Pete Dupuis and I flew down to Kansas City this morning for this weekend’s The Fitness Summit. We had a 3+ hour flight, and to help pass the time we had a tickle fight exchanged lap tops and asked one another business-related questions.
Pete just posted MY half of the party over his blog like five minutes ago.
You should check it out.
Any hip-hop junkie will recognize the title of today’s post.
It’s a quote from Jay-Z.
I’m in no way putting myself in the same company as one of rap’s biggest historic moguls, but I felt the title was appropriate given the context of what I wanted to write about today.
It’s something I rarely broach on this website, yet it’s an integral component to just about every fitness professional’s day to day life.
Surprisingly, I’m not referring to energy drinks. Or protein.
It’s been a little over two months since I left Cressey Sports Performance to pursue other opportunities and my own “thing” in Boston.
NOTE: I put quotations around “thing” not as some ubiquitous attempt to insinuate I have no plan. I do! But, well, just keep reading……
Since leaving CSP things have been great. Life has had a nice pace to it.
I’ve been able to keep up with writing and running this website while also building whatever it is I’m building here in Boston. I.e., a small army of deadlifting psychopaths…;o)
As it happened, maybe a week or two ago, Pete and I were texting back and forth and he mentioned that it would be interesting if I spoke to what it’s been like for me during this transitional phase in my life. What have been some of the hardships (if any?) and lessons I’ve learned in starting my own “thing.”
Sorry, there’s that word again.
At the CSP staff Christmas Party this past weekend, Mike Reinold and I were chatting about how hard and impossible it must feel for upcoming fitness professionals to make a name for themselves.
On one side of the fence the internet has made everything – and everyone – more accessible. Fitness celebrities and can be constructed in a matter of months.
On the other side, however, the market is so saturated with Instagram feeds, Facebook likes, websites, blogs, and hashtags that everything – and everyone – is seemingly invisible.
There’s too much noise.
When we opened CSP back in the summer of 2007, I had already been working as a trainer for five years and writing on my own website and sites like T-Nation for a little over a year (my first article on T-Nation was published in 2006).
I joined Facebook not long after with little comprehension of A) knowing what the hell it was and B) definitely not knowing what it would become. Nonetheless I crushed LOLCats on it.
Likewise, I joined Twitter in 2010. Again, not really understanding what the point was. All I knew was that all the cool kids were doing it.
The important thing to consider, though – and this is where many upcoming fitness pros miss the boat – is that I didn’t initially use any of those platforms to build my brand or market myself or use them to build some semblance of “fake experience.”
I spent years training and coaching people before any of that shit entered the equation or even mattered.
Too, I spent over a year writing to the 10 people who read my blog – for free – before I got my first break on T-Nation.
Long story short: I did the work. I worked the long hours, I trained hundreds and hundreds of people, got up early/stayed up late, and I paid my dues. The work is what helped to mold me as a professional. Not the race to accumulate friends and arbitrary “likes” and “shares”
But I also recognize I lucked out to a degree.
I was an early adopter of all those social media thingamabobbers (particularly blogging). Today I’d feel super intimidated if I were to start a blog.
Another thing I lucked out with was having Eric and Pete in my corner….and I feel they would corroborate the sentiment: me being in their corner as well.
Eric: There is only one Eric Cressey. The man is a machine and has the work ethic of a rabid rhinoceros. I don’t even know that means, but suffice it to say that it’s hard to know someone for a decade, live with them for two years, start a business, and not have some of their traits and habits rub off on you.
Pete: Part of what I feel made CSP so successful to begin with was because Pete assumed the role of “business guy” from the start. He was the one responsible for scheduling, invoicing, taking phone calls, ordering equipment, negotiating the lease, and all the other dirty work many people can’t fathom or appreciate.
This allowed Eric and I to do what we do best…..coach!
And argue over the music.
I have NO interest in opening or owning my own facility.1
I’ve spent over a decade building my own brand and a “business,” but I am in no way, shape, or form a businessman.
Ask ten young trainers/coaches what their end-goal is and I’m willing to bet 80-90% of them will raise their hand and say “to watch Tony Gentilcore train shirtless to own my own facility someday.”
