{"id":21602,"date":"2024-09-27T10:21:33","date_gmt":"2024-09-27T17:21:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/?p=21602"},"modified":"2024-10-03T14:34:20","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T21:34:20","slug":"history-alumnus-fitness-entrepreneur-former-navy-seal-invents-trx-trainer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/history-alumnus-fitness-entrepreneur-former-navy-seal-invents-trx-trainer\/","title":{"rendered":"From US Navy SEAL to successful fitness entrepreneur"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n    \n                                          \n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-hero \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-hero\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/randyhetrick_top-768x432.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/randyhetrick_top-1920x1080.jpg 1920w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/randyhetrick_top-1280x720.jpg 1280w,https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/randyhetrick_top-768x432.jpg 768w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1200px) 75vw, (min-width:768px) 83vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  alt=\"Randy Hetrick poses in a metal scaffold with exercise straps dangling in front of and behind him\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n  \n      <div class=\"image-caption\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  USC Dornsife alumnus Randy Hetrick\u2019s unusual path to becoming a successful entrepreneur includes a history degree, a 14-year career as a Navy SEAL and a spell as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill. (Photo: Shae Rocco.)\n\n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n  <div class=\"text-wrapper\">\n          <nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\" class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n        <ul>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\">News<\/a><\/li>\n                      <li><a href=\"\/news\/stories\/\/?category=alumni\">Alumni<\/a><\/li>\n                  <\/ul>\n      <\/nav>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--page-title\">\n\n    \n  <h1>From US Navy SEAL to successful fitness entrepreneur<\/h1>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n          <div class=\"subtitle\">\n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  Randy Hetrick, who graduated from USC Dornsife with a history degree in 1987, is best known as the inventor of the TRX Suspension Trainer \u2014 equipment he developed while deployed on a military counter-piracy mission.\n\n\n<\/div>\n      <\/div>\n    \n           <strong class=\"author-field\"><span >By<\/span><a href=\"mailto:communication@dornsife.usc.edu\">Susan Bell<\/a><\/strong>\n    \n          <span class=\"post-date-field\">September 27, 2024<\/span>\n      <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--social-share \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--social-share\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"content-wrapper\">\n    <span class=\"a2a_kit a2a_kit_size_32 addtoany_list\" style=\"line-height: 32px;\">\n      <span class=\"title\">\n        Share\n      <\/span>\n                        <a class=\"a2a_button_copy_link\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"\/#copy_link\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" title=\"Link\">\n            <span class=\"a2a_svg a2a_s__default a2a_s_copy_link\">\n              <svg height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 19 19\" width=\"19\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m7.43475275 9.52380952-2.17490843 2.26076008c-1.08745421 1.058837-1.68841575 2.518315-1.68841575 4.0350275 0 1.5167124.60096154 2.9475732 1.68841575 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xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\"><path d=\"m8.14285714 9.42857143c-.17142857 0-.34285714 0-.51428571.08571428l7.28571427 6.34285719c.3428572.2571428.6857143.2571428.9428572 0l7.2857142-6.34285719c-.0857142-.08571428-.2571428-.08571428-.4285714-.08571428zm-1.28571428 1.11428567v.1714286 8.5714286c0 .6857143.6 1.2857143 1.28571428 1.2857143h14.57142856c.6857143 0 1.2857143-.6 1.2857143-1.2857143v-8.5714286c0-.0857143 0-.0857143 0-.1714286l-7.2 6.3428572c-.7714286.6857143-1.8857143.6857143-2.6571429 0z\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\" transform=\"translate(-6 -9)\"\/><\/svg>\n            <\/span>\n            <span class=\"a2a_label visually-hidden\">Email<\/span>\n          <\/a>\n                  <\/span>\n  <\/div>\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n \n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>It might seem an unlikely career choice for a <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/hist\/\">history<\/a> graduate, but alumnus Randy Hetrick is the successful entrepreneur behind two leading physical training start-ups: TRX Training and OutFit Training. His path to fitness entrepreneurship took several unexpected twists and turns after earning his degree from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 1987 \u2014 including serving as a U.S. Navy SEAL and working as a lobbyist on Capitol Hill.<\/p>\n<p>So, how did he get where he is today?