Fitness Business University Podcast

SPEAKER_00: What's up guys?

Welcome to another episode of
the FBU podcast.

This is an episode and a
continuation episode of a series

that I've been doing where I've
been sitting down with members

of my SPF mastermind that have
had success.

Now, I'm doing this for a couple
reasons.

One is some of these guys are
kicking ass and doing really

well.

And I want you to share their
story.

One for inspiration, but two to
learn some secrets about what

they're doing to have the
success.

But the second thing is, and
this is an idea you can probably

swipe.

Uh, the second thing I'm doing
is I'm writing a book, and the

book is all about the success
stories of my members.

And so we'll use that book and
you know, we'll send it out in

the mail to different people
that are interested in the SPF

mastermind, and we'll send them
that book.

And it's a great tool for you.

It's a great thing to you for
you to do at your gym.

Imagine you having a 50-page,
100-page book of all the success

stories of your members and
handing that to prospective

clients.

It's going to be a really
powerful thing.

So that's what I'm doing.

I'm just pretty much telling you
what I'm doing and why I'm doing

it.

And the gentleman today is very
special to me.

The gentleman today probably
goes down as the maybe the

biggest success story in the
history of the SPF mastermind.

So it's a pretty bold statement
because there's a lot of

successes in a lot of lives that
have been changed.

But I am on the phone with Tony
Biancino from Outrun Your Fork

Personal Training.

He's been in the mastermind, I
think started in 2018.

And uh Tony is my interview for
today.

So, Tony, thanks for coming on.

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, man, thank
thanks for calling on me again.

You know, I I gotta say, first
off, hats off and kudos to you

for such a great organization,
such a great program, and such a

great bunch of really
intelligent, hardworking human

beings.

We're also like just really good
people to crowd around us so

that we can help each other
succeed.

But the curriculum you put
together really is like

top-notch.

This is like legit classroom
curriculum, hardcore stuff with

the community of people that are
very sharing and open.

So I think that's really the
success for it.

And that's you know where we got
the success.

So yeah, I'm Tony from Outrun
Your Fork Personal Training.

My wife and I own it.

We're at one location right now,
and we I worked in corporate for

a while.

I've been doing personal
training for 37 years, and my

wife and I decided to open up a
studio.

And I did really, really poor,
really poor, and I wound up

really, really poor, made a lot
of really bad decisions, and I

was looking for a coach.

And all the time I was looking
for a coach, I went in and uh

ran across uh, let's just say a
number of less than reputable

people and less than really, you
know, maybe they were legitimate

and good people, that just the
courses weren't good, they

weren't effective, the support
wasn't there, and it just didn't

translate to success for me.

I had no lack of hard work, but
I knew I needed 10% of guidance.

So through that, I kind of lost
all the money that we had, and

not kind of, I did.

You know, we went broke.

I was trying to fund this
business.

My wife didn't work.

We have a 23-year-old autistic
daughter, plus a you know, a

typical son, and she's home
taking care of the kids.

She didn't work.

I was failing.

I was working 120 hours a week,
making$5,000 a month in total

revenue, total revenue before
business expenses.

So let's just say it was a rough
go.

We wound up a million dollars in
personal credit card debt at

29.9% interest.

Now, if you guys haven't thrown
up yet, just hold it because

there's more.

So, anyway, I'm giving you kind
of like everything all at once,

and then you can backtrack me
and pull out some things you may

want me to do.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, so let me let
me guide this a little bit.

Tony, it's like so so let's
before you You want a retake.

Yeah, so before you joined, you
you were renting space, you

didn't have your own space,
right?

You were publishing a space,
you're doing five thousand

dollars a month.

Tell the story about you coming
to me, because you you mentioned

all the you know people who were
charlatans, but you obviously

thought I was a charlatan too
when you first when you first

heard about me.

So tell that story about your
wife found the book and all of

that.

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so you know,
all these guys were you know,

they were less than reputable,
other programs were just real

crap.

And I always say that they were
shysters, you know, they were

full of baloney, shysters, yeah.

That's what it's right.

And my wife came across this ad
on Facebook or Instagram, and

she goes, Hey, you know, you
should look at this.

And she sends it to me on
messenger, and I'm like, No, I

don't need another shyster,
another huckster.

So six months later, she sends
it to me again.

She goes, I really feel good
about this guy, and I have no

idea why.

And I'm like, So now I go and I
take a look, and there's a thing

to get a book, and we were worse
than broke.

We were a million dollars in
personal credit card debt at 30,

30 interest, really, 29.99.

And I think it was like 20
bucks.

It was free to get the book,
right?

