Written in Partnership with Amir Bakian
“As in boxing, you have to be tough in business. You will only lose when you give up, and I don’t give up. That is the key”, assures the British.
He barely rests four hours a day, because he considers that sleep is a wasted lifetime and time is the most powerful commodity in the world, above money, gold, or bitcoins. This is the day-to-day life of Joe Fournier, the British entrepreneur who accompanies the practice of boxing with catering businesses around the world and with the mission of sharing the secrets of success.
“We can’t buy time, so that’s all I care about. Getting too little sleep motivates me to train and makes me better in business. This is how I found the perfect balance of the last 10 years as a professional athlete and entrepreneur: first I train, and then I go to the office. I am in a better mood, make better decisions, and am very organized. Otherwise, you can’t make it happen,” Fournier explains.
His two passions complement each other. His boxing experience has led him to understand that being “firm” is great in business, to face bad times.
“I’ve had a lot of bad moments, and I’m sure there will be more to come. There are some good moments. Therefore, I respected the bad moments and appreciated the good ones. And, like in boxing, you have to be tough. You will only lose when you give up, and I don’t give up. That’s the key,” he says.
Fournier began boxing professionally in 2015. Then, he won the vacant WBA International Light Heavyweight belt by defeating Wilmer Mejia in the eighth round in the Dominican Republic.
Sport changed his life. Before boxing, he was about 80 pounds overweight. He earned a lot of money, but he was obese. Losing weight restored his peace of mind and health, and that’s where it all began.
“I figured as a dishwasher; it wasn’t hard to pay my mom’s rent. I was earning a pound an hour, at age 13, illegally. Then I had to fight the Streets Bear Knuckle to make ten pounds a fight. I grew up on it, but I moved on with what I liked. Everything is possible”, he remembers about his difficult beginnings.
Now his passion is to inspire young people to do the same. He urges them not to smoke, drink, or take drugs. His idea of today’s entrepreneur is like that of the modern athlete: “you have to be holistic; you can’t just be skilled. You have to be powerful, fit, healthy, and focused.”
To be successful in “the athletics of life and in the entrepreneurial spirit”, he proposes to fall in love with oneself and be “honorable” with employees, partners, clients, partners, family, and friends.
His current business, under the Bond brand, is lifestyle and hospitality, with restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, in places like Tulum (Mexico), Mykonos (Greece), and soon hotels.
Joe is much more than just a boxer or an entrepreneur. He lost his fortune after his parent’s divorce. He went from having a driver to taking the bus every day.
His sports career began as a professional basketball player and captain of the British national team. He was forced to leave this sport due to a severe injury. Then he invested a little money he had left in a small gym. In 2008, he wrote his fitness book “Red Carpet Workout”. His success is due to strict discipline. He is a family man and an immigrant who started from scratch in the United States.
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