Fitness Business Interviews

How To Use Youtube To Build A Fitness Business

Erik — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 09:30:47 +0000

Do you know how to use youtube to build your fitness business? A lot of fitness pros say they do, but in reality they haven’t. So I reached out to Adam Linkenauger who has an online sports training business, that he has built completely around Youtube.

It would be an understatement to say that Adam is doing well with Youtube. In reality, he’s CRUSHING it. So I invited Adam here to share the step-by-step details on exactly how you can use youtube to get an insane amount of views with your youtube videos and build your business from that.

Watch How To Use Youtube To Build A Fitness Business On Youtube

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What This Interview Is About!

In the intro I mentioned that Adam has built a great online sports training business using Youtube.

What I didn’t mention is that he is friggin’ ninja when it comes to getting people to watch his Youtube videos.

Anyone can create a Youtube video, but getting people to see it is the first big step. Then turning people into clients or customers after that is the real secret.

But before you can do that, you’ve gotta get eyeballs to your videos. That means getting them to show up as high as possible in the rankings on Youtube.

Adam does this really well. So I was able to interrogate him and get him to reveal his entire checklist of how he creates and uploads his videos. Plus he reveals (in detail) the exact way he writes headlines, the descriptions, and the tags for his videos.

This is some really great info that I’ve been putting to practice lately.

And I’m not kidding when I tell you that I was able to get a video to rank #3 on Youtube for it’s keywords in under 5 minutes. So I can tell you for a fact that Adam’s methods work.

This interview is a insanely useful step-by-step guide that you should refer to every time you post a Youtube video.

How To Use Youtube To Build A Fitness Business Interview Highlights

What Adam was doing before he started his business.
What he did after realizing his professional athletic career was over.
Why he decided to work online.
How he realized he could build an online fitness business around what he was doing.
What Niche he focuses on.
What jobs he did to get by early on.
How he used Youtube when he first started.
Why being first to market is so important.
What made him realize that he could make money around what he was doing.
How much money Adam made the first 3 years.
Where his business is at right now.
How much money he makes now.
How many people are on his email list.
What the #1 goal is when creating videos for Youtube.
What the difference is between a long tail and short tail keyword.
How to find the right keywords.
Why including entertainment in your videos is important.
The step-by-step checklist to make your video easy to find.
Why a call to action is so important.
Why Adam Does Not use the annotations, and what he does instead.
What type of call to action Adam prefers.
When he uses the call to action.
How long his videos are.
What he includes in his call to action.
What he includes in ending credits.
What thumbnails are and which one you should choose.
Why Adam doesn’t link between his other videos.
How he gets his other videos to show up when his main video is over.
What the deal is with video responses.
How much money he has spent for Youtube advertising.
Why the size of your list doesn’t really matter.
Why being consistent with posting Youtube videos is so important.
Why Adam doesn’t focus on comments, but they are still important.
How to add links to your Youtube videos.
What’s the biggest mistake when creating Youtube videos.
What’s the #1 tip people can do to have success with Youtube.
Who Adam’s learning from and what is his biggest resources are.

If you want to see how Adam is running his Youtube videos and what he is doing with them exactly, go to his Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/Vertfreak101dotcom

To learn more about what he’s up to and what his business is go to www.VertFreak101.com

How To Build A Tribe Of Raving Fans For Your Fitness Business With Brian Grasso

Erik — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 09:23:26 +0000

How to build a tribe of raving fans is a topic i’ve been fascinated with for a while now. I’m always trying to figure out why some people are able to do it better than others. Especially when it comes to a rockin’ fitness business.

Recently, Brian Grasso sent me over an email about why having a community is so important for business. Then I realized that Brian built one hell of a tribe with the IYCA, and now with his new movement, the Free Thinking Renegades. So I got him on here for one really interesting interview about how to build a community of fans that would pretty much do anything. So check it out…

How To Build A Tribe Of Raving Fans With Brian Grasso

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What This Interview With Brian Grasso Is All About

Talking with Brian is liking talking with a super cool College Psychology professor. It’s awesome! Psychology plays a HUGE role in figuring out what your clients want, need, and why they act they way they do.

In this interview, Brian gives specific steps you can take to get the raving fans you want, but he also explains why those steps are so important. He does that by drilling deep into the psychology of of building a community.

How to build a tribe or community is important to the success of your fitness business. And Brian talks about how this is one of the biggest keys to helping you stand out. Anyone can compete on price, but not everyone can build a bad ass community of fans.

One interesting part we spoke about in this interview is about Crossfit. Now if you’ve been in the industry for any length of time then you’ve heard of em’.

And damn do they know how to build a community. Every where you look, people who are a part of it literally bleed Crossfit.

Regardless of what you think of the workouts, they are pros at creating a tribe. So I asked Brian why they are so good at it. And he broke it down.

Another topic that was pretty cool, is Brian goes into why building a community can be more important than the service or product you offer.

99.9% of the time we are told to over-deliver and provide the best possible service/product possible. And you should. But Brian mentions that building the community is actually more important, and that it doesn’t get enough focus when it comes to a successful business.

This was a great topic, and made me think differently about a few of the ways I approach things.

So if you’re trying to figure out how to build a tribe of raving fans for your fitness business, then definitely watch this interview with Brian Grasso.

You’ll be glad you did.

How To Build A Tribe Of Raving Fans Interview Highlights

How Brian was able to build his community of raving fans.
Why a community is so important for your fitness business.
Why having a community will help your business stand out.
How most people in the industry think they are different but really are the same.
Why people want to be part of a community or tribe.
Why belonging to a community is the biggest factor to being happy.
Whether or not the sense of belonging is be more important than getting results.
Why the IYCA exploded in growth.
What Crossfit does to build one HUGE community and have raving fans.
Why psychology is so important when working on how to build a tribe of fans.
What overcoming obstacles does for people and building a community.
How “get togethers” help to build a following.
Why emotion is so important.
How fitness marketing doesn’t show the importance of a community.
How to create a culture within your community.
what inside out growth is.
What are “sneezers.”
What are the biggest mistakes you can make when it comes to building a tribe.
What the biggest tip is when it comes to building your community.

And make sure you check out what Brian is up to now over at www.FreeThinkingRenegades.com.

Study what he is doing to build his tribe over there. It’s pretty unique, and it’s working really well for him.

101 Excuses That Will “F” Up Your Life

Erik — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:47:50 +0000

Excuses, excuses, excuses! I know you’ve heard a ton of them, and even used them yourself. Hell, I’ve used a ton of the ones below.

But the interesting thing about excuses is if you look at the people who continually use them, they are the ones who are not living the life they want, and are usually unhappy.

Excuses do nothing but bring negative energy, poor results, and prevent amazing people from achieving what they want in life.

I hate seeing such great people with so much possibility literally shut themselves down. And I never want to see anyone be less than what they can be.

So below is a a list of the top excuses that I was going to write up as a guide for myself so I would never use them, but I though it would be good to share with you.

The writing is pretty edgy, and straightforward, but it will help to get the point across.

Oh, and once I realized I was going to share this, I asked a few kick ass fitness/ sports entrepreneurs to share there top excuses that drives them nuts.

Adam Linkenauger
AJ Mihrzad
Alicia Streger
Chandler Marchman
Greg Justice
Ian Hart
Isaac Wilkins
Sam Bakhtiar

I hope you use this as a guide to always focus on the positive and not make excuses for what you want in life.

And if there is an excuse you don’t see here, list it in the comments below.

101 Top Excuses

I can’t…

Seriously! This is by far the worst one. As soon as you say you can’t, you wont. End of story. For the athletes I work with I actually have a few rules. And this is rule #2. Rule #1 by the way is don’t be jerk.

The Problem Is…

The problem is you! No one else. By saying this, you give power to someone else or the situation you’re trying to deal with. Saying this excuse pushes off the solution. What needs to be said is, “The solution is.”

I Don’t Have The Money

This is a legitimate excuse…Sometimes! A lot of times doing what you want is just not financially possible at that time. But it doesn’t mean you’ll never get there. Sometimes you have to bite the bullet and drop the cash to get what you want. Start by thinking differently and saying “How can I afford it.”

Life Is Not Fair

Yup, It’s not. There will always be someone out there who has it better. But that doesn’t mean that you will never have the life you want. The sooner you accept the fact that life isn’t fair, the quicker you can turn it around and get to where you want it to be.

I Want…

This one is HUGE! Everyone wants something. The difference between the people who have it and the people who want it, is those who have it, worked their ass off to get it. So if you want something, you’re gonna have to work really hard to get it.

I Need…

Seriously, all you really need to make it in life is determination that you want to succeed, and taking action to get it. That’s it. Choose to always go after it, and then do it.

I Wish…

This is one of the biggest phrases/excuses I hear. And I’m guilty of using this one too. The more you wish for something the less likely you are to get it. Stop wishing, and start doing. That’s the only way your wish will come true.

What If…

A HUGE excuse! Using “What If…” for anything creates doubts and questions in your mind. As soon as you have doubts, then your chances of actually creating a great life or business have decreased A LOT. Instead of using “what if”, use “When I.” It will move things in a positive direction for you, and help you look ahead.

