100. How to Become an Industry Leader

I remember being called a douchebag for being a real estate agent.

I was told that you have to be a bit douchey to be a realtor, and I was one, therefore I was a douchebag. It’s sound logic, and I can appreciate that, but I didn’t much appreciate the category I was being lumped into. At the same time, when considering the industry’s reputation, there wasn’t a strong argument to say that realtors aren’t douchebags. Some are. Enough are, and it ruins it for the rest of the industry.

Unless you contribute something so convicting that the negative stereotype vanishes when people think of your name.

Stereotypes are based on truth. Sure those truths can be pretty loose, but there are enough realtors driving around in white BMW’s posting about being a top producer that you could say the proof is in the pudding.

Let’s not pretend that reputation isn’t important. It is, but sometimes we get lumped into a group when we can honestly say we did not contribute to the stereotype. Unfortunately, this happens with job titles, professional industries, religions, socioeconomic status, race, gender, and hot beverage preferences among other things.

Now, if you don’t like any of the negative assumptions about a group you’re amalgamated in to, be relentless in your refusal to contribute to the stereotype. If you’d like to go about changing the narrative, the best thing you can do is the opposite of what your association is accused of.

The Tale of Two Law Firms

Whether fair or unwarranted, you might say that typical law firms and their lawyers have garnered a reputation for being arrogant, disconnected from their clients, money driven, and you could say it’s reasonable someone might be worried about a lack of transparency. At least that’s what I think because that was my experience until I met a good lawyer.

The first firm we dealt with solidified anything negative that might come to mind about their whole industry. It was a lousy experience through and through, but a similar one to that of other’s I’ve since talked to about their experience with lawyers. So, when I met a lawyer I liked from a different firm, I asked if we could seamlessly bring our affairs to his firm. The answer was yes, and I didn’t have to lift a finger. All I did was pay a small fee to the new firm that they discounted. All they did was say they’ll handle everything, take me out for lunch and neglect to bill me for the conversation. They’ll have my business as long as they want it.

I described my negative experience at the old firm to the new one and all the new one did to sell me on them was prove they wouldn’t contribute to that type of experience.

Our responsibility in our industries, organizations, families and associations is to refuse to be the one making the reputation worse for everyone else.

Become the accountant that makes people talk about how awesome accountants are. Be the dentist everyone looks forward to go see. Open a gym that’s clean, has friendly faces and doesn’t require a credit card on file before you start. It’s what we did, and it’s why we’re going to survive when other gyms don’t.

At Warehouse Gym Co., we don’t do contracts or fees, and it’s not because we don’t like making money. We just like our clients to feel good about handing over their payment information. The majority of our revenue is earned by our customers choosing to click ‘buy’ on their own accord. The rest is only earned when we get permission to charge them. None of it is automatic, which you might think would make us vulnerable, but in fact I believe it’s one of the main reasons the long term value of each customer is through the roof in our industry.

In our industry, people complain about being charged without knowing, not being able to cancel, paying set up or annual fees, paying despite not attending, and that’s just regarding money. Dirty floors, disorganized equipment, gross bathrooms, lousy music, all things that most gyms are known for, are what we refuse to contribute to. When we built our business, we were pretty well versed on the negative connotations associated with gyms, so we just tried to do the opposite. Let me tell you this, it works.

Do some market research. Find out what people don’t like about the industry then don’t do it. At the personal level, get vulnerable and find out what people don’t like about you. Scary thought? I agree, but self evaluation can be the difference between a short and a long relationship.

But let’s get this one thing straight. You and me, as individuals, will face opposition when striving for our potential. Why? Because most people don’t. Unless it serves them, those around you prefer you to be like the majority. Your peers won’t appreciate it if you revolutionize your profession (or family or church or school or team) and contribute to a new and improved reputation. It means they’ll have to step up to if they want to keep up. It’s easier to pull someone down to their level than it is to rise up to something better.

It’s like when the Miami Dolphins try to take down the Buffalo Bills quarterback because they know their guy Tua Tugovailoa can’t rise to the level of NFL MVP Josh Allen. In those cases, the Bills simply pull a Mel Robbins and say “let them”.

You can’t control the what others do, but you can control your own narrative. Can you disassociate yourself from something negative by refusing to contribute to it? What will you allow yourself to contribute to? What reputation are you cementing about what you do?

I’m not suggesting you walk away from all associations you’re part of if they aren’t perfect. However, we can always do our part and contribute something better. You might be just one of many and you might think that you won’t make much of a difference. But someone will come around and change it all eventually.

You could be the one.

— Cody

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See you next Thursday.

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