<\/p>\n<h2>Born Trojan on a path to become a fitness entrepreneur<\/h2>\n<p>Hetrick\u2019s decision to attend USC was strongly influenced by his family.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy dad had to transfer and never got to finish his USC education, so he was very excited about me going there,\u201d Hetrick says. \u201cI grew up watching the Trojans, so USC was a big part of our family history.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21604\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21604\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21604\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instorya-469x550.jpg\" alt=\"Randy Hetrick stands in graduation regalia with arm around a young woman hugging him\" width=\"300\" height=\"352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instorya-469x550.jpg 469w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instorya-873x1024.jpg 873w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instorya-768x901.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instorya.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21604\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">In 1987, Hetrick celebrates his graduation from USC Dornsife with a bachelor\u2019s degree in history. (Photo: Courtesy of Randy Hetrick.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Following his parents\u2019 divorce, Hetrick grew up between his parents\u2019 homes in the Southern California beach towns of Corona del Mar and Huntington Beach. With his father in dental school and his mother working as a flight attendant, money was tight. However, his mother\u2019s job allowed mother and son to travel for free to the United Kingdom, where they toured the country by bus and train, visiting the castles that sparked Hetrick\u2019s lifelong love of history.<\/p>\n<p>Later, his stepfather\u2019s encouragement to pursue a liberal arts education inspired Hetrick to join USC Dornsife as a history major \u2014 a choice that aligned with his burgeoning interest in contemporary U.S. and military history and politics.<\/p>\n<p>While at USC, Hetrick pledged a fraternity, participated in every opportunity available and benefitted from an incredible mentor: USC President Emeritus John Hubbard, a WWII U.S. Navy bomber pilot and recipient of a Distinguished Flying Cross. \u201cDr Hubbard cemented my passion for history, graded me hard and pushed me,\u201d Hetrick says.<\/p>\n<p>Hubbard wasn\u2019t the first to show the young Hetrick \u201ctough love.\u201d He says his grandfather, who grew up in Depression-era Kansas, had an old-school \u201cknock you down to build you up\u201d approach to parenting.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThat bled through to my dad, a dentist, who had a similar way of developing toughness in his kid,\u201d Hetrick said. \u201cAt the time, I didn\u2019t appreciate it, but it created a hell of a chip on my shoulder to prove myself \u2014 to him and whoever else was around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hetrick says this led him to engage in a series of \u201chard and thankless\u201d sports, starting with wrestling, which he began practicing in high school. At USC, he began rowing, which he credits with teaching him teamwork.<\/p>\n<p>These challenging sports became thematic of his life, he says. Unwittingly, he was also laying down the ideal groundwork for acceptance into the Navy SEALs.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI discovered later that the sports that are the best for SEAL selection are endurance sports with a high misery quotient and low crowd approval,\u201d he said. \u201cWrestling definitely falls into that category. I\u2019ve heard many wrestling coaches say that after wrestling, everything else in life is easy.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>Alumnus aspires to serve as a Navy SEAL<\/h2>\n<p>Inspired by a family tradition of military service that stretches back to the Civil War, Hetrick set his sights on becoming a SEAL after graduating with his bachelor\u2019s degree in 1987.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21606\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21606\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21606\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryb-469x550.jpg\" alt=\"Young Randy Hetrick wears camouflage rain gear and a grey hoody on a rainy day\" width=\"300\" height=\"352\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryb-469x550.jpg 469w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryb-873x1024.jpg 873w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryb-768x901.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryb.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21606\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Assigned to Bravo Platoon to continue his SEAL tactical training after surviving the rigors of Hell Week, Hetrick built the advanced skills he needed to become mission-ready. (Photo: Courtesy of Randy Hetrick.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cI wanted to set the bar really high, and so my sole selection criteria, which is preposterous in retrospect, was to find the Special Operations unit with the highest selection failure rate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When he discovered that the SEALs\u2019 attrition rate is 85%, Hetrick knew that was where he wanted to be. However, the road to becoming a SEAL was not an easy one.