This is our 976th post/article/piece published on Hungry & Fit. That’s what our administrative dashboard says. A (new) blogger who just finished his first running a blog reached out recently to work with us. We always ask how people find us and he said something along the lines of how inspirational it was to find out that we’ve been doing this for almost five years. He highlighted how challenging it is to put out content and keep writing, but that’s where the line is drawn.
We… you… everyone either has or doesn’t have that extra something. If you don’t, you can still find it. We all have those life-changing moments that push us to the edge, whether it’s a cliff to fall off of or a mountain to climb. There are always catalysts that get us to that moment and when we arrive, it’s our turn to act. Where am I going with this?
Motive Method is the new(est) brainchild of… someone like us. Someone who just can’t stop going for it; can’t stop taking risks. Here’s the dialogue to the raw and short interview that Hungry had with Will Earls.
H: Will, tell us a little about your background as an entrepreneur.
Hey Chris/Hungry & Fit, my background as somewhat of an entrepreneur lasted from 2010 to 2012. And I say somewhat because I had a partner at the time where we split the responsibilities so some aspects of entrepreneurship I did not experience. My story with entrepreneurship really starts in 2009 when I had just graduated college and got a job in IT Finance working on Wall Street. It was a basic entry level job that paid okay for a recent college graduate. I immediately knew the industry wasn’t for me. I was also an easy going guy that never really had any goals and was content with going with the flow, at least at that time. So I didn’t enjoy my job, so I asked myself what do I really enjoy that could help me make some money? I really enjoyed fitness and staying in shape. In 2009, I had also found out about Crossfit before it was a big thing and became obsessed. I ended up getting my Level 1 certification and was looking for trainer jobs to earn some side money. Through Craigslist, I met someone who had a space in his warehouse that he was looking to turn into a Crossfit gym. So we did it. Opened up the gym, put up the website, and I became the head trainer and co-founder of Crossfit SOAR. I actually fell into entrepreneurship. I worked without pay for a whole year. We grew the gym slowly but surely and attracting new clientele mostly by word of mouth and through the Crossfit.com website. I ran the gym for 2 years and it was the most fun and best time I’ve had in my life. I left due to wanting to travel and experience NYC to its fullest and I had also started dating my now wife. But I always missed the gym and envied the way my partner lived. He was a true entrepreneur having multiple businesses and living however he wanted. Now it’s my turn.
H: Will, you’ve lived in New York and now you’re in San Francisco where so many tech companies and start-ups have seen big-booming success. Has that impacted or motivated you in any particular way?
Actually it hasn’t. What’s motivated me the most was being accepted in this Entrepreneurship Incubator from one of the top business/entrepreneur podcasts on iTunes. Learned a ton from this experience and left with lots of like-minded friends where we are constantly pushing each other. I have an accountability call every week where I know I have to get stuff done or else I’m not adding value to the relationship. That has been the most motivating aspect of my life right now and I highly recommend this for completing any type of goal regardless if it’s for business, education, or sports.
H: We’re curious to find out more about MotiveMethod; who is behind it and what does it stand for?
I created MotiveMethod because I saw what I believe is a gap in the market and an opportunity to help keep goals on track through visual affirmations. There are only a couple of companies providing motivational products out in the world. With the boom of entrepreneurship and visibility with shows like Shark Tank, entrepreneurship and motivation is at an all-time high. If you read any self-help, productivity, business, and entrepreneur book, most of them touch on visual affirmations. I have written on my wall in my apartment my goals, my ambitions, my desires, and how I will achieve them. These are my visual affirmations. It reminds me what I have to do and how to get there. The quotes I have on motivemethod.com whether it’s on a shirt, a mug, a poster are incredibly powerful. The most successful people such as Jim Carrey, Oprah Winfrey, Arnold Schwarzenegger all use some type of visual affirmation and visualization techniques to help complete their goals. MotiveMethod wants to be your partner and help keep you on track to reach your potential. And everyone has unlimited potential.
A huge thanks to Will for sharing part of his story. We want to highlight three important things that Will brought up because learning from others’ experiences are key:
1. Living without pay – A lot of people chasing their dreams are willing to sacrifice everything, and while you might not have to give it all up, money is always at risk. When you’re trying to launch a product or company, you’re going to have to shield it from all the dangers that this competitive world provides. It’s not going to be easy.
2. Accountability – Will’s call is key to his success; he said it himself. Benchmarks are important and goals are meaningful, if they’re met or if there are consequences when they’re not met. If you don’t set up a means for regulating accountability, you’ll see progress come to a halt and that’s not going to help.
3. Affirmations – It’s easy to get distracted in our world. Your cell phone can be your best friend and worst enemy as an entrepreneur, or just a person in general. I’d watch hundreds of people a day in my gym prevent themselves from reaching their goals BECAUSE OF TECHNOLOGY. (That’s for another time.)
I want you to look at the sweaty picture below. Did wearing that “Outwork Everyone” tee shirt from Motive Method make my workout more intense? You bet it did. Why? Because there were about five other guys in that weight room trying to assert their alpha, but if you can’t be the best in one room, you’re never going to reach the level of success you might want. You can’t just wear a shirt to wear a shirt. Wear what the shirt stands for. Did I outwork everyone in that room? You bet I did. I outworked everyone in that room combined because that’s what you need to do. That’s what I need to do.
By the way, the shirt looks and feels great. I’m 6′ and about 205 lbs in this picture and this is a large. It fits really nice and is high-quality. Please check them out for more than just shirts. Visual affirmations can be everywhere. From mugs to totes, every bit of help counts. AND since you’ve all been asking for a long time about apparel, let us know if you want Hungry & Fit to team up with Motive Method to provide you with some custom options to be on our team! Let us know what means of motivation you use to stay hungry and fit!
