Success Tax

Like a lot of fitness business owners I started at the bottom.

I remember early in my career I was doing in home personal training for a “gym on wheels” company.

I would drive to Kew Garden Hills in Queens, about an hour from me to train clients.

Unfortunately I wasn’t always able to book people back to back so I would sometimes have to wait for hours before my next client or even drive to a totally different neighborhood.

I remember hearing comments from people like this.

“That sucks. You have to drive so far just for a client or two and not make any money driving or waiting for the next one.”

“That’s not really a career. Are you really going to be a 40 year old personal trainer one day.”

And these were both comments from people very close to me.

I’m now almost 40 and yes. I will be a 40 year old personal trainer.

Coincidentally both of the people who made those comments haven’t started a sustainable career and are in their forties.

While I wasn’t always thrilled with my schedule back then, I knew I had to pay my dues or a “success tax” in order to get where I wanted.

I realized later that success tax never ends.

I was lucky to work with a famous athlete for years. I would have lunch with him on a weekly basis. People would constantly whisper to their friends “Is that _____?” They would also come up to him for pictures and autographs while we were eating.

I remember asking him if he ever got tired of it. He would say, “Sure, sometimes I just want to eat with my family and not be bothered. But I realize how lucky I am that they want a picture with me. It comes with the territory.” In other words, he was paying success tax.

People often forget this concept once they reach a certain level of success.

The important thing to realize is that it never ends.

As you want to reach higher levels, you have to give up certain things.

“Success isn’t owned. It’s leased. And rent is due every day.”

-J.J. Watt

What are you going to do today to pay some “success tax?”