Leadership and Business Growth

Hey Leader! 🙌

Adversity is life’s guarantee.

It doesn’t ask permission.

It shows up, unannounced, uninvited, and usually when you least expect it.

And when it does?

You have two options:

Get crushed by the weight,

Or use it to rise.

This is where the Phoenix Levers come in, a five-step framework I engineered to transform life’s toughest moments into the fuel for your next level. 

It’s the backbone of my upcoming book in Q1 2026, and today, I’m giving you the first lever.

Lever #1: Embrace the Flames

Before you can rise, you must stop resisting the fire. You have to face the truth that adversity isn’t the detour; it’s the path.

For me, that realization started in the backseat of a cold Michigan car, listening to my mom explain why we couldn’t ask for candy at the grocery store when I wasn’t even 10.

 I didn’t know the word for it back then, but that was my first Phoenix moment.

No one was coming to save us.

So I stepped up, became a 12-year-old soccer referee, started bringing home money, and took ownership.

That same instinct has guided me ever since. And it’s something I’ve seen in every elite leader I coach:

They don’t flinch when life gets hard.

They embrace the flames, they rise from them.

So here’s your leadership call to action:

Think about your current challenge. Then stop asking, “Why is this happening to me?”

Start asking, “How can I use this?”

Because the fire isn’t here to destroy you,

It’s here to forge you.

And if you let it, you’ll come out the other side stronger, wiser, and more equipped to lead.

Next week, I’ll reveal Phoenix Lever #2.

Until then, lead through the fire.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

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.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Let’s talk about discomfort. 

Not the kind that sneaks up on you, but the kind you choose.

In August 2015, I landed in Brazil and met a woman who changed my life. Tatiana. She spoke perfect English. I didn’t speak a word of Brazilian Portuguese.

Then, with incredible teachers, her mom, Cristina, my tutor, Mara, and living in Brazil for 2 years, I slowly built conversational fluency.

But here’s the truth: for 15 years, Tatiana and I stuck to my language. 

Why? Because it was easier. More efficient. Comfortable. 

But leadership doesn’t live in comfort.

This past July, I met a new friend from Italy. He spoke five languages. 

His secret? He practiced with the people he loved. When he started dating a Mexican woman, he immediately switched their language to Spanish.

And that hit me like a bolt of lightning.

I realized: My ego had been holding me back. I didn’t want to feel dumb. I didn’t want to be corrected. I chose comfort over growth.

It shone a light on my own insecurity and frustrated me.

So I asked Tatiana, “Can we make Portuguese our new home language?”

Without hesitation, she said yes.

And after 5 months of deliberate discomfort at home, my fluency has skyrocketed faster than the previous five years combined.

Here’s the leadership lesson:

If you want to grow, get uncomfortable on purpose.

You don’t level up by staying efficient. You grow when you risk looking silly, when you admit you’re not the best, and when you let discomfort sharpen your edge.

Deliberate discomfort is the price of real growth.

My friend, make the investment.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

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.

Hey Leader! 🙌

At the end of last year, I was in pain.

Literally.

I run daily, I lift hard, but my body was so tight it started breaking down. I was hitting a wall, not from lack of effort but from lack of flexibility.

So I made a decision. 

I declared 2025 the Year of Flexibility as my personal theme. 

But not because I wanted to touch my toes or nail a handstand. 

This wasn’t vanity, it was necessity.

So I made a promise to myself: become more flexible so I could stay in the game.

After all, Longevity is the play here. 

The good news?  I kept it.

I hired a stretch coach. I showed up weekly. 

I added Sunday yoga. 

As of today, I have stacked over 130 guided sessions. 

No, I’m not the rubber band man yet, but I’m proof that consistency beats intensity.

That’s the first lesson and here is the 2nd:

Leadership is making a promise and keeping it.

To your clients. 

To your team. 

And most importantly, to yourself.

Because if you can’t keep a promise to yourself, why should anyone trust you to lead them?

So, as we wrap the year, I want you to zoom out and reflect:

What pain are you tolerating?

Where have you gone tight, physically, mentally, emotionally?

What promise do you need to make and keep in 2026?

My challenge to you this week: Set your personal leadership theme for the year ahead. Make the promise now, then design your life to keep it.

Because the world doesn’t need more wishful thinkers.

It needs leaders who follow through.

Make it a FLEXIBLE week,

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

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.

Hey Leader! 🙌

This week, I was introduced to a bright young woman graduating from college, sharp, driven, and curious about building a fitness career.

