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

[Pain Brain]

I keep trying to delegate responsibility as I'm fearful to take on the risk without someone else verifying to me that it's okay and that it will work out.

Even right now... in response to what you just said...

My first thought was...

Well, then what should I do? Are you telling me I should make a website? Would that even work out?

That's understandable. Fear is normally a result of not knowing something. In your local area, search these terms on Yelp: "personal trainer", "floor installer", "coaches", "handyman". Then, look to see if they have a website.

How is their work perceived by reviewers?
What are their service rates?
If you are bold, you can dial their number and ask outright.

Another thing, I would focus on getting a set of wheels. It is an investment that will save you time if not money. You are in a good area to buy vehicles, and I'd bet you could get an old beater, save some money and do some repairs for a low cost.

 

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[ZCP]

----------------------------
The cool thing, is that he will probably finish that brainstorm and realize the path has been in front of him the ENTIRE time. As @Antifragile said, he has a competitive advantage over others and could easily monetize his skills and assets and live an amazing life. Let's hope he gets there!

He has SO much going for him. Skills, opportunity, a wife, the forum, a clear path. If HE would join the team, this would be undeniable.

View: https://youtu.be/Pa8xMyTh6aE?si=OxecnJHIz6QZOGn5

starts at 55 sec

 

[ZCP]

---------------------
Again, for those coming behind, this was the path I was steering him toward:

Decide
This is where he is and the hardest part. Getting out of your own way and releasing yourself from the mental prison of excuses and reasons and victimhood and why are you are where you should be. This often requires therapy. It’s gonna require an FTE and is in all honesty, the hardest step of all.

Brainstorm
Here we begin to build and exercise the muscle of creativity. Brainstorming solutions, and making connections and learning how to find a way to create solutions and make things happen. This is where we replace 'why I can’t' with 'how CAN I?'.

Pay yourself first
Here we make the financial shift. If you do not pay yourself first, you can never get out of the loop. The system and the script will own you forever if you do not have a way to pay yourself and invest your money and divorce your time from your money. If you cannot find the creativity and discipline to start stacking an investment fund each month and making yourself important, you will never escape.

Stack consistent action and wins
Now we just get to work. Do an action, get a result. And begin to work on the concept of leverage. Where you get two and three and four for ones for your time. Or you combine things and put things together to get the results that you’re after, and build your confidence in doing so

 

[BizyDad]

From what I've seen, the main one you can't seem to overcome is "I'm not good enough for this".

But what if you are? @Andy Black can you link to your famous thread please?

Did you mean the 8 minute video in this thread @BizyDad? If not, then what was the thread about?

@JLE... watch the 8 min video in the opening post of the thread below. Feedback your thoughts and takeaways in this thread we're chatting in.

NOTABLE! - MEETUPS - [TFLF Call Replay] - For teens & students getting started

Hi all. @Lawtiti (who changed his forum name to @Chet Shen) created a Meetup Thread a few days ago and had a Zoom call with @ZCP who gave advice on getting started etc. I offered to do a Zoom where I'll go through some of the main things I think holds people back when getting started, and how...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

I meant this one...

NOTABLE! - What if you already know enough?

The most obvious danger of consuming too much is that it turns you into a consumer. A lot of that “free” (and paid) content out there is designed to turn you into someone else’s consumer. (And it’s not free btw... not unless you put zero value on the time it took to consume that “free”...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

 

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[BlackMagician]

You are getting again in that loop of yours.

Let me give you simple steps Antifragile, ZCP, Bizydad gave you.

1) Talk with your wife that you are facing all these problems and you want to quit the diploma. You have that dept with you and you are emotionally down. Tell her everything and ask her you need her help. Emotional and support help.
Sit and plan what next needs to be done to pay the bills( hint: you keep your job or get new job).

2) Keep all the problems you have in mind and start coaching people (online/offline) in your free time and get some money out of it.

3) Get with a marketer (hint: me) to help you create a structure of online selling, funnels, ads, videos, social content etc and start getting those first ten customers.

4) Save some money and pay the Debt.

5) Grow your personal biz to numbers that help you pay to acquire the car, rent etc.

Is this simple enough to understand?

Now go and do it.
Come back with a written plan together with your wife.

You will feel relieved when your wife supports you.

Go do it. Today.

It's night here in India. Give me a lovely post to read when I wake up tomorrow.

@ZCP
Is this right?

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

Did you mean the 8 minute video in this thread @BizyDad? If not, then what was the thread about?

