Didn’t we just finish talking about how Personal Training wasn’t a business?!?!

Yeah, but we’re going to shift gears and get down to BUSINESS - we’re going to talk about getting serious about fitness!

Even though this blog is about passion and lifestyle, at a certain point you’ve got to make a decision: “Are you going to be a player, or are you going to keep riding the bench?”

I got the chance to pick the brain of a lady that’s made a career of kicking trainers in the pants and reminding them to wake-up - Kelli Calabrese.

She’s someone I’ve got a tremendous amount of respect for - Kelli’s one of the top trainers and educators in the training industry who lives and breathes this thing. There’s really nothing about the business of training that she hasn’t done or experienced.

I’d like to tell you all about her industry qualifications, but that would turn this into probably my all-time-longest blog post and give me carpal tunnel’s to write, so instead you can find out for yourself at one of her sites right here: Kelli Calabrese Argyle Fitness Bootcamp (it’s also a wonderful example of how to market yourself and present your stats no matter what level you’re at as a trainer).

Looking at her resume almost makes you want to quit the business, huh?!?! But it’s clear she’s someone you’ve got to pay attention to.

So without further ado, here’s the link to the audio of our conversation:

> Kelli Calabrese Interview Audio

I’m sure listening to that clip got you thinking critically about your career. I know it did when I was talking to her.

But of course when it comes to starting a business, there’s a balance. I’m always telling trainers NOT to get too caught up in the business aspect of Personal Training in the beginning.

That’s because this business has a lot of potential at just the entry level, before you get yourself bogged down with too many business oriented tasks (major marketing, paying employees, complicated accounting, a business plan). You don’t have to think about too much business related stuff when your goal is to assemble a handful of clients you like to train and that pay you a high income.

That’s more of a personal project.

It’s built on the basics of self-discipline, competence, relationships, and mastery of your specific base of knowledge. If you noticed, that’s a lot of what Kellie was talking about.

It’s after that phase that starting a business comes into play. It’s after you have cash flow, connections, and belief in yourself. Training allows you to achieve that while you’re still at the entry level.

We’re talking about being an independent Personal Trainer of course, not slaving at a healthclub - if you haven’t dumped the gym yet, I’d get on that ASAP!

You hear this advice of developing your success characteristics along with your business from every success and financial guru out there.

A lot of people put the cart before the horse though. They start looking for investors on projects and pitching major business ideas before they’ve learned how to create value and please a single customer.

I spun my wheels for years with that kind of thinking, so don’t make the same mistake.

But once you start to achieve success on a small level, that’s when things start rolling. Look at any major success story out there, from Jay-Z to Rachel Ray, and you’ll see them parlaying a minor but still noteworthy first success into much bigger things (they both did it baking pies, incidentally!).

And it takes commitment. That’s what you see when you look at the a career of someone like Kelli - it’s the cumulative effect of action over time.

Like Kelli mentioned, she’s got several consulting projects for personal trainers that you can find out about at www.calabreseconsulting.com.

It’s fun to meet a real pro in this business isn’t it? Through Kelli’s example, I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more!

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As you already know, the The Art of the Deal was the title of the first of the series of self-promoting books by Donald Trump. In it he talks about his big deals with other major moguls and players on the New York scene.

But making deals isn’t something reserved just for people in real estate. As a Personal Trainer, it’s something you need to get good at too.

Some people might consider that “work”, but I consider it a perk. You get to deal with people of all levels as part of being a Personal Trainer. This of course makes you a much more competent and confident person. These are qualities you’ll carry for the rest of your professional life. The reality is that as a personal trainer you are a business owner, even though it’s probably only a business of one in the beginning. What’s real funny is that even though you’re “small time”, you still get to join a special fellowship.

Being a business owner of any kind puts you in the same league and brother(or sister)-hood as all other business owners. In some way you are all on the same level, sharing the understanding of the freedom and accompanying uncertainty that comes with controlling your own destiny. So dealing with other business people and forming relationships and partnerships is just a natural part of that.

It also pays big dividends in your personal life. It’s why I find that no matter what situation I go into I always end up making friends with the owner of that business. Whether it’s a gym, restaurant, lounge, or night-club. This has brought me a lot of connections with high-level people in my community, and professional connections that I’m sure will pay dividends as my career grows. When you get proactive about your training practice, you’ll experience the same effect.

Right now we’re going to go into a few of the deals and connections that need to be on the radar of an emerging trainer. If you’re looking to dump the gym, gain experience, and start an independent training practice, these are a few of the connections you need to pursue. All you need is to hit with one deal and your practice is set.

Luxury Condos

This is the type of training situation I get the most questions about because it’s one that’s worked really well for me (like I talked about in The WhistleblowerReport ). In many cases these buildings have health-clubs, and the interesting fact about that is very few of them actually have on-staff Personal Trainers. Here’s a target group of wealthy clients used to the convenience of on-site service, and there’s noone to fill the need!

The reason is that health-club management is a complex job; for that reason most of these buildings don’t go to the trouble of hiring and managing a staff of trainers. That makes them a ripe field for any trainer who can penetrate this market. It’s really an unbelievable situation when you think about it: a built in population of qualified clients, usually no gym fees, and the convenience of being able to see multiple people in one private location. The only problem is …

Getting In

If you do any online or offline marketing, getting into one of these building might just handle itself. In many cases you’ll find that as you launch an aggressive marketing campaign, you’ll get into one of these residences by accident through a new client. The key is that once you’ve penetrated this environment, it’s now your job to grow your influence and contacts in it.

Once you’re in, you can prospect and network through your existing clients, other members you meet, and the gym staff. All you need is a few clients in a location like this; once you’ve got them, you’ll be looked at as a resident specialist. You’ll be able to make an excellent living for as long as you want just from retaining existing clients and converting the trickle of new clients and referrals that come your way into new clients.

Actively Recruiting Locations

If you aren’t introduced into one of these luxury residencies by a client, then you’ll have to actively recruit them yourself. That’s slightly more difficult, but still doable and worthwhile. What you’ll need to do is set-up a meeting between you and the most senior member of the sports and leisure staff.

