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Bedros Kullian
When you've got some built in, mentor your dad who's an entrepreneur, I start working in his, in his tailor shop. And so that was one of my first experiences, thinking it pays to be respected. Like I knew right there, it pays to be respected. And from that point on I was like, I'm going to build my reputation. I'm going to make sure that I'm respected. That was probably more powerful than any entrepreneurial lesson he taught me in the years coming. It's just the reality of life.
Tommy
Confident, direct, charismatic. Our guest today overcame the unthinkable and scaled a nine figure business empire.
Bedros Kullian
You better know how to pivot and make fast decisions because success is reserved for the few who are willing to push through.
Tommy
When he was six years old, Bedros Kulian and his family escaped the communist regime in Soviet Armenia and had to rebuild their lives from scratch. They possessed only a single suitcase and $86 in cash.
Bedros Kullian
I didn't speak English. I didn't understand the culture. We were broke, we were poor.
Tommy
From refugee to entrepreneur, Bedros is the embodiment of grit, discipline, and the American dream. He is the founder and CEO of Fit Body Bootcamp, a franchise he launched in 2009 that has since grown to over 600 locations worldwide.
Bedros Kullian
Change can take place in an instant if you are willing to flip the switch.
Tommy
The brand has earned recognition in Entrepreneur magazine's list of the 500 fastest growing franchises and appeared three times on the Inc. 5000 list of America's fastest growing private companies.
Bedros Kullian
Like be hard on yourself. Take the fucking bubble wrap off. Take the. Take the training wheels off. Take risks.
Tommy
Today, Bedrose is also a savvy investor, a sought after business coach, and the Wall Street Journal best selling author of Man Up.
Bedros Kullian
It's time to man up.
Tommy
His no bullshit approach to mentorship helps leaders cut the excuses that dominate in the business world and beyond. He doesn't just build businesses, he builds people.
Bedros Kullian
As far as I'm concerned, you have what it takes.
Tommy
Get ready. This conversation will reshape how you think about business resilience and the American dream.
Unknown
Thank you for letting us do this.
Bedros Kullian
Thank you for the opportunity.
Unknown
Tommy, this is going to be great.
Bedros Kullian
It's a pleasure meeting you.
Unknown
Yeah, you too. Tell us a little bit about the American dream when you came here, how you got so inspired and how you're leading other people.
Bedros Kullian
Yeah, man. Well, the American dream for me is pretty rad because when you come from a communist country like there's such a stark difference between Armenia, where they're at the time in 1980s, famine, rationed water, rationed power. You're under communist dictatorship. And my dad was a member of the Communist party. So imagine that contrast of a life compared to lying to the government, which is what my dad did. He said, hey, we're just taking the family onto a vacation to Rome, Italy. And people go, well, why? Why not just write to America? Because in a communist country, if you go, hey, we're going to America, you end up in Siberia instead, right? And so Italy at the time was communist sympathizer. So my dad lies and he goes, hey, I'm taking the family to Rome, Italy for a vacation. So we had to make it look like we're leaving with two suitcases. We leave everything behind, never to come back. We go to Rome, Italy. My dad marches right into the American consult and says, hey, I'm a current communist party member. I denounce communism. I want to go to America. You guys can pump me for all the information you want. And so they do. Ten days later, we end up in the United States. How we ended up in California is because Armenia was cold. My dad knew that Florida and California were warm. He chose California. He just wanted a warmer climate than what we were used to in Armenia. So then growing up, my dad keeps brainwashing me and telling me like, we're in the greatest country on the planet. You could achieve whatever you want as long as you serve the people, you're good to the people. You could achieve anything you want because there is no limit. There is no dictatorship, there is no communism here. It's all democracy and republic, all awesome. I think being the youngest, I actually believed that. Here's why. When you look at the case study, my brother, who was 19 at the time, my sister, 22. So you do the math. I'm the oops baby. I was 6, my brother was 19, sister's 22. They didn't assimilate as well to, to the United States like I did. When you come at six years old, you lose your accent, you assimilate, you make friends, you adopt a culture. And I believed my dad because I was naive. Whereas when you're 19, 20, 21, 22, you're going to be a little skeptical. And I saw him also working as an entrepreneur. He opened up a little tailor shop in Anaheim, California, not too far from here. And when you've got someone who's a mentor to you, a built in mentor, your dad, who's like, well, I can't get a job, I don't speak English, I want to make my own money. And I don't have the education to go and be a doctor or an accountant. So I got to be an entrepreneur. So he becomes an entrepreneur. I start working in his, in his tailor shop, like literally after school. So imagine you come, you get picked up by your mom from school. Instead of going home, I go to his tailor shop at 6, 7 years old. Dude, I'm selling ties, socks, cover buns, anything, any accessories for men's clothing at my dad's tailor shop when I'm eight, nine years old, right? And he's teaching me entrepreneurism as he's learning salesmanship, people skills, rapport building. And before I knew it, I was just destined to be successful. I certainly have hit my, you know, struggles and adversities like everyone else has. But I believe that my dad brainwashing me into you could become anything you want in this country. And then him leading the way by being an entrepreneur, I was like, well, shit, he's 45. If he can come to this country and be successful, why can't I? Starting out so young. And the rest was history. Grocery stores have food on the shelves, bro. Yeah, like that doesn't happen in Armenia. So all I got to do is earn the money that I need to get the food. It's, it's simple.
