We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Steven Sullivan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Steven below.

Steven , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

The simple answer would be YES. While there are plenty of reasons I love owning a small business, it isn’t all glamorous. There are certainly days I think about what it would be like just to have a regular job. With a lot of areas in life, there are pros and cons to owning your own business.

Being a small business owner may be one of the toughest jobs, but it’s also one of the most rewarding. There are many benefits of small business ownership, and they often far outweigh the negatives. When you own the business, you are the boss. You do not have to rely on others or discuss decisions with them. The independence that comes with entrepreneurship is great for those who like to work autonomously. It gives you the flexibility to decide your own hours. It may seem like you are working all the time while building your business, but eventually, you will be able to decide when and where to work – no more 9 to 5. This flexibility is ideal for anyone who operates more efficiently outside regular office hours.

Small business owners work long hours and get little rest. In many cases, until you begin to make money, you will have to do all the work yourself. There is a large potential for fatigue, which can lead to poor decisions and the desire to give up. It can be a challenge to always think one step ahead when you are focused on day-to-day operations. However, as a business owner, you should keep this potential challenge in mind as much as possible. Plan ahead to strategically scale your business as soon as the demand for your products or services increases.

When Covid-19 happen in 2020, it really made me second guess my decision of owning a small business. Being told that we were going to be shut down was scary. That meant we might not be able to keep our employees, which they depended on us! It also meant that now my small business would struggle to put food on the table for my family and keep a roof over our heads. The uncertainty of not knowing what was going to come next for everyone, not just small business owners, was a tough pill to swallow. At that moment I did not know what was going to happen.

Although owning your own business requires a lot of sacrifices, it can also come with great rewards. Evaluate these pros and cons to assess whether it is the right path for you. At the end of the day, I can confidently say the pros out weigh the cons of being a business owner, and I am happy to own a small business.

Steven , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Steven Sullivan has garnered 15 years of dedicated experience in operational excellence for boutique fitness brands and small businesses. Steven leverages his experience working in various verticals in F45 to improve operations and build tailored roadmaps for franchisees. Steven also owns multiple F45 Studios. With the underlying vision to create more empowered franchisees, he works to lead, educate, and guide owners towards financial and operational excellence.

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

Never giving up and being resilient. One thing is for sure…..I have failed a lot, but that is what drives my success as well. Fail fast and often so that you can learn what NOT to do. Through failure, you will get to know yourself better, and you will learn from your mistakes. Failures make us rethink, reconsider, and find new ways and strategies to achieve our goals. Learning from other people is a great tool, but trying to strive for perfection based on them is simply setting yourself up for a more painful encounter with failure.

At the end of the day, it is easy to say that my reputation in my market was built on success, but the reality is that my reputation was first built on failing, which indirectly gave me the opportunity to be successful.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Having true love for what I do for a living. The best resource for new clients for me has been centered around the fact that I truly believe in our product. Not only do I believe in our product, but I live the lifestyle of striving to be the healthiest version of myself, and I believe everyone should get that opportunity. When you truly love a product, service, or anything in life, you are more willing to share it with everyone that will listen.

Human beings are smart, and they know the difference between someone just trying to sell them something versus someone that truly loves that product AND believes it will provide them with a better life.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.f45training.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steven.sullivan_/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-sullivan-97725a92/