Categoriesbusiness

On Running a Fitness Business: Part 2

Last week I commandeered a Facebook post on fitness business shenanigans from friend, and fellow gym owner, Mike Perry.1

I took his original, bulleted-point list and added my own two cents to each one. You can check out points 1-10 HERE.

Today I want to highlight points 11-20.

Copyright: tankist276 / 123RF Stock Photo

On Running a Fitness Business: Part 2

11. Community is everything.

TG: Mike Boyle has a famous quote that I’ve heard repeated time and time again:

“No one cares how much you know, till they know how much you care.”

I think it’s fucking pimp-level status that you know all 17 muscles that attach to the scapulae, have taken all 417 PRI courses, and can work Dan Duchaine quotes into casual conversation on gluceoneogenesis.

You’re a fitness nerd superstar and we should go practice karate in the garage together.

 

However, it’s likely the bulk of your clients could give two flying fucktoids about the scapulae, breathing patterns, and/or the Kreb’s Cycle.

All most really care about is that 1) you help them get results and 2) you’re cool to hang out with and not a pretentious, uppity a-hole.

Community is huge. People want to be amongst their people. Why do you think CrossFit is so successful? It isn’t the kipping pull-ups – my god, it’s not the kipping pull-ups – I’ll tell you that much.

It’s the immense sense of community and being surrounded by other like-minded individuals that makes all the difference in the world.

This doesn’t always have to be attached to fitness either. I know some gyms where staff or even members organize a book or movie club, where people get together every so often to discuss prose or film.

Organizing day-trips is another fantastic way to build community.

Legacy Strength in Floral Park, NY will organize hiking trips outside the city or other “active” activities for their members. The peeps at Mark Fisher Fitness champion community service, which is amazing.

Dan John stresses “intentional community” where people come in to train, as a group, for free (and to have fun).

There are endless ways to build your community. Be creative. Pants optional.

12. Get everything in writing and NO special deals!!

TG: This is the face I make whenever I inform someone what my prices are at CORE and they shoot back with:

“Ah, I see. Well, do you offer any discounts or maybe a free trial session or something?”

Well first I reply with:

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaha. That’s precious.”

And then I do this:

via GIPHY

HERE’s a post a wrote not too long ago on why I don’t offer discounted rates or free sessions.

Unless your name is Matt Damon or Rambo (or you have a time machine and can bring back early 90’s Mariah Carey) I’m probably not going to cut you a deal.

You wouldn’t ask a dentist or lawyer for a “free trial run,” so don’t ask me.

13. Get used to working mornings and evenings. The middle of the day is for eating, training, errands and social media.

TG: Or, if you’re stuck as Daddy Day Care…watching The Price Is Right.

It’s a delight.

In all seriousness, I’d also toss in continuing education here: catching up on blogs, articles, research reviews, and, okay, The Defenders.

DON’T JUDGE ME.

14. Keep your gym clean.

TG: My wife and I like to go out to dinner on Saturday nights. Thankfully we live in a great “foodie” city – Boston – which offers an infinite selection of restaurants to visit and try out.

One of the things I’ll judge a place on is the cleanliness of their restrooms. If they can’t bother to keep that area clean, what’s the likelihood the kitchen isn’t covered in Ebola?

Take pride in your space. While I’ll be the first to admit you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, you can be damn sure people are judging you on the cleanliness of your gym.

NOTE: the only exception here are legit powerlifting gyms. I don’t have any Pub-Med studies to back this up, but I’m pretty sure the grungier the gym – and the more tetanus shots required to touch the barbells – the stronger the people are.

15. Word of mouth is often times the best marketing.

TG: Your clients are almost always going to be your best source of marketing.

I mean, if you think about it it makes sense. What’s likely to be more effective at driving more traffic to your gym: a random Facebook Ad that looks and sounds just like every other Facebook Ad? Or the honest endorsement from a spouse, friend, or colleague?

Here are two pieces of advice when it comes to word of mouth marketing:

  1. Don’t be afraid to ask your clients to help spread the word. Ask them to share posts on Facebook. Ask them to refer people your way. It’s likely they’re more than willing to do so.
  2. Reward them for it. I give all clients a 20% discount on their next package if they refer someone to me and that individual ends up purchasing a package him or herself.

16. Your family is more important than your business. It’s very easy to overlook this.

TG: Since January 31st of this past year – when our son Julian was born – this has never slapped me in the face more.

The past seven months have not been rainbows and butterfly kisses. It’s been a crash course on clusterfuckery, time management, and perseverance.

The introvert in me may gripe on the loss of alone time and the universal frustrations that come with being a new parent – sleep deprivation, blowouts, and more blowouts.

However, now that I’m “in it,” how can I look at that cute little munchkin face and stay mad? His adorableness is off the charts and it’s been such a treat to have the daddy-Julian time with him in the mornings.

The “family before business” mantra is a crucial piece of advice I hope never gets lost on me.

17. Networking is huge. Find good people to work with.

TG: I have been so fortunate in my career to be surrounded by such studs and studettes. That and I am just a very cool person to hang out with. 

Going out of your way to reach out to other coaches and health/fitness professionals in your area – physical therapists, massage therapists, physicians, dietitians – is one of the best business decisions you can partake in.

Make appointments to go shadow or observe other people, follow suit with a “thank you” note, and I can almost guarantee you’ll get some referrals out of it.

This is the actual “thank you” card I send people. 

18. You need a ” business person “

TG: This x a bazillion-gazillion “Mmmm hmmm’s.”

One of the aspects that made Cressey Sports Performance so successful at it’s infancy was the fact Pete Dupuis was on board to do all the “businessy” stuff – track sessions, bookkeeping, collecting payments, payroll, taking phone calls & answering emails – which then allowed Eric and I to do what what we did best: assessments, write programs, coach, and argue over who had control of the stereo.

Even if you hired someone as a business consultant to help you set up better systems and organize ways to be more efficient, someone you spoke to weekly or even on a monthly basis, even that, would be money well spent.

19. Less selfies, more emphasis on your clients.

It’s NOT about you. It’s never about you. Stop being douchey.

20. Coffee

TG: Spike.

Categoriesbusiness

On Running a Fitness Business

Yesterday a friend of mine and amazing coach, Mike Perry of Skill of Strength, posted a list or treatise, if you will, on his Facebook page of things to consider when running a fitness business.

It was great.

I wanted to share them here with my own thoughts and additions.

Copyright: tankist276 / 123RF Stock Photo

On Running a Fitness Business…

1. You’re not going to get 50 leads a week. If you do, most of them are rubbish. Don’t bother clicking on that sponsored ad.

TG: The selfie video filmed from inside a private jet or with a group of models and a Camaro in the background should be a red flag enough.

The truth of matter is: allowing your business to grow organically via patience, hard work, and word of mouth is almost always going to “win out” over the quick gratification you’ll receive from dolling out a few hundred dollars to some fucktart who doesn’t even own a gym in the first place.

Guess what: Cressey Sports Performance didn’t spend one single dollar on advertising or marketing in the first five or so years we were open. 

However, we got people results. THAT’s what got people in the door.

Quit looking for the easy fixes, shut up, and do the work.

2. Systems matter. Make it as clear as possible.

TG: There should be as little ambiguity as possible here. When someone reaches out to me asking about training I give them the rundown:

Assessment cost this much. In the assessment we will cover “x,y, and z.” And, to keep things as transparent as possible I even send along my pricing sheet so they’re aware of expected costs should they choose to continue. 

Systems will vary depending on size of a facility. I mean, how I go about “systemizing” my way of doing things – as a one-man show – compared to when I was at CSP, tag-teaming responsibilities amongst a larger staff, needs to be taken into account.

Suffice it to say, verbiage used during an assessment (and with larger staffs, ensuring the same verbiage is used to coach and cue exercises), pricing, cancellation policies, collecting payments, how programs are dispersed, tracking of sessions, scheduling, what night is after hours Fight Club, all of it, needs to be systemized to prevent chaos.

