Welcome to the Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview with Travis Jones
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Introducing Travis Jones
Travis Jones is today’s guest is Travis Jones who joins us on the Join Up Dots business coaching podcast interview.
This is a man who has a story of resilience, perseverance, psychology and some strategy (with very high risk).
Back in 2007 he founded the Result Based Training gym at the age of 27.
This was going to be a huge success as all new ventures are thought to be, but the truth was very different.
He soon found himself sleeping on the floor in the upstairs office (with his dog) where the gym was located in South Melbourne because he could not afford to pay the rent.
Things were not looking good for Travis Jones, his venture was going under and he could either fight back or join the masses of entrepreneurs with a sob story to share with the world.
He decided to fight and went on take one of the biggest risks of his business career.
How The Dots Joined Up For Travis
He needed an infrared sauna so started a Groupon campaign to sell vouchers to utilise the infrared sauna in his gym.
The only problem with this was; he did not have the sauna, and didn’t have the money to buy the sauna or pay his next month of rent that was due on the building!
This risk was one of the most riskiest moves he will admit to, but it paid off!
Within 10 days, he sold 800 vouchers, generating the money he needed to buy the sauna and pay the month of rent that was almost due.
Stating, “In that moment, I knew in order to survive, I had to commit to always think outside the square, to lead, not follow.”
Fast forward to today, and Result Based Training is now a $10million dollar business, with over 90 staff members, and over 20 locations across Australia, with additional locations in the US.
Put simply in his own words, “Find your passion, reverse engineer the shit out of it, and go get it!”
Since then he has gone on to become the Founder of multiple successful business ventures and a foundation and quite simply looks like he is loving life.
So with Gary Vee stating recently that entrepreneurship is found in the DNA, would he consider himself born to this life or just good at finding the doors when trapped?
And with bigger and bolder actions and entrepreneurial ventures filling his days, does he ever look back on the floor with the dog and think “Actually life was so much simpler then?”
Well let’s find out as we bring onto the show to start joining up dots with the one and only Mr. Travis Jones
Show Highlights
During the entrepreneur podcast show we had deep hitting conversations with Travis Jones around subjects such as:
Travis reveals why it is so important to know your “Why” right at the beginning, because more often than not its not what you are going after for sure.
Why costing staff that can push you forward is one of the most valuable things you can do for your business
Why even though you may feel that you want a life that is free and loose maybe its the wrong thing and will hold you back from ever getting it.
And lastly……..
Travis reveals the steps of reverse engineering, and why he doesn’t set goals without a clearly defined route back to its source.
How To Connect With Travis Jones
Return To The Top Of Travis Jones
If you enjoyed this episode of Join Up Dots then why not listen to some of our favourite podcast episodes such as JB Glossinger, Cameron Brown, or the amazing Alfie Best
Or if you prefer just pop over to our podcast archive for thousands of amazing episodes to choose from.
Audio Transcription With Travis Jones
Intro [0:00]
When we’re young, we have an amazing positive outlook about how great life is going to be. But somewhere along the line we forget to dream and end up settling join up dots features amazing people who refuse to give up and chose to go after their dreams. This is your blueprint for greatness. So here’s your host live from the back of his garden in the UK David Ralph
David Ralph [0:25]
Yes. Hello, good morning. Good morning world and welcome to a join up dots This is going to be a good one. This is going to be one of those stories but actually you look at and you think bloody hell couldn’t have done this couldn’t have forced my way through could have got to where he is or what I’ve just sat back and opened another packet of Oreos and let life pass me by. Well, it is a story of resilience, perseverance, psychology, and some strategy with very high risk. Back in 2007. He founded the result based training gym at the age of 27. And this was going to be a huge success, huge success as all new ventures thought to be, but the truth was very different. He soon found himself sleeping on the floor in the upstairs office with his dog. I think we both slept with a few dogs in a time where the gym was located in South Melbourne, because he could not afford to pay the rent and things were not looking good. He’s when she was going on doing you can either fight back or join the masses of entrepreneurs. With a sob story to share with the world. He decided to fight and went on to take one of the biggest risks of his business career. He needed an infrared sauna so started a Groupon campaign to sell vouchers to utilize the infrared sauna in his gym. But the only problem with this was he didn’t have the sauna. Oh, he was sending something that he didn’t have. And he didn’t have the money to buy the sauna or pay his next month of rent that was due on the building squeaky bum time as we say this risk was one of the most riskiest moves he would admit to but it paid off. Now within 10 days he sold 800 bounces generating the money needed to buy the sauna and pay the month of rent. That was almost June. Now stating in that moment, I knew in order to survive, I had to commit two ways to think outside the square to lead and not follow and fast forward to today. And result based training is now a $10 million business with over 90 staff members and over 20 locations across Australia with additional locations in the US but simply in his own words, find your passion, reverse engineer the shit out of it and go and get it. Now since then he has gone on to become the founder of multiple successful business ventures and a foundation and quite simply looks like he’s loving life. So with Gary Vee stating recently that entrepreneurship is found in the DNA would he consider himself to be born to this life or just good at finding the doors when trapped? And were bigger and bolder actions and entrepreneurial ventures filling these days? Does he ever look back on the floor with the dog and think actually life is so much simpler, but but let’s find out as we bring them to the show to start joining up? With the one and only Mr. Travis Jones. Good morning, Travis. How are you sir?
Travis Jones [3:04]
I’m fantastic. That was amazing. intro. Thank you for having me on the show today.
