Grace in Business Ep 187

In a candid episode of the Gym Secrets podcast, the host underscores the importance of grace in business interactions. He shares personal experiences of receiving public criticism from individuals he's previously helped, emphasizing that maintaining relationships is more profitable than burning bridges. He illustrates this with an analogy of a restaurant hostess affecting customer experience and parallels it with how businesses are judged by their representatives' actions. The host advocates for separating the idea from the person when disagreeing and highlights how a compassionate approach to human imperfections in business can lead to better outcomes, preserve reputations, and ultimately be more economically beneficial.

• The host introduces the Gym Secrets podcast.
• The podcast focuses on acquiring customers, increasing customer value, and retention in the fitness industry.
• The host shares personal experiences and lessons learned in the business.

Welcome to the Gym Secrets podcast, where we talk about how to get more customers, how to make more per customer, and how to keep them longer, and the many failures and lessons that we have learned along the way.

The quote introduces the podcast's theme and objectives, emphasizing customer acquisition, value maximization, and retention, as well as learning from failures and lessons.

• The host has been criticized by many people, including some they have significantly helped.
• Despite negative comments, these individuals have previously given positive testimonials.

There have been a lot of people that have talked shit about me. There have been a lot of people who've taken public stances against me, and a lot of those people, I have helped a tremendous amount.

This quote highlights the host's experience with criticism and betrayal in business, even from those they have assisted.

• The host has learned the importance of having grace in business.
• Grace is not only about human decency but also a strategic business practice.
• Maintaining relationships is more profitable than burning bridges.
• Disagreements can be expressed without ending relationships.

So one of the lessons that I've learned is to have grace in business, and not just because of the whole human element. We're going to put that on pause for a second, but just for business reasons.

This quote emphasizes the lesson learned about the value of grace in business beyond moral reasons, suggesting it is also a practical approach for business success.

• It is possible to disagree without damaging business relationships.
• The host suggests separating the idea or concept from the person when critiquing.
• This approach prevents burning bridges and keeps future opportunities open.

And there's even ways to say that you disagree with someone without burning the bridge. Be like, I totally understand what they have going on there. We do things differently, but I can appreciate that everyone has their own way.

The quote provides a strategy for expressing disagreements in a way that is respectful and maintains the potential for future collaboration or business.

• Some individuals who criticized the host in the past have later sought to reconnect.
• The host implies that maintaining good relations can lead to future business opportunities, even with previous detractors.

I've had multiple of these people who have been publicly against me, right? Talking lots of shit. Now come ask if they can try and...

This incomplete quote suggests that despite past criticisms, individuals may return to seek assistance or partnership, highlighting the long-term benefits of maintaining professional relationships.

• The manner in which one conducts business or personal relationships is critical.
• Graceful handling of relationships can impact future interactions and reputation.
• Disagreements are natural, but the approach to resolving them is key.
• Negative experiences can stem from the initial contact with a business or individual.

"But the way that you do things matters just as much, if not more, than what you actually do, right?"

This quote emphasizes the importance of how actions are carried out, not just the actions themselves, in shaping perceptions and relationships.

"Like, two people can just stop doing business with a business, but one person can make such a huge fuss about it that the person who owns that business never wants to see their face again, right?"

The speaker illustrates that the approach to ending a business relationship can leave lasting impressions, affecting any potential future interactions.

• First impressions in the service industry can significantly alter customer experience.
• An employee's attitude can directly affect a customer's perception of the entire business.
• Negative customer service experiences can lead to poor reviews and damage a business's reputation.

"And you sit down, and all of a sudden, your entire experience has been totally shifted by this first person, right?"

This quote highlights the power of first impressions in shaping the overall customer experience in a service setting.

"Now let's replace the word front hostess, right? At that restaurant with your front desk girl or your trainer at your gym."

By substituting roles, the speaker suggests that the principle of first impressions applies universally across different service roles and businesses.

• All businesses are inherently imperfect due to the human element.
• Employees, like anyone else, can make mistakes that reflect on the business.
• Business owners must acknowledge and manage the imperfections within their operations.

"Because all businesses are imperfect. Because they're based on humans who are also imperfect."

The speaker conveys that businesses cannot be flawless because they are run by humans, who are naturally prone to error.

• The speaker invites listeners to access a video version of the podcast for enhanced content.
• The mention of additional effects suggests that the video format might offer a richer experience.