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt involved a lot of hammering on doors. Back then, there was no e-mail, so it meant a lot of letters and telephone calls and just being persistent. I wanted to go in as an officer, and there were very few opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>In the end, it was the friendships that Hetrick had developed through his USC fraternity that provided the contacts that helped him achieve his dream. \u201cUSC opened every door you can imagine,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p>Hetrick attended Officer Candidate School and began SEAL training in spring 1988, enduring the infamous \u201cHell Week\u201d \u2014 an experience Hetrick describes as \u201ca week of round-the-clock torture, with only 15 minutes sleep a day for five to six days straight.\u201d Hetrick says he got through it thanks to \u201cdumb luck and hard- headedness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou\u2019ve got to be lucky not to get hurt, and then you\u2019ve got to be thick-skinned and determined not to let your mind fail you,\u201d he says. \u201cThat was my specialty and has continued to be as an entrepreneur. It\u2019s a propensity for biting down on my mouthpiece and grinding through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hetrick\u2019s remarkably positive outlook still enables him to forgive himself if things don\u2019t work out and to keep moving forward.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don\u2019t really believe in failure,\u201d he says. \u201cI obviously understand it, because throughout my career I have undershot my goals many times. But I have never viewed that as failure. It\u2019s all part of this process of trial and error, improvement and retrial.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, it never really occurred to me that I might fail. That\u2019s just not how my mind is wired and that\u2019s continued into my entrepreneurial career.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>From counter-terror to Capitol Hill to inventing TRX<\/h2>\n<p>Hetrick\u2019s philosophy also enabled him to thrive in his career as a Navy SEAL. Beginning with platoon deployments to Southeast Asia and Africa, Hetrick then earned a master\u2019s degree in national security affairs at the Naval Postgraduate School. After graduating in 1994, he was selected to join the SEAL\u2019s elite counter-terror unit.<\/p>\n<p>Three years later, his career took a significant detour when he moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as the principal lobbyist on Capitol Hill for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). During his two-year stint in the role, he pursued funding for a portfolio of more than $1.3 billion in critical SOCOM initiatives.<\/p>\n<p>Returning to operational service, he finished his 14-year military career by returning to the special missions unit as a squadron commander when the birth of his first son, Harrison, provided the impetus to pursue his dream of going to business school.<\/p>\n<p>Hetrick launched TRX Training from his garage in 2004, one year after earning his MBA from Stanford University. The company has grown from a bootstrap start-up to a leading global physical training brand.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_21607\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-21607\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-21607\" src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryc-500x378.jpg\" alt=\"Randy Hetrick leans back from a door while holding a strap attached to the door\" width=\"300\" height=\"227\" srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryc-500x378.jpg 500w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryc-768x580.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/instoryc.jpg 980w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-21607\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The idea behind Hetrick\u2019s global fitness brand was born after he invented the TRX Suspension Trainer by knotting his jiu-jutsu belt and some surplus nylon webbing and throwing it over a door. \u201cThe possibilities opened up like a flower,\u201d he said. (Photo: Courtesy of Randy Hetrick.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The TRX Suspension Trainer was born out of necessity while Hetrick was deployed without training equipment on a counter-piracy operation in Southeast Asia. Searching for a solution, he created a contraption using his jiu-jutsu belt and some surplus nylon webbing. \u201cI tied a knot in it, threw it over a door, leaned back against gravity and lifted my body. The possibilities opened up like a flower.\u201d A global fitness brand was born.<\/p>\n<p>Three years ago, Hetrick launched his second startup, OutFit Training, a technology-enabled outdoor mobile fitness service, which he describes as \u201cbasically like Uber for fitness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What next? Hetrick, who regularly teaches entrepreneurship at USC Marshall School of Business and at Stanford University, hopes to transition out of day-to-day operations in the next five years, shifting gears into board roles, writing, and teaching and mentoring entrepreneurs and other business leaders \u2014 while also riding his longboard at California\u2019s San Onofre State Beach.