David Ralph [3:09]
It’s lovely to have you on. I’ve been doing a bit of research. We call it stalking in the show, but it’s research as well. And you are somebody that quite honestly looks like heavier. In order it looks like you are in your zone of genius. Do you feel that? Or is it still squeaky bum time?
Travis Jones [3:29]
I think every single day is some form of squeaky bum time. It depends on what your goals are, what your aspirations are. So I would say about 10% of the way to my goals, but I’m definitely not living on the floor with my dog in my gym anymore. And she do you look
David Ralph [3:45]
because it was we said in the introduction and actually think to yourself, life is so much simpler because I went when success comes you’ve been stopped being pulled into different directions that maybe aren’t in your comfort zone or weren’t part of the plan. At the beginning. You sometimes look back on it. I know I certainly do with join up dots and think to myself, I thought it was a bit rubbish back rain. But actually it was kind of easy. I just was breezing around.
Travis Jones [4:10]
I definitely do. I was talking to my wife the other day. And I was like, I remember I remember living back in the gym. Yes, my overheads are like 250,000 is like, oh, how do you do that. But you know, if you need to find $10,000 in a week to pay the rent, like it’s still possible. Now, you know, how wages for it like $5 million a year. So it’s like, you know, oh my gosh, I need to find $100,000 in seven days, like you just living in a different ballpark. So that means your your problems are slightly larger, but because of your potential is larger and your you’ve grown to be more of a problem solver, you just rise to the occasion, but definitely was a little bit easier back then.
David Ralph [4:51]
Now one of the things that I find that a lot of entrepreneurs struggle with Travis is bad moment when they realize but actually, it’s not just them anymore. It’s not entrepreneurial spirit by have got responsibilities to start by employing people. And so ultimately, if I fancied to sort of just turn off the switch, they’re going to be thinking I’m putting people out of business here is that one of those kind of moments in your life that you thought, hang on, hang on this is this is getting serious now.
Travis Jones [5:21]
100% like I actually think about that all the time. I don’t do this just for me anymore. I do it for the hundred staff that we have. Because essentially I support all of them and all of their families and, and their hopes and dreams. And if if I didn’t make this work, then I’m letting them down. I’m not letting me down. I know I can turn off tomorrow and I can start another million dollar business the next court next 12 weeks. But for them, it’s like their livelihood is literally dependent on me and my decisions every single day. So it’s a must that we succeed, not for me, but more so for them.
David Ralph [5:53]
Now, that’s a big statement you made there that you could make another million dollar business in 12 weeks Steve you totally believe that? Is that just because of mindset or experience?
Travis Jones [6:05]
As muscle experience, I think Yeah, we’ve did 2 million in about 16 weeks for my secondary business. So I think once you understand, and you can join the dots, you know, the direct route on how to do it. So it’s it becomes an easier way to get to the promised land once you’ve done it before.
David Ralph [6:22]
You notice a lot of people out there Travis going let’s join those dots up. Let’s find out how he did it. So is it very much what you did what apply to other people? Or does it have to be very specific to the business? That kind of success?
Travis Jones [6:37]
No, no, no, it can be done for any type of business. We actually do coaching as well. So we coach across about 23 different industries. If you apply the same model the same essentially mindsets, and I’ve been a graft or grit depends on what country I don’t win when you using these words, then you can just do it. You just have to have the the ability to know how the modeling success as Tony Robbins would say, and then actually get it with the right mindset in the right behavior system.
David Ralph [7:02]
Right. Let’s do it. Mr. Jones. Let’s do it. You and me. We’re going to set up a multi million pound business in the next hour. Okay, so I’m gonna be a guinea pig. And I’m coming to you and Travis, I love what you’re doing. I love the fact that you’re really enjoying it. I want to do that. I haven’t got a clue where to start. What was the first thing that I should do?
Travis Jones [7:25]
Once the first thing you got to do is like I would say what business you’re in. But it’s also why do you want to make a million pound business or why you want to make a million dollar business? Unless you know your why there’s no point doing it. So why do you want to do it?
David Ralph [7:36]
Because it’s a million pound trap. It’s Don’t be an idiot. It’s a million pound. That’s what everybody wants? I want I want all that and I want what that brings me I want Victoria secrets models on every corner. I want a laptop on the beach whenever I want it is a million Travis I don’t need to give a Why do I
Travis Jones [7:56]
have to have your Why? Because I’m gonna tell you right now when it’s for I am in the morning. And you’re like I’ll do it tomorrow. Parkinson’s Law dictates you’re going to put that shit off unless you have the right passion, you have the rights. Why the ride, say I guess star that pushes you because, you know, I’ll tell you right now once I had kids and put me into a new stratosphere of determination and discipline because I wasn’t just doing it for me anymore. I was doing it for them. I was doing it for a legacy I was doing it for the ability to show them where you’re born on this earth does not determine your outcome, you determine your outcome. So if you have a true wire Simon cynics would say not just about your business about yourself and the way you want to serve the world and how you want to contribute back to society, like reaching for that because if it’s just about money, you just can be another guy who tries to get rich. And there’s another sob story in the bar. But I’ll tell you right now, if it’s a way to serve the world, the world gives back to you.
David Ralph [8:51]
And he is true that money isn’t the be all and end all we all think it is at the beginning. Because I always say to people that I do coaching with I will give you a million pound a week. But all you’ve got to do is bend over and I ran a real hot outside every five minutes. You’re not gonna want the money. Oh, yeah, after a while you’re gonna go actually the money isn’t important to me. But we all think it is.
