Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

They only way you’ll be judged by the folks at WORK is if you don’t walk through the door. Dane Miklaus, WORK founder, is a hard worker, married to a hard worker, from a long line of hard workers, who created a boutique fitness studio to help people connect their effort with their outcome, and it’s working. A California native, Dane received his Bachelor of Science in Applied Exercise Science at Azusa Pacific University. Here, late in his college career he decided he wanted to be a trainer. He landed his real first job at Equinox, and it was there, in the trenches seven days a week, that he learned the professionalism he carries with him today. After three years at Equinox, he went onto lead group training at The 12, falling in love with the group training model. Eventually, his deep desire to do more kept burning strong, so he left The 12. With the help of his wife and a business partner, he founded WORK in 2015. As quick to give others credit as he is to pepper his conversation with motivational soundbites and throw out a golden advice nugget or two, Dane has created a concept in WORK that members love. WORK is a boutique fitness studio, not a gym. Its classes take place in groups led by passionate instructors who have dedicated their lives to health and fitness. Members range from weekend warriors, 9-to-5ers, stay-at-home parents and business owners to artists, professional athletes, celebrities, mailmen and everything inbetween. At its heart, WORK aims to instill that each member is his or her own foundation. And WORK, provides the environment, instructors and group instruction for their minds and bodies to undergo construction to forge stronger internal and external compositions. All to get results through a blend of traditional strength and conditioning with athletic functional training. Because, as they like to say, this is how your body was designed to WORK.     Episode Highlights: Treat everyone as if they are the most important person. It’s the right thing to do and it will help you build relationships you may one day need. Starting a company? Anticipate that it will take longer to build out, be more expensive than you thought, and be slower to catch on with clients than you planned. Even in the most challenging times, take the high road, if for no other reason than that you are a good person and that’s what being one dictates you do. The meaning behind “Performance matters less in this place than effort.” The best business motivation book list ever. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Dane Miklaus of WORK for a solid dose of inspiration and the most excellent booklist we’ve ever featured in a single episode of EYL. Please like and subscribe.

Rob Moore brings the wisdom of entrepreneurs worldwide to his guests each week on The Disruptive Entrepreneur Podcast. Listen to the inspiring, interesting and at times counter-intuitive results when the disruptive entrepreneur interviews the Escape Your Limits host and Escape Fitness co-founder, Matthew Januszek. Sometimes falling is the best thing in the world that can happen to you. Just ask Escape Fitness co-founder Matthew Januszek who developed his interest in fitness at 15 and then clenched it that summer while housebound from a roller skating tumble left him watching ‘Pumping Iron” on repeat. As a child of the 80s, Matthew was inspired by the ability to remake the human body through bodybuilding and he had natural knack for metal and woodwork. Matthew’s father, Richard Januszek, was an engineer with a passion for design and invention and the goal to simply make things better. Their passions and talents led the father and son duo to start a company literally from their garage that they’ve grown into a $40 million global functional fitness equipment-manufacturing leader. In fact, Escape fitness has been invited to help provide innovative, exciting and successful fitness solutions to over 1000 clubs in 80 countries. This functional fitness force is redefining human performance. Looking back over its two decades in business, while Escape has experienced massive changes that come with growing a global fitness solutions company, the hallmarks that have defined and shaped it are ever-present. Matthew believes their longevity in a tough industry proves that founding a business on deeply abiding passion, sharing that passion with like-minded people and making sure it’s contagious to customers is one of their secrets to success. What makes Escape Fitness different in an industry that today boasts the praises of functional fitness is that Escape was “functional” before functional was cool. Today, the company offers hundreds of innovative and colorful products, from the Octagon frame range, to functional, athletic and strength equipment, to studio, boxing and flexibility equipment and more. Further, Escape offers a popular programming suite–MOVE IT, BATTLE FIT and HIIT THE DECK–which is a personalized approach to training that brings its functional equipment to life. Plus, Escape offers facility design and flooring. The goal: to continually make functional fitness safe, effective, exciting and accessible to people who want to be healthy, regardless of their fitness level.  Matthew shares the most important things to him about keeping oneself fit mentally and physically to successfully run a company.   Episode Highlights: Create a routine that travels with you that addresses exercise, nutrition and sleep to stay mentally and physically fit and avoid the burnout that can come from being an entrepreneur, leader or CEO. When you have a passion, find people who compliment your skills so you can build a team around yourself; and embrace the skills you don’t have through ongoing personal development; in these ways you can turn your passion into business success. To ride the wave of growing a company for the long haul, when launching new ideas or products: keep it simple, focus on your business, persevere and don’t stop until you achieve your goals. Have the discipline to know when to pull the plug on a product or idea that’s not working the way you intended. Embrace hybridization for inspiration.   Join Matthew Januszek in an interview with Rob Moore, The Disruptive Entrepreneur to see what quite literally fuels, drives and motivates him to success over the long haul. Please like and subscribe.

