Leadership and Business Growth

Leaders! 🙌

I recently shared Jocko Willink’s viral video “GOOD”—a mindset shift that finds strength in setbacks.

Today, we dive into step 2 of his 4 Laws of Combat Leadership: Simple.

Sounds easy. But as any business owner knows—especially in franchising—it’s anything but.

Business is complicated.

Running an international fitness brand across two countries? Add a few layers.

Then throw in the franchising model?

That’s a different beast entirely.

You’re not just marketing or coaching—you’re navigating federal regulations, state-by-state compliance, and franchisee operations… on top of delivering results to clients.

It’s a pressure cooker for confusion if your leadership lacks clarity.

I learned this the hard way in 2020.

When COVID hit, it wasn’t just a national shutdown.

It was 40 different shutdowns—each state with its own restrictions, timelines, and protocols. One week, we were open in Florida. Closed in Michigan. Masked in Illinois. Unclear in Arizona.

And Canada?

Shut down for a year.

It was chaos.

And in the middle of that, I discovered something I now treat as gospel:

Complexity kills execution.

That’s why the best leaders simplify.

When plans are overly detailed, when communication is convoluted, teams freeze. Confusion breeds hesitation, and hesitation destroys momentum.

Your job as a leader?

Boil it down.

Get clear.

Then communicate with simplicity.

Not because your team isn’t smart—but because pressure creates fog. And clarity cuts through it.

Here’s today’s takeaway:

Simple scales. Complex fails. 💪

Make simplicity your standard. Your team will move faster. Your business will grow smoother. 

And you’ll be the kind of leader people trust when things get tough. 💪

Team! 🙌

Last week, I shared Jocko Willink’s “GOOD” video—a masterclass in reframing adversity.

This week, we dive into the first principle of his 4-part leadership framework: Cover and Move.

In the SEAL Teams, “Cover and Move” is a tactical maneuver—one unit suppresses while the other advances. But in our world, it’s the heartbeat of elite teamwork.

Here at HQ, that means we operate as one squad. 

Not Marketing vs. Operations. 

Not Sales vs. Support. 

Just one mission, moving in one direction: to grow Fit Body and serve our owners at the highest level.

I learned this lesson young—as captain of my soccer team. 

Truth? 

I was the least talented player on the field. 

But I knew people. I knew who to pass to under pressure. 

I knew how to rally the group. I knew that our win wasn’t about the best player—it was about playing as one unit.

That’s the mindset I bring into HQ leadership today—and it’s what I ask from each of you.

If a teammate drops the ball, don’t point fingers—cover them. If you’re winning in your lane, don’t coast—move forward and bring the squad with you.

Teamwork isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s our advantage. Because at HQ, when we move as one, we’re unstoppable.

Let’s continue leading by example—and remember: we live and die as a team.

Family! 🙌

At this year’s Fit Body World Conference, our keynote Shawn Stevenson dropped a truth bomb:

Relationships are ROI. 💡

And one of the most powerful forms? Virtual mentors.

One of mine has been retired Navy SEAL Commander Jocko Willink.

While we met in person twice in 2019, Jocko’s been mentoring me for four years—through books, podcasts, and especially his iconic YouTube video: “GOOD.”

If you haven’t seen it, look it up. It’s 2 minutes of absolute fire. 🔥

Here’s the punchline:

Didn’t get the promotion? GOOD. More time to prepare.

Lost a client? GOOD. Room for a better one.

Team drama? GOOD. Time to grow as a leader.

This is tactical optimism at its finest.

Not sugarcoating the hard stuff—but using it to sharpen your leadership blade. ⚔️

And it aligns perfectly with my core philosophy:

Turn Adversity Into Advantage. 💪

So here’s your Mindset Coaching for the Leadership Lesson of the Week:

Next time something breaks, backfires, or blows up…

Say “GOOD.”

Then step up and lead.

Because leadership isn’t forged in comfort.

It’s shaped in chaos.

Make it a GREAT week!

-Bryce Henson

CEO, Fit Body

PS – Click HERE to watch Jocko’s “GOOD” video. Then turn adversity into advantage—starting today.

The 5 Immutable Rules of Leadership

1. Take Extreme Ownership: Everything is your responsibility—even when it’s not your fault.
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First: Lead yourself before leading others.
3. Wield Influence Through Moral Authority: People follow who you are, not what you say.
4. It’s Not About You—Never Was, Never Will Be: Elevate others, build legacy.
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage: Pain is your power—use it.