 After we covered business and training tactics, she asked a question that stopped me cold:

“Bryce, how can I become a better leader?”

Smart ask. Most skip it. But her curiosity opened the door for real coaching, and today, I’m passing that to you. 

Here was my response:

Lesson #1: Leadership Starts With Care

Before you earn authority or drive results, you must care deeply. About your clients. Your team. The mission. Leadership begins with loving people enough to hold a standard for them and yourself. People can sense whether or not you care, which is the foundation for leadership. 

Lesson #2: Lead with Moral Authority

I asked her to list the person she admired most. She chose her dad and rattled off ten character traits that made him exceptional. I told her: build those in you. Live them out loud. 

The highest form of leadership is moral authority, doing what you say, walking your talk, and becoming someone worth following. Like in my 12-step program, Leadership is a program of attraction, not promotion. 

Lesson #3: Master Communication

Written. Verbal. Video. All of it. Because leadership isn’t telepathy, your team can’t read your mind. They need clarity, not charisma. Consistency, not confusion.

Then I finished with this:

Leadership is not a title; it’s a skillset.

And like any skillset, you get better when you implement.

That’s your call to action this week:

Practice care. Build character. Sharpen your communication.

Because when you do?

You don’t just grow your business.

You multiply your impact.

Let’s lead.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

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.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Every Monday evening, I have a standing call with my sponsor, Nate. 

He’s been sober since 2007, stoic, grounded, and full of the kind of wisdom you don’t get from books.

Last week on our call, I shared some frustrations about business, life, and the relentless weight of vision.

Nate didn’t flinch. He leaned back, calm as ever, and said,

“Bryce, you’re trying to sprint through a season that requires steady hands. Right now, you need to slow down. Your focus is to chop the wood, carry the water.”

At first, I didn’t get it.

Here I am, leading an international brand, casting vision, thinking strategy. 

Chop wood? Carry water?

It felt small, off mission, almost insulting.

But as we unpacked the conversation, it landed.

Nate wasn’t minimizing the mission. 

He was reminding me of my role.

Because leadership isn’t built in hype or headlines. It’s built in the mundane, repeating the core things with discipline and intention.

These are the basics. 

For me, that’s casting vision, communicating clearly, and driving accountability.

That’s my version of chop wood and carry water.

Yours might look different. 

It depends on your role, skillset, and growth edge.

But here’s the message:

If you’re stressed, overwhelmed, or spinning your wheels, chances are you’ve drifted from your core. You’re reacting to outcomes instead of mastering your inputs.

And as a leader, your power lies in consistency with the basics, not the complexity.

So this week’s challenge:

Stop chasing what’s flashy.

Get back to what’s fundamental.

Chop wood.

Carry water.

Because when the core is strong, everything else follows.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

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.

Hey Leader! 🙌

This past Thursday, I attended a Navy SEAL Foundation dinner, an electric night of patriotism, sacrifice, and strength.

But what struck me most wasn’t the ceremony or even the SEALs…

It was the keynote speaker.

Palmer Luckey.

At first glance, he looked out of place. Disheveled. Young. Like he might’ve wandered in off the street.

But within 60 seconds of speaking, he had the room frozen.

Why?

Because Palmer is a 33-year-old billionaire tech genius and the founder of Oculus VR. Now he’s building next-gen defense systems to protect our freedom.

But it wasn’t his wealth or résumé that impressed me.

It was his focus.

He said something that stuck with me like a steel trap:

“It wouldn’t matter how much money I make. I just do what I love. This just so happens to pay well.”

That’s it.

That’s the leadership lesson.

He leads from passion—not pressure.

And because he’s obsessed with the mission, the money followed.

Now don’t get it twisted—I want to build wealth. I’m a capitalist through and through.

But Palmer reminded me that purpose is the fuel. Money is the byproduct.

The true leaders—the game-changers—fall in love with the work. They chase mastery. They live for the process.

And as a result?

They win. Big.

So here’s the coaching: If you’re stuck, grinding, burned out…

Stop asking, “How do I make more?”

Start asking, “What would I do even if I never got paid?”

Then build from there.

That’s the kind of leadership that scales.

To passion. To process. To purpose.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

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.

Hey Leader! 🙌

Let me remind you of two core truths:

1. Repetition is the mother of skill and learning.
2. When you teach, you learn the most.

Last week, those weren’t just ideas. They were the pre-training mindset message to our Fit Body Mastermind, led by Sarah Manning—Head Coach for Sarah Dumont and a 14-year Fit Body vet. 

