourself with. I'm a lion. Right? You need to surround yourself with lions. That's number one. Okay, number two, what does that mean?

Explain what that means.

So. So a lion. When a lion is hungry, what are they going to do? They're going to make sure they eat. You have to be a lion. And that could be a female lion or a male Lion. But you also have to do uncomfortable things. If you ever want to get comfortable in life, you have to do uncomfortable things. And I'm talking to a woman right now who did a lot of uncomfortable things to create a success where you are. So you know exactly what I'm talking about. But you have to, you know, look, I have self doubt. I get, you know, little small bits of anxiety. But I've learned and trained myself over the years how to become numb to it.

How did you train yourself to do that? So you said honestly.

Honestly, every time I have a negative self talk, the first thing I think of. I know you're laugh, but it's the truth. I think of pizza and donuts. I love pizza and I love donuts. And it just makes me happy. And I just like distract my mind.

Okay, so that's another, I'm assuming that's another step. Distract your mind.

Yep. Distract your mind is a very important step. And again, like uncomfortable things. So I started about, I don't know, 15 years ago taking these 29 degree ice baths. Very beneficial. But like, like, I'm like so crazy. Like, I have a commercial ice maker in my garage. My neighbor thinks I'm out, like so out left field. And honestly, I take that as the highest compliment ever. But I jump in there like it's a hot tub. I've trained myself to put myself in situations that other people won't do, like when I do my cardio. And you should try this. This is very, very intense and you might like it. I've literally, during some of my sessions, I duct tape my mouth and I'll only breathe out of my nose.

You have no problem with the mask mandate right now you're like, I'll work out in a mask. No issue, no issue, no issue.

I put my, I put myself in uncomfortable situations. If I'm dying during my 10th rep, I will go 10 more. Like, I just endure. I like, I endure the pain. Like, I just actually like the pain because it just makes me know in my mind that I'm better than that other person. And you have to believe you're the baddest person in the world. That's what I believe. I don't care what anyone else thinks. But you have to believe that and you have to start training your mind. Like, look, you have a part of your brain called the reticular activating system. Are you familiar with it, doctor?

Yeah, of course.

Okay. So that part of your brain is what you program. And let's say, for example, you and I start Talking about gym guys today, which you haven't heard of before, which honestly, I have like a whole box of Kleenex tissues here that I'm going to use after because I was so sad when you didn't hear about it, that I'm going to cry. I'm just joking. But the point is, is that you're going to see a van now and you're going to see some of our materials. You might see a billboard. You're going to. Because you just, it just went into your mind.

It's like a law of attraction. Like you're going to see more of what you're looking for.

Exactly. You have to program yourself. Like, I have vision board parties all the times, sometimes with my staff, sometimes by myself. And I literally just stare and obsess. You have to be obsessed. And you have to do it over and over and over and over again and again. Look, normal doesn't work. If people might say you're weird or you're not normal, that's good. That's good because that's what works. And people have to practice that. Like, you know, people. People don't know. Honestly, truly, I'm actually very introverted. You never believe that, but I really am. I don't have a lot of friends, as I like to say, eagles fly alone. I have a couple good friends, lots of acquaintances. I know everybody. But I'm really more just about my family. But I'm not that person that drinks. I've never, I've never been drunk. I've never taken a drug in my life. I don't party. I'm just extremely, honestly introverted. But when it's business time, I'm on.

That's a commonality I find with a lot of entrepreneurs too, by the way. And I would say I'm the same way. I think I'm socially, I'm a social introvert. Like I, I like small groups. I can relate to the introvert thing. Okay, so tell me about like your childhood. Cause I want. Now I'm getting really curious. Like, what was, what was it like growing up as a supported way of believing. Is this how your parents talk to you?

No. Horrible. I had a horrible life, Horrible life growing up.

Tell me, tell me more about that.

Yeah, just not, just not a good life. You know, mother was sick, father was never around. Just. Just not a good life. Not, not, not anything normal. It was not normal. But I chose. Some people chose. You know, there's two roads you can choose. You could chose. You could choose the good one or the Bad one. I chose the good one. And I just. I just surround myself around a lot of positivity. Look, I've been mentored by some of the top billionaires in the world. I have seeked people out. I get the job done no matter what. And you have to surround yourself with people who've done it. That's like someone saying, hey, Josh, I'd love to know how to get a good head of hair. Look, I'm bald and beautiful, right? But you're not going to get advice from me on how to get a good head of hair. And if you're going to ask me, that's crazy. If you want to have a sick stomach and sick abs, you're going to talk to my girl Natalie, and she's going to hook you up and tell you about her plan and her diet and everything else. But if you went to someone who has no abs and you're asking for advice, you're going to the wrong place. So you got to learn from people. It's very important.

