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Embracing the 7 Forces of Business Mastery
How top CEO Tom Bilyeu scaled Quest Nutrition into a billion-dollar company
Did you know that 96% of all businesses fail over a ten-year period? Why is that? And what separates those that succeed?
Whether you’re a small business just starting out or a multi-billion dollar corporation, there are principles and strategies that you must understand and master. And it is these 7 Forces of Business Mastery that will give you the skills and tactics you need not only to survive, but to thrive – in any environment.
In this episode of the Tony Robbins Podcast, hear from Tom Bilyeu – CEO of Quest Nutrition – as he discusses how the 7 Forces of Business Mastery helped him take his business from a vision to one of the fastest-growing companies in the world.
The journey of Tom Bilyeu and Quest Nutrition
Tom’s journey actually began with a company called Awareness Tech, where he served as CMO for eight years. It was wildly successful – but left him feeling unfulfilled. He says, “You get the money and then you realize wow, I don’t feel that sense of fulfillment that I expected to feel.” He quit. To his surprise, his co-founders felt the same way. They sold the company and decided to pursue fulfilling careers instead. Together, they founded Quest Nutrition.
In its first three years, Quest grew 57,000 percent. Its protein bars and other foods are sold at many major retailers, and in 2019, the company sold to Simply Good Foods Co., maker of the Atkins bar, for $1 billion. Those numbers aren’t typos. They’re what happens when you find business opportunities that align with your passion.
Embracing the 7 Forces of Business Mastery
Passion isn’t the only thing you need to build a successful business. You’ll also need to discover and embrace your true gift: Are you an Artist, Manager or Entrepreneur? At Quest, Tom’s team phrased this a different way: People, Process and Product. Tom handles the people, much like the manager personality. Ron handles the product, and is similar to an Artist in the way he creates new things. Mike builds the processes, but also has the startup mindset and need for entrepreneurial risk-taking.
The team found it easy to commit to Force 2, constant and strategic innovation. And as the company grew, they quickly realized the value of Forces 4, 5 and 6 as well: sales mastery systems, financial and legal analysis and optimization. “Systems have such a tremendous impact on your profitability,” Tom says. Without systems, eventually small business development becomes impossible. Or as Tom puts it, “Don’t let the dragon eat its own tail.”
Tom Bilyeu would tell you that the 7 Forces of Business Mastery are key to starting and scaling a successful business. Listen to the podcast for more business tips from Tom, like how to find your passion, how to create and communicate your company values and how two-millimeter shifts can make all the difference.
Tom Bilyeu, President & Co-Founder, Quest Nutrition
SHOW NOTES
[4:58] Tom’s journey
[6:40] The founding principles of Quest
[11:25] Tony’s 3 archetypes (artist, manager, entrepreneur)
[13:05] The 3 archetypes in Quest leadership
[14:30] Marketing and innovation at Quest
[17:00] Using social media to reach a global audience
[19:01] Quest’s core values
[22:20] How Quest hires
[25:40] Scaling the culture
[28:35] 2MM shifts
[32:00] Improvement officers
[33:10] Gaining the edge in sales
[37:00] Quest’s mission
[39:45] Identifying your passion
Team Tony