Travis Jones [9:14]
Exactly right. I think that’s the biggest thing. Like there’s always that sort of, you know, conflicting? Am I willing to take the money if I, you know, question my integrity, you know, who do I have to show up? What am I actual character traits? You know, does this live well with me, and I believe that, you know, integrity or respect is something that you can lose very fast, but it’s very hard to get back. So I believe in creating businesses around your passion. I believe in creating businesses that are fueled by your why and let’s just say you had your y, let’s just say you had this passion, and you’re great at what you do. That’s like the first thing it’s like, okay, don’t just wake up today and go, Hey, I’m going to start a million dollar business, I truly believe and, you know, I before I started the gyms, you you’re looking at Malcolm Gladwell, the whole 10,000 hour rule. Yeah, I know, you can bypass that you can buy some knowledge and cut down that 10,000 hours to like 5000 hours or 4000 hours if you do some courses, but you have to be good at what you do. Or you have to have some money behind you to start employing people who are good at what they do. Because you can only sell stuff that is no good ones because then word gets around reputations travels fast that you’re not great. And then you can’t sell it anymore.
David Ralph [10:28]
Right? Okay, so I’m gonna jump in with a question now. And then I’m going to come to stage two, because I’ve now sorted out my why I now know my why. And so it’s not about money. I was an idiot, Travis, I was greedy, I was reaching out for something that wasn’t important. Now, one of the things you said there about fast tracking yourself is actually paying for people who are better than you at doing that. But there is that bit, certainly at the beginning of business. And certainly in that growth stage of a business, where more often than not, you know, that’s true, you know, that you can fast track, but you’re not bringing in enough to actually start paying for somebody. What is your advice for about when somebody is in that grind stage at the beginning that agrees everything that you’re saying, but it’s going yeah, but I just can’t afford somebody at the moment.
Travis Jones [11:17]
The first thing I would probably say to someone is, you know, you gotta look at the cost benefit ratio. So for yourself, could you go get a job on a Saturday and Sunday and work at meatballs and work in a 711 and make the hundred dollars a week there or work some nights and employ someone during the days in your actual job, so you can afford them so you can move faster, you know, stop looking at, start looking at the problem with a different outlook or different perspective, because then all of a sudden, the things you look at change, I know that sounds, you know, different, it’s different type of advice, go get a job to try and play for an employee to come into your business. But hey, sometimes you gotta do it. If you don’t have the money, and you don’t have the time here, you can try and create it some other way. But also, the second thing I want to say is like, you know, if you’re starting this business, about your passion, and if you study it, because you know, say I was a personal trainer want to open the gym, and I thought I was good at what I did is always this resistance inside of us. And especially with miles between the 20s and 30s were very significant striven. And we think we’re the best at what we do. So we resist employing people around us who are also great, because we’ll lose that satisfaction of the significance people saying, Oh, you’re so good. You’re so good. So when we’re ready to step back, and we’re ready to give someone else the praise, and we can go, we can pass the torch and we can raise them up. That’s when your business is truly going to start to move forward because you can move out of a more of a technician phase and you can move into more of that business operations phase as well. And that’s when you start to take it to the next level your business.
David Ralph [12:50]
I think Steve Jobs said something along the line of we don’t hire good staff. We hire staff that make us better or something along those I paraphrase, but it is true, isn’t it? You have the most stupid person in the room you’re doing something right.
Travis Jones [13:05]
I always said that always want to be the dumbest in the room because if I’m the dumbest in the room, that means I’m moving upwards and if I find himself I’m not the dumbest in the room. It’s time to find a new room.
David Ralph [13:14]
And how often have you been in that room Travis that you are the dumbest
Travis Jones [13:19]
I would say every single day.
Insane that here we are when we could I started hiring Education Department inside my gyms I I looked for mentors. When I look back, six months into my business. I was literally walking the streets to try and get leads. I had a lot of hustle a lot of grit. I will outwork anyone if you know the whole Will Smith says, you know, you jump on the treadmill next to me, I will keep running until I die or get off after you and that was me. That was my whole mindset. But six months in, I’m like that has to be a better way than walking the streets for marketing. Like I’m doing okay right now, but I can’t keep this up. I cannot scale to where I need to do walking the streets across different locations. So what I did is there was a mentor in the states and he was saying whoever could represent his blog the best and he ran his 30 day competition. You went a year of mentoring with him and all his products and services and yet, Facebook ads and blogging secrets and all the rest of us like I need this. So everyone was holding up the signs are the Eiffel Tower now. I recognize blog. As I was sitting in Melbourne, I was like how am I going to rip his blog the best I can down to the last day I was like, screw this I went down to the tattoo shop. I tattooed his website across the back of my shoulder. I took a photo I sent that in the first thing he said is your account crazy person. The second one he says like no one else would be that stupid. So I won the year of mentoring and all of a sudden that’s how I got my first coach. And have you still got that on you or if you had the edge
David Ralph [14:47]
now.
Travis Jones [14:48]
Now that’s it that’s a line in the sand. For me that’s I’m willing to do whatever it takes to succeed in life that will be on my shoulder for the rest of my life.
David Ralph [14:56]
Quite stuff. That is a story that I haven’t heard before. I’m going to go out and get started all over the place. I don’t know what I’m gonna have behind me. I’m gonna I’m gonna do I’m gonna be like a walking Marketing Board. We’re getting back to why I have nailed my wife, Travis that my wife is. I want control. This is about I don’t want a boss. I don’t want anyone telling me when I should work or when I don’t work. Is that a big enough? Why always a superficial Why?