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI want to share the lessons I learned, most of which were learned the hard way,\u201d he says. \u201cIf I can help folks coming up the ladder avoid those potholes and learn what I did, but with a little less pain, then I\u2019ll be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And Harrison Hetrick? The son is now following in his father\u2019s footsteps: After graduating from USC Dornsife in 2024 with a BA in international relations (global business), he graduated Officer Candidate School and received orders to Basic Underwater Demolition\/SEAL with ambitions to become a Navy SEAL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p style=\"font-size: 1.5rem;\">See Randy Hetrick\u2019s journey from childhood to Trojan to Navy SEAL to successful fitness entrepreneur and watch as he explains how he got there through <em>USC Dornsife Magazine<\/em>\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/randy-hetrick-87\/\">PATHWAYS feature <svg version=\"1.1\" style=\"background-color: #FC0; vertical-align: middle;\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"><\/polygon><\/svg><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <div class=\"video-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"From History Major To TRX Founder: What Can You Do With A History Degree?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PKGTOUkM3co?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--signup-form \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--signup-form\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"text-image-container\">\n  <div class=\"text-container\">\n\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Q &#038; A with Randy Hetrick on \u201cHell Week\u201d\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>What happens during the U.S. Navy SEALS infamous training known as \u201cHell Week\u201d?<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RH: \u201cYou\u2019re in the surf without a wetsuit day and night, \u2018cooling off.\u2019 Mental willpower and the ability to tolerate the cold are the things that, as much as anything else, separate those who make it from those who don\u2019t. In addition, you\u2019re only getting about 15 minutes of sleep and running more than 10 miles a day in the soft sand with boats on your head, carrying logs and doing 5 a.m. hellacious calisthenics every morning with the instructors constantly on you like wolves. There is rarely a kind word said, but there is a lot of dark humor to appreciate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>How do you cope?<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RH: \u201cYou just have to let it roll off you like water off a duck\u2019s back. You\u2019ve got to keep that singular focus on the prize at the end, focus on helping your teammates, and not let that stuff get to you.\u00a0So, you need a real toughness of body, but also of mind. A lot of great athletes don\u2019t make it and a lot of guys who you might not expect to make it, do. That\u2019s where the combination of determination and an ability to stay positive while suffering is the differentiator.\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><em>What is the purpose of Hell Week?<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">RH: \u201cThe main purpose of Hell Week is to find people who can get themselves comfortable in the world\u2019s least comfortable circumstances. If you can keep your wits about you, think clearly and communicate to others while being heinously uncomfortable, scared and exhausted, then you\u2019re the raw material the U.S. Navy wants to sculpt into a SEAL.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n      <\/div>\n\n      <div class=\"image-container\">\n          \n<div class=\"f--field f--image\">\n\n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n    \n              \n      <img\n                            data-src=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/hellweek-900x600.jpg\"\n          data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/7\/2024\/09\/hellweek-900x600.jpg 900w\"          data-sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 50vw, (min-width:768px) 100vw, 100vw\"          class=\"lazyload\"\n        \n                  role=\"none\"\n        \n        \n                                      \/>\n\n    \n    \n  \n  \n\n<\/div>\n    <\/div>\n  \n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-intro \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-intro\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--signup-form image-left dark\"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--signup-form\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n<div class=\"text-image-container\">\n  <div class=\"text-container\">\n\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Randy Hetrick\u2019s Tips for Success\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <ol style=\"color: #ffffff;\">\n<li>\n    Maximize your education<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Take your university educational experience seriously from the first year.<\/li>\n<li>Have fun \u2014 this is a unique time in your life and once it\u2019s gone, it\u2019s very hard to recreate.