I’m Waiting For…

You’re waiting? For what? Chances are it will never appear when you want it to. And it probably will never happen if you are just waiting. You’ve gotta do something NOW. Sitting on your ass only does 3 things. 1) It makes you fat 2) It makes you broke 3) It makes you unhappy.

If Only…

If only what? There is no such thing. Because once you had that thing you needed, you would eventually end up saying “If only…” for something else too. Stop using the excuse of what you don’t have and start focusing on what you do have. Be grateful for it, and life will be so much better.

Top Excuse List Continues Below Adam’s Content

Adam Linkenauger

The Excuse Mindset. The Wantreprenuer Mind Set.

The biggest excuse I hear is the “WANT”.

Everyday I hear the next big idea a friend, or colleague “WANTS” to do.

They talk about the how, the funding, the high dollar projections.

They talk about what great things it will do for so many people, and how helpful they could be.

They talk about how they want to make 6 figures working online, and ask if their idea will work…

I always say “yes, it will”….

And they smile… and talk about how they will get started soon.

3-6 months later… the same person will come back to me…

They talk about this new idea they have… the how, the funding, the high dollar projections… they talk about what great things it will do for so many people,and how helpful they could be…

They talk about how they want to make 6 figures working online, and ask if their idea will work…

I always say “yes, it will”….

And they smile… and talk about how they will get started soon.

This is an ALL too familiar story that happens practically weekly for me.

People hate action. They LOVE wanting and talking. People love going to Hawaii, but they hate the plane ride to get there.

So my advice. Your next idea, don’t ask ANYONE if it’s good, will it work… don’t talk projections, or all of that bullshit.

JUST DO IT.

Wants you do it. the hard part is over. It may not make a penny at first, but at this point it’s out there, and you can do something with it. You can build upon it!

My first website cost me 12 dollars., and was the ugliest damn thing in the world… NO ONE would buy from it.. but I’ve adapted it into a 6 figure business in 3 years. You can too.

Just be passionate about your information and be helpful. Get your stuff out there and the money will come.

Don’t be wantreprenuer, be an entrepreneur…

www.BecomeTheFreak.com

I Should Have

At this point there is nothing you can do about it if you are saying “I should have.” To move forward, say “I Will…”

I Could Have

The same as “I Should Have”

I’m Stuck

So do something, anything. If your stuck it’s usually because you think you need more information or you’re waiting for the right time. Sorry to break it to you but you don’t need more info, and there is no right time. The other possible excuse as to why your stuck is because you don’t know your “why.” I get that. I was there. But you must try multiple things and that will eventually get you “unstuck.”

I Give Up

This usually happens when someone doesn’t reach a goal in a certain time frame or is overwhelmed. Giving up is just an excuse that you don’t want to try any more. All you have to do is one thing towards what you want and that will help you’ll get back on track.

I Quit

Quitting is the same as giving up. The thing about quitting is you usually quit right before there is a big break. If you quit, then you never know what awesome things are around the corner.

I Don’t Have Time

Ah, one of the most popular excuses. Do you have time for you significant other? Do you have time to watch TV? If so, then you have time to do whatever you want. You only don’t have the time if it is something you don’t want to do. If you want to do it, you will always find the time.

I’m Too Busy

This is just like saying “I don’t have enough time.” If you want to do something, you’ll find the time to do it. It’s as simple as that.

I’m Too Tired

Aren’t we all? Being tired is part of life. You can work a job, train, run your business, be a stay at home parent, or do absolutely nothing and you will always be tired. Find what you love to do more than anything, and focus on that. Because if you love what you do, you’ll do it even when you’re tired.

I Don’t Have The Energy

Pretty much the same as “I’m too tired.” If you don’t have the energy, find what you love to do, eat right, exercise, and sleep more. It’s as simple as that.

I Just Want To Be Happy

That is what everyone wants. To be happy all you have to do is choose that you want to be happy. Nothing you buy, have, or want will make you happy for that long. Being happy is a decision. Choose to be happy and follow what you love, and you will be happy.

Top Excuse List Continues Below AJ’s Content

AJ Mihrzad

Excuse: I’m too tired to work “on my business”

One of the most frequently used excuses for trainers that never have time to work “ON their business” has to be tiredness. It seems that after a long day of training clients, the last thing most trainers want to work on is advancing their business and marketing. The key is to outsource as many tasks as possible, especially those that don’t generate income. Let’s say your making $60 dollars an hour, is it not worth it to hire someone to do $10 an hour tasks? If money is an issue just sleep less, I found that you can condition yourself to get by on 6 hours of sleep and get more done!

www.LifeFuelFit.com

It’s Never Gonna Work

If you find yourself using this excuse then you’ve already made up your mind. But if you try and work at something it may just work for you. Even if you fail, it doesn’t mean that it will never work. It could just be that the way you did it, didn’t work that time.

Why Is Everyone Else (insert anything)

This stems from lack of success during a certain time, or failing over and over. The big catch to this one is that everyone else is saying the same thing. Stop using this as an excuse to stop working, and push yourself towards being what you want.

They Are So Lucky

It may seem like everyone else is so lucky, but in reality they probably put in the work to get where they wanted to be in life and business. For you to be “lucky” you need to bust your ass towards your goals, and by doing that you will create your own luck.

I Don’t Feel Well

Yeah, neither do I. Right now my head is slamming, and I am sick as a dog, but I’m getting this done. Being chronically sick is definitely a legit excuse, but being only a little bit sick is not. You gotta man up if you want to make it!

It’s Too Hard

No it’s not. 9 times out of 10 it’s just plain laziness. If you’re not a rocket scientist or doing brain surgery then it’s not that hard. It just means you have to put in the work that you don’t want to do. Again, focus on what you love, and that will make things “easier.”

Life Is Too Hard

Yeah, but admitting it’s too hard only makes things worse. Stop giving power and control to something you’re not able to control. If you think life is too hard, then it’s time for a change. Maybe a new job, business, relationship, or anything. Change things up, do things that are fun, and life wont be too hard anymore.

I’m Afraid

Every person has fears they have to deal with. Fears are a HUGE part of what creates excuses. Usually it’s fear that limits most peoples potential. The only way to deal with it, is to face it head on, and just do it anyway.

I Could Fail

Yes you could! But so what. You just figured out how not to do something. Do it again, but this time do it differently. Then you’ll be even close to succeeding. If you fail again, try again. Don’t use this as an excuse to not reach your goals.

It’s Too Risky

Is your life, health, or family in physical danger? If not, then it’s not as risky as you may think. But how do you know if you don’t try? If you want a great life and/or business, you HAVE TO take risks.

I Hate Doing That

Usually the things you hate doing are the things that the most successful are willing to do that you’re not. This excuse is used anytime work has to be done. If you want a better life/business you better get used to doing things you hate. Especially if you’re just starting out or in a transition phase.

Top Excuse List Continues Below Alicia’s Content

Alicia Streger

Excuse: I Don’t Know Where to Start….

Carrie and I hear it all the time that people have way too much on their plates, and get themselves so overwhelmed with their 5 pages of to-do lists, that they end up getting nothing done in the end. They start working a small amount on each task and never end up completing anything. Prioritize your to-do list. Come up with your “Top 3 MIT’s” (Most Important Tasks) that you NEED to do to move your business forward, and don’t even LOOK at your other to-do’s until those 3 MIT’s are completed.

www.TheBootCampGirls.com

I Don’t Know How

The most successful in life don’t know how to do a lot of things. But that doesn’t stop them, and it shouldn’t stop you either. The most successful either dive head first into it to figure out what they don’t know or they find someone else to help them with it.

I Don’t Have The Right Tools

This one is similar to “I don’t know how.” Obviously having the right tools makes things easier, but it doesn’t mean something can’t be done. It will just take a little bit more work. If you don’t have the right tools, find someone who can help.

I Don’t Have Enough Experience

Do you think George Washington had experience being President? Nope, he was the first one. So he had to figure it out. And he figured it out by just doing it. He didn’t wait, he just did what he had to do, and ended up one of the greatest Presidents. If you don’t have enough experience, then go do it anyway. How else are you going to learn?

I Need To Know More

This is just like saying “I don’t have enough experience.” If you want to be educated about a topic that is cool, but you don’t need a ton of information to get started on it. You can start, and learn along the way.

I’m Not Good At (Insert Anything)

Ugh, really? Then go get good at it. That is all.

I’m Not An Expert

Do you know more than another person on a topic? If so, then you are more of an expert on that topic then they are. You don’t need to be an expert to do something great with your life. You can always become an expert along the way. As long as you are helping people and providing value then you’ll be fine.

I Hate My Job

So do 95% of people out there. The reason most people use this excuse is because they are too lazy or scared to try another job. The other reason they hate their job is because it’s not what they were meant to do. So man up, dig deep, and find something else.

My Job/Life Would Be Better If…

Everything can always be better. You just have to work to make it that way. Bitching about it doesn’t make it better, it just makes it worse. If you want to better your life/job/business/ either find something else you enjoy or work harder to get what you want.