This past weekend, I flew to Arizona for a high-level speaking conference with my friend, who’s like a sister, Erin King  — who you’ll hear keynote this weekend at the Fit Body World Conference in Atlanta.

It was recommended by my coach Mike Ganino, who’s helped me level up my storytelling and stagecraft over the last year.

And let me tell you—total game changer.

I learned how to structure a talk that lands, how to open with fire, and how to close with impact. Tactics, tools, and reps I didn’t know I was missing.

Here’s the kicker…

Until last year?

I had zero formal public speaking training.

Everything I’d done was grit, trial-and-error, and feedback from trusted peers. Which worked—until it didn’t.

And that’s the leadership lesson:

Growth always requires discomfort.

Always.

If you’re not regularly putting yourself in uncomfortable, unfamiliar environments—then you’re not leading. You’re repeating.

This weekend reminded me:

The gap between good and great is often just the willingness to look awkward in pursuit of mastery.

So whether it’s public speaking, team building, or scaling your business…

• Get in the room.
• Get uncomfortable.
• Get coaching.
• Then get better.

Leadership isn’t just about showing up confident.

It’s about having the guts to show up as a beginner when the mission demands it.

That’s what real leaders do.

To your growth,

-Bryce Henson

CEO, Fit Body

Let’s cut through the noise:

Growth = Change. And change? It’s uncomfortable.

Most avoid it. Leaders embrace it.

Let’s talk fitness.

Muscle doesn’t grow without resistance. 

You push, pull, strain, and yes—hurt. That discomfort? It’s not punishment. It’s proof you’re building strength.

Same with leadership.

Growth in business requires tension. Changing culture, reworking systems, giving tough feedback—it’s all friction. 

It’s also fuel.

Want a better team? A stronger business? A bigger impact?

Then lean into the discomfort. 

Because the reps you resist—the awkward conversation, the risky decision, the vulnerable admission—are exactly what build leadership muscle.

Comfort is a liar. It convinces you to stay stuck.

But if you’re reading this, you didn’t sign up for stuck. You signed up to lead.

So here’s the play:

• Find the friction.
• Lean into it.
• Trust the process.

Because nothing meaningful grows without pressure.

Make it a strong week,

-Bryce Henson

The 5 Rules of Leadership:

1. Take Extreme Ownership
2. Put Your Oxygen Mask On First
3. Wield Influence Through Morale Authority
4. It’s Not About You, Never Has Been Nor Will Be
5. Turn Adversity Into Advantage

This past week, I re-engaged with something deeply personal—working the 12 Steps with a new sponsor. 

And I started with Step 1:

“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable.”

Now, don’t get it twisted. Step 1 isn’t about giving up.

It’s about giving in—to truth.

It’s the recognition that willpower, grit, and hustle—while powerful—can’t solve every problem. Especially when the problem is you.

That’s a lesson leaders tend to resist. 

We’re wired to take charge. Fix things. Muscle through. 

But there’s a darker side to that wiring: control.

And when you cling too tightly, you don’t just grip the wheel—you white-knuckle your way into burnout, poor decisions, and a disconnected team.

Step 1 taught me this: Surrender isn’t weakness—it’s the starting point of strength.

Great leadership requires humility.

It requires saying, “This isn’t working.”

It requires space for feedback, honest inventory, and realignment.

So this week, I’m challenging you to take inventory.

• What’s become unmanageable in your life or business?
• Where are you muscling through when you should be stepping back?
• What would it look like to surrender the illusion of control—so you can finally lead with clarity, curiosity, and compassion?

Leaders go first. And sometimes, the first step is stepping aside from ego.

There’s power in powerlessness—if you’re brave enough to admit it.

There are two types of people in every organization:

• Problem Communicators
• Problem Solvers

Problem communicators show up with drama. They spotlight what’s broken. They sound smart doing it and even mean well most of the time.

But they stop short of value.

The other?

Real leaders don’t just raise the red flag—they raise solutions.

Early in my journey, I made this mistake. I thought calling out issues made me proactive—until my first mentor, Eric, set me straight:

“Bryce, leaders don’t get paid to point at problems. They get paid to solve them.”

Since then, I’ve lived by this rule:

Never bring a problem without at least 2-3 proposed solutions.

Now, I train my team the same way.

Whenever someone escalates something, I respond with:

“Cool. What are your top 2-3 solutions to fix it?”

That’s how you create a solution-minded culture.

One where ownership replaces blame.

Where thinking replaces complaining.

Where action replaces excuses.

