How Do I [NOT] Scale My Personal Training Business Significantly?

[parabolic]

I know several successful trainers who do very well online. None of them are exclusively online. I don't think any of them know shit about computer programming. All of them have other interests and they are active in local communities. I think it's a mistake to discount how many clients you could get outside of Instagram. Not everybody is on Instagram. Just because some guys have success being exclusively on Instagram doesn't mean it's the only way, the best way, or the way that will work for you.

I also know a professional athlete. He got there by playing sports and working out relentlessly. He never delayed trying out for the team because he wasn't ready yet. He started playing when he was a little kid, worked as hard as possible, and now he's massive. He got a legitimate degree from a prestigious university as a result of his athletic scholarship.

I think your focus needs to be more like a laser.

 

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[BizyDad]

If only someone on this forum had cracked the code of finding people who are searching for online solutions.

If only there were competitors to model yourself on and gauge market interest.

virtual personal trainer - Google Search

Online Personal Training - OverHaul Fitness

Make health & fitness a priority. We help with weight management (fat loss, weight maintenance, weight gain), building muscle, and strength and fitness training.

overhaulfitness.ca

https://www.si.com/showcase/fitness/best-online-personal-trainers

Looks like you could just get a job here and nearly EVERYTHING IS DONE FOR YOU!!!!

Online Personal Training & Nutrition Coaching | Kickoff

Get daily custom workout and nutrition plans curated by a real personal trainer. Online & in-app support for just $3/day.

www.trainwithkickoff.com

I'm fearful

Literally your whole issue summed up in 2 words. Get over it.

You are stuck with problems that Google searches and/or 5 Andy Black responses could help you solve.

You are where you are because of CHOICE. You can't even say you don't know how, because I've seen some of the threads you've been on. You do know.

You are afraid to really try.

Make a trillion dollars Bizy.

Make a trillion dollars.

I've told you to make a trillion dollars and you haven't done it.

Was that helpful?

Yes. It is an excellent example of your mindset.

For the record, no one has ever made a trillion dollars.

But normal people get clients every day. Every single day trainers get hired.

You equated perfectly reasonable advice with something that has never been done in human history.

In your mind, the possible is impossible.

Faced with choice, you choose fear. You justify it with weak examples.

And then complain that no one is handing you a roadmap that feels comfortable.

Grow up. Man up.

The principles to building your body and building a business are similar enough.

Show up.

Do the work.

Don't cry about how hard it is, because you know it takes discipline that few people possess.

 

[BlackMagician]

I'm gonna stop commenting again for now. I'll bump the goals I already posted...

To achieve the goal of money, I can get on 2 weekly calls with you, guide with with steps and be accountable.

Up for the challenge?

I have scaled multiple online trainer to 7 figures.
I have exact funnel, ads, copy and offers to scale it.

I am willing to share everything I have that has helped coaches grow to $500k+

Will you do it?

@ZCP sir, let's help him once again and try?

 

[Timmy C]

This thread summed up.

OP: "I WANT TO START A BUSINESS "

OP: "works out instead for 10 years"

Forum: " didn't you want to start a business?"

OP: "I am"

 

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[lifemaker]

I removed the EXECUTION prefix on this thread (there is zero execution here) and tried to replace it with EXCUSES, but there is no such prefix. Perhaps I should create one.

you FOR SURE SHOULD, I will finally have a place for excreting all the useless excuses my brain makes instead of letting me fastly do homework to then analyse the market for a place with good value skewing opportunities.
To summarize YES, YOU SHOULD (⁠✿⁠ ⁠♡⁠‿⁠♡⁠)

 

[Consolation]

My client for my live streaming business is a foreigner from Western Europe. It will take an above average polyglot to understand the way he speaks our local dialect.

He probably lived in Southeast Asia for less than 15 years. He even married a lady from my tribe.

His record in professional MMA bouts is ZERO. Semi pro level; just so-so. Neither his counterparts.

