I’ve been on this site sporadically, but expect to see me on more in the future. If you need a quick update, I now have an offline bootcamp business, BETTER BODY BOOTCAMP, that has over 200 members and did $33,000 in sales last month (more in contracts), have gotten the business fully outsourced (although I still work a ton in it), and am less than two weeks away from opening my second location (this one is 2,500 square feet). It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been hell of a lot of fun.
Although fitness business info that I get from here on Super-Trainer and other high-level small business related info I get through marketing circles has been vital in this process, a lot of lessons that drive me are things I’ve learned from outside of the business realm. I want to talk about one of those lessons that rattles in my brain frequently, and it comes from an unlikely source.
For the most part, when I’m working, I don’t take my cues from other business people, and even less from fitness business owners. I find most of them boring. I take my lessons on work ethic from people like Lil Wayne and Tupac. Their pace of work and output is the stuff of legend.
When it comes to intensity and growing my business, I think of Michael Jordan and his fire and competitiveness. About how he looked to have an edge and dominate anyone that stood in his way (and he could get downright nasty when doing it). What chance do my competitors in the fitness business have when I’m striving for that level of intensity?
And speaking of sports and music, the lesson I want to share now comes from a guy that was big (literally) in both fields in his day – none other than Suge Knight.
If you remember, Suge is the former CEO of Death Row Records. Since it’s heyday, back when Pac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop were on the label, the company is only a shell of what it used to be. But when Suge was on top, no one did it like him. He was the celebrity’s celebrity. I heard from a friend that used to go to a lot of fights, that Suge’s name was the first one announced when calling out the stars in attendance. And if you ever get a chance to ask Sam, he’s got a really funny story of the time he hung with Suge. The man got respect, plain and simple.
I’m not going to recommend modelling Suge’s business practices here. Much of them relied on intimidation, and that’s not a solid model that will stand up to the test of time. For that reason, when you model success that’s on the fringes of the law, you have to be extremely selective of what you take. Anything unethical or lacking in integrity WILL NOT last – plain and simple.
But there’s one thing I heard Suge say once that’s stuck with me. He was talking about MC Hammer at the time.
What Suge pointed out was that when Hammer kept it real and made music for the streets, he was embraced by pop culture and became a phenomenon. But once his pop success got to his head and he started making pop music, he fell, and the fall was extremely fast.
The lesson was that pop culture takes it’s cues from the street. That there are always a few tastemakers that influence the masses. Even if you have a mass-market product, it has to stand up to the tastes of the taste-makers. When you loose these select few, you lose them all.
This is something I keep in mind in how I plan my bootcamp. Over here at BBB, we don’t cater to athletes or special populations
You could say we’re pop, as we cater mostly to Moms and Pops. But don’t for a second think we have a watered down product because of it.
Yes it’s true – the “regular” folks (for lack of a better word) wouldn’t know if watered down our training. They wouldn’t know if we didn’t carefully plan our workouts. But we still take the time to pay attention to the details. We keep everything top notch, from the attitude, the environment, to the decor, and most of all the training.
We design our business as something that would appeal to even the most picky, demanding customers. That satisfies clients in
Why Did You Have To Put Me On Blast Kaiser ;)
even the most outstanding shape, that have tried everything else out there.
Even though we’re the most affordable bootcamp around, we design the product as if price wasn’t an object.
Why do we do that? Because we know that if the product is “real” in every way to the most selective groups of clientelle, then selling “everyone” on it will be a piece of cake. And I feel the results to this point have shown that.
The bottom line is we keep it real. Although these hyper-selective customers might make up only about 1/10 of our total clientele, it’s those clients that the rest take their cues from. They’re who we design our product for.
So the lesson from big Suge, and what I’m getting at as well, is you can’t have a watered down product. Your trainers have to be the real deal. You have to master your craft. Your place has to be above par. You need to network. If you’re trying to get out of training and get rich writing clickbank e-books, forget about what I just said. But if you want longevity and growth in this business, take it seriously.
Hope you guys some value out of that. In shaping my approach, it’s always big picture ideas that play a much bigger role than the individual tactics. This was one of those ideas, and maybe it’ll make a difference for you too.
Keep your heads up people. Aim for the absolute top – even if you fall way short, it’s still pretty damn good. Talk at you soon.
Kaiser “Super” Serajuddin
Original Super Trainer
www.GoHardFitness.com
Kaiser,
Since BBB is the most affordable bootcamp around, this flies directly in the face of the common advice for trainers to raise their rates. Why do you charge LESS than the competition?
I actually saw your vid a few mins ago on how you add value to your bootcamp, then i went on your greatneckfatloss site and I read how some of your rates are less than $100 a month. We hear never to compete based on price, but I also remember that you said that you wanted to raise your rates the more value you added.
