Dumb Enough to Succeed

by Craig Harper

I own and operate one of the largest appointment only personal training studios in the world. Every week we have over 1500 appointments equating to over 70,000 appointments per year. We train everyone from Olympians to typical mums and dads. But it wasn't always that way.
Over the years plenty of well-intending people who are (apparently) much smarter, much more experienced and much wiser than me, have tried to help me steer the 'SS Harper' (AKA my life, my career).
Don't do this.
Don't do that.
There's no market for that.
That concept won't work in Australia.
You'll never get that published.
You need to spend...... on marketing.
You need business experience to make a business work.
You're too young.
You're too old.
You're too fat.
You need more experience.
Now's not the right time.
You need to learn more.
You need a degree.
You need another degree.
When the time's right, things will just fall into place.
You'll never make money in the fitness industry.
The truth is, most people don't really have a clue when it comes to the world of possibilities and potential.
They spend their life sabotaging their own dreams, and talking themselves and everyone in their world, into mediocrity.
Sometimes the combination of ignorance, inexperience and passion can be a winning formula.
Sometimes common sense is our biggest hurdle. Sometimes 'common sense' is a synonym for fear.
Learning by doing beats learning by listening every time.
I'm so glad I was too dumb to listen to all my clever advisors.