This segment is a Veteran-Focused talk show that showcases individuals and companies in the community and is focused on Veteran leadership, service, stories, and transition. Our Veteran host highlights other Veterans who serve, have served and who are doing great things in their business and in their community. Today our host, Chris Budihas spoke with Cristian Lopez.
Cristian Lopez
Owner of TractionC
Website Address: https://tractionc.com
What’s one thing we should know that makes your company unique?
TractionC is unique because I don’t just say I live it, I’ve proven it. I lost 150 pounds in 5 months and over 200 pounds in a year using this exact system, and it’s the same structure that keeps the weight off today. We don’t motivate people, we install discipline, identity, and AI-supported accountability so transformation actually lasts.
How do you define success?
Success isn’t yes-or-no. It’s a measure of how disciplined you are when the results aren’t showing yet. Anyone can take action once. Success is doing the hard things long enough for your identity to change. The more disciplined you become, the more success becomes automatic.
How did you get started in your field of work?
I got started after doctors told me I wouldn’t live another year. I was nearly 400 pounds, depressed, and directionless after leaving the military. That was my breaking point. I rebuilt my life through discipline, structure, and a system I created to save myself, losing 150 pounds in 5 months and over 200 in a year. That system became TractionC, and now I teach others the same identity and discipline framework that rebuilt my life.
Transcript:
Chris:
Welcome to The Five Minute Salute. I’m your host, Chris Buda. Joining us from Dallas, Texas is Christian Lopez with Traction C. Christian, how are you?
Cristian:
Hey, it’s a pleasure to be here, Chris.
Chris:
It’s good to see you, man. Thanks for coming on The Five Minute Salute. You’re a veteran. Tell us about your military background and where you’re from.
Cristian:
I originally came in from Jordan, Missouri, when I turned 18. I knew what I wanted to do and wanted to get out of a bad crowd and change my life. It took a turn though. It didn’t start how it’s supposed to start. Usually when you join the military, you’re ready to go and give everything you’ve got.
But for me, it became more of a transition point in my life. I actually gained 200 pounds. I did the complete opposite of what you’re supposed to do in the military. You’re supposed to get fit. I gained weight, which sounds impossible, but it happened.
The military helped me change my mindset and use tools to manage my life. I ended up losing the 200 pounds in one year.
Chris:
Wow. That’s amazing. How did you do that?
Cristian:
It started with mindset and a system I created. Anytime you have a craving for food or anything like that, you just get up and move. You move to kill the urge. You get your brain off the craving and onto movement.
Chris:
Is that kind of the origin story that led to Traction C?
Cristian:
Yes. Once I got settled into my routine and figured it out for myself, I transitioned it to my family. I instilled those roots into my wife, and then it carried over to our children.
I really started seeing how everything changed from mindset alone. The more people I talked to, the more I realized that the millionaire mindset is a real thing. You can be a victor or a victim. It’s all about how you present yourself in life.
You can suffer now or suffer later. I used to always suffer later. I’d take the quick dopamine hit. Give me the food, the cookies, whatever it was. I’d make excuses, just trying to get through the day, get through a 12-hour shift, whatever it was.
When I changed that mindset and started looking at life as a playground, everything shifted. Just like when you’re a kid, you don’t sit on the ground. You get up and play. You bring that mindset back into the game of life and see where it takes you.
Chris:
That’s powerful. Tell us about Traction C. What do you do, and how do you help people develop that winning mindset?
Cristian:
I ask clients to imagine that everything they’ve ever wanted is 100 yards away. Love, wealth, companionship, whatever it is. Now here’s the catch. You’re ten feet deep in a hole with nothing to stand on.
Are you going to wait for someone to save you, or are you going to find a way to climb out yourself? Every time, people say they have to find a way themselves.
That’s the mindset we apply to work, relationships, parenting, everything. I don’t pull people out of the hole, but I give them a perspective shift. I give them traction so they can build momentum in their own lives.
Chris:
Do you have any success stories from your clients?
Cristian:
One story that always stands out is an older woman in her late 80s. She couldn’t even get on the elliptical. The first time we talked, she just cried. I could tell she had been through a lot.
I told her I could either listen or help her get past it. She chose to get past it. I helped her pop that bubble, and she became a completely different woman.
Within the first week, she was doing 20 minutes on the elliptical. She thought her life was over because of her age. I showed her that age is just a number. It’s about keeping momentum moving and making it work for you, not against you.
Chris:
There are others in this space. What makes you different?
Cristian:
I used to be the client. I was searching for help myself. I saw a lot of unreliability and people who weren’t practicing what they preached.
I’ll never ask a client to do something I wouldn’t do myself or put on my own kids. That’s the difference. I see how this changes lives, not just one person, but entire families.
Chris:
Are you working locally or beyond your area?
Cristian:
As of this week, we’re global. I work with clients all over the country. I do in-person work in the Dallas and North Texas area, but most of my clients are online. It all starts with a conversation. Action comes from that conversation.
Chris:
How do people find Traction C and connect with you?
Cristian:
They can go to TractionKGW.com or find me on YouTube under Christian Lopez. That’s Christian without the H.
Chris:
Christian Lopez without the H. Thank you for coming on The Five Minute Salute and for your service. What you’re doing is truly changing lives, from physical health to mental health, and in many cases, saving lives.
Cristian:
I appreciate it, Chris.
Chris:
Folks, connect with Christian on LinkedIn and social media. He’s shared where to find him. I’ll see you next time. Let’s live in gratitude.
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