A little over six years ago, I found myself mentally drained, staring across a boardroom table at the other founders of Alchemy, in a complete stalemate.
The scene was the outcome of hours of fierce debate over a question which seemed so simple, but which was tethered to an incredibly elusive answer… why does Alchemy exist?
In technical terminology, according to the guiding principles of “Traction”, a business operation system we were using, the question on the table was about Alchemy’s Core Purpose and its Niche.
We had run circles around myriad different ideas, always with one person in the room finding a flaw or poking a hole in what felt like a near perfect answer.
Now, as silly as it seems, I paint for you a picture of the exact moment it fell into place. Mike Jones, one of the founders of Alchemy, got up from the table, walked to the window with his back to the rest of us – and I kid you not – said the following:
“Have you ever been camping? In bed when it gets dark. Up with the sun. And you wake at 4:30 or 5:00 am and the woods are coming to life and the birds are starting to chirp, and you walk down to the lake, groggy after a night spent sleeping on the ground and you splash that ice cold water in your face and feel momentarily at one with nature…”
He brought his thumb, index and middle fingers together and pulsed his hand in front of his face as though he were fishing down in his heart, trying to hook the rest of what he wanted to say.
“Alchemy needs to be like that. What do you call that?”
Feeling alive.
I leave the response unquoted because I have no idea who said it… can’t remember. But it was said, and it stuck. From one minute to the next, Alchemy’s Core Purpose took shape – it was to help people feel alive.
This Core Purpose became the filter through which all business decisions would run before they were either approved or denied.
The Niche fell into place with relative ease: Group fitness classes that work.
The Niche is critical because it helps us to keep focused on what we can actually be successful with as a company. For example, driving a Ferrari might make somebody feel alive, but we wouldn’t want to rent Ferraris to Alchemy members around the world (not yet, anyway).
Overnight, we figured out not what we were, but why we were. And figuring out ways to use group fitness to help people feel alive became our sole mission.
The exercise stuck with us and to this day drives each and every employee at Alchemy 365.
My question for YOU is this – if you were tasked with answering the same question that stumped us for so many hours – why are you here? Why are you taking class at Alchemy 365? What is the deep seeded, 10,000 ft. view of yourself that has brought you to this moment… could you answer it?
If not, it’s time to go to work. Because when faced with a decision… to work out or skip it, to eat the clean meal or indulge etc. it will be your core purpose, your values, your overarching “WHY” that helps to keep you on track.
Take some time. Reflect. Write your thoughts down. Challenge yourself. Don’t just tell yourself you want to lose 10 lbs. Tell yourself why you want to lose 10 lbs. Is it to be an example to your kids? Is it to gain confidence at home or in the workplace? Whatever your WHY, whatever your Core Purpose, get to know it, repeat it to yourself, write it on a post-it note and stick it to your bathroom mirror and let it guide you to your success.
We know why we’re here. Do you?
Happy training, and PYL.
Tyler Quinn is the CEO and Co-Founder of Alchemy 365. In his spare time he enjoys reading, hockey, jiu jitsu, and gun slinging.
