Fitness Business University Podcast

SPEAKER_00: All right, guys,
welcome to another episode of

the FBU podcast.

I have a very special guest.

Today I'll tell you his name in
a second.

But for many years, this podcast
is now, I think, nine years old.

I'd just been yakking into the
butt of my phone telling you

guys how to run your gym better.

And that got me to the number
one ranked podcast in the world.

Not according to my mom and not
according to my wife Vanessa,

but according to some very
obscure, weird website I've

never heard of that ranked us
the number one fitness business

podcast in the world.

But what I've had been doing a
good time with, I have been

having a good time with is uh
bringing guests on.

And I've I I really enjoy
interviewing people.

I really like I feel like I've
been doing so much content in

the last decade that I enjoy
just having a really good

conversation with cool people.

And I've been having guests from
the fitness industry on, but

I've also been doing once a
month a guest of a member in the

SPF Mastermind.

And today I got a good one for
you guys.

He's a Jersey guy like me, and
it is none other than Caesar

Augusto Hernandez.

That's your that's Facebook
name.

Caesar.

Welcome to the show, brother.

What's good, Vince?

SPEAKER_01: Grateful to be here,
man.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, man.

I'm glad you're here.

And uh we got a great story to
tell for you guys, Caesar and I.

We go way back, you know, and
way, way back.

I mean, many guys don't even
know this, but I used to

actually have another podcast.

I used to co-hosted a podcast
with a couple different guys

back in the day called the
Million Dollar Gym Podcast.

Like it seems like so long ago
that I was doing that.

But and I I ran a mastermind
with another guy, and Caesar was

part of that group.

So this is like not taking me
way back.

But and then I restarted SPF
Mastermind, yeah, I think in

like 2018.

And I believe you jumped in
during COVID.

I think it was like around 2020.

SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah, right
before, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

SPEAKER_01: Right around,
actually.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

Also, just so just tell us about
the gym a little bit.

Just tell us like where you're
at, what kind of gym you're on,

just give us like the basic
stuff of the gym so so people

can get the context of your
stuff.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.

So I've been in business now for
12 years.

I've been coaching for 21 years.

I've I think I've known Vince
now for a decade.

And my gym right now is located
at my headquarters, uh, is in

Gottenberg, and we help busy
adults there.

It's a group training business.

We have about 170 members, and
uh we've sent it to Just explain

where Guttenberg is because I
think that's yes, yeah, sure.

So that's in in the Hudson
County, right across from the

city.

So right near New York City,
right near New York City.

Yeah, yeah.

We're right in between the
George Washington Bridge and the

Lincoln Tunnel.

That's a good visual there.

And yeah, 12 years strong there,
and we just opened up our second

location and got the keys about
eight weeks ago, and we're

rolling there.

We're still in the pre-sale
period, and sure we'll unpack

some of those things in a bit.

But yeah, that's it in a
nutshell.

SPEAKER_00: Awesome, man.

No, and I was really excited for
this.

I've been doing a lot of these
different ones, and I was really

excited for yours because you
just got a great story.

Like some of the some of the
guys, you know, have better

stories than others.

You got a really cool story, and
so let's take me back.

Let's, I guess, start with the
time.

Uh you know what?

Maybe we should just start with
the consulting day, you know,

that you had with me, right?

And where you were.

And I think that this is one of
the reasons why I like to do

these interviews is uh I I think
that you know, someone's a gym

owner sees a guy like you,
Caesar, you're killing it, open

second locations, you got a team
that's managing the first

location, and they see you and
they're like uh they think that

it was all always great.

Right?

They see you and they're just
like, oh well, Caesar must be

just a gifted gym owner.

And he's like, and and when
you're about to hear the story

of that couldn't be further from
the truth.

So take us back and like give us
the the dirty uh of the whole of

the whole thing.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.

All right.

So consulting day, man, that was
the uh turning point for me,

honestly.

It was the the conversation I
needed to really turn the ship

around.

So at that point, I was in the
deepest, darkest, probably the

toughest period of my adult life
at that point.

The business was burning cash.

And I remember the theme that we
came up with that day was stop

the bleeding.

And I had gotten to that point
where I had one foot in the door

and one foot out the door of the
business.