<\/li>\n<li>Engage in every opportunity you can. Pick your lane, get in it and squeeze the juice out of it.<\/li>\n<li>Make lots of friends and stay in touch\u2014 USC\u2019s Trojan Family offers an incredibly valuable opportunity to build your personal and professional network at a deep and meaningful level.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    Cultivate Mental Strength<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Own your stuff (good and bad) and be your own harshest critic \u2014 it sucks the wind out of other people\u2019s ability or interest in criticizing you.<\/li>\n<li>But don\u2019t be too self-critical \u2014 even if you\u2019ve given something your best shot, sometimes it\u2019s just not going to work out. That\u2019s not a failure, it\u2019s an opportunity to learn how you could have done better. We learn our biggest lessons from our biggest mistakes.<\/li>\n<li>Be philosophical about life \u2014 it\u2019s full of ups and downs. Try to enjoy the ride while you\u2019re up and learn something when you\u2019re down, realizing neither of them will last. Try never to let any of it leave a scar, whether you win or lose. It\u2019s just all part of life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    Develop physical fitness<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The key to being physically fit is to keep trying. You\u2019re going to have highs and lows, but it\u2019s consistency over time that counts. So, if you fall off the wagon, take the first opportunity to get back on and start over. Physical fitness is a journey without an end.<\/li>\n<li>Because you\u2019re less likely to do things that feel like drudgery, find the things you like to do and focus mainly on those.  The more fun you\u2019re having, the less it feels like work \u2014 just like everything else in life.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    Cultivate career skills<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Landing a job often involves some luck, but good players who prepare well make their own luck. One way to do that is by cultivating a powerful network. USC opened that up for me and it can for you, too.<\/li>\n<li>There are always opportunities to learn new skills and try new ventures that might take your life in a new, previously unimagined direction. If you\u2019re bored or unhappy with where you are, what have you got to lose? Pursue your bliss elsewhere by creating a life that inspires you.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n      <\/div>\n\n  \n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n  \n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--article-related-stories \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--article-related-stories\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n  <div class=\"inner-wrapper\">\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n          Related Articles\n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n    \n                  <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/priceschool.usc.edu\/news\/us-army-rotc-usc-price\/\" \n         target=\"_blank\"                 class=\"\" \n      >History and ROTC prepared USC Dornsife grad for the military<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/how-usc-dornsife-helped-shape-singer-songwriter-aloe-blaccs-career\/\" \n                        class=\"\" \n      >How USC Dornsife helped shape acclaimed singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc\u2019s career<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n              <article>\n              \n<div class=\"f--field f--cta-title\">\n\n    \n  <h3>\n          <a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/magazine\/fight-on\/\" \n         target=\"_blank\"                 class=\"\" \n      >Fight On! How military service shaped these extraordinary Trojan lives<\/a>\n      <\/h3>\n\n\n<\/div>\n        <\/article>\n            <\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Randy Hetrick \u201987 is best known as the inventor of the TRX Suspension Trainer \u2014 equipment he developed while deployed on a military counter-piracy mission.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":21603,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[51,26],"tags":[869,71,285],"class_list":["post-21602","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alumni","category-health","tag-business","tag-history","tag-military"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>From US Navy SEAL to successful fitness entrepreneur<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"USC Dornsife alumnus Randy Hetrick invented the TRX Suspension Trainer, developed while he was deployed on a military counter-piracy mission\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/news\/stories\/history-alumnus-fitness-entrepreneur-former-navy-seal-invents-trx-trainer\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"US Navy SEAL turns fitness entrepreneur, TRX inventor\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"USC Dornsife alumnus Randy Hetrick invented the TRX Suspension Trainer, developed while he was deployed on a military counter-piracy mission\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" 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