Fitness app founder talks graveyards, entrepreneurship and revolutionizing fitness

“The richest part of the world is the graveyard,” said Michael Anthony Bustillos at this week’s Fireside Chat, speaking on his new, yet to be released fitness app, FitRec.

Bustillos maintained that many great ideas and business ventures end up never realized and go with a person to their grave, mainly because the people with the ideas “were too scared to act, and fear was paralyzing them.” Thus, Bustillos insisted that if  a great idea comes to you, “you need to execute it.” Even if you don’t feel prepared, step forward and “take it.” He was adamant.

“If you’re going to start, start.”

Not wanting to take his own idea to the graveyard, Bustillos  started what he hopes will become “the Uber of fitness.”

FitRec aims to redesign the way people workout.  It’s a kind of social app that hopes to encourage people to keep on track of their fitness goals by connecting them to other people in the area with similar goals. With FitRec, you can find other app users who are looking for exercise partners to jog with, do circuit training with, play a game of pickup soccer with, or anything else fitness related. Bustillos hopes to eventually provide information about fitness trainers in the area through the app.

The son of immigrants and the first in his family to have obtained a college degree, Bustillos hopes to one day land himself on the list of top 10 CEOs in the country. Though he is now setting out on his first business venture, Bustillos currently works as a nurse. He began work in the medical field at the age of 15 and has since gone on to work 17 years in that profession. He says he plans to eventually focus on FitRec full time though.

During his talk at the Fireside Chat, Bustillos insisted that a successful business doesn’t only sell the ‘what’ of their company, but the ‘why.’

“Know your worth,” he said, because your audience “wants to believe what you believe in. … You have to stay focused. It’s going to be fun. Enjoy the process.”

Entrepreneur Fireside Chats are open to the community and are held on Fridays through Oct. 28. The next chat is Sept. 23 and will feature Burck Smith, founder of StraighterLine. Learn more.