Ryan Holiday on Turning Business Trials into Triumph

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Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius said, "The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way." In his best-selling book The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, author Ryan Holiday applies words of wisdom from some of history's greatest thinkers to the modern business world. Special guest AB contributor and AB Show presenter Chantal Brodrick, host of the Fitness Business Podcast, recently asked Holiday, director of marketing for American Apparel for six years and the founding partner for Brass Check Marketing, to share his philosophies on marketing and self-discipline, as well as what AB Show attendees can expect from his keynote address — "The Obstacle Is the Way" — Nov. 9 in New Orleans.

What advice would you give to a gym owner or manager who needs to ensure that their business stands out from the crowd?
I believe that each and every person is completely unique. Yet, when we start businesses, so much of what we do is copying other people, and then we wonder why we don't stand out. The reason CrossFit exploded is because it was very different than everything else. The reason that P90X exploded is that it was different than everything else. The reason that most of the products that we use and talk to other people about — the reason that we do that — is that they have something special. They have an angle or something distinct about them. That's not an accident. Before we put promotional effort into our product, we'd do well to focus on improving and adding and reshaping what we're trying to sell in such a way that it is inherently marketable.

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