3. You cannot do it all yourself. Well, you can for a bit. Eventually you will get burnt out.

TG:I’ll tell you this: It helps to have a very understanding partner. I can’t thank my wife enough for her support throughout the years.

“Oh, my bad babe, I can’t watch Scandal tonight because I’ve got programs to write.”

The thing about the fitness industry is that we work when others don’t. This is compounded when you factor in all the chores and responsibilities that percolate the “to do” list outside the actual hours of training clients.

Cleaning, bookkeeping, program writing, etc.

One thing I’ve done that has helped my life immensely is to hire a personal assistant. For the past year Keeley has performed all the tasks that are time sucks on my end: tracking sessions, doing some proofreading, keeping track of client’s birthdays, and other organizational shenanigans.

It allows me to focus more on the things that matter most: Netflix.

Just kidding.

I do feel some people are quick to turn their nose up on menial jobs like cleaning bathrooms and such. If you’ve just opened, and overhead is high, why “waste” money on something that’ll take you 15 minutes to accomplish.

I know some gym owners – and successful ones at that – you still do their own painting, assemblage of equipment, as well as cleaning duties. 

You’re not above it. If anything it builds character and more pride in the business.

But yeah, after awhile, getting some help is life-changing.

4. If you train 30 hours a week and you want your own place, plan on doubling that.

TG: When we opened up CSP, and for the first 1-2 years thereafter we’d all put in at least 10-12 hours per day, 6, sometimes 7 days per week.

It’s no fucking joke.

Please, don’t enamor yourself with the idea that gym ownership is the holy grail, top seat, in this industry.

There’s no secret club or handshake that you’re privy to once you own a gym. For many all it means is added debt and stress.

If you’re not a businessman, don’t open a gym. 

5. Social media matters. It’s a game that has to be played whether you like it or not.

TG: My tenets to social media:

  1. Engage with your audience. What’s the point of having it if you don’t take the time to answer questions and correspond with your followers?
  2. More times than not – and I understand this is tough given the current political and social climate – distancing yourself from political and religious commentary is best. NOTE: I actually had a new client confide in me that she left her previous trainer due to his proclivity at talking politics during sessions (and on social media). I’m not saying it’s wrong or that it should be avoided 100% of the time – I’ve dabbled in it occasionally – but everyone has to weigh the opportunity costs of doing so.
  3. The more you make it about YOUR CLIENTS and THEIR journey’s, the better.
  4. Share, share, share.
  5. Less selfies, more actionable content
  6. LOLCat memes are fair game though.

6. At first, train everyone. Eventually the energy vampires will leave and you will create a solid client base.

TG:I think this sage advice. I don’t want to touch it.

But I will anyways.

I’m lucky in that when I eventually decided to leave CSP and venture off on my own I had accrued 10+ years of experience and career capital. I had also developed enough of a name and reputation for myself via my writing that I could basically feed my Zod complex and people would just come to me.

 

Haha – just kidding.2

The bulk of people who start up with me are kinda already familiar with me and know what they’re getting themselves into.

I mean, my tagline is “Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves.” 

I wonder what would have happened if I named my place Toned Tony’s Palace of Techno and Tickle Fights?

7. If you are going to specialize in one thing, you should aim to be the best at it.

TG: Again, not much I need to add here as it speaks for itself.

There was a time at CSP when we were reticent to be accepted as the “baseball facility.” We were scared that if we did so we’d be leaving other business on the table.

We were wrong.

Thankfully, we (namely, Eric) saw that there was an underserved population out there and we took it upon ourselves to be THE guys to train baseball players.

I’d caution you to think you have to be a jack of all trades. Strive to be the best at one thing and I can almost guarantee you’ll crush.

So, whether you want to specialize in training certain athletes, powerlifters, fat-loss clients, postpartum, or bomb sniffing dolphins…own it.

8. Some days owning a business is awful.

TG: Makes me think of THIS post by Pete Dupuis on “hidden” costs to opening a fitness facility.

Owning a gym can be frustrating, tiring, stressful, and altogether a cornucopia of clusterfuckery. A valuable lesson I learned from Eric Cressey, though, is to not let any of that affect your ability to provide a welcoming and productive experience to your clients and athletes.

You still need to be able to shut all that out, smile, and go coach.

9. Some people are just jerks.

TG: Oh man, this could be a blog post on its own.

You learn to roll with the punches. My wife, a psychologist, is always quick to point out that most of the time when someone acts rudely or uncouth it rarely has anything to do with you as a person.

She’s a doctor and gives people the benefit of the doubt. I just point out they’re likely an insatiable a-hole.

“It’s too cold, it’s too hot, I don’t want to do this, I hate this exercise, the music sucks, I feel fat, it’s Thursday, blah blah blah.”

The beauty about owning your own spot is that you don’t have to take them on as a client, or, worse case (and this RARELY happens), you fire them.

10. If potential clients say things like ” it’s too much money” or ” do you have anything cheaper” they are most likely going to be a pain in the butt. It’s ok to say no.

TG: All I’ll say here is that I wrote an article on why I don’t think it’s a good idea to discount your rates or offer free sessions HERE.

This Isn’t It

Mike actually made a list of 20 things, and I want to chime in on all of them. I think this post is long enough and we’re at a good point where we can stop and take a few breaths.

READ: I need to go pee. Plus, I need to go coach.

I’ll post points 11-20 next week. Till then, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Categoriesbusiness coaching

3 Secrets From MBSC Thrive

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of MBSC Thrive coach, Sean De Wispelaere. When it comes to fitness entrepreneurship – NOTE: commercial gyms trainers this still applies to you – everyone’s always looking for that one “trick” or slight “edge” that will help separate themselves from the masses and serve as the tipping point towards success.

Below are a few things that Sean has noticed from some of the of the top performing coaches have in common within the Thrive program/system.

1). Do You

Gary Vaynerchuck, a well-respected entrepreneur and social medial savage, spoke  at the USC Entrepreneur Talk a few years back. He had 60 minutes on the clock, walked in, and told the class that the only piece of advice that matters is that they have to identify what they are good at and go all in on that.

He then asked if there were any questions. Savage

Relating that back to the coaching or training, you have to find out who you are as a coach and be really good at making sure your clients see that authentic you. If not, you will always be missing “something” and it will affect your ability to succeed at the level that you want in this industry.

It looks like all of our teachers, parents, and Dr-freaking-Seuss were right. I typically don’t trust anyone wearing a striped hat and bow tie…unless they advocate eggs (or even green eggs)…if Dr. Seuess had a rhyme-y coffee and deadlift book he’d be a triple threat.

Anyway, the majority of coaches or trainers who I have seen fail are the ones who fail to be their authentic self.

The clients are being 100.01% authentic when they buy your services.

That means that they need your help, that they cannot do this on their own, and believe that you’re the one who can help them.

So, when you’re not authentic they will sniff it out over time and as a result they will end their time with you. They usually say that they “can’t afford it anymore,” or “they have a new job that messes up their schedule,” or “King Leonidus power-kicked them into a deep dark hole.

…Regardless of their reason, it comes down to this harsh truth, in my opinion: They don’t trust you. You’re supposed to be the person that helps them succeed with something very challenging and when “something just doesn’t feel right,” you’re done.

Your clients should know some of your quirks, your interests, and why you do what you do.

Warning: there’s a line.

If one of your quirks is that you like to go to Comic-Con, cool. But they shouldn’t know that you went to Comic-Con last week, got hammered, and made 1-5 bad decisions with a Pikachu.

There is no cookie-cutter way of doing this. I’ve seen badass coaches who are the pump-up/hype coach, coaches who are quiet but remember EVERYTHING about their people, coaches who are uber-nerds and give their clients superhero personas, coaches who send a weekly newsletter to their clients just to let them know what is upcoming this week and highlight some clients.

Do you.

You have to be the person that you truly are and not the version that sounds good when you meet someone at the next fitness conference.

Outside of all of the things that can make you, you, here are the things that you have to be able to say ‘yes’ to:

  • Do you believe in your clients?
  • Do you lead by example and eat, train, and live the life that you’re advising?
  • Do you like people?

