Episode 010: The Fearless Entrepreneur: Anthony Brice

Hey there, Fearless Family! This is Will checking in with you with the Fearless Entrepreneur Podcast, where I interview some of the most influential people who have conquered their fears to pursue their passion in entrepreneurship. So kick back, relax, and let's unleash your fearlessness. Hey, Fearless Family! Go and check out Phone.com, your business phone service in the cloud. With dozens of included features, tons of phone options, all starting at $9.99 per month. This is a great phone system if you're trying to grow your business and is trusted by over 25,000 businesses every day. Go and check out Phone.com, and right now you can get a free 30-day trial by going to our link, thefearless.co/phone. Again, that's thefearless.co/phone. /phone. So what's up, Fearless Family? Today we're chatting it up with Anthony. Anthony is a personal trainer and transformation coach. He helps individuals who are short on time and who struggle with getting results transform their bodies in the next 30 to 90 days. Anthony, before we dive into your business, tell us a little bit about who you are or who you were as a kid and what was your biggest fear back then?

Well, I was a kid. I was a shy, skinny little kid from the small city of Rock Hill, South Carolina, and I was a pretty good athlete and a great student. So I got good grades and always excelled in school fairly easily. I was never really the one to follow the crowd, which I think, which probably kind of saved my life coming from the neighborhood. Kind of rough neighborhood that I came up in. But when I was 8 years old, I kind of caught a revelation of what I wanted to do and the vision I had for my life. And I kind of seen myself, you know, doing something and being very successful, helping people and making a huge impact on people's lives. So since that day, I've dedicated my life to making that vision come to fruition. So I would have to say my biggest fear then was accepting my current condition as my reality and not living up to my potential. There's a lot of people that grow up in certain circumstances and certain situations, and unfortunately they kind of fall victim to those circumstances and they kind of get conditioned to think and behave and live a certain way, which, you know, well below their potential. So ultimately, my biggest fear was to become one of those people, to become a statistic, and, and becoming a person who wasted their potential.

Cool. Um, so straight from the hometown of Rock Hill, South Carolina, my hometown as well, so love it, love it. Tell us a little bit how you got over that fear as well.

Well, I made a promise to myself that no matter what was going on around me, that I was going to constantly grow, I was going to constantly push myself, and I wasn't going I didn't want to waste any of my talents. So I worked hard to master all of my talents, to get, to get good at them, to work on them, to learn as much as I could about them. And so if there was something that I wanted to accomplish, something that I wanted to do, no matter how scared I was, how much I didn't want to do it, I did it anyway for that reason. So the more I did it, the more confident I became until I got to the point where it clicked. I was like, If there's something that I want to do, there's, there's no reason why I can't do it. So if I want to accomplish it, the only, the only reason or the only thing that's going to stop me from doing it is me.

That's an incredible story, man. What I take from that, Fearless Family, is take the action first. Don't be afraid to take the action and get out there and do it, because the confidence comes after you've taken the action. When you don't, you're just scared to really big boogeyman that's out there that really doesn't exist. And at that point, you don't achieve the dreams or be able to achieve the goals that you really want to achieve, I guess. So awesome, man. Thank you for that story. Now let's talk a little bit about your business today. How do you make money in your business?

Well, I make money doing one-on-one personal training. I do online personal training and I also sell fitness apparel to go along with the training as well.

Great. How did you get started into your business?

Well, to be honest, I was a slim dude. I was a skinny dude coming up and like a lot of skinny dudes, I wanted to be bigger. I wanted to be muscular. I wanted to put on some weight and I just couldn't do it. You know, throughout the years I've probably averaged wearing 140, 150 pounds. 150 pounds, and no matter how much I ate, what I did, I just couldn't gain. I just couldn't gain any weight. So I decided to really dedicate myself to really figuring out, you know, kind of what I needed to do. So I studied, and a lot of trial and error, a lot of figuring it out over the years until I really got to a place where things start— I started to get results. And getting no results, you know, people seen from where I used to be and what I became, and they started asking my advice about exercise and what they need to do, and just giving them some tips to kind of help them get started. So, you know, they were so inspired and motivated, you know, they would ask me to train them. So I started getting so many inquiries about, you know, about training and helping those people to get results that I officially started— decided to add personal training to my business.