I was pretty ready to call it
quits.

I was ready to throw in the
towel.

You know, I've been in the game
for a bit already, gotten pretty

beat up by it by that point.

And yeah, that that
conversation, just that sit

down, it was a it was a hard
look in the mirror of look at

looking at some of the
realities.

Up until that point, it for me
was just always being a great

coach.

And what I've and one of the big
takeaways from being in this

group was just learning about
business, marketing, leadership,

and all the other stuff that I'm
sure we'll unpack.

But yeah, by that point, that's
that's pretty much where I was.

I was in the worst position I've
ever been in.

SPEAKER_00: I want to unpack
that a little bit more.

Like what were because you you I
think you said something

important that I want not gloss
over.

You you said you know, we were
one foot in and one foot out,

and I'm gonna tell you right
now, that never works.

It never works.

And the it here's how I know it
never works.

Because have you ever heard
heard the story of me and

Vanessa almost getting a
divorce?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I remember.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so so I told
that story, but I haven't told

it the podcast.

But like we it was like our
first year of marriage, and it

was an absolute really hard
time.

And we were seeing like a
marriage counselor, and he drew

this circle and he said, for
this to work, you need both feet

in the circle.

It doesn't work if you have one
foot in and one foot out.

If you're gonna make this
marriage work, you need both

feet in the circle.

And I remember him drawing the
diagram of like feet like in the

circle, and like that changed my
life, it changed my whole

marriage.

So, like, talk about that for
you.

Like, talk about that with I got
one foot in and one foot out.

Why?

Like, why did you have one foot
in, one foot out?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think number
one was I grew a ton of

resentment for the business.

Like I had just fallen out of
love with it.

Like, I just I was again, I was
letting it run how it was.

I wasn't my head wasn't in it,
my heart wasn't in it.

I was at a very lost period in
in just entrepreneurship

business, blah blah blah.

So, yeah, and a lot of that had
a really dark lens on it.

I was not grateful for it, which
is something that I got out of

that conversation.

And I actually I have some of
the notes still written right

here on my wall.

I've just the notes that we took
that day, literally it's right

there.

And I remember you just
reminding me of what the

business actually brought you to
at this point, which was like

the that mindset shift that I
needed because again, I was just

looking at it as man, I'm done
with this thing.

I'm done with the struggle of
it, the figuring these things

out, blah blah blah.

And yeah, that's that's pretty
much what had one foot in, one

foot out.

The the other the reason the
foot was in, because it was at

the end still paying the bills,
and that's where that's where my

mind was.

It wasn't about growing the
business much, it was just

survival in a sense, right at
that point.

SPEAKER_00: Okay, and do you
think COVID had something to do

with it?

I mean, do you think that it was
just like going through because

this was a was this this was
post-COVID, right?

Yeah, yeah, this was it.

Do you think COVID had something
to do with it?

Do you think it was just 12
years in the business?

Was it not making the amount of
money you want to make?

Like, what was the thing that
because I I wanna here's what I

wanted to say to you.

I really appreciate so this is a
tough story.

I know it's a it's a hard place
to go back to because it was

wrong.

I was with you there in that
day.

But I'm gonna tell you right now
how many people you're probably

helping right now because I I
guarantee you there are people

that listen to this podcast that
are in the exact same spot right

now, they're burnt out, they're
toast, they want to get out, and

they don't think that they can
turn it around.

And here you sit someone that
did.

So I I want to one commend you
for telling the story, but two,

I think the deeper we go into
this, into why I think we'll

someone's life is gonna be
changed by this podcast because

of you.

So what yeah, what do you think
it was?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.

COVID definitely knocked things
out.

I'm gonna say uh you you
mentioned it earlier, I was part

of the group right around COVID,
and I ended up stepping out

because uh by that point I was
already kind of starting to be

this sunken ship, in other
words.

But yeah, by the time COVID hit,
uh it was almost like an

identity shift of before the
years prior to that.

I was just focusing on being a
great coach and building this

community up.

I wasn't really about money or
business and things like that,

and that was an important part.

So COVID hit, it just had a big
identity shift for me.

And also just the business side.

I didn't know the business side.

