88 – Mark Alexander on How to Train and Retain Talent, Develop Your Company Culture, and Outlast Your Competition

Mark Alexander is an Austin, Texas-based health and wellness entrepreneur. He is the Founder and President of Efficient Exercise; a co-founder, investor, and executive board member of the well-regarded Paleo f(x); and he is the CEO of Adaptive Resistance Exercise (ARX), which is pushing the boundaries of HIT and how people train by using innovative resistance training technology that is computer-controlled, adaptive, and data-driven, allowing a measure of stimulus and control that previously was not available.

In this episode, we draw on Mark’s broad experience and focus on the different aspects having to do with starting and growing a high-intensity training business in a wide-ranging discussion on the business lessons, tactics, and strategies that Mark has used to successfully build his companies.

Contact Mark Alexander:

• ARXfit.com
• ARX on Facebook
• ARX on Twitter
• ARX on YouTube
• Efficient Exercise
• Mark Alexander on Linkedin

 

In this episode, we cover:

• The different strategic approaches involved in starting and growing a HIT business
• How Mark uses the Pareto Principle to increase his business efficiency and productivity
• How to manage, incentivize, and retain your talent using a growth mindset and why company culture matters
• The biggest mistakes Mark has made and what he’s learned from them
• … and much more!

 

Download How to Attract Great Personal Trainers PDF

 

• Listen to it on iTunes.
• Stream by clicking here.
• Download as an MP3 by right-clicking here and choosing “save as”.

 

This episode is brought to you by ARXFit.com, ARX are the most innovative, efficient and effective all-in-one exercise machines I have ever seen. I was really impressed with my ARX workout. The intensity and adaptive resistance were unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I love how the machine enables you to increase the negative load to fatigue target muscles more quickly and I love how the workouts are effortlessly quantified. The software tracks maximum force output, rate of work, total amount of work done and more in front of you on-screen, allowing you to compete with your pervious performance, to give you and your clients real-time motivation.

As well as being utilised by many HIT trainers to deliver highly effective and efficient workouts to their clients, ARX comes highly recommended by world-class trainers and brands including Bulletproof, Tony Robbins, and Ben Greenfield Fitness. To find out more about ARX and get $1,000 OFF software licensing fees, please go to ARXfit.com and mention Corporate Warrior in the how did you hear about us field.

 

This episode is brought to you by the Resistance Exercise Conference – The science and application of strength training for health and human performance.

Would you like to:

• Learn from the top strength training researchers?
• Network and connect with other exercise professionals from all over the world?
• Join a welcome reception on Friday night to build relationships with other strength training professionals?
• Experience an early morning workout from an expert trainer to kick start your Saturday?
• And get inspired, rejuvenated and focused on your strength training business?

I certainly do and that is why I am attending and interviewing all of the speakers at the event.

The Resistance Exercise Conference will be held on the 9th and 10th of March 2018 in Minneapolis, Minnesota at The Commons Hotel.

To get 10% off your entry fee, head on over to ResistanceExerciseConference.com, click the registration button and enter corporatewarrior10 in the promo code field in PayPal.

I’m very excited about this and have wanted to attend for years. Sign up now at ResistanceExerciseConference.com, get 10% off with promo code corporatewarrior10 and I look forward to meeting you in person!

To subscribe via email and get my FREE eBook with 6 podcast transcripts with guests like Dr. Doug McGuff, Drew Baye, and Skyler Tanner – Click here

QUESTION(S) OF THE DAY: Have you thought about starting your own High-Intensity Training business? What’s stopping you from making the jump? Please let me know in the comments at the bottom of this post.

Show Notes

Click the link below to listen from the exact time stamp on Overcast:

• What are the key strategic differences between starting and growing a business, what’s the difference between a lifestyle business and a growth-and-scale business, and why does it matter? [5:47]
• The Opportunity Funnel and the importance of knowing when to say no [14:52]
• The importance of knowing your audience and narrowing your focus [22:36]
• The importance of building – and maintaining – good relationships in business [33:27]
• Mark goes into detail on narrowing your focus, prioritization, and outsourcing [34:30]
• Mark goes into detail about what he likes to focus on, the dilemma of could versus should, the importance of company culture, and dealing with millennials [42:10]
• What was Mark’s approach in developing ARX’s company culture, and with what results? [51:30]
• On applying the Pareto Principle in business, the minimum viable product, tweaking and refining, and on getting feedback [56:00]
• How does Mark incentivize his personal trainers, and what is his approach to minimizing attrition? [1:07:49]
• Mark talks about cancelation policies, changing payment methods, and how these affected business [1:12:09]
• As a serial entrepreneur, what drives Mark to start companies as he’s started many throughout his career in business? [1:17:17]
• On how social pressure can help motivate you and drive you forward [1:24:21]
• Mark talks about his approach to setting goals and how he views failure [1:26:55]
• What do the first 90 minutes of Mark’s day look like? [1:33:37]
• What is Mark’s favorite failure (that eventually led to success further down the road)? [1:38:22]

Selected Links from the Episode

• The Tim Ferriss Show
• Discover Strength
• The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing: Violate Them at Your Own Risk! by Al Ries and Jack Trout ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• The James Altucher Show
• Blue Ocean Strategy, Expanded Edition: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant by W. Chan Kim  & Renée Mauborgne ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• Super Slow
• Study: Effects of regular and slow speed resistance training on muscle strength
• Effects of blue light technology
• The Pareto Principle / The 80/20 rule
• Millennials
• Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t (Rockefeller Habits 2.0) by Verne Harnish ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• The Five Minute Journal: A Happier You in 5 Minutes a Day ( Amazon US / Amazon UK )
• The Five Minute Journal App

People Mentioned

• Tim Ferriss
• Luke Carlson (Listen to previous episodes with Luke here: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3)
• James Altucher
• Dr. Wayne L. Westcott
• Jason DeBruler
• Skyler Tanner (Listen to previous episodes with Skyler here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5)
• Jim Keen