My plan of action

[Fotis]

Sup guys and gals? Really loving the atmosphere here, and the posts are really great.

Today I would like to talk about my plan of action for achieving slowly, financial independence. Also, I hope, that people would give their insight on my plan. I feel kinda bad, since this sounds like a "what can you do about me" thread, but for the time being, I am not sure how I can contribute to the community :/

For the time being, I work as a trainer in a box gym. The money are really laughable, but in the same time, they have conditioned us in Greece, to think that "as long as you have a job that gives you 400 euros per month you should not complain. After reading the book, I said "faq you all".

So here is what I am thinking of doing. Please note that right now, my biggest worry is just to find some way to be my own boss, get the money I think I deserve for the quality of job I am doing, and work my way to the Fastlane.

In July, I will quit my job.

In September, I will open a small personal training studio, and I will cooperate with a dietitian friend of mine. He is the only registered dietitian in his area, and in the beginning I will train some of his clients. With one personal training session (lasts 1 hour) I can ask the same or even more money than I am currently making IN A DAY.

After getting some clients, or even before even then, I will start making a video product, with the name "Movement as Medicine" or something along those lines. I have identified a need for pain free daily lives, whereas muscle gain/fat loss are kinda boring and people have like 10000 resources to read about the latter.

Why don't I do now the big leap? I wanna save some money first, for equipment, rent and the horrible taxes that all freelance professionals have to pay.

So that was it, not sure if it's the right path. I have some more things to do that I believe are gonna help (youtube, blogging) and I might write some updates along the way.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know! I am currently looking around the bookstore to see if I can find a book that has advises for my kind of situation!

 

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[1step]

Whats stopping you from quitting your job in May?

Hell, whats stopping you from quitting your job in 2 weeks or 1 month?

So you're making 400 euros a month? So by July you will have made 1600 euros? How much of this would you actually have saved?

 

[Fotis]

I have something like a contract until June. Dunno if there is something like that in the US, but we get hired officially, under law, until June, we then get "fired" (still under the law) but we keep working illegally and we get paid. So I can not actually quit until the end of June.

Hm I would say probably around 800 euros. I spend 3 hours commuting every day, i work 5-7 hours every day and I try to avoid going out when I feel that I have better things to do, like reading/studying/writing.

 

[Ajay2390]

Hey man, check out "Elliot Hulse" on YouTube. Kinda similar story but watch closely and learn the way he markets himself. Have you read the TMF ?

 

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[Fotis]

Hey! Yes, I know Eliot, although I am not familiar with any of his videos that explain how he does what he does, most of the video of him that I watch, are about training. Do you have any video in mind that you believe can help? If yes, I would really appreciate it!

Yeap! Read it! For the time being, my personal training studio idea violates almost all of the Commandments, it's still a step to a better direction! The video product will definitely respect them, although as MJ said, Marketing is the Queen, and I have some studying to do about it :/

 

[mentalic]

Hello Fotis,
We (I live in Greece too) are so bad conditioned, so bad...
Anyways, a couple of suggestions:
- Try to make a sheet of the expenses you are about to have (renting, insurance obligations-OAEE, taxes, electricity, water etc)
- Make a marketing plan. Usually for such kind of businesses creating leaflets and putting them on car windows with an offer work
- Try to open earlier, you will be missing May and June, hot gym etc periods
- Secure some clients beforehand, it will save you time and money
- You can always work as a personal trainer without a studio

PS The video product sounds promising

 

[Fotis]

Just wanted to write a little bit about what I have been doing.

I am currently looking for homes where I can stay and train clients inside them. My dietitian friend told me that he can provide me with some basic equipment so that means that at least for the first months, I will not have to spend a lot of money on buying stuff.

My clientele is slowly rising and I also have offers from clients overseas where they are interested in program creation and guidance. An idea for the future is to try and invest some of my time and resources to create a very good system where I don't have to be physically present for clients. It seems that it can work with some youtube/vimeo videos and a cutting edge program.

I have spend some time reading about copy writing (mainly Gary Halbert, thanks to @IceCreamKid and his phenomenal thread ) and I am blown away by how powerful his lessons are. I have implemented a lot of them into my everyday life, Facebook page updates and even when trying to advice someone else, and all I can say is wow.

After what @1step I was feeling like a jackass. I didn't have any choice on quitting earlier but what he told me, resonated strongly in me, since work at the gym is beginning to fall and I feel like I am wasting my time there, sometimes.

But, in the spirit of the Fastlane, I decided to find other ways to invest my time. And lo and behold, a friend of mine recognized a small need in the market of Kindle Books on nutrition, so we decided to self-publish a small ebook on nutrition tips. We did a lot of search on what titles are being clicked and as a result, I believe we have a kick-a$$ name. The girl that designs the ebook is freaking great. Finally, I cant stop looking at page 268 of the Fastlane book, thinking that we have a so-so to good idea, but in the same time trying to see how I can execute it brilliantly.