In this meeting, first tell them about yourself, your experience and qualifications. Get them excited about you and what you have to offer.

But the most important thing to remember in dealing with someone in this situation is what’s in it for them to help you. This type of manager is usually overworked, dealing with member questions and complaints all day. The point you want to emphasize is that you’re here to serve their member’s needs, not make a lot of money yourself. Let them know how you’ll be able to make life much easier for them by helping their residents that don’t know how to exercise to use the gym more effectively. If this gym charges for membership, let them know that you’ll be causing people to utilize the gym more frequently, which will lead to more re-signs. Let them also know they can use you as a selling point to people that are on the fence about joining the gym, worried that they won’t know what to do. Make these the key points of your meeting with the health-club manager and they should understand that this can be a win for both of you.

Bird-Dogs

When dealing with the employees of the gym like receptionist, you can emphasize a different set of benefits. These people are usually just young people working for minimum wage: all they care about is making money. For them, you can create a system where you give them a kick-back for every new client they bring you. The key here is being subtle - it’s easy to offend someone, no matter how much they make, if you make it sound like you’re bribing them or giving them a hand-out. I have a certain way I like to create these types of “bird-dogs”, as they’re referred to in consulting.

The first thing I do is attach a page to my website describing my referral policy. I have this page look like an open letter, and in a personal tone I talk in detail about how much I appreciate the effort my affiliates make in referring me to our fellow clients. For this effort, I tell them I can give them a referral fee, and you fill-in whatever amount you want right there; I myself have offered $200 for referrals. If you inform the receptionist about this policy in a friendly and respectful way, they’ll take it seriously and some will actually promote you to gym members aggressively. I’ve had these types of arrangements work for me extremely well, giving me more clients than I could handle. Make sure you can actually convert these prospects into new clients, and make sure you pay your affiliates promptly. The first time they get a big check from you, they’ll be even more thrilled to tell every member about what an excellent trainer you are.

Finding the right residential setting for you to train out of may take some time and research. You’ll first need to locate these buildings, find-out their phone numbers, and do a little detective work on the phone to find out if they allow outside trainers and who’s in charge. But the effort is worthwhile. I’ve seen trainers build an entire practice off of just one of these settings, all in one place with absolutely no overhead or marketing costs. This type of training arrangement has always been a part of my training practice and is one of the keys to the success and ease I’ve had with training.

Teaming With Other Health Professionals

Speaking of “bird-dogs”, it’s only natural to extend this type of relationship to other people that can bring you qualified leads. This naturally extends to other Health Professionals. They have two things in common with you: they’re around people that actively consume health and fitness services, and just like you, they’re looking to grow their businesses.

But it’s not all roses – interestingly, for trainers these kinds of deals rarely go anywhere. You’ve probably already tried this yourself and realized that these relationships don’t bring in too many qualified prospects. We need to change that.

The key is to put some stronger bait on the hook - we’re talking about money. Offering them a very strong cash incentive to bring you clients is what you need to do. Follow the same technique I mentioned earlier, with a hidden page on your website that you’ll e-mail as a link to your associates. Again, on this page describe how much you appreciate the confidence these professionals are showing in you by recommending you to their clients, and mention respectfully how you’re willing to reward them for doing so. Most of these professionals won’t have a problem accepting money for something they’d do willingly anyway.

You might find it funny to send back cash in these types of joint ventures; isn’t sending back referrals enough? In the case of Personal Training it’s not, and that’s because of our volume of clients. The nature of our business causes us to have a much smaller client load than say a masseuse or nutritionist. Our clients see us several times a week, so we usually have a much smaller roster of clients. These other professionals clients’ may come to see them once every few months, so they need a high volume of clients to remain viable. If they’re good at what they do, they’ll have many more clients than you and the relationship of trading referrals won’t be in their favor. That’s why these relationships rarely go anywhere for trainers, because the other person knows it’s going to be one-sided. By giving a large cash incentive, we make it worthwhile for the other person to actively refer us to their clients. In the small amount of time it takes to mention you or hand-out your business card to a customer, they can earn a few hundred dollars.

How much should you offer as a finding fee in a joint venture agreement? That depends on how much you charge. In my case, I have a very easy way of figuring this out. I bring new customers into my sales funnel using a three-session introductory package. What I do is make my finding fee the exact price of the intro-pack; depending on what I charge in those first three session, that’s what I’ll give. If you have this arrangement with a few health businesses, you’ll slowly see the leads start to come in.

The only major pitfall with this type of arrangement is that the clients you get might not be the kind you’re looking for. The people that seek out health services usually have health problems or disabilities, which don’t make them ideal Personal Training clients in a lot of cases. I had one deal with a very busy healing arts center go bad because although they sent me a ton of leads, I couldn’t accept a single one!

Business Referral Groups

As a side note, joining your local chapter of BNI may be a good idea to bring in leads. BNI is a business referral group of professionals in different industries that meets to pass out referrals. They meet every two weeks for one hour, usually at 7am, and pass out referrals among each other. I personally don’t like waking up that early, so my attendance didn’t last long.

There are usually a few chapters open in every area, so before you join find one that is already strong or that’s growing and has motivated members; you can always attend one meeting for free. Once you’re accepted, make sure you’re an active contributor and do your best to bring the other members referrals. It’s a good idea to learn how to contribute value to others; not only your clients but your fellow professionals as well. At the very least let them all know that you’ve linked to them on your website.

The benefit to you is that many of these BNI members are high earning professionals, and they know many more people like themselves. This can quickly turn into a good resource for strong prospects. I myself didn’t hang in long enough to get more clients, but I know other professionals that have done really well here.

Teaming With a Private Gym

Teaming with a private gym is probably my favorite model; it’s the one where I gained the most experience and learned from the most. I always feel that Personal Training is more than just a profession for us - it’s also a vehicle for us to meet people, to learn about ourselves, and to reach our full potential. In a health club, you’ll get many, many chances to practice your sales skills, have interactions with different types of people, and deal with the social pressure of a public environment. And it’s different when you’re an independent trainer in one of these environments than if you were a gym employee - you have a lot more to own up to.

