Craig Schulze: My Untold Story

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Hi, I’m Craig Schulze and I’d like to share with you my journey.

I grew up in a small mining town on the West Coast of Tasmania. It was a small community, and we were far from privileged. I dreamed of a better, bigger life and at the age of 15, I left home in search of my success.

Today, I am proud to say that I have achieved all that I set out to do and more:

Award-Winning Fitness Trainer, Club Founder & Franchise Developer

In my early 20’s, I set up a fitness club and, over the course of three years, became a multi award-winning trainer. I helped franchise EFM Health Clubs into 22 different locations in Melbourne and went on to own 5 myself.

Award-Winning Network Marketer & Experienced Global Entrepreneur

In 2011, I ventured into e-commerce, joining US based wellness company Jeunesse and taking its vision of enhancing well-being and empowering entrepreneurs to 100 countries worldwide. Through this platform, I’ve helped set up businesses, leverage platforms and products, and open doors to markets for thousands of entrepreneurs. I’ve even won the #1 Top Retail Sales Award for Asia Pacific & Africa last year.

Founder of The One Shot Movement

The One Shot Movement is a new paradigm in business that is built around inspiring people to live life to the fullest. As a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, I travel the world speaking on stages and inspiring others to pursue their passions, follow through on their goals, and turn their dreams into reality. I’ve spoken to 15,000 people in Macau, 10,000 people in Singapore and thousands more in incredible places like Tuscany, London, Paris, Dubai, Cape Town, Singapore and Bora Bora. 

My message to all entrepreneurs, dreamers and visionaries is clear and simple, You get one shot at life, so go and give it your best shot.”

Those were highlights of the journey, but like every real success story, there were many challenges along the way. A successful entrepreneur is not born overnight. Rather, he is shaped by what life throws his way and is moulded by his dream, desire and will for success.

I’d like you to get to know me a little better. Here, I will share with you my aspirations, my purpose, and my wisdom so you may hopefully find enough inspiration to be the driver of your own success, the writer of your own story.

Creating Health & Wealth for the Ultimate Lifestyle

I believe in a “Lifestyle by Design”. We have been given the extraordinary gift of life and we have within us immense potential to create meaning and purpose to serve as guiding principles for our lives. Our pasts do not define us. Our futures are limited only by our imagination. And the outcome is ultimately determined by committed and consistent action. 

Coming from a small town where the only two choices in life were mining or leaving in search of more, I chose the latter. 

My entrepreneurial spirit and direction in life have been clear for me for a very long time. The journey was challenging and there were many times I’ve had to start from scratch. We don’t have the answers as soon as we set out. It takes years of experience and a connection to a deeper wisdom to be able to navigate the flow of life. It takes presence, awareness and resilience to be able to look at obstacles in life as teachers, guiding you towards your own passion and purpose. It takes a circle of trusted advisors and mentors, who have walked the path before you, to help create an ultimate lifestyle.

That is why I started The One Shot Movement.

It’s a passion and legacy project that inspires people to go out there and give life their best shot by offering them my own wisdom and that of successful, global entrepreneurs.

My passion is to empower others to discover their strengths and build their own lifestyle by design. I have been on an entrepreneurial journey for over 20 years and my mission now is to give back, share my knowledge, and inspire people to make a change that counts.

My company and book, my podcasts and interviews with successful entrepreneurs, and my personal coaching sessions are all in service of my desire to inspire you to live life to the fullest, with passion, purpose and no regrets, so that you can evolve into the person you want to become.

“We need to understand that there is one shot at life. Don’t waste time. Live without regrets. Go out there and give it your best shot.” 

My life has been filled with adventure and key turning points that have guided me to where I am today. I hope you find in them a wealth of wisdom to inspire you on your own journey.

In the Springtime of Life

Picture a small mining town where everyone knows everyone and every day is beautiful.

That’s where I was born: on an isolated island state of Australia, Tasmania. The nearest city was three hours away so we all had to make do with what we had. I grew up playing out in nature with all the other kids. It was an adventure filled with swimming in waterholes, jumping into fresh water and lots of sports. 

As I got older, and my dreams got bigger, I began to yearn for more. Our town was safe and secure, but it was limited. Education ended at Year 10 and after that you either became a miner or you do what I did, you leave home at 15.

My passion for more out of life would not be contained. 

I made the 7-hour journey by bus to Hobart where I joined a boarding school to complete my high school education. 

It was then that I happened upon an important discovery:

You only know what you only know, so it’s important to learn to know more.”

I set out to learn as much as I possibly could and, eager for more, I put myself through school. I worked harder than anyone I knew and I landed a scholarship (one of only 7 in Tasmania) and went on to put myself through University.

My childhood spirit continued to burn on and I joined the football team. My love for health and fitness took root as I represented the State Football team and played at the highest competitive level.

I Excelled at the Traditional Route, But Something Was Clearly Missing

I competed in sports during my university years and well after into my early career. I was blessed with a football coach who was my first real mentor. He was a legendary footballer and encouraged me every day to challenge myself.