Well, that's cool, man. Definitely just making a personal change in your life and then seeing the opportunity to be an entrepreneur and turn it into a viable business is awesome. How old were you when you realized that, you know, being an entrepreneur was something that you possibly wanted to do though?

Like I said, when I was 8 years old, and so I got that, that vision, and it was literally a vision of— I literally seen myself as an older adult being successful. I was out and I was helping people and I was touching my people and I was making an impact. And it was then that I realized that I had a passion for helping people, to, to help them reach their goals and to help them to be their best self.

Awesome. So what was the first thing that you had to figure out, what was the one thing that you had to figure out once you started your fitness business?

Um, I realized that the education wouldn't stop, that I had to constantly involve with the times and with the industry. I mean, with the addition of all the different tools and technology and social media and just different training methods and, uh, different things out there, that it was always changing. And you know, you can't kind of come out with something, that one thing, and expect that, that one method to last. So there was always new data, new information, and other statistics coming out. And I realized that if I'm going to be successful in it, is there going to be some longevity, that I'm going to have to keep pace with those innovations and technology and those tools and that information and how my audience and my consumers were changing. So I know if I want to stay in business and I want to succeed in that business, that I had to stay on top of what was going on in the world with my clients and just with the industry in general. Cool.

What's been one of the most, uh, the most biggest changes that you've seen in the fitness industry since you started?

Well, um, I would say there's a lot of people doing things online now. Beforehand, you know, people were adamant about having someone there to motivate them, and you still have people now that feel like they're not gonna be able to get anything done or to be productive as they want to be without someone that's actually there pushing them. But, you know, these days with, with so many people having— juggling work life and business life and family life— that they realize they may kind of be short on time, so they need a solution that's going to kind of help them stay on track with each part of their life and still allow them to stay on their fitness journey and to get those results. So, you know, I'm noticing that people are able to, you know, take programs and just take advice as long as they know that you're, you're there for them and you're, and you're there to guide them and they can always rely on you if they, you know, feel like something's not going right or they run into a plateau or obstacle. That you're available to help them, you know, get there to where they want to be.

So we here at The Fearless Entrepreneur like to talk about taking that leap into pursuing your dream. Take us to a moment when you first started your entrepreneurial journey, that point in your life where you realize, hey, this is really what I want to do. What was your biggest fear you had to confront when you were taking that leap, and explain what that felt like to you?

Well, I think the biggest fear for me was that I, I had that moment where I didn't know if there was a big enough demand for the business or for me in this business that I was able to do it to help people and also to be able to create the quality of lifestyle that I always wanted. And, you know, a big part of me felt like, okay, this is what I'm supposed to do. This— I felt— I feel good about it. I feel purpose. I feel like I can make an impact and I can still be able to create this life, this lifestyle as well. And that I couldn't— if this is my purpose, that I couldn't run from it anymore. But there was another part of me that was stuck on trying to figure out the how. Really trying to calculate how things were going to happen because there was such a, you know, I felt like there was such a big gap between where I was and where I wanted to be or where I seen myself and how our minds work sometimes and what gives us that fear and scares us from actually taking that action because it feels like such a big leap between those two distances that it keeps you from acting. So I still acted upon it, but at the same time, you know, part of me was still, you know, kind of had that small amount of doubt or just didn't understand how we were going to make it happen.

Cool. How did you get past, you know, trying to understand all the, you know, the how it was going to happen and then got straight to the action?

Well, I really, I had to trust myself. I had to believe that this is what I'm supposed to be doing, and if this is what I'm supposed to be doing, I'll figure it out. A way will be shown. I had to trust my vision, and I just kept educating myself, man, and I kept educating myself about the business, about my audience, my potential clients. And like I said, the more I educated myself about that and just educating myself about me and kind of learning who I was and who I am and who I want to become. And once I got a clear vision of that person I wanted to become, I felt like I really understood what I needed to do right now to get to that place. So that really, really gave me the confidence and to just to continue along with it and just to trust that a way would be shown and trust myself to figure it out.