It’s a respectable goal to have; albeit a lofty one.
Strength coach, Clifton Harski, has this to say on the matter (and I tend to agree):
“I would wager that over half of gym owners did it due to their own EGO and an initial goal they had when they started – which they never really thought to reevaluate over time. It seems like the next logical step for someone. However, it’s not – quite often.”
Moreover, I feel there’s an “expectation management” gap that exists when it comes to gym ownership. The expectation is that someone decides to open a gym, they buy a bunch of fancy equipment, and they think that by turning on the lights that a drove of people are just going to show up and hand over their money.
Realistically, someone will come up with the idea of opening up their own facility, buy a bunch of fancy equipment, make sure the electricity is turned on (always an important step), and then are quick to realize it’s not as much of a cake walk as they had originally planned.
(NOTE: there’s nothing I can say with regards to fitness business that Pete hasn’t discussed over on his website. I’d highly encourage you to check it out (linked to above) and thank me later)
This is what I like to call the “Commercial Gym Trainer Conundrum.”
Typically what happens is that someone who’s been working at a commercial gym for all of two weeks thinks they’re getting screwed by the man. I mean, they’re the one doing all the work, right? Yet, they’re only getting 1/3 of the cost of a training session, and the gym is just pocketing the rest. Like a bunch of a-holes.
Um, no.
The “man” is paying your health insurance, taking care of utilities, equipment upkeep and replacement, and ensuring the rent/lease is paid each month. And this doesn’t even take into account paying the salaries of any support staff – janitorial, front desk, etc – in addition to any CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges that may exist (snow removal, landscaping, building upkeep).
ALL of these will be YOUR problem the second you open up your own facility. In addition to things like lead generation, scheduling, invoicing, bookkeeping, to add on top of your coaching and programming responsibilities (which can vary depending your business model).
Oh, and the case of phantom explosive diarrhea in the bathroom…guess who’s cleaning that up?
Dean Somerset wrote an excellent article on why being a commercial gym trainer isn’t such a bad thing.
I don’t know about you, but none of that sounds fun to me. I’d rather jump into a shark’s mouth. Which is why I had to sit down and figure out what it is I wanted to do for the next 5-10 years of my life and what was going to be right fit.
I had to have a hard conversation with myself and come to the realization that I AM NOT A BUSINESSMAN.
Don’t get me wrong, I run a business – coaching, writing, this website, speaking engagements – but I don’t consider myself a businessman in the sense of having the desire to own and run a facility.
1. I’m sub-leasing in Boston at a space called Run Strong Studio. I have no overhead other than paying “rent” for the time I use, and paying for my own liability insurance (via the NSCA).
It’s the right fit for ME.
2. I did purchase around $5000 of my own equipment to get started (which I can write off for tax purposes), but I made sure to give myself a HARD AUDIT as to what I’d really need.
This is a mistake many fitness professionals make. Their eyes are often bigger than their wallets and they end up purchasing equipment that’s 1) cool and only they’ll use or 2) takes up too much space.
Think of if this way: Power rack = something everyone will use. Big, fancy leg press = not so much.
3. And speaking of taxes: GET A GOOD ACCOUNTANT!!! I’ve had the same one for five years and he’s more of less my BFF.
4. My goals at this stage in my career is to coach 20 or so hours per week, which still allows me plenty of time to keep up my writing responsibilities and allow for windows of travel for workshops.
[It’s funny: many trainers/coaches want the same scenario that I am doing right now, but fail to understand I spent 13 years coaching people and writing 1,800 blog posts and countless articles to get there.]
Could I coach more if I wanted? Yes, and, honestly, I could make more money if I did so. However, I love the freedom and autonomy I have now.
I mean, if I want to go to an afternoon matinee or, I don’t know, practice my nunchuck skills, I can.
Autonomy is sweet.
I remember reading something somewhere (<— how’s that for a citation) that many people feel happier and more fulfilled being their own boss….despite making less money.
I have to say, I concur.
5. You’re only as good as your systems.
Knowing my limitations, and after asking several colleagues, I signed up for a service called Front Desk, and it’s been spectacular.
Any peace of mind I can give myself in terms of management of money and “systemizing” things is all good in my book.
