Interview with Scott Evennett
Chris: Good day it’s Chris here and today we got a very special guest by the name of Scott Evennett. How are you today, Scott?
Scott: I’m awesome thank you buddy.
Chris: Good to hear mate. No doubt, many of you know of Scott or have heard of Scott. But those who haven’t, Scott is a former Australian Commando. A mindset, nutrition and training expert, and an absolute weapon when it comes to bar and body weight training.
Scott: Too kind, too kind.
Chris: So let’s just get straight in to it. And to kick it off, Scott can you tell everyone a little bit about yourself and I guess your background coming to today.
Scott: Yeah not a problem mate. Prior to the army it was always a very sporting background, so playing gymnastics, sorry, training in gymnastics, playing professional soccer, over to England and English Second Division level and coming back home to Australia, the military got my attention, accepting the next challenge essentially. When I joined I went through the Special Forces direct entry scheme. That was a chance to go from civilian street and it’s bit of a fast track although you go all the way through it about two years in total before you can get your Green Beret and then all the way through that method. So I spent 8 years in the service. Five of those in the special operation and in Afghanistan.
Chris: Cool. I guess in that process you learnt and you perfected the sort of mindset training techniques, obviously a very high level of fitness required for that sort of stuff as well.
Scott: Yeah definitely mate, that’s a massive part of it. Yeah, being special operations soldier you are asked to conduct all sorts of operations and missions and things that you’ve never done before and the scope of a commando is very lengthy. so yeah you have to have the right mindset. You are often asked by a commanding officer to do something you’ve never done before and the answer’s always got to be “yes sir” and figure it out how to do it along the way. So that whole method of finding a way to success and what that does to your mind. Definitely.
Chris: cool. And how long have you been out if the service now for?
Scott: Coming on three years. Actually just over three years, ticked over. So transitioned into the health and fitness realm. Passing on that mind set and obviously the physical background coming from athletics and sport and military.
Chris: Beautiful, cool and you know from the early days when you got out of there, you started the gym that you guys have, Commando Tough.
Scott: Yes that’s correct. So doing just one-on-one PT’s initially and renting the gym turned into finding another commando, fellow commando and we saw a gap in the market so we opened up Commando Tough and in the first year we had our first award locally. We did well business wise and kept going ever since.
Chris: Fantastic, now bring it forward to today, no doubt you've got a fairly sizeable community. Obviously males in those that have a focus on fitness and health but also very well skewed towards people who have interest in special forces, army etcetera, etcetera across numerous social media platforms, database, etcetera and you do digital products and custom programs at the moment as well, yeah?
Scott: Yes I do.
Chris: Fantastic, cool. How do you, from the evolution of the bricks and mortar to the digital fitness training mindset space, how have you found, what have you seen as the key differences?
Scott: You know it’s been a steep learning curve, but being in p.t and doing the countless hours on the floor, especially when you have something to give, you know your intellectual property, once you put it into a format which can reach the world. Now your shop front is World Wide Web. There’s no comparison. Being online is a massive thing these days.
Chris: Cool. And what would a usual, normal business day look like for you today?
Scott: Today? I’ve decreased if not deleted the ability to do one-on-one training. I only do that occasionally. So my day-to-day job now is creating the content for those viewers and creating the products and looking after the business side of online.
Chris: Fantastic. Okay so one-on-one is something that you’re not focusing on. You’re going much more into the global space to provide that value around the clock to people no matter where they are.
Scott: Definitely, I’ve got a unique asset and being able to pass that on to as many as I can and that’s the aim and I can only reach so many people locally. So getting out there and sending the products, with you know my intellectual property, my methods, my techniques that are being learnt, it’s got to be out to the web.
Chris: Fantastic, cool and I guess its a pretty big leap from being in the Special Forces and then coming out and having a more traditional bricks and mortar fitness style business and now moving onto the more digital global space. Has there been any moments, times through out, that those certain different leaps of faith, anything that’s sort of worthwhile noting or if there’s any one that’s thinking about similar paths, anything you can take that you’ve learned through that?