In fact, the martial arts coaches that I know in this community are not Mike Tyson-types. Their failures are public.

Videos of them being knocked out are all online. Yet, given a chance the fighters that they produce could kill with bare hands.

My client runs a martial arts training centre that employs local coaches that could probably beat him in a fight bout. They're younger than him.

His customers came from all ages. The tournaments that he organised are both sportsmanship and showmanship at its finest.

I'm not saying the OP should compare himself to the people that I mentioned.

Hell, you only need to compare yourself to the person in the mirror yesterday.

But take it as an inspiration: If they can, why not I?

EDIT: Thread ignored.

 

[AceVentures]

Which was:
1. Continue to build myself as a bodybuilder
2. Continue to build a following on Instagram as a bodybuilder
3. Start school as a computer programmer and get a degree and job in a relevant field as such
4. Put myself on Youtube making educational bodybuilding content once 1 & 2 sufficient
5. THEN, start offering online bodybuilding coaching, once I'm well prepared

This will take time. You all can doubt and berate me for years to come. I'll still be here.

What makes you think doing goals 1 2 3 and 4 make you good at 5, which is coaching?

You're trying to become a better bodybuilder (what does this mean?). Simultaneously, you would like to have a bunch of likes and followers on IG for being cool. Then you'll start making "bodybuilding content" on YT. Whatever that means. But actually before you start doing that, you're going to go to school for computers and get a job in a related field as computers. (?!)

Somehow you think doing those things make you a great coach and suddenly place you in a position of helping hundreds of people all at once. Simultaneously you'll be sitting in your pajamas programming some thing on a four hour work-week you've fantasized about.

You become a good coach by actually helping other people and evaluating their performance over periods of time. You don't need to be Mr. Olympia to do this. And you don't need to have the IG reels of you doing some crazy thing and have thousands of likes and people sending hearts and fire emojis in your comments to do this. Having a bunch of followers on IG doesn't make you a coach. Having a bunch of cool pictures of you flexing on IG will mostly bring you gay dudes in your DMs. It won't help you sell a productized service you've not actually created.

Now imagine using your social media to post before and after pictures of the success you've brought to your customers. Show a video of them at their first assessment and then 4 weeks out. 8 weeks out. 16 weeks out. Imagine being able to post one of those every other day. I put my money on an account like that with like 5 thousand followers making more money than most of the cool jacked kids on IG with far more likes and status.

You won't get good at coaching hundreds of people without first coaching one of them. You understand?

 

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[ZCP]

@JLE time to train the mind. watch and post a summary and your takeaways.

View: https://youtu.be/MOXkko0N3XM?si=zzvIC4ndytnsBHd7

 

[ZCP]

@LightHouse Chris, need a favor. Could you post here (or DM @JLE if it gets too emotional / personal), could you post what happened in your life after reading Awaken the Giant Within?

 

[ZCP]

@Strategery ..... meet @JLE, he is a bodybuilder struggling with direction in life. Maybe you could do a call with him?

 

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[Strategery]

@Strategery ..... meet @JLE, he is a bodybuilder struggling with direction in life. Maybe you could do a call with him?

Would be happy to. I’ll read through this thread tonight so I know what’s up

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

Would be happy to. I’ll read through this thread tonight so I know what’s up

The thread may be overly confusing.

A fair summary may be:
I'm an aspiring SHW bodybuilder that wishes to maybe make an income from bodybuilding somehow. I'm currently in the first semester of school towards a diploma I care nothing about. This is my first time ever being in debt, and I've started to panic. I don't care about this field of study I just want a better life for myself. I currently work as a Security guard and have gone from minimum wage job to minimum wage job, so I've recently started working towards this diploma, it was the whole reason I took it, as realistically I just want a better financial life.

The one thing I have going for myself and that I know I'm going to pursue forever is that I'm in great shape and that I want to be a competitive bodybuilder. I've recently started building up an online following for bodybuilding and intend to continue doing so.