Coming from outside of an industry can give you certain advantages. There’s cross-pollination of ideas and best practices for sure. And, it can unleash a creativity the competition may not anticipate to allow you improve their wheel without reinventing it. Cory Brightwell of Chuze Fitness did just that, bringing his experience in hospitality into creating a unique, high-value, low-price gym chain that looks and acts like a high-end boutique. A California native, Cory Brightwell was born into hospitality. His father and godfather created and ran Super Salad, a successful salad bar buffet chain concept. It was in the trenches of these restaurants working with his father where he learned firsthand the standard of execution necessary to provide an exceptional customer experience. A Pepperdine University graduate, where he played baseball, Cory took his love of the basics of culture and customer experience and married it with his passion for fitness to found Chuze Fitness. Today, the father of a one-year-old, this successful young entrepreneur and his partners have taken what was their first location in Carlsbad of 16,000 sq. ft. with basic amenities to 22 locations across California, Colorado and Arizona that average 40,000 sq. ft. with all the amenities you’d never expect for the low monthly membership fee of $9.99. In the high-value, low-cost club space, Chuze Fitness is unique. Boutique-like in spirit, they offer everything you might expect to find in a more expensive club, from the equipment, to the pool, to the kids club, to the sauna and steam room, to the team training and more. Chuze believes for too long exercisers have been overcharged and underserved. So, in 2008, they flipped that idea on its head to create an awesome gym where members pay just $9.99/month. Chuze Fitness passionately believes its members deserve a gym that’s beyond friendly, beyond spotless, and beyond well-equipped, with every fun class you want, that feels like a country club, but costs like a couple of lattes. Because everybody deserves an awesome gym. Cory Brightwell walks this talk and that is evident from the moment a member walks through their doors.   Episode Highlights: Stick to the time-honored, tried and true, industry agnostic business basics and execute them really, really well. Don’t reinvent the wheel, make a better wheel. Hire people who are a right cultural fit, versus people who look good on paper who you hope you can make into a fit. It’s the only way to scale your unique brand feel. Hiring for culture and training for customer experience, plus ensuring the leaders live the values daily. Learn how to cram more value into what people already pay. They’ll love you and tell others.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Cory Brightwell of Chuze Fitness to see how you can continue to add value for your customers without drastically increasing price if you really get the cultural and team basics right. Please like and subscribe.