You don't know what you don't
know.

Here I was by by that point, I
needed to do something, I needed

to figure this out, I needed a
group, I needed this

conversation, needed all the
people around in the group so

that I can see what the
realities are like what it

actually takes to make things
happen.

Because that but even 12 years
in the game or whatever, by that

point it was six years, I still
didn't really know what it took

to grow the business properly.

SPEAKER_00: So what was it like
going home during those days

after a day?

Walking into the house, do you
have kids, you have young kids,

you had young, real young kids
at the time.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, at that point,
I was I had my my second kid on

the way, and it was a really
tough time.

My wife had also lost her job at
that point, and it was just a

lot of things thrown at me at
that point, but yeah, it was uh

it was very tough, just
sleepless nights, not knowing if

I was gonna make it through the
next month, and yeah, just like

that.

I was lost at that period for
sure.

SPEAKER_00: Okay, so you got to
a point where you feel like all

right, I gotta do something
about this, or you didn't want

to keep going away.

And you booked the consulting
day.

And I was in we did it in the
hotel embassy.

I remember the first we spent
the first half of the day at the

embassy suites in the lobby,
right?

We didn't even go into a room or
anything, we just sit in the

lobby, yeah.

And we talked for like a few
hours and we got lunch, and then

we finished.

Did we finish the day at GFP?

I think we're doing GFP.

Okay, so talk me through that
day because it seems to be, I

don't want to take credit for
the turnaround, but it seems to

be that that day pinpoints to a
turning point for you.

Would you agree?

Definitely, yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, that that day
is in my core memories as as

turning point for me for sure.

Needed the conversations, I
needed the reality in the face.

You know, I got a ton from the
group, but having that

one-on-one where you put it
right in front of me, and we're

like, no, this is the truth.

This is the truth, Caesar.

And you shine the light on it,
and then you made me realize

some of the things that I just
wasn't paying attention to, and

I just didn't have the like the
sight on that.

It was just again, just looking
at it in a deep dark space, and

I was that again the worst spot.

So um, so yeah, those the
questions you asked me,

unpacking, you know, looking at
my PL, and I thought I was in a

better position than I really
was, which was a funny thing

because I had money, but it was
from debt.

I was paying myself off debt.

It wasn't it was an actual
profits in a sense.

I haven't I didn't I haven't
profited, I didn't profit since

COVID up until that time period,
I'm gonna say, and then it took

about six months for me to
actually start after that to

actually start seeing some of
the dividends pay from that.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

Yeah, so I think that's a big
one is you know, there's a line

from one of my mentors, Dan
Sullivan, that says, All

progress starts with the truth.

And one of the things that, you
know, you got Uncle Vinny that

day, you got some tough love.

And sometimes that'll need to be
hard.

Sometimes that we really just
need to point out what's the

brutal facts of the situation.

And sometimes our financials,
our profit and loss they would

show the brutal facts, right?

And uh it it's my guess that's
stuff that you weren't looking

at, you know, on a regular
basis, and you know, so that was

one of so that so that's a
really big key point for someone

that's struggling is you gotta
face reality, uh right?

Yeah, but you had the courage to
sit down with me and face

reality.

And we didn't know what was
gonna happen from that day.

You might have just walked away,
you might have just quit.

But what you needed to do was
know what reality actually was,

and that's not easy to do.

Yeah, so that was kind of one of
the first things we did, right?

Was face reality.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, and and
Vincent, I just want to say if I

didn't have that day with you
and I didn't turn things around,

we wouldn't be here.

I might be selling insurance or
I don't know, doing something

else to figure out and then take
your job, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: Exactly.

They'd be really fucked.

Yeah.

So what else did we do in that
day?

Like, what were the other
things?

Because I remember you texting
me some of the notes that you

took, like afterwards, you what
were some of the other themes of

the day, and some of the could
uh let's pinpoint some of those

things for people because this
shines the light on if someone's

in the situation that you were
in, like what are the things

that you not need to start
unpacking?

So, what were some of the other
things that the big takeaways?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, for sure.

The know your numbers was
definitely number one and what

they actually mean.

Because you you can you know you
can look at it all, but what

does it all really mean?

Like, all right, here's what
you're actually netting.