If your answers to the above aren’t an unequivocal “YES,” then find a way to make them a part of who you are. If you are unable to do that, then you might have to consider a different path. Sorry, but it’s true and might save you a lot of headache down the road.

2) Develop A Firm Philosophy

Your philosophy should be one that your clients can understand.

Keep it simple.

It will go a long way when they are telling their friends about you and WHY your workouts are different than the other programs in your area. On that note, spend the time educating your clients (not all at once…drip it out over time, Turbo). Develop an army of people spreading your good word and impacting your overall culture.

You can’t just be another “get sweaty as F%$k” workout in 2017. There is WAY too much of that and you won’t stand out.

A few tips to develop, re-work, strengthen, or badass-ify your philosophy:

  • Simplicity is king
  • It has to be one that you believe in so that your enthusiasm about it is contagious
  • Let it marinate…
    • When you hear a new idea or see a super sweet new piece of equipment don’t become immediately turned on (whoa, whoa…outta the gutter, Nasty) or turned off by it. Let it marinate to see if it actually fits into your philosophy and then make the call.
  • “Don’t be afraid to neglect certain ideas that oppose your message But you’re just as proud of what our products don’t do as are of what they do.” – Jason Fried, ReWork
    • Too many coaches and trainers think that they have to know everything about everything and include all of the things into their philosophy. I am not saying that you shouldn’t strive to be diverse, but it is ok to take some pressure off of yourself. It wasn’t until I read the above quote that I had a simple way of telling people why we don’t do that one flashy exercise that their friend on Instagram does.The quote is now my gift to you and I hope it helps you say “no” and have that be a positive thing more often.

You are the professional and that is why they hired you. If you let the clients dictate the workout, then why would they keep paying you? Also, remember to have fun (seriously, it’s ok.)

3) The Dirtiest Word in the Industry: Sales

via GIPHY

Disclaimer 1: I am well aware it is not about the money. There are 100 other reasons as to why this is the best industry in the entire world, but most coaches are not in a place where they can do it for free.

I have seen aspiring coaches who deeply wanted fitness as their profession, but couldn’t make it financially so they got a job that they didn’t love because it paid the bills. So, though it isn’t all about the money, it is a business and if you want to have the financial means to make it a profession that you are fulfilled in then below are some good business thing-things to keep in mind.

Disclaimer 2: If you have a product, people will buy it. Yes, it really is that simple. They will buy it and tell their friends about. Cool. That is all good and fine, but too many coaches and trainers wait for that to happen. If you want to expedite the process, here are a few ideas to consider.

Referrals

How many referrals per month are you getting? If you have 20 clients and got 4 referrals that is 20%.

How much can you increase that % by each month?

How to increase:

Ask!

Why can’t you have a special group session each month with all of your clients? One that is on-the-house and at the end you let them know that the biggest compliment that they can give you is to bring in a friend to experience what they have. Hand out some “bring a friend” workout cards and let them know how much you appreciate them.

Voila.

New Leads

Outside of marketing via social media (that is a 1,000.5 page article on it’s own)…

Look, I get it. Asking people to workout with you can be a tricky task. Whether you’re in a big box gym or a studio setting this is always a hot/awkward topic. If you’re the type that is able to just walk down the street and grab five leads for a workout…awesome, you don’t need any help and enjoy that cool horn, you’re a unicorn.

But, if you’re like the rest of us…

Drawing up leads:

  • Have a weekly or monthly 15-minute KB workshop -or- 2 secrets of fat-loss nutrition tips -or- back pain reducing warm up, etc
  • Promote it by telling everyone when they check-into the gym
  • Get promo cards made up and pass them out
  • Get it on the Group Fitness Schedule

If you’re not getting New Leads

Outside of marketing via social media (that is a 1,000.5 page article on it’s own)...

…in a big box gym, then all of the above topics work well for corporate in-services. Most companies in your area would LOVE to have a health professional come in and talk to their staff. Be audacious enough to reach out to the right people to make that happen.

Conversion

If you give 10 people an introductory workout and ask them to continue training with you, how many say “yes?” 30% is acceptable and upwards of 80% is REALISTIC if you’re damn good.

How to increase it you ask? Well, let’s go to school.

  • How good is the initial workout or assessment that you give just before you ask for the sale?
  • Do people understand why your services are unparalleled?
  • Have you asked your clients why signed up with you and leveraged those reasons into that initial workout with future leads?

Do you consider yourself a student of sales or just blow off that idea as if it is insulting? If you have a product that you are truly proud of and one that can help people live a better life, then why aren’t you proud to influence as many people as possible with that?

When was the last time you read a sales book and had a good mindset about it? Are they relatively corny? Yes, but, there just might be a few valuable tools in them to help you grow your venture.

“Time-the-heck-OUT! Sean, you didn’t give any advice in the above conversion topic at all.”

Or did I? Figured I go out with a Mr. Miyagi moment, Danielson.

* Special moment: To say that writing with Tony Gentilcore, the first fitness blog that I read AND respected, is an honor just doesn’t seem like a strong enough word. Dreams come true.

Thanks for reading and Kaizen on, Beast.

About the Author

Who am I?

Sean De Wispelaere. I have been with MBSC Thrive since the developmental years in 2010 and have contributed to many areas within the company. Mainly in program quality, coach development, and making sure that all of our locations have the support that they need to reach their wildest dreams. Featured in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Prevention, Runner’s World, Vitamin Shoppe, Bicycling, and Seandthrive.com.

MBSC Thrive licenses facilities across the world with the Mike Boyle Strength And Conditioning program and branding while fueling it with proven business systems.

Categoriesbusiness coaching fitness business personal training

Fitness Industry Survival Tips

Surviving in the fitness industry is tough. Now, granted, this isn’t The Revenant…we don’t need to worry about wrestling grizzly bears or anything. But it is pretty cut-throat out there and the one’s who “survive,” and do well, are the ones who can separate themselves from the masses.

Today’s guest post by strength coach Travis Hansen showcases some ways you can do just that.

Copyright: enki / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Fitness Industry Survival Tips

Trying to be successful in the fitness industry is a lot harder than most people tend to think.

The temptation for instant gratification and fly by night credibility is a very strong one, and provides with it a common misconception that you won’t have to grind on a regular basis, learn, and actually train people, not to mention generate legitimate results to remain alive in the business.

I’ve heard from a few credible sources that far less than 10 percent of individuals who start in the fitness business remain alive after a decade, and based on my experience that definitely seems to be pretty true.3

In this article I am going to share with you some arguable principles that I’ve utilized over the course of the past 12 years to stay alive and grow both my online and personal/athletic training business. I am by no means the most successful individual and I’m sure that many others could add to the list, but I honestly think the issues I am going to share with you are essential to your survival if you love this business and ultimately want to help people. I think everything stems off of the two factors I just mentioned and they serve as the groundwork for everything else to help lead you on your way.

So here we go….

#1- What Room Are You In?

Something that is very common I noticed from other trainers or even just the general public, is that there seems to be a constant battle in determining who knows more than the other person, or someone immediately jumps out and gets defensive if their current thought process is challenged by someone who may in fact be right.

I would be willing to wager a bet that our industry is far more guilty of this problem compared to any other profession with all of the hyped up trends that are out there still, hands down!!!

If you watch closely you will notice that the best in the business often times have their note pads out, eyes locked in on the person they are interacting with, ears open wide when they are trying to learn anything they can take away from the present conversation, and more times than not, don’t engage in these petty intellectual ego driven arguments that accomplish zero in the long run, unless the individual is just that damn stupid and asking for it.

As Mike Boyle once said:

“ There is a reason we have two ears and one mouth.”

The harsh truth is that you should probably spend the first 10 years of your career searching out the people who make you uncomfortable and dumb for the moment and eventually it will all start to make sense, and I guarantee you will be surprised just how much better you get.

