RYB 852: How Health Problems Turned Into A Fulltime Business and The "FAT BURNING MAN" with Abel James

I’m excited to have Abel James here with me today. I love the story about how he started and how it’s led him to where he is today. He’s also gone through many struggles and ups and downs, but he’s come out on the other side, ready to take on the next challenge, take action, and make things happen. It was a great interview and will show you that you never know where your journey will lead you. Let’s get right to it and learn from Abel! 

 

Abel’s Entrepreneurial Start 

 

I loved the saxophone in elementary school and learned to play at a young age. Music was very important to me, growing up and helped me build confidence and become the great speaker that I am today. 

 

In my teens, I was selling things on eBay and selling my music online, too, and have always had an entrepreneurial start.

 

After college, I worked as a strategist and got my business chops going. However, I wasn’t healthy and ended up being really sick for a long time. I was overweight and didn’t eat well. During that time, I actually ended up losing everything in an apartment fire in Texas. After hitting rock bottom I realized that I needed to make a change and started to research how to live a healthier lifestyle and spent a lot of time doing research to find the best methods for me. 

Be Prepared to Pivot At Anytime 

 

Everyone gets burnt out eventually. For me personally, I’ve had multiple career paths, but I’ve created transferable skills that I can take with me no matter what industry or niche I’m working in. It’s important to see the waves and catch them when you can. However, there are times when the rug will be pulled right out from under you. In these moments, you’ve got to be ready for anything and to move on to a new path. 

 

When you work online, you always have to be able to adapt because things are always changing. We’ve gone through multiple business models because things never stay the same. Just stay positive and keep moving forward. 

 

Get out there and go to conferences and meetups, even virtually. It’s so important to build relationships and networks so you can help each other to grow. Your network will be able to help you when you need to pivot. 

Abel’s Transition to the Fat-Burning Man 

 

In my 20’s I was following the wrong advice and was getting really sick all the time. When I started shifting my research I realized that I needed to change my lifestyle. I spent a lot of time interviewing people and coming up with my own health plan and within a month I saw a significant change and felt so much better overall. 

 

I started running marathons for a while and realized that it wasn’t that hard to achieve those results. I’ve learned a lot about fueling through nutrition and realize just how important it is. My podcast took off fairly quickly once I started it. I had a lot of listeners and had some great people on the show even in the early days. 

 

I had to deal with getting a roof over my head and making money at the same time as I was working on my business. I was working remotely part-time as a consultant until I was able to make enough money doing my business. I did my “passion project” for free for about two years before I was able to focus on it full time. I knew that I could make this type of business consistent if I put all my energy on it. You always need to make sure that you find a balance between doing what you love and providing for your family.

How He Created a Steady Flow of Business 

 

I had to determine what type of business model I wanted to get started. The most successful for me is a digital course that is priced at $27, brought in my organic traffic and podcast. The other one is a subscription-based coaching program. That really worked for a long time. When you charge people for a subscription service, you have to show up because people will expect the very best from you.

 

When you’re the face of your business, you have to keep your business up and continue to make money, which can be difficult. Building business and alternative streams of business is a whole thing. When you hit milestones, there will always be another one. We love the clime and always want to keep growing and improving. 

 

If you think it’s right to pivot overnight, go for it. It’s really important to follow your heart. 

 

It’s important to work together and help each other become successful too. Some of the best friends I’ve made I have given “trade secrets” to and have wanted to help. 

 

Don’t always think of the people around as competition, instead learn from each other.

 

Abel’s Take Action Moment 

 

Saying no at the beginning for anything that was over the line ethically. I started a brand that could have easily made a ton of money, but that’s not why I did it. I didn’t want to do anything that would put my morals in jeopardy. It’s important to protect our audience and only give them quality information that is beneficial. 

Abel’s Advice For People Getting Their Start Now 

 

I'm actually so envious of people who are just starting out because you can be free and do things your way right now. People are making hundreds of millions of dollars doing venture capital and paying for traffic but have no soul, and they probably aren't as happy. Make sure you're doing what you love and don't lose sight of who you are. Find what you're natural talents are and build on those from the very start.

 

The digital space is getting very competitive, but you'll do well if you can get the traffic or sell a subscription-based product. However, keep in mind that the rug can be pulled out of you at any point. I would recommend building an audience and monetizing from there. That's what I would do if I was starting over right now. 

 

You can't just have sales. You still have to pay for your employees and other expenses every single month. It's really challenging to make that happen even if you're making a lot of money. When you're starting out, you don't have a lot of overhead, which is a bonus. I would build a community from the very start and provide value where you can. 

 

Just because you see people at the top and be successful, they’re still having issues and have to adapt often. 

Final Word From Scott

 

What a great guy! I loved getting to know Abel and about his journey. I agree with what he said about taking care of ourselves as entrepreneurs so we can take care of other people. It can be challenging when we’re busy, but he’s proof that it’s possible. 

 

Think about how you can relate to his story and learn how he just took action even though he didn’t know what the final result would be. It’s not just about marketing and business. It’s about how he’s taken his situation and turned it into a successful business. 

 

As always I am here for you, I believe in you and am rooting for you!

 

It’s time for you to take action and go rock your brand!

 

 

Take-Aways From Today’s Episode

1. Abel’s Entrepreneurial Start 5:20
2. Be Prepared to Pivot At Anytime 12:21
3. Abel’s Transition to the Fat-Burning Man 18:24
4. How He Created Steady Flow of Business 26:07
5. Abel’s Take Action Moment 33:30
6. Abel’s Advice For People Getting Their Start Now 41:53

 

Quote: Build a community from the very start and provide value where you can. 

Or

Don’t always think of the people around as competition, instead learn from each other and help each other grow.