Scott: A hundred percent. When I first got out I went from a high paying job and taking in that transition into the civilian sector, there wasn’t much to bring except my own background in fitness. It takes a while to build up clients, as everyone knows. The mortar thing was a slope to start with. We opened doors with not enough members to cover the rent without that ability to take those risks and being that sort of personality, it’s hard to do but with that mindset attached to it, of “never fail”, that’s what got me through that part but turning that tap on and now the bricks and mortar running itself and very much still doing well. Needing that other online to again just to expand the reach rather than going for a secondary bricks and mortar, reaching out to more and more people. So having them all running at once is mutually beneficial.
Chris: Yeah. That’s pretty awesome. So I guess I’ll skip forward one question, but grand vision for brand “Scott Evennett” other than global domination, but if we fast-forward 6-12 months, where do you see yourself?
Scott: Things on much larger scale. If we’re talking about a funnel coming from all the way from offerings online to what they get on the Internet, is to turn that facility into a massive compound that can offer not just civilians but the corporate sector something. When it comes to military experiences and providing platforms to people to grow, that’s the intent. Using World Wide Web, using online, to reach as many people but here at home you know getting guys into mission profiles and using choppers and boats and all that good stuff. So a big presence here in this country, that’s for sure
Chris: Fantastic, mate. I guess to finish off today, first and foremost, to those probably watching the video, there’s the sausage dog in the background, the hulk.
Scott: He’s the hulk. He looks like a sausage but his personality is huge.
Chris: That was a side note; I thought I’ll just mention it. In terms of mindset for yourself, I know is a massive thing and I know that’s something you pride yourself on and being such a critical part of success, whether it be through body transformation or business success or life success, relationships anything. Would there be any words of wisdom for anyone that's looking to embark upon a goal in any space of their life. Any sort of insight or thought on feedback you should give them if they’re in a difficult place or on the edge of wondering what they going to do
Scott: To not think too much. To not dwell on it. I mean it comes from a self believe factor. That’s where the risk comes from. When you believe in yourself the quicker you take that risk, the quicker yore learning that lesson, and you’re moving on to secure it the next time. So not to hesitate, to back themselves, there’s plenty of support around. You’ve only got to ask the question usually. Getting out there, not trying to perfect it but getting out there and learning all those lessons on your way.
Chris: One of those things we have is a common term, and a close friend mentioned to me many years ago and it was the concept of failing forward. Not being afraid to fail but as long as you’re failing forward, you’re moving in the right direction. And getting that one step closer to success.
Scott: Definitely. Failure equals learning doesn’t it? So there’s no failure if you never stop. So as long as you keep going you’re only strengthening your own knowledge and moving forward with that you can conquer anything.
Chris: Cool. And you lived in Cronulla, and a common day, you tied to the desk all day long?
Scott: No, no, no. Not at all, I have the facility to look after but I use it to check in and out and do my own training and of course face to face with people. But being online gives me the opportunity to be on to cafes and be quite mobile. Catch up and network with who I have to and build a bit of a network that way as well. It’s a fantastic lifestyle I’ve made and it’s just hard that you’re just getting into it.
Chris: I appreciate that, that note. I appreciate you’re time today and I’m sure a lot of people have taken a lot from the words of wisdom of what you mentioned and for those of them that haven’t have heard of you before, obviously keep your eye out on this space and what everything that Scott Evennett does, he does it at a high level and he does it across the board and anyone that’s been needing to keep they’re eye on someone that’s very much on that edge of breaking through and becoming a merging personality in this space. Especially in the American and Australian space. You mentioned the Australian space currently but no doubt expanding on that global scale with that military background and all that stuff. I appreciate your time today and mate look forward to seeing what’s coming in the coming months and look growing with you.
Scott: Thanks for your chat mate and couldn’t have done this without you really, so much appreciate it.
Chris: Appreciate it. Cheers Scott.
Scott: No worries mate. Thanks Chris. Bye.