No One Believes In Me

I do.

Why Does Everything Always Happen To Me?

OK, so this is a question more than an excuse. If you’ve said this before, then you have to understand that this is an excuse you’re not willing to change things. If you want “everything” to stop happening to you, do something different.

Why Does My Life Suck?

Are you starving, homeless, or dying? Then your life doesn’t suck. It may be hard, but it can always be worse. This excuse is usually used when someone is frustrated with where they are in life and are too afraid to make the changes. To first step in a “non” sucky life, is by saying, “Why is my life so awesome!”

Why Does (Insert Name) Have It So Easy?

Chances are that person doesn’t have it as easy as you think. If it looks like they have it easy and are livin’ the life, then that’s probably because they worked their ass off to get there. You probably just don’t see the part where they are working hard. If you want to have it easy, then you gotta bust yo ass!

(Insert Name) Said It Wasn’t Going To Work

How do they Know? Have they tried it? Have they tried it more than once? Have they failed doing it multiple times. If not, don’t listen to them and do it anyway.

I Forgot

If you are really busy and don’t have things scheduled in, then forgetting things will happen a lot. But many times this is just a lie to get out of something that isn’t fun. If you find yourself saying this too much, then you need to find something to do that you’re going to enjoy.

It’s Too Much Work

Do you think Steve Jobs said that? What about Richard Branson? Those are two guys who had MONUMENTAL tasks in front of them. But they didn’t care how much work it was, they did it anyway. And look at what they did with their lives. If you want an EPIC life you’re gonna have to work for it.

It Will Take Too Long

Anything you want out of life usually does take longer than you want. Accepting that, will make life a lot easier. It took years, sometimes decades for people to reach the level they’re at. But they didn’t care, they just kept going. And that’s what you need to do.

There Is Too Much Competition

Actually competition is a good thing. If there is competition then that means there is a market for your business, service, or product. If there is no competition, then chances are it wont work. You can’t control the competition, only what you do. So focus on you, not them.

I Have No Motivation

Everyone feels like this from time to time. We all need a kick in the ass every now and then. But if you continuously say that you have no motivation then what you are doing is not right for you. Find something you are passionate about and you will have a ton of motivation.

I’m Too Old (or Too Young)

No you’re not. Colonel Sanders started Kentucky Fried Chicken when he was in his mid sixties. It’s one of the biggest food franchises out there. Mark Zuckerberg co-founded Facebook when he was barely 20 years old. Look at it now. You’re never too old or young to start something you want.

The Economy Sucks

That depends. If you’re out of a job and are unable to find one, then it may look like the economy is bad. But the most successful people create their own economy and never worry about what others say. If there is a big enough problem that needs to be solved and you can provide the solution, then the economy will never be bad for you.

Top Excuse List Continues Below Chandler’s Content

Chandler Marchman

The 2 BIGGEST excuses I get from people are…

1. I don’t have enough time: Really?! Bill Clinton had enough time to run every day when he was President of the United Staes. He also had time for interns…but you get the picture! Manage your time better and quit being such a lazy pussy!!!

2. I don’t have enough money: You mean to tell me you can afford to drive that $75,000.00 BMW, but you don’t have the means to get a strength coach?! You know what, that tells me you aren’t willing to make the sacrifice necessary to succeed in the gym..so I don’t want you in my gym anyway!!!

www.marchmanstrength.com

It’s A Stupid Idea

This is a stupid excuse! One that is based on lack of confidence and jealousy. If you’re saying it’s a stupid idea then ask someone else if it is. If that person tells you it’s stupid, then chances are they are jealous they didn’t think of it. Plus they didn’t try it, so how would they know?

I Have A Family

This is another controversial excuse. If you have a family then obviously there obviously needs to be discussion if you want to do something great with your life. But if you don’t even have that discussion, then saying “I have a family” becomes a huge excuse, and will always keep you from what you want. If your family loves you, they will support you.

I Have A Family To Support

Now this is a controversial one. I don’t have any kids, so I can’t speak to that. But what I can say is that I’ve heard this dozens of times growing up, and all it did was create struggle, hardship, and unhappiness. And it was one of the biggest excuses thrown around in my family. I understand that family comes first. There is no doubt to that. And you need to support your family. But if you hate what you’re doing and struggling to support them now, why not try something different?

I Have A Full Time Job

So did a lot of successful people and entrepreneurs. They chose to use the time outside of that to build a great life for themselves. If you really want something, you will find the time for it.

Money Is Bad

If this is your excuse then you don’t have any money. How do you know if money is bad unless you have some? People just say this because they are jealous of others who do have it. If you have money, it gives you the resources to help more people, and do great things for society. Money isn’t bad, only bad people with money is bad.

I Don’t Know What Business To Start

This is a big excuse. A lot of people say this, and it holds them back quite a bit. If this is you, start looking into what your passions are and then build a business around that.

I Don’t Know What To Do

This is pretty much the same thing as “I don’t know what business to start.” If you don’t know, follow your passions.

My Business Partner Sucks

Unfortunately this happens a lot. Instead of complaining about how they suck, try and work it out. If it doesn’t, get rid of ‘em. It will only make things worse the longer you stay together.

I Need (insert anything) To Do (insert anything)

You don’t NEED anything to do what you want. The only thing you need is the desire to build a business and life that you want. Then take action on that desire, and you’re set.

I’ll Get To That As Soon As…

Never! That’s when you’ll get to it. Procrastination sucks. The more you push something off, the more it weighs on your mind and the bigger the task becomes. That’s because you’ll have less time to do it. So get to it ASAP.

Top Excuse List Continues Below Greg’s Content

Greg Justice

*Greg shares the 3 most common excuses he gets from Corporate Fitness Clients below…

Each time we begin with a new corporation we do a survey to see their frame of mind and their current state of health. The three most common “excuses” are Time, Location (convenience), and Money (cost)…usually in that order.

One of my favorite sayings is “If ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ were candy and nuts…oh what a party we could have.” It’s actually the title of one of the chapters in my book.

Creating a motivating momentum that will squash the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’ can be very effective in client retention when you tackle it from two fronts simultaneously. How? By cementing their long term and short-term goals clearly identified in their minds with benefits vividly painted AND providing the spice and variety of challenges, achievements, and recognition in their sessions with you.

As Trainers, we’ve heard just about all the excuses in the book and then some as to why clients aren’t achieving the success they want and why they can’t or won’t continue their sessions. Unfortunately, it’s human nature to find the path of least resistance and to fall back into our comfort ruts.

Once a client has stopped coming to class and we look back over the conversations of the past months, we can see a progression of subtle hints disguised as jokes, overflowing responsibility, and even doubts. If we haven’t helped address those statements and cement the client’s commitment to exercise, it will be no surprise that they don’t follow through for the long haul.

When they have both, the long range and short term cemented in their minds, that commitment will follow through in their actions. It will be easier to call them on self-sabotaging dialogue you hear from them.

The balance of mind/body/spirit will all come into play in our actions, thoughts, and words. When we listen to a client telling us the reason they will miss the next session, we can assess how they have balanced the importance of that event with the importance and value of their regular exercise sessions. We can hear how their priorities are coming into focus. Each communication is an opportunity to help them align their goals, both long term and short term with their priorities.

www.AycFit.com

That’s Too Far Away

Then you just don’t want it bad enough. If you want an awesome life, business, job, whatever, then you will put in the effort and time to get there. Stop using this excuse. Start saying positive things like… “It’s just right around the corner.”

I’m Just Not That Good

So get good at it! Just practice it or continue to work on it and you’ll be good. Remember there will always be people better than you. Use that as motivation to reach the level you want.

I’m Not That Smart

The happiest, most successful people I know are not that smart either. They just busted their ass and worked for what they wanted. You don’t have to be smart to have a great business or life. The cool thing about knowing you’re not that smart is, that you can always get smarter. The smartest people think they are smart enough. And usually they’re wrong.

I’m Not An Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur is just a title or a word that is used to describe someone who is doing their own thing. Don’t let a title dictate who you are as a person. If you want to be an entrepreneur then go do entrepreneurial things. There are no rules to it. Just do it.

My Family Said It Wasn’t A Good Idea

This one sends a chill right down my spine. That’s because family is supposed to be your biggest supporter. If you’re family doesn’t believe it’s a good idea, that’s because they are scared it wont work. But if they love you, they will support you regardless, so you wont need to use this excuse.

My Significant Other Said It Wont Work

Then prove them wrong. Sit them down, explain how this will benefit them too, and go for it. If your significant other still doesn’t support you, then chances are they are not right for you.

My (significant other) Would Never Let Me.

The only person that should let you do anything is YOU! If your significant other wont “let you” then they shouldn’t be your “significant other.”

My (insert significant other) Will Break Up/ Divorce Me If…

Again, then they are probably not right for you. Now this doesn’t mean you should go off and do something ridiculously crazy like buy an island (unless you have the money). But if you’re using this as an excuse then you must look at your situation and see what’s best for you.

