In this episode, I sit down with Bryan Wetzel for one of the most honest conversations we’ve had on The Legacy Investor. Bryan is a longtime entrepreneur who has owned restaurants, gyms, and multiple businesses, and he doesn’t sugarcoat what it really takes to survive when things go wrong.

We talk about opening a restaurant just months before the COVID lockdowns, navigating supply chain chaos, losing key team members, and eventually making the difficult decision to exit the business. Bryan shares real numbers, hard lessons, and the emotional toll that small business ownership can take on your health, marriage, and faith.

We also dive into partnership mistakes, why mixing personal and business finances can destroy you legally, how to structure partnerships wisely, and one of the best real-world negotiation stories you’ll hear how Bryan bought a failing gym for $45,000 and turned it into a thriving business with over 1,400 members.

Most importantly, Bryan shares how surrendering control, trusting God, and letting go of constant worry became the turning point that brought peace in the middle of chaos. If you’re a business owner, investor, or entrepreneur feeling overwhelmed, this episode will meet you right where you are.

🔑 Key Takeaways
👉Why owning a restaurant may be one of the hardest businesses you can run
👉What really happens when you open a business right before a global crisis
👉The importance of cash reserves, and what Bryan would do differently
👉Why mixing personal and business finances can destroy your legal protection
👉How bad partnerships quietly kill good businesses
👉A smart way to pay partners fairly for unequal work
👉A masterclass in negotiation from buying a failing gym
👉Why being willing to walk away is one of the most powerful tools in business
👉How surrendering control to God helped Bryan regain peace and clarity

📌 Chapters:
00:00 – Welcome & Bryan’s Background
03:30 – Family in Business: Expectations vs Reality
07:50 – Why Restaurants Are One of the Hardest Businesses
11:30 – Opening a Restaurant Right Before COVID
16:45 – Supply Chain Chaos, Menu Cuts & Customer Loss
22:10 – Personal Loss and the Emotional Toll of Business
26:40 – Selling the Restaurant & Unexpected Legal Fallout
32:30 – Stress, Health Issues, and Surrendering Control to God
38:45 – Real Numbers: Startup Costs, Revenue & Exit Price
46:20 – Common Small Business Mistakes (What He’d Change)
53:10 – Partnerships, Investors & Paying Yourself Properly
01:02:30 – Mixing Personal & Business Money (Big Legal Risk)
01:10:15 – How Bryan Bought a Gym for $45K (Negotiation Breakdown)
01:22:00 – Final Advice: Walking Away & Keeping Emotion Out of Deals
01:26:30 – Where to Find Bryan & His Books

If this episode resonated with you, please subscribe, leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and share it with a fellow entrepreneur or business owner who needs encouragement.

You can also watch this episode on YouTube by searching Cameron Philgreen, follow me on Instagram  ⁨@cameron_philgreen⁩ , and if you know someone who should be on this podcast, head to CameronPhilGreen.com/podcast and submit a guest request.

Thanks for listening, and I’ll see you on the next episode of The Legacy Investor.

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