Travis Jones [15:29]
Well, I’m about to slap you in the face with some real talk. Because if you don’t want control, you should never be an entrepreneur because discipline equals freedom. If you look at obviously Jocko willing says that the time when I started the fastest success and the fastest scale is when I became even more disciplined with my time. And you know, I’ll tell you what, yeah, other people weren’t telling me what to do. But I was having to stick to a schedule, I was having to wake up at a certain time I was having to do my biggest tasks and Eat That Frog first thing in the world as Brian Tracy would say, I always having to do my 25 minute Palmer doors and you know, working inside 90 minute blocks with outcomes that were truly specific. I had to be more disciplined than I ever before, even when I did have a job, because all of a sudden now the discipline equaled my freedom, the discipline equals my success. So I couldn’t not show up. If I didn’t want to show up. I couldn’t be lazy. I couldn’t be unproductive, I had to find out how can I kick myself in the ass as hard as I can? And how can I get the most done every single hour?
David Ralph [16:31]
Yeah, but what you’re doing there, you’re doing something that you want, you’re being pushed in the direction of your vision. And that is that’s doable. that’s acceptable. That’s what I think most people want. What they don’t want is a Brenda from HR telling them to do stuff when they had no respect for Brenda from HR, who’s just been sitting at a desk for 40 years, and they’ve been naturally promoted and doesn’t know anything that that’s where most people are in cubicles, isn’t it? Taking direction from people that I love Catholic, quite frankly, being your complete idiot, one of these days, one of these days, I’m going to take you down.
Travis Jones [17:07]
I definitely agree with you to extend on that one. For sure. I just think that people paint this picture of the entrepreneurial journey that it’s all glitter and unicorns, when the reality is you have to do a lot of stuff you don’t want to do you don’t like sales too bad get on the phone. You don’t want to clean the toilets, too bad clean the toilets. If you don’t have a if don’t have someone to clean them. You know, there’s so many things that you don’t want to do that you have to do to just get them done. But yes, it’s attached to your Why yes, it’s attached to your vision. But that’s when people procrastinate the most because they don’t have anyone on their back saying, hey, do it. And all of a sudden, they turn around 12 months later, two years later, and they go, Oh, I didn’t make it. I guess I was just unlucky. As like, No, you just didn’t do the work.
David Ralph [17:54]
It’s all about the reps, isn’t it? And that’s why I flappy midway. I just can’t be bothered to do it. But why can’t be bothered to do is play the words of a remarkable man in many ways. And let’s say these words Jim Carrey
Jim Carrey [18:08]
my father could have been a great comedian, but he didn’t believe that that was possible for him. And so he made a conservative choice. Instead, he got a safe job as an accountant. And when I was 12 years old, he was let go from that safe job. And our family had to do whatever we could to survive. I learned many great lessons from my father, not the least of which was that you can fail at what you don’t want. So you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.
David Ralph [18:34]
Now, what I always ask and I play those words most shows trap is is do you do what you love? Or do you just do anything you can and then find for the love as you move through because you hear stories all the time of people that are creating multimillion pound businesses and then doing themselves in the weekend because I hate what they’ve created. How do you do that? How do you find but love when you’re going into the skin rezone or stop you’ve never done before?
Travis Jones [19:04]
I think that’s why I came back to the start. You have to be passionate about what you do. Like I am so passionate about health and fitness and growing businesses. Now I think you know, I rep the 10,000 hours and health and fitness now roughly 10,000 hours in the business consulting side of things. If you truly fall in love, you find your free time reading the books on that, or you find it’s like it’s never hard work. It’s just long work at times. Because if you love what you do, if you’re passionate about what you do, you’re intrigued to find the hack your intrigued to find how can I make the system better? How can I serve society even more, because if we come from a place of service, and we come to from a place of contribution back to the world, through your passion through what you were born here to do, because I believe we’re all born here for something. And if you’re lucky enough to find that and you go all in your balls to the wall, like how can you get bored with that? How can you get bored researching how can you get bored becoming better? How can you be get bored, you’re trying to achieve your true potential. If you found what you love, I think if you’re doing something that you don’t love, and you’re doing it for a buck, the hundred percent it’s easy to get bored. 100% It’s easy to try and check out in the weekends. And you know, have a few too many drinks because you don’t want to essentially wake up the next day because you don’t love what you do. But if you love what you do, like why would you ever want to check out from it?
David Ralph [20:28]
Now do you ever have a day when you just sit on the sofa in a one z and eat sweets and stuff? Did you ever have that because I actually feel your passion? I feel like I’m swimming against a tsunami wave. I feel like I’m almost drowning under your passionate Travis Do you? Do you ever have times when you you’re not Travis? You’re just kind of just and just binge watching Netflix?
Travis Jones [20:50]
I don’t believe I do. I have times where I feel back, I want to do that. But the the amateur waits for inspiration. athlete just gets it done. And she wants to make a million dollar business not being an athlete, you aren’t gonna build a $10 million business not being an athlete. You know, if you’re waiting for motivation to strike, like go sit on your couch. Because motivation is a fickle thing. It’s like willpower. You know, you have to strike the motivation yourself. And you just have to do what you need to do whether motivation strikes or not. Because you’re an athlete, and you’re getting consistency, you’re disciplined, and you’re putting in the reps. And you know, I do the meetings and you know, new staff come into like any of the businesses that we have, and they’ll say to someone else, oh my gosh, like is he always like that? It’s like, Yeah, because I I turned it on, I turned it up, because I’m like, if I’m not like this the transfer of energy, the belief I have in our business, the belief I have in the product you want if you’re at like 70% and I’m not at 110 How the hell am I going to get you to Nani?
