Eleven Weeks in The Future

Look closely. That's not March. That says MAY of this year, 5/16/2021 and 5/17/2021. I took these photos Saturday, February 27, 2021. Back-to-back days of 6a-6p, 24 hours of appointments within two days. A few hours are up for possible change. But probably not.

No secret. Just pour out yourself for the love of coaching. That’s it.

There were a lot of peers who didn’t quite understand how I could command 119 dollars per session 10 years ago at the big box clubs and have over 40 hours of appointments every week, even when I was a manager.

I’d ask, “how often do you show up late?”

They’d say, “not too often.”

I’d say, “make it never.”

I’d ask, “how many hours do you spend on program and note prep before you enter your day?”

They wouldn’t respond, since, after all, they show up late regularly. The right answer is 1 hour for every 5 hours of appointments.

I’d ask, “how often do you show emotional understanding for the challenge clients are going through?”

The right answer is “every time.”

I’d say, “always undersell your experience”. I’m over the 50,000 hour mark for professional career experience; and I’m still learning.

I’d ask, “how much more committed to your client’s health must you be than they are?”

The right answer is “ten times.” This one is huge, because some fitness goals cost people their health. It is on the coach to push back when clients are possibly hurting themselves for a six pack. A lot of people drive themselves into a lifelong autoimmune condition from pushing so hard to hit a body composition goal. They get or amplify Crohn's, colitis, anxiety disorders, arthritic conditions, food allergies and sensitivities, just so they have a couple of sweet photos to look back on. I don't want them to be a bedridden shell of themselves in a year, telling the PAST story of how "in-shape" they WERE a year ago. I want clients to be telling the PRESENT story of how great they CURRENTLY feel in five years, ten years, twenty years. I want it more than they do. Ten times more than they do.

Often I spend 90 minutes on initial meet and greets, even with people who will not be a fit. I spend an hour on follow up notes for initial consults who may never be clients. There was a time I went running every morning for months with a client who was really struggling. I got up between 1:30 and 2:00am, so I could have time to prepare my notes for my workday before I went running with her. She just simply wouldn't take care of herself unless I nearly literally held her hand. Do MORE than the clients will do for themselves. You will never regret putting in more effort and integrity than they give themselves. Want it more than they do. Ten times more than they do.

If you pour out yourself for the love of coaching, the right people will support you in the right way. Coaches, stay strong. Do the right things. Persist. The wrong people will drop out. The right people will show up. When they can count on you, you can count on them, 11 weeks out, 111 weeks out, 1,111 weeks out.