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THE
JULY 2018
BEER, HOT DOGS, AND WODS
As I write, I’m getting ready for my second-favorite holiday of the year — after Christmas, of course. The Fourth of July combines patriotism with a celebratory atmosphere at the peak of summer. It’s a great time to cut loose and enjoy the freedoms we sometimes take for granted in this country. You can bet I’ll be doing my part to make the day as celebratory as possible. Of course, as an entrepreneur, that means I need to work twice as hard ahead of time. As any affiliate owner will tell you, when you’re your own boss, there is no weekend. Not only do I have to get everything in my professional life squared away before July 4, but realistically, I also need to keep July 5 in mind, as well. If this year’s celebrations are as good as I hope, I’ll need a day to recover! I also try my best to prepare my body for the aftermath of the Fourth, since I fully expect to put on 5–6 pounds in beer and hot dogs before the day is through. At the very least, I do “The Seven” the day before the holiday.
were killed by a suicide bomber while attempting to gather crucial information for the fight against Al Qaeda.
“The Seven” honors the sacrifice of those seven brave men and women who put their love of country ahead of their own personal safety. Consisting of seven handstand pushups, seven 135-pound thrusters, seven knees to elbows, seven 245-pound deadlifts, seven burpees, seven 2-pood kettlebell swings, and seven pullups, it is both a symbolic and challenging workout. As with “Murph,” as you lift, thrust, and pull your way through “The Seven,” you really reflect on the courage and sacrifice that makes our nation possible.
“After such a physically and emotionally exhausting workout, you really earn the hot dogs and beer when it comes time to celebrate .”
In case you aren’t familiar with this particular hero WOD, here’s a quick breakdown. “The Seven” is a workout honoring the
Needless to say, after such a physically and emotionally exhausting workout, you really earn the hot dogs and beer when it comes time to celebrate. Most years, I spend the Fourth with friends and family, preferring to skip the crowds if possible. Still, it’s great to see so many people out and about celebrating America in the way they choose. And what could be more in the spirit of Independence Day than that freedom to celebrate? As we honor the ideas set forth in the Constitution and the generations of brave men and women who risked everything to defend those values, it’s only fitting that we take the time to enjoy life, liberty, and happiness in our own ways. For some of us, that means an intense workout; for others, it means having a beer with friends. For me, it means both. –Dave Colina Founder, O2
sacrifice of seven CIA officials who lost their lives in
Afghanistan on Dec. 30, 2009. Officers Jennifer Lynne Matthews, Scott Michael Roberson, Harold E. Brown Jr., Darren LaBonte, Elizabeth Hanson, and security contractors Jeremy Jason Wise and Dane Clark Paresi
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THAT WILL RUIN RELA
According to entrepreneur and “Shark Tank” investor Daymond John, “Customer service is more important than anything else in your business.” Without high-level customer service, you can kiss repeat business goodbye. Here are some of the most common customer service killers and advice on how to avoid them. POOR LISTENING SKILLS There is nothing more frustrating for a customer than feeling like they’re talking to a brick wall. Having a system for customer complaints and feedback isn’t a bad idea, but being inflexible is. Remember that you’re talking to a person. The more closely you listen, the better you’ll be able to address their concerns. Rob Pace, CEO of feedback software company HundredX, says, “The ultimate goal is for the customer to feel they are heard.”
THE INDEFATIGABLE JENNY BORDA
Jenny Borda wears many hats. On top of being an elite athlete and the general manager of Friendship CrossFit in Dublin, Ohio, she also handles the social media pages and retail operations of her box. This may sound like a lot, but as an experienced gymnast and physical therapist, striking a balance has never been a problem for Jenny. WHAT INTRODUCED YOU TO CROSSFIT? At the time, I was coaching gymnastics alongside my work at the children’s hospital in Columbus. All told, I was working 60- hour weeks, and I realized I wasn’t doing enough for my own athletic goals. After college, I wanted some form of structured exercise that would let me embrace my competitive side. I happened to have a friend who was a competitive CrossFitter. I saw her go to regionals that year and knew that this was the kind of experience I was looking for. I immediately started CrossFit. AND YOU WENT RIGHT INTO COMPETITION, DIDN’T YOU? Yes — in fact, I made regionals within my first year. I ended up making the regionals three years straight and capped off the experience by being a part of Team Friendship in 2016. HOW HAVE YOU APPLIED YOUR ATHLETIC BACKGROUND TO MANAGEMENT? Well, coaching people and managing a business have a lot of crossover, especially with CrossFit. It’s such an individualized program, and knowing how to work with members’ expectations is really important.
