Categoriesbusiness fitness business personal training

8 Career Traps For Personal Trainers to Avoid

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Virginia based personal trainer, Detric Smith. In case the title doesn’t give it away, there’a a bevy of sage advice below geared toward fitness professionals on common things that can (not always) derail career advancement.

HINT: Not listed: Male pattern baldness and big biceps…;o) 

This is a great read and I hope it helps any personal trainers out there reading.

Copyright: tawhy

8 Career Trap For Personal Trainers to Avoid

Welcome to an industry where trainers with an overnight certification or with a few shirtless posts on Instagram can take clients and money away from you. Even if it’s unfair, there’s not much you can do about it except rise above the trainers who only care about one thing.

Those who lack the dedication, knowledge and true passion for personal training will likely fall by the wayside while you’ll be still putting in the work to make a good living. But some of you have the potential to be great and need a little direction in becoming a career trainer.

A career trainer must do their job with a purpose of changing lives because this allows you to stay in the game.  You must be able to put aside all the distractions, long hours, and temporary setbacks.  

No one would blame you for falling for one of these 8 traps because easy money is almost always enticing. However, if you want a lifelong career as a personal trainer, read on to learn how to avoid these 8 potential career pitfalls. 

Trap #1: Getting Promoted Too Soon

Is it too good to be true to become a gym manager or personal training supervisor within your first year of employment? Financially, it might be the best option for you.

But are you really prepared?

Getting promoted before you’ve had a chance to learn from your mistakes and mentors may derail your career. Because if you aspire to make fitness a profitable career you need to spend years on the floor, interacting with clients and perfecting the art of coaching.

This doesn’t mean turning down a promotion if you’re doing great things. But if you do get promoted, continue to train people, and do the smallest of jobs. The best business owners understand their customers by investing their time into what matters, which are listening, coaching and problem solving.

Trap #2: Confusing IG and FB Likes With Success

No one’s arguing Instagram and Facebook are outstanding marketing tools. But they’re just tools and not a means to make a sustainable income. You don’t own or control the platforms and have no control if you’re kicked off or not.

If that happens, then what? 

Even if you have enough likes to make money off IG and FB, it could be taken away from you in a heartbeat.

For career trainers, judging your success by social media likes is a huge trap. Instead, focus on turning those likes into real-life clients by getting their emails, interacting with them via DMs or your stories and trying to help solve their problem.

Trap #3: Neglecting Continuing Education

Graduation and getting a certification doesn’t mean you know everything because you’re a newbie.

This industry is constantly changing, and your market is constantly changing also. The people I trained ten years ago are different than the ones I train now. Physiology is important, but no one cares about the Krebs cycle. They only care about losing their love handles.

You know, in case you’re ever short on dinner conversation

Don’t know what’s left to learn?

Study business management, psychology, finance, the art of coaching… anything.

Hell, dive into the history of welding if you want to. Learning new things keeps you excited, challenges your brain, and helps you become a more creative and compassionate coach.

Trap #4: Unrealistic Income Expectations

Remember, you want to be a career trainer, not a part-time trainer. No one gets an undergrad or certification and instantly becomes a “trainer to the stars”, pulling in millions a year. It took Ben Bruno many years of training under Mike Boyle before he trained the likes of Justin Timberlake and Chelsea Handler.

You’re going to invest lots of time, effort, and probably your own money into your business for a long time before you’re turning any real profit. You’ll likely be working 12+ hour days, with a lot of hours early in the morning and late in the evening.

And you may need a second job to make ends meet. 

If you’re not prepared for this, you have been warned. However, if you love what you do and embrace the grind, you will be rewarded. You’ll be able to work for yourself and create your own hours. Plus, you will be making real money but only if you prove your worth first. 

Trap # 5: Targeting The “Wrong” Market

Some newbie trainers want to train athletes and people who look like them. 20-somethings who are already in relatively good shape and have tons of options, and quite frankly don’t really need you. The reality is you need to be training everyone who walks in the door until you figure out who you like to train. 

These are typically general population clients between the ages of 30-70 who have the time and disposable income money to pay for your services. Make yourself different by being better than the other trainers who ignore them. 

Then educate these clients about how you can make a huge difference in their lives. 

Trap #6: Sacrificing the Truth For Quick Cash

Sure, you might get someone in for one or two sessions through a flashy ad making promises you cannot keep. But is this long-term strategy for success or a great way to shoot yourself in the foot?

Making a sale is about finding a problem you can solve and then solving it.

Understand and listen to the story they’re telling themselves because it’s possible they aren’t fully aware of their own problems.

Dig deep, create a connection, and try to find their why.

Once you‘ve connected with them, answer their objections, and show them you’re invested in them. When you get this right, the money won’t be a factor, and they’ll stay with you long-term.

Trap #7: Selling A Product Before It Exists

This product is you.

via GIPHY

Take the time to intern, get a good mentor and gather as much experience as you can. 

Know when you don’t know, and don’t be a fraud. Honestly, telling someone “I don’t know, but I’ll find out for you or connect you to someone who does” puts you in a position of trust.

People make buying decisions, especially with their health, based on trust. Even if you lose a client today, you’ll gain five down the road by earning trust while expanding your expertise in the meantime. 

After gaining invaluable experience, study business, and build your product. This is your career, after all, not some side gig. Learn from the best about how to grow your personal training business. 

Trap #8: Following The Crowd

Everyone is doing it, so I should too.

Didn’t your mom tackle this issue with the “if your friends jumped off a bridge…” question?

I know you think that’s where the money is but it’s a trap. The money might be there short-term, but the long-term is a different matter. Unless you originated something, studied it for decades, and you’re a top name on a topic, you won’t stand out from the crowd.

Instead, go in the opposite direction. Do what no one else is doing because I’ll guarantee you there’s a market somewhere that’s being ignored. Maybe it’s the over-50 crowd who want a safe, effective, team-oriented group training session where they get personal attention. And when you find them, go all in. 

Wrapping Up

I’ve been a trainer for 20 years and I’ve seen excitement and trends come and go. You do not want to be a one trick pony in this industry if you’re interested in a long-term career. Invest time in yourself, your career, and in the right clientele, and you might just crush it.

About the Author

Detric Smith, CSCS, ACSM EP-C, PN-1  is the owner of Results Performance Training in Williamsburg, Virginia. He has over two decades of experience as a personal trainer and sports performance coach. 

He develops personal trainers through his site DetricSmith.com, and serves as a mentor through various fitness organizations. 

Follow Detric on FB and IG

Categoriescoaching fitness business

Coach and Grow Rich: A Simple Plan For Debt Destruction

Most people – but especially fitness professionals – are boneheads (or dare I say: dumbbells) when it comes to financial savviness and literacy.

It’s just a topic we’re never taught.

Ever.

Most fit pros have more knowledge in how to transcribe their latest Reels video into Klingon than understanding the difference between a SEP and Roth IRA.

More to the point, when it comes to debt (specifically: how to get and stay out of it), many people prefer to treat it like a toddler having a temper tantrum.

(puts fingers into ears)

La-la-la-la-la-la…I can’t hear you.

It’s intimidating, scary, and sometimes can be a real asshole (to put it lightly)

Today, in PART TWO of fitness financial expert Billy Hofacker‘s THREE part series, he provides some helpful insight on debt and how to approach it responsibly and within reason.

Enjoy!

 

Copyright: olivier26 / 123RF Stock Photo

Coach & Grow: Part 2: A Simple Plan For Debt Destruction

Part 1 of Coach and Grow Rich was all about developing a money mindset. This post will deal with a topic that may be uncomfortable for some, debt.