How does one person successfully and concurrently run businesses as diverse as a mortgage lending company, dance studio, juice bar and training facility? By applying the lesson in everything to everything else. For Brian, his ability to learn, implement quickly and adjust as necessary adds to his success as well as that of his contracted trainers at Reign Training Facility. Brian Sardarizadeh is a man of many business talents. You could call him a professional entrepreneur. Currently, he’s CEO of Direct Home Lending, CEO of Inspire Dance Inc. and CEO of Reign Training Facility. And, there have been a few other businesses along the way. He has a special gift for cross-pollination of both lessons and ideas from one industry to the next. And, his gift means everyone who works with him wins. With a love of fitness, he began working as a trainer, getting into management at 21 with 24 Hour Fitness. When it sold, he decided it was time for his exit. Armed with his entrepreneurial spirit, business studies and love of finance, he decided to give mortgage lending a try, which lead him to open Direct Home Lending. The success he experienced in the mortgage industry provided funding for the rest of his business ventures, including the one that brings him back to his roots in personal training, Reign Training Facility. Reign offers a private facility with the belief that rapid, sustainable, healthy and natural change can only be achieved with the combination of strategic training protocols and integrated nutrition. The brainchild of Brian Sardarizadeh, it was his combining the best of a traditional training facility with the best of a boutique studio. His trainers are contractors who rent their space. But, Brian provides more than just a place to train their clients; he provides mentorship, guidance and support. And, therein lies the secret sauce to his success.   Episode Highlights: Find what motivates each individual and use that to drive them. There’s no one size fits all. You have to meet people where they are. Make money in different places. Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket. Provide guidance and support. Whether it’s trainers or franchisees, even though it requires a bigger investment, the happier they are, the happier you’ll be. Put the right people in the right spots. It’s everything. See what works and what doesn’t. And move on without the negative baggage associated with a perceived failure because it’s not a failure, it’s a lesson. Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Brian Sardarizadeh of Reign Training Facility to see how his business model meets trainers where they are to help them grow their businesses and become their best, all to enhance member experience. Please like and subscribe.

Finding sanctuary in something you love is important. For Zach, working out was his. Seeing the results of his effort enthused him for further physical gains before he turned the progress model from body to business. Texas-born Zach was bred on an activity diet of American football, baseball and other sports. Not only a highly ranked athlete, he was also academically impressive – with both scholarships and physical ability coming second nature to him. An injury led him away from dreams of being a doctor to a love of helping others in another way, getting them back to their former prowess, and his newfound business mind led him on a journey to where he is today.  The founder and CEO of Sanctuary Fitness LA hasn’t had a straightforward career path, though. Through analyst roles, corporate project management and more, he’s always given a nod to nutrition and health, but has committed to creating a fitness space and community that’s gained hundreds of members and class bookings after just a short amount of time. The difference with Sanctuary is that, by its own admission, the gym is not about fitness; it’s about testing yourself to realise just how strong you actually are. They know that we can all fail, but it’s how you stretch yourself to your limit that’s the main detail.  Not only does the approach to working out offer a fresh way of thinking about your gym visit, but the community behind the self-improvement is strong as well. Whether it’s encouragement during a workout or how to continue your fitness journey when away from the gym, this is how health and harmony can work together through the service Sanctuary offers – there’s even a brewery next door!   Episode Highlights: How to deal with challenges that come out of nowhere to still succeed in the long run. The importance of a business partner – or more than one – and how this will help you to work on the business rather than solely employing people to work in the business. Measurements of success. What are you looking to provide for and get from your team, your customers, your business, your community, your industry, your family, your personal life and more, and how it all ties together. How do you sell a vision to an investor to convey a business model, the USP, the revenue and expense plan, expansion options and, importantly, the passion.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Zach Golden of Sanctuary Fitness to see how spirituality and sweat can come together for solid success long term. Please like and subscribe.