Set-Up

What does it mean to have an arrangement with a private gym? It means making an exclusive training deal with a gym that is privately owned. The big chain gyms like Bally’s have their own staff trainers and of course don’t allow outside trainers to work there under any circumstance. However, any gym not corporately owned is up for grabs for a private training agreement. This goes for the big franchises like Gold’s and Powerhouse which are privately owned, large chain gyms with dozens of locations like Dolphin Fitness Clubs, to small private gyms owned by a couple of friends or family members. I’ve personally made successful exclusive training agreements with all three types, and none of them was difficult to negotiate or implement. These also include the franchise health-clubs, private chains, and the mom-and-pop gyms. You can usually negotiate a much better percentage agreement, have much more freedom, and charge whatever you want in these locations. You’ll have freedom over your practice, a captive audience of potential clients, and the benefit of having a solid home-base.

Making these deals is surprisingly easy; that’s because it’s always an interesting group of people that decide to open gyms like this. They’re not always cut out for the nuts and bolts of all the aspects of health club management, especially Personal Training. Training isn’t like any other service, and that’s why no matter how smart or competent these health-club owners may be, they can never really grasp all the nuances of running a training department. Sure, selling memberships and smoothies is easy – you can use the same sales model as any other commodity or food product. But selling a private consulting service like Personal Training is a completely different proposition. What you’ll find is most private health club operators have long since given up on depending on Personal Training as a major revenue earner. They just offer it as an afterthought, either through independent trainers or a gym employee.

This is where a Top-Level Trainer can jump right in. Showing these health club owners what’s possible with their training offerings is a way that you can negotiate a great deal for yourself. Even the independent trainers that these gyms hire are really bad; they’re usually losers that got certified 10 years ago and work about 5 hours a week for the lowest rates in the industry. With the things you learn on this site, you should be able to make a compelling offer to the gym owner and easily blow out any competitor you come across.

The important thing to negotiate here is the percentage agreement with the health-club owner. You should look for an 80:20 breakdown or a low rent proposition that allows you an even better percentage. You need to keep this arrangement as favorable to you as possible not only for the obvious reason that you want to keep your money, but also because you’ll have some overhead costs in terms of promotional materials and other expenses. For that reason, anything worse than 70:30 is not really worth your time – you’ll find that with your overhead costs, things start to break down. And don’t come in to one of these arrangements in a needy frame or you’ll get taken to the cleaners. Demonstrate that you’re a competent, in demand professional. And remind the facility owner you’re talking to that your overhead costs as a trainer are high. Not only that, but you should also look for perks in this type of exclusive arrangement, like office space to work and conduct client consultations out of, and a lot of freedom when it comes to marketing. This isn’t asking too much when you consider that the gym owner earns a pure 20-25% profit on all the training sold without any of the headaches, and gets the added prestige and new member sign-ups from having a trainer like you training out of their facility. Read the marketing report that’s part of the Whistleblower for ideas on how to market yourself in one of these situations and turn it into a big money earner. Having these marketing materials in hand will also help you create a very strong proposal to the gym owner. And once you’re in one of these gyms, make bird-dogs out of all the staff - get them working for you!

One thing to look out for is standing your ground and always enforcing your independence in any training situation or partnership you enter. If the gym owner starts to think of you as an employee, you’re finished.

Keep In Touch

Once these relationships with gym employees and other professionals are formed, that’s not the end of the story; you have to nurture them, or they’ll never bring you any fruit. You need to stay in constant contact with every new affiliate you bring on your team.

• Send them emails keeping them up to date on what’s happening in your business

• Subscribe them to your blog

• Send them holiday greeting cards

• Invite them to big parties that you, your friends, or other clients might be throwing.
• Buy lunch for the staff on major holidays
• Learn to treat people good

You want them to keep you in the back of their mind, so that when the right time comes, they’ll say “Hey, I know a Personal Trainer that can help you!”. Most people that you take care of will be able to bring you at least 1 to 2 qualified, high-level clients a year. Doesn’t sound like much but remember this: a high-level client is worth at least $10,000 a year to you. But these types of relationships take only about 3-4 hours to create and maintain a year: that’s a tremendous return on investment of your time. If you get really good at it, you’ll eventually have so many prospects, many of which will be potential high value clients, that you won’t be able to serve them all. You can then further raise your rates, hire an assistant to help you serve your clients, or even explore the possibility of opening your own training studio (less expensive than you think).

Old World

With your marketing, relationship building, and even your training techniques, you’ll find training is very much a return to the “old world”. It’s based on integrity, treating people well, and what you can do for them. There’s a tremendous interpersonal element to it. This career isn’t as simple as applying for a job and letting an employer tell you what to do. You’ve got to be self-directed and a little ambitious. Trainers make $100 an hour, give or take, correct? Your goals should be to get to clients that can pay you that, or create this income in a situation where you keep all or nearly all of the money, and also have the leverage of time and work situation that keeps the job fresh and enjoyable for you.

Remember, just a single one of these deals can bring you a steady stream of clients, create a successful training practice, and launch your training career. But you may need to use a few of them until you get a client roster you’re happy with.

So get used to it - this is one of the big things training did for me. It got me in front of other important, powerful, and successful people and taught me how to talk and negotiate with them. You just have to keep working and tweaking things until you get the breakthrough level that every experienced trainer can tell you about - that’s when you go from striving for the best clients and your desired income level, to where you don’t want or can’t handle any more. Good luck!

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But that’s NOTHING - my guest today is a guy who in a few short years has gone from a new-b in the fitness industry to a major book deal, a tremendous fitness career, and friends with some of the top people in the business. All that at only 23 years old …

I’m talking about Nate Green. If your familiar with his career you know he’s never been afraid to think out of the box, go the extra mile for a new opportunity, and just be himself without worrying about who cares.

I wanted to get him on here to talk about his whirlwind career course and what he’s got cooking next. Watching him in action is an exercise in self-promotion, networking, marketing, and upward mobility. He’s someone we all need to pay attention to as an example of what’s possible.

Here’s the transcript of my convo with Nate, and you can find some more commentary on the subject afterwards.

