What's Old is New Again

What's Old is New Again

By David Ganulin, Founder of KettleBell Concepts

What is a Kettlebell?
Kettlebells are hundreds of years old and originated in Russia. Their odd shape can  be attributed to the fact that they were originally counter weights used on a scale at  farmers markets. KB's have significantly different training effects on the body than  dumbbells, barbells, and machines. They provide a total body, low impact, time  efficient, simultaneous strength and cardiovascular workout and are perfect for  time- strapped people who want a great workout in a short period of time.

How I got started
After realizing that most people in the fitness industry had no idea what these things were, even though they've been around for so long, I thought that building a company based in  education around the kettlebell would be a great place to be. The fitness industry is always looking for something "different" and the KB absolutely fit the bill.

At the time, I was a personal trainer at the Sports Club LA on the upper east side. I kept   quiet about what I was doing because, perhaps more than is common in other industries, the fitness industry and some of the people in it are notorious for taking ideas away from you and making them their own. Trainers who create any kind of proprietary system have to be very careful to protect what they rightfully created. So, on my off hours I would literally hump, on my back and my little tiny luggage cart (I'm on my fifth or so) at least 50+ pounds of KB's all over the city meeting one personal training manager/fitness manager/club owner after another. I must have sweated continuously for about two years straight!

What I found was, indeed, that most people had no idea what kettlebells were-and these are people who are paid to keep on top of the industry "trends". I was ready to give up, actually, until I met Carol Scott, then the head of the Group Fitness department at Equinox. She loved the technique and they went with it and word has quickly spread to many trainers and gyms in the area about "The Kettlebell Guy". Before getting to that point though, there were hours and hours of phone calls, humping kettlebells, and pushing to fight my way in the door and get at PT manager or fitness manager to listen to me and allow me to do a demo. Matter of fact, I still have to do that and I imagine that I will always have to do that! We're really in the education business and until kettlebells become as popular (and accepted) as free weights, yoga or Pilates, education of both fitness professionals and consumers will be an ongoing process.

Lesson 1: Be persistent Probably the biggest lesson I learned was that even though there are people in an industry who "should" know about a given product or a given technique or whatever, that shouldn't stop you from putting yourself out there to try to sell it to them (or hammer it over their heads until they say, "Uncle"-whichever comes first!) I often wonder how many businesses never happened that were sabotaged by people thinking, "Oh, this is already out there and it's already been done, so why bother?" While that might be true to a point and it makes sense to do due diligence and market research, it shouldn't stop you from moving forward if, in fact, you think you can build the proverbial "better mousetrap". Lesson 2: Get people smarter than you to work with you. Although I am certified as a trainer and been in the game for a bit, I knew I didn't have nearly the academic background I'd need to get this company where I wanted it to go. . . so I ended up with my partners Adam and Michelle Khai-Cronin through a very cool, almost freakish set of coincidences that absolutely have me convinced it was supposed to happen. Not everyone can or will find partners as easily as I did, but although you have to give up some control and the inevitable fights and arguments will ensue, having the right partners on your team will bring your business to heights you may have never thought possible otherwise. Another sign you're on to something? When other people approach you asking if they can be a part of what you're doing. I had people come to me before Adam and Michelle. . .but it was never the right fit. Lesson 3: Know when you're licked. Never be afraid to ask for help. We are getting into the manufacturing/import business now and neither one of the three of us had a clue as to what's involved with customs, importing, fees, warehousing, distribution, trucking, and so on. It would take months if not years to learn and we STILL wouldn't have scratched the surface. . . .so we asked for help. Don't pretend to know or do it all. There is wisdom in outsourcing wisely when/if you can afford it. We asked everyone we knew and we ended up with a fantastic logistics agent! Lesson 4: Read Read, read, read. Guy Kawasaki's Art of the Start is ridiculously good. Subscribe to every ezine that appeals to you. If you're in marketing check out Jay Abraham, Marketing Sherpa.com, Marketing Profs.com, and so on. Never assume you (or your partner) knows everything there is to know about everything . . . even if it happens to be your particular area of expertise. And although it's cliché as hell. . . .bust your ass as hard as you can because, even though you might not ever get billionaire. . .or even millionaire rich. . . .there is absolutely nothing like being able to say you own your own business and that you created something that nobody has ever thought to create before.