The last thing I want to discuss in this regard is that something world renown coach and gym owner Zach-Even Esh once said that really resonated, and that is that people are often times uncomfortable and unsupportive of successful people as it makes them introspect and assess where they are at relative to their goals.

I honestly feel if that you start admiring successful people and try to emulate and even beat them then good things start to happen.

Don’t hate congratulate!

#2- Sacrifice

What a lot of surviving comes down to is how much you’re willing to do and sacrifice in order to achieve your goals.

Once you have mentally committed to doing whatever the hell it takes in order to achieve your goals without being illegal or walking over someone in the process then eventually you can start to grow.

I remember when I first got into this business I would buy and immerse myself into any fitness related material I could get my hands on to help build a solid learning filter. I was working 6-7 days per week for 8-12 hours per day. I would contact and pester any expert that would respond back to me with questions I had.

Luckily I stumbled across some great people that I still consult with today. You need very strong mentors and a network to better yourself and help your people.

#3-ASK FOR HELP

Never be afraid to ask for help or admit to your clients that you do not know something.

This only improves your credibility and earns more trust from your people in the long run.

Conan O’Brian once said in his late night talk show that saying you don’t know is often a sign of intelligence.

If you elect to retain your massive ego and state of ignorance, then you are only setting your education and growth back, and eventually your people are going to catch onto your bullshit and you will join the massive crowd of fly by night trainers that exist in our society today.

And remember you are only as strong as your network or alliance.

#4- Re-Invest

If you pay attention on social media, many times the high level practitioners and coaches in the field will send you subtle hints on how to be successful by showing you pictures of their personal training library and such.

There is also generally a very robust “Resource” section on every one of their websites where they show you where they learned from and how to improve your potential knowledge gaps.4

Your success will be ultimately determined by how smart you are, how hard you work, and how much you invest in your education and business. I never personally took out a business loan, but every paycheck and sometimes my whole paycheck was dedicated to learning material or small equipment purchases that accumulated into a bigger and bigger training setting or environment.

And then eventually once people see that you know what you are doing, you’re legitimate, and you get results, then they will more than likely invest in you and the ball just keeps growing bigger and bigger!

About the Author

Travis Hansen has been involved in the field of Human Performance Enhancement for nearly a decade. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and holds 3 different training certifications from the ISSA, NASM, and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBADL for their 2010 season, and he is currently the Director of The Reno Speed School inside the South Reno Athletic Club.

He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to professional ranks. He is the author of the hot selling “Speed Encyclopedia,” and he is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association.

Categoriesbusiness coaching Motivational

A Lesson to Fitness Pros: You’re Always Being Watched

I felt like an asshole yesterday. And when I say “I felt like an asshole,” I don’t mean in the rhetorical “haha, I did something goofy and feel like an asshole” sense. I straight-up felt like a heaping pile of asshole.

HINT: I was an asshole.

To get right to the point: I let a client down. And it was 100% on me.

Copyright: zimmytws / 123RF Stock Photo

 

I hope this will be a lesson to every fitness professional reading that you’re always being watched and that you’re always making decisions – whether directly or indirectly – that will affect your business and people’s perception of you.

However, before I dive into my assholiness from yesterday, I hope you won’t mind if I take a second to butter myself up and break down a scenario where I was less of an asshole.

I think it goes without saying most personal trainers and coaches – at one point or another, have experience working in a commercial gym.

Admittedly, it can (not always) suck. One of the biggest drags is many trainers are left fending for themselves in terms of harvesting their own clients.

This can be a daunting task for those new in the field, are a little more introverted, and otherwise inexperienced.

Whenever I’m contacted by someone asking me advice on this topic, my immediate response is:

“Act as if you’re always being observed or judged.”

A great example would be how you approach floor hours.

Most (new) trainers at most clubs are required/obligated to accumulate “x” number of floor hours per week. It’s more or less the fitness industry’s version of hazing or probation/purgatory, where you walk around the club feeling like a tool picking up after everyone else’s mess.

If I had to liken it to anything, it would fall somewhere between preparing your taxes and jumping into a shark’s mouth as far as things I’d rather be doing.

Anyways, when I had to do it I used it as an opportunity to get in front of as many people’s eyes as possible. I’d say hello, make eye contact, and occasionally offer some advice on technique, unique core exercises, or maybe strike up conversation on favorite GI Joe characters.

You know, cause I was cool.

All told I used my floor hours as an opportunity to provide a service and to reel people in as clients.

And speaking of clients, when I was with one, I’d always, ALWAYS make sure to give them my undivided attention. I’d be on-time, had my programs ready to go, and always prided myself on being more proactive, giving cues and feedback at all times. You know, coaching.

As a result, on many occasions, I’d be approached by other people asking if I had openings because they had been watching and observing me throughout the weeks or months prior.

Little did I know – at the time – that I was constantly be observed and judged.

It resonated with me then and it’s something, still, that’s important to me now. It never gets old when, after working with me for a handful of sessions, a new client mentions how much they appreciate my approach compared to past experiences they’ve had with other trainers and coaches.

They’re being coached rather than babysat for.

I don’t say this to be vainglorious, but interpret it as you will.

But Back to That Me Being an Asshole Part

All of this to say: we all fuck up from time to time. Or, maybe more germane: have a slight lapse in judgement.

Most days I show up 10-15 minutes prior to clients showing up at CORE.

I had two clients scheduled to show up yesterday at 4 PM. 3:30 hit and I was still home prepping the day’s blog post and catching up on emails.

3:40 hit and, while I knew I was pushing my luck (my gym is only a mile from my apartment, but still a 10-15 minute commute that time of day), I had to post the article up on Facebook.

Priorities, right?

“Okay,” I thought to myself, “I’m probably going to be a teeny-tiny bit late. I’ll shoot my clients a quick email to let them know I’m on my way and that I’ll be a few minutes off.”

No biggie.

Feeling justified, I rushed out the door and headed to CORE.

I arrived at 4:03. Both clients waiting outside the side of the building trying to avoid the first oppressively hot day.

Joe, an accomplished businessman here in Boston (12,000 employees answer to him) who just started with me three weeks ago and has been an exemplary client – shows up on time every session ready to work his ass off – was the first to greet me.

“Hey man, it’s past 4 o’clock.”

“Yeah,” I said, “sorry I’m a little late.”

“Stop posting on Facebook and lets get to work.”

He saw my post. He called my BS.

What an asshole I was.

Joe wasn’t malicious or anything, or even that mad. I think. He didn’t even make me being late a thing. He said what he said, and we did, we got right to work. However, his matter of fact way of calling me out on my momentary hiccup really punched me in the gut.

And, honestly, it served as a nice wake-up call.

I’m better than that.

You’re better than that too.

Let this be a lesson: You’re always being watched.

Always.

Categoriesbusiness rant

Porcelain Post: Why I Don’t Charge People Money to Observe or Shadow Me For a Day

NOTE: the term “Porcelain Post” first came to fruition last year from an email exchange between Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2. 

Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought.

Either way, the objective, I hope, is to still provide actionable content.

Enjoy.

Copyright: nomadsoul1 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

I don’t charge people money to shadow, observe, or otherwise come hang out with me for a day. I understand why some coaches may choose to do so, I guess, but for me it’s not my cup of tea.

A few weeks ago I had a woman reach out and pre-pay for an assessment.5

However, she didn’t want an assessment. All she wanted was to come into CORE for a few hours, observe, maybe ask a few questions, and I suspect listen to some sick techno beats.

Here’s the email she sent:

“Hi Tony! I’m getting ready to book an initial session with you but I wanted to give you a heads up that I just want to come by and chat. It’s for networking not training. I’m a fan and since I now live close by, just wanted to say hello! :)”

It was a Ron Burgundy moment for me for sure:

via GIPHY

While it was very thoughtful and respectful of her to do so (and definitely made my head a few notches bigger), I immediately refunded her her money.

I refuse to charge people money to come to CORE to observe or shadow for a day. It’s an ideology I adopted from my years at Cressey Sports Performance.