Whatsup Nate - From looking at everything you’ve accomplished in the industry at such a young age and short time, marketing and self-promotion seem to have been a driving force in your career. This is really interesting because way too many fitness professionals put this on the back burner and expect their marketing to just happen on it’s own - can you talk about that?

I agree with you; most don’t understand how important “marketing and self promotion” are to overall success in their fitness businesses. However, I think there are two distinct points often overlooked from non-marketers and ambitious people, alike:

1. You absolutely must be credible and good at what you do before you unveil your “brand” to your customers and fans. No wannabes allowed.

2. You have to understand that marketing is merely drawing people’s attention to your core values, your habits, your work ethic - everything that encompasses you - projected by what you do, what you say, who you meet, what you stand for, and if you continue to act congruently with that message.

“What I mean by that last point is simple: while you can dupe yourself, you can’t pull a fast one on others. They’ll notice if your message doesn’t “fit” with you.”

Don’t write an e-book about fat loss if you’ve never really produced results with actual people. Don’t try to write about physical therapy issues if you’ve only read an entry-level text about rehabilitation. And make sure to keep your charisma, your innocence, your wit, your sense of humor (whatever it may be), your arrogance, your whatever. Don’t be afraid to show who you are and what you stand for. And if you’re in a position where you can’t express yourself the way you like, I’d suggest figuring out a new career path.

I write about looking good naked, weight-training, girls, bourbon, travel, cigars, sex, steak dinners, Testosterone, and close friends and family. I’m not trying to re-write the basics of exercise physiology. And I never have to use the word “tummy.”

Yes, very true - that marketing must be grounded in reality. I don’t know why, but a lot of trainers are looking to make the jump before they’ve even developed a specialty, learned to deliver value to clients, or earned a stable income from fitness. Speaking of Personal Training, you’ve stepped away from the career for a little while - do you plan on going back?

Currently, no. While I loved training, I owned my own private studio and was actively training clients for the past four years, I realized how exhausting it was for me and how unmotivated I felt.

Now, that certainly wasn’t always the case. I had an amazing “job” and a great group of clients, but I started to lose my passion for my own fitness and health.

I was sulking through workouts, getting less than six hours of sleep, eating at random times, and succumbing to time-famine, causing my social life to sputter.

Does everyone in the fitness industry feel that way? Of course not. There are some who love to train one on one or in small groups; I prefer to speak to a different audience and help them through media, whether my blog, my articles, or my book.

Haha - you don’t have to sell me on that one- me and a lot of trainers are in or have gone through the same situation. Burn-out’s the mortal enemy for any ambitious Personal Trainer. Yeah, you mentioned the media - you’ve moved on to the role as a Journalist now with your job at Testosterone magazine - how did that happen and how’s it coming along?

Honestly, I was a journalist before I ever was a fitness professional; I’ve just combined the two.

A lot of people thought I just fell into my writing career: “It must just be who he knows!” some say. But I’ve always wanted to write. Personal training was a means to an end – a way for me to find out what inspired me and how I could share my idea of the ideal fitness and lifestyle with others.

When I was a junior in high school, I covered sports for my hometown weekly newspaper. I was the editor of my high school newspaper. I wrote for a handful of local publications before I ever had the opportunity to submit to a big magazine. And when I contributed to those magazines – namely, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Maximum Fitness, STACK and T-Nation.com – I was still training clients.

Fast-forward to last winter and I got my first book deal. Skip ahead to this summer, and I accepted a full time position as a contributing editor to Testosterone (T-Nation.com), leaving my training studio in the hands of my business partner. It definitely wasn’t planned out, but it wasn’t out of left field, either. They say “luck” is when opportunity meets preparation. I believe that.

You mentioned the people you know in this industry, and it’s a pretty impressive list. You maintain a social and professional circle of some of the top dogs. What’s the importance of networking in fitness?

It’s as important as networking in any situation. It’s how you get your foot in the door. It’s how you start word-of-mouth chatter, rumors (both good and bad), and cement yourself in the minds of others.

But remember, you must be good at what you do before you try to get “fast-tracked.” You don’t want to arrive at the top of the world to be reminded your skills are lagging way f*cking behind.

“Be honest, interesting, and humble. Be intriguing. Listen. Surprise them.”

Lou Schuler, my editor and good friend, once wrote me that at a certain point in your career, your experience and contacts will speak for themselves. Nobody will be talking if you haven’t introduced yourself, though.

Yeah that’s a good point - speaking of contacts, I checked your Flickr and noticed you recently met someone you’ve admired for some time, Tim Ferris, author of the best seller The Four Hour Workweek which is a really good book I’ve mentioned a bunch of times on the blog - what was that like?

Yeah Tim’s a friend. His book helped me straighten some things out and for that I am incredibly grateful.

He actually contacted me earlier this year and asked to see more of my writing after reading a post I left on his blog. We’ve been in touch ever since. That picture was just our first face-to-face meeting.

And speaking of blogs, you’ve got a great one - everyone can find it here: thenategreenexperience.com. We’ve never met, but from reading your blog I get the feeling you’re a real high energy guy, but you also value peace and serenity - what’s your view on life?

High energy? Really? I should print that out and show it to my mom who calls me a “grandpa.”

I work effectively. I keep myself entertained. I have an amazing circle of friends and a very inspiring family. I love the company I work for – their mission and values are very aligned with my own. I value my health. I like to lift heavy shit. I enjoy looking good. I like bourbon, green tea, cigars, glazed doughnuts, Coke Zero, and helping people.

I have diversity and routine at the same time. That’s the “secret”, I think. It keeps me sane, at least.

It’s obvious you place a high priority on your lifestyle - I think people don’t put enough importance on this, and then end-up very disappointed even if they do achieve their goals. Is your lifestyle your first priority?

Absolutely. You and I only have a small, precious amount of time. We need to have the ability—the courage—to do what we want, when we want. We need to outline our “perfect life” and work like hell to reach it.

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So that’s it - you heard it from the man himself. Looks like Nate’s message is clear - that all of the networking, self-promotion, or marketing in the world won’t help unless it’s based on a strong foundation. Good thing we’re all Personal Trainers, which allows us to set up this proper career ground work in probably the most natural way known to man.