My question is, you could easily charge more, why not do it? Why be the most affordable?
Great post , much success on your 2nd location!
Eirith I hear you man – and due to supply and demand, our rates have gone up and we are going to do another price increase soon.
But that being said, I understand my niche, and it’s regular folks like mom’s and teachers, and understand what they’re comfortable paying. I make my year paid in full price, which gives you that less than 100 rate, a no brainer. We sign several people up to these every single day.
Also, just like in this post, I take some of my cues from businesses on the fringe of the law (internet marketing being one of them). In the drug trade, you dominate your market by having the most potent product for the lowest prices. I think that’s why so many of my clients call our training crack!
Well clearly there is no ONE way to do things as you have demonstrated. Every internet marketer speaks as if their word was the absolute TRUTH and if you don’t do things their way you will go out of business and you’ll struggle, etc.
I mean even if your net is only a third of that number you posted your business has legs and you will soon have a second location so if you replicate this success you’re gonna kill it out there in Great Neck (not that you’re not already doing so).
I’m over here trying to find out how to convert some prospects from Sam’s Black Friday promotion into regular paying customers. I just raised my rates about $20 but I want to make them an irresistible offer so that my conversion rate is high and I can keep them for a long time not just for some $47 promotion.
Great post Kaiser, thanks for sharing your results with us
DAMN, Kaiser, I REALLY resonate with this…. I AGREE 110%. I stick to my heart and my gut instincts. I always tell the story of when I opened my gym, the first month, every1 told me to train any1, NOT just athletes…..
They told me I HAD to do that if I wanted to make “REAL money”….. f**k that!
My biz went to shit training ANY1….. so after the first Month I told myself to MTFU and go with my heart….. I referred the adults out to another coach and went full throttle w/athletes, so I could run my gym like Fight Club…..
Thnx for the inspiration, Kaiser, gave me a killa idea to share here.
#RESPECT!
–Z–
Great post Kaiser, you’re a beast bro! Thanks for the post, I agree with you 100%. Congrats on the continued success!
So true. BS service/products die. Quality lasts. The test of time tells the TRUTH about someone or something.
Awesome post Kaiser! You’re an inspiration! Keep killing it. Looking forward to seeing you again soon. :)
And Sam, look at you. :) Looking gangsta
You betta RECOGNIIIIIZZZZEEEEEEE Victoria ;)
Great job Kaiser! How can you fit 200+ clients in your studio with just few times a day and not working every day? I opened mine 2 months ago and with 100+ I think it is too small already! And I have 3200 sq feet facility
Nice! Very well written, Kaiser!
Just opened a new studio. Doing it just like this. Crazy value no matter what the price.
Awesome programs. Awesome atmosphere. Awesome studio… Awesome clients!!
Very cool. :-)
B0okmark this post, destined to be a classic!
@Sam definitely need to hear that story.
@Kaiser first of all congrats on your success. I don’t say that loosely because I know how much hustle you do. Good luck and success are created not wished upon. I know we spoke about actually being in the trenches compared to hiding behind a computer so I have 2 questions:
1. What 1 task do you daily that may surprise people you do that has contributed to your success.
2. How do you get your trainers to see your vision and to follow through with it?
Thanks again.
Cheers,
AC
Al, great to hear from you bud – Yeah I know you get this – see you soon man –
Zack, thank you – we have 27 classes a week – that’s more than enough – and we run a station system – for most workouts – something I got from Luke Wold and Ryan Dobbs – even when 30 are in the room, no one feels the pressure of the volume –
Armando yup remember every word of our convo from earlier in the year – you were a big help, and I’ve done a lot of work on my price strategy since then – about your two questions –
1. the answer to your first question relates back to the whole thing of hiding behind a keyboard – even though all the work in my first studio is completely outsourced, and I’m working on doing that in the second, I still try to attend the beginning of as many classes as possible to greet, hug, kiss, and bullshit with the members, and attend as many ends of the classes as possible so I can help with the rubdowns we give to every member, even when the group gets to 30+
2. I’ve been extremely lucky – my one main trainer has been a friend for 10 years, worked for me previously, and was the right person at the right time – me and him have a “hive mind” – my other two trainers are extremely empathetic, high quality people that are home-grown from my client pool – I have running ads in Craigslist hoping to get new talent but they are so far ALL duds. I remember Eban Pagan saying that help wanted ads are an antiquated way of attracting talent that doesn’t work anymore, and I’m having a very hard time disproving him –
Kaiser that’s exactly why I always beg you to stay on the board of super trainer. Super Trainer was your platform and without you it just won’t be the same.
Thank you for taking the time out of your busy life and giving back.
Gangsta post my friend.
lol I get the picture dog – no problem :-)