Success in the Myzone sphere is measured in MEPs - Myzone Effort Points.
The harder you work, the more you push yourself into the red zone, the more MEPs you attain. As a gym enthusiast – though admittedly not as enthusiastic and buff as others (well, probably not at all) – I know the value of the fitness tracking device.
You simply don’t feel like you’ve done a workout without recording your MEPs. You compete against others, but mostly you’re competing against yourself. MEPs are the ultimate motivational tool.
To date, Myzone has been adopted by more than 9000 clubs in 84 countries using 19 different languages, with more than two million devices shipped around the world.
For Myzone CEO Dave Wright – who grew up in Maryknoll, Gippsland, but now lives in a sprawling country manor in Lincolnshire in the East Midlands of England – the true measures of success are not defined by numbers. Yes, effort has equalled success for Dave, but it is not the end goal in this interminable workout called life.
“… when we leave this world, to know that you may have created something special that could leave a legacy is pretty cool.”
“In January, I will be celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary and I have four beautiful children who are happy and healthy – which in my mind is what I determine as success,” he said.
“In my career, I have stepped on every rung of the ladder and have been happy on each and every rung. To know that you have created a product that is used by various organisations such as NBA teams, hospitals, the military and schools is quite humbling.
“… when we leave this world, to know that you may have created something special that could leave a legacy is pretty cool.”
Dave’s twin, Sam, a school administrator in Leongatha, will tell you his brother’s success has afforded him the opportunity to be even more generous.
“We turned 49 a few weeks ago. As a testament to his generosity, he is throwing a 50th birthday party next year in the UK and flying all 20 family members over for it,” Sam said.
The family will party in Dave’s Downton Abbey-style abode that was built in 1710 by the then–Lord Mayor of London, Sir George Thorold, as his palatial country getaway.
Flying the family over for grand celebrations is something Dave has also done at Christmas time. It’s little wonder that when Sam’s son Nathan did a school project on a personal hero, Dave was his first nomination.
The second eldest of five siblings, and two minutes older than Sam, young Dave had a life of constant sporting adventure in Maryknoll.
"...we are always blown away by how Gippsland has changed every time we return.”
“We lived in the bush, so it involved BMX riding, fishing, camping, tennis, backyard cricket, then backyard basketball and always a kick of the footy at the local rec reserve,” he said.
“It was an extremely simple life, but there were always friends around our place as Dad would always say, ‘stay for tucker and I’ll put an extra cup of water in the soup’.”
That sportiness led him to complete a recreation degree majoring in leadership and minoring in marketing at Victoria University’s Footscray campus. Completing the degree, but not wanting to step straight into the nine-to-five, he chose a different path.
“I knew that I didn’t want to go straight into the working world after university, so I had always planned to go overseas and work at a summer camp in the USA and then travel before settling into the working world,” he said.
Now a bona fide citizen of the world, he was a wide-eyed innocent back then: “It was the first time that I’d been on an aeroplane at the tender age of 21.”
That lust for adventure was driven by fierce independence.
“I always had a desire in life to take responsibility for my own path and not rely on other people. Growing up, if I wanted something done, then I would figure out how to make it happen,” he said.
“But above all things, I’ve always been happy, so I knew that I would be happy no matter if it was carting hay, bagging spuds, working at the abattoirs or helping people feel good about exercise.”
And what of the future? Where does an entrepreneur whose company helps plodders, elite athletes and all those in between see himself in a decade’s time?
“In 10 years’ time, all my kids will be adults themselves, so I hope to be helping the next budding entrepreneur realise their dreams through NED [non-executive director] roles and advisory capacities,” he said.
Dave knows it’s that next generation who will drive the innovations of the future. Added to that, he’s happy to share his knowledge of what creates success. He sees the Myzone community as a ‘tribe’ sharing a common goal of self-improvement and continued good health. He likes to think about business in the same way.
He might be a long way from where he grew up, but his connections to the region remain strong.
“My family still live in Gippsland and I’m an investor in the Voyage Fitness health club brands in Leongatha, Wonthaggi, Warragul and Moe,” he said.
“For the past 20 years and up until very recently, we have had a holiday home in Phillip Island where we would hang when we used to come back for Christmas time and host all our friends and family.
“We’ve got fabulous memories there and we are always blown away by how Gippsland has changed every time we return.”