Are you putting away for taxes,
blah, blah, blah, all the all

those other things, but those
are things that I ended up

learning through more and more
time.

But at the end, the overall
lesson was know your numbers,

number one.

And we spoke about stop the
bleeding because I was just

overspending with no business
doing it.

I was just overspending on
people to take care of the

business rather than me stepping
up and leading.

And that's simply because again,
I had one foot in, one foot out.

So I was I was paying people, I
had too many people just on

staff.

So one of the things we did, we
we made some trims there, we cut

the fat around, we cut a lot of
fat.

So again, it is just we're
spending way too much there.

And I was like, Why are you
doing this person?

I was like, what is this person
doing?

You're like, I don't know.

Exactly.

Yeah, I just had way too many
people doing different things,

everybody was just getting, you
know, money for doing little

things, so that definitely
helped me identify, you know,

what mattered most for the
business, at least at that

point, and it kept evolving
through time.

But going back to that day, that
was definitely another one.

And then, like I mentioned
before, the whole gratitude

thing, just kind of uh getting
my mind back in the game for

that.

You made me write it down just a
look right now.

It was you had me write things
like my business provides the me

the opportunities, the clarity,
and the purpose to build the

future I want to create.

So that was like one of the
things that I ended up writing

down, and it was just again a
reminder of being grateful for

where I'm at.

SPEAKER_00: And I I remember
this because you it that led

from what created that
statement, I remember because

there was the resentment that
you had for the business.

Yeah, you were looking at it as
something that you didn't like,

and what I tried to do with you
was switch that around.

It's like, no, your business is
the vehicle to help provide the

life that you you that you want
to provide for your family.

Your business is that vehicle.

So you better start loving that
thing because that's the thing

that gets you what you want.

Yeah, and it's a it's a mindset
shift.

It was just a mindset shift.

Very cool.

Yeah.

Oh, awesome, man.

This is so good.

This is so helpful.

I I guarantee you, I'm telling
you, there's way more people

than you think that are
struggling right in this spot.

So this is this is great.

What were the other things that
we did, you know, in that day?

You know, probably we did some
more tactical things, um, you

know, maybe with we definitely
did a lot with staffing.

I remember I know I remember
that.

We did a lot with the org chart,
and we got rid of we got rid of

a bunch of people.

But talk about you, let's talk
about your role.

Like, what was the you know, the
shift towards you're not the

first person I've had do this,
and and basically I had to kick

your ass right back into the
business.

I was like, you need to go run
your business.

You're not running your
business, you need to go run

your business, right?

I remember you.

There's so many people that I've
done this with, but talk about

this one.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I remember you
said uh you're not Jeff Bezos,

Caesar.

This is true.

I had like an assistant, I had
this, I had that.

It was uh that I remember that
for sure.

So so yeah, after after like a
lot of the mindset stuff of

awakening, we closed it out with
uh like the overall strategy

like what's it gonna take to get
just again stop the bleeding was

number one.

Let's actually start making some
money.

And again, but prior to that, I
didn't have that lens.

It was in about like making a
ton of money, but I needed to in

order for the business to
survive and now thrive and get

to this point.

So so yeah, in terms of that, it
was the trim the fat, it was

just start getting back into
business again, start talking to

my team, leading them, loving
onto the business, pouring that

energy that I did before.

I just had to do it a little bit
differently at this point, and

you know, thankfully so, loving
where I'm at now.

SPEAKER_00: So and were you did
you step in and start to do the

selling as well?

Or did you were you were doing a
lot of the sales at that point?

SPEAKER_01: By that time, yeah,
I ended up shifting back in

there again, you know, into
calls, just stepping back into

the business period.

I got my hands back into
everything, and I started really

looking at all the data because
again, I wasn't looking at

numbers, I didn't know what our
attrition was, I didn't know

anything, like really.

I didn't break down the
expenses.

You've helped out with a ton
with the uh fixed variable and

like the taxes and all that kind
of stuff.

You big time.

You've helped me really
understand numbers a ton, and

that's that's shifted a lot.

That's really helped me, you
know, keep my finger on the

pulse of the business.

SPEAKER_00: I think that's a big
one too.

