Lessons learned in the trenches…

This is good news for the other guys on the top 10 wanted list – finally they get to move up in the rankings

This is a guest blog post by my boy Jeff “The Sherminator” Sherman. Jeff is one brilliant trainer, entrepreneur and an overall super cool human being.

Jeff’s business is totally on autopilot and he is the master at systems.

His daughter Emily  is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE. (couldn’t find a picture but as soon as I do I will post it)

Without further ado here is Jeff.

I started my first fitness business in 2001. I left the big chain gym to venture out on my own. I was the top personal  trainer at that fitness center. I thought that since it was so easy for me to get clients at that gym that it would be the  same, even if I had my own place.

So why should I make all these sales and have the fitness center benefit from it. What I soon realized after being on my own for a few months that it wasn’t about sales. It didn’t matter how good of a sales person you are if you don’t have anyone to sell to.

And on top of that I didn’t realize how much went into owning your own business. I mean you have to clean the gym, do the accounting, pay roll, fix equipment, follow up on leads and so on… I soon became a slave to my business. I hustled and made a “living” for a little over 3 years trying to do it all on my own. I sometimes questioned whether it was worth it or if I should have just stayed where I was.

I am the kind of person that never gives up and always tries to find a better way. My first “aha” moment was when I realized that if I wanted to be a business owner, I would have to “own” my business.

So my goal for the next three years was to master my business and not let my business master me. I realized that I had to be a marketer first and a fitness trainer second. I also learned that I had to figure out a way to get all my free time back.
I decided to start reading every business book I could get my hands on and go to as many conferences and seminars that I could. I soon realized how important it is to surround yourself with like minded people. That is why I joined mastermind groups and hired a business coach.

Being in a mastermind with like minded people and having a successful, in the trenches, business coach showed me where all the holes in my business were.

So I got to work and started to systematize my business. I created systems for everything. I created open and close check list, sales systems, follow up systems, scripts and check lists, nutrition program systems, old client reactivation systems, networking systems and of course marketing systems.

Once I got the systems in place and was able to teach them to my employees, I was able to get control of business back and also get my freedom back. I was no longer a slave to my business. And there is no better feeling in the world.

My biggest piece of advice I can give you is to take everything you know about running your business that is in your head and get it on paper. The easiest way to do this is to carry a voice recorder around with you for two weeks and just talk about how you are doing everything and then have it transcribed or you can hire someone to follow you around for two weeks and take notes.
It’s a lot of work, but well worth it in my opinion. Just commit to two weeks, knock it out and get it done. You will thank me for it later. Leave me a comment below and let me know what you think.

Jeff Sherman is a Baltimore Weight Loss Specialist

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