My Relationship Sucks

Then get out of it. I know that is easier said than done, but why would you continue to punish yourself over something that’s probably not going to last anyway. Sit down with that person, have a heart to heart talk and voice your feelings. If things fall apart then you wont have to worry about your relationship sucking anymore. It already does. Now you can move forward.

(Insert Anyone) Said I Need To Do This First.

OK, one of the biggest rules in life is that there is no one way to happiness, money, or a great life. So why do you need to do a specific step first? The only thing you need to do, is take action towards what you want.

Top Excuse List Continues Below Ian’s Content

Ian Hart

A big excuse in business and life is…

“I am not good with computers”
The best way to change this is to hire someone online or in person to do all the things that they are not good at. I am terrible when it comes to Facebook tech stuff, blog posts, SEO, etc. So I hire it all out at a very cost effective rate through Odesk, Fiverr, and other resources. These days you can find a high school kid that has been manufactured to do everything on computers at low cost. It allows me to get way more done and takes away a HUGE frustration of mine. If I can focus on what I love and do, what I am good at and hire people to do the the things that kill my soul then I am happy, my clients are happy and the ripple effect goes out into the world and come back as love or money and I am cool with both of those things.

Another excuse is…

“I can’t afford it”
This is a mindset thing. People can afford whatever they want, they just have to work for it or find a way to afford it and that is what successful people do. For example, I had a trainer that would say “I can’t afford that” in reference to many things all the time, but she also reduced her training 4 hours a week which affected her income by over $400 a month. I would always say, please rephrase that “to I choose not to be able to afford that”. “I can’t afford that” is just something that people say because they are programed by their parents or their surroundings into a belief pattern that is false, but unfortunately, many people carry with them their whole life. You will never hear truly successful person say “I can’t afford that” because they know they can afford anything if they provide the world with enough service and value.

http://www.earthfittraining.com/

This Is A Bad Area For Business

Then why are there so many businesses there? It’s probably not a bad area for business, just maybe you trying to talk yourself out of doing what you want. If you are in the middle of no where with a population of zero, then yes it’s a bad place for business. But if there are a lot of businesses around, then it’s probably not too bad. You just have to know what you can offer that is better and different.

I’m Stressed

So is everyone else. And they are stressed all the time. Honestly I’ll bet you there is not one successful person in this world who isn’t stressed A LOT. It’s one of those things that you have to figure out how to manage. For me, it’s something I struggle with all the time. And if I get stressed, REALLY bad things happen to me, but I’ve learned to manage it better.

You Know What I Don’t Like?

Nope, I don’t know, and I don’t care. And neither do others. People would rather know what you do like. So share that instead of using this excuse and bitching about things.

I Don’t Want To Get Fired

If you think you might get fired for doing something, then chances are you will. But most times this is just an excuse for not taking action on what you want to do. As they say, people only work just hard enough not to get fired.

I’m Never Going To Be Successful

If you say this, then you’re right. Every person I’ve heard use this excuse is either just plain ‘ole lazy or has given up. This excuse is more of a mindset issue than anything else. Clear out the junk in your head, and use the phrase “I’m going to be successful no matter what!”

I’m Not Successful

Pretty much the same thing as “I’m Never Going To Be Successful.” The only difference is you’ve now completely lost confidence in yourself, and you have a much tougher road to get back on track. That doesn’t mean you won’t do it though.

I’ve Tried Everything

Really? You tried every thing you could? I doubt that! I guarantee you could try something different right now. Would it work? I don’t know. But I do know, you can always try something else. Eventually if you keep trying, something will work. You just have to not give up.

I’ve Done Everything I Can

This is just like “I’ve tried everything.” And I’ll bet you haven’t done everything you can. It’s just an excuse to use when times get tough, and you don’t want to push anymore. If you think you’ve tried everything, call someone who isn’t familiar with the situation and ask for their advice. Usually they will give you something you didn’t think of.

Being Positive Doesn’t Work

This is an excuse a negative and unhappy person would use. If this is you, and you say this all the time, then the only way being positive is going to work is by surrounding yourself with all positive people who don’t bitch and enjoy life.

That Self Help Stuff Is A Bunch Of Garbage

If you use that as an excuse then your life is probably pretty miserable. One of the best ways to improve every aspect of your life is to improve who you are. If you believe that helping people is a good thing, then helping yourself will work too.

Top Excuse List Continues Below Isaac’s Content

Isaac Wilkins

The Biggest Excuse:

My spouse/significant other/friends/kids don’t support me and are a distraction.

My response:

You know what? That’s probably true. You are the sum of the people you hang around with most, and if you’re not as successful as you want to be it’s probably because you hang out with people who are comfortable with their level of (un)success.

And do you really think that they want you to move up and beyond them? Please. At best that would shake up their world (that they’re happy in) and at worst it would totally change both of your lives.

So of course they’re not supportive.

However, they’re not the ones that are standing in my gym. You are. They’re not the ones that say they want to make a change. You are. They’re not living your damn life. YOU ARE.

So if you want it, then make it happen. Find new, supportive people to be around. Agree to disagree with your spouse. And your kids? Well, it’s probably not their fault… it’s yours. Because you are one of the five influential people in their life and you’re not being as awesome as you could be to drag them up.

Isaac Wilkins
www.BeyondTheBarbell.com

They Are Better Than Me

So what if they are? There will always be people better than you at something. But that doesn’t mean you wont be able to be that good. If you want something bad enough, and work hard enough for it, then others will be using that excuse about you.

I Don’t Think I Can Do It

Have you at least tried it? How do you know if you haven’t tried it? The other thing is, you only “think” you’re not able to do it. That’s all this excuse is… a thought. It’s something that doesn’t even exist in tangible form. It’s something you created in your mind. That’s it. Just try it first before saying you don’t think you can do it.

I Don’t Have The Support

This is a tough one, and a very legitimate excuse. Without support, it makes what you’re trying to do very difficult. If you need support, and are not getting it, then you need to find it somewhere else. Look for a lot of like minded people and ask them for support. Chances are they will give it to you, and motivate you to accomplish what you’re trying to do.

I Don’t Need To Change

Then you’ll be stuck where you’re at for as long as you are not willing to change. If you want better results with anything, then you need to change. It’s as simple as that. Without change there is no growth or improvement.

I Need Help

The good thing about this excuse is that if you admit you need help, that is a good thing. But after that, most times help is never sough out. You just keep saying “I need help.” This leads to you never getting help for what you need. If you admit you need help with something, then make sure you get it… Immediately.

It’s Too Late

It’s rarely ever too late. Stop using this and just go after it. As long as what you do is valuable and different, it will be useful. So don’t worry about being late to the game. It’s better to be in the game, than not being in it at all.

It’s Too Late (Version 2)

This one means that is actually too late in the day. Honestly, it’s never too late. If you want to get something done, then get it done. It doesn’t matter if it’s 8am or 3am. The most successful people work whenever they have to to make sure they get everything done.

The Government Should Do Something

It is. The government is giving you the opportunity every day to live an incredible life where you have the freedom to say and do pretty much anything you want. If you want to see some change in lives, you need to start by changing yours first.

It’s (Insert Name) Fault

Sometimes it is completely someone else’s fault. But that’s not going to fix or change anything. You’ve gotta suck it up, do something about it, and realize that there’s a good chance that you’re partially to blame too. Focus on accepting what’s happened, and doing something about it. That’s the only way to get rid of using this excuse.

That’s Impossible

No it’s not. If it’s something that you want bad enough, and I mean more than anything you’ve ever wanted before, then it’s possible. If you want to be the first person to be a trillionaire, then you can do it. But you are going to have to want it more than anyone else, and work harder then anyone you know to get it.

No One Will Trust Me

Are you sure about that? Do your family and friends trust you? If so, then it’s almost a definite that others will trust you. You just have to put yourself out there, and be willing to trust yourself.

Top Excuse List Continues Below Sam’s Content

Sam Bakhtiar

The Biggest Excuse:

I don’t have the money

I know that can completely be a legitimate excuse but can it……
I can’t think of a better investment than investing in yourself. Let me explain. There are 4 types of capital. The one that we all usually think of is money (financial capital)

Believe it or not financial capital is the least important type of capital. Why? Because financial capital can run out or be taken away.

It’s well documented that almost all lottery winners will lose their new fortune. Why?

Only one type of capital, that’s why

So let’s talk about other types of capital

1) Relational Capital: Relationships that you build with people over the years. Every day we must increase our relational capital and strive to have better relationships. Good relationships= Great opportunities

2) Social Capital: We need to strive to “GIVE BACK” whether it’s money, advice, or just taking the garbage out for our neighbors we must give. The more you give = The more you get.

3) Educational Capital: We all heard the quote by Jim Rohn “formal education makes you a living but self education will make you a fortune”. It’s true. We must always INVEST in our self education.

So there you have it. Invest in yourself it’s the best investment ever. Nothing that I know of will get you a better ROI

Sam Bakhtiar – AKA 7 Figure Sam

www.Super-Trainer.com

I Don’t Want To Have A Bad Reputation

If you are using this excuse then you might want to ask yourself “what am I doing that could cause me to have a bad reputation?” If you’re honest, transparent, and provide value, then you will never have a bad reputation. But if there is any question that what you’re doing is a little funky, then you might end up with this reputation.

