"Business has always been about relationships."
Meet Patrick Laine, founder of “Getting Fit Faced”, customized coaching programs about discovering your healthy LIFESTYLE. A very personal search, as each individual is unique, and what’s best for 1 isn’t necessarily best for everyone.
“If you want some quick transformation, some gimmicky diet, then, please go elsewhere as Fast Laine Fit isn’t for you. However, if you want a true lifestyle change, you’ve come to the right place and we are thrilled to have you here with us.” – Patrick Laine
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Patrick Laine: I’m Patrick Laine – your guide to a life beyond your wildest dreams. I founded and operate 3 businesses,
1. An oil and gas consulting and services firm (Process Mercury Group) founded in 2014,
2. A non-profit (MentorsWhoMove, founded in 2018) focused on getting kids emotionally invested in some form of wellness (environmental, occupational, mental, emotional, social, physical), and
3. A health optimization mentorship business (Getting Fit Faced, founded in 2019) that transforms the lives of professionals around the world. If it’s wellness-related, I love it. I have two kids (ages 13, 14) and I will leave the world in good hands for your kids and mine. If we can get kids emotionally invested in some form of wellness and if we can have adults setting the example through their blissful lives (yes it can feel that good 100% of the time), we can literally change the world.
2020 and 2021 threw a lot of curve balls into business on a global scale. Based on the experience gleaned in the past couple years, how can businesses thrive in 2022? What lessons have you learned?
Patrick Laine: Business has always been about relationships. The difference in 2022 is that people are desperate for human connection. We don’t connect personally as much as we did pre-Covid. This has caused a yearning for human connection. Social media has been a huge part of filling the gap and platforms like LinkedIn have cultivated supportive (for the most part) environments where people genuinely want to make a positive impact on the world. The opportunity to build relationships is greater than ever.
Authenticity is a buzzword, but real is winning. Fake is losing. Toxic fakeness (yea I made that phrase up) is unattractive AF (hey, if “toxic positivity” can be mainstreamed, when not “toxic fakeness”)
The pandemic seems to keep on disrupting the economy, what should businesses focus on in 2022? What advice would you share?
Patrick Laine: Businesses that fill needs. This is the same as the beginning of time. Obviously, the hospitality industry is hurting as much as any industry. The businesses that are going to win are the ones who recognize that 30% of a watermelon is greater than 100% of an acorn. Collaboration is the key in a post-Covid world. Recognition that the pie is not limited and that there’s enough pie for everyone will be critical for those chasing success in 2022 and beyond. Greed will lose just as fake will lose.
How has the pandemic changed your industry and how have you adapted?
Patrick Laine: The pandemic has brought more attention to the poor health of individuals. Parents are recognizing the need to set better examples for their kids. We’ve seen the tie between the obesity epidemic and Covid fatality rates. This may be controversial or politically incorrect, but without the obesity epidemic, the pandemic doesn’t become near the thing it has become. This isn’t to shame obese individuals.
We can still have compassion for individuals while recognizing the obesity problem. As far as how we’ve adapted, we’ve been telecommuting since 2014 so there’s been little impact on our day-to-day routine across any of our businesses (oil & gas, non-profit, or health).
What advice do you wish you received when the pandemic started and what do you intend on improving in 2022?
Patrick Laine: Those that were doing well have generally done better since the start of the pandemic. Those that were spiraling downward are generally still spiraling downward. It would have been nice to have a warning for all those spiraling downward, but much like unexpected sickness and death, it is often unexpected. This won’t be the last pandemic in our lifetimes, so let’s improve the health of our world with a focus on real mind-body connectivity and awareness.
Oftentimes, people just hear generic advice such as eat less and move more. The real winners will be those recognizing the importance of mental health and the feelings we feel daily.
Online business surged higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for 2022?
