What’s Your Why?

by Kara Fiechter

A few days ago,  60 minutes interviewed Greg Glassman, the King of Crossfit. As a crossfitter myself, I was eager to hear about how a college drop out grew to be a millionaire with no business plan. He didn’t have the normal background of an entrepreneur, but he had an overwhelming goal. The goal was to turn individuals back into the people nature intended them to be. Greg puts it so eloquently, that what we can all expect is to be faced with challenges. His goal is to prepare people for the unimaginable.
 
As a child, he had polio. He regained his strength and agility by doing gymnastics. He took all of the moves he learned in gymnastics and became a personal trainer. From his desire to help people become healthy again, he started the concept of Crossfit. He doesn’t have a board of directors and owns 100% of the company. He never believed that he needed an in-depth business plan in order to start his company. His goal wasn’t even to start a company. He just knew he wanted to change people for the better.  He recently spoke at Harvard business school, and his exact words were, “I’m not trying to grow a business. I’m doing the right thing, for the right people, for the right reasons.”
 
Personally, I was only taught in college to get a job in a field that made the most money. I was never inspired to follow my dreams and just use the gifts that I have been given. I challenge you as an individual or as a business owner to figure out why you do the things that you do. Why did you start your business? Why do you show up to your job everyday? If you don’t know your “why,” your heart will never be completely dedicated to excelling in the field you have chosen. 
 
Glassman is so invested in his goal that he has given all control over to his franchises. He doesn’t care if two boxes are opened right beside each other. He firmly believes that the strongest will survive. As a business owner, we shouldn’t be consumed about getting our hands into every part of the business or getting worked up about how everything will turn out.  We just need to focus on how we want to make the world a better place.
 
Now, when I’m at the gym, in my office, or at home with my family, I’m dedicated to knowing and understanding my why. I want to work as hard as I can in order to help people in need and to continue to learn and grow in truth. I’m not always positive how that will happen, but I am committed to trying.