My eight years at CSP helped to prepare me (and dampen) the inevitable failures I’ll come across on my own. However, I’m a firm believer that you learn more in failure than you ever do in success.
And in the end, that’s some solid business advice.
I kid you not, as I type these words I am sitting in my apartment waiting for the delivery guys from Sleepy’s to drop off the new mattress Lisa and I bought the other night.
Not that any of you reading are in any way interested in mine and Lisa’s sleep quality2, but she’s had the same mattress for about a decade (and we’ve been together for six years), so it was time to upgrade.
We walked to the local Sleepy’s down the street from our apartment and spent a good two hours test driving a few mattresses3 and narrowed it down to the one that’s supposed to be arriving between 8-12PM today (or when hell freezes over, whichever comes first).
We’re totally going to be asleep at like 6 tonight. Can’t wait!
Last weekend marked my official “start date” for my new solo venture.4 I’m sub-leasing space from Run Strong Studio in Brookline, MA (Boston) and training people out of there. Here’s a little flavor for what it looks like:
Rebecca – the woman who owns the studio – has been awesome. She’s a doctor who trains people on the side (mostly runners) in a rehab setting. When we met for the first time in person I saw she had a copy of Gray Cook’s Movement on her desk and she also dropped a few Mike Boyle and PRI references. I knew right away she was eating at the cool kids table.
Since our first meeting to now she’s allowed me to “vomit” strength and conditioning and bring in a bunch of equipment into her space. The result is what you see above.
It’s nothing fancy pants, but it’s perfect for what I’m looking to do: coach people, write awesome programs, and make them into badasses.
The first week has gone well and I’ve already had several people perform their initial assessment and are primed to get after it. If you’re in Boston and want to check things out for yourself you can go HERE.
ALSO
As a reminder: Dean Somerset and I will be in Los Angeles (Anaheim) at CrossFit 714 for our Complete Shoulder and Hip Workshop the weekend of November 14th.
That’s in two weeks, yo. For more information you can go HERE.
[Cue obligatory “this is why Tony & Dean are the awesome” testimonial here]
“Being cynical of the workshop frenzy in our industry has made me extremely picky with how I spend my time and money with my educational efforts. Tony and Dean presented our group with simple and concise information that will be easy to implement into my business’ daily operations.
The assessments and corrective strategies that I learned this weekend will be very useful in any size setting which translates to me being able to spend more time growing my business while delivering an effective product. If you value your time and the quality of your work, this is a must-attend event.”
- Mike Connelly, owner, Rebell Strength and Conditioning, Chicago.
We like to get overly technical when it comes to the big lifts, often to the detriment of looking past other commonly made mistakes.
This was an excellent watch from Jennifer and I recommend you watch it too.
It’s articles like this as to why I consider Examine.com one of my GO TO resources for un-biased nutrition and supplementation information.
They rock.
Last week (another) major story broke reminding everyone that red-meat is going to kill us all. It happens every year, it’s nothing new, really, it’s not, and the mainstream media latches onto it and apocalizes (<– Yep, I just made up a word) it.
RUN EVERYONE. BACON IS GOING TO KILL YOU. AHHHHH……….
Deep breaths, relax, and read this.
Cressey Sports Performance business director, Pete Dupuis, explains why we waited seven years before pulling the trigger and opening a second location.
“Five more days, babe!”
“Five more days and we’ll be on our way to the airport.”
Those were the words uttered by Lisa no less than 47 seconds ago as I was sitting down to type these words. You can call it what it is:
1. Me stalling before I get to the meat and potatoes of today’s post.
Or, more to the point….
2. Just trying to rub it in a little bit that I’ll be going on vacation in a few short days. Sorry.
Needless to say, this week serves as a double-edged sword. Sure, on one side, dangling like a carrot teasing me, there’s vacation, and its promise of balmy weather, crystal clear water, all-you-can-eat-buffets (first time at an all-inclusive resort), beach, and many, many, many naps.
But before all that happens, it’s a storm of clusterf***edness from now until then trying to sew up all loose ends on programs that need to be written, deadlines for articles that need to be met, and trying to avoid all the articles online about the horrible, terrifying, and sad Malaysian Airlines disaster from this past weekend.