Yeah, that makes so much sense, man. Um, I talk to a lot of other entrepreneurs. I do a lot of these interviews, and one of the things that's becoming more consistent is that, you know, you have to know self more so than anything when you're out here as an entrepreneur. Once you start to understand self, a lot of things in business start to uncover itself as well. What are some tips you can give to those who are having some of the same hesitations or fears that, you know, you had when you first started your business?

I think just going back to the vision thing and really trusting your vision and trusting yourself to figure it out, you know, because I feel like if you were given the vision, you were also given the ability to make that vision happen. So I think, and trust in that, I think that would kind of give you the fuel and everything you need to get past those moments when you don't feel quite comfortable, you don't feel as confident, you know, and the more that you invest in yourself when it comes to educating yourself about, you know, like I said, just your business or your clients or just learning how things work, how people work, how your mind works, how your body works, and just continue— continuing to learn. I mean, just be a consummate student. And I think in being there, I really think that not only educates you and gives you the confidence, but really empowers you to not only succeed in business but to really make a huge impact beyond more than you could ever imagine.

Great. So I want you to go back to where you were, you know, working your 9-to-5 and it's like, you know what, I'm fed up. This is what I really want to do. I'm going to go into being an entrepreneur and help out people in fitness. I want you to take me back to that moment where you had just opened your business And then that moment where you realize that, oh, I'm open, but now this business is actually thriving, it's actually doing exactly what I wanted to do. Tell me how you were able to get your business from open to actually thriving.

Well, I think once I really expanded my influence and made my— and started the online training, I think that's when things really start to thrive because I was able to reach a demographic and an audience that I wouldn't have been able to reach otherwise. If I'm just going by the traditional methods of, you know, just people that are in my area and people that I can get in contact with, that I would come in contact with, say, at the gym, because I really thought that, you know, because there was a demand for my training because people were always asking me about tips and can you train me. So I figured that once I started, that it would just— things would just get started and I would— things would be booming and I would get a lot of customers because people are already asking about it. But that really, that really wasn't the case. So, you know, I kind of went back and kind of did some more research and really tried to figure it out. And like I said, once I Once I decided to offer the online training, once I even realized that that was actually a business, I really didn't know that there was a market for that and people are actually doing that until I did some research. And once I came across it, I was like, that, that really sounds like an innovative solution to really be, to be able to help as many people as I could and really to be able to reach people that I wouldn't be able to reach otherwise. So by offering it online, you know, it really allowed me to expand my reach and expand my influence and to really expand my earning potential more than it could ever be just by trying to serve people that were local.

Fearless family, I want you to catch that nugget that Anthony just dropped. You know, sometimes you have to break the norm from what your industry is demanding. Being a personal trainer is usually that one-on-one face-to-face type of training, but seeing the opportunity in growth, seeing the opportunity in helping people that you normally wouldn't reach, and taking that time out to figure out how can I do that. And now that offered Anthony the opportunity to actually reach more people and get his business just from open to actually thriving. So great, man. What's been your most successful story as an entrepreneur thus far?

