Many Americans see obesity as one of the biggest challenges facing the nation today. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle can be very difficult, so there are people and companies that dedicate their lives to health and wellness.
Among these companies are Health Fitness Revolution and the ReSync Method, both founded by Samir Becic. I recently had the chance to sit down with Samir to learn about how he started these businesses and how they work.
Tell us about yourself first. What is your management style? Where did you go to school and work in the past?
I began my life-long dedication to health and fitness in Europe as a distinguished Martial Arts expert. It was in the structured and flowing training of Martial Arts that provided the background for the ReSync Method.
After relocating to the U.S. with a dream, determination, and talent, I soon began my career as a Personal Trainer, developing new training techniques for my clients.
My management style depends on the project, but I consider myself a macro-manager who, in certain situations, can be hands-on if necessary, but prefer not to be. I went to school in Bosnia, Germany, and the U.S. I went to Ruprechr Gymnasium and University of Houston (Business in Sports).
Tell us how your company started and when. Who was involved and what did each person do?
ReSync Enterprises started in 2011 but it was rebranded from my company EuroFit which I started in 2005 and had 97 locations. ReSync Enterprises focuses on corporations, large entities including school and government. It is based on my ReSync Method- The power of the ReSync Method comes from its simplicity—you use your own body and little else. Every muscle in the body can be trained by the body’s own movement and natural resistance, which makes the ReSync Method a perfect option for anyone who doesn’t want to spend hours in the gym or invest in costly and heavy machines. And since the ReSync Method utilizes the body’s natural resistance, it is ideal for couples, friends and families who want to spend time together working out.
Clients and trainers who have experienced the ReSync Method have consistently touted the method as indisputably more effective than traditional gym training because it utilizes muscle synchronicity, functionality, and basic exercises.
The ReSync Method has been proven not only by athletes and advanced clients, but also by clients newer to training and even those with limited range of motion and mobility. Very often, professional athletes have increased their performance while training under Samir because the ReSync Method allows them to push their bodies to their full potential without overdoing it, as they are controlled by their own body restrictions.
By using the synchronization of the body’s muscles, the ReSync Method effectively improves:
- Strength
- Strength endurance
- Cardio
- Flexibility
- Balance
And, best of all, the ReSync method connects all these components into one very simple, very effective, fun workout.
My non-profit organization, the Health Fitness Revolution by the Samir Becic Foundation was awarded 501(c)(3) in December 2012 and aims to change the way people think about health and fitness, incorporating proper exercise and nutrition practices into the very fabric of family and society.
At the heart of the Health & Fitness Revolution is the ReSync Method—a worldclass training philosophy that uses the body’s own resistance to increase balance, strength and speed. The ReSync Method teaches families how to exercise together, without the need for expensive gym memberships and dangerous fitness machines, as a way to build stronger, healthier families.
The Health & Fitness Revolution will achieve its goals by arming Americans with tools to live a healthy lifestyle. Through a variety of channels in the community, like schools, churches, community centers and corporations, the Health & Fitness Revolution will host events and workshops to educate children and their parents about the fundamentals of physical fitness and nutrition.
Tell us an interesting story about your business. Were there any “wow” moments? Anything funny or unusual?
Yes, my wow moment was before I came to America from Germany, I had an American Dream. It was to live in the country where all dreams are all possible. I left Germany, the strongest European economy, to accomplish my dream, and when I arrived to America, I realized that low productivity caused by obesity, was, in my mind, threatening the possibility of an American Dream. So I started doing interviews all over the media in order to prove, which was the beginning of a movement. America is one of the greatest nations in the world and should be the healthiest nation in the world—the model for healthy living around the globe. But the unhealthy lifestyle of many Americans and the alarming rates of obesity among youth prove otherwise. The Health & Fitness Revolution, a movement spearheaded by the Samir Becic Foundation, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to making America a healthier nation.
What is your role in the company now?
I am the CEO of both ReSync Enterprises (my for profit company) and the president of the board of the directors of the Health Fitness Revolution by Samir Becic Foundation (my non-profit company).
What does your company sell and how does it make money?
ReSync Enterprises works with corporations in implementing healthy lifestyle into the daily life of its employees. By doing so, we boost productivity and employee happiness. As the 21st century continues to unfold in its fast-paced manner, corporations are realizing that the company’s future growth is highly dependent on the health and fitness of its employees.
Every corporation struggles to maintain its niche and relevance in its market, while still caring for and appreciating its employees. But the truth is that overweight and unhealthy employees cost corporations an astronomical amount in sick days, reduced productivity, and health premiums.