As someone who’s already not a huge fan of flying – I’d rank it below having a bad case of the flu, but a shade above “talking about my feelings” – these headlines aren’t doing me any favors.
Nonetheless, to start this week off here are some cool articles to check out.
Did I mention I’m going on vacation?*
I thought this was a knowledge-bomb of an article by Brian. I distinctly remember picking up my copy of the classic text Nutrient Timing by Dr. John Ivy and thinking that it was the gospel.
It was borderline sacrilegious to delay or worse, skimp out on pounding your protein shake immediately after finishing your last set. If you did fall into this camp, you’d lose all your gainz!!!!
Well come to find out, we “may” have overblown the whole post-workout anabolic window teeny tiny bit, and meal frequency may not be as big of a deal as we all have been led to believe.
In the end, it comes down to doing what works best for YOU. Not what some article tells you to do.
Answer: No!!!
I have a lot of respect for Luka. My man griiiiiiiinds, and works his tail off. And in the end, he’s been able to achieve a ton of success.
He’s not someone who talks a good game and then fails to walk the walk. He’s IN IT.
I first met Luka back in 2007 when we first opened up Cressey Performance. He came across the country to hang out with myself, Eric, and Pete for like a week to do nothing but hang out, pick our brains, train, and see what it took to start a small business from the ground up.
Fast forward to today and he’s arguably one of the most successful fitness entrepreneurs in North America. He’s built a very successful training facility in Seattle. He’s a coach, an author, a businessman, a traveller.
Recently he was impetus behind one of the most anticipated events the industry has seen in years – the Change the Game event held on Las Vegas.
Nevertheless, I highly suggest checking his stuff out. It’s heartfelt, it has passion, it doesn’t hold your hand, it’s real.
* = I’m going on vacation.
I’ve been toying around with writing a post providing tips and insight for new and upcoming trainers/coaches on how to become a better fitness professional for a while now, as I feel the ‘new class’ coming in often has an overwhelming sense of entitlement.
Not all of them, of course. But a fair share.
For some, they feel that just because they’ve spent the last four years in school and completed a few internships, they’re entitled to a killer job that has them training professional athletes eight hours a day and provides them with full benefits and a Lamborghini. Hell, throw in some stock options, too!
Sorry, hate to break it to you, it doesn’t quite work that way.
For others, they feel that all they need to do is find the perfect 15,000 sq. foot location, sign a lease, and the people will just magically appear readily handing over their money.
Again, you’re more likely to ride a unicorn to work this morning than that actually happening.
For a select few, however, they “get it,” and understand that it often takes YEARS of incessant studying, honing their craft, attending seminars and workshops, developing interpersonal relationships, building professional networks, and putting in some VERY long hours writing programs, scheduling, building a client list, and otherwise building their business (whether they’re a one-person show or part of a group or team of trainers/coaches) to become successful.
As luck would have it, Pat Rigsby dropped it like it’s hot last week, and shared some of his thoughts on the topic at his website: www.fitbusinessinsider.com.
HINT: if you’re a fitness professional and NOT subscribed to this site, you’re really missing out on a ton of FREE information that’s helped not only myself and countless others.
Rather than reinvent the wheel, I figured I’d re-post Pat’s thoughts here, and then expound of them a bit with my own musings and diatribes.
Enjoy!
If you want to become the best fitness professionals and run the best business in your area, here’s what you need to do:
You need to be studying continually. Becoming the best is a dynamic thing as every day you need to keep improving to either climb to the top or stay there. Study everything you can that will assist you in getting your clients better results.
TG: We had a staff in-service yesterday where myself and Chris Howard took all six of our interns and had them name a muscle that attached to the scapulae, as well as name an attachment point (distal or proximal), as well as name an action (as it relates to the shoulder).
Upon looking at some of their faces when put on the spot, you would think we asked them to swallow the red pill
I’m not gonna lie and say that I passed with flying colors (I held my own), but it was definitely a testament on how important it is to take it upon yourself to get better.
I’ve worked with people in the past who hadn’t picked up a book in years. YEARS!!! I can remember one instance where a male trainer I worked with a few years ago said to me during a casual conversation about attending a seminar, “I’m not going. I’ve learned all I need to know.”