The truth is that no matter how perfect your gym is, some people are always going to have issues or be disappointed. As a GM, it’s important to be comfortable with conflict. Thankfully, I’ve been coaching since I was 16 years old and have had to deal with a lot of parents of young athletes in my time. I apply the same skills I learned during those interactions: Be as empathetic as possible without sugarcoating the issue. WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH TO RUNNING FRIENDSHIP’S SOCIAL MEDIA? If something doesn’t provide value for your members, don’t post it. Don’t make your feed all sales announcements, either. You want your social media pages to show how awesome your members are and the personal strides they are making. Essentially, try to remain authentic. ANY 4TH OF JULY PLANS? Well, I just bought a house that is still very much a fixer-upper. I’m hoping to have enough of the work done that I can have a relaxing holiday! I used to go to “Red, White, and BOOM” every year in Downtown Columbus. Now I’d rather sit back and watch the fireworks from a friend’s backyard.
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IONSHIPS AND REPEAT BUSINESS
DISTILLED INSIGHTS Many of you will immediately recognize Dale King from our first “Affiliate Spotlight.” He’s the co-owner of Doc Spartan who went on “Shark Tank” with Ranger Panties and secured a deal. Dale also happens to be the greatest CrossFit partner of O2 in terms of sheer volume. From PSKC CrossFit in the small town of Portsmouth, Ohio, Dale and his team consistently sell 500-plus cases of O2 a year. We couldn’t think of anyone better — or more fun — to talk retail tips with. TREAT FINANCE LIKE FITNESS Being both an affiliate owner and the co-founder of a popular brand sold at boxes, Dale has a unique perspective on affiliate retail. Best of all, he puts it in terms we can all understand. “For an affiliate, CrossFit and associated classes/personal training are your main lifts (squats/deads/cleans/presses), and that’s the foundation of your financial strength. “So what do you do if you want to increase overall strength? You add in assistance/accessory lifts. That’s how I view retail — it provides assistance to the overall financial fitness of an affiliate if done correctly.” KNOW THE NUMBERS Dale points out that just like in fitness, knowledge is power in the world of retail. “To get stronger, you’ve got to know your numbers,” he remarks. “You can’t just order retail products, put them on the counter, and expect them to sell. Go back and review your sales numbers for the last 30 days. Set a goal to increase those sales by 10 percent. Map out your weekly education/marketing plan for how you’ll increase sales.” Understanding is key. But how does one boost those numbers? To Dale, it all revolves around educating your members. “Let people know what you’re offering and why you’re offering it,” he explains. “In the gym, bulletin boards in high-traffic areas announcing the product help.” FINANCIAL WORKOUT PLAN Seeing as he’s already made the fitness comparison, Dale was good enough to provide us with a detailed workout plan to increase a box’s retail strength: DALE KING TALKS FINANCIAL FITNESS
AFFILIATE SPOTLIGHT CASE BELCHER THROWS DOWN Case Belcher is the owner of Four Barrel Fitness, a hugely successful duo of boxes in Kentucky and Indiana, and one of our newest O2 affiliates. Case sat down with us to talk CrossFit, running a successful business, and what he loves most about staying in the game. WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO OPEN YOUR FIRST BOX? I started working as a personal trainer in college. After school, I took a corporate gig for a few years. I was looking for a way to combine my passion and my career, which led to opening our first gym in 2012 and the second in 2015. WHAT’S THE MOST EFFECTIVE THING YOU’VE DONE RECENTLY TO BOOST SALES OF RETAIL ITEMS? Hired an office manager (Sheri)! She helps keep track of what’s selling and what’s not, helps introduce new products to membership, and helps us stay ahead of the game in terms of planning, purchasing, and promoting product. