Meet Charles Pigott

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Charles Pigott a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Charles, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?

A little over seven years ago I was hospitalized due to liver issues. I found myself faced with the ultimatum of continuing down a path of alcoholism to my demise, or to try something different and live. Up until this point I had struggled with self-image, feeling like an outsider looking in, and just never really feeling like I belonged. My self-esteem was crap. Then I heard two things said by others recovering from alcoholism say “to build self-esteem we must do estimable acts” and “If I don’t ask, the answer is no.”

I held onto these two concepts. They were simple enough. I started taking risks, trying new things, putting myself in circles I wanted to be in. The result: I began to achieve. I have since competed in bodybuilding, powerlifting, and obstacle course racing. I have gone back to school and earned a degree (currently working on the next one). I built Changes Health & Fitness from nothing and have won numerous awards on a city and state level. I have spoken to halls packed with individuals that came to hear what I have to say on topics ranging from physical health to marketing and events. I have built a community that I love deeply, and have been provided the opportunity to give back.

I still have doubts at times, but when this happens I am now able to look at my track recored and years of continuous successes.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

When building Changes Health & Fitness the concept of making exercise and nutrition accessible to everyone was huge to me. I didn’t want to create another generic fitness group. I wanted the athletes, postpartum moms, business owners, individuals struggling with obesity, teachers, fitness hobbyists, elderly folks, first responders and anyone else to feel welcome in our community.

We started exclusively with personal training and nutrition coaching but quickly moved into the retreat and workplace wellness space. We have found that helping companies to focus on health and remember to unplug at times to be super beneficial to their culture, retention, and overall profitability.

Giving back to the community is a core value of ours. We showcase this by hosting multiple events each year. Some are educational, some are to celebrate holidays, some highlight a specific charity/cause but they are always free to attend. We also volunteer our time and resources to those in need.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I would consider my ability to build rapport with almost anyone, my relentless work ethic, and my focus on personal health to be my most important qualities for success.

It doesn’t matter if it is service-based, manufacturing, non-profit, health, agriculture, tech, etc., when it comes down to it all business goes back to sales. For that reason it is imperative to be able to build rapport with everyone you meet. You never know who your next customer or referral partner may be.

Everyone tells you that entrepreneurship is hard. It is often compared to jumping off a cliff and building an airplane on your way down. But it isn’t until you are in the thick of it that you truly realize what that means. Therefore it is absolutely imperative to have a relentless work ethic that can be skewed by situations outside of our control or emotions.

One of my favorite reviews Changes ever received was from a local business owner that said “I am more effective and my business is more profitable when I consistently eat right and exercise.” I feel the same way. By keeping my body and mind in excellent shape I am able to show up in full capacity for my team and my customers.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

I am a big believer in going all in on our strengths. Everyone has strong suits and they should be fully utilized, not stunted by a constant pursuit of being “well rounded.” When I hire people I look for individuals that are better than me in the areas I struggle. A team that compliments each other where everyone plays to their own strengths will get much further than an individual trying to do it all. Life is short, I would rather build a team.

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