He was a douche.
There are a bunch of internet jockeys out there that read enough that you’d think they could become PhDs, but reading or watching isn’t enough. You need to put what you learn into action.
TG: It seems that anyone with a digital camera and a Youtube channel can mold themselves into a fitness celebrity nowadays. In reality, for many, it’s nothing more than a facade of BS.
One of the best ways to get better is to actually take what you learn, and apply it to a real…..live……person. Unfortunately, as much as I love the internet, it seems that anyone who’s read Zatisiorky (and has 10,000 posts on some random forum) thinks they know what they’re talking about.
I’ve witnessed firsthand trainers who had all the book smarts in the world and could give Doogie Howser a run for his money, but when it came to actually coaching and applying what they learned to a real person, they were a walking ball of fail.
It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about a marketing strategy or a cue for an exercise – learning it does no good if you’re not implementing. Once you implement something, you can track the outcome and determine if you want to keep doing it or discard it. But it starts with implementation.
TG: Pigging back on my point above, what good is it to increase your knowledge base if you’re not going to use it? For some reason, there’s often a disconnect between what we read and how we apply it.
I was talking with another trainer last week who was in town for a week observing, and he mentioned how many of the coaches at the facility where he works are complacent. He reiterated to me that they were all very bright guys, but that they rarely ever implemented what they read or watched into their programming.
Using an example: he stated how they work with a lot of basketball players who, for the most part, are notorious for having poor t-spine mobility.
He suggested implementing the side lying windmill to help.
Nothing. Nada. No one listened. The worst part: many of the coaches KNOW that t-spine mobility is crucial for shoulder health (they all read the likes of Mike Robertson, Eric Cressey, Mike Boyle, Gray Cook, and maybe even myself), yet, they do nothing to implement what they learn.
I don’t get it.
Being the best requires making a commitment – it doesn’t happen by chance. You have to be willing to do the things others won’t. You have to be willing to study not just training, but business too. You have to be willing to find solutions to the things holding you back rather than settling for less. You have to decide to be better than everyone else and do what it takes to get there.
TG: This is something I wish I would have adapted sooner rather than later. Early in my career, I read nothing but t-nation, and various other websites/books/DVDs on training and nutrition. Basically if it didn’t help me attain knowledge to make people more badass, I didn’t read it.
Then, I slowly started to realize that I wasn’t really making a lot of money despite getting all of my clients results. I had NO idea how to sell myself. Worse, unlike the paperboy from Better Off Dead (arguably the best movie of the 80s), I HATED asking people for money.
It wasn’t until I started reading more books on personal development, business, behavioral economics, and the like, that things started to click.
Likewise, the sooner you realize that this industry is not just a 9-5 endeavor, the better of you’ll be.
HINT: Get up earlier.
No one gets to the top on their own. No one. Mentors, Mastermind Groups, Business Partners, Strategic Alliances – there is no faster way to get to where you want to be than to get help.
TG: I owe much of my success as a trainer and coach to people like Eric Cressey, Dr. John Berardi, Dan John, Mike Roberson, Mike Boyle, Optimus Prime, Bret Contreras, and numerous other people whom I know I’m forgetting (sorry!).
Make it a point to visit other facilities and watch other coaches. Ask for help! Better yet, help people yourself.
I’ve always been under the mindset that I’m NEVER that big of a deal that I can’t answer people’s emails. Weirdly enough, I’m always surprised when, after taking the time to respond to their email, people email me back just to say ‘thank you’ for responding.
I took it upon myself to reach out to random people early in my career – to the annoyance of a few – but more often than not, they WANTED to help. So don’t be intimidated to ask.
They provide 5 incredibly valuable things: A learning opportunity, Motivation from being around successful, dedicated peers and leaders, networking opportunities with people who can make you
better and understand where you’re at and a chance to get away from your business and work on it rather than in it.
TG: Listen to the man…..attend live events. It’s that simple.
Do those 6 things and you’ll set yourself apart from the crowd, guaranteed. I can promise you that most of your competition will never do more than 1 or 2 of those things and only a few will do as many as 3-4. Commit to doing all six and you’ll quickly be on the path to being the best.
