Welcome back to the Mike Dillard podcast where we provide entrepreneurs like you with the knowledge and skills that you need to bring your dreams to life.

Well, gang, some of the biggest questions and concerns that I hear from new entrepreneurs is usually about competition.

What if there are already a bunch of people offering

products and services like mine? Isn't the opportunity already gone if that's the case? Well,

that might be a logical concern to have when you're just getting started. But the truth of the

matter is that competition is a great sign. It lets you know that there's a big market filled

with lots of customers who are already spending a ton of money into that niche. Now, you simply

need to figure out how to create a competing product that will allow you to attract the attention

of just a small part of that massive audience. This is going to allow you to secure your beachhead,

if you will, and then grow from there. Well, today we're joined by Eric Casabury, who's done

exactly that. He started his first to gym called Retro Fitness back in 2004. And as you can

imagine, the gym industry is incredibly competitive. It's filled with a ton of risk. You have to

sign a lease or buy real estate. You have to spend a ton of money on equipment and employees. And then

you have to compete against the guys who are right down the street. Well, despite those

barriers to entry, Eric has managed to grow retrofitness into more than 150 locations around the U.S. and more than

$150 million in revenue. Today, you're going to find out how he's managed to compete so

successfully in such a crowded industry and how you can use the same strategies in your business.

So, without further ado, please help me welcome, Eric Casaburi.

Well, Eric Casaburi, welcome to Self-made Man. It is a pleasure to have you on the show, my friend.

Oh, thank you so much for having me. I truly, truly am honored and I appreciate being part of it.

Yeah, absolutely. Well, we've got, as we were just kind of chatting before

we hit the record button here, we've got a good friend in common, Mr. Robert Hirsch, that you

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