But then you could get two books
and a phone call with Vince.

And I was like, all right, I was
like, let me let me go for the

20 bucks, let me see what this
guy's all about.

Because you know, I'm a
face-to-face kind of guy.

I like to see integrity by
talking to somebody.

And when I got on the phone,
first thing was in like 30

minutes, you gave me three
actionable items that

immediately were gonna help me
change what I was doing.

And I knew that I would have
some success by doing it.

Now it wasn't gonna be
immediate, right?

But I knew if I implemented them
over the next couple of months,

we could probably 3x what we
were doing right then, which was

only five grand a month, right?

So 3x is significant, but
anyway, and that was without

joining.

You you didn't ask me about
joining, you didn't push it, you

let me know it was available.

I wanted to sign up for
mastermind right away without

doing this, you know, six-week
intro, the client surge.

Uh, you pushed me away from
doing mastermind.

You kept pushing me to do the
surge first, and it was a it was

a smart decision.

Now, just so you understand,
anybody that's listening to

this, uh, this is where some of
the integrity comes in the

surge, which a much lower price
point.

It was a one and done with no
monthly thing.

There was no trapping me into
anything.

But what you did, Vince, was you
wanted to guide me to what was

best for me.

And you know, I'm really glad
you did.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and and what
was the what were the big let's

talk about the things that you
were struggling with, right?

Like why do why were you
struggling?

You were at 5,000.

I know you had a ton of personal
debt built up, but what were the

things that you were struggling
with?

Why couldn't you do this on your
own?

Like what were the why why did
you feel like you needed help?

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, look,
I my whole life I've had

mentorship and I've looked for
coaches and I've looked for

people to guide me in careers
and football and sports and all

that.

And that was the one thing I
lacked here.

I knew how to work hard and I
knew how to do corporate

marketing.

I mean, I I ran the digital
marketing for a Fortune 100

bank, right?

But here, doing the business to
like the small business in a

small town, I couldn't figure it
out.

I was working like crazy, doing
all kinds of knocking on doors

and you know, just really,
really working, trying to create

buzz about my business.

Turns out that I was targeting
the wrong people.

My the images were wrong, the
message was wrong, the people I

was trying to talk to was wrong.

I wanted to be, I was like, I'll
take any client.

And that wasn't the right
approach.

So that's really all it was was
the marketing.

And then the second thing that I
learned in the first couple of

weeks was a follow-up process.

I didn't have one.

A lead came in, I made a call,
maybe an email, and then it was

gone.

I think it was like week two or
three.

You talked about implementing a
follow-up system for the few

leads that I had and taught me
how to grow an email list.

But just by grabbing all the
leads that I had gotten that I

only called out once or twice, I
signed up three clients the

first week.

So it was between the two of
those of logistics of sales and

then the actual right marketing,
creating that avatar was really,

I'd say, a hundred percent of
the difference.

SPEAKER_00: I think a lot of
people struggle with debt, and

they it's it's emotional to have
debt.

And I've never heard of anyone
having as much debt as you have.

And if you don't believe the
story of Tony being a million

dollars in debt, there there is
a testimonial that he that I

have, I think it's on the
website or somewhere, and it's

the first uh certificate of debt
completion that I've ever

received as a testimonial,
right?

And basically you sent it to me
as a text message, and it was a

legit certificate of you have
paid off your debt, and it was

like a crazy I don't know if the
amount was on there, but there

are a lot of people struggling
with that right now, whether

that's mortgage debt, whether
that's business debt, whether

that's credit card debt.

Debt is a tough thing.

How did you handle that when you
were going through it?

And then what were the steps you
took to start writing that

wrong?

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I I I don't
know that I handled it.

I just worked and I just kept
moving.

I mean, look, as far as
logistics, you know, moving

money and being able to survive
and all, that's a whole lesson

that I can I can give.

But, you know, it the stress was
through the roof.

I didn't sleep.

All I did was work.

I the amount of panic, anxiety
that I had, it really was panic

every second of every day,
right?

That's what drove me every
morning to get up and just start

running until I couldn't run
anymore.

I was getting like two, three
hours of sleep a night at most.

It was because I kept working
and working and doing everything

wrong.

It's the classic creating a lot
of activity and not getting a

result out of it because I
didn't know where to put the

effort in.

So when it came to it, it was
just what was I gonna do?

You know, at that point, there
was no way I could collapse to

it, you know, emotionally.

I mean, people talk to me, oh my
God, I got$100,000 in debt.

And I'm just like, it'll it'll
be okay.

It's all right.

You know, and they still have
money in the bank and they still

both have jobs and all.

