What Bodybuilding Taught Him About Business w/ IFBB Pro John Rivas (EP #106)

The Founderz Lounge Episode #106 with IFBB Pro John Rivas. What does bodybuilding teach you about business? In this episode, John Rivas joins Don and Steve to talk about the mindset, discipline, risk, and obsession behind both high-level bodybuilding and entrepreneurship. John shares how strength training gave him a direct connection between effort and results, what it took to chase bodybuilding at a professional level, and why hitting a major goal can still leave you asking, “What do I do now?” They also get into leaving a steady paycheck, opening a gym, building multiple businesses, learning entrepreneurship the hard way, and how relationships with other business owners helped John see what was possible. From competing at the highest level to owning Pro Strength Gym and building businesses around fitness and supplements, John’s story is a look at what happens when discipline in one part of life starts shaping everything else. If you are a founder, entrepreneur, business owner, athlete, or anyone trying to understand the mindset behind high performance, this episode is for you. Come for the banter. Leave thinking more like a founder. Timestamps: [00:00] Trailer [00:53] Meet IFBB Pro John Rivas [04:26] Competitive From a Young Age [09:19] First Bodybuilding Show [14:43] Why Weightlifting Clicked [18:17] Powerlifting to Bodybuilding [26:04] The Cost of Chasing Records [31:23] Leaving Corporate to Bet on Himself [33:23] From Trainer to Business Owner [37:41] What Bodybuilding Teaches About Business [40:32] Bodybuilding Rapid Fire [42:06] Creatine and Overrated Supplements Key Takeaways: • Big risk. Big reward. ~John Rivas • “You’ve gotta be wired just a little bit differently.” ~John Rivas • The effort you put into strength training comes directly back to you. ~John Rivas • Chasing a major goal can cost time with family, career opportunities, and even your health. ~John Rivas • Reaching the goal does not always give you the feeling you expected. ~John Rivas • High performance requires discipline 24/7 because eventually the work you skipped shows up. ~John Rivas • The same discipline that drives bodybuilding can translate directly into business. ~Steve Bon • In business, process matters just like form does in bodybuilding. Doing it the right way keeps you from getting hurt or wiped out. ~Steve Bon • “I was always just average, right? Until I found weightlifting and bodybuilding.” ~Don Varady Connect with John Rivas:: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/john.c.rivas/?hl=en Pro Strength Gym: https://www.instagram.com/the_prostrengthgym/?hl=en Gym Sign Up: https://psg.gymmasteronline.com/portal/signup?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAcGRvZgJleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA85MzY2MTk3NDMzOTI0NTkAAaf2pDmH8MPlpqqh4fi5FwKm66bwDbvlB5rcp0N210ppb-ZSyTaZ_n3nW4MB2w_aem_PxdijEpwdCVwAodGID2Cuw Troponin Supplements: https://www.instagram.com/troponinsupplements/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL00qsZ6bVOxRwucO-vJgCQ Connect with Don and Steve… Don Varady: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/don.varady/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donvarady/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/don-varady-450896145  Steve Bon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenbon  Instagram: https://instagram.com/stevebon8  Tune in to every episode on your favorite platform:  Website: https://www.thefounderzlounge.com/  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheFounderzLounge  Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0Nurr4XjBE747qJ9Zjth0G  Apple Music: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-founderz-lounge/id1461825349  The Founderz Lounge is Powered By: Clean Eatz: Website: https://cleaneatz.com/ Bon’s Eye Marketing: Website: https://bonseyeonline.com/