Like when you're in a tough
spot, you have to get clear on

your role for the company.

And that's one of the things
that we did.

It's like, all right, what is
Caesar's job?

And like there's a there's a
whole bill of Bill Belichick

line of, I don't know if you're
I think you're probably a Giants

fan, but there's the Bill
Belichick line of do your job,

do your job.

And that's one of the when I do
these days with people, it's one

of the most important things
that I can do is like have you

walk away, like, this is what
you're responsible for.

You are responsible for making
the sales in this business, you

are responsible for generating
the leads.

And crystal clear clarity on the
highest and best uses of your

time is ultimate in these
situations.

Okay.

Anything else?

Anything else you can think of
that we did from a tactical

standpoint?

We I don't even know if we got
to marketing too much.

I think it was very sh like just
strategic.

Very, it was a very strategic
day.

SPEAKER_01: Very strategic.

Yeah.

Yeah, it was not uh like
anything that was gonna happen

within the next month.

It was yeah, month.

Like we're all right, that's
just one stop the bleeding

first.

And then getting into and I know
you've mentioned this before,

but focus is a superpower, yeah,
and like you're just talking

about, and I definitely now am
the areas where I'm doing that

for the business.

I'm I'm much more focused on the
key areas to grow the business.

SPEAKER_00: Awesome.

So let's but let's start with
what happened because I I have

so many texts from you of like
the progress and the updates and

stuff like that.

Where was the business?

Let's call it let's call it
where was the business before

you open the second job.

You've got the business to be a
in a position to open up the

second one, but what what was
the like give me a snapshot of

the first business when we like
when like hey, we I got this

thing under control.

What'd it look like?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I remember by
the time we had the console day,

it was we were making around 28k
a month and just about, and now

we this right now we're
averaging right around 45k, 48.

We're on pace to hit our first
500k year this year.

We're 20, we're uh yeah, 20
better this year than we are

from last year.

So we're beating 2025 by 20 in
the top line revenue.

And then year over year from
that consult day, I'm gonna say

we've grown 10, 15, 20 over the
last four years, called it

almost 50, like oh no, 100% of
the business.

Like we and we've almost doubled
our revenue from that day.

SPEAKER_00: So yeah, that's I
think the important number to

share is you were doing 28k at
the consulting day, but we were

negative profit.

unknown: Yes.

SPEAKER_00: It's like 28k,
that's not as that's a decent

revenue number.

That's not like too shabby,
right?

We were literally losing money.

Exactly.

Uh 45k, yeah, 48k, and the
margins are super healthy from

you know, when I see you come
into the CEO mastermind, I look

at your profit and loss
statements and the margins are

beautiful.

You know, so which got you to
the point where you got the uh

Uncle Vinny grant permission to
open up your second location.

Okay.

I gave you a certificate that
said you're allowed to do it.

So that's amazing.

I mean, you're you were 28k from
losing money to 48K, and you're

profiting a healthy business
enough to be able to start a

second location, which is in uh
pre-sale right now?

So are you yeah, yeah.

You're in pre-sale right now,
and that's really awesome, man.

Uh what's life like for Caesar
personally?

Like, what is the difference in
your mindset, in your energy,

and your attitude?

What's the and we talked about
the business being the vehicle?

What what is the how has
improving the business improved

your life and your family's life
and everything like that?

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, before we had
our meeting, I was like I'm

thinking about these questions,
and I think the one thing is I

can sleep good at night and I
can wake up in the morning and

my business is taken care of,
like HQ right now.

I I haven't coached the session,
I think, since last year at some

point.

So it's running really well.

Our team there is really strong,
and I feel at peace there with

the business.

And I'm proud of the team and
everybody else, everything else

that we've built there.

It's a great community, and uh,
I'm excited to continue seeing

it grow and evolve through time
with led by the people that are

there.

So, so yeah, I have that that's
one of those things for sure.

Another one is just being able
to have breakfast with my kids

every morning from 7 a.m.

till like 8 30 a.m.

That's my non-negotiable family
time in the morning, and I'm

able to do that.

That's something I wasn't able
to do years ago with my my first

one, my first kid, uh barely saw
her just early mornings, late

nights.