It’s an area that I know all too well as my wife and I scraped our way out of a massive amount (more than 100K) of debt 10 years ago. I’ve since helped hundreds of Fit Pros get on a plan to destroy their own debt. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it’s easy but neither is losing weight, getting stronger, or building a business.

It takes time.

It takes hard work.

Mostly, it takes being consistent with a simple plan.

You’ll hear financial “experts” talk about good debt vs. bad debt. An example of “good debt” would be a business loan because you can potentially earn more as a result. “Bad debt” would be something that goes down in value, like a car.

My opinion is that all debt carries a risk and for that reason I consider myself a “no debt” guy.

If there is anything the pandemic has made clear to us, it’s the importance of having our financial house in order. Does the debt you have (personal or business) make you feel as though you are stuck in the middle of the sea with no life preserver?

That’s exactly how I felt.

Then I started learning more about finances.

What’s worse than being in debt is working exceptionally hard to get out of it only to fall back into it. It’s like someone gaining and losing the same 50 pounds repeatedly.

One of the ways to avoid staying in debt is to understand why it happened in the first place. Of course, we can agree that it’s the result of poor money management. That’s the first step – taking personal responsibility.

However, it goes deeper.

Like I described in Part 1, we all have root beliefs about money that stem from our upbringing and experiences. Here are some examples of beliefs that will keep us stuck.

  • “Debt is normal. How else would I buy things?”
  • “I don’t even know how much debt I have so I guess a little more won’t hurt.”
  • “This is just the way it is for me. Getting out of debt isn’t a reality for me so I might as well embrace it.”
  • “I have so much debt already so an extra $100 wouldn’t really matter, would it?

via GIPHY

These distorted beliefs are similar to the ones our clients have about their fitness. We need to uncover them and label them for what they are, false!

If you have debt, there is no reason to be ashamed.

The average person carries a credit card balance of $6200.

If you’re like me, you’ve looked at people with big problems and wondered how they got there. The solutions seem so obvious: “Stop eating gallons of ice cream at a time” or “Get out of that unhealthy relationship.” When it comes to our own problems, the solution doesn’t seem so clear. That was the case with me. It all started with one bad decision, putting a household item on a credit card and not paying the bill.

From there it snowballed into a massive problem.

With that said, people who are financially successful know that one of the keys to building wealth is to get and stay out of debt. The good news is that there is a way out regardless of your current situation.

Hopefully, you already understand the value of moving towards financial freedom by becoming debt free. Just in case you’re not convinced, let me ask you a few questions:

❓ If you didn’t have to make any debt payments, how much money could you save every month?

❓ If you weren’t strapped with debt, how much better could you live with the same income?

❓ How quickly could you become wealthy?

❓ How much would you be able to impact others?

The Top 2 Methods

There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to paying down debt.

The first is known as the higher interest or avalanche method.

The second is known as the debt snowball.

With the avalanche method, or the higher interest method, the debts would be paid down in order from highest to lowest interest.

via GIPHY

This method makes mathematical sense.

With the debt snowball, the debts would be paid in order from lowest to highest balance.

So which is better?

At some level, comparing debt elimination plans is like comparing nutrition plans. The one that works best is the one you follow.

With that said, the debt snowball allows you to rack up wins quickly, which helps create positive momentum. This is a huge advantage for someone who may already feel a little discouraged by their financial predicament.

Here are the steps to applying the debt snowball.

1️⃣ Stop Borrowing Money

If you continue to borrow money while trying to eliminate your debt, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle.

This is where a spending plan is crucial.

2️⃣ List Your Debts From Lowest to Highest Balance

Pay special attention to this step. Don’t leave any debts out and let them slip between the cracks. Arrange your debts in ascending order with the smallest remaining balance first and the largest last.

You would ignore the interest rate.

3️⃣ Pay All of the Minimum Payments on Each Debt Listed

4️⃣ Throw Any Extra Money Above Toward the Minimum Payments at the Next Lowest Balance

Ideally you would have a timeline for when each debt will be paid off. Accelerate you debt elimination plan by looking for any extra money to pay towards your focus debt (i.e. the one with the lowest balance). If you can’t find extra money, think of ways to increase your income.

5️⃣ Set Your Debt Elimination Date

Write down the date you will be debt free (other than a possible mortgage).

Visualize it.

Keep moving towards your goal no matter what.

Many people who use this method get excited as a result of the early wins and end up finding additional ways to put more money towards their snowball. The key is using the minimum payment you had for an eliminated debt and adding it to the next one, thus creating your debt snowball.

Regardless of the method you choose, the first step is to get clear about your reality. It’s astonishing how many people have no idea how much debt they have.

I created this Debt Destruction tool for you to create your plan.

If you want to throw up, visit bankrate.com/brm/calc/minpayment.asp and see how much of your minimum credit card payment actually goes toward the balance and how long it will take to pay off.

What’s cool is you can adjust the numbers and see what a difference lower APRs (interest %) and higher monthly payments can make.

In some cases you can save years of payments and thousands in interest.

Business Considerations

Many people who agree that personal debt is destructive believe that business debt is different. The truth is, business debt can be just as harmful and the same rules should apply.

Don’t fall into the lie that you need to carry a credit card balance or borrow money to grow your business. Having a debt free business allows you to designate some of your cash for future growth, take advantage of opportunities that present themselves, and be more generous.

You may think that it’s better to prioritize paying down your business debt if you have both business and personal debt.

Actually, one of the best things you can do for your business is to improve your personal finances. Many businesses suffer or even go out of business because an owner’s personal financial house was not in order.

The bottom line is that you need a plan to eradicate both personal and business debt.

One consideration with business debt is you’ll want to make sure you pay attention to your cash flow. Covid-19 has reminded us of the importance of having “cash on hand.”

I would recommend saving at least one month of business reserves before aggressively paying down business debt. Once you have your one month of reserves, you can allocate a percentage of extra income (after paying yourself) to debt elimination and the rest toward building the reserves further.

You’ll need a lot; think 3-6 months.

Wrapping Up

While it may sound unsophisticated or outdated, personal finance and business are much simpler than people make them out to be. If you do the basics with focus and consistency, over time you’ll be amazed by what you can achieve.

*A helpful tool – One of the keys to achieving financial success is tying your debt destruction plan to your entire Financial Freedom Plan. Whether or not you have debt, the Power Spending Plan makes the whole process less stressful.

About the Author

Many fitness professionals get stuck in the day to day and have little to show for their hard work. Billy Hofacker helps them get on a plan to achieve financial freedom. You can learn more by listening to the Your Fitness Money Coach podcast or visiting www.yourfitnessmoneycoach.com.

Categoriesfitness business

Coach and Grow Rich

Fitness professionals are reticent to talk about money.

Part of this is because it’s a topic we’re not taught.

Ever.

I don’t recall the “Financial Savviness” or “SEP IRA” chapter in my NSCA textbook.

Too, partly, I think we’ve been programmed to think that we’re “selling out” if we bring up money or that we’d like to make more of it. Fit pros are just supposed to shut-up, work long hours, and take pride in the grind.

That and apparently create the facade of wealth by posting lots of shirtless or arms crossed pictures next to sports cars on Instagram…😉

Nevertheless, finances is a dearth topic in the fitness industry and something that should garner more of our attention. To that end, I’ll hand things over to fitness financial expert, Billy Hofacker, who chimes in today with the first of THREE installments of a series I believe will help a lot of people.

Enjoy!

Copyright: tuk69tuk / 123RF Stock Photo

Coach and Grow Rich

If you’re like me, you got into the fitness industry because you had a passion for fitness and/or helping people.  You probably realized you needed an understanding of anatomy as well as how to relate with different kinds of people.