I was earning$5,000 in total.

That's not my take home.

That was before business expense
and cars and all.

So, to kind of give you a quick
little picture, we were we were

actually on food stamps for a
month, right?

I was on, you know, we had food
stamps.

It was$642 a month that I fed a
family of four.

SPEAKER_00: I've always wanted
to know this.

What are food stamps?

Like, are they actual stamps?

Like, what are they?

SPEAKER_02: Oh, so today you get
it, it's called EBT or TANF,

right?

You get a it looks like a credit
card, but it's like you know,

big blazing purple or blue or
something like that.

It's like people that know what
it looks like, they know what it

is.

And you go in there, whoop.

So there's a credit card.

You got to separate your
groceries.

But I was look, I was feeding a
family of four on six hundred

and forty-two dollars a month.

It was it was crazy.

I I look, you I'll get into
whatever minutia you want of

exactly the steps that I took to
do it, because then I think

people would understand, but
I'll allow you to guide me after

the steps that you have to take
to be diligent and what's the

word, consistent in your focus.

If if getting out of debt is
your whatever the focus is,

that's got to be your number one
focus.

If you start to focus on other
things, like you want to grow a

small group personal training
business, you want to grow a

gymnastic, I don't care what it
is, that has to be the focus.

If you start getting distracted
with selling vitamins or adding,

you know, large classes to it,
you know, you just you're not

gonna you're gonna be master of
many or whatever, you know, jack

of all trades, master of none.

SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02: There's got my focus
was paying off debt because it

was suffocating, I was in a
panic.

Uh, so that's all we did.

Every dollar that came in, I
paid off what I needed to.

Like we never missed a payment,
we never laid on a payment.

We didn't declare bankruptcy, we
didn't do any of that.

I paid off every dollar plus
interest.

SPEAKER_00: Were you did someone
advise you to declare

bankruptcy?

Like it was like it seems to be
like that much debt.

It was almost like would that be
a good idea?

SPEAKER_02: So I talked to I
talked to three attorneys,

bankruptcy lawyers, and each of
them told me the same thing.

The short version of it is if I
declared bankruptcy with that

much debt, I would probably get
50% of it forgiven, but at least

250,000, maybe 75%, at least
250,000 would have to be awarded

to somebody because it was such
a great amount, and one of the

debtors had the majority, right?

So what I was told was yes, you
could do it, but you're gonna

wind up having to liquidate any
assets that you have, which at

this point were just my house,
whatever equity had in the

house.

And I couldn't tap that because
we were tapped out, but I would

have had to use that and we'd
have no home, we'd have no cars,

we'd have no place to live
because I don't have family

here.

And then the debt that they
forgive, let's say it was half a

million dollars in debt, the
forgived forgiven debt, you

actually have a tax liability on
it.

So I would have owed taxes, so I
would have still owed a couple

hundred thousand dollars to the
federal government.

What are they gonna garnish at
that point?

I'm not making anything.

So I said to my wife, you know,
I'm sorry, I'll I'll I'll let

you go because then that leads
me to my wife's, you know,

standing behind me or or next to
me the whole time.

So go ahead.

SPEAKER_00: So the the funny
thing is, is I uh I do this

podcast to make everyone feel
better about themselves and

their debt situation.

That's the only reason why I do
that.

All right, tell me about
Melissa.

You're your awesome funny wife.

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, no, she's
she's a piece of work.

I mean, I wouldn't be what I am,
have what I have without her.

She's the yin to my yang.

And you know, for everybody that
says their wife stands behind

them, that's great.

Mine mine walks right next to
me, and she allows me to lead.

And then there's some things
like around the home when I

allow her to lead.

So we have that that mutual
respect and really, really good

working relationship
emotionally, mentally, you know,

all that.

Anyway, we had we were
subletting, and I had just

finished your your surge
program.

When do you want me to tell the
story about the the

hospitalization in the street?

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, just go.

All right.

So let's let's bring it back to
you.

It's already off the rails.

So let's just go.

SPEAKER_02: 2019, 2018,
actually, I started Vince's

surge, like I was saying before.

It was like, I don't know,
December.

Two weeks into it.

I drive myself to the ER.

I had a traumatic spinal cord
injury.

My whole left side was
paralyzed.

I go to the EER, they go, Oh,
there's nothing wrong with you.

They send me home with like
painkillers and stuff.

And that was on a Saturday.

I was the pain was ridiculous.

I didn't know what to do, but I
kept working.

And Monday I work in the
morning, I go call the

neurosurgeon.

Oh, go back to the hospital.

What are you doing?

Oh my God.