This isn’t to talk smack towards or look down upon those coaches or facilities who choose to do so – it’s their prerogative. However, a common “defense” I hear of WHY some coaches/facilities charge money for others to come observe is due to “trade secrets” or for “proprietary reasons.”

Come on, really?

You think you’re that innovative and that special that what you’re doing is completely foreign to the rest of the industry?

Trust me: Unless you’ve somehow managed to crack the space-time continuum or figured out a way to keep kipping pull-ups from not making my corneas perpetually bleed, what you’re doing at your fancy schmancy gym isn’t that special or unique.

Someone’s been doing what you’re doing long before you graced the world with your version of contrast sets.

Moreover, and this is purely my own experience, I have never lost clients by allowing other coaches to come in and talk shop. I don’t view them as competition with some nefarious agenda to fleece my clients from me.

Don’t get me wrong, I know I’m a good coach, and for some clients it’s about learning my super secret 5-point death touch deadlift technique fixer-upper method. But if I’m going to keep it real: I also know the bulk of people who continually work with me do so because I’m not a dick and am generally a pleasant human being to be around.

It’s one thing to charge $$ for a mentorship or workshop where information is exchanged and there’s an expectation of service. However, to charge people to stand on the side, out of the way, silently, with their notebooks in hand, maybe asking a question or two (or god forbid, three)?

Mmm, I don’t get it.

I don’t know, I just feel it’s the least I can do to pay it forward and allow other colleagues to come in and observe what I do. It’s an honor, actually, anyone would want to stop by and debate best He-Man characters hang out with me for a few hours. I have nothing to hide. And, honestly, business is still good.

HINT: bring donuts….;o)

My intention isn’t to come across as some hoity-toity, superior-than-thou a-hole. I have no doubts some coaches have legitimate reasons for charging people to come in to observe for a day. However, I can’t help but think there’s a subtle lack of “feel” out there.

Just my two cents.

No, but seriously, bring donuts.6

Strength coach, Meg Julian, stopped by CORE this past weekend. She nailed it.

Categoriesbusiness Media

Should You Invest In Your Own Website?

My website – the one you’re reading right now – is, in many ways, a family member to me. I know it seems a little weird, borderline crazy, to refer to a website as a family member…but hear me out.

It gives me an immense sense of pride and accomplishment. It provides sustenance. And, much like what happens to you when you’re crazy Aunt Jane comes to visit, it can drive me batshit crazy sometimes.

This site has gone through several iterations and “face-lifts” through the years, and I’d like to use today to describe the journey as it’s a topic I am often asked from other fitness professionals:

– Why did you start it?

– How’d you do it?

– When and why did you decide to hire someone to make a customized site?

– What were the advantages (and disadvantages) of doing so?

– How long did you clench your sphincter when you realized how much it would cost?

I hope this helps.

Copyright: bowie15 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Should You Invest In Your Own Website?

I believe the short answer here is a profound “yes!” Paying for (investing) in having a website professionally made is, in a roundabout way, a way of investing in yourself.

However, I could just as easily say “it depends,” and/or “only when the time is right.”

Out of the gate I don’t believe most need to worry about hiring someone to make them a customized site; at least not right away. The ROI just isn’t there when you only have a handful of clients to begin with and the only people reading your stuff is, well, lets be honest, your mom is the only one….;o)

I do feel it’s important for people to have access to you, though. Meaning, I think it behooves any fitness pro to have a generic website that explains who you are, your experience, maybe take the time to describe your ideal client, as well as your contact information.7

If you really want to throw people for a loop maybe include a video of you doing an interpretive dance to an Adele song. I don’t know, I’m just spit-balling here.

My First Website

Your first website doesn’t have to be all fancy pants. My first site was something I jimmy-rigged from Blogspot.com. I think it’s called Blogger.com now.

NOTE: there are plenty of free website to help you get started nowadays: WordPress, Medium, etc.

The main selling point was that it was free, idiot proof, and I could pick from several templates to get things up and running quickly.

It was 2006 and I had just started getting several articles published on T-Nation.com, so of course I needed my own website goddammit. You know, cause I was someone important and had important things to say.

I signed up for a free account and within minutes I had my very first website.

Regrettably, wading in a pool of my own bravado and naivete, I named my freshly minted website, of all things, “The G-Spot.”

My last name started with “G,” I thought it was witty, and there’s a reason why I never went into marketing. I’m sure if someone dug deep, they’d be able to find it.8

This all happened within a few months of me having moved to Boston right when I had started working at a posh club downtown. During my free time between clients I’d head to the cafe and write maybe two posts a week, mostly concentrating on common myths and misconceptions I’d come across via conversations with them:

  • Why Sit-Ups Are a Bad Idea
  • Did You Know Deadlifts Mold Badonkadonks?
  • Why Squats Are the Awesome
  • No, You Existential, Metrosexsual Douche, HAN SHOT FIRST

Alas, the “G-Spot” served it’s purpose. It allowed me a place to hang out with myself, an opportunity to practice my writing, and served as a “home base” for people to get a hold of me.

The Step-Up Blog

My big “blogging break” came a few months after starting The G-Spot. I had started working with a client who worked at the Boston Herald and she mentioned to me they were looking for someone to provide online content for their health/fitness blog.

She asked if I’d be interested, I said okay, and internet history was made.

Well, not really.

I did grow the “Step-Up” blog to one of the more frequented blogs on their site, and ended up staying there for close to two years, writing 3-5 posts per week. It was an awesome experience and definitely gave me some added prestige to be affiliated with a known brand.

During that time I continued to write for T-Nation, started getting courted by places like Men’s and Women’s Health9, and also helped start and co-found a little ol’ gym called Cressey Sports Performance.

Things were going well and it soon dawned on me it would work in my favor to start writing for myself again, on my own site

TonyGentilcore.com – #1

I still wasn’t at a point where I felt I needed to hire someone to customize a site for me. But I also recognized I didn’t want some vanilla looking site that looked like everyone else’s.

What to do, what to do?

I ended up trade-bartering services with a friend. I was good and making people diesel and he was good with 0’s and 1’s. I offered to write him several months of programming in exchange for a website.

BOOM.

Again, nothing too fancy…but a step above what most people had at the time. I even took the picture of that weight plate on the home page. No big deal.

My “homepage” was the blog itself, but I also added tabs like “Services,” and “Recommended Resources.” The latter two, in addition to the blog, allowed me a little more opportunity to monetize the site, which was a goal of mine all along.

TonyGentilcore.com – #2: When Shit Got Real

In 2009-2010 I decided it was time to put on my big boy pants on and hire someone to make a customize website for me.

At that point I had accumulated close to 5+ years of content and my blog was starting to become a legitimate added source of revenue via affiliate income and distance coaching inquiries.

I figured if I wanted to take my site to the next level I’d need to make it stand out. I reached out to Copter Labs, and they produced this gem:

It consisted of many of the same functions/features as the previous website, but looked way sexier and appealing, and had all the bells and whistles to boot.

It wasn’t cheap – to the tune of a few thousand dollars.

Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?

via GIPHY

Putting things in perspective, though, I had reached a point in my career where investing in myself seemed a wise move.

You know the saying “you have to spend money to make money“?

It applied here.

The design and features alone weren’t the selling point for me, nor is it where I felt I received the most value.

It was the BENEFITS they provided.

First off, I have no effing clue how to make a website. I can barely run a microwave without blowing up my apartment.

Many companies make beautiful websites, but why I chose Copter Labs was because I knew they knew the fitness market.

Moreover, I knew they’d take care of every detail from the photography to the general functionality of the site.

It’s something I heard Mike Samuels write about recently:

“No one gives two shits about features.

What people care about is the BENEFITS.

What’s the specific outcome they’re going to get?

I see this a lot when I talk to clients for the first time.

You ask them why people should buy their product and they say things like –

– The design is incredible.
– They get a different task every day
– I only use the finest ingredients

Okay. Cool.

None of these are bad, but none of them compel people to buy either.

They’re very ‘nice’ … and nice is the most abhorrent, repugnant, obnoxious thing to be.

If you TRULY believe that these features matter, then run the ‘so that’ test on them.

