Meet Michael Beauchamp

We were lucky to catch up with Michael Beauchamp recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Michael, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I started my first job doing landscaping, odd jobs, etc., when I was 10 yrs old in northeast CT. in 1988 I wanted a mountain bike and it was too expensive and my dad said I have to get a job to help pay for it. My mother put an add in the local paper advertising my services.

I of course got calls from senior citizens, farmers, etc., and worked for $5/hour all summer and made almost enough to afford the bike. My dad paid the difference but said “I will pay the rest but don’t forget it”. . I have worked ever since regardless of college, sports, or whatever the situation was. There is no other way to get what you want.

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

I went to college at RIT for engineering. I was a pharmaceutical engineer in my 20’s. I love engineering to this day but hated jobs to the constraints of working for a large company. You can only put out fires and cant develop new things usually due to politics or lack of budget.

I always was into fitness workout out and competing in various competitions. I loved that as it was reliant on only me so I had full control. So in my late 20’s , I quit my 6 digit engineering job and became a personal train at a Gold’s gym.

That is when I started writing my fitness software and learned the professional side of fitness. Soon after I moved to Las Vegas and became an independent trainer continuing my software development (workout generator, billing, calendar, etc.).

Finally I opened my first 5000 sqft gym (Protogym) in a strip mall and was there for 7 years. I expanded twice but saw the writing on the wall that renting a space was a dead end.

I decided to pursue buying land and building my own facility. It took me 5 years but I built a 15000 sqft building in Henderson NV. I am completely vertically integrated as I built a metal shop on site. So I built the building, software systems, most of the equipment, etc. to make make everything integrated. I now am in my 5th year of operation of this facility. I do not wish to open additional facilities as that is not where my interests are anymore.

I am starting to expand into different areas now. I just received patent pending on new exercise equipment I invented called HydraBlocks (hydraulic jerk blocks). It took 18 months to develop and complete. I have a working prototype in Protogym that my customers really like. I am commoditizing the prototype currently and hope to have a version 2 by end of year. I have already sold my first unit to a private school in CT first quarter next year. I feel the market will be athletic programs more than fitness facilities.

I am also starting to try to sell my software to other markets as I have developed a complete membership management system (member management, billing, door access, security cameras, etc).

I am grateful I am able to practice engineering for myself and develop products and services. Even though I have achieved moderate success I am hardly done. You have to keep working indefinitely or it will fail. It takes constant energy.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Fabrication
Programming Software/using software for finances
Grace and Humility

I did go to college for engineering but most of my skills are self taught. you have to take it upon yourself to do things and not look for someone to save you.

Grace and Humility is the most important quality you can have. In business, the WHY’s don’t matter. Did it happen or didn’t it? That’s it….there is nothing else. Its not about you! Its about the business. Your feelings about what you want or deserve mean nothing. If you make your feelings important, you will fail.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?

The fortitude to keep working constantly. In working for yourself, you are on call 24/7. I have worked on average of 60-70hrs/week for 18 years since I quit engineering. I am 46 now and I am tired and over it like anyone else would be. The stress is affecting my health and I have a hard time managing it.

But THAT IS LIFE! That is what adulting is. Choose to work for yourself and be successful or choose to get a job! lol

Bottom line is working hard and never giving up is the only answer. However, most people do not have the resilience to keep it going and choose to be a victim of their own choices. I refuse to do that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.protogym.com
• Instagram: Protogym HydraBlocks
• Facebook: Protogym HydraBlocks
• Youtube: Protogym HydraBlocks