I'm not sure if I should try to make an income in bodybuilding as it's my utmost passion in life -- or if I should aim for something else that's sought after more (like starting my own business in a trade, as I do have previous experience in flooring installation, and drywall, and framing), or if I should just stick with the diploma I started as this is only my first semester and finish that course-of-study and get a job from having gone to school (I'm going for Computer Programming).

So yeah... I'm a bit lost.

Ultimately I just want a better living to: (I wrote this in DM to ZCP as my "WHY's")
1. To make enough to afford bodybuilding
2. To own a car
3. To not be in debt
4. To be able to afford vacations, an actual wedding, an actual honeymoon
5. To at least only work 40 hours a week
6. To have savings
7. To have no financial stress
8. For my wife not to resent me due to money
9. To be able to visit family because I can afford visits, plus for them to perceive me as doing well enough financially

I'm not even certain as to whether I want to be an entrepreneur or whether that's my best course of action. I just want a life where I can afford my basic wants, have a little extra as I don't have very expensive tastes, and to not have to exchange every hour of my life or break-my-back attaining it.

Would appreciate any insight you could provide...

 

[LightHouse]

@LightHouse Chris, need a favor. Could you post here (or DM @JLE if it gets too emotional / personal), could you post what happened in your life after reading Awaken the Giant Within?

This is usually a great intervention point, so thanks for tagging.... then I saw why this thread is 14 pages long.


to quote JLE from above (thx for the summary btw!)....

"I'm an aspiring SHW bodybuilder that wishes to maybe make an income from bodybuilding somehow. I'm currently in the first semester of school towards a diploma I care nothing about."


Yeah.

Sorry dude, the reason no one has been able to help you, and the same reason that I couldn't imagine helping you, is you can't help yourself.

You can't 'maybe' your way into anything worthwhile in life. I wrote a post a decade ago that was simple.

"Don't F*cking Dabble"

Which has the same general premise. You can't waffle and hope the world, or someone will give you a hand out of answers.

I don't care what it is, by god commit to something and see it through even if you are uncertain. Then snowball that knowledge into the next thing IF it doesn't work out. You can do this now, or regretfully do it 10 years from now.

No one is coming to save you.

 

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[ZCP]

@LightHouse we are working on that part.

could you tell him about the book?

 

[Devilery]

The thread was started in 2021, so it's been 2 years and you've had 1 paid client...

You will never be big/fit/credible "enough" in your head. You can always be bigger/smarter, etc. Cliche as it sounds - "better done than perfect".

In those 2 years, I bet thousands of teenagers took gear, got big, and now have 100k+ followers, and who are actually making money whether that be from coaching, views, or brand deals.

By how you describe yourself, I imagine you're years ahead of those teenagers yet they're absolutely crushing you in the social media and money-making game.

I've worked with about 20-30 fitness coaches in 2022 (I worked in an agency that served fitness coaches), some with 20k followers, some with over a million. Guess what they all had in common? They didn't give a F*ck about anything but making money. Most were on gear yet average-ish size and didn't have anything unique in their strategy, they just posted tons of content and aggressively marketed themselves.

They always had a "new" program, they had 5+ different price plans to onboard anyone. They helped entrepreneurs with limited time to build muscle and 50-year-old women lose fat. They came up with every offer and audience imaginable and marketed it. Some worked, some didn't. They tested all advertising channels and had 5 websites and 10 funnels. They posted on every social media. What have you done? Have you launched a single ad? Have you reached out to 1 follower?

It takes a week to build a decent funnel with a free consultation offer, but you've done nothing in 2 years. I don't get it, as a bodybuilder you should have all the necessary qualities - ambitions, discipline, drive, and ability to plan and evaluate, but you've gotten absolutely nowhere. There are no rational objections here, it's all in your head, and no programming degree or credibility gain will help you until you get out of your head.

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

The thread was started in 2021, so it's been 2 years and you've had 1 paid client...

