How did you do?

Yesterday was a day I’ll never forget.

TikTok was down for 13.5 hours.

I’m kidding! 😜

I can’t remember the last time we touched the Digital Barbell account.

However, millions of small business owners panicked when the app they count on for leads and revenue was banned.

That’s not a good feeling.

When we started Digital Barbell 6 years ago we hired a business mentor who was a few steps ahead of us in running his online coaching business.

One piece of advice he gave us has been critical in our success.

Don’t build your house on someone else’s land.

We don’t own Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or TikTok.

Our accounts could be hacked, deleted, or the whole platform might be blocked by the government, ya know.

Therefore, we never designed those platforms to be our primary source of business and income.

Instead, our mentor taught us to invest time in creating value for our ideal clients on platforms we own and control.

Our existing clients, our website, and our email list.

If Mark Z. shuts down IG tomorrow, I can still email you an article on How To Avoid Gaining Weight Over 40.

If Facebook starts charging businesses $500 a month to make a post (this is coming, trust me) I can still give you the 10 Reasons You’re Working Out But Don’t Look Like It.

We still put a lot of effort into our Instagram account, YouTube Channel, and Podcast, but they’re just the icing on the cake and a way to help you get to know us better.

Our main focus is on giving shockingly exceptional service to our existing clients and creating helpful content that brings people here, to our email list.

If you’re a business owner or have a hand in marketing, that’s our advice.

If you’re trying to get in shape, apply the same principles.

Fix your focus on what you can control.

You can’t control how fast the scale moves, how other people perceive your progress, or even how your body responds on a day-to-day basis.

But you can control what you eat, how often you exercise, how well you recover, and the effort you put into showing up consistently.

When you focus on the things that are within your control, you’ll build a foundation for success that can weather any storm—whether it’s a stressful week, a busy season, or, I don’t know... TikTok being down for 13.5 hours.

Keep your focus on the things that truly matter, and you’ll never have to rely on shaky ground to reach your goals.

Hope this helps.

Until Wednesday… Lift heavy, and be nice.

Jonathan