@JLE... watch the 8 min video in the opening post of the thread below. Feedback your thoughts and takeaways in this thread we're chatting in.

NOTABLE! - MEETUPS - [TFLF Call Replay] - For teens & students getting started

Hi all. @Lawtiti (who changed his forum name to @Chet Shen) created a Meetup Thread a few days ago and had a Zoom call with @ZCP who gave advice on getting started etc. I offered to do a Zoom where I'll go through some of the main things I think holds people back when getting started, and how...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

Hi Andy,

I just watched all 8 minutes of this video.

My takeaway is that you learn through doing and making mistakes, and that other people can't really give you the answer as they don't know themselves. You have to put yourself out there, try something, if it works -- great -- if it doesn't -- you renavigate and calibrate yourself towards something that will. The worst case scenario is that it doesn't work and you walk away with the knowledge of what not to do and you're left with the things you should still try.

------------

Also towards the end of the video you were talking about not needing a website/landing page. I recognize myself that this is a sort of action fake. But I admittedly completely am drawn to making my own website. I already know how to code a website and could make one for free. Plus I own the domain name of my first and last name... It's an action fake but it's really something I'm drawn towards doing and that I feel like would still be headed in the right direction.

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

You are getting again in that loop of yours.

Let me give you simple steps Antifragile, ZCP, Bizydad gave you.

1) Talk with your wife that you are facing all these problems and you want to quit the diploma. You have that dept with you and you are emotionally down. Tell her everything and ask her you need her help. Emotional and support help.
Sit and plan what next needs to be done to pay the bills( hint: you keep your job or get new job).

2) Keep all the problems you have in mind and start coaching people (online/offline) in your free time and get some money out of it.

3) Get with a marketer (hint: me) to help you create a structure of online selling, funnels, ads, videos, social content etc and start getting those first ten customers.

4) Save some money and pay the Debt.

5) Grow your personal biz to numbers that help you pay to acquire the car, rent etc.

Is this simple enough to understand?

Now go and do it.
Come back with a written plan together with your wife.

You will feel relieved when your wife supports you.

Go do it. Today.

It's night here in India. Give me a lovely post to read when I wake up tomorrow.

I would be very happy if you could help me with the marketing.

If you're comfortable with it I would gladly let you have 50% of all online client conversions, and 10% of all in-person customer conversions.

Not sure if you already saw the social media I posted earlier but that's what I'm working with at the moment.

Get back to me. Cheers.

 

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[BizyDad]

ut I admittedly completely am drawn to making my own website. I already know how to code a website and could make one for free. Plus I own the domain name of my first and last name... It's an action fake but it's really something I'm drawn towards doing and that I feel like would still be headed in the right direction.

It has been 25 minutes. HAVE YOU TAKEN ACTION OR IS THIS JUST TALK?

I would be very happy if you could help me with the marketing.

If you're comfortable with it I would gladly let you have 50% of all online client conversions, and 10% of all in-person customer conversions.

This is a stupid offer. Just another way you are discounting yourself and your value. KNOCK IT OFF AND GET TO WORK.

 

[BlackMagician]

gladly let you have 50% of all online client conversions

This is a stupid offer.

@JLE Think why this is stupid offer brother.

50% is too much. You will spend money on ads, tools etc that will reduce your margin and if you give 50% to me, you might get nothing.

Let me go through your profile and see where you stand right now.

Remember, marketing can't do anything if the base and foundation is not good enough.

I won't do marketing for you until you start getting customers.

I will help you with the path right now and how you can get those first customers and then will do marketing.

Let me check it first.

 

[BlackMagician]

. I already know how to code a website and could make one for free.

- Install WordPress in 1 min.
- Install a template that has online trainer vibe - 30 mins( finding and installing)
- Change images and content on homepage, which will be your landing page, using elementor drag and drop plugin (50mins)
- add lead form using a plugin that gets you email id of subscriber (20mins)
- add digital course plugin to create coaching packages to sell (30mins)
- get simple payment gateway and attach it with the packages

Boom, in few hours your website, or i would say, sales funnel is ready.

Can I expect it to be done today?

 

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[ZCP]

@ZCP
Is this right?

Key here @BlackMagician .... we don't really know what is 'right'. And that is ok.

Action is what matters. Any movement, even in the wrong direction is awesome.

Stay in place and die.

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

It has been 25 minutes. HAVE YOU TAKEN ACTION OR IS THIS JUST TALK?