For example –

‘The design is incredible SO THAT this course is much easier for people to follow than any other on the market.’

“I only use the finest ingredients SO THAT the meals stay fresher for longer, and taste so much better than generic, crappy microwave meals.”

However, this isn’t to short-change the importance of a baller design. I DO feel it matters, especially now, in an age where everyone is vying for everyone else’s attention.

I think one of the biggest things people don’t pay attention to is the value of design. A well designed website, visually appealing / aesthetically pleasing, one that stands out from the crowd, one that doesn’t look like it was built on top of a template, can, and almost always will separate you from the masses

[IMPORTANT NOTE: Assuming, of course, your content doesn’t suck]

People can tell the difference and know when they’re visiting a poorly designed website. What’s more, they can tell how it “feels” while using the site. It may seem low quality, hard to use, disorganized.

What’s the point of this site?

While it may seem obvious to the business owner, it’s never that obvious to the site’s visitor.

How does a potential client find what they’re looking for? Do they have to work at it, click a bunch of links and read through a bunch of unorganized copy? The site’s design and structure should lead them right to their answers.

A template can’t design a website for you. A site builder platform can’t either. Just like an app can’t be a personal trainer, an app can’t be a web designer either.

TonyGentilcore.com – #3

Maybe a year or so later I hired Copter Labs again to give the site a bit of a face-lift.

A crisper look to say the least.

And, what can’t be appreciated by a screenshot alone was the “flow” of the site. That was improved as well. If you had the ability to scroll down on the picture above you’d see an area to sign-up for my newsletter as well as links to all my social media accounts.

Flow is crucial.

It didn’t (and doesn’t) take a rocket scientist to navigate the site. If you wanted more info on me and what I was about you’d click the “About Tony” tab, if you wanted to read more articles I had written, you’d click “Articles” tab, or if you wanted to hear a cacophony of hip-hop horns all you had to do was click on my left forearm.

The ultimate Easter Egg.10

TonyGentilcore.com – #4

Is what your eyes are transfixed by today.

The last update was back in 2014 and at that time I had ZERO idea my site wasn’t compatible with mobile devices and tablets. I had noticed a slight drop in traffic which resulted in me eating more Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream and watching Julia Roberts’ movies. It was a dark time in my life. I don’t want to talk about it.

Here I was thinking I lost my blogging mojo and that I should just give up and become a crazy cat lady, when the real issue was there were a fair number of people unable to read my site because they weren’t able to access it via their mobile devices.

Giving credit where it’s due, Copter Labs were a head of the curve, recognized the snafu, and went in and fixed it…amongst other things, like, connecting an email marketing platform to build targeted audience segments, and helping me to plan out a more diverse e-commerce section in the near future.

And, possibly, a photo gallery of my cat.

In reality, the site is always a work in progress. I am constantly tweaking this and changing that. And that’s the beauty of it: while the shell is 100% customized to me and my goals for the site, the deeper levels – adding services, speaking engagements, new resources, etc – are what I have control over at all times.

That’s That

This isn’t a love-letter to Copter Labs. And just to throw it out there I receive zero kickback from mentioning them.11

I wanted to write this today because it’s something I am constantly asked by many fitness pros, young and old, and I wanted to share my experience(s). I DO feel there’s value in hiring someone to customize a site for you, but would caution people to do so too quickly before they’re ready.

But if you are going to do it, there’s a lot of shady people out there. I’ve heard several stories of people spending several thousand dollars on website developers only to be disappointed, or worse, left empty handed.

I wouldn’t steer you in the wrong direction. I got your back. If this is something you’ve been on the fence on, consider my peeps at Copter Labs and give them a shout. They’ll take good care of you.

I’m out.

Categoriesbusiness

The Art of Getting Your Shit Together

Getting your shit together is a skill that escapes even the best intentioned and seemingly organized people. This is especially true in the fitness industry, where the expectation is we work while others don’t. All…the…time.

In today’s guest post by Chicago-based strength coach, Mike Connelly, owner of Rebell Strength & Conditioning, he shares some of his insights on how to balance the teeter-tottering of work/life balance.

Copyright: vicnt / 123RF Stock Photo

The Art of Getting Your Shit Together

If you read Tony’s last blog, The Grind: Hashtags, BS, Truth, and a Little Too Much at Times, and found yourself questioning your value in “the grind” then I have some good news for you. You’re not alone. I hate “the grind”. Can’t stand it.

You know what I like? I like spending time with my wife and daughter. I like going out for some drinks with my friends on the weekends. I like reading books that have nothing to do with what I do for a living. I like watching documentaries. I just really, really, really like not working.

There, I said it and I meant it.

Don’t get me wrong. I do like coaching people. I like managing a team, setting goals, and accomplishing goals too. But, and I’m going to steal a gem of a thought from our industry, I want to use the minimum effective dose to get that shit done.

If we want to cut the fat off of our work load then we are going to have to first determine what is fat and what is essential to our success. It takes some effort and help to get your shit together but I can tell you, without hesitation, that it is well worth the trouble.

Here’s a couple of things that helped me get my shit together. I hope they help you too!

1) Make Sure You’re On the Right Path.

We spend a lot of time outside of ourselves these days. We are heavily influenced by the outside world, leaving little to nothing coming from within ourselves. That can be a huge detriment to our productivity. A lack of confidence in creating our own paths leads us to chasing someone else’s and we end up completely void of any idea of what WE want out of this.

When I first started coaching I had this idea that I wanted to be that guy that can rattle off a bunch of science terminology and statistics from studies and that would legitimize me as a coach. I was overcompensating for never having finished school and thought it was going to keep me from ever being successful.

I wanted to follow the path of the coaches I admired, which is logical. Here’s the thing though, I was chasing a ghost. I am not the coaches I admire. I am just me and that’s just fine. I don’t have a laundry list of pro athletes that I train. I do work with some, but the overwhelming majority of my business is with general population clients.

Do they need me to recite Anatomy Trains to them for them to achieve their goals? Nope. Do I need to revolutionize training to grow my business and make people happy? Nope.

Here’s what I need:

  • I need to create a community that provides comfort and motivation to those that choose to be a part of it.
  • I need to be competent in the basic training facets. In my book, that’s one form of an assessment, one method of movement preparation, a solid template to build my programs from and an understanding of what differentiates programs, and a reliable network that I can refer my clients to should a problem arise that is outside of my lane.

Believe me, if you find one of each of these facets, that is all you need. If it works, it works. No need to pile on.

The point here is that while it took a while, I have finally found MY path. In discovering that, I have been able to cut the fat off of my to do list and save myself a ton of time. If you want to know what will make you happy in your work, the answer lies within you and not on social media.

2) Huge Dumps Are Healthy.

For a very long time I lived under the lie that I didn’t need to write things down to be organized and productive. My thought was that my accomplishments to this point were proof that my “system” worked.

That’s special, isn’t it?

What I was disregarding is the fact that regardless of what my perception of my level of success and happiness to this point was (which were somewhat miraculous considering the dumpster fire that I have going on in my head sometimes), tightening the screws on your processes is never a bad idea.

Enter the brain dump.

Every Sunday I perform a ritual. I lather myself in shea butter, light my favorite candles, put on some Yanni and spend an hour inside my head. Some of that is true. Well, ok, it’s an hour that I spend inside my head.

It is somewhat of a ritual though.

I do get away from “the noise” to center myself and dig through the rocks inside my head. Not literal rocks, although if you have met me before you may wonder. I use “rocks” in the sense that it is used in Gino Wickman’s book, Traction. “Rocks” are the big things that I want to get done in the long term. They are my big goals that are comprised of a ton of smaller points to work through.

While a legit list of “rocks” is going to be relatively small, the action steps that get you to your “rocks” can be lengthy and hard to keep track of. Unless of course you take some time every week to check yo’self.

A good brain dump will clear your head, relieve you of stress, and leave you with a list of steps that will help you dominate your work week in a clean and efficient manner. Knock that shit out every Sunday afternoon and I will bet you dollars to donuts that you will sleep like a baby come Sunday night. That’s right! No more Sunday Scaries (that’s what my wife calls stressed induced insomnia)!