However, what often catches us off guard and derails us is managing money. In my case, the realization wasn’t subtle. I was surprised to hear a knock on the door at the crack of dawn one spring morning about 10 years ago. I opened the door to see a guy standing there with no shortage of tattoos, muscles, and piercings.

Confused, I looked past him and saw my new white Honda Accord hooked up to his tow truck.

My car had been repossessed.

The craziest thing about this is that I was actually surprised. In other words, I was so far behind on payments that the repo man had to come and I didn’t even see it coming. That’s how off track I was.

This was a major wake up call for me to say the least. Thankfully, it has a happy ending.

My wife and I went on to pay down over 130K in non-mortgage debt in 5 years. Yes, we had that much debt. We owed money to everybody!

Not only did we pay off all the debt but we went on to create a nice life for ourselves. More importantly, I discovered my mission for helping fit pros achieve financial freedom .

As fitness professionals, we’re some of the hardest working people I know and unfortunately many have little to nothing to show for it.

As Tony says, “It’s just not a topic we’re taught, ever.”

The good news is that regardless of your situation, there is hope. You can absolutely get to the next level. To make this happen, three of the most important areas we need to address are:

  • Money Mindset
  • Destroying Debt
  • Building Wealth

In the first of this three-part series. I’ll be diving into Money Mindset.

Marching orders will be included as knowledge is useless until it’s applied.

Money Mindset

This is a broad area and a topic that comes up a lot in my Fitness Profit Coaching Group.

One thing I’m certain of after being on this journey for 10+ years, is that we are affected by our upbringing and experiences.

All of our actions are based on emotions which stem from thoughts which are completely shaped by our backgrounds.

This is why we can learn all of the techniques but still find success to be elusive. We are limited by our own beliefs which aren’t necessarily true. They are simply what we learned and don’t have to define us.

After countless hours of study, I’ve come to realize that financially successful people and those who struggle think completely differently.

There are many examples of this.

Some are obvious.

For instance, most of us agree that financially successful people are more likely to take control of their destiny. They don’t simply hope for the best. They make it happen.

Additionally, you’ll rarely hear a financially successful individual complain about their circumstances. Those who struggle often play the blame game. They seem to always have a reason for where they are in life. Whether it’s the economy, their age, their boss, their spouse, their kids, or most commonly their parents, they find something or someone to justify their lack of success. It provides some short term benefit. If the reason for their position is outside their control, they don’t have to take responsibility or change.

Change is uncomfortable.

Here is a common but not as often recognized self defeating belief. It’s one that I believe has affected me negatively. It’s the belief that money isn’t important.

Perhaps someone told you that there are more important things than money – things like relationships or time to enjoy life. This belief is commonly taught in religious circles. It’s almost as if having money makes you less spiritual.

Here’s what I now know to be true:

👉 None of those things I mentioned are mutually exclusive. It doesn’t make any sense to compare them. My relationships are extremely important but so is money. The fact that my relationships are important doesn’t negate the fact that money is too.

👉 Whoever says money isn’t important doesn’t have any. The belief that money isn’t important causes people to do things that are destructive to their financial health. They don’t pay attention to it. When you don’t pay attention to it you wind up in trouble.

👉 They don’t talk about it. When you don’t talk about it to those close to you, relationships are strained. We know it’s the biggest cause for marital problems.

👉 It doesn’t make anyone less spiritual. People can’t be fed and religious buildings can’t be built without money.

Money really magnifies character or lack thereof. When a generous person becomes wealthy, they become more generous and make the world a better place. When a greedy or dishonest person gets money, it magnifies these traits.

It wasn’t caused by the money.

The key is uncovering these beliefs, recognizing them for what they are, and working hard to develop new and more productive beliefs. This is hard work but one of the most valuable things you can do for your finances and your life.

Here are your action steps:

1️⃣ Think about an emotional experience you had around money when you were young.

2️⃣ Write down all of the thoughts, statements, and feelings you had around money, rich people, wealth, etc. when you were young.

3️⃣ Write down the habits and thoughts around money that your parents or caregivers had.

4️⃣ Write down the effect all these things had on your finances and life thus far.

Hopefully after spending some time in this area, you can acknowledge that not all of those things are necessarily true. They just represent your experience. Someone with a different background and experiences would have a completely different set of beliefs and values. Now it’s time to decide that moving forward you will adopt a new set of beliefs.

About the Author

Many fitness professionals get stuck in the day to day and have little to show for their hard work. Billy Hofacker helps them get on a plan to achieve financial freedom. You can learn more by listening to the Your Fitness Money Coach podcast or visiting www.yourfitnessmoneycoach.com.

Categoriesbusiness fitness business

Should You Follow Your Passion into Starting a Fitness Business?

Note From TG: I am passionate about a lot of things:

  • 90’s hip-hop
  • My wife’s butt
  • Tickle fights…to name a few.

I have yet, however, to follow my “passion” in any of those things and attempt to make a career out of them.

There’s a facade in today’s society where we put on our rose colored glasses and think that, so long as we follow our “passion” and pursue something we love doing, that that will be the panacea of a happy life and fulfilling career.

I am not going to rain on everyone’s parade…but it’s not quite that simple.

Today’s guest post by Exercise.com founder, Joel Ohman, hits the nail on the head.

I wish I could make out with it I like it so much.1

Copyright: olegdudko / 123RF Stock Photo

Should You “Follow Your Passion” into Starting a Fitness Business?

It seems that many times, maybe even most of the time, the calculus for entering the fitness industry involves a variant of this internal discussion:

“Well, I like working out, and I like wearing shorts to work, and, at least I’ll never have an excuse to not work out, right? A career in the fitness industry seems great for me!”

And then, quickly thereafter,

“You know, I can’t stand having my boss tell me what to do, and I hate having to share my hourly rate with the gym, so I’ll just go out on my own. I’ll start my own fitness business!”

Tony has long argued that new entrants to the fitness industry should put in their time, working for at least a year, as a personal trainer in a commercial gym setting, but is passion enough to propel you into starting your own fitness business?

At Exercise.com, we encounter trainers, gym owners, and fitness professionals of all stripes. Some of the trainers we work with train professional athletes, Olympians—including a trainer who is himself an Olympian—those with large social media followings, those who are just starting out, and all across the map, but the common denominator to success is that one must be willing to put in the work.

Passion, energy, and excitement are great things, but let’s be honest, there comes a time in any career or business venture where you just have to do the hard things necessary for success, passion plays little to no part in it.

Author Cal Newport in his (excellent) book “So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love” labels this common misconception the Passion Trap.

The Passion Trap

Newport describes the Passion Trap:

“The more emphasis you place on finding work you love, the more unhappy you become when you don’t love every minute of the work you have.”

This seems counterintuitive and certainly runs against the modern advice given to job-seekers to “follow their passion” in a career or business they love. Yet, if this is the case, why do only 20% of workers claim to feel very passionate about their jobs? 

Rather, Newport argues that we are focusing on exactly the wrong thing.

Similarly to the paradoxical way that focusing on becoming more happy tends not to make us happier, but just more conscious that we are not, in fact, happy, but if we instead focus on something outside of ourselves—helping others or focusing on an important external mission, for example—then happiness is more likely to “just find us” so too, focusing on something besides what we are passionate about in our work will tend to have the same effect.

So what should we concentrate on?

What are some of the things we should focus on to determine whether starting a fitness business or launching a career in the fitness industry is a good fit for us?

Newport outlines a number of things that are important, from autonomy, authenticity, and mission, but the single biggest factor is skill.

Skills Trump Passion

Developing skills by working hard over an extended period of time, by deliberately practicing and improving in a particular area of expertise, trumps any short-term nebulous claims of passion when it comes to finding long-lasting job and career satisfaction.