What If I Look Stupid?

Then you look stupid. If you want to make a better business or life for yourself, you are going to have to do things you are uncomfortable with. Sometimes that means you end up looking like an idiot. If you are afraid of looking stupid, then you will never take the steps you need to reach your goals.

I Don’t Want To Upset Anyone

If you’re looking to have a great life/business then you have to accept that you will upset people from time to time. But if you have a good heart, do the right thing, and provide value then you will be able sleep at night.

This sucks

Yeah I’m sure it does. A lot of things suck. But what are you going to do about it? Instead of bitching about it, do something to change it. Once you take action towards that thing that sucks, it doesn’t suck anymore.

It was handed to them

OK, maybe it was. But what does that have to do with you? They might have been given the keys to the kingdom, but it doesn’t mean you can’t have it too. You just have to work to get it. Chances are, when you mention “it was handed to them,” you really have no clue if it was or not. You just see the results they are having and not the hard work they had to put in to get it.

But…

A lot of times when you use this word it creates a question in your mind. Once there is a question in your mind, there is a reason for you to think it’s not possible. This one word is very powerful and can literally change the outcome of any major decision you have. So be very careful about when you use this word.

I just think…

9 times out of 10 when you say this phrase it means something negative will follow or you don’t think you or someone else can do it. Just eliminate it from your vocabulary and focus on what actually can be done, and not what can’t.

I Don’t Know

This is a big excuse but one that is not really looked at as one. If you think about it though, most times you say you don’t know, it means you are making an excuse for not making a decision. Chances are you do know the answer, but you just don’t want to make it right now. The faster you can make a decision, usually the better off you will be.

I Don’t Care

Actually if you use this, then chances are you care more then you would like others to let on. This is an excuse that is usually used to brush off something that needs to be done. By saying that you don’t care, means that you don’t want to put in the work needed or make the decision to get it done. If you really don’t care then you would do it without hesitating.

It’s Too Dangerous

This is very similar to “It’s Too Risky.” If you’re about to jump out of a plane without a parachute, then yes it’s too dangerous. But If you want to do something with your life and take a chance to do it, it’s usually not as dangerous as others make it out to be. Most of the people who say it’s too dangerous have never tried it themselves. You need to try it before you decide it’s too dangerous.

Whew, there ya have it. 101 top excuses that can really screw things up for you. The crazy thing is, there are a million more excuses but this covers the big ones.

If I missed one of the big ones on here, just make sure to add it to the comment section below.

Don’t make an excuse not to comment

Some photos provided by Exfordy and Point-Zero

“Never Complain, Never Explain” – Henry Ford

Fitness Guru Dax Moy On How To Awaken The Guru Within!

Erik — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 16:53:02 +0000

Fitness Guru Dax Moy is here with me today. And to be honest with you, I’ve been wanting to get Dax here on FBI for a looooong time. I finally had the chance to meet him in person and speak at an event with him, and that’s when I knew it was time to nail down an interview. What I’ve learned from talking with him and hearing him speak, literally blows my mind every time. So I was pumped to finally get some time with him and talk about a very interesting topic… “Guruism.”

I’ve never thought about gurus in the way he describes it. And I’ve come to understand that being a guru is a good thing. In this interview he goes really deep into the the topic of becoming a guru, and why everyone should focus on being one.

Take a look…

Fitness Guru Dax Moy Interview

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What Dax Moy’s Interview Is All About

Recently I got to see Dax speak. The funny thing is, as he is speaking I’m looking around the room and people were so into what he was talking about that you could hear a pin drop. It was one of the best presentations I’ve ever seen!

Normally when you go to fitness business events or seminars usually the topics are always about how doing certain things in your business will help you grow. Or, here’s some cool fitness marketing techniques you can try. Things like that.

But Dax flipped that upside down. He decided to bring in a touch of personal development into this seminar.

He wasn’t sure if people were going to like it or not, but he did it anyway, and ya know what?

Everyone loved it!

The actual title of his presentation was “Awaken The Guru Within.”

I’m just gonna say, that he crushed it with this. He could have gone on for much longer, but he had to wrap it up so others could share there info.

And I wanted to know more about the guru topic, so that is why we did this interview.

Now, there are a lot of funny feelings towards gurus. In western society it’s usually negative. Gurus sometimes are pictured as these hard to reach people, who take advantage of others and can be shady characters.

But in this interview, Dax changes things up as to why being a guru is a good thing.

It’s a really new way to look at gurus and why everyone needs to be one.

It’s refreshing, and something I now think about everyday.

The interview covers a lot of ground, and we even dive into the passion and purpose side of things. That’s because if you are looking to awaken your guru, you NEED to know these things.

They are VERY important.

And in Dax’s case they were even more important. That’s because a while back he seemed to have lost his way and according to him, his focus was on the wrong things… like money!

Now there is nothing wrong with that, but in his case he became too money focused and it had a major impact on him. And not in a good way.

It limited him quite a bit and he didn’t like who he became. So he decided to change. And now he’s happier then ever.

I really believe this interview will add some really cool positive things for you. Plus it’s different than any other one here at Fitness Business Interviews. It will definitely help you to “Awaken The Guru Within,” build a better business, a better life, and if you’re struggling a bit with happiness there are some great tips that will help clear things up for you.

So make sure you check this out.

Dax Moy Interview Highlights

Why he is been called the highest paid personal trainer in the world.
How much he charges for this.
What type of hesitations he gets from charging this rate.
What is included in this program he offers.
How Dax was able to get to the level he is at today.
How much he charges for training.
Why the money is not the most important aspect for him.
Why Dax is proud to call himself a guru.
Where the word guru comes from.
Who Dax considers gurus.
What the definition of a guru really is.
Why the term “guru” has a negative connotation in western society.
What the difference is between a leader and a guru.
Why leadership is related to having followers.
Why being a leader made Dax unhappy.
Why Dax wouldn’t have done an interview like this years ago.
What happened to Dax when he was focusing on the money.
What are the 3 types of gurus.
What examples there are of each type of guru.
How to transfer from a leader to a guru.
Why focusing on becoming a guru helps your marketing.
Why stories of struggle are so important.
What the downsides are to being a guru.
What the importance of passion and purpose are when it comes to guruism.
Whether it’s more important to be a purpose focused guru or a passion focused.
What the G-Spot is – and it’s not what you think.
Why passion is so important when it comes to your purpose.
How to find your purpose through your passions.
Why you have to find your purpose, and it wont find you.
Why Dax believes that being unhappy is related to not having a purpose.
Whether or not core values and purpose are related.
Whether or not someone can be successful in life and business without a purpose.
What’s the most challenging thing that Dax has had to deal with.
What tools and resources Dax is using.
What people Dax is following.
What the #1 key is to becoming a great marketer.
Why it’s important to know who you REALLY are.

At the end of the interview Dax talks about a program he has called My Unstoppable Year. If you’re interested in checking it out, click here. (Not an affiliate)

And if you just wanna check out what Dax is up to, visit www.daxmoy.ning.com Just a heads up, you’ll need opt in to see this.

Fitness SEO – How To Drive A Ton Of Traffic To Your Website With David Sinick

Erik — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 11:12:31 +0000

Fitness Seo expert David Sinick took the time to literally break down exactly why SEO is so important for your website in this interview. He explains how you should be doing it so that search engines like Google will rank your site higher and bring you a ton of traffic. This is a super in-depth interview with David, and one that I learned a ton on. Watch this interview to see how to do your SEO so you’re getting great results.

Fitness SEO Interview With David Sinick

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Fitness Website SEO And What This Interview Is All About

Ok, OK. So I kinda mentioned in the intro text what this whole interview on fitness SEO is all about. But that’s cool.

I wanted to get David on here because one of the things I see when it comes to a ton of fitness websites is that so many pros in our industry do this stuff wrong. Or they just don’t know how.

Since David works with a bunch of people in the fitness industry, and is getting great results for them, I figured he would be one of the best guys to talk about all this crazy traffic, and SEO stuff.

So in this interview, David goes into total bad ass mode, and shares some crazy details of what fitness SEO is, why it’s important, and literally how you need to be doing it so that you can rank your site higher.

There was so much good info that I was taking notes on what he was saying.

Every time I had a question where I wanted to dive deeper on a topic, he answered it without me asking.

That’s pretty cool, and doesn’t happen a lot in interviews.

David covers not just the basics, but touches on some of the more advanced topics too.

Things like, link wheels, and article spinning. If you’re not sure what those things are, that’s OK, David explains it in the interview.

So this is an interview that will really give you some hefty tips on what you need to be doing to rank your site higher.

Oh, and just a quick side note… A lot of the examples given are for people who use WordPress. Even if you don’t use that, everything he says still applies.

