In 1968 , Schwarzenegger and fellow bodybuilder Franco Columbu started a bricklaying business . The business flourished thanks to the pair 's marketing savvy and an increased demand following the 1971 San Fernando earthquake . Schwarzenegger and Columbu used profits from their bricklaying venture to start a mail-order business , selling bodybuilding and fitness-related equipment and instructional tapes
1971 San Fernando earthquake
1971 San Fernando earthquake
Arnold Schwarzenegger