"Hey, guys, love that you're listening to the podcast. If you ever want to have the video version of this, which usually has more effects"

This quote serves as a call to action, encouraging podcast listeners to engage with the content in another format that may include additional features.

• Visual aids like graphs can enhance understanding by engaging different brain centers.
• The speaker has a YouTube channel that offers visual content for those who prefer learning through visuals.

"More visuals, more graphs, drawn out stuff, sometimes it can help hit the brain centers in different ways."

This quote highlights the effectiveness of using visual elements in learning and teaching, suggesting that it can appeal to different cognitive processes and enhance comprehension.

• Business owners typically do not intend to provide poor service; issues often arise from poor execution rather than malice.
• Keeping in mind the human element behind businesses can foster patience and grace in response to unsatisfactory experiences.

"The strategy was probably to do a good job. It was just poorly executed."

The speaker implies that when service falls short, it's likely due to a failure in execution rather than an intention to provide poor service.

• Remembering that businesses are made up of people with personal lives can lead to more understanding and patience.
• Having grace in business dealings can lead to beneficial outcomes and prevent burning bridges.

"A business is comprised of humans who feed families and have kids and have boyfriends that break up with them and have family issues and wake up and have bad days."

This quote emphasizes the personal aspect of business operations, suggesting that empathy can lead to a more patient and understanding approach to business interactions.

• Avoiding negative public outbursts can preserve future business opportunities.
• Maintaining professional relationships, even with those you dislike, can be economically beneficial.

"Being a dick does not make you more money. And so it is the economical choice to have grace in business in general, because those people may come back to you, or you may come back to them and need something from them in the future."

The speaker argues that maintaining professionalism and grace in business interactions is not only the right thing to do but also the most profitable approach in the long run.

• Before reacting negatively to a bad experience, consider whether it was truly the intention of the business owner.
• Keeping negative thoughts to oneself can prevent damaging relationships and future opportunities.

"Just, like, just take it in and think, did this person mean to do this? Right. Was this experience that I had the intention of the owner?"

The speaker suggests reflecting on the intentions behind a poor service experience, which can lead to a more measured and constructive response.

• Business owners should not expect grace from others and should be prepared for harsh treatment and critical first impressions.
• It is important for business owners to practice patience and maintain perspective, recognizing that they face similar challenges.
• Common struggles include dealing with employee mistakes, handling unreasonable claims, and managing difficult clients.

"Because every other business owner's run through the same shit you are, right? Like employees dealing, doing stupid stuff. You know what I mean? Not following instructions, like filing ridiculous claims."

This quote emphasizes the shared experiences of business owners, such as employee issues and the handling of claims, highlighting the need for mutual understanding and support within the business community.

• Business owners should aim to treat other business owners well, akin to how former waitresses tip generously, as a sign of solidarity and respect.
• Choosing to act positively in business interactions can lead to increased profits and a better reputation.
• Negative actions or words can lead to being associated with negativity, which is often what people remember most.

"And all that people ever remember, and you guys have probably heard this, is no one remembers what the negative person says or even who they're saying it about, but they just remember that what they are saying was negative."

The quote highlights the lasting impact of negativity, suggesting that negative comments can overshadow the specifics of a situation, and the person making the comments becomes linked with the negativity itself.

• Providing constructive feedback to other business owners, such as leaving a polite and helpful review, can be beneficial.
• Offering the business owner a chance to respond and resolve issues before leaving a negative review can be a positive and supportive approach.
• Such actions can improve the day of a business owner and foster good will.

"Imagine a business owner do that to you. You're probably pretty pumped about it."

This quote suggests that receiving constructive and thoughtful feedback, rather than outright negative criticism, would be appreciated by business owners and could lead to positive feelings and improved relationships.

• The speaker advises against burning bridges and encourages doing the right thing in business dealings.
• The importance of maintaining good professional relationships is highlighted as a way to support one's own business and the community.

"So don't burn bridges. Do the right thing and I'll catch you guys on the flip side."

The quote serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining positive professional relationships and the potential long-term benefits of ethical conduct in business.

• The speaker shares these thoughts as a personal reflection, indicating that the topic was something they felt strongly about.
• The intention behind sharing these insights is to encourage others to consider their actions and their impact on the business community.

"It was on my mind, and I figured I'd share it before I went to bed because it was brewing."

This quote reveals that the speaker's message is a result of careful contemplation and a desire to impart wisdom to others, suggesting that the advice comes from a place of genuine concern and experience.