What stepping into the mixed martial arts ring has taught me about business

A FEW WEEKS back, the North American Grappling Association came to Dublin to host an event at which over 400 people from across Europe competed.

The tournament was important for me as it was an event I had put a massive amount of time into training for. It was tough to find time as I’m growing a business and my partner Sinead, herself a champion kick boxer, was eight months pregnant – but I was determined to compete.

Since I was young, I’ve learned that to be successful I would need to work harder than all my competitors and fight for everything I wanted to achieve. The hard work and determination I have put into jiu-jitsu paid off when I won two gold medals at the tournament.

The whole area of mixed martial arts gets a bad rap from certain corners but it’s given me a lot, and I love the thrill of training and competing. Grappling has taught me many lessons, which helped me to hone the attributes and skills I needed to succeed in business:

1. Work on your weaknesses

To win a fight, you must be the complete fighter. That means that no matter where the fight goes, you should be able to do whatever it takes to win.

Many fighters have a stand-up style. They look to win by striking opponents with their feet or hands. However, sometimes the fight will not go this way and you may be forced into a ground grappling match, where the opponent will look to choke or force you into submission.

Strikers must be able to adapt so that they have the grappling skills to either escape and be able to stand again or win on the floor. Similarly, a grappler might not be able to get their opponent in a hold and will have to change their game to win a match by striking.

This is the same in business. Things won’t always go exactly how you planned and in these situations you need to have the adaptability and depth of skills to succeed when Plan A hasn’t worked.

You also need to be competent in all areas of business as you may be going from a finance meeting into a conversation about marketing. If there’s an area of business I feel weak in, I always strive to improve that area rather than shy away from it.

2. Pay attention to detail

I am a strong believer in the concept of marginal gains. This is something that is vital in jiu-jitsu. Every tiny improvement you make to your training, recovery, and nutrition, when combined, adds up to huge overall gains.

In business I strongly believe that customers get a strong indication about how a company does business and how it will deal with the big things by how it attends to the little ones. If your staff are always well turned out, then customers can be assured that your kitchen will be the same.

3. Get out of your comfort zone

Business, like fighting, pushes me beyond my comfort zone. When I made the choice to move to a franchise business model, I was miles out of my comfort zone. However, the similar experiences I had been put through while fighting meant that I knew I had the mental toughness required to withstand this next step in my business.

If you’re able to withstand discomfort, you will be successful in business. If you aren’t uncomfortable, you’re not growing.

4. Surround yourself with the best

Even though a fighter is competing by themselves, it is highly important to bring in the best experts in their respective fields to help them succeed. Conor McGregor has a fantastic team – from coaches to physiotherapists to sparring partners – around him to make sure he gets the best out of every training session.

The same applies in business. I surround myself with the best advisors and staff to ensure that I succeed. When I chose to go down the franchise route, I hired the most experienced and knowledgeable franchise consultant in the country to make sure we did it right. I listen to everything that is said to me and apply the best advice to my business, especially in areas in which I’m not an expert.

Surround yourself with people who share your vision, but it’s also important to seek out someone with an opposing view. This is where my business partner Andy is the perfect foil for me. The greater amount of diverse and opinionated people on your team the greater range of views you will experience.

5. Make excellence a habit

You are what you continually do. If you make excellence and hard work your norm you will become fit. Similarly, if you are always focused on your business and maintain high standards you can make it a success.

6. Stay calm under pressure

Fights are won and lost in the head. Fighters need to stay in the moment, focused on what their next move will be.

As a businessman, I am constantly under pressure to make my business grow. This leaves me at risk of losing sight of my vision. By staying in control, even under pressure, I can make the right decisions.

7. Believe in yourself

In fighting you have to believe in yourself, because if you go into the ring with even the smallest shred of self-doubt you won’t stand a chance. This same self-confidence has served me well in business.

When I told people I wanted to set up a healthy fast-food restaurant, they told me I was mad because everyone was still eating chicken fillet rolls for lunch. But I knew that there were other people like me who wanted quick healthy food that would fuel their lifestyles, and I was proved right from day one.

Similarly, when we wanted to start franchising people told us that it was too soon and we weren’t ready, but I knew better.

8. Put all your energy in what you do and you’ll excel

So many great fighters have lost their first few fights. Boxer Paddy Barnes lost his first 12 fights, but he just kept on going and kept training and now he is an Olympic medalist.

In business you may not win the first time, but the harder you work the better you become and the more lessons you learn. Hard work also earns you the respect of those you do business with and inspires those around you. I look to lead my team by example by working the hardest I possibly can every day, which encourages them to do the same.

Brian Lee is the co-founder of Chopped and FIT Studios.