Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Dan Kerrigan, Co-Author of F3 Fitness Training, LLC., located in St. Louis, MO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Along with my partner, Jim Moss, I am co-author of the best-selling book "Firefighter Functional Fitness." We have 50+ years of combined experience in the fire service and are certified fitness and wellness instructors. Our customer base is emergency services (fire, police, and EMS). Our book is the definitive resource for emergency responders to learn about the health risks associated with our occupation and how to implement our comprehensive methodology to improve health, performance, and longevity.
After our book was published, we created F3 Fitness Training LLC and now deliver workshops and classes to emergency services organizations across the country and at major conferences and symposiums. The ultimate beauty of what we do is that it applies to everyone, regardless of vocation or occupation. Functional fitness is about exercising appropriately for what you do. Our holistic approach also addresses rest and recovery, hydration, proper nutrition, and much more.
Tell us about yourself
I joined the fire service in 1986 as a volunteer. In my nearly four-decade career, I have served in all positions, from firefighter to fire chief, fire marshal, and emergency management director. As well as on the International Association of Fire Chiefs Safety, Health and Survival section board of directors and the First Responder Center for Excellence Health and Wellness Advisory Committee.
My passion in our profession is health and wellness. I am motivated by unfortunate data that demonstrates, decade after decade, nearly 50% of annual on-duty deaths result from stress and overexertion (in other words, heart attacks and strokes). While we face many uncontrollable risks, our health isn't one of them, yet it continues to be our biggest killer, year after year.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
When we published our book, we had yet to learn how successful it might become. We just wanted to help people get and stay fit and healthy so they could enjoy their careers and retirement. About six years later, the book is in over 50 countries worldwide.
We are humbled to be able to share our message with responders across the country and internationally through our workshops, classes, podcasts, and webinars. The fact that we've enjoyed that level of success very much organically and while still holding down "day jobs" is quite humbling and rewarding at the same time.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
When you create something good, you have to feed it to keep it alive and grow it. With success comes an increased responsibility to lead by example and remain accessible to everyone needing your help. Our mission statement is "To create a healthier fire service, one firefighter at a time," and we have committed to that.
We answer every single email, text, and social media message, and we try to help individuals and organizations in any way we can. Maintaining that level of engagement, even for the most passionate people, takes commitment, personal accountability, and effort.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Have a plan. Ideas are great, but until you develop a strategic plan with achievable, attainable goals and accountability for each objective, it's all just a great idea in your head.
- Be patient, and prepare yourself for both hard work and potential success. Nothing comes easy. Suppose you have a credible product or service. In that case, it will eventually sell itself, so the more work you do on the back end before you launch will pay dividends once you are life. As you achieve success, know that with it comes even more hard work to grow your reach and increase your marketability.
- Do your due diligence. Working with people that have a proven track record of success is credible and will hold you accountable as you will them. In a business, like in life, you get what you pay for, so don't cut corners. Demand excellence from others and yourself at all times.
Where can people find you and your business?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FirefighterFFit
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/firefighterffit/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/firefighterffit/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dankerrigan911/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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