David Ralph [21:54]
Why I’m gonna go to 150% Mr. Travis jobs we’re going to be writing each I’d like made stakes on this show. So I created my why I’m on the way to a million dollars here. I feel free already. And I’ve already decided that a life of freedom isn’t part of it. Because I’ve got to dedicate myself and I’m going to be at my desk. Seven every morning, I’m going to be doing 12 hours a day until I can afford that first person to speed me through. What do I do then? What do I do when I’ve got this person? And do I hustle like mad? Do I do the right things because I saw somebody the other day on Facebook say and I rarely ever go on Facebook. But it was something along the lines and I always paraphrase of 95% of the people are working hard at the wrong things. And it’s amazing how easy life is if you work on the right things. So how do you find the right things? And how can we translate that knowledge through to our listeners so that they can do the right things as well.
Travis Jones [22:52]
Everyone always talks about you have to get from A to B but Anthony, I was just find your way there. And I’m a true believer in reverse engineering your goals. If you want the million pounds, it’s like okay, I need to sell 333, $3,000 3000 pounds items a year. It’s like fantastic. How many would talk to have to sell that and awake and how many do I have to sell a day. And all of a sudden we know exactly what we need to do. But I think you know sometimes, like it’s not a debate, it’s like a to z Okay, Z is the million pounds, and I is where I am right now. And you have to think the anxiety creeps up in people fear creeps up and people in doubt creeps up and people because they think they need to have every single answer. They don’t need them all they just need to know where they want to go z and they need to go where they are I and they just need a pretender in a forest Z’s on the other side. And I use where they are now. And they turn on the torch at nighttime, as long as the torch sees be stopped walking there. And when you get to be the torch CC, you start walking, they just need to see your first couple of steps in head and know you’re headed in the right direction because they’ll start to get you along the way. Because clarity is what’s going to get you there as long as you can see a couple of steps in front. Now if you bring on an employee, how like so many people, they they don’t hire based on their core values or anything like that. I think it’s so crucial for businesses now to have like these four or five core values. And if I look at at Ave to inspire, it’s empower and educate. It’s result driven, it’s community driven. And whenever we hire anyone, it’s like this is what it looks like to be in our core values. This is what it looks like not to be in our core values. Tell me a sentence how you live life inside our core values every single day. And if someone’s a part of that core values, I can get them accountable, I can increase their skill level. And I can do anything with these people. But you can’t get someone and can’t change their mindset. If they’re not in their core values. I think that’s one of the most crucial things as an employer to have an employee on day one,
David Ralph [24:55]
my wife, I’m going to tell you a story about my wife, I’ve just spent a month in Florida. And it was very nice, relaxing, driving around keeping away from the parks as much as possible. But I love putting a GPS on and programming it to where I go and been ignoring it and going off and were saying do a U turn do a U turn at the end of the road, do a U turn told you 15 times do a U turn. And I always say to my wife is go down there and she says no, no, just follow that just he’s telling you where to go just follow back like oh, well, we can’t get lost. We can’t get lost. We know where we’re heading. That’s where we’re heading, we can just go off in any direction is going to get us better. What do you think that she’s got that mindset of it has to be that straight line. And most people do as you say most people think it’s a to be, I’m earning 30 grand, I need to earn 30 grand, so unless I bridge that gap instantly, it’s not going to work because it’s not realistic, is it?
Travis Jones [25:52]
It’s not realistic and to you know, there’s the mains all around the social media where you know, his success as an entrepreneur is like a squiggly line. It’s not it’s not a straight line, nothing. It’s not linear, it’s not nothing you have to understand. You’re going to have ups you’re gonna have downs as long as you’re moving forward. Like that is the main thing as an entrepreneur. Because momentum that’s that’s gives you the positivity, that’s what keeps you going as long as soon as you stand still, that’s what hurts entrepreneurs, if you’re standing still, you’re going backwards. But it’s definitely not a straight road from zero to a million pounds.
David Ralph [26:27]
Do you ever ignore your GPS as well? Travis, do you ever let it scream at you for 40 minutes and just keep on reprogramming itself? But keep on going?
Travis Jones [26:37]
100% because sometimes the right thing is not the right thing.
David Ralph [26:41]
Oh, that’s profound. That’s profound. Say it again so that people can have a sound clip.
Travis Jones [26:47]
Because sometimes the right thing is not the right thing.
David Ralph [26:51]
I want that as my album. Don’t ever make an album that’s going to be the album title. What do you mean by that?
Travis Jones [26:58]
Like, there’s been times when I should have closed down businesses because logic says yes. But my gut said no. Sometimes we should have fired employees because they weren’t pulling into skills that they needed, but they had the core values. So your logic says Get rid of them where your gut says just give them a little bit more heart, give them a little bit more gratitude. Just bring them along, sometimes when you should never have hired someone, someone before. But you can see something in their eye that says yeah, they’re going to be valued at some point in time. So you bring them in, like the right thing isn’t always the right thing. Logic tells you follow the navigation, your gut says, Hey, like, let’s let’s go left right now. Because, you know, going left could literally be a miracle going left could give you a shortcut going left could you know give you inspiration, it could find that unicorn that you’re looking for and going left for me was that Sona story going left for me was you know tattooing my body to win a competition. I’ve had so many times where I’ve gone left, because my god said Just do it. Where logic would say you’re stupid. But sometimes you have to brush logic off your shoulder, you just got to push yourself through the wall.
David Ralph [28:12]
He’s amazing. When you look at your life, all the amazing things that have happened like meeting your part now and having a kids and all those kind of stuff. You’ve got no control of it’s just things that happen you just happen to be in that bar just happened to brush against that person happened to do it’s all happened stones were in business people think as we could keep on talking about but you can program it But I say to people don’t program it. Just make yourself open to the opportunities and work bloody hard.
