Running the Business Marathon - J.T. Service - Chief Endurance Officer - Episode # 23

09/15/23 • 33 min

Welcome to another captivating episode! Today’s guest is a visionary leader in endurance sports! Introducing J.T. Service, Founder & CEO of Soul Focus and Run Local Ventures. J.T. partners with host, Gregory McDonough, to share his resilient approach to challenges and how he builds up his company to see the vision in team collaboration. He also touches on critical points of event preparation and the beauty of endurance sports. It’s a conversation you won’t want to miss!

Takeaways:

Endurance athletes' willingness to embrace discomfort extends beyond sports, improving their ability to handle life's unexpected challenges with determination and composure. This is a valuable skill applicable in both business and daily life.
As a business owner, J.T. faces daily challenges in various forms. He approaches them with resilience and the belief that they can be overcome, comparing them to mile 18 of a marathon – difficulties are temporary, and panicking only exacerbates the situation.
Soul Focus’s core mission is to inspire community movement and happiness through their work in event management. The goal is to instill purpose in team members, seeing challenging work as a powerful way to create a positive impact within the company.
Understanding your mission and why you're doing it, along with teamwork and enthusiasm, are vital in challenging situations. Akin to how endurance athletes benefit from a dedicated early-morning crew ensuring everything is prepared for their race.
Building an event involves securing roads, services, equipment, and volunteers. The thrill comes when everything aligns, from the start to the race's beauty and its dismantling, reflecting the unexpected joy of our endurance mindset.
The beauty of endurance sports lies in the contrast between calm, confident readiness and nervous, unprepared energy. Elite athletes exude quiet confidence, ensuring they'll perform well, while those displaying nervous energy often appear unprepared and uncertain.
Soul Focus shifted sponsorship strategies after not receiving satisfactory results. Teaming up with partners like Hoka, Under Armour, Strava, and GoPro helped nationwide event marketing and sponsorship, expanding their services beyond event creation.

Quote of the Show:

"Our purpose is to help people move." - J.T. Service

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtservice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soulfocussports
Company website: http://runlocalevents.com/ and https://www.soulfocussports.com/

Ways to Tune In:

Takeaways:

Endurance athletes' willingness to embrace discomfort extends beyond sports, improving their ability to handle life's unexpected challenges with determination and composure. This is a valuable skill applicable in both business and daily life.
As a business owner, J.T. faces daily challenges in various forms. He approaches them with resilience and the belief that they can be overcome, comparing them to mile 18 of a marathon – difficulties are temporary, and panicking only exacerbates the situation.
Soul Focus’s core mission is to inspire community movement and happiness through their work in event management. The goal is to instill purpose in team members, seeing challenging work as a powerful way to create a positive impact within the company.
Understanding your mission and why you're doing it, along with teamwork and enthusiasm, are vital in challenging situations. Akin to how endurance athletes benefit from a dedicated early-morning crew ensuring everything is prepared for their race.
Building an event involves securing roads, services, equipment, and volunteers. The thrill comes when everything aligns, from the start to the race's beauty and its dismantling, reflecting the unexpected joy of our endurance mindset.
The beauty of endurance sports lies in the contrast between calm, confident readiness and nervous, unprepared energy. Elite athletes exude quiet confidence, ensuring they'll perform well, while those displaying nervous energy often appear unprepared and uncertain.
Soul Focus shifted sponsorship strategies after not receiving satisfactory results. Teaming up with partners like Hoka, Under Armour, Strava, and GoPro helped nationwide event marketing and sponsorship, expanding their services beyond event creation.

Quote of the Show:

"Our purpose is to help people move." - J.T. Service

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtservice/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soulfocussports
Company website: http://runlocalevents.com/ and https://www.soulfocussports.com/

Ways to Tune In:

Previous Episode

Jumping to Success - David Hunt - Chief Endurance Officer - Episode # 22

Welcome to another captivating episode! Today’s guest is an inspiring friend and dedicated professional who has overcome tremendous fitness obstacles! Introducing David Hunt, Founder & CEO of Crossrope. David partners with host Gregory McDonough to share his insights into his jump rope passion. He also delves into the value of an optimistic mindset, how to build and maintain healthy company culture, and his personal wisdom when it comes to cardio fitness.