But so. But like, you did that. Like, you were around this billionaire, training him who was a client of yours, and then the billionaire says to you, oh, this is a bad idea. There's lots of holes in it. Like, how do you switch out of that? Because, like, to me, if my mentor or somebody that I really trusted and was learning from said something to me, I would probably hear that and create that.

I just, you know, it is. I just felt it and believed in it so much and just knew that we're going to change the game forever. I just knew it.

You knew it.

That I didn't let anything stop me. And honestly, look, everyone's got something to say. You got to just believe in yourself enough. And honestly, the most successful individuals in the world, so many people have not believed in them. Believe in yourself. Anyone can do it.

So help me get there more. So I said, how do you get there? You said, surround yourself with lions. So you need to find other people. Is that what you did as a kid? Is that what you did as an adult? Like, is that. When did that. When did you realize that part? And how did you start doing that?

As I started getting into business, I had no guidance. No one told me what to do. I've made so many mistakes. I was in a casino one night, I almost put my whole life savings on red, obviously reds our color, just to make payroll. Like, I've been in some very bad places.

I've been there. I literally have been there, where I'm like, I'm putting everything on red. I know that conversation.

I've been in some very, very painful places. And I just started saying, you know what? Let me start going to some of these seminars. And everyone sits in the seminars with these instructors. I put on my hunting hat, and I'm, like, trying to find the one running the whole damn thing, right? The one who's, like, the one. And this is a true story. Look, everything comes back to one thing. Building relationships. That's very important. And I'm going to say this quickly, not to sound like I'm coming off, off target here and off the road, but you have to be able to build relationships. That's the number one most important thing for sure. Because if you and I got to go to the doctor because we're, you know, we have a bad cold, and I know the doctor, and you don't, and the doctor's book that day, I'm getting in. You're not, right? So I'm at this event, and Fred DeLuca, the founder of Subway, who has mentored me, okay? May he rest in peace. The sweetest guy ever. What a sweet guy. I knew he was speaking at this event. So I get to this event. Everyone's in these other seminars. I'm, like, trying to figure out, how can I meet this guy? So I started, like, analyzing the building, and I'm looking at, like, how the setup is and where he'd have to come in. And all these doors were pop doors where you push. There's a little key that you could, you know, push in there to lock it or open it. And I was like, I need to find this little key so I can lock every single door. And I'm going to sit by this one door in the morning and wait for him. So I got to find that, you know, I got to find one of the maintenance crew guys. So I started, like, observing and seeing who I can connect with. I literally connected with the maintenance guy crew in the crew. One of these guys, he gave me the key. I locked every single door. I didn't sleep. I stayed there all day. I waited for him almost, like six hours. And there he is. Walked in. I gave him. I gave him my high energy where I don't drink coffee. He was like, whoa. And I was like, listen. I was like, you know, I waited here for six hours for you. He was like, you know, I'm extremely, you know, expressing crazy gratitude for you, blah, blah, blah, you know, thank you so much and this and that. And because of that, he was so impressed. And he mentored me. But you have to be willing to do a lot of those things. And most of these things are extremely uncomfortable, and most people just won't do them.

Yeah, yeah, no, I hear you on that. So. Okay, so I want to ask about how you specifically started your business, too, and, like, how this grew. But I do have a question for you, knowing what you just said. You said my childhood was not good. My mom was sick. My dad wasn't around. No one believed in me. As you. As you mentioned that. What will you do for you because you have two little kids? Like, what will you do for your kids because you're on this other side now? Like, do you think it's important as a parent to believe in your kids and give them that? Or do you think now, have you learned something different now that, like, oh, people have to figure it out on their own?

No, listen, I tell my son every day how handsome he is, how he's the best he could do, everything. I fill him with so much positivity, it's crazy. Like, I kiss him so much. I give him so much love, it's out of control. And love is very important. And, you know, I know this is audio right now, but you can see Natalie smiling because I'm sure she does it. Some of her. The same with her kid. But I give so much love. And it's very, very important. But, you know, if you asked me if I would change anything, I wouldn't change anything. It just makes me a better person. Who I am today makes me a better father. And at the end of the day, you know, you have to. You have. Look, when you have someone as a very strong role model, it helps, obviously, you know, can I be the rare one who's made it out and just acted? Yes, maybe. But you listen. It's always you, right? Look in the mirror. That's who you're up against. And you can sit and complain. You could be negative. Or you can have sorry. You know, be sorry for yourself. Oh, my God, my life's horrible. Or you can act on it and make something happen. And that's what I did.

No, I love that. But I'm thinking. I just thinking. And I need help with this loop right now because I have so many examples of. You need somebody to believe in you. You have to find someone to believe in you. I've not yet. You're the first one I've ever spoken with that you're like, look, no one believes in me. I had to force it on myself. So this is such an interesting plot twist for me. And I'm trying to get into, like. Like, how do you create that? Because I know too many people that they are stuck because no one believed in them. So they are trying so hard to believe in themselves.

Here's the deal. I believe in you. I believe you can do it. I really believe you can. I believe anyone if they follow their passion and they work hard and they don't say, oh, I'm going to get up tomorrow, 3am and then they get up and the next day they don't. I mean, like, every, Like, I am so calculated that a sniper could be outside my door every day and it would get me the exact same step I take every single day. That's how calculated I am. And you have to be like that, too. So I believe in you. But look, is it great to have a support system? Of course. But you could find it. You could find it. Like, I'm sure a lot of people look up to you. A lot of people. Right? You're telling me if someone reached out to you and sent you a heartfelt letter on Instagram or whatever, I'm sure someone goes through that, would you not get back to that person?

Well, of course they would. But you're. And you're right, I look for that, like, victim mentality versus somebody coming from an empowered place. And they're. You can tell the difference. If I'm hearing you correctly, everyone can find someone to believe in them. You just have to look a little in different places. Like, it doesn't. It might not be your immediate family, it might not be your spouse, it might not be how you were raised, but you could get into personal development or you can find an author that resonates or a podcast, or you could find something around you to surround yourself. I think that's why personal development, that whole industry is so amazing because huge, huge, huge.

There's so much out now podcast, not to interrupt you podcast. There's so much available for you. You could. You could just love my energy right now and follow me and listen to what I do and just follow me and I will motivate the living life out of you.

Yeah, that makes sense. I like that. And I do believe you can reprogram your subconscious at any time in your life by changing your habits and your thoughts. So I think that that's. That's a really valid point there. Okay, so back to gym, guys. You're in your. This is back in 2008, back in stock market crash. Housing market had crashed. You're in between. You're figuring out what you're going to do with your life. You're in your parents house and you decide that you're gonna. From your laptop and you're gonna, you have this idea. How did you, what was your next step like? How did you even get this? No one's believing you. You guys, picture this. He doesn't have money. No one's believing in him. Even his own parents don't believe in him. His billionaire mentor doesn't believe in him. What do you do?

So I did have some money that I saved up. It wasn't a lot. $15,000. I, you know, I got a job caddying at a country club. I actually hate golf. I hate, like, I'd rather watch paint dry than play golf.

Yeah.

But I learned it to go out because you can make a lot of money. And I did it and I, and I, and again building relationships. I formed a relationship with this guy. I went out with him every week and I used to call the loop 18 holes. This guy would pay me almost 200 bucks, sometimes 250. And I would get a hamburger, my Snapple and get something else. And it was just great. I loved it. So I spent every single thing except $2,000 and gave myself two weeks to make this work. And I just, honestly, there was. Facebook was really just becoming popular. There was no social media. I had no money for advertising. I just went out and I grinded every single day. I was putting in 16, maybe 18 hours a day, every day. I got sick so much. No matter what, I did not stop. And I just kept the consistency. Every day, meeting same people, building relationships, setting up tables outside, spreading the word. And next thing you know, I had a client, two clients, three clients. And then I started getting referrals from them. And I'm like, oh my God, this is taking off like crazy. Then I got another van and another van.

Did you use that initial money, Josh, to like have the van and put the van in there? And then you were doing, were you doing the training initially it was you.