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE NEW AFFILIATE OWNERS? Forget yourself. Focus 100 percent on your members, working hard, and staying lean as a business. Really polish your core product/service over the first couple years, and then worry about growth, next steps, and finding a better work-life balance. WHAT’S SOMETHING FUN YOU’VE DONE RECENTLY FOR YOUR BOXES? We do an Internal Throwdown each year — both of our locations get together for a day of partner workouts and community. Personally, this is my favorite event we hold, and I know several of our members share the same sentiment. ONLY BEING REACTIVE Customer service doesn’t just happen on the back end. Working to create a great experience on the front end will impress customers and cut down on those after-purchase calls. To quote Jeff Bezos, “The best customer service is if the customer doesn’t need to call you.” Focus on customer service every step of the way rather than only using it as damage control, and you’ll start getting those five-star reviews. FORGETTING YOUR MANNERS This might sound basic, but you’d be shocked by how often politeness gets overlooked. The most important phrases a staff member can learn are “thank you” and “I’m sorry.” Practicing good manners goes a long way in building trust and ensuring customers feel cared for. REPETITION, REPETITION, REPETITION If you have a prospect on the phone, you should never make them tell you the same thing twice. Information should be recorded and easy to hand off in the event of an escalation. You can bet that the third time you ask for a prospect’s email, they’ll respond with a mountain of irritation.
Week 1: Announce products and benefits via email.
Week 2: Post quick product videos on your Facebook group.
Week 3: Put product photos on social media.
Week 4: Run a sale or promotion.
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen, straight from the retail master himself. Thanks for the words of wisdom, Dale!
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Beer, Hot Dogs, and WODs Page 1 4 Customer Experience Killers Featured Athlete: Jenny Borda Page 2 Affiliate Spotlight: Case Belcher Dale King’s Financial Workout Page 3 Jay Abraham’s Simple Guide to Success Page 4
THE PROFOUND SIMPLICITY OF ‘GETTING EVERYTHING YOU CAN OUT OF ALL YOU’VE GOT’
We love reading practical business books at O2, and Jay Abraham’s “Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got” is one of those books every business owner should pick up. Rather than latch on to fleeting business trends or the gimmicks of the early dot-com era, Abraham, a business coach who has spent his entire career solving problems and fixing companies, reexamines the basics of business. If you’ve ever needed to make a lot from a little, this book is for you. What makes “Getting Everything You Can” stand out is the simplicity of the ideas it presents. In fact, Abraham’s central thesis is that our tendency to overlook or dismiss the mundane, everyday aspects of our business is what keeps us from seeing its real value. As Abraham puts it, “You are surrounded by simple, obvious solutions that can dramatically increase your income, power, influence, and success.” Finding those solutions is what “Getting Everything You Can” is all about. What makes Abraham so successful as a business coach for small companies and international brands alike is his practical, methodical approach, which shine through in this book. You won’t find banal platitudes or sweeping summations within these pages.
Instead, Abraham uses direct, approachable language to outline clear, actionable steps to get you to “recognize the income- and success-increasing connections that are all around you.” With this workmanlike approach, “Getting Everything You Can” breaks down success in business into its component processes: attracting new clients, increasing the average value of a client, and boosting client retention. These three aspects of success, according to Abraham, hinge on your ability to leverage a “unique selling proposition,” or USP. Put bluntly, a USP stems from the aspects of your business that make it stand out from the competition — what you bring to the table that others don’t. Identifying a USP sounds like a simple-enough concept, but as Abraham explains, business owners are often blind to the real value of their company. Seeing what truly makes your brand unique requires looking at old problems in new ways and fundamentally shifting your perspective on the basics of running a business. Finding solutions hidden in plain sight is no easy task, but “Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got” is committed to getting you there.
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