The most successful people know they need to push themselves mentally and physically. Want to become more tenacious? See what these people had to say about practicing fitness.

1. 10 Badass
Entrepreneurs & Creatives !
Tell why fitness is part !
of the formula!
@AnneReuss! annereuss.com!

2. Want to become a more tenacious
entrepreneur, creative or blogger? !
!
Challenging yourself physically and
mentally will help you just do that. !
!
I decided to enlist the help of a few
creatives and entrepreneurs that are
rocking it to share how and why. !
!
They went above and beyond...which
speaks for itself. !
!

3. Founder/CEO of !
3RhinoMedia &
UW-Madison
Professor.!
Spartan Racer.!
@3rhinomedia
I'm a big believer that a healthy mind and
healthy spirit must reside in a healthy body. !
!
So three days a week I get up at 4:15 AM for a
cross fit endurance workout to build my
physical and mental capacity to be at my best.!
!
Like most of you, I have a very full plate. In
addition to running my business, I teach
marketing courses at the University of
Wisconsin, and I have a family including 3
younger kids. !
!
People often say to me, "I could never get up
and do what you do. How do you find the time
and energy to do those workouts when you
have all those other things on your plate?”!
!

4. The answer is
simple.
*drum roll* !
!
du ooh ahhh ooh ahhh du du oooh......

5. If something is important enough to us, we'll find the time
and energy to make it a priority. I’m 100% convinced if I
didn’t do these workouts, I wouldn’t be able to do everything
I do.!
- Don Stanley!
!
Proving to myself that I can get up and work
out builds my discipline muscle as well as
my physical muscles. What I learn in
pushing myself physically translates
perfectly to when I need to push myself in
my business and do the work necessary for
success."!

6. President/Founder of
Lightspan Digital.!
Scuba rescue diver &
marathon runner.!
@manamica
During a particularly hot and hard half
marathon I thought to myself, if I can do this, I
can do anything. !
!
One of my coaches, a tiny and vibrant
sextugenarian said to me, "you've done the
training, you are ready for this, just finish it.”. !
!
Whenever I have a big professional challenge I
think of the 8 half marathons I completed and
of how each time there were moments where I
could have given up, but I kept going. And I
didn't keep going just because I needed to
finish. !

7. I kept going because I worked hard and trained for that
moment. !
!
Same in business, just when it feels the
hardest, it's when we're the closest to the
finish line. We have the experience to help us
get through. We just have to trust ourselves
and give it that one last push to get across
the finish line. !
- Mana Ionescu!

8. You can see the
finish line more
clearly.!
!
You can see the finish line
more clearly.!

9. Director of
Operations at Arment
Dietrich. Outdoor
adventurer, Olympian
wanna-be &
supehero trainee.!
@lkpetrolino
!
I consider fitness part of my professional life
in the same way I do meetings, email and
professional development tools–one hundred
percent completely necessary for my survival
and success. !
!
I’ve been an athlete my entire life and it’s
provided me many of the skills that help me
most in the professional world. !
!
Involvement in sports and fitness has taught
me passion, dedication, endurance, strength,
discipline, courage, competitiveness, and the
ability to keep pushing, even when it hurts,
even when you want to quit. !
!

10. Beyond that, fitness is where I reboot. !
!
It’s the one time of the day I have all to myself, to be completely
selfish and self-focused. I can connect with my body, focus on
movement, on strength, on becoming a better version of myself
every day and pushing past my pervious limits.!
!
It’s me vs. me and that’s incredibly empowering. !
!
It gives me the energy and confidence
needed to tackle the rest of my day full
throttle. !
- Laura Petrolino!

11. It’s you vs. you. !
!
Arooo!!

12. Managing Director &
Founder of
Commercial Capital,
LLC.!
Meditation Champ.!
@marco_terry
Launching and running a business is one
of the most stressful things that a person
will ever do. !
!
As you can imagine, it takes a toll on your
body and your mind. This is why I have
focused on my physical and mental fitness
for years.!
!
!
!
!
My current routine involves strength
training* three times a week and aerobic
training twice a week.!
TIP: My strength training routine is based on Mark
Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength.” It’s very effective and
quick. I am in and out of the gym in under an hour.

13. - Marco Terry!
One of the things that you learn when you work out is that
recovery is as important as working out. !
!
If you over-train, you risk injury. Your mind is
no different. !
!
Trying to accomplish everything gives your mind a tough workout.
Without recovery, however, you burn out – as many entrepreneurs
do.!
!
For me, the solution was to use mindful meditation. It’s the
equivalent of having “recovery time” during your work day.!
!
Combining strength training and meditation has been an
invaluable tool in my business life. It has often given me an edge
that allowed me to perform well during difficult times.!

14. It’s you vs. you. !
!
Arooo!!
“Mindful meditation involves sitting for
five minutes and focusing solely on your
breathing. Nothing more. It’s simple, but
not easy. When your mind wanders, you
refocus it on your breathing.”!