Not many people can complete a national record-breaking cycle ride for 23 hours and 22 minutes, climbing 12,000m, up and down a Norweigian mountain. Royal Personal Training CEO, Shahin, has surpassed every challenge he’s set himself. Hear how he does it… Leaving Norway and coming to the US with nothing, Shahin Safae has chased his own version of the American dream through his constant motivation to better himself and others. Now, as the CEO of Royal Personal Training in Beverly Hills, Shahin not only trains celebrities, but he lives the celebrity lifestyle himself as well. His continual success in his finances and fitness prove that any future goals are simply a formality. Shahin works best under pressure. He wants everything, and he’s prepared to put the work in to get it. He fuels himself by living to his means with increasing levels of luxury and then pushing himself even further. Royal Personal Training is the fulfillment of a promise to his parents that he can be incredibly successful even though he didn’t pay attention at school. It’s certainly that, and so much more. Shahin loves bikes and cars – anything that goes forward, fast. He has fused his passion for fitness by surrounding it with his love of speed and excitement. This is the first gym we’ve seen with a Ducati, front and centre. Royal Personal Training no longer needs Shahin on-site for it to succeed. However, his own need to grow and learn means he’s there every day to stay hands on and be a part of every dollar’s worth of growth.   Episode Highlights: How to reach success from any start. With a childhood background of people minding their own business in a world of long winters, Shahin went from being a troublemaker in school and “working his ass off” at a gas station to traversing a road to professional sports before his hunger for further achievement took him west. How to reach your goals at an early age, or any time – Shahin was just 18 when he started using his money in the right way to buy his first condo. Learn how to do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door of the next step towards business success, and how to overcome any obstacle. Learn ways of overcoming not knowing where to start with a business opportunity, and recover from your lowest points to ultimately find new room for growth.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Shahin Safae of Royal Personal Training to hear how you can embrace your hunger for success and nourish it with everything you need to win. Please like and subscribe.

Whether he’s starting on a new business journey or fundraising for charities, Rob Moore is a money magnet. Through dedicated decisions to learn at every opportunity and a constant need to keep his interest levels up in every respect, Rob’s take on entrepreneurship is exciting, unique, and something you can certainly learn from. “If you don’t risk anything, you risk everything,” is a mantra that Rob Moore lives by, and his disruptive approach makes him the Marmite of money-making for some. However, there’s no denying his achievements and his insight can benefit absolutely anyone.  In his own words, he used to be guilty of bad spending habits and a lack of understanding how to manage money, but has now achieved status as not just an entrepreneur, but a world record breaking inspirational speaker, podcast host and author of 10 books including one of the world’s best selling, aptly-titled: Money.  Co-founder of the Progressive group of companies, including Progressive Property, and as host of The Disruptive Entrepreneur podcast, Rob’s passion for personal growth and business development (for himself, his clients and his audience) is something that screams from everything he has a part in. His incredible entrepreneurial approach has led to him becoming so much more than just a property magnate, and his prolific posting across all platforms of social media benefits professionals and many more people from all walks of life. To get an idea of what goes on inside Rob’s head and how his way of thinking can improve your life, listen to this episode of Escape Your Limits and then check out his podcast at robmoore.com/podcast   Episode Highlights:  In the early days, in his own words, Rob wasn’t a failure but he wasn’t a success. Find out how you can overcome personal and professional struggles to conquer and accomplish anything you put your mind to. Discover what the benefits are of finding your perfect business partner to complement what you already do well and capitalise on opportunities. Balance creativity with capitalism to discover your own self worth and value of what you offer in business and life. Despite it being counterintuitive by nature, find out how to turn away business to win business, and why it makes sense.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Rob Moore to hear how entrepreneurial disruption can give you a new look on everything that you do in business and in life. Please like and subscribe.