David Sinick Interview Highlights

How David got into internet marketing and fitness SEO.
What his lifestyle is like now and where he is living.
How Ryan Lee helped get David started.
The number one thing you need to do for traffic to your fitness website.
Whether or not you should have a traffic plan in place when you are starting.
How important the design is of your site.
What exactly is SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
Why keywords are so important.
How to fix your site if you don’t have a main keyword for it.
The difference between on page SEO and off page SEO.
The complete breakdown of how to do on on page SEO for your fitness website.
Why longer content is usually better.
How to use images for your fitness website to get more traffic.
The keys to building successful links back to your website.
What Page Rank is.
The difference between “dofollow” and “nofollow” links.
Why link building has to look natural to the search engines.
What are link farms, and if they are good or bad for you.
How important article marketing/writing is for you, and if it is still relevant.
What article spinning is.
Why you need to diversify your links.
What a link wheel is.
Three great SEO and traffic resources that David is using.
What’s one thing you should never do to get traffic to your fitness website.

If you need some help with your rankings or want to see what David’s company is all about, check out his site at www.media-beast.com

If you have any SEO questions, make sure to leave them below in the comments.

John Spencer Ellis On Why & How He Started Wexford University

Erik — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 11:49:32 +0000

John Spencer Ellis is at it again. The guy just has so many things going on. When I think there is no possible way he can come up with something else that is cool… he does. What he’s done now is acquire and rebuild an online university. It’s being called Wexford University. And in this interview with John he goes through exactly what it is, and what he had to go through to finally achieve a big dream he has had for a very long time .

John Spencer Ellis – Wexford University Interview

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About John Spencer Ellis And Wexford University

Seriously, who else would in the fitness industry would think of owning an online university?

That takes some pretty serious entrepreneurial cojones.

It takes a TON of patience, planning, hard work, and straight up cash to be able to end up with your own school.

Now I’m not going to lie, that would be pretty cool to own one, but I bet you what John went through to acquire this, is 10x more than what he spoke about in the interview.

When it comes to helping to put the fitness industry another step forward, an online university such as Wexford is going to be a huge asset.

Fitness professionals, or would be fitness professionals are going to have the opportunity to really come away with some solid knowledge from a place like Wexford.

That’s not to say that there probably isn’t other schools that offer similar degrees, but the fact that it’s being operated by someone who is in the industry makes this a much better option.

Since John has been in the industry for a while, and in the trenches he knows what is needed for a place like Wexford to be a top notch educational institution.

In the interview John discusses exactly what the school will be offering, the investment, and even how he came up with the idea to have a school like Wexford.

So check out this interview with John Spencer Ellis about Wexford University.

John Spencer Ellis Wexford University Highlights

How long it’s taken to make Wexford University a reality.
How Wexford came about.
What type of degrees are offered at Wexford.
Why they closed the original university and decided to pretty much start over.
What the process is like to get a degree from Wexford.
Why online degrees are so powerful.
How Wexford is different from other online universities.
Why Wexford was renamed and bought instead of starting from scratch.
What the process is like to actually acquire a university.
How long it takes to get a .edu web address.
Why Wexford University is designed to help and educate.
Why John wanted to have a university.
Who the faculty is.
What John’s role is.
What’s the enrollment process is like, and when does it open up.
How many people want to enroll.
How much of an investment Wexford is.
How John was able to find a university to acquire.

If Wexford University sounds like something you’re interested in, head over to the website at
www.wexford.edu

Fitness Business Consultant Thomas Plummer On How To Build A Gym The Right Way!

Erik — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:57:11 +0000

Thomas Plummer is one of the top fitness business consultants in the Industry. So when I had the opportunity to interview him, I jumped on it. Thom is a guy I’ve been following for a while now. He’s been in the industry longer than most people out there, and he knows what he is talking about. Especially when it comes to growing a great health club or gym. If you have a gym or facility that you are looking to take to the next level, Thom shares a bunch of his strategies in this interview.

Thomas Plummer Interview

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Thomas Plummer – Fitness Business Consultant – What This Interview Is About

We all know those big box gyms out there that undercharge, or try to have the lowest price so they can undercut the competition. They are completely membership based, and work off of getting as many people to join as possible.

Well, those gyms are going to be in trouble with that business model, if they aren’t already.

Think about it this way, you have thousands of square feet that you owe rent on, utilities, insurance, and a whole bunch of other things. That’s a lot of overhead!

If a big box gym opens across the street from another one and charges less for memberships, what is that other facility going to do?

In this interview with Thomas Plummer (who’s one hell of a fitness business consultant), we actually go over a model that a lot of larger gyms and clubs need to be following so that they don’t end up like the lowest cost gym and then run into trouble.

On the site here there are a bunch of interviews that cover what to do in smaller gyms and facilities. But not as many when it comes to big facilities.

That’s why I wanted have Thom come on and talk about what’s working, what’s changed, and what has happened to the industry because of all the low cost clubs out there.

I had a good idea of what was going on, but when Thom mentioned how many more businesses are getting into the model focusing on the lowest cost and volume, I realized there is quite a bit more taking place then I thought.

It’s causing some pretty interesting things, some negative, but Thom was happy to talk about how this is already having a positive impact on the fitness industry. And that’s a cool thing.

What’s really cool is that Thom goes through and shares a bunch of tips and business tactics that he uses with his consulting clients. These are the big levers that put his clients in the right position for success.

And a bunch of these consulting are running 7 figure gyms.

So it’s a pretty sure bet that what Thom says, works. So make sure you check this one out, because it’s good, and you will be able to pull some great usable info away from this one.

How do I know? Because Thom is one of the top fitness business consultants out there, and the clients that work with him, are absolutely crushing it!

Thomas Plummer Interview Highlights

Who Thom is helping and how.
How Thom got started in the fitness industry.
How he finds time to handle all the traveling he does.
How many weeks he travels per year.
How the National Fitness Business Alliance (NFTBA) came about.
What his role is for the NFTBA.
Why Thom decided to go out on his own as a fitness entrepreneur.
What size is the sweet spot for club owners in terms of square feet.
Why the space you have is not a gym.
How to determine if you actually have growth potential with your gym.
How much the industry is changing right now.
How gyms are cannibalizing each other.
Why the lowest price for a membership isn’t going to work anymore.
What you can do if you are charging low prices in your gym.
How many franchises will be opening in the near future charging $19/ month
Why pricing goes in 10-12 year cycles.
Whether low pricing is hurting the industry or not.
Why people like Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove, and Todd Durkin are really helping the industry.
What the trainer-centric model is.
What types of different offers you can have and charge with the trainer-centric model.
Why you should keep away from charging for packages and sessions.
How you sell current club members into new programs you’re offering.
How many members should you focus on trying to convert into training programs.
Why many clubs are still focused on the “volume” mindset and why that needs to be changed.
How to market these programs for your gym.
What the sales pitch is at the end of a trial period.
Why the term “Risk-Free” is so powerful.
How many trainers you should have in your facility.
How to hire and pick the right personal trainers for your club.
What process Thom recommends for walkthroughs.
What an assessor is.
Why marketing right now is a transitional tool.
How to market your gym currently and target the right people.
How Thom recommends handling the referral process.
How to shift your mindset from volume to the trainer-centric training model.
What the biggest mistakes are that big box gyms and clubs are making.
What tools Thomas recommends to help you.

If you want to check out what Thom has going on or see how he can help you then visit
www.thomasplummer.net or www.jointhenfba.com

Pat Rigsby And The Rise Of Fitness Consulting Group

Erik — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 11:43:43 +0000

Pat Rigsby of Fitness Consulting Group is here to breakdown how he and his partner Nick Berry were able to build up one of the top fitness consulting groups in the industry. I’ve known Pat for a few years now, but I’ve only gotten to know him really well this past year.

What he, his partner Nick, and their businesses are doing, have been a huge help to thousands of fitness entrepreneurs. So check out how they actually built their brand and business to become one of the best in the industry….

Fitness Consulting Interview With Pat Rigsby

Audio/ MP3 Download

Click Here For Mp3 Download

I’ve gotta say I was really excited for this interview. Pat and I have been talking about doing the interview for a while but we have both just been really busy.

Finally our schedules allowed us to sit down and spend some time going over his story, and how he and Nick were able to build their businesses.

If you don’t know Pat, he’s one of the go to guys when it comes to fitness consulting. He and Nick (his business partner) have literally helped thousands of people take their fitness businesses to the next level.

They are constantly looking for new ways and areas to help fitness entrepreneurs, and because of this they now own and manage at least a dozen businesses.

Some of the biggest areas of their business has been franchising. Which they are literally dominating with right now. Which we cover in the interview.

So I was really excited to finally spend the time with Pat and go into a ton of detail about how he and Nick were able to do all of this.

So make sure you check out this interview with one of the best fitness consultants in the industry, Pat Rigsby.