So now I get to do that, and
that's a beautiful thing.

And then same thing with dinner
time, able to have dinner with

them and spend a little more
time with them, quality time,

and be present with them.

So those are big important
things.

Same thing with my wife, just
having that time with her as

well.

So, yeah, as far as uh life
lifestyle goes, that's those

those are the two big things as
of right now.

And I have the time, the
freedom.

I get to have this conversation
with you now, and we're just

creating more and more
opportunities for the people

that are in our team and the
businesses that we're building.

So yeah.

SPEAKER_00: What the hell else
could you ask for?

It's I love that answer.

It's like I can sleep well at
night, which shows that hey, and

there's still challenges in
business all the time.

There's challenges, it's always
gonna be challenges when we own

businesses.

But the fact that you sleep well
at night really you've come to

the conclusion that you can
trust yourself, believing

yourself that whatever problems
that you're gonna face, that

you'll be able to handle it.

And then the second thing is
just uh time with family, right?

Growing relationships, being a
present father.

And at the same time, it seems
like you're enjoying the ride,

right?

Yeah, you're enjoying the ride
as a gym owner, whereas before,

you know, we weren't.

So the the people listening to
this at home, I think they

sometimes get into this mindset
of like, I'll never be able to

turn this around.

And the only way to feel
different is to exit.

And I think a lot of people exit
uh too early.

I think they don't give it the
fair shot.

That's one of the reasons why
I'm writing this Four Stages

book, is because uh the Four
Stages book really highlights

the problems that people will
face.

It highlights what are the
challenges that you're gonna

face in each stage of business.

And so you've been able to do
that beautifully, and you're now

in the CEO mastermind, and
you're opening second locations,

and you have time to do this
podcast, and things are going

great, man.

I uh want you to answer this
last question.

And if you had a gym owner, we
kind of were citing back to

people in your situation, and I
guarantee you there are, but if

you had a conversation with you
know younger Caesar struggling,

questioning whether he wants to
stay being a gym owner, and he's

faced with a decision to get
help for his business, like you

did.

What is Caesar Augusto
Hernandez's expert advice?

SPEAKER_01: I would say I I I
wish I did this a lot sooner.

And I know I've tried and all
that kind of stuff, but in the

past, I definitely you know wish
I had dug my feet into looking

out for mentors a little bit
faster than I than I did, and

really make that investment.

And I know like even on the
council day, but when I invested

in that, I had no business
investing it.

We had no bunny coming in,
really.

And I still just made it happen
because I was like, this is it.

I'm my last Hail Mary right now.

And this is where I was, and
that was the turning point.

And sometimes you'll surprise
yourself in those moments,

especially through business.

It's cyclical, it's not it's not
always gonna be high, you're not

always gonna have wind on your
back.

You're gonna get punched in the
face here and there.

And it's always good to have
community around you for sure.

Support, guidance, like
everybody here in the SPF group.

I've learned from from
everybody, Joe, Leo, you vent,

of course, and and all the other
guys just seeing seeing the

stories and having conversations
like this.

And I'm excited I get to be here
right now and be one of your one

of the stories.

And my hope is that this uh does
inspire somebody that might be

on the fence or might be at the
rock bottom, wherever they are.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah.

I hope that uh closes that out.

Awesome.

No, that was amazing.

And uh, I I tell you, I was
like, I told you I've been doing

a lot of these, but I was super
excited for this one.

It did not disappoint at all.

I thought you did a great job of
going back to some times that I

know were tough for you to dig
up.

I know that times like you know,
in my life where I've struggled

and had challenges, someone's
asked me questions about that

time.

It's just like you're like
unpeeling an onion, and it's

just like, oh, that doesn't feel
great.

But I appreciate you you doing
it.

But I again I'll I know that
someone listening to this

podcast got something from this,
and likely you telling your

story is gonna change someone's
life from listening to it.

So I'm very proud of you.

Uh I'm super excited for you.

I'm super excited for what you
got coming up.

And you know, I know you're in a
great group of guys that it's

tough to be in that room and not
push the envelope, right?

So we're pushing the envelope,
right?

But you're doing a great job.

You're doing an awesome job,
very proud, and thank you for

doing this.