In other words, when you work hard at something for a long time and become a true expert, viewing your work from the vantage point of a craftsman and true master, then satisfaction naturally follows.

But if you spend all your time chasing after the ephemeral passion bubbles floating by you on the wind then your satisfaction will be temporary and disappointing.

Kevin Mullins echoes Tony’s earlier advice about working in a commercial gym setting with his article, “You Are Never Too Good to Work in a Commercial Gym Setting” because true masters, those with a craftsman’s approach to their work, realize that one must trust the law of the process, and you can’t skip steps on the journey to mastery. Mastery, expertise, a craftsman’s mindset, all of those elements have a much great contribution to lifelong satisfaction in the fitness industry.

Does this mean that you should never start out on your own and build your own fitness business?

Absolutely not!

As a 5x serial entrepreneur I couldn’t imagine doing anything different, so if you are wired the same way—and being wired a particular way is not better or worse than anyone else—then by all means, strike out on your own and start that fitness business!

But don’t skip steps.

Put in the hard work of getting certified, picking up some personal training experience, get some business savvy, learn about marketing, and learn from case studies of other successful personal trainers and fitness business owners.

To be clear, a career in the fitness industry can be a great thing.

But to really succeed and to experience long-lasting satisfaction you must commit to the lifelong deliberate practice of building the skills and craftsmanship necessary to become a true expert.

And, yes, you can wear shorts to work.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT: If you want custom-branded iOS and Android apps for your fitness business, then check out Exercise.com’s fitness business management software to scale your business in-person and online using assessments, clients/class scheduling, gym check-ins, billing, workout software, and more then mention this article to get an extra month free.

About the Author

Joel Ohman is a serial entrepreneur, author, and angel investor. He is the founder and CEO of Exercise.com and a number of tech startups. He lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids.

His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries. He lifts weights six days a week and does Krav Maga twice a week to try to ignore the fact he’s still just a washed up ex-college basketball player.

You can connect with Joel at JoelOhman.com.

 

Categoriesbusiness fitness business

How Being Radically Candid Can Transform Your Fitness Business and Client Relationships

Wow – do I have a treat for everyone today.

Best selling author and Exercise.com founder & CEO, Joel Ohman, is in the house today with a stellar guest post on “radical candidness,” and how it can make you a better, more successful personal trainer and human.

Enjoy!

Copyright: albund / 123RF Stock Photo

How Being Radically Candid Can Transform Your Fitness Business & Client Relationships

At Exercise.com, we work with fitness business owners of every type, niche, and specialty. From sports performance gym owners and celebrity fitness trainers to incredibly witty and intelligent cat lovers who can deadlift a Buick one-handed while wielding a lightsaber with the other hand.

Did I say that right, Tony?

Oh, wait, the image you made—um, right:

Anyway, all that is to say we work with all different types of fitness professionals, and it gives us a unique insight into the psyche of personal trainers and, specifically, how they communicate with us, their co-workers, and their clients.

Different trainers have different communication styles.

Like all business owners, and people in general, there are certain communication traps we can all fall into that can sabotage our client relationships and undermine the success we are all working so hard for in our fitness businesses.

Radical Candor is a book by former Google and Apple executive Kim Scott that outlines a framework to be a better boss, colleague, and human being.

The book outlines a quadrant representing four different very common styles of communication.

On the Y-axis is your level of demonstrated personal care for the person you are communicating with. On the X-axis is your level of willingness to challenge directly in your communication with others.

The ideal stated goal in communication with clients, colleagues, and partners is to land in that top right square titled “Radical Candor,” where you are simultaneously demonstrating that you personally care about the person you are talking to while also not being afraid to challenge them directly and give them the hard truths that they may need to hear.

Radical candor is what happens when you both Care Personally and you Challenge Directly at the same time.

 

What Radical Candor is Not

But first, it’s important to outline what Radical Candor is NOT.

  • It’s not a license to act like a jerk.
  • It’s not an invitation to get creepily personal.
  • It’s not just for managers, personal trainers, bosses, or those in a position of authority—we all want to succeed.

It’s also helpful to look at each of the four different possible communication approaches/attitudes in the grid and see if you can recognize some common trainer/coach personality types, and then, of course, do the introspective work of seeing which one you tend to land in.

It won’t be hard, you should recognize which one fits you right away (or, just ask one of your clients, your colleagues/partners, or even better: your spouse).

Radical Candor

Radical Candor happens at the intersection of Care Personally and Challenge Directly.

Care Personally means that you care about the other person, not about whether you are winning a popularity contest.

Challenge Directly means that you share your perspective and invite the other person to do the same.

This is the gold standard of where we all want to be.

This is the personal trainer who obviously cares about their clients and wants them to succeed, but is also willing to say the hard truth when it comes to encouraging healthy lifestyle choices, following medical advice when it comes to weight management, and other sensitive topics.

Obnoxious Aggression

Obnoxious Aggression is mean but may be helpful.

Obnoxious Aggression is also called “brutal honesty” or “front stabbing.” This is the classic Marine boot camp instructor or the raging high school football coach that breaks his clipboard

This is the personal trainer who screams at clients but is more invested in checking out their own biceps in the gym mirror than they are in seeing their clients succeed.

We recently created a comprehensive guide on how to become a successful online trainer packed with case studies, and surprise, surprise, yelling and screaming at clients, whether in-person or via video, was not a recipe for success.

In a weird way, we have experienced coaches, trainers, or bosses like this and they have actually made us better people though.

This is why this is the second best square in the quadrant.

Even though that screaming football coach might make you want to hang your head and quietly cry in the shower after a game, can you rely on that coach to ALWAYS tell you exactly where you stand with him?

Can you count on him to communicate directly with you, tell it to you like it is, and give you immediate and specific feedback on what you need to do to improve?

Umm, yes.

At least the communication is clear, direct, and immediate. But, as we probably all know, any success is usually short-term as athletes tend to underperform for coaches who motivate solely with fear.

Ruinous Empathy

Ruinous Empathy is “nice” but ultimately unhelpful or even damaging.

It’s seeing somebody with their fly down, but, not wanting to embarrass them, saying nothing, with the result that 15 more people see them with their fly down—more embarrassing for them.

It’s a personal trainer not wanting to tell their client the hard truth, that yes, their doctor is right, they do need to lose those 60 pounds. It’s a fitness business owner not wanting to confront their head personal trainer when they are not meeting expectations.

Manipulative Insincerity

Manipulative Insincerity is a stab in the back.

This is active sabotage, and the worst of what we all think of when we think of interpersonal relationships and communication, whether that’s office politics or gym politics.

What About You?

In our weekly team meetings we like to start off with a 10-15 minute segment we call “Weekly Wisdom” that has one member of the team sharing something they recently learned, whether business, personal, a book they read, etc. and then we discuss as a team.

We recently discussed, you guessed it, Radical Candor, and here are some of the questions we discussed:

  1. Can you provide an example of someone who communicated something to you using Radical Candor? How did that make you feel?
  2. Can you provide an example of someone who communicated something to you using Obnoxious Aggression, Ruinous Empathy, or Manipulative Insincerity? How did that make you feel?
  3. When faced with difficult conversations, which of the four communication approaches do you find yourself gravitating towards? How might you intentionally become Radically Candid instead?
  4. How might we encourage Radical Candor as a team?
  5. How might you utilize Radical Candor in your personal life?

So, what about you? How might becoming Radically Candid transform your fitness business, your client relationships, and maybe even your personal life?

About the Author

Joel Ohman is a serial entrepreneur, author, and angel investor.

He is the founder and CEO of Exercise.com and a number of tech startups. He lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids.