For this reason, many corporations today are more aware of the benefits of having a healthy team and promoting fitness and healthy nutrition within their business practices. A growing trend within companies is to offer its employees incentives or other rewards for attending exercise classes regularly or losing weight within a given time period. Some companies are even offering partial payments for gym memberships or discounts at businesses that sell pre-packaged healthy meals.
Health Fitness Revolution is a non-profit that aims to help society and functions off of people beliefs in its goals and messages.
Which companies do you consider to be competitors?
The movement Health Fitness Revolution, does not consider any one to be a competitor because we support every cause that is associated with improving the healthy lifestyle of society in general. We support both non-profit and for profit companies whose main goal is to improve healthy lifestyle through physical fitness, healthy nutrition, social, mental, and spiritual balance. We have many collaborations all over the United States that have similar goals as we do and we see them all as partners because the issue of obesity has reached such epic proportions that we need all the manpower to fight this disease and its needs.
What makes your products and services better than competitors’ offerings?
We try to improve ourselves on a daily basis. The only real competitor we have is ourselves. By trying to improve ourselves on being more focused, disciplined, knowledgeable, providing quality work, healthy work atmosphere, and seeing ourselves as a company that is trying to improve the health of society. By doing this noble cause, we are motivated beyond your regular 9-5 job.
Does the company have any cash flow from financing activities? What is your total debt, if any?
Both ReSync Enterprises and the Health Fitness Revolution movement (Samir Becic Foundation) have no debts. We are very conservative in terms of our expansion and our money in vs. money out ratio. We run our company with a net profit over 35%, and make sure that before we hire somebody, we have a minimum of 9 months pay in advance without hurting our 35% net profit. By doing so, we are creating workforce stability and mental reassure among our employees. Because of this, we are more productive, and the work environment is more relaxed. Our goal is to have 1000 employees by 2015. To do so, our accounting needs to be extremely precise.
Where do you see the company in five years in terms of revenue and profitability?
I see Health Fitness Revolution (Samir Becic Foundation) to be a minimum of $100 million non-profit. ReSync Enterprises will be a $50 million company.
Tell us about any patents or other IP.
We are in the process of patenting and trademarking the ReSync Method and Health Fitness Revolution. Also we are trademarking and patenting the Health Revolution and the Fitness Revolution.
Have you faced any regulatory hurdles, or anticipate any in the future?
Yes, we are facing regulatory hurdles on a daily basis with the pharmaceutical companies. Health Fitness Revolution is in a war against obesity and unhealthy lifestyle (a positive and peaceful war). Pharmaceutical companies are not wizards. They don’t have a magic wand to heal you, they are artificial and they can only help you so much. You have more control over your body than you think- you can control, manage, or completely avoid 60 to 70% of known chronic conditions with physical fitness, healthy nutrition, and mental balance.
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
I founded the Health Fitness Revolution movement so that an extremely motivated group of people were given a chance to create a healthier and fitter world. This Revolution is about healthy lifestyle, not weight loss and dieting as you know it!
Americans are the biggest consumer of weight loss products (80%) in the world, yet still lead the world in obesity and unhealthy lifestyle. The percentage of American children and adolescents who are considered overweight or obese has tripled since 1970.
Several chronic conditions can be controlled and avoided with healthy lifestyle and exercise, including: cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, infertility, hypertension, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, depression, anxiety, stress, and many more. More than 70% of adults across the United States are already being diagnosed with a chronic disease and more than 75% of the nation’s healthcare cost being spent on managing and treating these conditions. The treatment of the seven most common chronic diseases, coupled with productivity losses, costs the U.S. economy more than $1 trillion dollars annually. Columbia University researchers project that there will be $48 to $66 billion added to current health care costs each year between now and 2030.
Being overweight and obese is a real problem- 250 million Americans fall into this category and 360,000 Americans die every year from diseases directly related to obesity and unhealthy lifestyle. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the US.
1.8 billion people worldwide are overweight and obese, 65% of the world’s population live in countries where being overweight and obese kills more people than being underweight.Because of these alarming obesity rates, this generation of children will be the first to live shorter lives than their parents. Worldwide, more than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese. Domestically, over 1/3 of American children are overweight or obese. 25% of US children spend 4 hours or more watching TV daily instead of being physically active. Let’s socialize with our children in a physically friendly environment instead of socializing while eating food or watching TV. Children are the future, let’s make sure they have a bright one.
* As published originally in Investment Underground