Go to the hospital, they give me
the MRI.

Surgeon comes to me at eight
o'clock that night.

This was 10 a.m.

at 10, 8 o'clock at night and
says to me, Hey, look, I looked

at the MRI and it's not good.

Your bones are pressing into the
spinal cord and nearly severed

it.

That's what's causing the
weakness.

I don't like weakness, the thing
doesn't work.

Okay.

That's what's causing the
weakness.

He goes, Here's what's going to
happen.

And he gives me the scenarios.

And I was like, well, I don't
want that.

So let's do these things.

That, you know, part of what he
suggested.

He turns around, goes back, he's
like, All right, I'll uh get you

all prepped and admitted, and
we'll do the surgery tomorrow.

I was like, oh, I was like, I
came in here for an oil change.

You know, here you are, gonna
cut me open and fuse and drill

holes and all this stuff, and
call my wife.

And I was like, you know, I'm
from Brooklyn, so all the

F-bombs were dropping.

I'm like, I was scared.

I had no idea what to do.

And here's what I was scared of.

I wasn't scared of the surgery.

I was scared of what's gonna
happen if I can't work.

Because the little bit that I
was making, look, I have a

responsibility to take care of
my family, and the burden was on

me, and I allowed that, right?

So that's what terrified me.

What would I do if I can't work?

So after conversation with my
wife, we went, and long story

short, we did it.

And I'm in the hospital right
after maybe two days after the

surgery was done.

They fuse three discs and, you
know, put plates and screws and

all the stuff, took bone from my
hip.

It's pretty major surgery, five
hours on the tape.

And I'm over there in one of the
client surges, and I got the

camera, the phone, hung up on
this thing that hangs so I could

see it, and I start going to
sleep.

And I'm like, stay awake, stay
awake, stay awake, right?

Because I wanted everything that
I could get out of this because

it was like gold to me.

So fast forward over the next
nine months, you know, I just I

couldn't get my head right for a
long time.

I couldn't think straight.

Maybe it was the extra
anesthesia.

I don't know.

Maybe it was, you know, getting
older.

But nine months into it, it was
that September, I had been doing

what you taught me, right?

What Vince taught me in this
client surge for just about nine

months prior.

And I had learned a lot of
lessons.

I had tried a lot of different
things that we talked about.

Some of them were working, like
the sales funnel, the follow-up

process, building the system,
the avatar.

It was all working, but some
other things weren't working.

So what we did was we took what
worked and we removed what

didn't work and we built on the
foundation of things that

worked.

And by September, things started
to turn around.

I started to get more clear
headed.

We started to make a couple of
bucks, and you know, it started

to increase.

And by I remember talking to my
wife a while back, I said, you

know, if we could just make
10,000 a month, total revenue,

10,000 a month, we won't go into
any further into debt.

And if we could do 12,000 a
month, we could start paying

this off.

And it's like there was that
glimmer of hope.

That was what drove me.

If we can hit X, we can do Y.

And in February of 2020, we were
still subletting.

We hit 14,000 a month.

I was like, I remember telling
my wife, look, because we used I

used to write it all up on a
sheet of what we made every week

and who paid what.

I knew exactly who paid what,
when they paid it, how much, how

many sessions, who the and I was
like, we're doing it.

It's happening.

I was like, oh my God.

Now we step back to that
November.

We had an opportunity to get out
of subletting.

We had no money.

And one of my friends, realtor,
commercial realtor, said to me,

Hey, Tony, he goes, I found a
place if you need it.

I was like, all right, let's
look.

And meanwhile, I'm thinking,
there's no way I could do this.

I have nothing.

Anyway, I look at it, I'm like,
Yeah, you know, this place is a

dump.

I'm thinking Melissa goes and
sees it and she goes, I I like

it.

He's like, I like it for you
too.

And I looked at my wife and I
was like, listen, I was like, we

don't have any money.

I might be able to get a hard
money loan for the you know, the

rent, the deposit, which was
$9,900,$9,900.

I had no way to get that money.

And I said, you know, if we do
this and we fail, I was like,

that's it.

We lose, we are literally on the
street.

There's nothing else for us.

She goes, okay, let's do it.

Just like that.

I was like, what the f I was
like, all right.

So I got a hard money loan.

Now, for those of you that don't
know what a hard money loan is,

it's it's essentially like legal
loan sharking.

So you you you take out a loan
and you have an extremely short

runway to pay it back, and it's
at an incredibly high interest

rate.

So for me, the terms and
conditions were they gave me

$14,000.

I used$9,900 for the deposit.

I had a couple of bucks left
over.

