What are you working on right now?
I strategically plan to get the product to market by finding the best ways to get it into the hands of his target market. I just launched my test infomercial and have just received my first shipment of Rock 360s. I am in the process of executing the first stages of my marketing plan.
Where did the idea for Rock 360 come from?
I was at a crossroads in his life, in between the NFL, world class rugby, and college coaching, trying to find the direction for his life. I decided to take a week long internship to decide if I really wanted to get into coaching. After the first day I made the decision I did not want to coach. Later that week while in the gym determining what path I was going to take next I saw a guy doing the ab wheel with his knees on a box. He simply thought if there was a ball on the bottom you could go in any direction, and with this thought came the Rock 360. But this idea came from years of making himself better and pushing his limits in every workout. I set goals like doing 100,000 pushups in one year and a 1 million in a year. Goals like these are what inspired me to take the fitness industry to the next level.
How do you make money?
My first investor believed in my project before anybody else did and supported me monthly for the past year and a half so I could work full time on the Rock 360 project. Living off less than $300 surplus a month, I lived on friends’ couches, slept in friends’closets, and lived out of my suitcase in the pursuit of achieving success. My business model is “do what you love and find a way to make money at it.” I want to work out for a living and my business model is showing people that they can achieve the goals they want and he has the perfect tool to do that. Selling Rock 360s is how I will make money but inspiring people is how I live.
What does your typical day look like?
I wake up before 10 am read a daily scripture then put music on while I brush my teeth, shower, and get ready. I drive 2 minutes up to the University of Missouri training facilities arriving around 10:30, where I once trained back in my college days. I will spend the next 17-22 hours answering email, faxing and scanning documents, editing DVDs and documents, raising money, working out, building a social media following, or whatever else needs to be done. I will eat PBJ’s that I bring from home for lunch and eat dinner in the dining hall. From day to day I leave for a couple hours to spend time or attend basketball games of my little brothers from the big brothers big sisters program. I usually fall asleep while working anywhere from 3:30 am-7:30 am on average. I have spent many sleepless nights working on getting the product to market.
How do you bring ideas to life?
It is really simple. I work. Whatever it takes ,whether I spend hours researching by google articles, or learning how to edit videos through YouTube. I just work.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Music. I love music and find music to be inspiring, motivational, and enlightening. It helps me clear my mind and while staying focused on the task at hand.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
My sophomore year in high school I worked in a restaurant for one week. I knew after that experience that i never wanted to work for somebody else again.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
There are some things that I would do differently like finding a manufacturre before I started designing my product. I would have saved a lot of money on prototyping and engineering. But I have learned so much from this whole process and I cannot put a price on the wisdom that I have gained throughout this process so I do not regret anything that I did.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Get better! Every single day. Wisdom is underrated. I am constantly watching youtube videos on all types of subjects gaining as much knowledge, wisdom, and motivation as possible. This will give you motivation and also enhance the tools that you already have while helping you gain the ones that you need through this roller coaster ride of becoming an entrepreneur.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
I do not fail. I might not reach a goal but I do not fail. Failing, is giving up and I will never give up. Failing, is losing and I will not lose.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I am always thinking of how to take things to the next level and how to solve problems. A lot of my thoughts are fitness related and I think there is a need of a goal besides weight loss for the people that have never been an athlete or never really worked out. I mean there are marathons, half marathon, crossfit games etc for really fit people but there needs to be something for the non fit people to work towards. I am sure there is something out there but I am thinking on a way bigger scale.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?
I would want to change the hatred and lack of compassion. I think that if we could replace these with love, it would help us solve a lot of the other problem, from world hunger to unemployment. I honestly do not know of a better plan than to pay it forward. I think that generally building relationships and caring for other is how you begin to change the world. It starts with one.
Tell us something about you that very few people know?
I average less than 4 hours of sleep per night.
What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
I love Youtube and Google because anything I do not know or want to learn more about I can find it on there. I think it is really amazing that you can find everything you need on the internet and I have learned so much form just searching different topics. My other favorite tool is Twitter because I can search hashtags and see how people are feeling and their opinions about relative topics that are going on in the world or something I personally am going through.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
The bible. It has everything you need. It gives you hope. No matter what you are going through in life you can find a verse that gives you direction and confidence to get through the toughest times. God is love.
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why? (please don’t include yourself)
@TheSuccessKing is a website called Addicted 2 Success which is made for entrepreneurs. They have some great articles and videos for entrepreneurs and a lot of success people’s incite on success.
@Ericthomasbtc Eric Thomas. He gives you hope. He breaks down life and gives you ways that you can put into actions your ideas, thoughts, and dreams. He make you think and gives you knowledge.
These are the only two you need to follow!
Connect:
Rock 360 on Twitter:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.