It's just talk because yet again I do not know what to do.

My every action I am looking to have validated.

Please understand that. That sentence is my whole issue.

I'm looking for the permission, for the validation, for the OK, for the comfort... of being told that the plan I have in place is OK to do and WILL WORK before I even execute on it.

So... is that a good plan to start? Are you all gonna yell at me and tell me I'm action faking if I start putting together a website right now?

You gotta understand there's 20 different people here trying to help me from different angles.

You want me to make decisions publicly and then prove that I've executed them? Ok. Let's start by validating my decisions through someone of authority (ZCP, Antifragile, Bizy). I'll delineate a plan, and showcase each step I take.

Just give me the a-OK and I'll write up a plan and all I want back is "it looks good, do it"

 

[BizyDad]

Sounds like we might finally get the progress thread we've been waiting for...

 

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[ZCP]

His mindset switch and the beginning of an actual progress thread would be an amazing early Christmas gift for me for sure!!

Then getting his wife involved and on his team (and through the panic and emotion she will initially have) would be the next goal.

Him posting a bank account balance of $100k FROM his vacation with his amazing wife should be some form of a Nobel Prize for @ZCP .... Let's do this!

 

[ZCP]

It's just talk because yet again I do not know what to do.

My every action I am looking to have validated.

You gotta understand there's 20 different people here trying to help me from different angles.

@JLE not 20, only TWO people matter ..... YOU making the decision to do it. And your wife being a part of that team.
F*ck the rest of us. we are just helpers for your future. you TWO are the machine.

 

[ZCP]

@JLE NO ONE is going to validate your plan until you take the ONE step we are trying to get you to take.

Take CONTROL of your life and DECIDE to make it better. DECIDE to do whatever it takes. BUILD your team with your wife.

Then you can post a plan and get advice in your PROGRESS thread.

 

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[BizyDad]

His mindset switch and the beginning of an actual progress thread would be an amazing early Christmas gift for me for sure!!

Then getting his wife involved and on his team (and through the panic and emotion she will initially have) would be the next goal.

Him posting a bank account balance of $100k FROM his vacation with his amazing wife should be some form of a Nobel Prize for @ZCP .... Let's do this!

Listen, you can't take ALL the credit. Just a few short months ago you were telling em to quit this "project".

It took a tribe. A Fam.

A FASTLANE FAM.

But let's not pat ourselves on the back too much yet. I don't see any plan or update from the big guy yet.

 

[BlackMagician]

Listen, you can't take ALL the credit. Just a few short months ago you were telling em to quit this "project".

It took a tribe. A Fam.

A FASTLANE FAM.

But let's not pat ourselves on the back too much yet. I don't see any plan or update from the big guy yet.

I also want to be a part of that Nobel prize

 

[ZCP]

All you F*ckers are going to be written in! lol

Maybe @MJ DeMarco could sponsor a cool plaque with a little diamond on it (for this guys thick skull) with a picture of @JLE and his wife on vacation on a beach in Italy.

 

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[ZCP]

@JLE time for a scoreboard

post your bank account balance here once a week
then print it out and post it on the fridge for you and the wife to see

Then make it go up each week.

There is your validated, approved, go make it happen, don't come on the forum until done plan.

 

[ZCP]

He's close ...... he's trying to reword it in DM ......
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I asked him this question....
Key question .... what makes this different this time?

From @JLE
It's something I actually want to do. It's something I'm willing to play long-term games in. It's something I'm already significantly competent at. It's something I already get asked for advice in (which she's seen first-hand). It's something I'm already complimented on (which she's seen first-hand). It's something I'm already putting myself out there for and want to be known for....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I responded:

You will succeed this time,

Because you leaned into the pain: That isn't the life you want
Because you have a clear WHY: Your wife and your future
Because you have an identity: You are a bodybuilder who is building an amazing life for you and your wife.
Because you made a decision: You WILL do this, WHATEVER it takes

If you are trying to skip these four steps and go straight to a To Do List. Stop now and start at the beginning. It won't take, you aren't getting it, you are just in a sugar rush with no lasting change made.

go back and read this post HOT! - How Do I Scale My Personal Training Business Significantly?

Finish step 1.

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

Sounds like we might finally get the progress thread we've been waiting for...