His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries. He lifts weights six days a week and does Krav Maga twice a week to try to ignore the fact he’s still just a washed up ex-college basketball player.

You can connect with Joel and send your own Radically Candid personal communication to him at JoelOhman.com.

SPECIAL DISCOUNT: If you want custom-branded iOS and Android apps for your fitness business, then check out Exercise.com’s fitness business management software to scale your business in-person and online using assessments, clients/class scheduling, gym check-ins, billing, workout software, and more then mention this article to get an extra month free.

Categoriesfitness business

A Cliff Notes Albeit Honest Guide to Successful Presenting in the Fitness Industry

I’m a little over a week removed from two workshops I did in Vancouver & Victoria, British Columbia.

That’s in Canada for the geographically challenged.

One was a four-hour shindig on shoulder assessment at the downtown Equinox in  Vancouver for a team of their trainers.2

The second event took place in Victoria, on Vancouver Island (which, by the way, involved maximal clinching of sphincter on THIS contraption), where I spent a lovely 2-days taking a group of fitness professionals through my Coaching Competency workshop.

When all was said and done I spent 18 total hours presenting over the course of three days. By the end I was exhausted. But on the ferry ride back to Vancouver to start the trek back home to Boston I couldn’t help but to also feel inexcusably elated.

Elated I completed another seemingly successful trip, elated the t-shirts I chose to wear highlighted the “peciness” of my pecs, elated I was on my way home to see my wife and son, and elated I had a 90 minute ferry ride to sneak in a power-nap.

To date I’ve been invited to 40+ (give or take) speaking engagements/workshops/seminars across North America and the globe. I’m far from perfect and have had my fair share of flubs, but feel I’m doing something right in order to continue getting requests and inquiries to present.

No one has ever pulled out a pitchfork, asked for their money back, or screamed “the fuck outta here, Gentilcore. My scapular upward rotation is perfectly fine. YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE.”

*slams door*

UPDATE: No one’s done any of those things, yet.

With that in mind I wanted to share some thoughts and insights on how YOU may best be able to set yourself up for success if presenting at health & fitness events is something you’re interested in.

Copyright: wavebreakmediamicro / 123RF Stock Photo

Before We Begin Lets Assume the Obvious

If you’re thinking about presenting at fitness conferences/workshops it makes sense to check off the following criteria:

  • You’re a fitness professional.
  • You’re not a ghost or spirit. Cool, but weird.
  • You have experience.
  • You have a relevant, actionable, possibly unique message to share.
  • You don’t smell like an old-lady fart passing through an onion.
  • You’ve read THIS really, really, REALLY good article by Sol Orwell on how to nail public speaking.

With that out of the way.

1) Establish a Clear Itinerary

Not having a clear itinerary or not sticking to one that’s set are two ways to derail a day of learning.

The former seems self-explanatory

It should surprise no one that people want to know what they’re getting themselves into and what they’re paying for.

“Tony’s Coming to Talk About Stuff,” while an idea I definitely need to test-drive now that I’ve said it, likely won’t garner as much interest (or numbers) as something more concrete such as “The Shoulder: From Assessment to Badass.”

Likewise, you’re not going to have many happy campers if you send out a bullet-point itinerary of what you’ll cover – squatting biomechanics for example – and then end up scratching 17% of it in favor of attempting to convince people bowl cuts are cool because He-Man had one.

Tossing myself under the bus for a second, I had a slight snafu while presenting in Victoria two weekends ago.

I noted in my itinerary I was allotting an hour towards the end of Day #2 to discuss program design.

Sadly, I ran out of time and profusely apologized to the attendees.

When I followed up with my hosts a few days later here’s the email sent my way which helped put things into perspective:

“You got some amazing feedback. Seriously, some of the best we’ve had. No need to change much, really. I think the only thing that was a “mistake” on your behalf was talking about potentially doing the programming talk and then running out of time.

A couple people mentioned it in the feedback, not in a seriously annoyed sense, but they were disappointed. It’s just like having kids, you can’t say “if we have time, we’ll get ice cream” if there’s any chance in hell you won’t get ice-cream. 😉

It’s a common mistake presenters make, but I would just consider keeping the thought inside, then if the time comes and we can do it, you look like a god because you get the opportunity to ask people if they want a “bonus” session, more than they bargained for.

It’s all in the perception, you know?”

2) Itineraries Are Great, But Sometimes You Gotta Say “Fuck It”

Every crowd or group is different.

I may present in Austin and a certain portion really engages the attendees and I end up spending more time there than I had planned because they’re more switched on.

Conversely, I’ll do the same workshop in say, Milwaukee, and the same part of a presentation elicits nothing but blank stares and yawns.

Fuck off Milwaukee!3

When I’m presenting I’m very much “on” and feed off the energy of the group. And if they happen to be digging a particular topic – conversing and asking questions – who am I to not give them what they want?

When this happens I often take the Choose Your Own Adventure approach to presenting.

We have “x” time left, do you want me to talk about “y” or “z?”

Or bowl cuts?

Sometimes giving a modicum of choice to the attendees can help offset any itinerary detours.

3) Hands-On Portions Are Game Changers

Fitness professionals are like sharks…they constantly need to be moving. It’s a huge ask to expect a group of trainers and coaches to sit still for hours on end.

I preempt my talks by informing the group I’m more than capable of not being distracted if a few need to get up periodically to stretch, foam roll, or, I don’t know, perform some parkour on the side.

That being said I feel it’s integral – especially given the material I present on – to include intermittent hands-on portions.

In truth I like to get a little dirty when I present.

My presenting flow tends to go like this:

  • Talk about shit.
  • Lets break off into groups so we can practice the shit I just talked about.
  • Look at this cute picture of my cat.

In fact, one of highlights of my recent Victoria workshop was when I broke down squatting and deadlifting technique and then turned on 90’s hip-hop and had all the attendees squat and deadlift for 45 minutes.

This approach not only helps keep the attendees engaged and excited, but also keeps me fresh.

I’ll use this time to walk around, coach people up, and answer questions of course. But selfishly, I’ll also use it as an opportunity to sneak away for five minutes and recharge my introvert batteries.

4) Don’t Be Zod

I think one of my strengths as a coach (and presenter) is that I’m very much open to other people’s perspectives and ways of doing things.

I don’t think I’m that big of a deal.

It’s not lost on me that people pay to listen to me speak and to listen to my way of doing things.

Still, I try not to have a Zod complex about it.

 

I spend a good minute or two at the start of every presentation or workshop to reiterate to the attendees that I am not there to tell them what to do. I tell them I think I have some cool things to say and feel I’ll be able to help them be better fitness professionals, but in no way, shape, or fashion am I there to insinuate that it’s “my way or the highway.”

In fact I repeatedly ask them for their insights and to share their experiences. I often learn from them as much as they learn from me.

Moreover, I never talk down to anyone or try to make anyone feel inferior. I’ve heard some horror stories from people who have had unfortunate experiences at other events where the presenter was immature, unprofessional, didn’t like to be questioned, and basically was a douche to the douchiest power.

I.e., the god complex.

Don’t be that person.

5) Give Credit

Trust me: you’re not that original.

Another thing I’m very adamant in doing is giving credit where and when it’s due. I’ll often have an entire slide dedicated to the people who’s information I’m “stealing,” just so people are 100% clear I am not that smart.

Too, I’m always name dropping other coaches – I got this variation from “so and so,” I heard this from “such and such” – during my presentations. If anything I think most attendees appreciate the honesty and candor.

But more importantly it’s just the right thing to do.

6) BONUS: Know Your Audience

Swearing.

I’m all for it and do feel it provides a degree of authenticity and “pizzaz” to a presentation.