And back to the subject of self-promotion, you’ve probably noticed we’ve been talking a lot about it lately - it’s been a subject on a lot of newsletters, recent blog posts, and is really what we deal with in the services you get here.

That’s because looking at yourself as an “individual” is such a vital part to proceeding in the industry. Not as a worker, not as faceless commodity, not as a business in an ivory tower. As an individual - a three dimensional person with interests, a personality, and a life. Your fitness career is an extension of your individuality.

If you’re just starting out that might not make sense because you haven’t explored it yet - and if you’re a vet in this biz, you may be so caught up in your grind that you’ve lost touch with it. I felt both those ranges of emotions at times, as you well know. We all toe this line in some way. It’s actually a small percentage of trainer’s that get it, and we see them skyrocket to big things in the industry - Nate’s in that minority.

In getting published in big-name national magazines and getting his own major book deal, Nate’s an example of how to get your name out there. This personal marketing has a snowballing effect - it leads to more opportunities, which then lead to more success.

Whether it comes to succeeding right now, expanding your current training practice, mixing up your services, or even going into a totally different area of the profession like Nate’s done, it’s going be based on the identity you’ve created .

I’m a big believer in this because it was this idea that flipped the switch in my short training career. When I stopped being a moocher off of my clients, and instead became a value giver things totally changed. It was when I realized I was entitled to live the life I wanted and earn the money, own the things, and do the things that everyone else had. That distinction made me a much better trainer as well. That’s the “secret” like we’ve talked about before. That’s something that goes beyond Personal Training.

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Nate’s new book is called BUILT FOR SHOW: Four Body-Changing Workouts for Building Muscle, Losing Fat, and Looking Good Enough to Hook Up - great title huh? I love the idea and I’m sure it’s going to do really well.

It comes out November 20, but you can pre-order the book now on Amazon. It’s available for $13.57, and just email Nate your confirmation receipt (nate@thenategreenexperience.com) and as a gift he’ll email you a 14-page report on networking, marketing, and “being discovered”, along with giving you the opportunity to directly email him with any two questions you may have about fitness, marketing, writing, or training.

It should be a really cool book, and a chance to get some more info from a guy on the inside of the industry - spread the word and help push his book to the bestseller list!

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Well I’m here to say it’s not a business - calling it one really misses the point. If you’ve been having trouble with long hours, a lack of money, or low satisfaction, this might be where you’re getting it twisted.

At the basic level, this industry has different rules. When it comes down to an intangible product changing hands, it’s not as easy as just calling it a business.

Believe me, I tried that and went down that road. I tried to milk every possible dollar out of being a trainer early in my career – I read the business books, went to the sales conferences, was committed to working 16 hour days, and all of that.

Didn’t work – with training you can’t think of it like that – customers can see right through it.

You can’t over business-ify this thing, at least not in the beginning. Many otherwise smart and committed trainers make this mistake and then stand around really puzzled like “what happened”?

Becoming an independent trainer doesn’t mean starting a business, it just means understanding some correct principles and implementing a few smart practices. You can’t start thinking about being a “big business” until you can attract and maintain a roster of high-level clients that you like to train for an amount of money and number of hours that works for you.

Learning to inspire people also comes first - having the confidence in yourself to tell others what’s right for them and what to do, and them having the confidence in you to listen.

If you’re already a trainer you know it’s the experience of training that we’re all selling. It’s not just the knowledge, it’s the intangibles. It’s the human element that allows you to take -off.

And achieving that initial measure of success gives you the confidence to lead others down that same road - what I mean is hiring assistants and employees. Sure you can decide to be a boss at any point, but are you the kind that your employees respect, or just roll their eyes at behind your back. We’ve all had one of those.

You don’t have to be Martin Luther King – you’ve just got to gain mastery with your work and yourself at a very basic level.

A business is only a means to an end – it’s a way to meet the financial objectives for everyone involved. But there’s a human element behind it – it never comes down to products, services, or systems – it always comes down to people.

Training is a way for you to become that person - to be more of who you really are. It’s a growth and learning process, and you learn a lot of important business lessons along the way:

• What makes a product sell?
  
• What are customers looking for?
  
• How do you sell effectively?
  
• What are the personal characteristics that lead to success?

Money doesn’t come until you learn and understand these things.

Most people are afraid to learn these lessons – they want to hide behind the business aspect of training. You’ve seen these trainers – you can hardly find a picture or description of them on their own websites, even though they’re the only employee!

People identify with the individual, so don’t hide behind a facade; in fitness you’re not allowed to do that.

For example …

They’re called celebrity trainers, not celebrity training businesses; even the top training studios are named after the founder.

Other professions allow you to hide, but not training.

In the medical profession, people never look forward to seeing their doctor, they only go when they need to. And the deciding factors on who they pick is who’s available locally, covered by their insurance, or has the best degree or the most experience. It’s usually not any personal characteristics of the person delivering the service.

Personal Training isn’t judged in the same way. Fitness training isn’t a necessity in the same way medicine is (or claims to be). Except for extremes where a client medically needs to lose weight, it’s a luxury. My clients all come to me for an aesthetic reason – it’s a luxury for them to pay to look outstanding and get personal attention.

They pick you for you – for what you have to offer:

– because they feel comfortable with you

– they perceive a high value for the money they’re paying

– they feel they can trust you

– they feel good around you

– you create a positive training experience

To be judged on these terms is kind of scary but liberating at the same time. It means you control your own destiny – nothing guarantees that you’ll get clients except whether you can bring all of this to the table.

Unlike getting a job, where as long as you’re a busy worker bee you’ll be able to keep it and can depend on your check every two weeks (or so you think), training is up to you.

So we just talked about how Personal Training isn’t a business –

But …

Training can teach you to be a businessperson -

It can be an excellent way to make money – dare we say, it can even be an “easy” way to make money. I know that might have just triggered your scam radar, because all day we’re hit with every kind of crazy business start-up idea …

Things like selling books on the web, flipping real estate, or having a garage sale on ebay –

Those could very well be easy ways to make money – I know of people that do make money “easily” in each of those fields.