Here's my plan:
1. I drop out of my Computer Programming diploma and try to return as much of the loan as I can
2. I tell my wife I have dropped out of Computer Programming (this will be hell) but I have a financial plan in place
3. I make a landing page website under my first and last name and I share it with the forum here, one-page checkout
4. I share my website in the bio of my Instagram and offer my coaching service in my stories every day
5. I post on Facebook, Craigslist, and Kijiji offering my personal training services locally and online
6. I get 1000 business cards printed (I still have the designs from 2 years ago)


Deadline is 10 days. I‘ll consider that November 19th as I’ll start tomorrow. I‘ll update you all as progress is made.

 

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[xShepherdx]

Here's my plan:
1. I drop out of my Computer Programming diploma and try to return as much of the loan as I can
2. I tell my wife I have dropped out of Computer Programming (this will be hell) but I have a financial plan in place
3. I make a landing page website under my first and last name and I share it with the forum here, one-page checkout
4. I share my website in the bio of my Instagram and offer my coaching service in my stories every day
5. I post on Facebook, Craigslist, and Kijiji offering my personal training services locally and online
6. I get 1000 business cards printed (I still have the designs from 2 years ago)


Deadline is 10 days. I‘ll consider that November 19th as I’ll start tomorrow. I‘ll update you all as progress is made.

F*ck yeah, the mans got a plan!

Sounds like it will be tough but the rewards will be worth it.

Super proud of you dude. You've taken a (loving?) beating on this forum and to see you stick with it, start making changes, and begin executing on a plan is super inspiring.

We're rooting for you, now go make it happen!

 

[BizyDad]

Wtf? I don't curse on the forum, but wtf?!?!

You make a decision and then tell your wife? Good luck.

Personally, I would finish the semester so that I at least get some grades and class work done. In case I change my mind later. It's not going to cost you anything more to go for one more month.

In my free time I create that landing page.

Once I've booked two new clients, I tell my wife about my new revenue, I tell her how unhappy the classes actually made me, and I ask for her support to finally give personal training a real go.

 

[Antifragile]

You make a decision and then tell your wife? Good luck.

Some mistakes are best learnt the hard way.

At least he has a plan to make money.

Also, his wife was against that education and needs to see some financial results pronto. While I’d start with “hey wifey, you were right and I’d like to apologize and get your permission to drop out”… I don’t know JLE’s relationship and how it’ll all play out.

 

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[ZCP]

i suggested this path: (for those reading this years from now, to help you get rolling)

start your progress thread ....

Hi, I'm @JLE . Brief background..... yada, yada

Here is a link to the thread that got me this far _____
It is a long read of many people on this forum yelling at a brick wall for two years

Here is my clear outcome: _____
This is my metric i will measure and track on a weekly basis: _____
Here is my clear why: ______
Here is my identity I will use to make this happen: _______

Here are the current obstacles: ______
Here are our current assets / connections / opportunities: ________

What advice does the forum have for helping me achieve these this outcome?

While you post, I will reserve the next two posts in this thread to go gather ALL of the advice I was given in my brick wall thread. I will organize it and group it and post that for us to look through together.

Once all that is there, and you guys have gotten your thoughts in; I will decide on a 90 day plan and begin executing the top 3 most important items each week. I will ask you to yell at me and hold me accountable.

While doing this, I will take the following one action _________ and get it done by _______.
This will prove to you and me that I am changing my ways and will make progress.

Love,
@JLE

 

[ZCP]

Action is definitely better than no action. I'll take it.

 

[ZCP]

It will come full circle one day when he lays out a suggested plan for a client to achieve their fitness goal and they leave the session to drive across town to join a new gym and do 30 sets of squat rack curls for their desired outcome of a 'well defined back'.

 

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[StrikingViper69]

Congrats on taking action!

 

[Guest931Xfjyx]

I‘m sure this will face some objections, or a flat-out no.

But @MJ DeMarco could you delete this thread and this account?

I would like to start over. A new account. A new thread. I realize these 400 replies are meant to be seen as a „learning experience for those coming in behind“ but really it’s a bunch of talk for 2 years.

I would like to make a new account, not mention my marital financial issues, nor going to & dropping out of college, and drop my real name and all social media accounts on the line and share everything I‘m working on with you all out very openly.

The only thing that’s stopping me from doing that is all the dumb shit I’ve said whilst relatively anonymous on this account. I essentially don’t want a thread of me being yelled at and saying foolish things associated with my real name, but at the same time, I’d like to be completely transparent with all of you going forward and provide direct links and photos and any progress I‘m making.