Well, I think, to be honest, the most successful story that I have is that just having the courage to choose to live life doing what you love, living, living your passion, you know, and that's something that we hear about, we hear about when we're younger, we hear about when we get older, something that a lot of people talk about. But it's few that actually make that thing happen, you know, and it's few that actually see it through, and it's even less that actually have the fortitude to stay with it long enough to make it a success, to be able to, you know, create the quality of life they want, to support a family and all those different things. So I think for me it was the courage to really decide to stick with it and to say that this is what I'm going to do regardless of what's happening, regardless of what's, what's not happening as fast, that I'm, I'm going to take control of my life and I'm going to do what I love for a living. And like I said, it sounds so cliché, but I mean, you know as well as I do that that that's a very small group of people who actually able to make that happen, who actually have the courage to do so, and who actually able to do what it takes to make it successful. And for me personally, when, when the company I work for, you know, not too long ago decided to close— I worked for this company for over 10 years. And 3 weeks before my first child was born, we were told that the store was going to close. So I had 3 choices. I could either take another position at another location, which would probably be making less, and I wouldn't be happy there. Or I could go, you know, back into the job market that I haven't been in, you know, over 10, 11 years. And to try to find another job, and I'm pretty sure I still wouldn't have been happy doing it. Or I could walk the walk and actually make this business full-time and make this my life. So the fact that I was able to, in that moment, make that decision to make that my life and to actually take control of my life and to actually have a say-so in what I'm doing with my time and that I'm able to make my own hours. I'm able to work with the people I want to work with. I'm able to— I'm not punching the clock, anyone else's clock. If I'm going to work hard and if I'm going to, you know, really put in that work and come in early and leave late and not worry about not being appreciated or not being valued, I don't have to worry about that anymore because I know that all the work that I'm putting into my business and into these people is not only helping me and my family and the people around me, but it's also, you know, making a huge impact on other people's lives and just being an example, being an example that you could do it. If I— and just like people say, if I can do it, anybody can do it. And I think the more you learn about people's story and you understand and see how similar we are and the things that we go through, that if that person can do it, if they can go through all those things and still continue to, it's not anything that necessarily stops. You know, this is something that you continue to live life, or life is gonna continue to happen regardless. But that you trust it, that you trust the process and you actually stick with it and you actually, you know, live the life and live life on your own terms.

Anthony, I wanna let you know that I know the Felix family appreciates you. We love to hear stories like this and to see people, you know, take their life into their own control rather than following the norm, because it's always easy to get back into what everyone else is doing. But to march to the beat of your own drum, to pursue what you want, to again just be the captain of your ship, is one of those things that most people are either afraid to do or just don't have the courage to step up and make that happen. So you are being an example, and I know the Fearless Family appreciate that deal, man. So thank you again for just stepping out there. Thank you for sharing stories like this and letting us know that, you know, things like this can happen with hard work, determination, and just stubbornness and sticking with what you want more so than falling back to the norm.

Definitely.

So tell us this, man, what are you most excited about in your business today?

The most, uh, the thing I'm excited about is about the relationships that I'm building, the, the people that I meet. And so I meet some amazing people, and you, you really never know what kind of life people are living and what they've been through and what they're going through and what their aspirations are and their dreams are. And, you know, so, so much of the world today paints, paints such a such a bleak picture and a pessimistic picture of life for a lot of people. And a lot of people are going through things, but those people still, you know, have dreams. They have aspirations. They have things that they want to accomplish. They have things that they want to see come to fruition in their lives and for their family and for the people around them. So just to build those relationships with those people And to be a part of their journey and to be able to have an impact on those people's lives is, is such a blessing. And it's something that I definitely don't take for granted. And, you know, coming into the business, you would think that you would be most excited about a check or when you're making money. But the older I get, I realize that the more that I'm able to give The bigger the impact I'm able to make, the more fulfilled I feel about what I'm doing. And I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. There's nothing like that feeling. I think one of the hardest things for us is when we don't know. We don't know. We spend so much of our lives trying a lot of things, and we have so many moments where we question that, and we feel like we're running in place or going a bunch of different directions and making a lot of mistakes. And we feel like we don't know what we're supposed to be doing.. And we spend so much of our lifetime searching to find that. So if you're blessed enough to get to a point in your life, especially early on, to know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing, then you're way ahead of the game.

Yeah, man, one of the keywords you dropped in there was fulfillment. You know, when you can be fulfilled with what you're doing, oh man, it's an awesome feeling. And I feel like entrepreneurs have that embedded in their DNA. You know, we want to give back, we want to help, and the reason that we do what we do is for that fulfillment. So it's somewhat selfish, you know, we want to feel good, but we feel good with helping others out, and it works for us. And I come across a lot of entrepreneurs, and I talk to a lot of entrepreneurs that tend to have that exact same DNA in them. You know, we want to give back, and we want to fulfill our purpose. But we feel fulfilled in helping others. Well, Anthony, adversity happens no matter the amount of achievements and success that we may go through in life. It's usually when you're able to get through that adversity that you're able to become that new person. You know, take us to a moment that you consider to be that pivotal moment where your business went from stress to success and you came out a different person.