But everyone is “different” – no one is better or worse, just different. Learning to do anything new well, to a point where you can earn six-figures, will take time and work.

Earning six-figures in any of these businesses is difficult – the people on top selling the stuff say it’s easy. But ask the people that are really in it, and they’ll tell you that the road to that “six figure” number wasn’t as easy as advertised.

But training is something different – it has a few unique rules just by the nature of it: the type of product it is (intangible), the way you sell it, and the way you reach clients.

And what’s most interesting is that if you’re a fitness enthusiast, you’ve done most of the work already -

- If you’re already work out regularly, learning and mastering this profession is easy

- If you have a passion for it, teaching it is easy

- You only need about a dozen or so clients, so the marketing is simple

- The need for training has been built into our national (and largely international) consciousness

I’m not selling a dream here – if you’re like me, you just need a reminder of some of these facts every now and then.

Anyone can make money in training. Go independent, go hard, provide outstanding service, and tweak the process. Have fun with it, and above all live and breath fitness.

That’s as simple as the business of training needs to be in the beginning – you don’t need a business plan, marketing strategy, or any of that. Without any of that, you can get to a level of success and income in fewer hours doing easier work than most people will believe.

You don’t need to think about the business end; over time, it’ll just kind of happen to you – you’ll need to get things straightened out with how you’re set-up, you’ll need to get and maintain a website, you’ll need to learn a lot of little marketing things.

And just as human nature dictates, you’ll get the hunger for more – it’s natural – and this should all happen faster than any business school or planning process would ever be able to prepare you for. It’s real world schooling, which is the most valuable type.

That’s why training is so great – it’s a small business, but that business is just you for the most part. It’s like playing with house money …

It’s about customer service, but there are just a few customers.

It’s a job, but it’s an easy one.

It’s a career, but it’s flexible – you control it’s course.

So don’t get too caught up with the business part right now – you’ve got much more important stuff to handle first!

Because until you understand yourself and your strengths and interests, what customers consider value, the personal skills that lead to success, or the critical factors that makes a product or service succeed, you’re going to have a hard time starting a business that serves you. I just hope you don’t lose a lot of good years of your life and money before you figure this out.

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I usually save rambling like this for the newsletter, but I’ve been getting this type of question from readers lately, and I think it was important to revisit the motivation behind Top-Level Training. It’s simple, once you’ve got the mindset down.

And I’m also getting you ready for a new post I have coming up with a person big on the business end of Personal Training – Kelli Calbrese. With her we’ll really look at and learn about the business end of it.

Look out for that one - and if you’re a solo trainer, stop thinking big business for a minute – get the basics handled, and that’ll come soon enough!

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But the luxury services market isn’t doing too good now is it? You could either be living under a rock or in complete denial like me, but you should know that our country and pretty much the entire world is going through an economic crisis. If you believe all the negative press, it won’t be long before garbage bags and straw hats are the highest fashion people can afford!

SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW THAT THE ECONOMY IS IN THE TOILET?

What happens to us as trainers, that sell this luxury service to a high-end market with the goal of crafting an empowering, comfortable, and appealing lifestyle for ourselves?

That’s exactly the subject that was tackled in a recent article of the popular gossip and high-end living mag, PAGE SIX MAGAZINE, that comes in THE NEW YORK POST.

I’ve avoided the subject of the recession until now for two reasons - one because I don’t want to add more fuel to the fire. Most experts agree that most of the damage in an economic downturn is not from the lost money itself, but the panic surrounding it that impacts people’s spending and investing habits. This is what does a lot of the damage.

And secondly because to tell you truth, I don’t completely understand the full series of events that got us into this mess. Although I’ve had CNN on nonstop because of the entertaining and important election and the economic mess, I’m usually very anti-news. I think most people know more about the lives and events of people and things over which they have no control than their own families.

When I do watch and read it’s for fun and relaxation. And although it’s almost entirely a chick’s mag, there’s always good news about what’s hot now in New York in Page Six. I’ve talked about Page Six Magazine before in the Newsletter - they make a reference to Personal Training in almost every issue and paint the profession in a very positive positive light as an essential part of the New York lifestyle.

Well in a recent issue they devoted an entire article to Personal Training and the fitness industry, talking about how the economic fallout’s been bad for everyone involved. It looked at the problem mostly from the client’s perspective, basically saying without money, your body is fu__ed. They also interviewed a few trainers about their recent drop in business.

What’s more scary is the article was written waaaaaay back in the Aug. 3 issue - A LOT has happened since then!

It was called Is the economy making us FAT! - and the sub-head was even more funny:

Gym addicted urbanites are wondering what to do now that they can’t afford personal trainers. The answer isn’t pretty.

It was a funny piece and you can find it here.

This was not a happy article, going into the “hard time” people are having with affording their healthy food, trainers, and not to mention the stress-induced eating that’s a result. In spite of that, this actually turned out to be very good media coverage for the industry. When you read an article like this you get a feeling for what people think of us, and in the general media it’s a feeling of neccesity and admiration.

The only subject matter this mag usually talks about is the millionaire socialite scene, decorating your million dollar condo, and the most exclusive clubs and hottest restaurants in the city. Just like you’d expect in a New York gossip magazine, it’s celebrity, fashion, and sex obsessed.

That’s why I find all the attention they give to TRAINING flattering, especially with this article. They point out how Personal Training is the only way to work-out and that group classes or training on your own are a weak substitute.

A quote from one New Yorker hit by the crunch went like this:

“Spending $1,000 a month on a trainer was no longer a luxury I could afford.” So, in order to maintain her weight she’s forsaken one-on-one attention for crowded gym classes …”.

Makes group training sound worse than an imitation Gucci bag!

This is good news - that training is looked as such an essential and valuable service by our target market. Like we already know you only need about a dozen such clients to run a thriving six-figure (in cash, not just gross sales) training practice. And like me and every other trainer that caters to this market will tell you, they are hugely underserved and there’s plenty of room for more smart trainers.