You could do the math, I'm not
doing it for you.

I had to pay back$28,000 in six
months.

So this was a total, total
gamble.

There was a lien on my house and
all this stuff, right?

So I was scared shitless.

But I went and did it anyway.

You know, and I I think that's
the one thing that I always can

say is always consistent.

There's probably a few things
that are consistent in my life.

And what is not is regardless of
how I feel, oh, I feel tired, I

feel scared.

It it's irrelevant that because
there's a body of work where

there are things that need to
get done.

So for example, uh integrity is
another thing, right?

For me, it doesn't matter if I'm
scared to tell somebody the

truth or if I'm of for what the
reaction's gonna be.

I've never been somebody to not
do what was right just because

of how I would squirm feeling
doing it.

And here's it it's a fun case in
point, like with my wife.

We're guys, I'm a man, I'll say
for me.

I do very dumb things, right?

Nothing immoral or anything, but
just dumb things.

So one time My wife calls me at
work.

She kept calling me when I was
working at the, you know, the

bank.

And I wasn't answering the phone
because I was trying to get my

work done.

And I wanted to get out of there
quicker because she kept

breaking my chops every time.

When are you coming home?

What are you doing?

When are you leaving?

You know, like nagging me.

So I stopped answering her
calls.

When I got home, she accused me
of having an affair.

Why aren't you taking my call?

And cell phones were brand new.

And I was like, finally, I just
said to her, look, I was like, I

didn't know what to do.

You were calling me and uh I
just couldn't deal with it.

I was trying to get, I didn't
know what else to do.

And she looks at me and she
goes, You're an idiot.

That was that.

And other times she asked me,
like, did you do this?

And I'm like, and I cringe, and
I'm like, Yes.

And she's either gets in and
yells at me or anything, or she

gives me the you're an idiot.

And I telling truth or having
difficult conversations is never

fun.

Going through this debt and
taking on this hard money loan

was not fun, but I did it
anyway.

SPEAKER_00: And of course,
you've on the money loan and you

got the new facility.

This is before COVID.

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00: And so and then, and
so you get the facility.

Yeah.

And then all of a sudden, March
20.

We we we put the loan down on
it.

SPEAKER_02: It was starting to
build out.

And we were supposed to open in
March of 2020.

Anyone that's been alive for a
couple of years knows what

happens, right?

Yeah.

Down and we couldn't open.

Now I get the calls, just like
everybody else.

I gotta cancel my membership.

Tony, I lost my job.

Now here I am choking to death.

This is gonna go back to what I
was just talking about.

I'm choking to death.

Drowning.

Like I not, Tony, I gotta stop.

I know I'm in a year of
contract, but I I can't do it.

And the answer was like, hey
Vince, don't worry about it.

Listen, you gotta take care of
your family.

I get it.

You know what?

You need this.

Keep working out with us.

We all did virtual training.

Keep working out.

Don't worry about the payment.

You let's see how it goes after
a couple of months.

You but you need to stay with
us.

And here I am losing money, but
I don't have the heart to kick

these people out.

There's absolutely no way on
God's earth I'm going to try to

hold them to a 12-month contract
because it's good for me.

It's got to be good for them,
right?

So, you know, there was that.

Anyway, so we go through this
whole thing, and I, you know,

that whole thing was a crazy
experience.

But I remember having the one
thing I remember about the

pandemic is I was home every day
for the first time in a decade,

having dinner with my family
every day.

We started with a salad, we had
a balanced meal for$642 a month,

right?

And then we opened in September.

We were allowed to open.

So September of 2020, we were
making again.

We finally got back up to$5,000
a month, and I just got to work.

Everything that I had done for,
I guess, like a year and a half,

practicing all the things that
you had taught me, refining,

refining, refining, and just
working, outworking everybody.

We went from$5,000 a month in
revenue to$67,000 a month in

revenue in 18 months.

And we we hit a top portion of
$78,000,$79,000 a month, which

was great.

Now, over four and a half years,
we paid off every penny of that

debt.

I got the certificate.

I thought there was going to be
a celebration.

I started pinning up all the
zero balances on a pinboard.

And after like the third or
fourth one, I just went.

I took them off, I put them
away, and put the certificate

away, and I was done.

SPEAKER_01: That's it.

What'd that feel like?

I never felt that before.

I thought I would accelerate,
right?

But it wasn't.

I was just at peace.

Yeah.

That's pretty cool.

SPEAKER_00: 5,000 a month to 67,
and over four years you paid off

that amount of debt.

Everybody.

That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02: With interest.

SPEAKER_00: What were some of
the things you did to grow from

five to sixty-seven?