I did everything. Yeah. So I had to get the van, the equipment. Then, you know, a couple things I did right off the bat, which people told me I was crazy. You know, I secured obviously the trademarks, I trademarked everything. Then I actually took a flight out to Denver, Colorado, because, you know, we spelled dream guys with a Z. But I needed the website with an S. My man, Al Helen, who I still talk to to this day, was selling it for $48,000. Natalie. I didn't even have 48 cents at this point.

Okay, yeah.

And I took a flight out there and I go to the guy's house because I got his information online and I've already called him at this point probably like 60 times at least. You know, hang up, not interested, click, click, click. The guy said, if you keep calling me, I'm gonna call the police for stalking me. So now I'm like, show up at his house, which is really like risky move. Go to his house, no one's there. I'm like, alright, I'll go back later. No one's there. And very rural area, like just within squinting distance, you can see another, another house down the block. I go to that house, see if they know him. The guy's away for a week. I'm like, he got to be kidding me. When is he coming back? So now I'm in Colorado, I couldn't stay any longer. So now I left a note with the neighbor and with him, guy calls me back. Long story short, after my 71st attempt, he gave it to me for free. These are the type of things you have to do if you want to win. Winning is extremely uncomfortable. And it's like this, highs and lows, look. Life, business, everything has seasons. You better make sure you built for the winter.

Yeah, that's really good. That's really good. How did you then. Okay, so you, you get the name, you're starting to get busy with clients with, but it's just you right now. So how did you then move into, okay, I need other trainers and then bringing it into a franchise because that's the other thing. Because you're in control of everything initially as it's growing.

Yeah, so it was very hard. Right. I'm working out of my parents dining room. I'm telling everyone we're going to be the largest fitness brand in the world in the next 20 or 30 years. People think I'm crazy and there goes my dad, he's walking in his underwear and some, you know, who's taking me seriously. Right. You know, so now I started moving meetings to like coffee shops and still I went through so many, so many people, you have no idea. I must have went through 20, maybe 25 people before I found one that was good. And like they actually believed they're not here to this day. I'm sure they wish they were. But you know, then I got screwed left and right. Like I got like. I like to compare business entrepreneurship to literally standing in the middle of the street getting hit by a Mack truck. Then it backs up, goes over you again. Then you get a break for a couple months, maybe a couple weeks, and then you get hit again. And then over and over and over again.

You don't sleep during any of it?

No, you don't. And, and it's.

What were you, what were you calling it? Were you trying to find another other people to help train? Like, I was just trying to understand, like what was it that you were trying to build? Right.

I was trying to build the systems to show that it's scalable. Because the biggest problem with trainers is every trainer would love to clone themselves, but you want to be able to work on your business, not in your business.

And how do you saying a system, was it like you wanted to figure out how to like teach how to market it or how to train or how to use that? What were, what specific how to market.

How to train, how to be able to scale from an employee side, as I like to refer to as team members, and how to just grow a business and obviously create that blueprint model, turnkey operation where there's nothing else you have to do and start really scaling it and growing and providing opportunity for other people.

So the vision, if I understand correctly, were you. So you were talking to more like entrepreneurial minded trainers that didn't want to go the gym model. So you're like, okay, look, this is another option. This could be more lucrative for you. So you were trying to get them to say, I get it, have you teach me this. Is that correct?

Correct.

Got it. So then you decided in 2014 to turn it into a franchise. Was that always the vision or is that just what it led to?

That was the vision from day one.

To have it as a franchise.

Yep.

So right now then this started in 2014. The franchise part is that the model that somebody, they basically like buy the whole idea, the van, everything, and then you give them the system and they run it on their own.

Correct? Yes.

Amazing. I love it.

Thank you.

So that. So your big vision from day one was, I'm going to create a system around this van and scale it. And then basically you would then get a percent on everybody using it because it's a franchise.

Yeah, but look at this. You know, I started thinking about the future and look, look what's happening here. Right? You've ordered off Amazon in the last four weeks. If you didn't, I'd be shocked.

I order every day off Amazon.

Okay. And you're also a prime. And you're, and you're also a prime member. Look, look, if your business is Not Amazon proof you're going to die. It's very simple. And convenience is what it's all about. And right now, without sounding insensitive, what's happened now is gyms have almost become like Blockbuster Video and, you know, we become Netflix. And at the end of the day, everything's about convenience. Human interaction is never going anywhere. Robots can't replace what we do. And we're going to keep growing and scaling and growing, and we will be the best.