You will never be big/fit/credible "enough" in your head. You can always be bigger/smarter, etc. Cliche as it sounds - "better done than perfect".

In those 2 years, I bet thousands of teenagers took gear, got big, and now have 100k+ followers, and who are actually making money whether that be from coaching, views, or brand deals.

By how you describe yourself, I imagine you're years ahead of those teenagers yet they're absolutely crushing you in the social media and money-making game.

I've worked with about 20-30 fitness coaches in 2022 (I worked in an agency that served fitness coaches), some with 20k followers, some with over a million. Guess what they all had in common? They didn't give a F*ck about anything but making money. Most were on gear yet average-ish size and didn't have anything unique in their strategy, they just posted tons of content and aggressively marketed themselves.

They always had a "new" program, they had 5+ different price plans to onboard anyone. They helped entrepreneurs with limited time to build muscle and 50-year-old women lose fat. They came up with every offer and audience imaginable and marketed it. Some worked, some didn't. They tested all advertising channels and had 5 websites and 10 funnels. They posted on every social media. What have you done? Have you launched a single ad? Have you reached out to 1 follower?

It takes a week to build a decent funnel with a free consultation offer, but you've done nothing in 2 years. I don't get it, as a bodybuilder you should have all the necessary qualities - ambitions, discipline, drive, and ability to plan and evaluate, but you've gotten absolutely nowhere. There are no rational objections here, it's all in your head, and no programming degree or credibility gain will help you until you get out of your head.

I’ve only recently begun posting myself on Instagram. Barely over a month ago. I‘m presently at 465~ followers.

I‘m willing to share my handle with you privately.

I’d appreciate any insights or advice you could share on how I could go about this better.

As yes, obviously, I admit, I haven’t done anything productive towards a better life financially in this domain. I‘m a bit lost.

 

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[Guest931Xfjyx]

This is usually a great intervention point, so thanks for tagging.... then I saw why this thread is 14 pages long.


to quote JLE from above (thx for the summary btw!)....

"I'm an aspiring SHW bodybuilder that wishes to maybe make an income from bodybuilding somehow. I'm currently in the first semester of school towards a diploma I care nothing about."


Yeah.

Sorry dude, the reason no one has been able to help you, and the same reason that I couldn't imagine helping you, is you can't help yourself.

You can't 'maybe' your way into anything worthwhile in life. I wrote a post a decade ago that was simple.

"Don't F*cking Dabble"

Which has the same general premise. You can't waffle and hope the world, or someone will give you a hand out of answers.

I don't care what it is, by god commit to something and see it through even if you are uncertain. Then snowball that knowledge into the next thing IF it doesn't work out. You can do this now, or regretfully do it 10 years from now.

No one is coming to save you.

Ultimately I *think* I would like to make an income from online fitness coaching.

I wouldn’t even have to make much to meet a standard I‘d find a bare minimum for happiness.

Problem is, I don’t presently think I‘m good enough to sell myself in an online space.

ZCP has been trying to convince me to go for in-person clients for the time being as a solution to this.

 

[Antifragile]

@JLE I tried but I can't help you. Best of luck ...


405 replies/chats on this thread. The forum is obsessed about trying to help. Something to celebrate IMO. Kudos to all who took minutes/hours away from family, business, personal enjoyment, sports, entertainment etc and gifted it to @JLE.

 

[ZCP]

@Antifragile he is really close to the FTE / breakthrough .... check back in a few months

 

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[biophase]

@Antifragile he is really close to the FTE / breakthrough .... check back in a few months

LOL, I read this as ZCP is really close to a FTE on this thread...

 

[biophase]

ONLINE PERSONAL TRAINING.

Not in-person.

ONLINE.

Give me advice on how to find clients for that right this second and I will do that.

I hesitate to jump in here but... none of this part makes sense to the logical brain.

