The Best Education I Ever Received Was Starting A Business Before I Was Ready.

Business teaches what business degrees will never be able to.

“The best education I ever received was starting a business before I was ready.

Furthermore, I didn’t even know I wasn’t ready.

I was blissfully naive, but I did have passion. A shit ton of it.

I kept applying passion & learned along the way.

Business > business degree.”

-Ray Zingler on X

I remember sitting in English class (I think it was called Language Arts, back then) in 7^th or 8^th grade thinking about, “what I wanted to be when I grew up.”

And the 2 ideas I had were: 1) Army Ranger & 2) Strength Coach.

Despite being a massive supporter and having a huge affinity for the military, as I got a little bit older, it was clear my calling was in the realm of S&C.

I graduated High School, where I lifted weights and played football/chased girls on the side, eager to attack the strength world.

So, I started my endeavor in the 400 square foot basement of my childhood home.

I had my degrees, certifications, systemized processes, optimized logistics, marketing plans, and business mentors in tow, ready to ATTACK the business world.

Actually, I didn’t.

I had 20” pumped arms, a few barbells, and hard rock music I pirated off the internet and burnt onto CDs to go along with my rich passion for the iron game.

I didn’t know what I didn’t know, about what I didn’t know. And I didn’t even have a clue that I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Still trying to figure that one out?

Me too.

But I’ll tell you what I did have.

I had passion.

And I’m talking PASSION.

I didn’t love strength & conditioning and gym culture..

I was fanatically obsessed with it to the point it dominated every aspect of my life.

I started training a student my dad was previously training in that gym and when I tell you I thought I was the greatest thing since sliced bread. I thought I was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

I poured into Ian, whose parent’s were paying me $10 a session with every fiber of my being, absolutely blown away that I could draw a wage sharing my passion with others.

And then it was 3 more students. Then 13. Then 35.

It was then that I looked up for air to learn about taxes, insurances, policies, liabilities, and legalities.

My ignorance is precisely what fueled my growth.

And had I known what I know today about the red tape in business, I don’t know that I would have ever started one.