The Beginnings of BodyRock
- From the desk of Freddy -
BodyRock really began from an interest in creating an online movement that would allow me to reach as many people as possible.
Soon after turning 30, I was moved by a quote from Will Smith who said that he measured his success by how many people he reached with his passion. Sitting at the edge of the burgeoning internet media world in early 2008 and peering in, Smith’s words resonated with me and took root in my imagination. I wanted:
> To create a show and a community that would reach and include as many people as possible.
> To positively impact the lives of the people that watched and took part.
> To earn enough that I could continue to pursue my dreams and not have to think about the day to day exchange of money.
Lets go over that list again:
To create a show and a community that would reach and be inclusive to as many people as possible.
Blogs, sites, online video, photo sharing - its all media - and increasingly its how we consume everything from our entertainment, news, political commentary, to fitness, fashion and everything in between. To be successful in this space as an internet based painter, author, yogi, aspiring composer - whatever your form of expression is - your content needs to reach and enrich an audience. There will be more on this later.
To positively impact the lives of the people that watched and took part.
For me it had to be a force for good. This was going to be my life. When you start your own business - especially if you begin with really big aspirations, you're not going to be pulling 9-5 days and then leaving it all behind at the office. Your life becomes your office and the work never ceases - the ideas never stop flowing. It’s hectic, stressful, all consuming awesomeness in which everything gets really messy and you forget to do things like take a shower and eat. I don’t have any kids yet but listening to those friends that do, I feel like I can say that having and growing your own business is like birthing children out of your ballon knot. It’s definitely not like having puppies. It becomes and encroaches on everything. If you are truly passionate about what you are building then do something that is set on positive foundations. I believe that part of success at any level of accomplishment is doing something you can hold with pride in your heart. Do good or don’t bother.
To earn enough that I could continue to pursue my dreams and not have to think about the day to day exchange of money.
I don’t think anyone ever gets rich enough that they can afford to stop thinking about money. Even billionaires have decisions around their wealth that they have to carefully weigh in and measure. As a boss of twelve full-time employees and a small army of freelancers, contractors, trainers and bloggers I have to take every decision around money very seriously. I’m not talking about never thinking about money again. What I’m talking about is a kind of loosely defined lifestyle that involves not sweating things like rent, eating out, filling up the gas tank, buying a new pair of jeans and taking trips without having to save up for months or years. I’m describing the ability to make choices (basic choices I would argue) without financial cramps setting in. For you it might be as simple as enjoying that second glass of Pinot Noir at dinner with your significant other without the distraction of wallet remorse fouling your pallet. I wanted to live with an expanded set of options that would allow me to experience life as a creatively fulfilling adventure. That flowery, new-age talk takes cash.
The internet is a pretty incredible place. It’s the only realm where all the tools for building and creating are essentially free and so is the training and support to get started. On todays internet anyone can start anything. Its all there:
> Facebook pages to build and connect communities.
> YouTube to distribute monetized video content.
> Instagram to host images and communicate your brand in a way that transcends language barriers.
> PayPal to process payments and credit terms so you can buy or sell anything.
These are just four free platforms and they are amazing tools! Amazing in the way that the miracle of human flight is amazing! (I’m riffing off of Louie C.K. there) Using just these four platforms you or anyone else has the raw infrastructure to create a million dollar business or a billion dollar brand. There are thousands more platforms and services that can be used and literally millions of apps. I started my business with just YouTube, $25 in cash and a camcorder.
I’m not trying to blow smoke up anyones arse, the - “getting started” might still be free on the internet of 2014 but increasingly reaching an audience is not. Creating great looking content that adds authentic value to peoples lives is not free either. It’s expensive - maybe not on the scale of a Michael Bay movie, but there are real and significant costs in time and treasure. Time is a measure of both hours in the day and spirit and drive in the soul tank. Treasure is money, and how much you burn on the learning curve dictates how many opportunities you get to make your mark. In it’s first day in existence BodyRock made approximately eight cents. Think about that. If you handed me a dime I would have to give you change. From that first small token of possibility we have reached over a billion people.
If you enjoy hearing about the business of content marketing and would like me to share more about the evolution of BodyRock.Tv please let me know.