Despite struggling with his weight as a child, Gunnar Peterson has turned it around in the biggest way possible to not only improve his own body, but to go on and keep Hollywood’s health in check With his gym based in Beverly Hills, Gunnar has trained and worked out with everyone from celebrities such as the Kardashians and J-Lo to movie stars like Sylvester Stallone and Matthew McConaughey. Gunnar’s also been vital to improving and extending the performance and careers of pro athletes in the NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, boxing and more, all accompanied by a long history of publishing books, workout videos and magazine articles. In this episode of Escape Your Limits, learn what it takes to be one of the most sought-after personal trainers in the world. The way that Gunnar’s approach to personal training can be summed up in one sentence: Everything done in the gym should service everything that clients do out of it. Brought up on a “never say no to an adventure” attitude, it’s given him an expansive vision for life, which is something he applies to everything he does. The Devil’s in the detail of design, whether that’s in gym layout or equipment use. This runs throughout the prep of individual workouts every single day for clients of all walks and backgrounds, along with his own nutrition and fitness regime. He keeps quality control up by keeping the numbers down. Gunnar’s attention to each client’s needs and his respect for their dignity and privacy – particularly with the celebrities of Beverly Hills – means that he can provide a tailored experience, regardless of budget.   Episode Highlights:  How Gunnar’s upbringing travelling the world through life before and during college affected, influenced and inspired his move to LA to earn a living. Learn about Gunnar’s way of growing his business from not knowing how much to charge his first clients to setting up his own gym and decades later in the industry, working with the world’s most famous. Hear how Gunnar’s personality traits and OCD attention to detail benefit the luxury service that he offers and how you can use your own characteristics as a positive in what you provide. Get the details of what diet will keep in perfect shape for leading by example.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Gunnar Peterson and hear about how a self-confessed terrible businessman has become one of the most successful personal trainers in the world. Please like and subscribe. 

As founder and director of the Institute of Motion, and creator of the ViPR loaded movement training tool, it’s no surprise that Michol is an industry leader when it comes to human movement. Influential, intelligent and enthusiastic, he’s taught, trained and talked to audiences all over the world about the benefits of fulfilling performance potential. In this episode, listen to what it takes to become the voice of an industry, working with Olympic gold medallists and world class athletes to impart knowledge learned through years of study, and how you and your members can reach the potential to Escape Your Limits. Investigating the evolving science behind human design, function and performance, the Institute of Motion describes itself as “keenly curious about human movement.” In this podcast you’ll hear how anecdotal evidence from ‘farm fitness,’ backed by science, led the way for bridging the gap between movement and strength training. For more information visit instituteofmotion.com and viprfit.com   Episode Highlights : Learn how Michol went from growing up as a chubby shy kid to delving into research about how the body crafts its own design, soon becoming the voice of an industry. Bodybuilding and workout experimentation through education, physiology, biomechanics and training principles gave Michol a new level of insight to redefine his identity. Learn how you can age to always improve yourself and your abilities. Why you need to constantly evolve what you do to come full circle, embracing variability to create an environment that will get you to where you want to go. How to avoid failure, and truly understand the difference between health and fitness.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Michol Dalcourt, discussing athletic accessibility through an academic approach and how his thirst for knowledge has formed the basis of his constantly evolving journey to success. Please like and subscribe.

First becoming sibling franchisees of Gold’s Gym with his brother, William, in 1987, Angel has now reached the ranks of CEO/President at Gold’s Gym SoCal Group through community commitment and an understanding of exactly what members need in their health club experience. Through a hunger for success, vision for trends and ambition to be the best, the Banos brothers have built an empire of exercise with a name that regularly gains global attention. Angel explains what it’s been like to be such a huge part of the Mecca of bodybuilding that is Gold’s Gym in one of the most competitive markets in the world – LA’s fitness scene. From his first experience in a gym, Angel has seen things change a lot and been responsible for a lot of that change. Today, Gold’s is the Mecca of bodybuilding. Since 1965, the brand has kept a serious approach to fitness that gives weight to the industry in every respect.   Episode Highlights:  What factors and family members embedded Angel’s work ethic from an early age and how has this benefitted him throughout his life? Discover what else drives Angel besides the world of self-improvement and how this influences his journey in fitness and business. What led Angel to sell his successful shoe business and transition into the fitness industry, and how can you make the jump to achieve your dreams? Hear about what Angel learned from pioneers of fitness during his time in the gym and how you can combine strengths to benefit mutually with others.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Angel Banos and discover the mind behind one of the biggest names in fitness. Don't forget to like and subscribe.