Sarah didn’t just show up—she stepped up.

• She delivered a world-class recap training
• She used storytelling to bring the lessons to life
• She demonstrated how leadership is passed down by living it herself

The result?

She exceeded expectations and raised the bar for what leadership looks like in action for the group.

Here’s the big lesson:

Leadership happens when you say yes before you feel ready.
Sarah said yes. She owned the opportunity. And she became better because of it.

When you step up to lead—whether it’s a training, a tough conversation, or taking initiative inside your business—you don’t just impact others.

You grow the most.

So if you’re waiting for the perfect moment to lead, don’t.

Follow Sarah’s lead. Step up.

That’s how leaders are made.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

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.

Leaders! 🙌

Last week, I walked the grounds of Auschwitz for the second time.

Not because I wanted to… but because I needed to.

I was in Poland for a family wedding (more on that soon), and something in my spirit said, “Go again.”

Why?

Because real leadership requires studying human nature—not just the highlight reel, but the horror.

Auschwitz is where Viktor Frankl—author of Man’s Search for Meaning—was imprisoned while his family was murdered. And yet, from that pit of darkness, he found light.

This quote hits home:

“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” – Viktor E. Frankl

You can’t always choose your conditions—but you can always choose your response.

That’s the essence of leadership. That’s the heartbeat of turning adversity into your advantage.

The worst parts of history offer the clearest mirror. At Auschwitz, I was reminded: comfort is not promised, and freedom is not guaranteed.

But choosing your mindset? That’s the one freedom no one can steal.

So here’s your mindset mission this week:

When your plans get wrecked…
When your team drops the ball…
When life punches you in the gut…

Pause. 

Then choose.

Choose your mindset.
Choose your response.
Choose your way.

Because real leaders don’t just face adversity—they lead through it.

Bryce Henson
CEO, Fit Body

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.

Leaders! 🙌

This week, I shared a Monday Mindset message titled “The Power of Guidance (And Why I Almost Missed It).” Today, I want to double down on that insight—this time, through a leadership lens.

Because here’s the truth: leaders aren’t exempt from getting stuck. 

In fact, the higher you climb, the easier it is to isolate yourself from the guidance you actually need. I learned this the hard way.

Back in July, after a string of frustrating business dynamics outside my control, I realized I’d drifted from the fundamentals. I was holding the line externally—but internally? I was out of rhythm.

In my case, that meant reconnecting with the 12-step process that helped shape who I am. I hadn’t abandoned it—I just wasn’t actively working it. So I showed up to a meeting I didn’t want to go to.

And that’s when I met Nate.

18 years sober. 68 years young. A leader in every sense. 

His wisdom hit me like a 2×4 between the eyes: I needed to recommit. Rework the steps. Reconnect with spiritual discipline and accountability.

We’ve been working together since. And the transformation in my clarity, leadership, and presence has been profound.

The leadership takeaway?

Even seasoned CEOs need coaches. We all need someone to speak truth, challenge our blind spots, and hold us to a higher standard. Your business won’t outgrow your personal alignment—and real leadership starts inside.

Cultivate curiosity. Seek guidance. Embrace feedback. Get in proximity to someone 10 steps ahead.

That’s how leaders scale themselves before they scale their organizations.

Lead forward,

Bryce Henson
CEO & Visionary 

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.

Leaders! 🙌

Last year, we hosted a Discovery Day at HQ for a prospective Fit Body franchise partner. 

Smart guy. Former military. Sharp operator. He’d been following Bedros and me for a while—and was serious about building something big.

We started the day with a workout at BK Strength, and midway through the warm-up, he pulled me aside.

“Bryce, I just want to say—I respect the way you take care of your body. You show up how you expect others to. That tells me everything I need to know.”

That hit me.

Not because of the compliment—but because of what it confirmed.

Leadership isn’t about what you say. It’s not the title on your email signature. It’s about the proof people see in how you operate daily.

In that moment, before we ever talked business, vision, or investment—he made a decision.

He could follow me.

Why?

Because I was already leading someone else.

Myself.

And that’s your takeaway today:

You’re not qualified to lead others until you can consistently lead yourself.

That means your health. Your time. Your words. Your discipline.

People don’t follow advice—they follow example.

If you’re asking your team to be better, show them what better looks like. If you want clients to trust you, show them someone worth trusting.

Lead yourself first.

And everything else falls in line.

Bryce Henson
CEO & Visionary

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.