Patrick Laine: I expect more of the same. More people are attempting to start their own businesses in an attempt to “be their own boss”. Business owners and entrepreneurs actually have many bosses. The sooner those resigning recognize and embrace that fact, the more successful those new business owners will be. Virtual work is not going anywhere – if anything it’s going to continue enhancing profit margins as people recognize how amazing it is to have that 1 or 2 hours back instead of wasting them on a commute.
How many hours a day do you spend in front of a screen?
Patrick Laine: Whoa baby. I’d say 5 hours in front of a laptop screen and 8 hours in front of a phone screen. This time is intentional though. I work a lot from my phone, which is why I prefer android to apple. I conduct zoom and Microsoft Teams calls from my phone, most of my LinkedIn time is from my phone, and as a creator doing videos – those are shot from my phone also.
The majority of executives use stories to persuade and communicate in the workplace. Can you share with our readers examples of how you implement that in your business to communicate effectively with your team?
Patrick Laine: The biggest thing for us when it comes to communication is to be aware of words without impact. Phrases like “health is wealth”, “mental health awareness”, “we are all in this together”, “it’s a lifestyle” all are good phrases by themselves. However, these phrases are flippantly used and proclaimed as if to check a box and move along with no impact. At the end of the day, we recognize that words have no impact without inspired action. So, let’s try to communicate in a way that inspires action. Simply saying something motivational does not necessarily “inspire”. It’s really about being intentional with words.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as the real challenge right now?
Patrick Laine: Obstacles are just gaps waiting to be filled. The real challenge is building the right relationships and collaborative partnerships to fill those gaps most efficiently. The real challenge probably always will be greed. But, it’s less of a challenge when one considers that we have the choice to surround ourselves in environments lacking greed. Cultivate supportive, uplifting circles and let the upward spiral grow like a weed.
In 2022, what are you most interested in learning about? Crypto, NFTs, online marketing, or any other skill sets? Please share your motivations.
Patrick Laine: I’m a bit of an oddball. I have no interest in any of these things. I fully respect others diving into this space, but I have to do me. I owe it to myself to do me. Ultimately, I have to do what serves me and inspires me. That’s getting my voice out there. My objective is to triple down on the very few things I’m good at and outsource the rest. That means, speaking engagements, meeting amazing people, and building amazing teams to create a real impact.
A record 4.4 million Americans left their jobs in September in 2021, accelerating a trend that has become known as the Great Resignation. 47% of people plan to leave their job during 2022. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued, and misunderstood in the workplace. Do you think leaders see the data and think “that’s not me – I’m not that boss they don’t want to work for? What changes do you think need to happen?
Patrick Laine: I don’t know, I’ve seen leaders are aware and concerned about the problem. Changes that need to happen all come down to wellness. You may argue I am biased but it’s the truth. Poor health is what got us in this spot, to begin with. Healthier people are happier workers; happier workers are more productive workers.
Leaders are starting to recognize the importance of investing in the health of their employees. The trick will be investing in sustainable health solutions rather than just cheap bandaids that address the symptom and not the root of the problem. That’s the big unknown. It will be interesting to see if leaders choose to spend more to address the root of the issue (mindset and habits) rather than just pay for a few weight loss coaches and gym memberships.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Patrick Laine: If I had a business superpower, I would go inside a person and turn on the light bulb that inspires them to WANT to get healthy once and for all. We know the right mindset and habits installed result in fail-proof solutions, but the individual must WANT to change. We can’t want the change for anyone, be it clients, loved ones, our kids, or colleagues. What a superpower that would be. Ultimately, as it is, most (not all) people have to have a serious health scare to inspire change or they die early.
What does “success” in 2022 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Patrick Laine: Success in 2022 means impacting 100,000 people through the power of my voice. Success means getting the real, raw truth out there to inspire impact. This can be done through podcast guesting, speaking engagements, and social media content. Success means impact and without inspired action, there is little impact.
Jed Morley, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Patrick Laine for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Patrick Laine or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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