Like I said, I have to go back to when I decided to launch the online portion of my training business because like I said, I assumed that, you know, because I was getting so much of a demand for my services that you're gonna, you know, once the doors are open, that the customers are just gonna come through. And that's not, you know, how it was. So, you know, you spend a lot of time and energy and money and and emotions, you know, to open something or to start your business. And when things don't kind of turn out, you know, like, like you expected, it's easy to give up on it and it's easy to stop. It's easy to say I did something wrong. It's easy to say it's not going to work. And so I just considered just getting rid of that part of the business altogether. So, but instead of allowing myself to fail, because I'm definitely not one to to give up on something, especially not that easy. I don't call it ego, call it pride, or whatever. But I couldn't see myself just trying to do something and not work that first time and me just stopping. So what I did was, you know, where whenever there's the obstacle, there's an opportunity. So I use that as an opportunity to really go learn about my audience, my clients, my potential customers, about people in general, what was going on in their lives. And so I spoke with the people, I talked to people at gyms, and I talked to people who were interested in fitness and people who weren't interested in it, just to figure out, you know, what's— what frustrates you? What problems do you have? What things would you like to see? And I learned so much from them So, and I use that information to figure out how I could better serve them. And once I got really— instead of me assuming that I knew what they wanted, which was the case at first, thinking that that business was going to run like any other business without that specific level of research for that particular client. And once I got that information, I was really able to really start to connect connect the dots and I really started to, you know, be able to have that kind of influence on my clients. And from there, my business just really started to build from there.

Fearless Family, Anthony says you need to understand your audience. And sometimes you got to get out there and ask them, not just necessarily thinking that you know what your audience wants by creating a product. Just because you create it doesn't mean that they're going to come. Sometimes you have to get down to the nitty-gritty, pound the pavement, go into the places and ask the people, you know, what it is that you want. How can I help you? What things can I provide for you that's going to be of value? And in doing that, you'll be able to do just as Anthony did and be able to take your business from just open or take a portion of your business from just being a part of your business to actually thriving and being an intricate part of your business. We have the Fearless Five Questions coming up, but before we do that, we're going to take a moment to thank our sponsors. Fearless family, if you're looking to start a business, one of the things that you need to have is an online presence. Well, I have a secret for you. Right now you can go and purchase your first domain for 99 cents at GoDaddy.com. Just visit our link www.thefearless.co/godaddy, and you'll have the opportunity to purchase your first .com for 99 cents. Again, that's thefearless.co/godaddy. Anthony, are you prepared for the Fearless Five?

I'm ready.

Okay, what was holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur?

Uh, I was holding me back. I felt like I was waiting on the right time, on the perfect time to start. So once I got over myself and realized that I was the issue, then I was able to get started.

What's the best advice you've ever received?

The best advice I've ever received, I would say, was to hang my hat, meaning that just stop waiting, stop overthinking, start your business. Just claim it, put yourself out there and trust yourself.

The one book that opened my eyes, kind of changed my mindset, was The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. If you could recommend one book that kind of opened your eyes, what would that be and why?

The one book that opened my eyes was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. They say that success leaves clues, and I mean, he conveyed experience of over 500 of the most successful people of those times on how to go from nothing to wealth. So for me, it painted a vivid picture of how I, and I alone, hold the power to create any level of wealth and prosperity that I desire.

Name one app resource that you use the most as an entrepreneur.

Surprisingly, I would say for me is Instagram because I've been able to reach more, a more active audience than I ever could at any other platform. I've tried them all and for some reason with this one I'm able to really touch the people. I mean, I received so many messages about, you know, how I've made an impact on people's lives or I'll make a post and they'll say, I felt like this is exactly what I needed to I would definitely say that that one's been the one that's made the biggest impact for me.

Okay, this is the last question. Imagine you woke up one morning, except you're your younger self at that pivotal moment where you realize you wanted to be an entrepreneur. All the bills are paid, you have food, you have shelter. Now you still have all the knowledge that you have now, you have a laptop, and you have all the experiences of overcoming your fears thus far, and you have $400, what would you do in the next 10 days?