Pat Rigsby Interview Highlights

What Pat’s background is, and how he got started.
How he ended up in the gym.
How he met his business partner Nick Berry.
How many clients he and Nick had in only 1 year of business.
How Pat knew that Nick would be a good person to partner with.
How Pat and Nick mapped out where their business was going to go.
Why they realized opening multiple gyms was not the route they wanted to go.
How Pat ended up getting into sales.
How Pat and Nick ended up taking over the training departments of multiple gyms.
What the turning point was for Pat and Nick to get into the consulting side of things.
Why they realized it was important for them to get into fitness business coaching.
How they got into the fitness marketing world, and put products online.
How they built their email list.
Whether or not he realized how big business for him and Nick could be.
What type of plan they had to grow their business.
How much their business has grown every year.
How Pat and Nick determined what businesses to start, buy, and partner in.
How many businesses they own.
What is the next step for Pat and Nick.
How many franchises they have.
What’s different about their franchises from the others.
What setting up a franchised company is like.
What Pat’s prediction for the business is for the next year.
What’s the biggest challenge Pat has had to face.
What a typical day is like.
Where he and Nick actually work from.
Who Pat is learning from currently.
What are the best tools they are using to help their business.

I’ve learned a ton from Pat, and he’s been a huge help to me personally over the past few years. So if you want to see more about what he and his partner Nick are up to, take a look at their site…

www.fitbusinessinsider.com

John Spencer Ellis Interviews Lil’ Ole’ Me

Erik — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:56:57 +0000

Hey there,

Last week, I had the HUGE honor of having the tables turned on me. I was hanging out with John Spencer Ellis at Sam Bakhtiar’s event and we got to talking.

He asked if he could interview me. Of course I was like… HELL YEAH!!!

So below is the interview that John did with me. We covered some really cool topics, especially when it comes to overcoming limitations, taking action, and revealing some secrets on the interviewing process.

If you don’t know, John is actually a pro when it comes to interviews. He knows how to really make an impact with them, and how to use them as leveraging tool to build your brand and business.

So it was a very interesting conversation. Especially since John knew how to ask the tough questions.

The fun part was we left in all the mistakes and screw ups so you can see how to keep pushing through things if you ever get into that situation when you’re being interviewed by the media.

And this is also the first time I revealed a bunch of the techniques I use to take action on things, and also some insider tips on how I do interviews.

So take a look, and then let me know what you think in the comments below.

The Top Fitness Business Interviews & Posts Of 2011

Erik — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 11:43:47 +0000

Fitness Business Interviews started one year ago. And I’ve gotta say 2011 has been one hell of a year. I don’t know about you, but this year went by faster than any other year. It seriously flew by, and I’m still trying to figure out where it went.

But that’s just a reminder that once time is gone, we never get it back.

In looking back at 2011, I’ve been fortunate enough to get some great interviews of top fitness entrepreneurs, and have had a ton of fun doing this too.

One of the questions I get all of the time is of all the interviews on the site, which one is my favorite?

That’s a tough one to answer. It’s kind of like asking which one of your kids is your favorite?

Haha, I know that may be a strange way to look at it, but each interview was really important and I approached each one like it was the last one I’d ever do. So I put my heart and soul into them, and tried to jam them full of as much great content as I could for you.

So instead of naming which one was my favorite, I’m listing my top 5 interviews and top 3 posts from 2011. So here ya go…

Top 100 Fitness Entrepreneurs

This Post was the post that drew a lot of attention to FBI early on. It was a monster undertaking putting this together, but it was well worth it in the end.

107 Ways To Build An EPIC Fitness Business & Life

This was one of the most inspirational posts of the past year on Fitness Business Interviews. It was a mix of business building tips, life advice, and just plain ole’ funny tips. Out of every post I’ve written, this was the most fun. I will be doing way more posts like this in 2012.

The Fitness Industry Transparency Resolution

This post was one of the most controversial ones on the site. I spent years looking into businesses and transparency, and I started to notice a huge shift in our society towards being more transparent. Businesses are focusing on it more, people are focusing on it more, So I put all the results of my research in this post. I’m a big believer that if you follow this your business can only go up.

I couldn’t go without talking about how awesome it was to partner up with fitness industry icon Greg Justice and run a huge online event.

That event was the 2011 Fitness Industry Rising Stars.

That was one crazy event, that was really successful despite all of the technical issues. This event is something that both Greg and I are REALLY proud of.

It was an event that we chose to do because we wanted to do something positive for the industry. We also wanted to give recognition to the up and comers and people who will be shaping our industry in the future.

That event reminded us of how cool and fun this industry really is, and Greg and I look forward to doing it again this year.

I’ve got to say, I’ve love top list posts, but I also HATE them. They are a pain because it’s always hard to choose what is the best. Honestly, there are so many other interviews that could be listed on this top 5 list. Hell all of them could be. But these were the ones that stood out in my mind as I’m writing this.

But just in case you wanted to see all the interviews I did for 2011 I posted the links to them below…

Whoa, 55 in the past year (If I counted correctly). That’s a lot. The crazy thing is, I did way more than that. But those interviews were for other people, projects, and experimental things I was working on. So It’s right around 100 interview that I did.

So for the first year here at FBI, I’ve gotta say It was an amazing ride. I couldn’t have done it without your support.

So I just want to THANK YOU for taking the time to follow everything going on here at FBI. I couldn’t have done it without you.

Just so you know, I’ve already got some killer interviews lined up for you, and other cool things you’ve never seen before that are coming for 2012.

So keep an eye out.

Is The Fitness Industry Being Sold A Bill Of Goods?

Erik — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 11:23:05 +0000

Fitness Industry veteran Rocco Castellano and I met up in Las Vegas a few weeks ago. While we were hanging out we got into a really interesting discussion. So I grabbed a microphone ( the camera crapped out on me) and decided to interview Rocco on why he feels the industry is being sold a bill of goods.

This is a really eye opening interview, with an interesting point of view on what’s taking place in the fitness industry.

What I love about Rocco is he says it as it is. So there is no tip toeing around how he feels. And this conversation about why the industry is being sold a bill of goods is no different.

So listen in (yep it’s an audio interview) to what Rocco has to say…

Oh, by the way this is a pretty explosive interview with some “interesting language.” I’m just giving you a heads up.

Audio/MP3 Download

MP3 Download – Right Click To Download/ Control Click For Mac

OK, so basically Rocco sounds off on what is taking place in the fitness industry, why it’s happening and what needs to be done to fix it.

And according to Rocco, the fitness industry is in a state of confusion. This confusion is leading to a whole bunch of frustrated trainers and up and coming fitness entrepreneurs.

And because of this frustration and confusion we are grinding ourselves into the ground.

According to Rocco the confusion is caused by the “experts.”

It’s interesting to listen to Rocco explain why the “experts” are causing this.

What’s cool about this though is not only does he explain what the problem is, he shares what the solution is to fix it.

And that’s a good thing.

This is a pretty eye opening interview that will shed some light on a very interesting topic.

Interview Highlights

Why dialogue is so important.
Why Rocco isn’t afraid of people stealing ideas from him.
Why you are being sold a bill of goods.
What The Solution Is.
Why having a solution is so important.
Why Rocco feels bad for a lot of trainers and coaches in the industry.
Why people are persuaded into things they don’t need.
Why you can’t be an expert in multiple niches.
Why being sold a bill of goods is hurting the fitness industry.
Why the fitness industry is confused.
What is wrong with many of the certifying organizations.
What is wrong with much of the information in the fitness industry.
Why Rocco turned down a multi-million dollar deal.
What’s wrong with many of the newsletters in the fitness industry.
Why the fitness industry has become a bunch of “sheep.”
What Rocco’s top tips are to keep yourself from being sold a bill of goods.

Do you think what Rocco is saying is true? Have you witnessed any of this? Then let me know in the comments below.

Fitness DVDs – How To Create And Sell A Boat Load Of ‘Em

Erik — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:36:02 +0000

So I was looking for a cool person to interview about extra revenue streams for your fitness business. And then I remembered my man Dustin Maher is crushing it by selling fitness dvds. And I don’t mean just selling a few here and there. I mean selling a boat load of them. Dustin would probably need a dump truck to carry around all the DVDs he’s sold the past few years.

Selling DVDs has been a HUGE added revenue stream for his business. And in this interview with Dustin, he breaks everything down and explains how you can do it too. So check it out…

Fitness DVDs Interview With Dustin Maher

Audio/ MP3 Download

Download MP3

As I mentioned in the intro, Dustin has sold a TON of Fitness DVDs. Even though the interview doesn’t mention everything else Dustin has accomplished, let’s just say he’s done more than most people in the industry and he’s only 28 years old.

We’re talking things like be on TV over 100 times, having multiple boot camps and locations, to being one of the top experts on training moms, and even having a publishing deal.

Speaking of that, check out his brand new book Fit Moms For Life. (Not an affiliate link.)

It’s a pretty cool resource not just for moms, but for fitness pros too. It will help the trainers out there understand what moms are really looking for.

I even did an interview with Dustin about the book. If you want to check that out, you can see that here.

As for the DVDs and the interview, Dustin literally broke down exactly how he prepares for the DVD, how he shoots it, to how he markets and sells them. And he shares all sorts of killer tips for ya on how you can have fitness DVDs become a very successful added revenue stream for your fitness business.

