We were lucky to catch up with Scott Burgett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Scott, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?

Two hours later, I hopped on a call with my other assistant coach and he told me that he is putting in his two weeks. “Holy crap, what is happening?” Similar to the other coach, I didn’t see this coming either.

The coach who put in his two weeks was already committed, so I worked on wrapping up his time at EVA and made sure he felt supported for the next phase of his career. The other two coaches were already near maxed out at their salary structure for their role, so it did not make sense to stretch into what would be a vulnerable spot with the company. I did the best that I could with an offer, but it wasn’t what they needed.

Within three months, my coaching team was gone. I felt like a failure. I saw myself as a leader, but this made me question my leadership ability. It’s not easy to stomach a blindsided “I’m leaving” message, but three in one day? When that is half your team, it’s a scary spot to be in.

I learned a valuable lesson from failing as a leader during all of this. While the money was part of the equation for a couple of them, the bigger piece was me. I did not show up like they needed me to show up for them. I received feedback that they felt I was concerned with everyone else, but them. That feedback was tough to hear. And at the same time, it was exactly what I needed to hear.

Thankfully, I learned from that and have recovered stronger than before. I have a brand new team of three coaches who awesome humans and phenomenal leaders. And more importantly, I’m in tune with their needs and wants for what they want to get out of working for EVA.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I got into fitness coaching after I was fired from my corporate job. It was February 2019 in Austin, TX. I just got back from Arizona over the weekend from my grandma’s funeral. In a very emotional and tired state, I stepped into the meeting that my boss and coworker we’re in. She said “Scott, we are going to let you go. You can pack up your things and security will escort you out of the office.” It felt like the whole world stopped in that moment. I thought to myself “No, no, no. This can’t be happening right now.” Very frightened, my hands started to tremble. I started remarking about the projects I needed to get to and the emails I had to send. She assured me that they would take care of it from there. As I was packing up my things, I noticed security, my boss and coworker all staring at me, as if I was about to go crazy. I became a little irritated thinking about that, but calmed myself and asked “can I just walk out on my own?” They nodded and security stepped away. I walked out of that door for the last time. One month goes by and I’m scraping by. Just enough side gigs to hold my family afloat. My wife worked at the time, so we had some income to survive, but not thrive. And during that time I had been in a Facebook group with a mentor who taught fitness coaches how to build an online fitness coaching business. Something I REALLY wanted, but doubted myself to do. But as time went on, I kept coming back to his free stuff. Something drew me in about what he offered. One more month went by, and he posted an offer in the group. It spoke to me, so I opted in. After that, I hopped on a call with one of his reps and enrolled into his program. I used what was left in my emergency savings fund I had been saving up for the last eight years to make the investment. I had no plan B. I’m writing this today because I took that risk and invested in myself. It was worth it.

In Evolution Vegan Academy, we help vegans lose up to 20 lbs in their first four months without feeling like they’re on a diet. And we do this by teaching them our system that helps them build the habits and routines that lead to real, sustainable change. Because it’s not just about ‘what’ you know, it’s about ‘how’ you apply it. Most clients come to us wanting to lose weight – so we start there. Then in our second Phase program, we teach them how to build muscle, and turn their new habits and routines in a lifestyle. Our program is different than all other programs out there because we understand the process of transformation, through the lens of our clients’. In other words, we focus on teaching them the minimal amount of information they need to maximize the results – otherwise known as the Pareto Principle. The 20% of actions that lead to 80% of results. (End it after this sentence)

I am most proud of my team. They truly ‘walk the walk’ when it comes to living a Fit Vegan lifestyle. And I want people learning about EVA to know we understand what it’s like to ‘be different’. Being vegan is different enough, but when you throw fitness in the mix, it makes it a challenge to find a community that you can relate with. We realize you are the sum of the five closest people you hang around most. And it’s easy to fall into bad habits when the people around you don’t care about veganism or fitness. EVA changes that.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

The lesson I’ve had to unlearn is my relationship with money. In particular, the “scarcity mindset” when it comes to finances. And truth be told, I’m still practicing this belief today; so think of it as a work in progress goal.

Specifically, I grew up being told to get a safe job, that is reliable, that pays a good retirement. And while that is a great strategy for some, it wasn’t for me. I learned that about 4 years into my working career. I simply wanted more.

So when I started my business, I did a lot of mindset work for preparing myself for the abundance to come. My mentor said “you’ll start to make more money than you ever have in your entire life. And unless you change your mindset around it, you’ll hit a ceiling, and sabotage yourself.” He was right, that has happened on multiple occasions when things aren’t going as planned.

I sabotaged (sometimes unknowingly) my results to keep myself ‘safe’. Everything I had learned about money growing up was that it was hard to come by, and when you have it, grip it tight. But when I really decided to accept the abundance that came my way and saw money differently, my relationship with it has improved. Now, when I receive it, I see it as a way for me to continue to create more impact for my clients, provide more opportunities for my team member, and improve the quality of life for my family.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Two things: consistency and authenticity. These two together are a potent combo for attracting the right clients at the right time.

Consistency must happen in order for people to discover you. You can have the best product/service out there, but if no one knows you, what does it matter? And when I say consistency, I mean consistency through posting content. Whether that is organic content through your page or paid ads, flood the marketplace with your message.

Authenticity creates the connection that will lead to trust from your prospects. If you are inauthentic, your potential prospects will smell that from a mile away. Trust me on this – I’ve received feedback from my own clients at different times that they felt I wasn’t authentic and they couldn’t relate to me anymore. However, if you are authentic, your clients appreciate that. And you’ll connect with them at a deeper level that will have them asking “I want to learn more about your offer.”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.evolutionveganacademy.com/applicationpage
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachscottyb_/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.burgett13
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-burgett-22357158/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/_coachscottyb
• TikTok: @coachscottyb_