This flys in the face of all of the people in the fitness industry warning Personal Training is on it’s way out. What this article pointed out is a fact that I didn’t consciously realize until now - that the general public views Personal Training as a more prestigious way to train, and there’s a certain amount of status associated with it. It didn’t hit me until I read the article, but that’s the way that a lot of my clients view their sessions and my services - as a well-deserved luxury and a sign of success. Here’s another choice quote:

In New York - where money is everything, and vainty isn’t far behind - there’s such a shame asssociated with no longer being able to afford one-on-one sessions that clients are willing to lie about the real reasons behind their disappearance.

Haha - call me Polyanna for trying to pull the positive out of bad news like that, but if you read between the lines you’ll see the good in it. While obviously it’s not such good news if our clients can’t afford sessions, it’s assuring to know that one-on-one is still considered the gold standard.

Most of the rest of the article was talking about some real negatives (albeit in a funny way), about how this crisis is affecting our wallets, running through a list of a half dozen trainers talking about how they’re seeing clients cut back on their training and think of excuses to get out of their regimens.

What wasn’t discussed or questioned at all however is why Personal Training costs so much. There’s wasn’t any questioning of why it costs at least $1,000 a month to hire a trainer, and there’s never a hint of price sensitivity over the high prices for Personal Training. It’s considered a justified expense as can be summed up in another quote:

“I know I shouldn’t do this, but I’m considering charging a $2,500 personal trainng package on a credit card. I think being fat is probably worse than being in debt.”

If you’re a trainer that’s ever had a hard time closing a training package sale at a health-club, I bet you wish you could pull out that line!

It’s probably bad for me to laugh at our client’s expense, but articles like this are very healthy for us as trainers. Like I said, there’s a positive reference to training in every issue of Page Six. This is special because if you know the POST, you know they point a very hard, stringent New York eye on everything. It’s very hard for anyone or anything to pass their litmus test.

As a matter of fact, I’d have to say ALL of the coverage I’ve seen in major publications have all painted training in a positive light. This one reminded me of an article in last year’s GQ that talked about the special and sometimes strange relationship between men and their trainers (that one was real good and I’ll try to dig it up).

And we all know Men’s Journal posts their list of the top 100 Personal Trainers in America every year; implied in that is a healthy dose of respect and acknowledgment of how essential a service this is.

That’s how the general public paints the profession. Yeah, there are a lot of negative stories, but funny enough, they all come from within the industry!

Almost every single negative story about Personal Training I’ve read has been from within the industry. They’ve been fueled by a negative press release from a trainer looking to promote some educational program or something they have coming out. Or it might be a trainer looking to paint all trainers as stupid and incompetent in order to play up their own credentials or whatever. This negativity is usually over money frustration.

If they focused on emphasizing the positives of what they have to offer, and learning better ways to get money for their talents and services instead of just putting everyone else down, they might get the result they’re looking for. I rarely get worried about their being unqualified trainers out there - it just makes it much easier for me to stand out and dominate. Some trainers complain that these guys are bringing down the industry as a whole but as I’ve pointed out, it doesn’t seem like our image is suffering in the slightest.

So if you’re a trainer putting out or posting these negative stories, please cut it out!

That’ll just leave more positive stories about the industry, which is what we need. Like any experienced trainer will tell you, there’s no need for competition among trainers. We aren’t marketing international products to millions of people with billions of dollars on the line. We’re selling a personal service to give ourselves a fun and appealing lifestyle, and a sense of control over our futures. This is the reason why anyone goes into any corporate job, but as fitness enthusiasts and trainers, we’re one of the rare groups that can actually achieve it.

Leaving the topic of the industry’s image alone for a little while and getting back to the economy, this article also highlights why it’s so imortant for trainers to target the highest-end of the population with their services. The importance or price of training isn’t questioned by them at all; they’re just looking for a good trainer to give the money to. This allows you to relax, have a strong sense of security, and not have to worry about where your next check is coming from.

But like this article points out that won’t help when a recession hits. It’s the high-end market who’s fitness consumption is suffering and the trainers are getting hit as a result. Maybe they’re trying to start a panic among us?!?

I luckily haven’t lost a single client yet. I do have several clients in the financial sector, and others in fields like hotels and retail that get hit bad during economic downturns. But they’ve all decided to cut back other places while still maintaining their all important training sessions. Doug Murphy’s reported that he has lost a handful of clients though, so no one’s safe.

The only way to recession-proof yourself as a trainer is to get to the head of the pack. When there’s a famine, the big wolf will still get his choice of food, so you’ve just got to make sure you’re in that spot.

I’ll just keep my fingers crossed that I don’t get hit, ’cause God knows I’ve been spending enough to do my part to keep the economy afloat!!!

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It was from a Super-Trainer reader who had just read The Whistleblower Report. He said it’s the most influential thing he’s ever read, just behind THINK AND GROW RICH by Napolean Hill.

Haha! Do you believe that? It’s true I poured my heart into that report, but putting it in the same league as the greatest success book of all time? That was high praise to say the least!

It also caused me to dig up my copy and give it another read. Among the many absolute gems of wisdom contained in those pages was a message I found especially relevant to us as Personal Trainers. Napoleon Hill pointed out how some of the greatest success stories of all time are built on the sale of Personal Services - here’s how he put it:

“It should be encouraging to know that practically all great fortunes began in the form of compensation for personal services, or from the sale of ideas. What else, except ideas and personal services, would one not possessed of property have to give in return for riches?”

Powerful huh? Notice he said practically all. And that make sense, because no matter who you are or where you are, your own personal service is a way you can immediately pump value into the world around you and earn money for it. You don’t need any raw materials, stock, or inventory when you begin; it’s just you. You could be sitting in a basement somewhere without a college degree, work experience, or money, and be able to immediately earn money for your thoughts and services alone.

This highlights how the value of a training session is largely an intangible thing. Personal trainers charge anywhere from $20 to $1,000 a session, but there’s never a physical product they sell, unlike a $5,000 Hyundai and a $350,000 Maybach, which have many obvious physical differences between them (although the Maybach’s price is still largely psychic value).

It all comes down to how you sell it, which Napoleon Hill goes on to talk about in detail in that chapter. He talks about presenting your services in the most positive light to make sure you get the maximum return (money) for them. That’s known as marketing. He goes into detail that this element is more important than the services or ideas themselves.