So, and, uh, for me, the first couple days I would sit down and get clear on my vision. I cannot stress how important that is, not only at the beginning but just for the full scope of the whole business. I would, I would also choose a very specific niche to focus on first before I went to anything else. I would begin with the end in mind, meaning I would start with my outcomes. I would figure out what is the outcome I want for my clients, and also what is the outcome I want for me and my business. I would get crystal clear on what it looks like because clarity is power. I would also research the people who have been successful at my particular business. Like I said, success leaves clues. Um, I would also sit down and research my ideal client. I would survey them, interview them, so I can learn how to best serve them and create a service or product that they really need and something they really want. You know, I believe that this empowers me to create a strong foundation and the infrastructure to build a business that has the potential to be not only successful for now, but successful for years to come. And write that information down. I'm not just saying this for you to think about it. You actually have to write all this information down and get this down specifically. And with that information, you know, I could effectively allocate that $400 of the funds that I have to be the most effective, and so I wouldn't waste it in the process of trying to figure it out. And I believe that using those first days, um, in the beginning will save you so much time, so much money, energy, and so much stress that you don't have to have because you're clear on exactly what you're supposed to do.

Anthony, that was awesome, man. Let's end this killer interview with a piece of advice you'd like to give the Fearless Family, the best way we can connect with you, and then we'll say goodbye.

Well, just to reiterate the things that I spoke about with the last question was that I would tell you them to take their time getting clarity on their vision for their personal lives and for their business lives and understand that these are not two separate entities. These are— these go together because each one drastically affects the other. You have to know what you want your business life to look like, and you have to know what you want your personal life to look like, and what they look like together, because they're gonna have to be some balance and harmony if you really wanna— to not only for your business to grow, but for you just to be happy and have a fulfilling life and not make it just about one thing, that you're fulfilled in every facet of your life and feel like you're not missing anything. So you really need to know what that looks like in detail, and you need to get it on paper. Once again, I'll reiterate, get it on paper, get it down for you to get those thoughts out as detailed as possible, and so that it's easy for you to go back and look at it and revisit and see it as much as possible. And this, this will be a valuable guide for you because it will not only tell you what you need to do to get there. It will also tell you the things that you don't need to do to, to get there, or that may, um, keep you from getting to where you want to be. So the best way to connect with me, you can actually check out the all of the training information on, on the website at www.thempowergroup.com/fitness. That's T-H-E-I-M-P-O-W-E-R thempowergroup.com/fitness, and there you can get more information on online training, the programs. You can actually see some photographs and pictures of actual client results. Uh, you can also connect with me on Instagram and Twitter @anthonydbrice, or you can email me at anthony@thempowergroup.com. And just for today, I actually wanna make a special offer to the Fearless Family. And if you go on, I have a website and you can get a free 30-day certified training program and lose up to 15 pounds or more in 30 days. The special offer also includes a step-by-step ebook that has a workout calendar, nutrition tips, meal and plan guide, and much, much more. The great thing about this program. It doesn't require any equipment. You don't need to go to the gym. You don't have to worry about having a gym membership. And get this, you can finish it in 20 minutes or less. So that way this cuts down on any excuses you may have about why you can't work out because you don't have a gym and you don't have equipment or you don't have enough time. You can— most of these workouts can be done in 20 minutes or less. So the offer link for this is to go to www.theempowergroup.com challenge. That's www.theempowergroup.com/challenge. And once again, empower is I-M-P-O-W-E-R.

Fearless family, I end this the same way every time. The fear of the unknown can kill your dreams and aspirations. You've been replacing fear with knowledge today with Anthony and Will. Head right over to thefearless.co and type in the name Anthony in the search bar. We'll have all the show notes, all of the links, everything that he had that he offered for you Fearless Family for free. Let's get into shape, you know what I'm talking about? Get ready for the summer. We'll make sure we have everything that we talked about today right there on the site so that you guys can have. Anthony, I want to thank you for sharing your journey with the Fearless Family today, and we look forward to seeing you to continue to create with no fear.

Thanks for having me, Will. I enjoyed it.