It was then that I learned the importance of having capable, successful people in your corner. It remains an important principle of success throughout my journey to consistently connect and forge strong relationships with those who have already walked the path before me.

“One of the biggest things I would encourage anyone to do is have a great sounding board of advisors and mentors whom you can bounce ideas off of.”

My coach supported my passion for sports and fitness. I became a geologist, specialised in Spatial Information Systems.

Ready to take on the world, I joined a multinational company with over 5000 employees working across all areas of engineering and building big projects.

It was the job of dreams. 

Career-wise, this job promised great opportunities, and I was well on my way to making a name for myself.

However, something was missing. 

Contrary to common sentiment, I actually did love what I was doing but I couldn’t shake off the feeling that I was living out of alignment with my true passion and purpose. I wanted to integrate health and fitness into my life. I wanted to engage with people. 

In my early 20’s, in pursuit of my dreams, I fired my boss.

I made a bold move and relocated interstate once again in pursuit of my dreams. My footy coach challenged me to challenge myself  and signed a two-year contract to play football in The South Australian Football League. I was a fitness trainer part time, supporting myself as I pursued what I believed would be my destiny. 

Everything was going great…

…Until I sustained a serious injury playing in the pre-season games and couldn’t play that season.

It felt like my whole world came tumbling down. 

I was broke, without a job and without any financial security. You know what they say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” I wasn’t going to sit around or pack up and head home. Gripping my passion close to my heart, I became a full-time personal trainer, eventually buying my own fitness studio and creating a name for myself in the fitness and health industry.

Powerful Lessons in Entrepreneurship

Nothing trumps experience but at that point in my life I had no business experience and very limited life experience. What I knew for certain was that I wasn’t going to be just another personal trainer. I wanted to add real value to as many lives as I could and make a name for myself in the industry.

What I lacked in experience I made up for in work ethic and the will to do more than what it takes to achieve my goals. I went on to win multiple awards as a fitness trainer and had the pleasure of training incredible people that inspired me as much as I inspired them.

I teamed up with EFM Health Clubs and helped them expand their businesses to 22 franchises in Melbourne, 5 of which I owned myself.

Driven by my hunger for more, I started attending seminars on setting up online businesses and social media. It was well into the turn of a new century and the internet was exploding in popularity, redefining everything we knew about connection and engagement.

I always say:

If you are curious, you will look for more.”

I invested as much as I could in myself and looked for opportunities to leverage the universe to attract abundance to my life, in and out of the gym. I began learning the subtle art of networking and developing meaningful relationships built on mutual contribution and value. Through books, mentors and different personal development programs, I developed my entrepreneurship skills and when the opportunity came to join a global health company and started selling health and weight loss products.

Then the global financial crisis happened.

People could no longer afford to go to the gym. Equipment prices surged. Banks didn’t have money to lend to entrepreneurs looking to franchise.

It was my first major lesson in businessDon’t have all your eggs in one basket.

What followed was serious hustling, but I was barely hanging in there by a thread. For those18 months, I lived on a shoestring budget, but I carried myself with dignity and grace.

“In the end, the strength is within us. Believe that you will get through and keep moving forward with mental and emotional resilience.”

A Step into Building a ‘Lifestyle by Design’ from Home

I have always kept an eye out for opportunities.

When it comes to my investments, I have always sought businesses and stocks that were recession-proof. I especially like businesses with great capacities for reaching a global market, are low-cost to entry and offer unlimited potential to serve local communities.

Jeunesse Global, an e-commerce, youth-enhancement company that designed cutting edge health products, was the perfect platform for me and continues to this day to live up to all my expectations. I leveraged the platform to tap into an international community with a product I believed in as a fitness expert.

It aligned with my values of contributing towards communities and allowed me to drive my own strengths in promotion and sales. 

In home businesses and e-commerce, there are many different opportunities and your success is what you make of it. 

One of the key drivers of success in this area of my life was curiosity

“How can I reach my highest potential for success and earn my fair market worth for my talents and energy?”

Driven by my passion to be the biggest income earner in the industry and to create my own life by design, I decided to step up and do my due diligence. I met the owners, studied the company’s entire operations, systems, and product innovation. There I found my angle. 

I was not selling a product. 

I was not only selling a healthy lifestyle.

I was a messenger for important stem cell research with the potential to truly impact the health, wellbeing and financial success of individuals.

This shift in perspective allowed me to connect better with my team and clients and I worked tirelessly to help expand Jeunesse to over 100 countries worldwide, enabling and empowering people wherever I ventured.

It was through this experience that my real purpose began to unfold and I found my niche as a Lifestyle Entrepreneur. 

It was time for me to contribute and give back even more to society.

It was also time for me to start a family.

Ethan: A Life Reborn

When you’re not fully present in every moment of your life, it may be easy to take things for granted.

When my wife and I decided we were ready to start a family, we were never prepared for what followed. I doubt anyone would ever be.