So at the time of this recording, there's still quarantine happening in a lot of places. There's a lot of COVID mandates. How has that affected or not affected your business?

Listen, it's affected. Of course it's affected our business. I've lost millions of dollars, you know, during this. But only the strong survive. Complaining. Look, I like to relate this to my ice bath. When I initially get in there, I'm like, right, because it's so cold. It's like freezing. But then after that, I adapt. My mind kicks in and I almost become numb to it. When this hit, everyone kept doing the. And they just never stopped me. I did it for five seconds and I adapted. I started changing the website. We went virtual. Next thing you know, SEO started going through the roof. And who was coming up first in all searches? We were. You have to be able to react right away.

I would think your business would take off during it because, like. Like, what came up for me right away was like, wow, could you take the van and socially distance the trainer and the, you know, and still do it? Like, I would think people would want that.

Right now it's taken off. Yes. We are so busy right now. It's out of control. We've grown like astronomical numbers in, like the last four weeks.

Yeah. You know, it's funny, I actually. So it's interesting. It was not clearly my unique idea, but I had an idea a while ago that take a van and make a home gym, but just like many other people. So many people have ideas, but we don't actually take the massive action that goes with it. So it's. So what I also hear from you is it's not that the idea was like this, so unique. It's that you took massive action around it, and that's what sets you apart as far as what I can see. Because you don't have to have even a completely original idea. You have to just take massive action.

100%. That's 100% true. It's 100%. People don't, you know, you know, Many people like say to me, oh, you know, I was going to do this, I was going to do. Just do it, just do it. Yeah, you do it, you do it.

But you didn't do it. I have lots of, I have lots of those. I had an idea to do that, but I didn't do it. So. Okay, so gym guys now, how many franchises do you have?

Yeah, we have over 250 locations. We're in 31 states, we're in three countries and we're going to open up probably by the end of the year, open up another 35, 40 locations.

Can any trainer that wants to do this get involved?

Yes, they can. And we're not just looking for trainers. You know, we've kind of brought in a lot more, you know, entrepreneurial people now too. You know, we have a lot of high level, high level executives also on board where they can run the business, you know, to some degree, semi passively. So, you know, tell me what that means.

Does that mean like, like, like I wanted to have a gym guys, like franchise. I would basically have a few vans and run a franchise and hire trainers. Like so you could go, you're saying somebody could do that level or you could be the trainer. So it doesn't matter if you want to start with one van or lots of bands. You've got a system basically. So if anyone listening is looking, if that's an interest to you, that's actually interesting. I didn't know like anyone could jump in. And what I like about franchises is a lot of the hard work's done for you.

You're never going to experience any of the pain I experience, right? Everything. You know, there's, you know, we have obviously a system set up where we know, like here's what you're expected to do in the first three months, the first six months, first 12 months. If you're not getting there, you're getting operational support, right? We're there to help you, hold your hand and you know, be there for you to obviously help grow your business.

So amazing. I love this. What do you want people to know that are listening right now? Like if you were, if you're gonna give your last words, like, what do you want people to know about themselves and then about what you know is true about them?

Everyone has the ability to make the impossible possible. Everyone, every single person. It's just people don't realize how much effort and time and work actually goes into making that happen. And I think people really need to learn that they can believe in themselves. A lot more. But the problem is, you know, you know, most people just settle, right? You just. You can never settle. And I'm not talking just like, you know, in your family life or marriage. I'm just talking everything. Don't settle. You deserve to have greatness, but you have to put in the work. Nothing comes easy. Nothing.

Got it. This is so good, Josh. Thank you so much. Where can people find you?

People can find me Josh York, GG on Instagram. You can type in handsome on Google. I pop up and I'm just joking. You can type in Josh York. You can. You can find me on LinkedIn. You could search Jim. Guys.

And you got a podcast too?

Yes, I have a podcast, which Natalie is going to be released. We're going to be releasing Natalie's which episode was unbelievable. Make sure everyone tunes in. But yeah, my podcast is fill your drive and you'll. You would love that as well.

Thank you so much, Josh. This is great.

Oh, Natalie, thank you.

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