Travis Jones [28:42]
I completely agree with you. I think the biggest I was talking about this someone today like I think if you have a positive outlook, I think that’s one of the most crucial things in business, this obstacle is going to come like my Tyson mike tyson will say, right? You know, everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face. And it’s so true. Like, you know, everyone has a plan in business, and then all of a sudden life punches you in the face. And then you can stand it being punched in the face, you’re dwelling on your problem sitting in the corner, or you can go You know what, that was not secure. It’s not just not so it’s an opportunity, such an opportunity to learn it’s an opportunity to come be difference opportunity to via left, it’s an opportunity to overcome something and find my true potential because I tell you what the obstacles I found in my life brought me to where I am today. And so many of us look back and you know, you lose a partner because they cheat on you or you shut down a business because something didn’t happen. And you know, all of a sudden, we resent the past, but the world happens to you, it happens for you. Like that’s what we have to want to say if we can truly be positive, even in the darkest of hours and understand this is happening for me for my future. And it’s only happening because I am ready to actually take on this situation with the potential I truly have right now. And we can take a different outcome, then you’re going to have a different outcome on the back end of it.
David Ralph [30:05]
different outlook and a different outcome album too. That’s my album too. I think this this is great stuff. So okay, so let’s get back into it. Because it’s interesting, really, if I took you back 10 years, as I will do later on the show when we send you back in time to have a one on one with yourself. But wouldn’t it be speaking to the same Trappist? Would you be very different? Would you be a muted version?
Travis Jones [30:30]
No, no at all. I was doing YouTube’s back before people were on YouTube. I either clip eight years ago, and I was walking the streets and I was three months until opening obby T. And that was one I am and back then I tried this thing called poly fate. Oh, sorry, monetizing. Sleeping when I was sleeping 20 minutes every four hours. Yeah, it’s like so Snoop Dogg did and I was like, it was good enough for Snoop. It’s good enough for me. Clearly, I wasn’t smoking enough weed. Oh, yeah. Exactly, exactly. So clearly, I need to be smoking more weed or something like that to be able to do it. But I wasn’t. So I was I was struggling. I was like two weeks in and I didn’t know what I was doing. But came back to that was like when I am I was walking the streets as like, to whoever are watching me out there. In five years time, everyone’s gonna know who I am. Because I’m going to build this company and you can ignore my name, it’s going to be in your household, we’re going to hit a $10 million company, I’m going to tell you right now, this is how it’s going to happen. I called it I called it then I called it when I played football before that when I was I got understands from your playing sport, you put in the reps, you put in the sessions, like if you’re not good at something, you find the skill acquisition. And that’s the beauty of business. If you’re no good at something, you just have to find the skill you need to learn. You read the book, you get better, you apply that skill, and all of a sudden, bam, you’re great at something. And that’s what I love about business because everything is learned. You can acquire skills in weeks and months. If you’re not great at marketing, read a couple of books watch a couple of YouTube’s that cost you like $20. And all of a sudden, wow. I’m a great marketing genius. Like, guys, like the education is out there just most of us don’t want to take it.
David Ralph [32:16]
But like don’t know, what is the right education master troubled Travis, I was talking to a guy earlier who is an author. And he does he’s very in depth books. And I was saying to him when I went down when I was a kid, I used to go down the library, which people don’t do anymore. And I’ve asked for a book. And that information was gold, because that was the only bit of information I took that as gospel. But now you go online, and there’s stuff everywhere. And a lot of it is trusting information. How do people know that they’re getting the good gold?
Travis Jones [32:47]
Yeah, there’s a lot of garbage out there. I completely agree with that. I think you have to break down yourself into like, you know, they have the whole wheel of life. But I as a business will have life and I get people to write themselves one to 10 in business systems and operations or marketing or sales, or people development or their personal behaviors. And the ability of having emotional intelligence or you know, could be communication skills and leadership. Like if you write yourself one to 10 whatever is literally your bottleneck right now that is holding your back in your three out of 10 in leadership, literally Google top five leadership books of all time by the mole read them over the next three weeks and write down some actions you can do. If you tell me you don’t have time to read, I’ll probably slap you in the face because every single person has half an hour or day to consume knowledge.
David Ralph [33:35]
You’re quite aggressive, aren’t you? So you you’ve offered to slap me now you’re slapping my listeners? Is it this? Is this how you operate? Is there a softer side to you?
Travis Jones [33:45]
I just truly believe that everyone has so much potential. And I’m passionate to try and bring that out in people. Because I believe society is moved into some state of mediocrity. And I would like people to move out of this mediocrity and and and find their untapped potential in life. And you can only find that sometimes when we’re jolted, added to our current circumstance, and someone pushes us, you know, metaphorically without hot poker again in the right direction.
David Ralph [34:16]
I love the fact that you’re voiceprint or something. It all went soft. You You You went to the gentle Travis, there was a switch in you that
Travis Jones [34:24]
I can that I can get my softer side to tell us for you.
David Ralph [34:27]
Absolutely. So Travis, right. So this is all great stuff. And this is basically we’re saying to the listeners out there, but it’s not going to happen overnight, you’ve got to do the work, you’ve got to have a focus, you’ve got to have a direction, you’ve got to have a why you’ve got to basically invest in yourself ask the right questions. So many people do that and they fail. So why why did they fail? Is it just they’re choosing the wrong business? Are they what what is your reasoning? And I know this is a million dollar question, because there’s so many reasons why I fail. But why? Why do you think?