Brain dumps are not only good for clearing your head, but they will keep you laser focused throughout the week. Keep that list with you and use it as a guideline for what you need to get done. This will keep people like me that get distracted by shiny objects on task. It might take some practice and getting used to, but once you get it down you will not know how you survived without it!

3) Find Your Bible

Now that you’ve dumped your brain out what are you going to do with what you came up with?

Figuring this out wasn’t easy for me because even though I had started doing my brain dumps, I was still left with the task of organizing all of it’s products. It’s a legit obstacle that presents itself in different ways to everyone. The key is to find some sort of tool that works best with how your brain works.

My good friend, Todd Bumgardner, uses a notebook. He’s a hipster. If something like that works for you, go for it.

I need a little more structure and flow. Something that looks and performs cleaner. For me, the Action Day Planner works like a charm. It has a simple and manageable layout that does not confuse my apish mind.

Does it matter what you use?

No. Just use something that you can log all of your brain dumps and weekly notes in for easy reference. Anything above legal paper folded into your pocket should suffice but it’s going to depend on your style and what you need to keep up with the task. I suggest that you not just buy any old planner. Shop around and flip through them until you find one that makes sense to you.

And That’s That

There it is. Three things that will help you organize your grind and leave you with as much time as possible to do the things that we actually want to do. And let’s face it, if you are telling us that working more is something you actually want to do, you are full of it.

If you would like to gain a deeper understanding of how I have successfully organized my time and so much more, join us in Chicago on May 6th and 7th for the Spring Strength Faction Seminar. HERE is a link with more information

Categoriesbusiness rant

The Grind: Hashtags, BS, Truth, and a Little Too Much at Times

I’m a firm believer you get what you work for. Nothing just happens. You don’t miraculously earn a decent income, hit a new PR in the gym, pick up three new clients, get an A on your history paper, or finally beat Mike Tyson in Punch-Out without some modicum of effort and hard work.12

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Hashtags like #grind or #grindcity or #grinding worry me. For starters, some people (certainly not all) use them as a way to cover up the fact they’re lazy AF and to give off the perception they’re somehow working hard (or to be more colloquial: crushing it). It worries me because it gives off a false sense of accomplishment.

Such hashtags are commonly accompanied with an epic picture of a cup of coffee, or, if someone is going to tap into their inner Scorsese, maybe a laptop (with a cup of coffee conveniently placed next to it for added effect).

It’s the age we live on nowadays. Where we can bullshit ourselves (and everyone around us) that we’re somehow better or more work ethicy (<– not a word) than everyone around us. It’s never been easier to curate a life that seduces adoration.

I’m not holier than thou. I don’t deny I do it. As of late, every picture that my wife and I have put up of our now 7-week old son is of him smiling or being super cute.

“Look at us. Parenting is sooooo easy. #nahnahnahnahnah.”

Okay, there was this one. No glitz and glam here.

Easy peasy.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Whenever I see all those different iterations of #grind on social media regurgitated by coaches and personal trainers alike part of me can’t help but think to myself, “what’s so impressive or vainglorious about going to work?”

But then I think about how many of those same people are listening to every podcast or 2-minute clip of Gary V on Facebook about the grind and how you have to work your ass off if you want anything to happen and to make something of yourself.

Work, work, and more work. You can sleep when you’re dead.

To some extent I couldn’t agree more. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t work my ass off:

  • I remember all those mornings getting up at 3:45 AM in the dead of winter in central NY to open the gym for members.
  • I remember working as a commercial gym trainer for FIVE years before I even smelled my first professional athlete.
  • I remember 6-7 day work weeks when we first opened up Cressey Sports Performance. 12-14 hour days to boot.
  • I remember writing articles for my site – everyday – knowing that only 50 people (okay, 20) would read it on a good day.

As much as I’m a fan of telling people to embrace the ass-kicking and inevitable failures that are bound to happen, and that there are many sacrifices that will be made in the name of entrepreneurial shenanigans13, I also, too, encourage people to know when to tone it down or turn it off.

Go to the movies.

Have a date night.

Spend time with your kids.

Read a non-fitness, non-business, non-existential-money-making-life-changing-x-y-z-book-that-was-only-written-by-the-author-so-he-or-she-would-increase-the-chances-of-being-hired-by-a-fortune-500-company-as-an-consultant-and-nothing-written-in-the-book-will-have-relavance-to-your-fitness-studio book.14

Watch Netflix. Even better if there’s some chill involved.

In short: have a life.

Recognize that part of being “successful” (whatever that means to you) is recognizing there’s only so much “grind” you can muster before you want to toss your face into a brick wall. You’re not going to lose demerit points if you decide to go bowling with some friends on a Friday night instead of scouring PubMed for the latest studies on moment arms and hip extension torques during a deadlift

Bret Contreras and Greg Nuckols are the only two people I know who would happily choose the latter. But they’re also super nerdy. And super good looking and classy (in case they’re reading)….;o)

There’s a work-life balance that’s going to be different for everyone. And trust me: there will (and should) be times where you’re dragging ass and grinding.

I just encourage you to find a little more life to fit into the scheme of things.

#micdrop

Categoriesbusiness coaching fitness business

The Pros and Cons of Online Training

I started utilizing distance coaching back in 2005 before “distance coaching” was a thing. Hell, Facebook was barely a thing at that point in time, but I managed to survive.

Come to think of it I didn’t get my first cell phone or laptop until 2006, so it’s any wonder how I was able to turn distance coaching into a viable source of income for myself.

Copyright: everythingpossible / 123RF Stock Photo

 

It’s taken years, of course, to turn it into a viable source of income, and, admittedly, there are innumerable coaches out there who have built online training empires that would make what I have built seem like an anthill compared to their Taj Mahal.

Fuck those guys…;o)

Just kidding. It’s altogether impressive to see how successful some people have gotten with their online training businesses. Kudos, and well done.

Nonetheless, I wanted to take today and discuss my experiences with distance coaching: Why I do it, the pros and cons of doing it, mistakes I’ve made along the way, and whether or not you should considering dipping your toes in the water.

Copyright: warrengoldswain / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Above all, when it comes to online training, you need to ask yourself this question:

Are You Doing It For the Right Reason(s)?

There’s a fairly naive notion that those who do online coaching are living the high life. They’re traveling the world on their hovercrafts writing programs and answering emails while sipping Pina Coladas. Indeed, for some, this is very true. I mean, hovercrafts are awesome.

However it’s not the norm.

If you’re entering the world of online training under the guise that that is normal, and that you’re going to be making between a metric boat load and metric shit load of money without any effort, let me say this:

“HahahahahaahahahahaahahahahahaahahhwytZARWQEtwqEagfhagtawrhdAFr5HAHAHAHAHA.”

Personally, I’d make the argument that online coaching is more time consuming and more of a grind than people are led to believe. Then again, those who believe otherwise are the ones who think all you need is a YouTube page, a smart phone, and nice smile to build a bonafide fitness business.

Basically it comes down to this:

  • If you decide to enter the world of online training (only) to make a bunch of money, good luck. I doubt you’ll last long.

  • If you decide to enter the world of online training to actually help people (first), to offer a good service with integrity, and then yeah, eventually, maybe make some decent money, now we’re talking.

Those Who Do Online Training Gooder: A Huge Caveat

I didn’t take on my first online training client until 2005. I had just moved from Syracuse, NY (where I had been working in both corporate and commercial gyms for the previous three years) to Danbury, CT where some guy named Eric Cressey convinced me to move to to start working with him at a local gym in the area.

A client of mine (back in Syracuse), Bobby, emailed me after a few weeks and asked if I’d still be interested in writing his programs? I like to think he couldn’t live without my witty personality and incessant GoodFellas quotes.

Until he had asked it had never dawned on me to write programs in a distance-based fashion. I was like, “uhhhhhhh, sure.”