I’m not shy to swear when I present – a well-timed f-bomb can be comedic gold, help break the ice, keep people entertained, and can really hammer a point home – but I also know when to have some feel and to scale it down when needed.

It’s one thing to be in places like Boston or NYC and be liberal with language. It’s another thing altogether, if not uncouth, to be in places like Fargo, North Dakota – as I was a few years ago – and drop a MF-bomb to the cacophony of crickets chirping.

Awwwwwwwwwkward.

Categoriesfitness business personal training Uncategorized

The Importance of Client Retention

In today’s day and age being a personal trainer runs somewhere in the spectrum of one of the most rewarding careers out there and a dumpster fire.

The latter comes into play often, especially when you work in a large commercial gym where you’re one of dozens of trainers vying for everyone’s attention (and wallets). It’s seemingly become harder to separate yourself from the masses, and when you compound that with the long hours and the massive trepidation from many trainers to understand the business side of the equation, it’s no wonder the burnout rate is so high.

In today’s excellent guest post Michael Anderson he explains why keeping the clients you do have may be the “x” factor.

Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

The Importance of Client Retention

This is sort of a weird post to write for me because I’m specifically speaking to the coaches and trainers that read Tony’s blog rather than the average Joe or Jane who just likes training and wants to be awesome.

It’s also weird because I don’t often talk about the business side of this industry…mainly because I’m a WAY better trainer than businessman.

Today’s lesson is one I learned probably 7-8 years ago and it should help anyone who heeds this advice make more money: retain your clients.

I don’t mean tie them up and keep them in the yoga studio, I mean make sure that once you get a client you’re keeping them for the long haul.

Many moons ago I was a personal trainer at a fairly upscale privately owned globo gym in Boston. Per the usual for a commercial gym like that they constantly pushed the trainers to sign new trainees up for sessions. The owners and manager went to great lengths to keep increasing new sign-ups. We offered two free sessions when you signed up for a year membership, several times a year we offered a special deal where you could buy three sessions for $99 and they started to give bonus incentives to trainers who signed up new clients for X amount of sessions.

The only problem was that this ultimately didn’t make anyone any money; neither the trainers nor the gym itself.

The two free sessions would work well if you had a really polished approach, but it took a long time to get comfortable with it. The sessions that we put on sale were a waste of time and effort; the “sales hunters” would wait until these were available and then buy a few of them with no intention of training beyond the length of those packages.

They’d do a few sessions and get some new ideas and then work out on their own until the sale became available again. As the trainer conducting these sessions, you were doomed to fail.

These people almost never wanted to continue as a regular client.

Providing a financial bonus to the trainers when you signed up a new client created a system where people were more interested in selling packages to get the extra money short-term than they were in building a solid long-term client base.

The result of this was that there were a lot of gym members who did a few sessions with trainers who were just trying to get paid vs enjoying quality sessions. Ultimately these people would now be harder to convince to use our training services again.

Why Long Term Is Better

As a personal trainer it is going to benefit you dramatically in the long term to have clients that come back to you month after month, year after year.

During my five year stint training at that gym, I had 8-10 clients who would train with me multiple times per week and that core group lasted for 2-5 years.

Most of these clients would purchase our largest package of sessions (52) which was sold as the “annual package” and resulted in the cheapest per session cost; my clients were going through 2-3 of them a year!

Out of about 35 available training hours per week, my schedule typically contained about 20-25 hours of long-term clients. The rest of my schedule was usually filled in with new members who were using their two free sessions. My conversion rate with these was pretty good, so my goal was to get them interested in training regularly and then I would pass them off to other trainers who had more availability or were just starting out.

I hate suggesting this, but its important thing to remember from time to time: your clients are your business and each one represents money to you.

In the grand scheme of things you will make more money having 3-5 people train 2-3 times a week each for multiple years than chasing new clients every month so you can get the bonus. 

I’ve heard a general rule when it comes to business marketing that it takes 5-10 times as much money to obtain a new customer as it does to retain an old one. In the personal trainer world this means it takes you more time talking to people on the gym floor, more time emailing and cold calling and more time doing intro sessions that I’ve always found to be much more draining and intensive than someone you’ve been working with for a while.

If you’ve ever had a day where you do 3-4 first time sessions with someone then you know what I’m talking about. Now, I’m not suggesting you should be opposed to doing all of those office-work things, but I feel like many of you would agree with me that it’s more fun to be in the gym coaching than it is to be sitting at a computer send out the same annoying email over and over.

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The other benefit is that when you work with someone for a long time and they really trust and appreciate you they will do the marketing for you.

These clients will tell other gym members and friends about how much they enjoy working with you. If you read Pete Dupuis’ blog (and you should) then you’d know that word of mouth advertising is the One Ring of fitness business advertising….it rules them all.

These referrals almost always produce a stronger client relationship than someone who just walks into the gym and says “yea I guess I’ll try a session with you”. If a person you’ve been working with for 18 months can produce one or two more people who will work with you for 18 months each, you’re doing really well.

But, How?

Unfortunately this is where I tell you that there is no secret formula to creating and retaining a good client base.

I think Tony’s blog in general is filled with great advice that will help you succeed in this regard; I know that it helped me tremendously back in the day when I was figuring this shit out (and still today). Other than that you just have to work hard and refine your technique.

It also really helps if people like you. No one likes working with a dick.

Make sure you take care of your current clients first.

Much like exercise, make sure you master the basics of good customer service first: be on time, don’t smell like hot ass, don’t let them see you pick a booger at the front desk, don’t complain about your personal problems during a session, don’t allow their time slot to get compromised because you’re a shitty scheduler, and ensure that you’re doing your part to help them meet their goals.

Personal training is both a soft science and an art form. You have to do what you know is right to help them achieve a goal, but you also have to relent a little on some stuff. If a client hates push-ups and you keep forcing push-ups on them, they will just say “F it” and not come back.

You’ve got to develop a broad enough range of methods and approaches that you can meet any client where they are and create an enjoyable training experience.

As a current small business owner, I’ve seen this scenario play out even more substantially than it did when I worked at a globo gym.

I don’t have the capital to spend on any advertising and showing up at high school sporting events to hand out business cards isn’t a great use of my time. It has become even more important that I focus on keeping the clients I have and slowly adding to my roster through word of mouth referrals.

While getting new clients in the door is important, I’d be a fool to not first take the best care of the people currently coming to train with me. Do right by those you train now and build on that slowly.

If you have any questions please feel free to reach out!

About the Author

Mike is a personal trainer and strength coach living in Cleveland with his fiance and adorable pit bull. He is the owner of Anderson Strength and Fitness, the strength coach for Healthy Green Athlete and is an all around badass dude. You can follow him on Instagram @AndersonStrengthFitness or shoot him an email at [email protected].

Categoriescoaching fitness business

Online Coaching Is NOT Easier

There’s a common theme I’ve seen gaining traction amongst fitness professionals of late – mostly from the young bucks out there, but from some experienced trainers too – stating something to the effect of “online or distance coaching is easy.”

Easy?

Easy.

Pffffffft, riiiiiiggggghhhhtttt.

  • Beating an eight year old in a game of H.O.R.S.E is easy.
  • Warming up a Hotpocket is easy.
  • Swiping right is easy.

Running a successful online training business?

Not easy.

I can understand the delusion, though. We’re seduced into thinking that those coaches/trainers who decide to pursue online coaching will, in a matter of months (or even weeks), be traveling the world enjoying libations on the beach one week and the culinary delicacies of Paris the next.

Their only source of stress….a reliable WiFi connection.

As a matter of fact there are some fitness pros who have built this sort of lifestyle for themselves. But I can tell you with almost certainty it didn’t happen overnight, or in a matter of months.

But lets omit the outliers out of the equation anyways.

