Be a Doer, Not a Dreamer

How do you build a great brand? The same way you build a great body. This former championship bodybuilder (and Hotworx founder) explains.

- CARL STOFFERS

Some people dream of being an entrepreneur. Others actually become one. So what separates the two? “The difference is the level of self-discipline and commitment,” says Stephen Smith, a former champion bodybuilder and serial entrepreneur. “That’s what it takes.”

Smith has both, and he's needed it. His first franchise was a tanning salon called Planet Beach, and he grew it to hundreds of locations—until the foundations of the business changed, and he couldn't recover. (More on that below!) But instead of quitting, he channeled those lessons into a new franchise: It's called Hotworx, a fast-growing fitness brand that now has more than 730 locations in the U.S., Ireland, and the Middle East.

Hotworx combines two hot activities: sauna and fitness classes. Users choose between 30-minute isometric sessions and 15-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts, both conducted in specially designed infrared saunas. The idea is to promote detoxification and rapid calorie burn, while building muscle and flexibility.

Here, Smith talks about coming back from crises and how to make the most of a big idea.