Leadership isn’t about describing the fire.

It’s about grabbing the hose.

So here’s your move this week:

🔹 Don’t just communicate—contribute.

🔹 Don’t just diagnose—deliver.

🔹 Don’t just point—solve.

Because talk is cheap.

But solutions?

Those drive results, command respect, and build legacies.

“E aí! Beleza?”

That’s how I greeted the flight attendant as I boarded my flight to Portugal with my brother Barrett.

She paused, then asked in Portuguese, “Are you Brazilian?”

I smiled and replied—in Brazilian Portuguese—“Nope, I’m American.”

She raised an eyebrow.

I added, “But I lived in Brazil for two years.”

“Ahhh,” she said, “that explains it. You sound Brazilian.”

Now, on the surface, that was a compliment.

But underneath?

It was a masterclass in leadership.

Here’s the Lesson: Your environment shapes your identity faster than you think.

With one sentence, she picked up that I wasn’t from Portugal.

Why?

Because Brazilians and Portuguese speak the same language, but they sound totally different.

Same words. Different cadence. Different energy. Different culture.

It’s just like how American English doesn’t sound like Scottish English.

(Side note: Brazilian sounds much prettier.)

I digress, but here’s the deeper insight:

Language, leadership, confidence—none of it comes from what you know.

It comes from what you absorb.

From whom you around.

From what you hear on repeat.

From what you see modeled every day.

When I lived in Brazil, I didn’t learn the language in a classroom.

I learned it in conversations. At dinner tables. On the street. Through repetition.

Repetition creates rhythm. Rhythm creates identity.

And that’s exactly how leadership works.

If you want to…

• Think bigger → hang out with visionaries
• Get stronger → train with the fit
• Lead deeper → surround yourself with leaders
• Build wealth → break bread with those who’ve built it

You will repeat your environment.

That’s the rule. And there are no exceptions.

Because like water shaping rock…

Your environment will shape you—whether you know it or not.

So your challenge is simple:

Audit your environment.

Then choose to upgrade it.

Because if you want next-level leadership…

You need a next-level circle.

Let’s get after it.

-Coach Bryce

Last week, a good friend and teammate shot me a message:

“Bryce, you’re the king of visibility. Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

It was kind and appreciated.

But let me be clear—visibility isn’t about ego.

It’s about leadership.

Yes, my team probably cringes at how much I communicate at times.

But I’d rather overcommunicate and annoy than under-communicate and crash into an iceberg no one saw coming.

Here’s the metaphor I live by:

I’m the captain of our ship. 

I stand up top with binoculars, scanning the horizon. 

My team works hard below deck, moving us forward. 

It’s my job to communicate what’s coming early and often.

Not because I need the spotlight.

Because without visibility, teams drift. 

Frustration festers. 

And eventually, ships sink.

So here’s your leadership lesson:

We don’t live in a perfect world. 

There is no “perfect” amount of communication. 

It’s always too much or too little.

When in doubt:

Lean in. 

Communicate what’s happening.

Share the vision.

You might annoy a few people in the moment.

But they’ll thank you when they see the shore.

Today is your reminder to be the King/Queen of visibility to your team!

I just returned from two back-to-back trips:

✔️ Co-leading our Fit Body Mastermind Workshop in Boston

✔️ Then a 7-day adventure to the Azores in Portugal

There were plenty of highlight-reel moments—those wins we love to celebrate. But I want to pull back the curtain and share the “unglamorous” part of it that no one shares on Instagram.

• No gym
• Red-eye flights
• Spotty internet
• A cold, damp Airbnb
• Stray cats galore
• Relentless rain

Sounds glamorous, right?

But here’s the leadership truth:

Travel like this forces you to lead yourself.

It removes comfort.

It demands adaptability.

It trains resilience.

That’s the lesson.

Leadership isn’t forged in the perfect environment. It’s sharpened in the mess.

In the unpredictable.

In the uncomfortable.

And just like business, if you’re only “in it” when conditions are ideal, you’ll break under pressure.

So I use travel as a tool.

Not for rest.

For resilience.

As Anthony Bourdain once said:

“Travel isn’t always pretty. It isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it hurts, it even breaks your heart. But that’s okay. The journey changes you; it should change you. It leaves marks on your memory, on your consciousness, on your heart, and on your body. You take something with you. Hopefully, you leave something good behind.”

So here’s your leadership lesson and challenge today:

Where can you stretch yourself this week?

That discomfort you’re avoiding.

That’s where the growth is.

Let’s lean in.