Lets talk about you and what it takes to build a successful online business.

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I picked up my first online client back in 2006. I was moving from Syracuse, NY to Danbury, CT and a client of mine back in the ‘cuse still wanted to work with me.

He asked if I could just, you know, still write his training programs and send them to him via email.

I was like, “yeah, alright, sure.”

Actually, come to think of it, Bobby K. invented online training! Well done Bobby.

Back then all I did was send out a monthly Excel sheet – the present day equivalent of messenger pigeon – and if Bobby was ever flummoxed by anything I programmed, I’d just record something with my digital camera and send that along as well.

I didn’t know what the hell I was doing and it’s any wonder I was able to send anything over the internet without burning down my apartment.

As I started writing more and getting my name out there, I started receiving more inquiries from people to provide online programs. One client turned to five, five turned to ten, and eventually things evolved to the point where online coaching turned into a viable revenue stream for me.

Mind you, it wasn’t private jet trips across the Atlantic levels of revenue. But, I was able to start using the income I made from coaching people online to help pay for my car and/or student loans.

Fast forward a few years, it wasn’t long before I found myself with what seemed like a second job. I was still coaching people at Cressey Sports Performance full-time, only to come home at the end of each day to an inbox full of questions and programming tweaks from online clients.

It was exhausting.

Demand was high…..cool.

But there was only one of me, and I wanted a life outside of starring at my computer screen for hours on end (answering emails, writing programs, invoicing, developing/updating an exercise database)….not cool.

Something had to change. I had to find some form of distance coaching Darwinian natural selection process that would make my life easier or more efficient.

TA-DA: The Online Trainer Academy

Full-Disclosure: Most of (if not all) successful online coaches I know were first really good in-person coaches. There are innumerable nuances that go with coaching people in person that it’s almost impossible – I feel – to be a good online coach without having first mastered that.

How are you going to be able to tweak someone’s deadlift technique over the internet if you have zero or little practice doing it in real-life?

Likewise, it’s not as if all you have to do is set up a YouTube of Instagram account and post a bunch of selfies or videos of you breaking down optimal bicep peak exercises and the floodgates will all of a sudden open.

There are a thousands of trainers vying for everyone’s attention, and I wholeheartedly believe that those who do well virtually are those who have experience coaching people in-person and have more of a “feel” (<— non-creepy) when it comes to human interaction.

Having said that…I also believe that those who do well are those who are organized and have their shit together.

They have systems in place.

This can entail everything from:

  • What sort of liability insurance should you get?
  • Do you have a waiver system in place? LLC?
  • How do you collect data to best ascertain if someone’s a good fit for you?
  • What’s your assessment/screening process look like?
  • How do you send out programs? How and when do you update them?
  • How, when, and where do people get a hold of you?
  • What system do you use to demonstrate to clients appropriate exercise technique?
  • How do you track and collect payments?
  • How do you keep people accountable and on track?
  • How do you gauge progress? How do you know when to make programs more challenging or less challenging?
  • Why did Carrie break up with Aiden?4

Doesn’t seem so “easy” now does it?

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It’s been more than a decade since I started building out my online training programs. Since then, I experimented with dozens of different systems and programs, finding out what worked and what didn’t work through months and years of trial and error.

I wish I didn’t have to do that back then.

I wish I’d been given a proven system that works.

That’s why I love the Online Trainer Academy’s in-depth program materials. Developed with input from 40+ professional online trainers, marketers and business owners, it’s perfect for you if you’re tired of chasing tips and tricks and feel energized by the idea of finally learning everything you need to know to build your own profitable online training business.

That’s the good news. The bad news?

There’s only less than 24 hours left to enroll in the Academy this year. Once it closes, no one will be able to enroll in this game-changing course until September 2018!

Plus, next year the cost goes up by $500. But if you register today, you have lifetime access to all future updates at today’s price!

You have just hours left to get in, get access to the business-building materials, and become one of the first certified online trainers (OTC) in the world. It all comes with a 90-day, 100% satisfaction guarantee.

—> Get In Before Enrollment Closes <—

Categoriesfitness business personal training

0 to 50 Clients: Four Lessons I Learned

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Syracuse, NY based coach and personal trainer, Ricky Kompf. He covers a topic I believe every up and coming fitness professional can commiserate with, but more importantly learn from:

How to get more clients.

Enjoy.

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

 

0 to 50 Clients: Four Lessons I Learned

Even though I have been working as a trainer for a little over four years this past year and a half I have completely engorged myself in the lifestyle and business mindset of a trainer.

I write this article to share some of the lessons I have learned while building my own personal training career and business.

I have come out of this period of my life with a whole new perspective on what works and what doesn’t in this industry and let me tell you something….it is hard!

Plain and simple, the fitness industry can be one of the most challenging fields to start a career in.

While it may be very challenging in the beginning the lessons and rewards that you encounter makes the difficulties of this field very much worth it. What I wish to share with you are four lessons I have learned growing from 0 clients on day one to 50 plus active clients now.

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Lesson 1: Priority Number One is Gaining Experience

Gaining experience and knowledge while in the company of very good and successful trainers in the industry will teach you to stay humble and always continue to educate yourself and develop your craft as a trainer and coach. If you want to be the best, be around the best and study their behaviors to bring into your own practice.

That experience will pay for itself.

For my first two and a half years as a trainer I was training out of college gyms in the student section as well as various commercial gyms.

I had no long-term clients, but knew the experience gained along the way would help me forge full-steam a head down the road.

It was only after finishing my internship at Cressey Sports Performance a year and a half ago that I felt comfortable taking money from people to let me train them.

With experience comes confidence.

At the end of the day if your clients don’t trust your knowledge and experience as a trainer you won’t be able to bring results to them.

Additionally, with experience comes knowledge, and with knowledge comes confidence in yourself, and that is the foundation in which you should start your journey to building your training business and brand.

Have confidence in yourself to deliver an amazing service.

Lesson 2: Over Deliver

I can’t stress this enough; to this day with the 50 plus clients I have to manage I am always searching for ways to over deliver to them.

One thing that I heard Eric Cressey say in a Podcast as well as many other fitness professionals is:

“They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Remember that we are in the service industry and what sets you apart from the competition is the quality of your service.

Your clients should be saying “I can’t believe I only pay this much for this training” more than “I can’t believe how expensive this is!”

Some easy things you can start doing right now are giving free consultations and assessments, without trying to push your services on them. Look at it as you trying to work on your assessment process and how you deliver information that is helpful for that person.

I have done well over 200 assessments in the past year and a half. Probably less than half signed up for training. That being said, I have a great assessment process that I have created and it is very rare now that someone doesn’t sign up.

Go overtime.

If you’re training someone and you know you have some extra time at the end before you have to start your next client or group, spend more time with them.

They will appreciate the extra work you give them and will be more likely to refer someone to you.

Even now that I have my clients and groups pretty much back to back, I give them extra work to do at the end.

Follow up with them outside their training sessions.

Text or call your people, ask them how they’re feeling. Talk to them about their goals outside of the two or three hours out of the week in which you see them. This will show them that you care and that you’re invested in their journey.

Lesson 3: Don’t Waste Your Time (Right Away) Trying To Brand Yourself.

To this day I still don’t have a website.

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After a year and a half of building my reputation only now am I considering making a website. And even then it’s mainly to communicate with my current clients, giving them information more effectively, in addition to allowing potential clients to see what I’m about and have to offer before signing up.

At my current job one thing we preach to our clients and athletes is that we’re not for everyone.

That being said in the beginning when you first start out, guess what….you are for everyone.

Don’t try to brand yourself as the athlete guy or the basketball guy or the fat loss guy. Train as many different people as you can so you can find your strengths and to find out what/who you really enjoy working with.