I gather that you make $12/hr as a security guard, but an in-person training client goes for about $75/hr. So you would rather spend 6 hours sitting in a chair than 1 hour at the gym to make the same amount of money? Wouldn't you rather have 5 free hours to meal prep, eat, workout? I just don't get this part.

And also, I didn't see this posted anywhere. Have you been making progress in your body in the past 2 years? Has this part at least gone according to plan?

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

I hesitate to jump in here but... none of this part makes sense to the logical brain.

I gather that you make $12/hr as a security guard, but an in-person training client goes for about $75/hr. So you would rather spend 6 hours sitting in a chair than 1 hour at the gym to make the same amount of money? Wouldn't you rather have 5 free hours to meal prep, eat, workout? I just don't get this part.

And also, I didn't see this posted anywhere. Have you been making progress in your body in the past 2 years? Has this part at least gone according to plan?

edited

 

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[Guest931Xfjyx]

I hesitate to jump in here but... none of this part makes sense to the logical brain.

I gather that you make $12/hr as a security guard, but an in-person training client goes for about $75/hr. So you would rather spend 6 hours sitting in a chair than 1 hour at the gym to make the same amount of money? Wouldn't you rather have 5 free hours to meal prep, eat, workout? I just don't get this part.

And also, I didn't see this posted anywhere. Have you been making progress in your body in the past 2 years? Has this part at least gone according to plan?

It’s the:
- Cost of renewing a personal training certificate (close to $1000)
- Gym I use wanting a flat-rate to train or a large cut of each client
- Having no present client base and thereby wouldn’t even start off at minimum wage

EDIT:
I actually have thought about, and would love to own a small little shed or garage gym, and to basically train clients at my house. I‘d happily do that and I’d be able to keep 100% of the profits that way and not require a certification whatsoever (gyms only require it to delegate liability). Only thing is I dont own a house… so not exactly an option…

 

[LightHouse]

Ultimately I *think* I would like to make an income from online fitness coaching.

I wouldn’t even have to make much to meet a standard I‘d find a bare minimum for happiness.

Problem is, I don’t presently think I‘m good enough to sell myself in an online space.

ZCP has been trying to convince me to go for in-person clients for the time being as a solution to this.

The world doesn't care about you and what you want. The world cares only about what you can do for them. You've been given the tools, more than you should have been afforded TBH.

YOu have a choice do something or I can see this thread being closed/lose momentum, etc and then you are out of resources.

It's commendable that @ZCP is even making an attempt at this point. To his own detriment he wants to see people have a breakthrough.... In this situation it seems like you don't want that to happen.

My recommendation has nothing to do with biz at this point... you don't need business, you need therapy.

I don't mean to be rude suggesting that, but there is a root cause to your inaction and it has nothing to do with biz tactics, sales funnels, or instagram.

How can I suggest that without knowing you? I have coached hundreds of entrepreneurs from all walks of life, and I can see and recognize the patterns from miles away at this point. I am no psychologist, but it's very clear that you are sticking here hoping to find the answer while doing nothing to actually find it... that's a specific pattern that has roots in things that aren't (and shouldn't) be discussed on this forum or in public.

I hope you find your way my man. Life can open up wonders for you if you fix the roots.

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

The world doesn't care about you and what you want. The world cares only about what you can do for them. You've been given the tools, more than you should have been afforded TBH.

YOu have a choice do something or I can see this thread being closed/lose momentum, etc and then you are out of resources.

It's commendable that @ZCP is even making an attempt at this point. To his own detriment he wants to see people have a breakthrough.... In this situation it seems like you don't want that to happen.

My recommendation has nothing to do with biz at this point... you don't need business, you need therapy.

I don't mean to be rude suggesting that, but there is a root cause to your inaction and it has nothing to do with biz tactics, sales funnels, or instagram.

How can I suggest that without knowing you? I have coached hundreds of entrepreneurs from all walks of life, and I can see and recognize the patterns from miles away at this point. I am no psychologist, but it's very clear that you are sticking here hoping to find the answer while doing nothing to actually find it... that's a specific pattern that has roots in things that aren't (and shouldn't) be discussed on this forum or in public.