Unknown
So do you remember a lot of our mini in the first six years or is that kind of like not.
Bedros Kullian
The first six years? But I, I do remember it because, you know, at that point you start kind of experiencing things and you have memories. And I remember winning in line with my mom in the snow, long bread line just to get to the store and them saying that, you know, they didn't have bread or cheese. And then my dad just happened to show up. And my dad, since he was a card carrying Communist party member, just to inform Your audience about 18 at the time, about 18 of the population were actual Communist party members. So like has an important role. You got a different passport. So my dad rolls up and I remember this. I was wearing a thick fur coat, it's snowing, we're in line forever. And now my mom's like, what do you mean there's no bread, there's no cheese. My dad rolls up, he just happens to show up at the right time and he has a word with the shopkeeper, shows his passport. All of a sudden, magically, bread and cheese appear. And so that was one of my first experiences, thinking it pays to be respected. Like I knew right there, it pays to be respected. And from that point on, I Was like, I'm going to build my reputation. I'm going to make sure that I'm respected. That was probably more powerful than any entrepreneurial lesson he taught me in the years coming. Because he wasn't feared, he was respected. And because of that, they gave us what we needed. And I knew that you can get whatever you want if you're respected. And if you're not respected, then you get treated like trash. And that's just the reality of life.
Unknown
You've coached Navy SEALs, CEOs, athletes, one. What's one thing they all secretly struggle with that nobody would expect?
Bedros Kullian
That's a really good question. Because a Navy SEAL can go to battle, hear gunshots, and run towards it, right? And an athlete can kick ass on the field, knowing that his team's going to show up and they're going to do the best they can. But then they get into this, a new space. When someone is type A, tightly wound, high speed, like us, that's what I've found between multimillionaire entrepreneurs, pro athletes, and like, tip of the spear, like Delta guys, Rangers, seals, type A, tightly wound, high speed. We're really good at one thing. That's called situational dominance. When you're so type A in one area and then you go to a whole new field, you don't have situational dominance anymore. You're the new guy.
Unknown
Y. Yeah.
Bedros Kullian
That's scary, man.
Unknown
Make it till you make it. I remember my first time on a stage. 800 people. I was soaked. But that stage was tough. 800 on your first stage, right?
Bedros Kullian
That's huge.
Unknown
You know, I always had 100 people with the people I work with, but that was different.
Tommy
Pain is a gift.
Unknown
Yep. What do you mean by that?
Bedros Kullian
Well, look at it this way. Anytime that you've experienced hardship, adversity, pain, frustration, rejection, all of those are forms of pain. Pain is a better motivator in terms of taking people towards an action than. Than the desire to acquire something.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
Because you will want to leave. Pain, regret, fear, loss, rejection. And so people don't understand that when you feel adversity, when you feel hardship, when you go through pain, it will introduce you. Assuming that you push through and you get out to the other side. But if you push through, you get to the other side, you meet the higher version of yourself. You've never met the highest version of yourself. Sitting in comfort and convenience. You just haven't.
Unknown
Right?
Bedros Kullian
You look pretty jacked. I'm guessing you didn't just sit around on the couch and develop, develop sprout muscles. It's because you put yourself through pain, through adversity. Throughout the process, in fact, you probably have acquired some injuries. I was on the mats we're talking about before the cameras roll. I was doing Jiu Jitsu five days straight. I have a lot of pain on my body right now because of the five days of Jiu Jitsu. But what I Learned in the 5, 5 days trumps what I learned in the last month because it was just compounded. Pain is compounded knowledge if you're willing to push through. If not, then you become the loser who sits on their sulks, and that becomes your victim story. And I don't think anyone around here or watching your podcast is interest. Interested in being a victim.
Unknown
So what's the most painful moment in your life that turned into be a blessing in disguise?
Bedros Kullian
Well, I've had several painful moments in my life. Probably one of the biggest ones that ended up being a blessing is the fact that I was molested as a young boy between the ages of 4 and 6. What my parents don't realize, us escaping the Soviet Union, coming to the United States wasn't just bringing me to freedom and opportunity in the American dream. They literally saved me from daily, constant molestation by two older boys. When you have experienced any kind of sexual, physical, mental, emotional abuse, you end up looking at life through these filters of lack of self worth, self hate. You don't feel like you're worthy of success and happiness. Well, I was able to reframe that because as I worked with a therapist years later, he was like, dude, anyone that can survive that and end up still showing compassion, humanity, love, grace, it's like, that's a superpower you've developed. I was like, holy. And so most people think that when something happens to them, some hardship has happened to them, some abuse, some trauma, whatever has happened to them, like, that's the end. That's. That's my end of my story. You could reframe that and go, I survived that, right? And if you've survived something hard, you've probably developed a superpower because of it. One of my superpowers being in business is I had to compartmentalize. People are coming to you from different directions. Accounting, marketing, sales, operations. They're coming to me from all the different angles. I can compartmentalize things, prioritize, and then execute as I need to because I've developed that superpower. So it helps me in my personal life in terms of being kind, compassionate, and. And empathetic towards people. It helps me in my business life and making millions because I'm able to compartmentalize, prioritize and execute.
Unknown
Listen, man, thank you for that story. You found serious success training people to build discipline, resilience and strength. You talk a lot about mental toughness, but what's something that still makes you question yourself today?
Bedros Kullian
What makes me question myself today is my ability to father Andrew and Chloe, not am I creating great humans? But will they have the resiliency, the fortitude, the grit that I have because I faced a lot of adversity, I faced a lot of hardship.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
And so I, I wonder, am I raising them with enough grit and resilience? It seems like it, but we'll see.
Unknown
What's the riskiest decision you've made that paid off massively?
Bedros Kullian
The riskiest decision I made that paid off massively was putting $1.3 million out of my pocket to start Trulien Supplements because I had committed to the idea of when we get to 500 fit body boot Camp locations, we I want a supplement line to sell in there. I'd never been in the supplement business. I know it's a competitive business. I'm in the business of recurring revenue. The software company that I own, my franchise, my coaching business, everything pays me on reoccurring. I don't want to just make a transactional sale. I want to make a sale and get mrr. Yeah.
Tommy
Hey, guys, just hopping in here to give you a little context. Recurring revenue is the golden ticket in business. It's steady, predictable income from clients who pay monthly, also called mrr, or annually, which is called ARR. It's like selling on autopilot. The catch, it's powerful but tough to build. And that's why most franchises can't lock it in long term.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
And so with that in mind, I was like, man, supplement companies don't have a lot of MRR monthly recurring revenue. And so I was like, I'm going to do mine differently. I knew it was a risk and I talked to a few homies who are pretty big in the industry and they were like, man, it doesn't work. You can't put clients on subscription, customers on subscription. It's not like your franchise. It's not like software. I was like, all right, I'm going to do that. And so I did. And now we've got our wellness shot. Our best selling product that actually was a byproduct, wasn't even on the skew to be. It wasn't even like a SKU that we made. It was developed A truly wellness shot was developed as an answer to the immune system problem during 2020. Covid.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
And now it's become our best selling product ever. Thousands of people on subscription stick rate of 14 and a half months. But it was risky because I knew nothing about the supplement industry and I put my money out instead of other people's money. But I also knew that I can get this thing on subscription and I believed in myself and belief in self is a very big thing.
Unknown
I know a lot about franchises and franchises. There's still the same amount of franchises there were 20 years ago because just as many are failing that are coming in. So how'd you figure that out? And do you have in every business you plan with the end in mind what an exit look like?
Bedros Kullian
Yeah, well, it's always with scale and exit. Build scale, exit. For me. I've just. I love that model but so we're franchising this concerned. Currently there are 175000 franchise brands out there. Just so you know, less than 1% of franchise brands ever make it to 100 locations. Less than 1%. Fit Body Boot Camp made it to 118 locations in the first 24 months. And I didn't even know this until the IFA International Franchise association called me and said, we'd like you to speak at our annual conference big event in Florida. I'm like, what for? They go, well, you hit some record. You got over 100 locations within the first two years. I was like, is that what we're supposed to do as marketers and entrepreneurs grow? They're like, yeah. And they told me that stat less than 1% get to 100 locations. And so I knew for myself that one I had to make a product. That's different.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
So Fit Body Boot Camp is a boutique gym group training program. But you look at there's so many other group training programs out there. So how's mine different? Well, mine's different because we cater to the house mom, so there's no mirrors in fit body bootcamp. Mrs. Jones doesn't want to see herself in the mirror yet. We also know that if we can get her in, we can get her circle of friends in because she's connected in the community. So that's how I differentiated number one. Number two, I made sure to focus on my franchisee health. So how can I get my franchisees to sign people up, keep them on monthly recurring revenue, sell them nutrition services that's their secondary income stream and then supplements and apparel.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
Four income streams and about four years ago we introduced their fifth income stream which is Fit Body Forever. So, so let's that your wife is working out at a Fit Body boot camp. She probably has parents. You probably have parents that want to stay fit and active and be able to pick up your grand their grandkids. And so that means Fit Body Forever, which is a baby boomer and aging adult program. So I built something in there where my current clients already have. They become the marketing machine for my next clients, aging adults and baby boomers.
Unknown
Right?
Bedros Kullian
And they don't just want to lose 30 pounds and leave. They don't leave until they die because they want to stay active, they want to stay fit, they want to stay mobile, they want to stay out of the assistant living home. So I created one, I differentiated my marketplace and number two, I found at least four and then now five different income streams for my franchisees. And I knew that if I could do that and if I could use good direct response marketing to get them traffic, as long as the franchisee knows how to paint by numbers, they can get it done. But most people think that hey, I was successful at my restaurant, coffee shop, gym, whatever it is, they'll pay the buy in fee, give me 8 to 10% royalties and that's that. Well, didn't create a system. They don't have differentiation and that's how all these brands end up failing.
Tommy
What's a piece of game changing advice.
Unknown
You wish you knew in your early 20s.
Bedros Kullian
No one gives a about you, no one's watching, no one's judging. Take more risks, take action.
Unknown
Now what are some of your millionaire habits that set you apart from the rest?
Bedros Kullian
I have a very simple morning routine. I know Ashton hall just popped off with his like 82 step morning routine. I have a very simple routine. Wake up, drink 30 ounces of water. And when I wake up, I don't hit the snooze button because that tells my subconscious mind that I'm already a loser because I've already given in to my first weakness. So don't hit the snooze button. Wake up when you say you're going to wake up, drink 30 ounces of water, send out three gratitude text messages, take a shower, get to work. After I get about two and a half hours with the work done and do this brain dump. And the work is always on money and meaning, in that order, money and meaning. And then I go to the gym and work out. That's another big hack you work out in the morning because willpower is low. You're never going to work out at night. And even if you do, you're not going to bring the thunder. If you don't bring the thunder, you're not going to look jacked. And if you don't look jacked, you don't have the energy. You're not going to be able to go to war. As an entrepreneur.
Unknown
If you had to start over with $10 million tomorrow, what would you do with it?
Bedros Kullian
If I start off with $10 million tomorrow, I'd probably invest that in. In probably real estate. And this is me in real estate and crypto. And then I would go raise another 10 million and use other people's money to start a business.
Unknown
You like crypto or gold better?
Bedros Kullian
I have both. I like crypto currently, but I've also been investing in crypto since 2015.
Unknown
Okay.
Bedros Kullian
Yeah.
Unknown
What's one belief that you had in your 20s that you know was complete.
Bedros Kullian
Blue collar people can't make it in life. Immigrants and blue collar people can't make it in life. And that's because I was the victim. You know, it was everyone else's fault. You know, they. They tell me to go back to my own country, speak, speak English better, your parents should have never brought you here, etc. It's an absolute false. Like, big, big, big lie, big lie.
Unknown
You know, Gina Wickman said he's been on my podcast several times, and he's like, tommy, when I sold 87% of EOS, I got a bucket, you know, tons of money, more money than I knew what to do with, but I felt empty. I lost a piece of my DNA. So he wrote the book Shine, and I think a lot of people, they really, they define themselves with this. Their company becomes a part of them. And I get that. But I'm like, man, I've already invested in 25 other companies, still own 47% of my company, but the finish line looks great. And then I just have more, A lot more finish lines coming. Yeah. And how quick can I double? I count. I count my money in doubles. How many more doubles do I have if I could double every three years? You know, I got a lot of doubles left.
Bedros Kullian
Yep.
Unknown
But what are your thoughts on just this idea of you sell and you lose a piece of yourself?
Bedros Kullian
Well, it's not only that. I'll break it down to you this way. The people that you're talking about is going to be mostly men. Yes, us men. So men need purpose. In the absence of purpose, men start digging holes in their life. No different than a German shepherd would dig holes in your backyard. If the dog doesn't have purpose, the holes show up for us in way of drug use, alcohol, pornography, infidelity, video games, screen sucking, you name it.
Unknown
Well, look, I'll tell you this that I figured out about myself is I'll never be the CEO again.
Bedros Kullian
Bingo.
Unknown
My purpose is not to be in the the CEO. Like there's a lot of stuff I want to do, but the Warren Buffett doesn't want to be the CEO of another company, right? Or any company. You're an extremely influential voice for young men on social media. You coach alpha minded men to level up. What's the biggest lie men believe about success and masculinity today?
Bedros Kullian
Men believe that success is financial. And while a good portion of success is financial, it doesn't stop there. Success is generational, meaning success is knowing how to handle yourself. Success is emotional discipline. Success is being fit and athletic. Success is being able to use words like English is a second language for me. Yet Tony Robbins was like, dude, you are gifted speaker. I go, how come? He goes, you can paint word pictures better than most people who were born here and have gone to university. And it's because I made it one of my goals to become a good articulator of the American language.
Unknown
Right?
Bedros Kullian
And so I share this with you because success is very holistic and I see this happen a lot. Now we have a 57% divorce rate. So the other 40 some odd percent of the dads, they're in the house, half of them are completely absent. Emotionally, they're physically there, but emotionally mentally absent. They're not teaching their kids how to be capable, confident, courageous young men. And so I created a program called the Squire program, which is a father and son program that's 12 hours long. Myself and a couple of my instructors who are Marines and Navy seals put these young men and their fathers through this awesome bonding experience, which is a rite of passage for these young men who are teens and into manhood. And it's now we're on our fifth year of doing this. And to see these young men who started off in the first couple of classes, now in their early 20s, reaching out to me. And they're leaders on their sports teams, they're leaders in sales, they're leaders in their own companies, some of them leaders in a young family. And that's a beautiful thing to see.
Unknown
You know, we're, we're almost at a thousand people for a one. And I've been heavily involved in the recruiting side of it because I Think marketing is to get great clients, but also get great people on your team. We hire for attitude. And there's all these things that I've noticed, like athletes, farmers, hard workers, they smile a lot, they tell a great story. Eye contact. And then here's the last thing. They got somebody, they've got accountability, they've got someone at home holding them accountable, they've got some best friends, someone in their team. You find those things. All of a sudden, KPIs become easy to hit and they make great money. So it's pretty easy to get good guys. When you say, this guy's making 320 grand a year. Yeah. You know what I mean? But if they're doing that, they're. They're doing $1.6 million in revenue. And I find sharing it with them. So it's all performance pay.
Bedros Kullian
It's funny you say that because again, over the years. And these are all things you learned over the years.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
Like in the beginning, you're putting an ad on indeed or monster.com and you're like, oh, man, I'm getting trash.
Unknown
We had a Paul said would hire you, most likely.
Bedros Kullian
Yeah. So what. What I found is if they come from, like any kind of professional sports, specifically sports where they're the only competitor not on the team.
Unknown
Wrestling, yeah, wrestling is great.
Bedros Kullian
I will take any kind of wrestler, high school, collegiate wrestler, because they want to have a chip on their shoulder. They can learn everything else. Like, they're enthusiastic, they have the attitude, they have a point to prove to the world because they have a chip on their shoulder. I can teach them to sell, market lead, manage, hit. KPI's good.
Unknown
You know, I used to think life was really. My mom and dad got a divorce because of money. Yeah, I was about six years old. I just used to hear them argue about bills every day. I'd listen through the drywall and hear them argue. So I just decided I'm going to get money out of the way. And by the way, we didn't have a lot of money. So when you start from zero, it's sweat equity, bottom up. It's not top down like I do now. I hire great leaders, they build the team underneath them. And so. But I started paying attention. I'm like, well, what about fitness and what about fun? What about family? What about faith? I've really switched things in priorities, but the money's coming even easier now. Yeah, it's like, unfortunately, I got too much. So Dan Martell, he's like, dude, you're gonna lose billions A year of opportunities. You can't say yes to everything. So part of what I'm working on now is saying no more often. It's very hard. I mean, how do you handle saying no?
Bedros Kullian
Well, because it's an opportunity cost. Every time you say yes to something, you just have to, you're forced to say no to something else. Just like you, I've had to develop the art of saying no because in the beginning you think like, everything's an opportunity. So I once heard, I think it was Charlie Munger say an opportunity of a lifetime comes at least twice a year.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
And when I heard that, I was like, holy, that is so powerful. In the beginning, when you first are getting by, you start becoming an entrepreneur, you start building a bit of a network, Opportunities come, you're like, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. And then you're given 20 to everything. You're not giving 100 to everything and therefore it fails or the person thinks that you're just a flake or whatever. So I've developed this ability to say no by saying, does it go through this filter of mine? One, do my values align with whatever the thing is?
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
Let's say it's a great opportunity to make a ton of money. Do I give a for this industry? So if it's yes, I move forward. If it, if it's a no, then I don't. The second thing is, what does the opportunity cost? I'm going to look down the road. What is the, what is it going to cost me? How much of my team members do I have to divert their attention? Hey, now I need you guys to focus on this. So am I taking their money off of the dollars to focus on the pennies? If the opportunity cost is worth it, then yes.
Unknown
My Linus test is when the phone rings, if I'm not excited and like pumped, you know, every, every once in a while there's bad news. But if it's just the one person that's calling, they always need, need, need. So we're getting ready to wrap up some last final questions is badgers. How do you win today? How do people find you? What's, what's something you want someone to take action on?
Bedros Kullian
I think the biggest thing people should take action on is they need to understand that whatever, like story that they, they've told themselves is usually a lie. Your story is a byproduct of whatever abuse, whatever traumas. You know, maybe grandma said that you're clumsy and your parents said that you're big boned, but when we're kids, we hear these stories and people kind of give these narratives. And then we grow up. It's like the elephant. It's a baby little elephant, a tiny little stake in the ground with a tiny little thread. And that elephant stays put. That is what your false narrative, your story is. And when you believe in a false story, you end up looking in the world, finding evidence to identify with that story. So your book of life. All right, I get it. Grandparents, parents, school teachers, bullies, abusers, wrote in the first few hundred pages of your book of life, there's thousands of pages left. Grab the pen and rewrite the story from Moving forward, I will be lean and jacked. Moving forward, I will be a multimillionaire. Moving forward, I will donate to Shriners Children's Hospital that it's no, it's no accident that I donate to Shriners Children's Hospital. Toys for tots and compassion. 97 kids adopted through Compassion. These are all kid based charities. What am I doing? The most selfish way I'm healing myself.
Unknown
Yeah.
Bedros Kullian
By using my money to heal myself by giving to child based charities.
Unknown
Right.
Bedros Kullian
And so I've changed the story that this immigrant can donate millions every year, can change and transform, can be fit and jacked, can be an amazing orator. And when you start rewriting the story, it's like a script. You see it and act as if and you do it enough and it becomes a habit. That was anything habitual comes to reality. Most people believe the bullshit lies that they've told themselves or others have told them, and they just carry the weight of that all the way to the grave. What a sad way to live.
Unknown
I probably didn't ask all the right questions so you could close this out with whatever you got. Final thoughts for the listeners.
Bedros Kullian
Yeah, one of the greatest thoughts I can give people, and I was just talking to someone this morning, is don't take advice from people who have never been to where you want to go and aren't doing where you. What you want to be doing. I get it when they say, well, you know, let me, let me go talk to my family members or let me go talk to so and so. Your family member does not know if that's the right mark. Like your business coach is telling you, this is what you need to do to take your business from 20 million to 30 million. Don't ask your wife or your uncle who was an attorney or someone else, is this the right idea because you like them and you trust them.
Unknown
Listen, man, means a lot to me that you did this. I really enjoyed it. Appreciate you.
Bedros Kullian
Thank you, Tommy. Appreciate it, brother.
Tommy
All right, guys, thanks so much for listening to this episode. Episode. Like always, we're going to close it out with the Tommy Truth, which is a little slice of wisdom from me to you that can help guide you in whatever you're striving towards. Right now, people will pay 63. That's 63% more for something they built. Even if it's not perfect, when you put the effort in, you'll value it even more. This is known as the Ikea effect. Let's just say you're building a piece of furniture from scratch. It's a challenging process. But when you finish, the bookshelf isn't just a piece of furniture anymore. It's your creation. It's not about perfection. It's about connection. Let me repeat that. It's not about perfection. It's about connection. When we invest time and energy into something, we see it as a part of us. This applies to furniture, yes, but also to relationships, team projects, even customer experiences. And that's it, guys. We'll talk to you next week.
Podcast Summary: The Mello Millionaire with Tommy Mello
Episode Title: From Armenian Refugee to American Millionaire: The Relentless Rise of Bedros Keuilian
Host: Tommy Mello
Guest: Bedros Keuilian
Release Date: June 27, 2025
In this compelling episode of The Mello Millionaire, host Tommy Mello delves into the extraordinary journey of Bedros Keuilian, a testament to resilience and the embodiment of the American Dream. From fleeing a communist regime in Soviet Armenia to building a nine-figure business empire, Bedros shares invaluable insights into entrepreneurship, personal growth, and leadership.
Bedros Keuilian recounts his family's harrowing escape from Soviet Armenia at the age of six. With only a single suitcase and $86, they navigated the challenges of immigrating to the United States.
Key Quote:
Bedros Kullian [00:00]: “I'm going to build my reputation. I'm going to make sure that I'm respected. That was probably more powerful than any entrepreneurial lesson he taught me...”
Struggles:
Early Entrepreneurial Exposure:
From a young age, Bedros worked in his father's tailor shop, selling men’s accessories and learning the fundamentals of entrepreneurship.
Bedros Kullian [02:04]: “I start working in his tailor shop... selling ties, socks... teaching me entrepreneurism.”
Bedros shares formative experiences that cemented the importance of respect and reputation in his life and business endeavors.
Impactful Childhood Memory:
Bedros Kullian [07:00]: Describes a pivotal moment in Armenia where his father’s respected status as a communist party member secured essential resources during a food shortage.
“I knew that you can get whatever you want if you're respected.”
Mentorship from Family:
Learning from his father’s entrepreneurial spirit, Bedros internalized the value of respect over fear, shaping his approach to business and personal interactions.
Bedros opens up about personal traumas and their role in his development.
Overcoming Childhood Trauma:
Bedros Kullian [09:31]: Reveals he was molested between ages 4 and 6, a harrowing experience that he reframed into a source of strength.
“Anyone that can survive that and end up still showing compassion, humanity, love, grace, it's like, that's a superpower you've developed.”
Therapeutic Insights:
Through therapy, Bedros learned to view his past adversity as a catalyst for developing essential business skills like compartmentalization, prioritization, and execution.
