Youâve probably heard it beforeâlife is about choosing your hard. But when it comes to building a thriving lifestyle business, how do you know which hard to choose? Today, weâre going deep into the choices that can make or break your journey. Iâll share my own story of rebuilding after losing nearly everything and bring in powerful stories from clients who faced their own crossroads and emerged victorious. These are real stories from real coaches who chose their hard and are now living the life of freedom they once only dreamed of.
Welcome back to another episode of the *Lifestyle Business Quest Podcast*. I'm Travis Greenlee, your host and Iâm thrilled to have you here because todayâs topic is something Iâm deeply passionate aboutâchoosing your hard. We all face tough decisions in business and life, and the choices we make can lead us down very different paths.
In todayâs episode, Iâm not only going to share more about my personal journey through tough times but also highlight the stories of some incredible clientsâRick, Ron, and Royâwho faced their own pivotal moments. These stories will show you that while the road to success is never easy, the rewards of choosing the right kind of hard are worth every ounce of effort.
So, whether youâre just starting your journey or youâre looking to take your business to the next level, this episode is for you.
Let me start by taking you back to 2008âa year that changed everything for me. Before the recession hit, I had built a seven-figure coaching business that was thriving. My calendar was packed, my clients were happy, and life was good. But when the recession hit, it all came crashing down. My business dried up almost overnight, and I was faced with one of the hardest decisions of my life.
I could either give up, return to a regular job, and kiss my dreams of a freedom-based lifestyle goodbye, or I could dig in, rebuild, and create something even more resilient. I chose the latter, but it wasnât easy. The process involved a complete overhaul of how I did businessâmoving from one-on-one coaching to building scalable systems that could weather any storm.
This experience taught me that the hard decisions are the ones that set you up for true freedom. Itâs not about avoiding difficulty; itâs about choosing the kind of difficulty that moves you forward.
Rickâs Story: The Hard of Letting Go
Rick came to me after years of struggling with his coaching business. He was working one-on-one with clients, pouring everything he had into each session. But no matter how hard he worked, he couldnât break through to that next level. He was stuck in a cycle of burnout, constantly feeling like he was trading his time for money, with no end in sight.
When Rick joined the Lifestyle Business Quest, he was faced with a hard choiceâcontinue down the path he was on, or completely overhaul his business model. Letting go of the one-on-one coaching he was so attached to wasnât easy. But Rick realized that if he wanted to scale his business and regain control of his life, he needed to embrace a new way of doing things.
Rick chose the hard path of change. He implemented our Perpetual Clients System, which allowed him to serve more clients without burning out. Today, Rick is no longer working 60-hour weeks. Heâs serving dozens of clients simultaneously through a hybrid model that combines group coaching with high-touch personalization. The best part? Heâs finally living the lifestyle he always dreamed ofâworking fewer hours and enjoying more time with his family.
Ronâs Story: The Hard of Rebuilding Confidence
Ronâs journey was all about rebuilding confidence after facing numerous setbacks. When Ron first approached me, he was at a low point. He had invested heavily in courses, marketing, and coaching programs, but none of them had delivered the results he was hoping for. His confidence was shattered, and he was on the brink of giving up on his dream of running a successful coaching business.
But Ron chose a different kind of hard. Instead of walking away, he decided to rebuildâstarting with his mindset. Together, we worked on identifying his unique value proposition and crafting a message that truly resonated with his ideal clients. This wasnât just about business strategy; it was about rebuilding Ronâs belief in himself.
The transformation was remarkable. Within a few months, Ron went from barely scraping by to enrolling new clients consistently. His confidence soared as he saw the impact he was making in his clientsâ lives. Today, Ronâs business is thriving, and heâs more confident than ever in his ability to lead and grow his coaching practice.
Royâs Story: The Hard of Simplification
Royâs challenge was different. He was a classic overthinkerâconstantly tweaking his offerings, endlessly researching new marketing strategies, and always trying to do more. But despite all his efforts, his business wasnât growing. Roy was exhausted, overwhelmed, and stuck in analysis paralysis.
When Roy joined the Lifestyle Business Quest, we focused on one thing: simplification. It was hard for Roy to let go of the idea that he needed to do more to succeed. But by simplifying his approach, streamlining his offerings, and focusing on the strategies that truly worked, Roy was able to turn his business around.
The result? Royâs business started to grow rapidly. He was able to focus his energy on what really mattered, and the simplicity of his new approach freed him from the constant stress of trying to do it all. Now, Royâs business is thriving, and heâs finally enjoying the freedom and success he worked so hard to achieve.
Letâs be realâlife isnât easy. Itâs full of challenges, obstacles, and setbacks. But hereâs the thing: no matter what path you choose, there will always be some kind of hard. The key to living a fulfilling life and building a successful business isnât in avoiding difficulty, but in choosing the challenges that will lead to the best outcomes for you.