It's kinda scary. I haven't written anything bigger than 2-3 pages before, my English are rusty, I spent money in the process of researching and creating the book and we had some bad times as a family.

But you know what? I am always thinking "No one gives a damn about you man. You decided to take this journey alone, you didn't want to ask for help from anyone and you are gonna stick to it. As long as you are thinking 'how can I fulfill a need', you will be alright".

So that's it for the time! ^_^

 

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[Deleted21961]

Maybe a book No BS Marketing To the Affluent, by Dan Kennedy can help you reach nice market segment?

Τα πάντα είναι Ελλάδα

 

[Fotis]

Maybe a book No BS Marketing To the Affluent, by Dan Kennedy can help you reach nice market segment?

Τα πάντα είναι Ελλάδα

Thanks for the reply! The truth is that I have read No Bs Marketing, but I just didn't like the writing style. Perhaps I will try to read some specific chapters from it!

 

[Fotis]

Sup guys and gals! Happy month to all of you! It has been a while since I wrote here, so I wanted to do an update.

August had many things going for me.

The biggest one : while reading "Rework" , I saw this great line

When you make something, you always make something else. You can't makejust one thing. Everything has a by-product. Observant and creative business minds spot these by-products and see opportunities.

And so it hit me. I had been keeping a small Facebook groups on training and how to create a phenomenal program while still being natural (no-steroid user), so I decided that I can gather up my posts and write a small book. So I sat my a$$ down and in less than a week, I wrote a 19 pages pdf with everything anyone needs to know on creating a program (sets, reps, rest, frequency), the best exercises per muscle and some typical programs. I put it on sale for 2 euros (yeah two) and I waited. Had the first sale in 5 minutes (really really happy even though it was only 2 euros) and I sold some more. Three weeks later, I put it on for 5 euros and it has sold like 5 copies.

One thing that really made me happy and sad in the same time, was the people that bought it. I had people that have never talked to me before buy the book, while others, supposedly raving fans never asked me anything about it. Also, I gave it for free to some people in the industry. Some of them posted it on their FB wall saying good words about it, others said "thank you" and "great job" and they didn't post it, while others I guess did not even read it. Really interesting experience gotta say. Puts things in perspective.

The next biggest one was that I found a house, I signed the contract and yesterday I decided to cancel it. The house had many cockroaches in it, was really old and a neighbor told me to have a look inside his house that was falling apart, because of mold. So I called the owners, had to explain to both of them my reasons for not wanting to continue and so instead of staying today in my new house, I am still living with my mother and looking for houses. The Greek websites on finding houses are not so good, so I have to invest some time looking in the area I want to live.

The above experience might seem typical to some of you, but for me it was not. For like 25 years I have been living under the shadow of a very dynamic mother that always took care of things for me. This month, was a 180 degree turn for me since I had to do everything alone. I felt stressed later in the day, but it was also very liberating.

I had an offer for personal training with a girl that lives next to the house I was going to live, and since she is paying me good money, I take the bus every day, I carry the weights with me and I train her near her house. In the past I would have complained about it, but now I see it as an opportunity, where I can gather the money for first month's rent and also get some referrals since she is so excited with the work that I do.

That's all guys and gals! Gotta run now, hopefully I will have a house update by the end of the month!

 

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[Fotis]

So I decided to update my current status.

The bad : Lost around 300 euros on September, since the landlord had to keep the insurance money I gave him to repaint the house. I still believe that he overcharged me, but at that time, I could do nothing.

My mother has been waiting for a program by the government that gives money to people in need (she has a small form of depression) and she just can't seem to get over the bureaucracy.

I am slowly finding that I have medium passion for my job (Personal training). It takes away my Time, and I don't like it. I really enjoy reading and writing (not just fitness, but various topics as well) and moving (google Ido Portal for a more advanced version of "moving") and I am trying to find a need that I can cover with my interests.

I wrote a small ebook that I sold on my website about carbs and if they are friends or foes. Not the reception I waited (have sold like 5 so far) but oh well.

The good : The job is really going phenomenal. First month I had a profit of over 100 euros and the second month, I doubled my earnings.

I am able to give money to my mother and finally feel like I am giving something back to this woman who has been so supportive of me all these years.

Plans for the future:

Last night while rewatching an episode of Shark Tank while eating my dinner, it hit me.

I will start putting some money on the side and try to do something, anything, that could help me get away from the Slowlane. My idea so far is to invest in an INSIDERS's subscription, although knowing myself, I will probably suffer a hit of paralysis over analysis.