Travis Jones [35:03]
I think so many people fail because they tell themselves they gotta fall before I start, like we have these state stories and strategies. And I think this is the biggest thing that anyone has to understand. So many people before they even start their business, or maybe they six months into their business. And we have this internal dialogue we have inside our brain. And we say we’re not good enough. We say we can’t make it we say that. You know what, though, that we are not a success, because we let the world impact our brain. Instead of having that positive affirmation saying yes, you are good enough. Yes, you are here to serve the world. Yes, you can do anything you want to do, you just need to step up to the plate, and swing and swing and swing. So if you change your state and your story, they impact each other, because either net so we talked about sales goals, if I’m a negative state, and I’m negative, and I sit down at my desk, and I’m like, Oh, this person’s already, we’re going to answer my call. And if they answered, I’m not gonna even buy what I want. And it’s like I’m pestering them, that puts me into this negative state. And if I get on the phone to you, my tonality is down, I don’t, I can’t articulate myself clear enough. And all of a sudden, the person can pick up on my language, and the way I’m talking and all of a sudden, they don’t buy, I know. And then the strategy, I execute the strategy poorly, because of the stories I told myself because of the state that I put myself in. Instead, if we jump on that call, and go, every single call is a possibility that ice problem solve someone, every time I talked to someone, it is the ability to change their life, and I could impact them and I could change them 1% could impact their life and their future. And one person, I can impact the world. And it’s just by picking up the phone, that I can do this and whether they buy for me or they don’t, I’m going to problem solve for them. So if they ever talk to someone about my business, I talk with such gusto. With such, they’re going to say that it was the best conversation they had today, or at least this week. And that’s how we have to do it. And that puts you into a positive state, which means you execute the strategy flawlessly. And when you execute the strategy flawlessly they buy from you. And all of a sudden you change them internal dialogue, you change the state that you’re in, and a poorly executed by a strategy, that crap executed with a proper state and a proper story here, you’re still going to make the sale. But if you have a great state, if you have a great story, you’re going to keep going from strategy to strategy to strategy, because you’re just going to keep going until you find the strategy that works for you. I think so many people give up after one or two strategies. And that’s the problem. And then they start to tell themselves, they can’t do it. And then they start to tell themselves that no good enough. And then they give up. And I tell you right now, there’s been so many times I’ve lost money. There’s been so many times I should have given up. But I didn’t give up. And that’s the difference between success. And not. Do you
David Ralph [37:55]
know what I think Travis as well. There’s a lovely lady who’s connected through the show. And he people listen to a lot of the episodes, she will know that she doesn’t like a name to be shared. So we call her Derek. And so Derek knows that it’s about her. And I was talking to her the other day, and we were talking about her leaving her current employment and going for a dream that she wanted to do. And she said, I’ve got a head of a runway, she said, I got a hell of a financial runway. But I don’t want to use that I don’t want to use it. And I said to her Why, why? She said because I don’t want to see it just disappear. And I said, but you’re going to be replacing it, you’re going to be replacing that runway and that runway could get bigger. I think there’s a scarcity. I think people want to protect what they’ve got, instead of actually going for what they really want. They’d rather stay with that. That pocket money and save. That is my goal, more than looking at that and seeing what they can make of it.
Travis Jones [38:48]
That is so true. Reminds me of a story that I wish my son like, you know, the kid this, this man puts a pot of gold. It’s a nursery rhyme was like a pot of gold underneath a tree and it every single day he goes out to the tree and digs it up and looks at it and puts it back onto the tree. And then one day the someone steals the gold and runs away and he starts crying and he’s nightmares going What’s wrong, what’s wrong, and someone said, Oh, but they stole my golden. They said what you didn’t spend it. He said no. And they said, well just close your eyes and pretend it’s there. And you’ll still be in the same situation raw, like, at the same time. This is what people do with their bank accounts and not for pursuing their dreams. Because in case they drain their bank account. So you’re living a life and lived in case you drain this imaginary bank account, you can feel back up again, like you want even living your life. Like you have to slap yourself in the face this time. And you have to step up and you have to go. Well, what’s the worst case scenario? Because I’ll tell you right now, if I fold this $10 million company and after move back into a one bedroom apartment with my wife and my kids, then I just start again. Like there’s no no problem is starting again, guys like it’s okay. Like people fail all the time. But it’s not failure. It’s feedback. If you take that feedback, and you learn from that feedback, and you step up to the plate again, because the great thing is you always get to step back up to the plate, you always get to have another swing, and the next swing, you connect, you hit a home run, it will get that million pounds. But if you’re too afraid of ever swinging in the first place, you’ll never hit the home run, you’ll always be in the rat race. And you’ll always be protecting the imaginary gold sitting under the tree that you just look at just because
David Ralph [40:27]
well that’s played words from somebody who did keep on swinging and he got knocked off and he came back again. And he got knocked off and he came back again, no longer with us. But his words are here Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs [40:38]
Of course, it was impossible to connect the dots looking forward when I was in college. But it was very, very clear looking backwards. 10 years later. Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward, you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something, your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. Because believing that the dots will connect down the road will give you the confidence to follow your heart, even when it leaves you off the well worn path. And that will make all the difference.
David Ralph [41:13]
I amazing words aren’t they Travis
Travis Jones [41:17]
Steve Jobs is very inspirational, most definitely.
David Ralph [41:20]
Now, when you listen to that, I always ask people this question. So I’m going to ask it to you. But do you reflect on your own life and it’s a big moment when you look back and even God God, my God, that was so meaningless, really. But I look back on it now. And that really was the starting point to everything.