I had a digital camera, a desktop computer, a sick bicep peak (<– very important), and an Excel spreadsheet.

I made it work.

But how?

Looking back my systems were terrible. But that’s also comparatively speaking. What I had access to back in 2005 in terms of technology paled in comparison to what is available today. I might as well, proverbially speaking at least, have been shucking corn with a scythe. Or, I don’t know, playing video games on an Atari 2600.

Bobby would send me a check via snail mail, I’d write his program, email it to him, and then if he had any questions I’d either have to write a Tolstoy’esque email back explaining every step of every exercise, or attempt to send him an impromptu video, which, honestly, back then, was more of a pain in the ass than writing everything out.

There was no such thing as YouTube. How did we survive?!

But it worked because of one thing, and it’s something I can’t repeat enough: I had years of experience training people in REAL LIFE.

To that end……

I think the best online coaches are those coaches who have experience training people in-person for a few years and then transition to some degree of distance coaching.

“It’s only when you work with people in person, gain a better understanding of their diversity and how to properly cue and coach different people with varying goals, current/past injury histories, and ability levels, and then have experience APPLYING what you read and watch to an actual individual, that you’ll (likely) be more successful virtually.”

In the years since I have developed better systems and my online coaching business is loaded with my own required desiderata – my laptop, PayPal account (to accept and send payments), DropBox (t0 receive and critique training videos), set of questionnaires, intake info, and screens (sent via vide0) to better ascertain prospective clients’ needs, a relationship with Exercise.com and their use of their sweet platform, not to mention my baller Spotify chill mix for optimum program writing prowess and badassery.

But what about the pros and cons (for both client and coach) of online training? What are they?

The Client

Cons:

Since I like to get bad news out of the way first (like, I’m writing this post with no pants on) let’s start with those, in no particular order:

  • Your coach isn’t actually there with you: That’s sort of the point of distance coaching right? But unless you’re highly motivated, you’ll find this as an excuse to not make it into the gym or skip certain parts of your training session. Lame.
  • Feedback comes later than you need it: Since you’re (hopefully) sending videos to your coach you won’t know until after you’re done with your lift if you performed things up to their standards.

 

  • It’s really easy to find a shit coach: If you spend 10 minutes browsing the fitness related hashtags on Instagram, I bet you could find about 50 random guys and gals who just finished training for their first show and are dying to offer you one of the limited spots in their online training group. Who knows what this person knows and where they learned it. If you don’t do your research you’ll end up wasting your money on some random jabroni.
  • It can be tough to form a relationship: If you found your coach online, it can sometimes be tough to form a relationship with them. Really, who wants to keep spending money on someone that they don’t have a great relationship with? And if you haven’t really bonded with them or trust them, why would you keep killing yourself in the gym for them? This is why I always make it a point to send random pictures of my cat here and there. Because it builds rapport, and because she’s awesome.

Pro’s:

Enough of the Debbie Downer talk! There’s a lot to love about working with a coach as a distance client!

  • It’s cost effective: This is just a fancy way of saying cheap! The cost per session of working with most distance coaches is substantially less than paying for them in person and is typically even way cheaper than paying for an atrocious trainer in person. For just a few bucks per lift you can have a great coach write your programming for you; it’s awesome.
  • Low stress: What do I mean by this? I mean that you don’t have to worry about schedules nearly as much as in person. You work weird hours and want to train at 2 am? Sure, pyscho, go train at 2 am.
  • You can work with just about anyone: As long as a coach is taking clients and you can afford them, you can work with just about any coach in any realm of fitness. It doesn’t matter where they are located; you can get a Chinese weightlifting coach, a Brazilian booty coach and a Turkish get-up coach if you want.
  • It can last a lifetime: If you’re lucky enough to find a coach that you have a good relationship with, trust and see results with you can train with them essentially forever. Regardless of where either one of you moves, the training relationship can remain solid.
  • A good community: I’m lucky that my coach (yes, I have a coach) had done such a good job with his distance coaching prior to me hiring him. When I started working with Greg, The Strength House had a vibrant online community where people are able to post videos to get feedback from Greg and Tony B. as well as other clients who may know what they are talking about. It makes a huge difference with staying accountable to my program.

The Coach

To be truthful, a lot of the points that are true for clients are true for coaches. It can be tough building a relationship with someone that you’ve never met.

Cons

  • There is a world of shit out there: People move like crap, and it’s hard to “manage” people from a distance unlike you can in-person. Being able to instantly provide verbal and tactile feedback is what gives in-person coaching a more than slight edge over online training.
  • More challenging to keep clients accountable: Are your clients really doing what you tell them to do? Are they really doing their deadbugs and dedicated warm-ups or skipping them in lieu of extra bicep curls in front of the mirror?
  • It Can Get Weird – Like that one time I started with a new male client and while on a bus on my way to NYC to visit friends I opened up all the postural pics I had him send me. Sorry random woman who looked over at me looking at half-naked pictures of a man. #awkward.
  • There’s a lot of moving parts: To be an effective distance coach means having a few systems in place that work really well and those can be difficult to manage.
    • A good way to track programs and ensure clients get them in time.
    • An effective means of communication, or else you’ll end up with an abyss of emails and texts to answer. Personally, though, I rarely give out my cell phone number for this very reason.
    • A good video library to pull demo’s from.
    • A solid network of coaches and trainers in other cities to be able to reach out to for help (Hey, I’ve got a client in your city, they’d like to meet with you for an hour and work on their hip hinge)
    • A strong system to collect and track payments.
  • Distance coaching isn’t for everyone: Truthfully, some people really just do need one-on-one in person training. Maybe the client isn’t motivated enough, maybe their needs are beyond what you can provide via an email or Facebook message. While it will mean you lose their monthly fee, this is definitely a client you should help find a local trainer to help them with their immediate goals.
  • It’s not all butterfly kisses and rainbows: Despite what the internet tells you, most people who do online training also have another job. Very few can live off their online business alone. It can be a drag to come home after coaching (or working) an 8-hour day only to have an inbox full of client questions and inquiries. As I alluded to above: online coaching, I find, is more time consuming than people think – especially if you lack having systems in place.

Pros

  • You can work with anyone: This is by far the coolest part. Right now I do remote coaching with people all over the world. I have clients all over North America, Europe, and even the Middle East. Many people have limited access to quality coaching and online training allows me the opportunity to work with people I otherwise would never cross paths with. Note to Optimus Prime, I have a few spots open.
  • It’s a decent bump to your income: I’m not going to tell you it’ll make you a millionaire, but I remember when I first started I told myself I wanted online training to help me cover my rent each month (and maybe pay for my then Match.com membership). It did and has since. Pretty cool.

Note: Match.com profile was deleted when I met my wife….;o)

  • Clients for life: If you’re good at what you’re doing, you’ll have clients that you’ll keep around forever. Also, since we in the fitness industry know that word of mouth advertising is more effective than anything else, happy clients will tell their friends and family.
  • It’s honestly fun: I really enjoy this part of my job. It takes me out of the daily routine of local clients that I work with and gives me something else to think about. It has become another skill to try and master and I like that challenge. Figuring out how to get great results with someone training in their home gym in North Dakota is much different than having that same person in front of you in your gym. You learn how to broaden your horizons as a coach and try to always get better and improve your systems.

Ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether or not online training is your cup of tea. I think when done well, for the right reasons, and with the right systems in place, coaches (and clients) can do very well. However, when taken for granted and with little attention to detail, it can be more detrimental than helpful.

Register for the Online Trainer Academy

 

My good friend, Jon Goodman, has developed what I believe is one of the best resources out there with regards to becoming a bonafide online trainer. If I had something like this back in 2005 my systems would have been much more organized, and I’d probably be married to Jennifer Lopez. True story.

Enrollment is extremely limited and only happens twice a year. Enrollment for early birds will begin February 21, 2017 (tomorrow!) and will close a few weeks thereafter. If you hurry, you can go HERE to download the Lasting Laws of Online Training and get onto the early bird list to save $200 off registration.

Do it.

DO IT.