Like if you think about what
were the things that you that's

a lot of money and a lot of
customers that you were able to

generate.

What were you know, think of,
you know, we want to be

motivated by your story, which I
am, it's amazing.

But also, there's people
listening to this that want to

grow too.

And you obviously did it really
well.

What were the what were some of
the things you did?

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I'll talk
about that.

And then I have a really great
like 30-second case in point

after to verify that it actually
works more than once, that it's

duplicatable.

And I know you have a lot.

Really, all I did there was zero
first off, there was zero spend.

We had no money.

So I had hand-coded my website
and all this other stuff.

But the big thing that we did is
find every opportunity to get in

front of people.

So we we sharpened our focus.

We knew exactly who we were
marketing to.

We knew the one type of person,
and that was it.

And all we did was focus on
personal training.

That's it.

Small group, personal training.

And if people, whatever, small,
that's what we focused on.

That's all I talked about.

I went to every event around
town.

I went out to buy stuff at
stores.

I would get like, or I, you
know, since I didn't have money,

I would get online at the juice
house and I would just talk to

people.

Oh, hey, I know you because I
was always around.

If there was an event, a
Christmas tree lighting, a

menorah lighting, it didn't
matter what it was.

SPEAKER_00: You would just go
into the juice house and not buy

anything.

SPEAKER_02: I would stand online
for a little bit and go, oh,

excuse me.

And I would make a phone call,
like, oh, I gotta see it.

Bye.

Oh, you know.

I was not sitting there handing
out business cards, soliciting

business.

I was just talking to people.

Now, if they asked me, oh, well,
what do you do?

My wife and I have a small
personal training business right

here around the corner.

Oh, really?

What's it called?

And I would tell them.

And then maybe the conversation
would start, right?

But people got to see me around
town.

If there was an event and I
could table at it, you know, of

course I tried to do it at no
cost or low cost.

We did street fairs, we did
everything that you teach in the

program, which is every joint.

I literally went to every single
business in three towns around

me and in Westfield, knocked on
every door, opened every door.

Hi, I'm Tony.

My wife and I have a private
personal training studio right

around the corner.

Love to help, you know, love to
work with each other and you

know, help you guys get some
more people in here.

SPEAKER_00: I think one of the
other things you did too that

was just sometimes it's not
about what you know we do from a

marketing standpoint, but I know
one of the things you did was

you moved from Garwood to
Westfield, which is two towns,

one town away.

And that's really when it
shifted, right?

When it it really shifted when
you moved to Westfield, which

was just a different location in
a different town.

And talk about that shift from a
new new location into what I

think is a better town and a
better draw.

SPEAKER_02: I think the biggest
thing is that we now also had

our own spot.

unknown: Right.

SPEAKER_02: We were able to
control the environment.

Yeah, I that was big.

We had people that would come in
and and not sign up with us when

we were subletting because it
was a very, very different group

of people.

A certain set of trainers were
dominating the space.

Music was different, the
training was different, we

couldn't get equipment, the vibe
was very, very different, and

our demographic didn't really
like that at all.

That's why they didn't go to the
gym.

So the number one thing we were
able to do is create the

environment, right?

Yeah, yeah.

And that was the I think that
was number one.

Yes, it's a good location, yes,
people saw us, but you know,

that was just a small piece of
the marketing pie, in my

opinion.

SPEAKER_00: What is how is life
different today than it was when

you were going through all that
shitstorm from 18 to 21?

What is the difference in Tony,
in your mindset, in your mind,

your family?

I've been around your family,
you have a great wife, been

hanging around your daughter
who's amazing.

What is life like today from
where you came from?

Which was which you know the
funny thing is it was a shitty

place to be, but I never felt
like your attitude was shitty.

You never had a bad attitude,
you never you were always

upbeat, and you always and
that's just I think a gift from

God that he gave you that
disposition to be able to get

through hard times with a good
attitude.

But I think it really is the big
contributor.

But what how is life better
today than it once was when you

first before you were going
through the shitty place?

SPEAKER_02: You know,
interesting you should say that

too, because I was not a jovial
guy, not when I was going

through this, but I was just
very straightforward, the driver

of like, you know, like I'll
joke around and kid around, but

I was not probably I definitely
wasn't the nicest person in the

world.

I had to cultivate that over
years and work on my mindset

over and over again.

I read a lot of books, I
practiced a lot over and over.

I would watch my words.

If I said something that was out
of line with what I was trying

to be or act or behave, I would
immediately cancel it out.

And you know, that that's
another topic, but I appreciate

that you said that.