Think about it: You can choose the hard of staying in a job you hate, feeling unfulfilled, and never reaching your true potential. Or you can choose the hard of stepping out of your comfort zone, building something from the ground up, and facing the uncertainties of entrepreneurship. Both paths are hard, but only one has the potential to lead you to a life of freedom, fulfillment, and purpose.
When I was faced with the choice to rebuild my business after the 2008 recession, I knew it wouldnât be easy. I could have chosen the hard of giving up, going back to a traditional job, and settling for a life that didnât excite me. But instead, I chose the hard that would serve my long-term goalsâthe hard of rebuilding, of learning new skills, of embracing uncertainty. And that choice led me to the life I live todayâa life where I have the freedom to do what I love, serve the clients Iâm passionate about, and enjoy every moment with the people I care about most.
Itâs the same for the clients I work with. Rick, Ron, and Roy each faced their own set of challenges, and each had to choose their hard. Rick chose the hard of letting go of his one-on-one coaching model to scale his business. Ron chose the hard of rebuilding his confidence after facing setbacks. Roy chose the hard of simplifying his business and letting go of overcomplication. These choices werenât easy, but they were the right choices for creating the life and business they truly love.
Letâs get something straightâgrowing a thriving lifestyle coaching business is simple, but itâs not easy. That might sound contradictory, so let me explain.
The process itself is simple. Thereâs a clear, step-by-step path to success that I teach in the Lifestyle Business Quest. It involves defining your story, crafting your message, building automated systems, and mastering client enrollment. These steps are tried and tested. They work. Theyâve helped countless coaches grow their businesses to $250K and beyond.
But hereâs where it gets tricky: the simplicity of the process doesnât make it easy. The real challenge isnât in the steps themselves, but in the internal barriers that we all face along the way. Letâs talk about those barriers.
One of the biggest obstacles to success is our own lack of confidence. You might have all the tools, all the knowledge, and even a clear plan in front of you, but if you donât believe in your ability to execute, itâs going to be an uphill battle. Confidence isnât just about feeling good; itâs about trusting yourself to take the right actions consistently, even when things get tough.
Iâve seen this time and again with the coaches I work with. Take Ron, for example. He had everything he needed to succeed, but after a series of setbacks, his confidence was shaken. The steps were simple, but without the confidence to follow through, they seemed insurmountable. It wasnât until we worked on rebuilding his belief in himself that he was able to truly take advantage of the systems and strategies we put in place.
Another major hurdle is the outdated belief systems that many of us carry. These are the beliefs that tell us things like âsuccess requires constant hustle,â or âIâm not tech-savvy enough to build automated systems,â or âI have to do everything myself to ensure itâs done right.â
These beliefs make the journey much harder than it needs to be. The truth is, you donât need to hustle 24/7, you donât need to be a tech genius, and you definitely donât need to do it all yourself. But letting go of these outdated beliefs? Thatâs not easy. It requires a mindset shift, a willingness to see things differently, and the courage to step into a new way of operating your business.
Rick, for instance, had to overcome the belief that he needed to keep working one-on-one with clients to provide value. Once he let go of that and embraced a scalable model, everything changed. But breaking free from that old mindset was the hardest part.
Finally, thereâs the tendency to make things harder than they need to be. I see this all the timeâcoaches who overcomplicate their processes, who spend months perfecting a funnel before launching it, or who get stuck in analysis paralysis, trying to find the âperfectâ strategy before taking any action.
This is where the simplicity of the step-by-step process can actually work against you if youâre not careful. Because the steps are clear, itâs easy to fall into the trap of thinking that you need to execute them perfectly. But hereâs the reality: perfection is the enemy of progress. The key is to take action, even if itâs imperfect, and keep moving forward.
Royâs story is a perfect example. He was stuck in overthinking mode, constantly tweaking and perfecting his offerings instead of putting them out there. It wasnât until he simplified his approach and focused on execution rather than perfection that his business started to growă10â sourceă.
As we wrap up todayâs episode, I want you to think about the stories youâve heardâmine, Rickâs, Ronâs, and Royâs. Each of us faced hard choices, but we didnât shy away from them. Instead, we embraced the challenges and chose the kind of hard that led to growth, freedom, and fulfillment.
So, what kind of hard are you choosing in your business? Are you clinging to old habits that arenât serving you, or are you ready to embrace the hard work of transformation? Remember, the hardest decisions are often the most rewarding.
If youâre ready to choose your hard and build a $250K+ lifestyle business, I invite you to grab my free masterclass at lifestylebusinessquest.com In this masterclass, Iâll share the exact five proven steps to growing a thriving business that gives you both financial freedom and personal fulfillment.
Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Lifestyle Business Quest Podcast. Until next time, keep it simple, keep pushing forward, and keep building the life you love.