For us as trainers, this plays out in the ways you bring value to your sessions and communicate this value to others through your marketing.

- It’s not what you know, but how you communicate what you know to your potential customers.

- And it’s not the results, but the quality of the training experience that your clients enjoys.

It also stands out how the most exhaustively researched success book of all time points out the fact that you can get started in a high earning career without jumping through the hoops most think are mandatory. This flys in the face of conventional social conditioning. Most people, and even most trainers, give importance to only the technical aspects of training. These are usually the people having the hardest time earning suitable money for their effort, and not having any fun doing it!

It’s true technical skill is important, but Hill points out how technical knowledge is the cheapest to purchase in our society. It’s the ability to bring it together into something more valuable that improves the lives of people that you get paid for.

Those are just among the many amazing points made in the book. We could talk all day about the valuable info in it, but that’ s a little outside of the bounds of this blog. This blog’s about becoming a six-figure trainer, personal growth, time-leverage, and living a fun and dynamic life; Think and Grow Rich deals with stories of huge fortunes and people like Andrew Carnegie. Sure we’d all love to get there some day, but let’s get the basics handled first.

It was originally published in 1937 so it’s a little dated, but it still reads WORLDS better than anything else in the genre. Sure he recommends some weird stuff in there, like how he used to talk to famous dead people like Abraham Lincoln and Napolean every night. I’m not really too much into imaginary friends, but everything else in the book was very powerful.

I also own the audio-book version, which I find is easier to get through and more impactful, with the narrator kind of lecturing the important points to you and making sure you get them. You can find it unabridged and dirt cheap right here.

When I first read it years ago, I was lost and without a plan, and the book wasn’t to useful for me. When I read it now it’s extremely motivating and mind-expanding. I guess that’s why it goes so well with The Whistelblower Report, because if you do have something you’re passionate about and focused on, this book is like gasoline to a fire.

Yeah I know, recommending a 70 year old book isn’t typically what you’re looking for when searching blogs for useful info - I promise to have something more cutting edge for you next time!

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And I certainly found it (Top-Level Training, not porn) in the training practice of Southern California’s Kettlebell Queen, Lauren Brooks Miller.

Like I always talk about on the blog, I didn’t invent this thing; I learned and applied it through observing the trainers that got it right. Lauren is just such a trainer. She’s put it all together into a practice that fits her interests, training, lifestyle, and career goals. It’s pumping on all cynlinders, and is a clear example of what an ideal training practice should be like, and the continuity that every Personal Trainer should be building toward.

Lauren was oh so nice to come on and talk about what she does and how she does it:

Hey Lauren! I wanted you on Super-Trainer because it’s obvious you take fitness seriously and you do a lot of things right - you’ve crafted a specialty that you’re known for, are an avid blogger, and have expanded into other ways to reach people and earn money such as DVDs and live workshops - was this all by design?

I’m always preaching the importance for trainers to develop a specialty - with kettlebells you’ve done exactly that. How did you discover kettlebell training and when did you make it the focus of your training program?

I had seen a couple of my strong male friends using them from time to time. I was very curious. Then I had an opportunity to go to a kettlebell workshop for trainers. The gym I was working for at the time needed a volunteer to go to this workshop. They wanted me to go and then teach the rest of the trainers. Once I started swinging these hunks of iron around I was amazed with how my body felt. I was not sold on them immediately because I was still stuck in my old traditional training ways and they were a bit intimidating. I decided to take some group kettlebell classes. WIthin weeks my body was stronger and leaner. That’s when I knew that this is what my clients and the world needs to be doing!

What’s your training practice like? How many hours do you work and in what situations are you seeing clients?

Yes, I can never complain having a private practice right from my own home. It’s a dream! The transition was pretty slow. It all started when I got a group of friends to come over and we trained with kettlebells in my backyard. Then they wanted to do it every weekend. The group started becoming bigger and bigger until I realized it’s time to start bringing all my clients to my home. The thing that inspired me the most to stay close to home was having my baby. I was breast feeding every 2-3 hours but still wanted to work. By staying at home I was able to schedule my clients around my breast feeding schedule. It just got better from there. When people see results and have fun training they will come to you and tell all of their friends!

Like I mentioned you recently created a DVD and have begun offering live workshops. That must be really exciting - how has the transition been from trainer to fitness educator?

The transition from trainer to fitness educator and DVD creator has been amazing. At first I was a bit hesitant and nervous to enter into a new territory. I was so comfortable with what I was doing I knew that it was going to be a tremendous challenge to juggle both the selling and distributing, while maintaining my clientèle. But the rewards have been outstanding. I am reaching a larger population than I had ever dreamed of. The best part about it is that people from all over the world are telling me how there lives are changing. It is such a rewarding feeling that I plan on continuing to make more DVDs. I also have had the opportunity to do more nutrition programs for people. Having my new nutrition store has made it easier for my clients to stick with quality products that I recommend. http://www.ontheedgefitnessstore.com/products/nutrition.html. I am very passionate about fitness and nutrition. They are both a huge part of my lifestyle so it only feels natural to share that knowledge and hopefully educate those who want to learn.

It’s obvious you’re deeply passionate and a lifer in this business - that’s interesting because for our generation of trainers there isn’t really a model for career progression. Do you have a plan for your career or are you taking things as they come?

I don’t plan on leaving the fitness industry. But I do plan on continuing to grow professionally. I hope to start doing workshops across the country and thus expand my overall clientèle. The more lives I can positively effect, the more successful I will feel.

Nothing more to say there - Lauren’s story is one of the best I’ve found. I don’t know if it’s just the fact that she’s a woman, but there appears to be a certain grace through everything she does. You’ll notice a consistency and personality through her site and services that’s hard to put your finger on but is certainly there. You can check out Lauren’s site here (Lauren Brooks, Southern California Personal Trainer) and send her fan mail at Lauren@socaltrainer.com (she’s a mom and she’s married, so make sure you keep it clean!).

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There isn’t a more dreaded term in Personal Training than BURN-OUT. Think of i