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There are studies, documentaries and entire libraries devoted to the importance of our health. our health is important and is one of the keys to living a long and fruitful life. It's also very important to your business.
For 12 years, I struggled with my weight. In 2011, I was 170 pounds overweight. That year, I had amazing opportunities to speak at conferences in London, Paris, Kenya, Israel and several other countries. And while the audience said my content was good, they also said they were distracted by my weight. The Twitter comments alone made me want to hide in a corner and never speak in public again.
My weight effected my business in ways I didn't understand. Though it took more than a year, I eventually lost those 170 pounds. The interesting part? Seeing my business double as I got closer to my goal weight.
I'm not telling you that your business will crash and burn because you skipped the gym for a week or chowed down on three pieces of pizza for lunch. But make no mistake: Your health will have an effect on your business one way or another. Here's how.
Related: A Secret to Healthy Eating for Business Travelers
1. Your energy level
The entrepreneurial life is a busy life. We have businesses, employees, locations, advisors and a wealth of other responsibilities. Every day, our to-do lists grow longer. Often, we wish we had extra hours in the day. And after all that chaos, we have our lives at home with our families.
To get through this, you need energy and focus. If you're overweight -- or not -- and eating junk food and drinking soda 24/7, you won't have the energy you need to power through your marathon days. You'll be constantly tired or dragging, and you'll lack the mental strength to focus because you're thinking about the end of the day and your pillow. A healthy diet plus exercise will give you the energy you need and help improve your focus.
2. Your business's public image
I was often on stage speaking about personal development, though it was clear I hadn't been living it in my own life. You are the public image of your business. If you look healthy, so will your enterprise. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but how we look effects how our present and future customers perceive us. If your business is based on something you haven't done or experienced in your life, there will be a disconnect in the mind of a potential customer.
And I'm not talking about how attractive you are; I'm talking about your health. Even if you didn't have a business, living a healthy lifestyle would be beneficial. Showing your present and future customers that you take your health seriously makes it an easy decision for them to work with you.
Related: Real World Work-Life Balance: How to Find Your Entrepreneurial Zen
3. Your customers
Even if your business is not in the health space, a customer will be turned on or off by how they perceive your health. Customers buy when they know, like and trust you. And first, they form an opinion based on what they see.
If what they see is someone who doesn't take care of themselves, they can't get to a buying position in their mind. We all know how important first impressions are with anything in life. What kind of first impression are you giving new leads?
Getting healthy will benefit you in too many ways to list -- in business and all other areas of life. After I lost the weight, I felt so much better both physically and mentally. I could get on stage confidently, and talk about things that I'd done in my own life -- and they weren't just theories anymore. The thing that separates an expert from everyone else is action. Some entrepreneurs talk about what they're going to do. Others are doing it or have done it already. Who would you rather do business with?
Related: 7 Ways Exercising Can Make You a Better Entrepreneur