Travis Jones [41:39]
Like there’s so many big dogs inside my life. But I think, you know, I when I was 19 I had meningococcal and I was my whole career was supposed to be football playing rugby league. And I was rushed to hospital, I was like 60 seconds from dying. And I flatline three times in the hospital, I had kidney failure, I was in intensive care for three months. And I got out and I did my knee and I lost my contract and sitting there at home. And I flew back across the world and I was back cross outside of Australia. And I sat there thinking my life was over. And I remember my mentor saying to me, like your life’s over, you’re 19 he just were destined for something else. Like she just because one plan files, like another one opens. And that’s when I became a personal trainer. And that literally took me on the journey I am today because one plan filed. So so many of us. Like we think that if I fail once I can never move again, like I was just fortunate to fail at 19. And to set myself on a path that has led me today. And that dot literally has connected me all the way to this conversation right now.
David Ralph [42:53]
And that 19 year old must have been absolutely gutted, totally gutted. But it is a better do you look back now and go Yeah, I would have been alive. That would have been okay. Yeah, but this, this is sexy to me.
Travis Jones [43:07]
Most definitely. Right? Like I couldn’t look at it. This is like, if I had have played football, I would never have my wife, I would never have my kids, I would never be the person I am today, I never would have had 10 gyms, I would never be impacting three and a half thousand lives and make him the more confident I would never have 5000 people on my burn, I would never have a digital agency, you know, helping them grow their businesses, I will never, you know, we’ve made 53 millionaires with that business consulting, I would never have done that. Like the amount of lives I’m impacting on a daily basis right now. And the way I’m serving the world is so much greater than throwing a football around a field. And I am grateful that I nearly died at 19. Because today, I’m impacting so much more just being who I am. Yeah, we’re grateful as well. Because Hey, if you had died when he was 19, this would be a very quiet show.
David Ralph [43:58]
I would just be talking to myself, and that’s not good on a podcast. Well, we have been leading you up a path to where you are now. And this is the bit of the show that we call the Sermon on the mic when we’re going to send you back in time to have a one on one with the young Travis. And if you could go back in time and speak to him. What age would you choose? And what advice would you like to give him what we’re going to find out because I’m going to play the music. And when it fades, you’re up. This is the Sermon on the mic.
Travis Jones [44:51]
So I’m rewind back to me being 27 years old, and just opening up my business and I’m sitting there in three months into my business, this going over my head, I’m just gonna look at myself and say, you know, your potential is unlimited, you can achieve anything, if you just understand that, you know, talent means nothing, you just got to put in the work, people are going to doubt you people are going to steal from you people are going to essentially walk over you at times, you know, they will do wrong. But you have to understand that if you follow your path, if you follow your passion, if you follow your why. And if you show up serving the world as best as you possibly can, and own the character traits of respect, honesty, if you have discipline, if you have honor, and you have that positive outlook every single day. And if you can show up every single day to truly serving the world, then anything is possible. Because if you try and blame people for the mistakes, then you’re going to lose if you try and make excuses for why things didn’t happen, you’re going to lose if you just why can’t you can’t be successful, you’re going to lose every day, take responsibility for your actions. Every day, take ownership on your outcomes, and every day be accountable to yourself. Because if you can do those three things, you’re going to be a victim. And it’s going to be hard. Stay away from instant gratification. Stay away from the get rich quick, it’s going to take 10 years, and you’ll be on your way there. And you have to trust the process, the world is happening for you. And at times, it’s going to feel like whoa, you’re up against the wall. There’s no way out. But you’ll find the way out because you are who you are. And the only challenges that you face are the challenges that you’re ready for. So if you believe in yourself, if you look inside, you can find the opportunities in every single obstacle. And if you never has run out, I would say if you understand that the obstacle is the way then you’re going to grow your business to exactly where you know, it needs to be.
David Ralph [47:01]
powerful stuff. powerful stuff. So Travis, what’s the number one best way that our audience can connect with you, sir?
Travis Jones [47:08]
The best way you can find me is on Instagram. It’s Travis Jones entrepreneur. And that
David Ralph [47:12]
is the best way you can find me. Brilliant stuff. Travis, thank you so much for spending time with us today. joining up those dots. Please come back again when you’ve got more dots to join up. Because I do believe that by joining up the dots, and connecting our paths is the best way to build our futures. Mr. Travis Jones, thank you so much.
Travis Jones [47:30]
Thank you so much for having me.
David Ralph [47:34]
Mr. Travis Jones, well, that was powerful stuff, wasn’t it powerful stuff, how to make a million dollars, how to make a $10 million business, how to do the reps, the 10,000 hours, it’s really in there really in there and you can’t have a scarcity mind. You’ve got to just keep on going and going and going. And little by little it gets fine tuned. You polish up what you’re supposed to bring to the world until the world turns in your direction and says, Yeah, I think I’ll have a bit about and then you are up and running. It’s not easy, but you will get there every single one of you. So until next time, thank you so much for listening. If you got any questions at all about anything you’re going on in life, send them through to us just come over to the contact form on join up dots and we try to respond to everything. But until next time, thank you so much for being here. We’ll see you again. Cheers. Bye bye
Outro [48:27]
David doesn’t want you to become a faded version of the brilliant self you are wants to become so he’s put together an amazing guide for you called the eight pieces of advice that every successful entrepreneur practices, including the two that changed his life. Head over to join up dots.com to download this amazing guide for free and we’ll see you tomorrow on join up dots.