Takeaways:

In 2016, with an enduring mindset, David clung to any shred of realistic optimism and hope, just putting one foot in front of the other. Fortunately, things started to improve that year, and it was the catalyst he needed to turn his lifelong dream into reality.
David loved the freedom of being his own boss. So, after four years of this being his side hustle, he was motivated to make it his full-time job. Transitioning this from a side venture to a full-time commitment helped him focus on his passion for fitness and products.
Crossrope has used their community's insights to improve jump rope fitness with unique features. These include personalized targets, heart rate-based training via Apple Watch, and community leaderboards for engaging tailored workouts that motivate through friendly competition.
David is a firm believer in the Stockdale Paradox, which highlights maintaining blind optimism can be detrimental. It’s not about continuous optimism. Instead, it’s crucial to balance hope with realism, a lesson that resonated with David in both businesses' early years.
Embracing transparency and communication is something Crossrope strives for. This approach has helped retain their high-performing team and maintain a strong company culture. This value sets them apart from common practices that often mask underlying issues within a company.
Finding himself excessively training, David thought of purchasing a jump rope which quickly became a full-fledged fitness tool and a core element of his fitness routine. It filled the gap for cardio training, making it fun, engaging, and accessible on the go.
David wanted to share his personal knowledge and experiences, but lacking formal personal trainer certifications and a sports science degree made that difficult. Instead, he created a YouTube channel which included workout videos, challenges, and workout PDF’s.

Quote of the Show:

“It is my job as the Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Endurance Officer to set the right mindset for the team around the expectations." - David Hunt

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-hunt-crossrope/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Crossrope
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossropejumpropes/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@crossrope
Company website: https://www.crossrope.com/
Organization: https://hub.eonetwork.org/

Ways to Tune In:

Next Episode

Chasing Excellence with Andy Bailey - Chief Endurance Officer - Episode # 024

Welcome to another captivating episode! Today’s guest is a talented author, inspirational speaker, and leadership coach! Introducing Andy Bailey, CEO, Founder & Head Coach at Petra Coach. Andy partners with host Gregory McDonough to share the complexities of life and business, and the impact personal growth and strength can have in your life. He also delves into consistently pursuing excellence and embracing the discipline that comes with it. It’s a conversation you don’t want to miss!

Takeaways:

Over time, life and businesses get more complex, leading to challenges. To bridge this gap, personal growth is essential. Neglecting personal growth can lead to feeling overwhelmed as life surpasses one's capacity. Endurance is key to expanding this capacity.
In business, it's crucial to have discussions early on to avoid any gaps from becoming insurmountable. Trying to bridge them later takes immense effort and may not be feasible. Address issues when they're small to prevent irreparable divides.
Consistently pursuing excellence in one aspect of life has a positive ripple effect on others. Neglecting small, controllable things can lead to neglect in other meaningful areas. Minimal acts of discipline can catalyze positive changes across all aspects of life.
Enduring agony while persisting, builds discipline. It is like strengthening a personal shield with small increments, enabling the tackling of tough situations. This discipline aids in resisting temptations and overcoming reluctance, growing stronger over time.
Andy initially led during a challenging situation, motivating his team to move from fear to action. Their leadership example inspired other companies, promoting a proactive approach rather than defensive reactions within their organization and among clients.
Andy embraced the Rockefeller Habits from 2005, which changed his leadership approach. Post-sale, he began assisting friends and their companies using this methodology. It was fulfilling and even expanded into a coaching practice with 30 members serving 150 companies.
Frustration and fear are common catalysts for change in individuals and leadership teams, similar to how health concerns prompt lifestyle changes. In business, frustration with team performance or fear of unmet goals can also drive the need to change mindsets and habits.

Quote of the Show: