Why Every Successful Entrepreneur Has Trauma in Their Background | Roger Martin

Roger Martin: [00:00:00] Every founder or really successful entrepreneur that I have interviewed, every one of them has some type of trauma in their background. And they've turned that. To rocket fuel, to, , grow their businesses and excel and, and get better.

Sadaf Beynon: Welcome to Podjunction Podcast. I'm Sadaf Beynon and this is the show where business leaders share how they use podcasting to grow, connect, and build their brand. Today I am speaking to Roger Martin. Roger is the co-founder of Rock Box Fitness and Beam Light Sauna, where he's built two powerhouse. Franchise brands. He's also the CEO of Rock Box and the host of the Thrive More With Roger Martin podcast, this is where he shares high impact insights on business growth, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

Welcome to the show, Roger.

It's great to have you with us.

Roger Martin: Oh, thank you.

for having me. It's my pleasure. Thank you.

Sadaf Beynon: So, first question, your podcast focuses on business growth and leadership. How does that fit into your overall [00:01:00] business strategy and what impact has it had on your brand?

Roger Martin: Yeah. Uh, great question. So I started the podcast, I think I started almost two years ago, and then had the first episode, uh, go live in May or, or, uh, June of 2023. And we're recording this, of course, in the beginning of 2025. Um, I, I started the podcast for. Really three reasons. I was gonna say two, but it's really three.

Um, one is to establish myself as, um, you know, at least an authority figure on franchising, um, fitness franchising, and also business in general for small to mid-size businesses. Um, and I say that because. I'm in the business of helping people get into business through franchising. And because we have, we have two brands, and what I strive to do is with my podcast, share the knowledge I've learned, accumulated the lessons I've learned, you know, the, the bumps and bruises and scrapes that I have and, and helping people avoid that for small to mid-sized businesses.

And that's, you know, it's [00:02:00] going from six to seven figures, seven to eight figures. And doing the podcast has allowed me to connect directly with an audience. Who may be looking for that guidance, who, you know, maybe they're in corporate America and they're looking to make the jump into entrepreneurship, which is a scary step for a lot of people.

Me included. I spent 25 years in corporate America, in the pharmaceutical industry, and, uh, in 2017 decided, I'm done. I'm done with corporate America. I'm gonna become an entrepreneur. And that's when I started Rock Box Fitness with a, with a business partner.

Sadaf Beynon: Well, Roger, thanks for sharing that. I'm getting cur. I'm curious to know how, since having started your podcast as and made it, part of

your arsenal, how has that impacted your business?

Roger Martin: Yeah, it it definitely now when we bring in franchisee prospects, so people that are looking to maybe purchase one of our, our franchise licenses, um, I, I know they can now go and, and hear me on, or see me on YouTube or hear me on Spotify or Apple, you know, when they go to the Thrive More podcast and [00:03:00] when they come in our home office in Charlotte.

They kind of already know me. They, they, they've gotten to know my personality. You know, they've gotten to know how I think and how I approach business. 'cause they're gonna be in business with me for a long time, for at least 10 years plus two five year renewal. So, it's a great way, a podcast is a great way for a founder, a CEO, a business leader.

To allow potential prospective customers, partners, clients, whatever you wanna call 'em, uh, get to know you before you ever start doing business together. And I don't wanna use the word edify, I think that's a, that's a pretty strong word, but, you know, to edify to just, you know, show the, the, the CEO or the business leader in a light that will allow a person that is looking to do business with them to understand them better.

And, okay, this guy, this gal knows what they're doing. They, they've, they've done what I want to go do. So I can look to them as a mentor. I can look to them as a guide through this process. And I've, I've found that [00:04:00] podcasting has allowed that. So it, it's really, you know, it's validated my experience in, in an audience's eyes.

Um, it's allowed us to promote the brand. I mean, clearly I'm wearing a rock box. Uh, uh, uh. Pull over today, you know, with the brand Loud and proud on this podcast. So it's allowed us to get the brand out in front of other people. And then the third thing is, I, I do have a book that I wrote in 2024. It's called An Insider's Guide to Business Secrets from an Entrepreneur's Playbook that's available on Amazon.

You just type in Roger Martin. There's another Roger Martin that publishes, by the way. So you have to, you have to type in Roger Martin and then an Insider's Guide to Business. But, um, that book is, uh, I, it's packed with, again, how do you go from six to seven, seven to eight figures. I have been part of billion dollar companies in leadership roles, and I have been in a president for a company that we took from 45 million to 210 million and sold it.

Um, but, uh, you know, on my own, my own founding, you know, founding my own companies, you know, I've only gotten to eight figures. I've, I've not gotten to nine. [00:05:00] So my advice is how do you get from six to seven, seven to eight? If you wanna go to nine or a billion, Elon Musk has got a great book, right? So, so for, for that, um, uh, it's helped me to promote that book.

But also, um, that book, every single red scent, every penny that's ever been made on that book, you know, whatever Amazon doesn't take, goes directly to our national charity partner. To write love on her arms and to write love in her arms is just a, it's kind of a weird name, but it's, it's the name of a, a charity.

That, uh, a nonprofit that helps people that are struggling with mental health, including self harm and even, you know, up, up to including suicide. So it, it helps fund, um, the charity that, that, that can help people, you know, make better decisions than they were about to make. And, and so it, it's allowed me, you know, one, get in front of an audience, two, promote our brand rock box.

Um, and I have another company called Thrive More Autopilot that helps people, um, if you're brick and mortar and you get leads in and you have to work those leads and call 'em and text 'em and call 'em and text 'em to get them to show up. We do all that work for you. We've got software and, and a, and an [00:06:00] outbound team here.

Uh, so it's allowed me to talk about Thrive more autopilot as well with another company. And, and then as importantly, it's helped me to, uh, get awareness to around the Book and Insider's Guide to Business that's raising money for, for charity. So it's, it's served all three of those purposes. I,

Sadaf Beynon: Yeah.

That's very cool. One stone.

Roger Martin: yeah.

Sadaf Beynon: I,

think it's fascinating to your point too, about how.

Having a podcast allows people to get to know

you

before they sign up to work alongside you. I think that's really fascinating the way that works. Um, often people are ready to sign on the dotted line, aren't they?

Before they even walk through the door because they already know you and they know what you're about and they can see themselves aligning with you.

Roger Martin: yeah, yeah, I talk a lot about business values when I'm, um, interviewing people and whatnot, and I. You know, you have your personal values a lot of times, then you have your, your business values. Some of them, uh, coincide, but you know it because of that. Again, when people come in for what we call a discovery day, when they're, they're meeting the [00:07:00] whole team and learning about the brand in depth, they have.

You know, they already know where I stand from a personal perspective and a business perspective, and what I stand for and what I'm against, which when you're getting into business with somebody, you, you don't always know all that stuff. And, and there's higher, a higher level of risk when you're getting into business with somebody that you don't know quite as well.

And, and podcasting has allowed me to have full open discussions with people, fully transparent. And, and then again, when people come in, they. They know where you stand on, you know, when times get tough, how does this person, or what, what has this person been indicating and what are the ev, what's the evidence that he or she has shared through, through their podcast?

And I think that just lowers the overall risk level for people to make a decision, which is, makes it easier to make a decision.

Sadaf Beynon: Yeah, Yeah, absolutely. I think it kind of naturally weeds

out people that you wouldn't want to work with

Roger Martin: Yeah, exactly. Exactly. Yeah.

Sadaf Beynon: So, Roger, as you know, every podcast faces challenges, whether it's [00:08:00] audience growth or consistency or content strategy, have been some of the biggest hurdles that you have had to overcome?

Roger Martin: I, I'll say, um, I think podcasting and, and, um, a social media presence go hand in hand. They're, they're just two sides of a different coin, or the same two sides of the same coin. I'm sorry.

Sadaf Beynon: Yeah.

Roger Martin: And I have found that I've been able to grow my podcast audience on YouTube and Spotify, apple, you know, with, with a Thrive More podcast.

But I also have like a, a personal brand, real Roger Martin, you know, just real R-O-G-E-R Martin. And I've, what's been humbling, I'm gonna be very candid, what's been humbling is. How challenging it's been to gain a following on social media because it's hyper competitive, right? And you have people. You know, sitting in fake Lear jets and, and, you know, standing next to a Lambo that's not theirs.

And, and I, you know, as a, as a 54-year-old guy, I'm not gonna do that. Like, that's just, and that's not my [00:09:00] style. So, um, you know, I'm trying to give really good advice and give sound bites and, and great quotes and, and, and motivation. But also, you know, business lessons wrapped up in a 30 or 62nd message. And there's a lot of com, uh, competition for that attention.

And, and so what I found in growing the podcast. And growing a social media presence, but I found it harder with a social media presence is just you are competing for people's attention. And I will share that, you know, I think it's easy for a podcaster that's getting started. I'm sure a lot of your audience is thinking about starting one or just started one and how do, how do I grow this?

How do I monetize this? You know, it's, it's a long game. Like you don't get into podcasting if you don't plan on doing it for at least three years. Like, don't say, ah, this isn't working. I tried. It's a three year commitment to even know if you're gonna make it in this game. And so to, you know, do it for a month or six months and say, ah, I just couldn't get any following you, you didn't give it long enough.

Right. You have to, you know, a three year runway at least. And then, and secondarily, you know, I've [00:10:00] heard some people say, and this is true in social media, this is true in anything. Well, you know, people's attention span, there's just, nobody has any attention, any, you know, the attention span's too short today.

Sadaf Beynon: Hmm.

Roger Martin: Well then why is it. We'll sit down on a weekend and binge 10 hours of Netflix, you know, some great new show. Now our attention span's fine. It's just the quality that we expect to trade our attention for is that, that that bar is so much higher now, the bar to get your attention, to get my attention, to get anybody's attention.

The quality that you have to offer for that attention,

Sadaf Beynon: Hmm.

Roger Martin: that commodity that is attention is, is so much higher than it used to be. You know, and I. I have just accepted that now the attention spans are the same. I'm gonna have to have a higher quality product and message than you may have had to had 10 years ago.

Sadaf Beynon: Hmm. Why do you say three years?

Roger Martin: Um, so honestly, I'm, I'm quoting, uh, somebody who had a consultant for their podcast. [00:11:00] So it is, that is kind of third party. Um, but they just said, look man, you gotta get into this for three years because the first year you're learning what to do, and you're build, starting to build an audience. The second year you're really starting to build an audience, and the third year is, you know, you've really come into your own.

You should have come into your own as a, as a host and learn really how to, to interview people and, and have good quality deep discussions, not surface level discussions and, and real authentic discussions. Then in that third year really is the time. My experience is the time that you can start to look to monetize that, which I'm just getting into my third year now.

So, um, it's, I didn't start the podcast to make money off the podcast, and again, I gave you the three reasons why I did it, but at some point, you know, you'd like, Hey, I'd rather not have this.

Tens and tens and tens of thousands of dollars a year expenditure for a, a producer and product, you know, because I have a professional producer that does all that.

So there's certainly software that can help you with it and, and you can save a lot of money that way. But I've chosen to outsource that. And so, and I like that approach, [00:12:00] but I also would like to not, I would like to be able to, to, to, um, offset that cost. So I don't even need to make money on the podcast.

I would just like to break even on the podcast. And, um, this, this coming third year will be probably the time that I. That I, you know, get a sponsor or two or four or whatever and, and help defray that cost so I can continue to do this without it, you know, keep paying for it.

Sadaf Beynon: Yeah,

Roger Martin: Yeah,

Sadaf Beynon: really interesting. And to your point about the three years, I find that really intriguing. Um, I'm gonna look into that a

Roger Martin: yeah. Well, and just it's anything, right? Like we we're such a, a quick dopamine hit society, you know, I want that hit right now.

Okay, well this, this isn't, podcasting isn't new. It's been around for 15 some years now. You know, or if not longer, and you like, you can't anything, if you're gonna get good at anything, you've gotta apply yourself for a while.

And if you wanna build an audience today, it's gonna take longer than it used to. And, and I think too often, so many people, I mean, this isn't every aspect of life and this is, this is like a life lesson that [00:13:00] happens to apply to podcasting, but. You know, you, you have to show grit. You have to show tenacity.

I don't like the word grind because grind is like metal parts together and something's gonna break. And you know, as human beings, we can't just grind nonstop, but we have to show grit, tenacity. We get knocked down, we get back up. And if you don't have the audience size that you want, or you know, whatever it is, well then figure out a different way to go, you know, to approach it.

But don't quit. I mean, that's, there's, there's, there's the message. Just don't quit. Yeah.

Sadaf Beynon: good. What's one lesson you wish you knew, Um, before launching your

podcast? I.

Roger Martin: Um, good question. I this, I mean, this is, it's not a fair answer, right? 'cause anybody listening that hasn't started, one is gonna say, oh, it's too late. No, but I, I would say I wish, well, the lesson is, why didn't I start this back in like 2013, I saw a video from Gary. So in 2013, I would've been. 43. And I saw a video from Gary [00:14:00] Vaynerchuk, I'll just, I'll never forget this.

And he was like, I'm telling you, quit talking about it. Quit thinking about it. Grab your phone and make a cell, you know, have some quality content, but make a post and then make another one, and then make another one and never stop. And that was 2013. I was like, eh, I'm 43. I don't do that. You know, that's just, that's a, that's a young, young man's game, so to speak.

And then in 2020. 2, 23, 23. You know, I started making posts on LinkedIn and started, you know, making posts on social media and, and started sharing what I was thinking and how I was approaching business and, you know, how I was overcoming an obstacle and even some personal stuff so people could get to know me.

And it's funny how effective that's been, you know, even with a small audience, if it's a targeted audience. And I just wish I would've heeded that advice many years ago. So the lesson today is. If you're hearing this podcast and you don't make posts and you don't put yourself out there, now I'm not talking about what you had [00:15:00] for dinner or you know, here's a picture from a bridal, you know, shower I was at, like, that's okay.

But if you wanna grow a business presence, then start making high quality posts and just keep a journal of things you think of and like, oh, I can turn that into a post. And that would help somebody, right? It has to help somebody. And don't make a pitch or an ask in your post. Just post value, but start today because 2030 will be here before you know it.

You'll look back to 2025 and say, damn, I listened to that guy. Yeah, I listened to that guy on her podcast and he said, you know what? He should have done it sooner. And then he told me to do it today and I didn't, and they'll regret it. But if they start today, if you haven't, you start today. And then if you are doing it today and you don't have the results you want double, triple, quadruple the amount of content that you're putting out.

It is a numbers game because some of the stuff you make is not gonna land. Then a couple will just be gyms and people will light up and they'll share it and you know, and hopefully it goes viral, but if not, at least it, it affects and helps many more people.

Sadaf Beynon: Yeah, And to your point about just starting, I think that is so [00:16:00] important. So often we wait for the perfect time and the perfect moment. But, um, just making that start and making those small changes

as you go is a much better way to do it.

Roger Martin: It is, there's never a right time to have a family. There's never a right time to get married. To start a business or a podcast, just start. Just start.

Sadaf Beynon: That's so true. Roger, looking ahead, how do you see your podcast evolving?

Roger Martin: Um, I, I'm starting to get, uh, and I have a person that helps me with this, but starting to get guess, um, I don't wanna say have a higher caliber, but just, um, more well-known guests, more wellknown guests and, and guests that. Have built bigger businesses, so. You know, people that have eight figure businesses and, and are on their way to nine figures.

And I love being able to juxtapose those people with, you know, uh, maybe an executive coach that's on, or an author that's coming on, or somebody that has, you know, a really killer software that they've just developed. Um, and then [00:17:00] I have health experts that come on because the, the, the Thrive more with Roger Martin.

This podcast is Business Health and Wealth, because to me, they all three go together. If you have a. A healthy business. Um, make sure you're focusing on you being healthy as well. 'cause you won't be able to enjoy that, the fruits of your labor. So you have to be healthy. You know, have a strong business and then that'll allow you to start to accumulate wealth and then, you know, how do you do that?

But all three of those, to me, make for, for a, a more joyful life, you know, a good business and great health and, and, and, and some wealth tucked away so that you, you, you have freedom and you feel safe. So, um, I, I really, I talk about all three of those and I, I, I don't see me changing that. It's not a political show we don't get, but, but we do get.

We do get serious and deep about, you know, how people, you know, how were they, how was this founder raised? You know, do you have a chip on your shoulder?

Do you have a chip on your shoulder? Where, you know, where did that come from? Is that what's spurred you to be such a, a dynamic person? And you get that origin story and it's really, really [00:18:00] cool to see some of the connections.

And I've, what I've found is, I'm not answering your question, but I, but I'll share you with you. What, what I've found is. Every founder that I, or really successful entrepreneur that I have interviewed, every one of them has some type of trauma in their background. Now, it could be capital T or it could be lowercase t.

Right? Everybody has, you know, we all experience life in our own ways and, you know, some things happen to some people and we think we can never get past it, and they're able to march on and, and vice versa. So I think everybody ha, you know, defines their own trauma. But man, it's, it is just.

Um, it's a hundred for a hundred percent on when we really get into the origin story and talk about, well, what happened and why were you this way?

When did you feel this way? You know? And it's usually, you know, my dad walked out on us or, you know, I had an abusive, uh, parent, or I, I had an alcoholic apparent parent, or, um, you know, I was bullied in school really, really badly. Right? And they've turned [00:19:00] all that and I, you know, I have my own trauma in my background and they, and they, and they've turned that.

Into fuel to, you know, to to rocket fuel, to, to, uh, grow their businesses and, and, and excel and, and get better. Uh, but I also had a guest that said, man, if you don't channel that rocket fuel, it'll blow up. You know, if you don't channel that energy and you don't channel some of that chip on your shoulder, it can lead to very destructive behavior and, you know, you'll fill that hole some way.

And so the people that I've interviewed just. You know, because I'm interviewing them, they've been successful, so I'm interviewing them. They have through themselves or a higher power or whatever, been able to channel that consistently. That, that, that energy, that, that, that, that, uh, you know, I was wronged or whatever it may be into, and that's why I'm gonna prove everyone wrong, or I'm gonna prove myself right, or I'm gonna, whatever it may be.

Um, but it's, it's not a coincidence. And about 40 episodes in, I'm like this. this.

is [00:20:00] happen, like everybody is, has got something. I mean, I mean, we all, you know, growing up you're gonna have something, but, but a lot of it's, you know, pretty, pretty hefty stuff. And then they'll, they'll be open on the podcast and talk about it.

Um, and, and it's just great to see how people can take that and turn that into positivity and create jobs and create wealth and help people. And they, they've grown and gotten past it, but, but it's there. It's in the background.

Sadaf Beynon: Yeah. I think, you know, listening to you speak, I think it reflects what you said earlier about grit, tenacity, resilience, those things you need to

do the podcast well and to carry on with it.

Roger Martin: Yeah,

Sadaf Beynon: And it comes from those ex, those challenges that you've experienced.

Roger Martin: you're, if you're an entrepreneur, it is not if it's when you're gonna get kicked in the teeth right. And again, and again and again. You get punched right in the nose. Like not if, when. Then it's how you respond to that. And I do think that getting through a, a difficult childhood, you know, [00:21:00] having challenging parents or siblings or whatever, whatever your thing was, you know, at school, whatever it may be, having the re building that muscle, flexing that muscle to get through those tough times directly relates to business and directly relates to, yeah, this is harder than I thought it was gonna be, but I've gotten through it even worse.

So I'm good. Let's go. Let's keep rocking.

Sadaf Beynon: Yeah, totally. Roger, if you could achieve your dream outcome of having these more well-known guests on your show, what would that look like for you in the long term, and what would that achieve for you?

Roger Martin: Um, so I, I'll, I'll answer it slightly different because when you ask that question.

I choose to interpret it with, you know, like, who would I want to have on and where would I like to see the show go? Um, this, you know, listeners to me, what the hell is this? But, but I'm a huge live music fan. I grew up as a, a, a, a musician.

When I was in my teens and twenties, I played in live bands and, you know, bar bands and, and a [00:22:00] tour around the city and stuff. But, you know, and I love that. And I, and I, I'm once a musician, always a musician, so I love live music, you know, trial of the eighties. So I love, you know. Arena, rock and hard rock and all that stuff from the eighties and Guns N Roses and Aerosmith.