For example, I know my strengths are in female and male youth athletes, and adult groups.

This doesn’t mean I don’t train collegiate level athletes or have any one-on-one clients.

I do.

However, I found in the past few years I get jazzed up and excited to train young athletes and to be a mentor towards them. So why not gravitate towards what brings me joy and fulfillment?

I encourage you to do the same – BUT YOU NEED TO TRAIN AN ECLECTIC GROUP OF PEOPLE FIRST BEFORE YOU CAN BRAND OR MARKET YOURSELF TOWARDS A UNIQUE SUBSET.

Lesson 4: Find a Place or Group of People That Will Help You Grow and Enjoy the Process.

I owe a lot of my success and accelerated progress to my boss and partner strength coach, Vinny Scollo.

He’s been an amazing mentor towards me.

Together we have created an environment in our gym that breeds great athletes and amazing results.

We build each other up when energy levels are low and challenge each other to be better coaches. I couldn’t have asked for a better boss and work environment.

If you wish to last in this field and turn it into a career, you must find or create a team that will build you up, challenge you to get better, and enjoy the process.

I have trained and worked in very bad environments with very negative co-workers and I have experienced the best environments and co-workers. An environment that will build you up is a place you want to be in for the long haul, and will make the challenging moments in your career seem not so bad.

About the Author

Richard Kompf, BS, CSCS

Strength and conditioning coach and Internship supervisor for Scollo Strength and Performance. Located inside of Pacific Health Club, based just outside of Syracuse, NY. Specializing in explosive athletes and general population clientele.

Categoriescoaching fitness business Motivational

3 Tips For Personal Trainer Personal Development

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of good friend and Jedi strength coach, Todd Bumgardner. Many don’t know this, but Todd was one of the people who encouraged me most when I was thinking about leaving Cressey Sports Performance and going off on my own.

He’s a no-bullshitter and someone who tells it like it is. There’s a reason why 100+ fitness professionals trust him and the other coaches of The Strength Faction to help separate themselves from the masses; to get their shit together.

It’s because of articles like the one he’s sharing today.

Copyright: gajus / 123RF Stock Photo

3 Tips For Personal Trainer Personal Development

As personal trainers, we’re like de facto members of the personal development industry. God, it feels weird to say that it’s an industry…almost spewing sacrilege. But it’s a reality. We spend a lot of time, and money, on personal development—and we really should. It’s worth it—it’s the sole reason Chris Merritt, Mike Connelly, and I run Strength Faction.

Commitment to personal, and professional, development has set all of our lives on an upward trajectory, and we want to help as many fellow fitness folks hit that same upward spiral.

I’m sure that you want the same thing for yourself and for your clients—a gradual ascension that carries everyone forward. Well, here’s some pretty goddamn obvious thinking: you can’t help your clients ascend unless you’re committed to the process. It’s a long game, and it’s worth playing. Here are a few tips we’ve found helpful for staying in the game and moving toward the goal line.

1) Realize That It’s Important

Let’s start here.

We love the X’s and O’s of our profession. We want the answer when someone asks us how many sets we should be doing for hypertrophy (there is no real answer, by the way), and we love being able to pontificate with each other on the virtues and vices of a given energy systems development strategy—when in reality ninety percent of our clients wouldn’t be affectively able to use it.

Professional development is important, so please, don’t take that as a slight.

We have to be good at what we do, and we have to get results for our people. But most of our impact, and our money, is made by being a human that’s worth being around. Granted, we all start with different raw materials—some folks have natural propensities for human connection, others have a difficult time. Some, yet, are born assholes and have to learn how to be someone worth being around. I mostly fall into the latter category.

Aw, come on: does this look like the face (or body) of an asshole?

In the context of our careers, personal development is the scaffolding that allows us to display our professional development.

Being a growth-centered human being gives people cause to feel attracted to us—people like people headed in the right direction. It also gives us the chance to actually connect with the people that want our help. The New Zealand All Blacks live by the value that “better people make better All Blacks.” The same is true for personal trainers.

Beyond the toil of our work, personal development, in my limited understanding of life, is what we’re here to do. By the time the casket closes and the loved ones that we leave behind say their goodbyes, we should be the best possible thing that we could evolve into. I believe that’s the most important thing in the world.

2) Decide What You Value

“I really need help with time management. I’m not always sure what I should be doing, and I waste a lot of time. I feel like I never get done all of the things I should get done.”

The quotation is a conglomeration of three common statements I hear on coaching calls. Most folks feel like they need to do a better job managing their time—and they’re not wrong. But I don’t think the main problem is time management, it’s value management.

It’s tough to use time wisely if we don’t know what our aim is, what’s most important to us, where we’re trying to go.

I think we just try to be busy because it seems like everyone else is busy and that’s what we’re supposed to do. It’s the illusion of hustle perpetuated by guys that are really good at marketing on social media. They convince us that if we “grind” and follow their lead, we’ll get all the shit we want.

It’s circular, empty promise.

But it does lead us back to the starting line, the initial question: what do you want, and what do you value above all else?


Having the answer to that two-part question will give you the best insight into how you should manage your time.

Personally, I value human development for development’s sake above all else, so I don’t mind busying myself with it. But it also helps me order how I should spend my time each morning, each afternoon, and each evening.

It decides who, and what, get my time, and most importantly, my attention.

You don’t, however, have to hustle and grind if that’s not what you value—fuck the Jones’. If you value living in rural America and raising chickens, figure out how to do more of that.

If you feel aimless with your time, work through what you value you most. That will give you your aim. Then, when you have an aim to develop yourself toward, you’ll be better able to manage your time doing the little things that take you closer to that aim.

3) Just Have Good Friends (Forget About Your Goddamn Network for a Minute)

Psychological safety, unbridled truth—it’s a concept we use to guide our actions as leaders at our gym and as leaders of Strength Faction. What it means is we create a consistent, supportive environment that allows people to be themselves and feel like they are safe. Once this happens, people usually open up enough to hear the truth—from themselves and from other people. But the environment has to exist first.

That’s what a good friendship is—an environment where you feel heard and understood enough to let people tell you the truth.

And a good friend will tell you the truth, not just pat your ass and tell you that you’re special.

They’ll unconditionally show you that they love you while also holding up a mirror so you can look at yourself, recognize your faults, and do something about them. That’s the community we’ve created in Strength Faction. Our members have become friends. They look out for each other. They support each other.

And they tell each other the truth.

Here’s an example from the Summer ’17 Faction.

One member posted a poll to gather strength coach’s opinions on yoga.

At the end of the questionnaire she included a question that quite a few members thought was off-putting and unnecessary—so they told her about it.

She, then, engaged them in dialogue and explained herself.

The conversation went on, and everyone expressed their opinions, their truths, without attack. They stayed in dialogue. They were friends…even though many of them had never met other than in our private Facebook group and on our weekly ZOOM calls.

That’s what a web of friends does for your development. There’s not a lot of talk about that in our industry. Mostly the conversation centers on expanding our networks.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s important. But if you want to develop, networks need to evolve into friendships, or sometimes you have to prioritize friends over networking. Each needs to exist, but a web of friends in a community that’s moving in a good direction will do more for your life, and development, than an expansive, superficial network.

Personal Trainer, Personal Development

It’s a long game, folks. But when we commit to ourselves, and the process of personally developing over the long haul, this strange thing happens—things get better. Make some time for personal development, prioritize based on values, and make sure you have the right people around you. You’ll keep inching toward the goal line.

Enrollment for the Fall ’17 Strength Faction is currently open!

If you dig learning more, or enrolling, check out the link below.

—> Fall ’17 Strength Faction Enrollment <—