GROWING Business During a Shutdown and Beyond with Mike Arce

Katie Richardson’s guest on this episode of What’s Working Now is quoted to be “The awesome, the amazing,” Mike Arce. Mike’s genuine discussion of his entrepreneurial journey literally brings Katie to tears as he shares his conviction for keeping family at the center of his goals and how you should be balancing your time between work and home life.

Mike will also share how finding a niche wasn’t easy but was worth making the leap for, and how his incredible positivity and fast-acting, innovative ideas led his company to grow exponentially during the worst global shut down of COVID-19.

3 Key Takeaways

• How Mike’s direction change lead his business to go from 42 clients to 500 clients in 18 months.
• Why (and HOW) Mike pumped out 55 podcast episodes in ONE week.
• How Mike started department at $0 a month and built it to $84,000 in one year, during COVID.

Show Notes

[1:53] A background on Mike

• His business helping fitness studio owners

[3:50] His path to discovering the fitness space was for him

• Going to “garbage clubs”
• “What I realized was that people look at their business in a very serious way, you know? Serious as a heart attack. And to them…they wanted to make sure it was really successful. So they didn’t want to go to a generalist. They would pay more and would rather work and listen to an organization that really just hyper focuses on that particular area.”-Mike Arce
• Not growing in the dentistry niche
• “It’s not about doing things wrong, it’s about doing right things right.”

[8:08] Crushing it for a local fitness business

• Going from 42 clients to 500 clients in 18 months

[10:40] When COVID hits and hinders Mike’s business

• Hiring an event planner for his wife’s birthday
  • People drop out of the party because of COVID
• Getting cancellation from a long-time client
  • Learning what things are at for his clients
• “My mission is not to help fitness studios while it’s easy. My mission is to help fitness studios be successful. Period.”-Mike Arce
  • Making the mentality that “If anything, I’m needed now more than ever”

[16:00] Doing his part during COVID

• Mike decides to create a whole new podcast to deliver useful information fast
  • Using Anchor.fm
• Created a whole system with 5 team members
  • Uploading a podcast, youtube video, thumbnails, videos to all social, ClickFunnels page, and more! In just 3 minutes
  • Releasing it to the public

[23:50] 30 in 30

• Working out with people in 30 minutes for 30 days to help his clients
• Building an entire course in one day

[27:00] How Mike stayed centered during such a difficult time

• “It wasn’t an effort.”
• Loving what he does and not having to find energy to fulfil it
• “You don’t find energy…you’re not going to find it. Just like you’re not gonna find the money, you’re not gonna find the time. You gotta make the time, you gotta make the money,and you gotta make the energy. So how do you make energy? You gotta do things that energize you. That’s it.”-Mike Arce 

[31:30] What the balance between life and family and business looks like for Mike

• Not really having buddies; choosing work or family
• Cut out the things that take you away from the things you want to have time for
• Balance through vacation days with his family on the other end of days of work
  • Doing one date night a month with his family
  • Dedicating a certain amount of time just to his wife
• How do I create more memories with you?
• Understand that if you miss time with them, you need to make it up
• Mike’s story about taking his son to the coast for his birthday

[38:30] Make’s priorities and values in his life

• Mike’s bracelets; don’t chase an ego
• Mike’s example of denying a deal because he doesn’t want to justify the hours he spends for his family again
• “At the end of the day, you know, I think you make a massive impact without having to be super wealthy just by leading by example and having a ripple effect and, you know, you never know whose life you’re going to change just by having a great conversation with them and doing the right thing.”-Mike Arce

[42:35] Mike would write you a check for everything he has to get to be a part of his son’s life again from year one

• Mike brings tears to Katie’s eyes

[46:49] Something that Mike does consistently every day

• New years resolution to speak italian every day
• Play the piano

[48:21] Really good advice

• Always be a student
• “You want people to leave the meeting not saying ‘Man, that’s the smartest guy I’ve ever met,’ you want people to leave the meeting going ‘Damn, I feel smarter than I’ve ever felt.’”-Mike’s mentor

[51:10] A book Mike revisits

• Multipliers by Liz Wizeman
• The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

[52:10] What’s working for Mike and his team right now

• Not being as involved in his great team
• Having a really good core of people that care
  • Remember that you’re a contributor and a beneficiary of the work culture (good or bad)

Connect with Mike Arce

Podcasts: The GOAT Show

The GSD Show

Social Handle: @MikeArceLive