Is It Time To Abandon 'The Hustle?"

Kris & I had a little debriefing session one morning after a Combat Business Mastermind event. He had some really great takeaways that he implemented on the mats asap.. but he asked me if we should be adding and talking more about our 'number goals.'

I told him that my two biggest 'milestone goals' for our academy were hitting an "Easy 50" every month and being the "C.E.Only."

(Obviously, maximizing gross revenue & Net/profitability % checkpoints are crucial along the way.. but that's another post.)

So, instead of writing up goals like 'sign up 35, 40, 45, 50' students... I drew up my goals & the action steps that I need to take to get there.

(I also included a warning to myself...)

Ok first, for anybody who was in the room (and mostly sober) during my morning session on Day 2 in Biloxi, you saw a breakdown of the Objective Based Staffing model.. or what we call, 'The Machine.'

'The Machine' at URSA Academy produces an average of 35 sign ups per month while running effectively & efficiently in a manner that is long term sustainable. AND.. Kris and I get to live our #SemiRetired lifestyle that we've grown to love. Our 2 & 4 year old aren't in daycare. Kris and I spend every day with them hanging out at home enjoying the little moments.

Full transparency.. I KNOW that if I jumped in to the academy, led the charge, and HUSTLED, we could be at 50 sign ups per month RIGHT NOW.. & I have the data to back that up.

When our team was small.. I was in the academy every day building funnels, running ads, and then I jumped in at night teaching a few classes, running social media, and signing up people. Our PERCENTAGES were higher than they are right now.

If I combined those percentages with our current gross numbers, (leads, opt ins, etc.) we would be at 50 sign ups per month.. RIGHT NOW..

So why aren't I doing it?

Because now that I've gotten a taste of the 'Semi Retired' lifestyle, I refuse to give it up.

But this is NOT a cop-out.. or an excuse.. it's simply a factor in the timeline of how long it will take us to reach our goals, and a guiding compass that helps us determine the steps we'll use to get there.

You see.. my "Why," the reason we became entrepreneurs in the first place, is FREEDOM... Freedom to live a great life on our own terms. Kris and I want to live the life of our choosing and to never have a boss telling us where to be and when to be there.

But all too often, entrepreneurs and small business owners trade one Master for another.

We brag about being able to quit our 'day jobs' only to become slaves to the demands of our own business.

So, the moment I realized that by I putting everything on myself, I was responsible for tightening my own shackles.. I stopped in my tracks and did a 180.

I immediately switched my focus to building a team and began to pull myself out of the business. And yes, our percentages took a hit. But instead of jumping back in, throwing the school on my back and carrying the weight of the numbers on my shoulders, I started training the team to get better.. and their percentages began to improve.

Since then, I've been training myself to change my natural reactions. Every time I see a dip in one of my key metrics, I've learned to change my response. I resist the urge to dive in.. and instead, I pour my energy into training the team and strengthening 'The Machine.'

I know it's tough to force yourself NOT to take it on yourself. It's just like when you're standing at the edge of the mat at a tournament watching your competitor make a mistake that's going to cost them the match. You WANT to dive in.. you want to carry them on your shoulders and get the win.. but you can't.

All you can do is take the lessons you learned home with you, change up their training, so that the next time one of your fighters is in that situation, the training system at your academy will produce better results.

Coming full circle.. I know that after running the diagnostics on our academy, The URSA Academy Machine produces an average of 35 students per month operating solidly on 2 of 4 cylinders.

Based on past performance & my projected data, I KNOW that when its humming on 4 cylinders, this machine will easily produce 50+ new members per month. (minimum..) PLUS.. every step I take that strengthens The Machine, serves the dual purpose of moving me OUT of the business and toward my goal of being "C.E.Only."

So.. am I really saying to abandon the day to day hustle? & ditch the grind?

Yes.. and no..

Yes..

Abandon the hustle if your response to pressure is to hustle and throw everything on yourself.

Abandon the hustle if all you're really going to accomplish is a temporary/short term inflation of your numbers.

Abandon the hustle if at the end of the day, your system is weaker because you can't give up control to train a team & create a long term sustainable business.

and No..

Hustle to improve the quality of your product..

Hustle to learn as much as you can to improve yourself..

Hustle and implement the things that will improve the structure of your business.. the 'unsexy' stuff that other people don't notice until it's missing or broken.

Hustle when you train your team and instill in them the drive to push through when others quit.

And HUSTLE when you are fine tuning 'The Machine' that will help you turbo charge your results and fast track your path to success.

For me, the Semi-Retired lifestyle is non-negotiable. I value freedom over gross revenue.. Because what's money if you hate the life you're living?