We were both healthy with no history of health challenges and we had created a beautiful environment at home in anticipation of the greatest addition to our lives.

It took two painful years and a miscarriage before a son was well on his way to making our dream of parenthood come true. We almost forgot all the stress and shock that we lived through as the excitement of becoming new parents brightened our days.

It was a regular day like any day, and we were on our way to a routine check-up. A few weeks away from birth, Ethan was almost ready to greet this world, and we were looking forward to estimated dates of delivery.

The midwife’s eyes said it all. 

Ethan had chosen to pass on to the next life before he had the chance to experience this one.

Our world was thrown into pieces. There are challenges in life you could choose not to face, but this challenge was one where we were forced to face it head on.

On the 24th of January 2014, my wife underwent an induced delivery that lasted for hours. It was the most emotional I had ever been in my life. 

As I held him in my arms, my heart, which should have been empty and broken, was filled with awe, love and grief. 

I spoke to him, softly, of my dreams as a father and as a human being on this planet. I promised him that he was going to have his impact on the world.

Something inside of me was shifting. 

The man who walked out of the hospital that day was a changed man. 

In his eulogy, I shared my powerful realization that we only have one shot in life. I vowed again that Ethan’s soul would live on. He would lead the way to people’s hearts, and I was going to do the rest from there.

For every person, there comes a time when you feel you have lost it all. In those times, begin to have the right conversations with yourself.

I began my own journey of healing and spiritual awakening. 

I asked questions about energy, our universe and our greater purpose in life.

I delved deep into emotions, practicing presence, compassion and vulnerability. 

My life began to transform. 

The realization of the fragility of life and inevitability of death drove me to reach out and help others in ways I have never before.

The Birth of The One Shot Movement

Every year on the 24th of January, I write a tribute to Ethan where I share powerful and impactful lessons I’ve learnt over the course of the year.

And I tell him about how we’re doing on our vision, The One Shot Movement.

Inspired by the impulse to turn tragedy to triumph, The One Shot Movement is a message about living life to the fullest, living life with passion and purpose, living life with no regrets and ultimately evolving into the person you want to become.

The vision of The One Shot Movement is to inspire people to treat life with the awareness that they only have one shot at life and they must lead it with passion and purpose. It inspires people to step into their true potential and create a life that is full of meaning and happiness.

To help people on their journey, I meet with the most transformational entrepreneurs from around the world. Success leaves clues. 

“Don’t try and work it out yourself. Don’t listen to your broke mate. Listen to those who have made things happen.”

Through podcasts, videos, blogs and personal coaching sessions, I help you identify your purpose and passion in life. Together, we set in motion the plan, working through all the areas in your life that need to change in order for you to achieve sustainable success. 

We have within us immense power. We have the potential to add tremendous value to our lives and the lives of others. Our gifts should not be wasted because of fear, incompetence or laziness! Every day is an opportunity for us to connect with ourselves deeper and live in alignment with our purpose. 

This year, I smiled warmly as I shared my tribute to Ethan and reassured him. The One Shot Movement has grown into an amazing platform for me to give back, share knowledge and inspire others to make a change. 

You’ve Got One Shot: A Story of a Stolen Heartbeat and What It Taught Me About Living a Meaningful Life

The many letters I wrote to Ethan on my search for true meaning and purpose are now the basis of my upcoming book. 

Encouraged by a good friend, I compiled them into a book about life, business and entrepreneurship. It’s a book that delves into 7 major areas of life and allows you to design your life, set an action plan to achieve your goals and creating transformational change. A meaningful life is one where we live from a place of awareness, appreciation and consistent growth.

You see, life is all about perspective. Adversity and challenges are guaranteed companions in life. You will have challenges in business and in your personal life. In reality, it doesn’t matter if you will be challenged, what matters is your perspective.

This book shares with you tribute pieces to my son who inspired all this combined with powerful life lessons that can help you be the best version of yourself, whatever that means to you.

When I have a bad day, I look at a picture of Ethan’s tiny feet on my phone screen and I say to myself, “Today was challenging… but nowhere near as challenging as when you came into this world a stillborn.”

You need to build a resilient mindset ready to deal with life’s challenges.

This book approaches personal growth and overcoming challenges from a completely different perspective. 

If Ethan hadn’t chosen to leave us, I would have never been the father I am today. 

My two children, Zachery (5) and Zoe (2) are blessings and gifts I treasure every day. Vibrant, beautiful and excited about every little thing in this grand roller coaster of life.

There isn’t a morning I pass without gratitude and there isn’t a night that ends without me having contributed to the life of others in one form or another.

The Time for Your Transformation Is Now

I have what I want, and I want to help you get what you want.

Time is a limited resource and yet your most valuable asset. Don’t wait to make the necessary changes. Your purpose and passion are waiting on you. The people whose lives will be touched by your magic are waiting for you.

In the end, you have one shot at life, so give it your best shot.

Want to join the movement? Follow the links below:

Listen to my podcast
Join the Facebook group

Follow on Instagram

 

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