And it would be, it would be cool for me, really cool to get like. Taylor Swift's, tour manager, like, I'm not gonna get Taylor Swift and, you know, that's not my audience anyway, but, but like her tour manager. Tell me about the economic, what is it like to build a city every day and then tear that city down and go rebuild it in the next, in the next.

Town. Right. Um, you know, what are the economics? How does it, what are the arrangements? I would love that. I've had a couple ticket guys that own ticket brokerages, like they compete with StubHub and other things. That was cool. Another guy that did, uh, memorabilia and had sold all the seats out of Yankee Stadium when they tore the down.

So it was cool on the sports side, but I would love to be able to, um, you know, talk to really well-known musicians about the [00:23:00] business side of it. And really, you know, and tour managers and, and you know. I business managers, like, to me that would be really cool. 'cause that's part of the, the art that people, the, the business side of the art that people don't see, but it's a business.

And, and that would be fun for me. Like that would be really cool 'cause I'd geek out on that. I would just sit there and geek out on it. Um, I wouldn't, I wouldn't even have to prepare notes. Like I, like, let's just go like, I know what I want ask you. Um, so that would be really, really cool. And I think it'd be a fun treat for the audience to get exposed to that.

But, you know, where if I could get all those guests and all that, honestly, it's um.

I don't, I don't have a dream to be, I don't have a dream to be like a, a Joe Rogan, you know, like my podcast, I'm a famous podcaster. Like, that's, that's not my goal. Um, my goal is more to help people, um, realize, oh my gosh, that person had pretty crazy tr uh, childhood.

So did I, but they're successful, so maybe I can be successful. And if that helps one person, or a hundred people, or a million people, then [00:24:00] I've succeeded because I gave them the courage and the self-awareness to know. If they can go achieve what their dreams are And um, if this podcast, you know, thrive more can, can get people to make a decision either way, like, I'm going for it, or Geez man, they just talked about business, that sounds way harder than I wanna work.

I'm not gonna do that. Good. Then they've won too. 'cause they could have made a bad decision, invest a lot of money and realize this wasn't for them. So if I can serve people by helping them towards a decision for anything, whatever that may be, either even their health, um. That's, I, I've served my fellow, my fellow person then.

Yeah,

Sadaf Beynon: I think it's about who your message is going to

Roger Martin: yeah,

Sadaf Beynon: those are the people that are going to keep coming

Roger Martin: yeah.

Sadaf Beynon: wanting to know more from you.

Roger Martin: Exactly.

Sadaf Beynon: Thank you so much, Roger. Where can our listeners find out more about you, your podcast, and how can they connect with you?

Roger Martin: Yep. So, uh, they can go to YouTube or Spotify or Apple and find, ThriveMore with Roger Martin. And I think we're about [00:25:00] 130 episodes deep, give or take, something like that. And I. Then they can go, um, on the socials. They can follow me at real Roger Martin, just realrogermartin on any of the socials on LinkedIn and stuff.

And then, um, if they wanna check out our brands, uh, RockBox Fitness, thrive More Autopilot, uh, and some of the things we're working on, they can go to Thrive More brands.com. Thrive more brands.com. That'll give them a, a peek into all the stuff. And if they're interested in franchising, there's no pressure.

Just if they're interested in franchising, we have a bunch of free re free resources on there. And an ebook, I think that's free and uh, some other stuff just to understand what franchising is and you know, is it something they should check out.

Sadaf Beynon: Awesome. Thank you.

Roger, so

Roger Martin: You bet. Thank you.

Sadaf Beynon: me today. It's been great hearing about your podcasting

Roger Martin: Oh,

Sadaf Beynon: learning from your insight.

Roger Martin: it's been my pleasure. Thank you for having me.

Sadaf Beynon: Well, that's a wrap on today's episode. If you're ready to grow your business through podcasting, I'd love to help. Please feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn and also do reach out to [00:26:00] Roger as well and get to know him, his brands and his podcast. So from Roger and from me, thank you for listening and I'll see you next time. Bye for now.