I hope you find your way my man. Life can open up wonders for you if you fix the roots.

I don’t see myself as inactive. I‘m doing something, not something most would see as conducive towards rapid financial gain, but something that makes me believe I‘m vaguely headed in the right direction.

Moreover I appreciate ZCP‘s help. I understand I’ve been nothing but stubborn and have overstayed my welcome.

I‘m trying…

 

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[ZCP]

 

[xShepherdx]

Dang, it's cool to see @ZCP pushing so hard to help @JLE. Absolute legend and a great example for the rest of the forum.

My recommendation has nothing to do with biz at this point... you don't need business, you need therapy.

I don't mean to be rude suggesting that, but there is a root cause to your inaction and it has nothing to do with biz tactics, sales funnels, or instagram.

I second this 100x. For both JLE and everyone else here who hasn't reached the level of success they desire.

Too many people think starting a business will solve their problems but the reality is that they will never be able to launch or sustain a successful business and achieve their dreams until they work through all the stuff that is actually holding them back.

The way I see it goes like this: Personal mastery -> business success -> dream outcome

Mastering yourself is SUPER important both physically and mentally.

Unfortunately, the mental part is especially tough because we're so good at fooling ourselves. However, it's much harder to fool a therapist you see every week for a month or two.

If you're serious about success, call a few local therapists (MFTs are the best IMO) and pick the one you get along with. Commit to at least 4 sessions and just see what happens.

I think @Johnny boy summarized what I'm getting at best:

People that do well are not in their own way, and they spend their time and energy solving real problems because they are not preoccupied with problems in their own head.

We spend so much time and effort trying to hire people to grow our businesses.

What if we put a fraction of that effort into hiring someone who could help us grow ourselves?

As the leader, you're the most important person in the organization. A 10% improvement to you means 10% across the board - that's huge when you actually think about it!

 

[ZCP]

That's my mission ... get him out of his own way.
This thread will be here to help a LOT of other people see how debilitating this type of mindset is and hopefully get themselves out of the tailspin and to TAKING ACTION.

 

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[BlackMagician]

I gave you a roadmap few days ago.
An exact step by step process with commitment.

Did you follow ? Or even thought about to follow?

 

[BizyDad]

The world doesn't care about you and what you want. The world cares only about what you can do for them. You've been given the tools, more than you should have been afforded TBH.

YOu have a choice do something or I can see this thread being closed/lose momentum, etc and then you are out of resources.

It's commendable that @ZCP is even making an attempt at this point. To his own detriment he wants to see people have a breakthrough.... In this situation it seems like you don't want that to happen.

My recommendation has nothing to do with biz at this point... you don't need business, you need therapy.

I don't mean to be rude suggesting that, but there is a root cause to your inaction and it has nothing to do with biz tactics, sales funnels, or instagram.

How can I suggest that without knowing you? I have coached hundreds of entrepreneurs from all walks of life, and I can see and recognize the patterns from miles away at this point. I am no psychologist, but it's very clear that you are sticking here hoping to find the answer while doing nothing to actually find it... that's a specific pattern that has roots in things that aren't (and shouldn't) be discussed on this forum or in public.

I hope you find your way my man. Life can open up wonders for you if you fix the roots.

While I'm sure you have good points, can we get to the part about the book? Lol. ZCP has me super curious.

I gave you a roadmap few days ago.
An exact step by step process with commitment.

Did you follow ? Or even thought about to follow?

I was going to ask the same question considering I showed him data on the number of Canadians searching for an online or virtual trainer.

But I already know the answer.

Many roadmaps have been provided. The only roads this man trusts are the ones he's already walked.

It doesn't seem to matter how "not risky" you make the road map, his brain will keep perceiving risk. Mainly because the only thing he cares about is competitive body building.