389. Haiti Trip: A Game-Changer for Life

As Brendan began using his corrective exercise specialty with clients at the gym, he noticed many of them returning day after day, even though he had worked with them on their physical issues. “They would come with poor posture related to injuries or chronic pain. So, I created something by hand to help them sit better. I took a foam roller that I used to roll up my legs to loosen them up. I cut it in half lengthwise and stuck it behind my back. It was perfect! That became the basis for my product, Posture PT (for “personal trainer”). Originally, I had no intention of turning it into a consumer product. It was just developed for the clients that I was working with every single day.”

“At age 24, I started to realize how much I didn’t know about living, and I began looking for a mentor. I was training a guy one day, and he was talking about his experiences on his multiple trips to Haiti. I was intrigued by what he was saying, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘I’d really love to experience that.’ He came up to me soon after that conversation and said, ‘Would you like to go with us? We’ll pay for your trip.’ That trip changed my empathy and my ability to have compassion for others. It also made me look deep inside and ask myself what I had been doing with my life. That was definitely the biggest game-changer for me.”

“I came home from Haiti and quit my job. It was an easy, salaried job and I had become very comfortable. I quit, because it was causing complacency, and I started pursuing something that would challenge me every single day. That eventually led me to this entrepreneurial path. For me, it’s not just about making money or working for myself. It’s also about the constant challenge to be my best, to face difficult situations, because that’s the only way to grow. And ultimately that’s what I wanted after seeing all those things in Haiti. I realized I had a lot of growing to do.

1. Work hard every day to improve who you are. Become the best person you can be.

2. If you see something in your world that troubles or inspires you, find a way to do something about it. Take action. You can bring change.

3. Learn how to maintain balance in your life and how to step away from your work.

The Southwest Airlines Way, by Jody Hoffer Gittell

The Obstacle Is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph, by Ryan Holiday

Meetup:  When you go to a new city where you don’t know anyone, use your smart phone or computer to go to MeetUp.com and go to a Meetup location to make connections with like-minded people.