And yeah, you know, I was yeah,
I figured if you're not having

fun, what's the point?

So there's no point in being
miserable.

I was suffering enough.

Yeah, so life now, I don't live
in panic.

I'm a little more calm.

I vacation with my family, which
is something I always wanted to

do.

Now we're not where we want to
be yet, but we go away.

And the reason why I go away is
it forces me to spend time with

my kids and have experiences.

Now, everybody, like, you know,
we were when we were paying off

the debt, we didn't do a damn
thing.

If it wasn't free, it wasn't for
me, right?

Every penny went towards that.

But now we have the opportunity,
you know, to take some vacations

and do what I like to do.

Some people like cars and that
brings them joy in their life.

That's great.

For me, it's not the stuff, it's
an experience, right?

Whether it's around the table
eating food.

I like to explore different
places with my family, see

different sites, and yeah, I
like to eat.

That's why it's called outrun
your fork.

I work out to support my eating
habit.

Yeah, but there's so many
different things.

I'm definitely much more at
peace.

I started to sleep, and right
now the focus on my health is

longevity, looking at the the
health age that I have and and

all that.

So obviously, now that you know
I have I had that injury where

my left eye is my left side is
still pretty much mostly

paralyzed.

I can't focus on being the big
guy and the power lifter that I

just love moving heavy weights.

Now I have to focus on something
else.

And first it's winning in
business, and now the other win

is well, we're doing okay there.

Let's keep pushing that.

Let's go for longevity.

So now that health thing has
come full circle.

So I think what it allows you to
do is come up with different

goals and win in different
areas.

The whole focus was paying off
that debt.

And then for two years,
truthfully, I kind of wandered

around not knowing what was
next.

I didn't have a purpose or a
goal, but I get to spend more

time with my daughter.

We work out, we built a garage
gym at home so we could work out

at home.

Yeah, I mean, I don't know if
that's the answer you're looking

for.

SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.

No, I know you traveled a bunch,
you went to Hawaii, you went to

Martha's Vineyard, you go on to
where else did you go?

SPEAKER_02: We go, we go a lot.

We go a lot.

We go to to Ocean City,
Maryland, we go to Hershey, we

go to Florida, Orlando, we go to
Myrtle Beach for the first time,

California for the first time.

So, you know, we get around.

Hawaii went for two weeks, and
that was just to test the flight

to see if my daughter can handle
that.

Because if she can handle that,
now we could go to Europe's

next, man.

Look out.

SPEAKER_00: Very cool.

What are so that's like where
life is like, and I know

business is you know going well.

I've been there, been went to
your grand opening at your new

spot that you just opened, what,
about a year ago?

I so I know that's going well.

What are the personal wins that
you've gotten from your business

transformation?

So we talked about the more
things you get to do in terms of

the life experience stuff with
the family, but like what about

Tony Biancino, the man?

What are the wins you've had?

SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I mean, you
know, just always building on

the foundation of integrity and
character, right?

Client focus or people focus and
excellence.

Those are the four core values
that Outrun Your Fork has.

And the reason why it has it is
because Outrun Your Fork is

really the embodiment of me.

And that's a big thing.

When we hire, we hire the people
for who they are.

Because you can't teach somebody
to be nice or have integrity or

trust.

So we hire people like us who
have the same core values.

This way we could attract people
who work out at our place who

also live those core values.

And they're good people, and
they're people, you know what?

When I walk in, I would have any
single one of them in my living

room.

So building on that foundation
and having me, you know, and

that that is something that sits
with me.

I think it also reinforces that
resolve that no matter what, you

do the right thing for the right
reason for me.

Right.

And it makes me feel good that I
can do that, even when things

were crappy.

So building for me, that's what
a man is.

That's what any human being
should be doing.

But a man is somebody that
sticks with his word, does what

he says, it says what he does.

And the other thing is I needed
this victory, man.

I needed, I remember, so I had a
number of injuries, and they got

progressively worse, and a
number of financial setbacks.

And it seemed that everything
that I was chest pounding proud

of, I was a competitor by people
said to me, Oh, did you used to

compete?

No, I used to win.

All this stuff that I was able
to create as a victory, what

made me me was taken away from
me, stripped away one at a time,

and not just taken away, like
just totally erased.

And I had to figure out who I
was, and I was so engrossed with

paying off that debt that I
didn't have time to think about

it, and I didn't have to worry
about it.

But yeah, I had to try to figure
out who I was.

And I remember standing in the
shower when I had the spinal

cord injury after I had the
surgery, and I was I like I'm

not I'm not an emotional guy,
but since then I guess I have

been.