Legacy and Parenting:
Bedros Kullian [11:14]: Reflects on his concerns about instilling the same resilience and grit in his children.
“Am I raising them with enough grit and resilience?”
Bedros discusses pivotal business decisions that fueled his success, particularly the launch of Trulien Supplements.
Risk-Taking:
Bedros Kullian [12:49]: Highlights his bold move to invest $1.3 million into a supplement line, despite having no prior experience in the industry.
“I knew it was a risk and I talked to a few homies... I was like, all right, I'm going to do that. And so I did.” [13:28]
Innovative Business Model:
Introduced a subscription model to create recurring revenue, a divergence from traditional supplement sales. This approach led to the success of their wellness shot, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Franchise Success:
Fit Body Boot Camp achieved rapid growth, surpassing 100 locations within two years—a feat less than 1% of franchise brands accomplish.
Bedros Kullian [14:03]: “Fit Body Boot Camp made it to 118 locations in the first 24 months.”
Differentiation Strategy:
Tailored services to specific demographics, such as house moms and baby boomers, and diversified income streams for franchisees to ensure sustained growth.
Bedros emphasizes the importance of building a strong team and fostering leadership within his organization.
Hiring Philosophy:
Focuses on attitude over traditional qualifications, valuing traits like resilience, teamwork, and a strong work ethic.
Bedros Kullian [22:53]: “I will take any kind of wrestler... they can learn everything else.”
Performance-Based Compensation:
Implements performance pay systems, motivating team members to achieve significant revenue milestones.
Bedros Kullian [22:33]: “I can teach them to sell, market, lead, manage, hit KPIs good.”
Recruitment Insights:
Identifies candidates from high-pressure environments, such as professional sports, who possess the drive and determination to excel.
Bedros shares his core beliefs and offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and individuals seeking personal growth.
Redefining Success:
Bedros Kullian [20:15]: "Men believe that success is financial. And while a good portion of success is financial, it doesn't stop there. Success is generational...”
Emphasizes a holistic view of success encompassing emotional discipline, physical fitness, and generational impact.
Rewriting Personal Narratives:
Encourages listeners to challenge and rewrite the limiting stories they've been told, advocating for proactive personal development.
Bedros Kullian [25:32]: “Grab the pen and rewrite the story from... Moving forward, I will be a multimillionaire.”
Advice on Decision-Making:
Stresses the importance of aligning opportunities with personal values and understanding opportunity costs to make informed "no" decisions.
Bedros Kullian [24:20]: “Every time you say yes to something, you just have to say no to something else.”
Final Thoughts:
Bedros Kullian [27:15]: Encourages not to take advice from those who haven’t achieved what you aspire to.
“Don't take advice from people who have never been to where you want to go and aren't doing where you want to be.”
Bedros Keuilian's journey from a young Armenian refugee to a successful entrepreneur underscores the power of resilience, respect, and strategic risk-taking. His insights on leadership, team building, and personal growth offer invaluable lessons for anyone striving to achieve their dreams. The episode concludes with Tommy Mello’s Tommy Truth, reinforcing the importance of connection over perfection in all endeavors.
Notable Quotes:
Bedros Kullian [00:00]: “I'm going to build my reputation. I'm going to make sure that I'm respected. That was probably more powerful than any entrepreneurial lesson he taught me...”
Bedros Kullian [07:00]: “I knew that you can get whatever you want if you're respected.”
Bedros Kullian [09:31]: “Anyone that can survive that and end up still showing compassion, humanity, love, grace, it's like, that's a superpower you've developed.”
Bedros Kullian [20:15]: “Men believe that success is financial. And while a good portion of success is financial, it doesn't stop there. Success is generational...”
Bedros Kullian [25:32]: “Grab the pen and rewrite the story from... Moving forward, I will be a multimillionaire.”
Tommy Truth:
“It's not about perfection. It's about connection. When we invest time and energy into something, we see it as a part of us. This applies to furniture, yes, but also to relationships, team projects, even customer experiences.”
This episode serves as a powerful reminder that success is multifaceted, deeply personal, and built upon a foundation of resilience and respect. Bedros Keuilian’s story is not just about financial achievement but also about transforming adversity into opportunity and inspiring others to do the same.