15. @dalicie
Global Marketing
Manager at Concur. !
Boot camp enthusiast
& dances Roger
Rabbit to 90s house
music.!
!
I’m just getting back into fitness again
after a long time off. !
!
I used to bike three and a half miles
across a big hill multiple times a week to
and from classes at SF State University
while I finished my degree. That was
exercise out of necessity, really. !
!
But I finished that degree in December
2013, and a few months after my daily
bike trips stopped, I started noticing the
detrimental effects of lack of exercise and
having a desk job...!
!

16. But now I’m getting back on track. I’ve been going to a boot
camp-style class twice a week for about a month, and I’m
already seeing results. !
!
I feel better in general, so I feel more
confident and relaxed in meetings. !
!
And here’s the thing -!
- Dwayne Alicie!

17. !
!
The first steps don’t have to be big. !
!
I barely made it through that first boot camp
class, even with modified versions of
exercises and stopping each round early. !
!
But after the first outlay of willpower and
effort, there is a built-in reward system
that kicks in to keep you going back!!
- Dwayne Alicie!

18. CEO TakeOut Tech &
partner of
Hashtracking. SoCal
surfer, yoga, running
and Master in
Hollandaise.!
!
@chlj
Working out as entrepreneur keeps me
motivated, creates more energy for me, and
allows me to keep me emotionally balanced. !
!
I have always felt if I am taking care
of me, then all my dreams are
possible. If I don't then all I will want
to do is dream. !
!
In the case of Hashtracking, keeping the
idea alive and working for the first three
years as a free system, exercise is what kept
me balanced and motivated. I am highly
competitive and all I want to do is succeed.!
!
Just recently a different company I took over
was acquired by GrubHub.!

19. - Charlie Jeffers!
In 2003 I was hit by a car and nearly lost my life and leg (I
won't let you know the gruesome details, but it was bad). !
!
I was told: "You will always limp and we don't see you
running again.”!
Well 4 months afterward I ran a block (1/10th of a mile) and fell
down. Then went out again. I stopped limping and I ran again.
I don't run as fast anymore. :( !
But hey! I also do yoga, jump rope, surf, and just have fun.!
Without it I would be out of balance
and not the hard worker I am. !

20. “If I don’t take care of
myself, all I want is to just
dream.”!
!
!
Is dreaming all you
want to do??!

21. I have always been "in and out" of the fitness
movement. In 2008 I decided to get off of the
sidelines and on to the course. I set my
sights on a goal I had never reached: a sub
30 minute 5K.!
!
Between then and now, I have run three half
marathons and countless races of shorter
distances.!
!
Although I did not reach the sub 30 goal, I
have still gained many benefits since 2008.
Fitness has brought me into the fold of
people I would not have met otherwise, has
strengthened my body and spirit, and has
hopefully made me a great example for my
kids.!
Writer at Big Green
Pen. !
Runner and Charity
Miles all-star.!
!
@biggreenpen

22. Set an example for
your co-workers
and loved ones. !
!
!

23. @jeanniecw
CEO/Founder
360Connext. !
Full time mom, builds
lego villages, does
yoga and runs. !
I ran my first 5K last spring. I trained with
my 9 year old son at the time and he ran
the race with me. I also started strength
training last year, which helped me feel
strong! !
!
Thanks to a bad car accident and the
injuries from it, I'm still working through
physical therapy to get back to running.!
I miss it more than I ever thought I would! !
!
The daily ritual of training was freeing for
my mind and spirit. I'm determined to run
that same 5K again this spring with my
son at my side.!

24. @gettysburggerry
Principal at
Glasswork Media
Arts & Gettysburg
personality. !
Fitness and wellness has been life
changing. I definitely think the two go
hand in hand and it all starts from there.
Life, business, relationships, all stem
from a healthy mental and physical
foundation.!
I still spend time online, but a lot less
and it has really helped me focus on
what is best for me, and what is real in
this world.!
!
I think the byproduct of a healthy
mind and body is the ability to
see through bullsh*t. I feel
confident and self-aware.!

25. Fitness is a personal
experience and you
learn how to disconnect
from the naysayers,
Debbie Downers and
skeptics in business.!
!
!

26. @nickkellet
Co-founder at List.ly.!
Founder AnswerSets &
Gifttrap (now SAP/
BOBJ), Serial
Entrepreneur.!
Outdoor adventurer &
runner. !
!
It gives me the
strength to persist. !
!
Now I could not be
still and not run.

27. !
Thinking
about
becoming a !
biz badass
yourself? !
A few parting words....!

28. PRACTICE:!
!
Become a practitioner of !
fitness and meditation. !
!
It isn’t mastered overnight. !
(Either is business, plus that’d be no fun!) !
!
Be brave to try new things. !
Don’t settle on anything you despite. !

29. promise:!
!
You will mess up some days. !
!
Promise yourself it won’t come to a
halt when that happens. Start again
the next day.!
!
Promise to others to hold yourself
accountable and make it more real!!

30. prevail!
!
☺!
!
Want to see or ask for more?!
!
www.annereuss.com!
!
or !
!
@AnneReuss!