And I was just crying.

I started to just cry.

And all I said was, Who am I
talking to?

Right?

You know, I mean, I I we're not
gonna get into that, but I said,

I just need a victory.

I don't want to be I that's what
I said, I don't want to be

sharpened anymore.

I just I need a victory.

And and you know, over time
things turned around.

It wasn't like an instant thing,
but the gift was that I was able

to work hard, I recovered, and I
was able to just keep going.

That resolve, I think, is
something that's you're born

with, and then it's cultivated,
right?

That push, that motivation.

And I believe if you weren't
born with it, you could still

cultivate it.

Just like I cultivated a
positive attitude no matter

what, it's just a lot of
practice, right?

So I don't think you're I I
definitely don't believe you're

stuck with nature or nurture.

You can change that at any time.

So, yeah, the growth.

I'm a very empathetic person at
this point.

I could see other people's point
of view.

I've been not just freed from
debt, but freed from all those

things of what made me me to
become somebody a lot different.

And it's it's not just the debt,
it's not just the injury, it's

everything else that's caused me
to grow through it.

It's the kids and all the
accumulation of everything

that's happened to me in my
life.

I am grateful, which is sounds
kind of nuts.

I wouldn't change it a thing
that's happened in my life, not

the injury, not the debt,
because it's allowed me to be

right where I am today.

And it's allowing me to use this
as the catapult and the platform

to continue to go forward.

So it doesn't matter what
situation anybody's in, there's

always tons of ways out.

SPEAKER_00: Well said, Tony.

And I think that shines the
light on what a lot of people

are feeling from the success
they're having.

So really well done.

I have one more question for
you.

And this is really just if
someone was in your situation or

similar and they're on the fence
about getting help.

Obviously, it's specific to the
SPF mastermind, but really just

think of it in coaching in
general, like getting help.

What are you saying to those
people that are maybe like you,

that have been burned in the
past, that what is it, shysters?

Yeah, uh, you know, that you
feel like everyone's a shyster

and you don't want to get help,
you don't want to get help again

because you got burned the last
time.

What do you what do you say to
those people that are on the

fence and resistant to get help
with their business?

SPEAKER_02: Well, look, it's
real simple.

You know, the what you've built,
the curriculum and the group of

people, it works.

And you've shown it over and
over again.

I mean, I'm one of the many
testaments that you have.

Success looks different to
different people.

And if it's about making money,
this works.

All you got to do is put the
effort in and open your mouth

and ask.

I think the people that don't
get, or who would be someone who

wouldn't be good for SPF?

Is somebody that wants things
done for them.

They don't want to work, they
don't want to put any effort,

they don't want to learn, and
they think they know everything.

Right?

But if if you're not that and
you're looking for mentorship,

you want help, you want people
you could ask questions to, you

want people who are good people
that know their stuff, that

could teach you.

And it's not just in marketing
and sales, it's it's things like

this.

Hey, you're having financial
troubles.

There's people you could talk
to, you know, people not just

for inspiration, but hey, man,
pay down the high rate first, or

hey, talk through it.

What's going on?

Where do you want to be?

It's a place where you could
goal set, it's a place where you

can have other people to walk
this with.

You're gonna find other people
at the same place where you are

right now.

And you have somebody to walk
that path with, or multiple

people to walk that path with,
and some other people, not just

one, to look to to ask
questions, to ask guidance.

And there is always, always,
always somebody there.

So with the curriculum itself,
which means like all the

material, the weekly calls,
right, the quarterly meetings

that we have in person, and you
got to get to the in-person

ones.

It's important to build that
that relationship because then

when you call somebody, it's
like easier anyway.

Yeah, what what's the problem?

Like, what what are you on the
fence about?

I I would tell somebody for
sure, like if you're if you're

even half considered, or if you
have haven't considered it, you

need to experience for yourself
whatever program you're

offering, or whatever hop on a
call or whatever it is,

absolutely 100% take advantage
of that.

You know, get to know events,
get to know some of the people

in the team, and you have to see
for yourself that this is

something that's that's
different than probably what

you've experienced before.

SPEAKER_01: Gabby.

SPEAKER_00: Well said, Tony,
thank you so much.

I've had many of these
conversations with you, and you

always show up and you always
deliver, not only in you know

sharing the things that you've
done to have success, but

sharing the insights that you've
got from it personally.

So I loved it.

I enjoyed this conversation.

It went in all these different
great directions, which I was

that's which I expected it to.

But I appreciate you doing this,
Tony, and very, very proud of

all the success you've had.

Congrats.

Thanks, bud.

Appreciate it, appreciate you.