Fitness DVDs Interview Highlights With Dustin Maher

How many DVDs Dustin has sold.
What Dustin’s background is and how it led to being able to sell so many fitness DVDs.
Why DVDs work so well as an additional revenue stream.
How many moms Dustin has trained.
Why he decided to sell fitness DVDs.
How many Products he created.
How he determines what goes on each DVD product.
What the outline process is like to create a successful DVD.
Exactly what is included on DVDs.
How long the DVDs are.
Why you should not do the training on the DVD.
What type of companies you can use to film your fitness DVDs.
How the video is planned out for the companies.
What you should look for when hiring a production company.
What you should always include in a contract.
What he pays for the production of the DVDs.
Why he uses a fulfillment center and what it is.
Exactly how he sells his DVDs.
How he determined his marketing plan.
Why the daily deal sites are another way to sell DVDs.
Whether or not you should sell DVDs to your current clients.
How you can use your DVDs to create a monthly continuity income.
How to determine pricing.
What is a big mistake you should avoid when first getting started with your own DVDs.
What Dustin’s 3 best resources are for selling and creating fitness DVDs.
Dustin’s 3 best tips to sell more DVDs.

A Warning to Fitness Professionals: The Age of Change

Erik — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 11:15:00 +0000

A Guest Blog Post by Brian Grasso

This is something I have seen within the fitness industry for years.
It is a giant tidal-wave that has begun to shift directions and head towards you.
And it is an issue that will affect your business as a Fitness Professional as well as your career as a Fitness Business Professional.

Consumers have new choices; and if you do not recognize the market trends, you will be left wondering what happened….

I contend that the Age of Information has died.
And yes, in true “FTR Nation” fashion, I do so by effacing the counter arguments lobbied by virtually every other expert on this matter.

Information is everywhere; and therefore exists in a saturated model.
Information is the linchpin to success; but entirely ineffectual when not applied.

Information is sometimes correct, but oftentimes wrong, incomplete or sensationalized to ‘prove’ a skewed opinion.
And yet, our thirst to both consume and produce more information appears unquenchable.
It can broaden our prospective, but dampen our enthusiasm to act all at the same time.

It can enhance our knowledge-base, but decrease our ability to understand.

It can coax us to enhance topic comprehension with our customers, but make us forget that a match without the spark is useless…

… And that’s my point.

The Age of INSPIRATION is upon us.

Information can be found by…

Clicking buttons on a computer.
Visiting a library.
Or consulting with a subject matter expert.

But in the absence of a catalyst that compels you to USE the information, it stays locked inside; a hopeless agent of good intention, but limited value.

You have at your disposal, a dream solution to your client’s ill lifestyles.

A perfect idea whose time is now.

A philanthropic plan that the world needs.

You have the information you need to begin the process.

You could find further information as the need to learn more increases.

But if the inspiration to act is scarce, the information is of little use.

The vision will never materialize. This remains the dearth our society finds itself in. The great void of mankind.

The “FTR Nation” is predicated on uplifting spirits.

Changing minds and lessening burdens.

It is about a brotherhood and sisterhood of collectively intended people.

Those willing to leave a legacy, change the world and prepared for the counterculture signature that such an audacious claim will bring.

Today, inspire with audacity. Dare to believe in someone; and tell them.

Help them see that their dream is neither farfetched nor unrealistic; it is merely an accurate vision of what will surely be.

Encourage imprudence; incite risk; rejoice in different.

And then, re-read this Blog….

…. Because it is my unabashed and authentic faith in you.

Whatever your goal, I believe you to be wholly capable – and could not care less what anyone else has to say on the matter.

Moreover, your clients will find other sources of ‘fitness information genius’ if you simply pontificate to them about your credentials, education and credibility.

They want to enjoy a community; with you at the helm.

They want to feel like they matter; specifically to you.

You can learn how to ‘get’ more clients.

Or you can do remarkable things that compel new clients to want to ‘get’ you.

And that is a massive difference.

Brian Grasso spent 16 years as a Renegade within the Fitness Industry. He now serves as a Renegade for the world at large. You can find him at www.FreethinkingRenegades.com

Photo credit 1, Photo credit 2

Fitness Advice From A “Has Been” Rock Star….

Erik — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:33:08 +0000

Erik here. I wanted to let you know that I’ve got a guest post from one of the coolest guys I know. The interesting thing is that he is no longer in the fitness industry, but his impact has been felt all around the world.

The guy I’m talking about is Brian Grasso. If you don’t know Brian, well, basically he created a whole new playing field when it came to the training and conditioning of our youth. He was the former CEO of the IYCA.org, and he literally changed the way we work with youth athletes.

Even though Brian is no longer a part of the IYCA he was cool enough to share a guest post with some awesome fitness advice. It includes a message that we need to keep in mind as we continue on our journey in the fitness industry.

So, take it from here Brian…

I spent 16 years serving in the Fitness and Sport Training Industry.
In that time, I trained Olympic Gold Medalists, more than 20,000 athletes worldwide, traveled internationally as a guest lecturer, wrote and published 3 bestselling books, designed and engineered my own line of fitness equipment and founded 2 legacy-oriented organizations than have, and will continue to, alter the face of fitness for years…

No, I’m not arrogant.

I just never took a single ‘normal’ step in my entire career. And to find true fulfillment-based success, neither should you.

Moments like this changed my life…..

Craig had flaming red hair, a subtle Scottish accent and an incredible twinkle in his eyes.

I couldn’t quite believe it when I found out that he was 43 years old.

Then again, I was 18 and 43 sounded like it should include a cane, some serious balding and stories that started with, “back when I was your age….”

But Craig never told stories like that.

His tales were about the experience of a world-tour.

Playing 32 countries in 6 months.

Booze, women whose name’s he couldn’t remember and sleepless nights filled with the juvenile, destructive antics reserved for rock star royalty.

Exactly what Craig was; once upon a time.

Now, a member of the house band that played at one of the dive bars I used to work as a Bouncer at….

…. But 20 years before, lead guitarist for one of the most well-known and progressive bands during the “punk-turned-synthesizer-pop” musical era abyss, otherwise known as the 1980′s.

He still had the thick, red locks; and thrashed them around our bars’ 4 x 4 stage with as much vigor as he did when playing sold out shows in front of 30,000+.

He still used down times between songs to dispense epic analogies about how to live life on the edge and raise hell; although his audience was no longer 20-something year old women crying in lusting angst at his sultry voice – they’d been replaced by a motley bunch of hard-nosed drinkers, any number of which would become my problem as soon as the bartender decided to cut them off for the night.

Most of our staff used to poke fun at Craig; and most of the time, behind his back.

He had a way of closing his eyes and looking up towards the $4.99 spotlights we had hanging over his performing area during the guitar solos of the songs he was playing.

“He thinks he’s still playing Madison Square Garden”, they would jest.

“That man needs to get his ass out of the 80′s and realize that he’s a has-been”.

One night after work, we were all sitting around at the back of the bar; customary after a Saturday shift that included a full capacity crowd, 8 fights and no fewer than 10 verbal threats on my life from drunk, testosterone-filled fools.

Craig was spinning my ear about the usual.

His touring days.

The crowds.

The fanfare and experiences.

“I know some people think of me as a guy who’s still pretending he’s someone important, Brian”

His candor caught me off guard.

“But I don’t really think of myself as a rock star anymore”, he continued.

I was intrigued and wondering where this conversation was about to go.

“Music is my passion”, he said. “I play on this stage like I used to on the big stages in Europe, Asia and Australia”

“I’m 43 and most people don’t believe that. But my secret to looking and acting this young isn’t nearly what people think it is…..”

The “Secret of Youth” isn’t really an exciting topic when you’re 18. But the tone of his voice was telling me that what I was about to hear would be important. So I listened; with full attention and an open heart…..

“Find your passion, brother. I’m not trying to recapture my touring days up there”, he said pointing to the performing area we called a stage.

“Life is my stage. Music is my passion. Every day, I step on the stage of life and play my heart out…..”

Absolutely epic words from one of the most interesting men I ever knew.

Do you know what your passion is?

Be sure to leave a comment and let me know what it is below.

Brian Grasso is the founder and former President of the IYCA.org. Brian’s new venture has been to spearhead the movement he calls Free Thinking Renegade. To see what this movement is all about, and what he’s up to visit www.FreeThinkingRenegade.com

The Anti Guru Way To Build A Six Figure Fitness Business

Erik — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:53:43 +0000

In the previous fitness business interview with Brian Devlin, you really got to see into his story. But in the second part of Brian’s interview you get to really have a look at the inside details of what made his business explode. He shares some pretty revealing tips that you can apply to your business to kick things up a notch. Check it out…

Audio/MP3 Download

Download

In part 2 Brian really digs into some really important topics. Especially on success and what it takes. Every fitness pro who has a business wants it to be successful. But as we all know, a lot will just crash and burn.

There are about a zillion reasons why a business could fail, but one of the big ways to make sure things work out the way you want is to make sure your internal game is dialed in.

What I mean, is that you really have to know who you are, and what your core values are to make things work. I really believe that the more you know yourself and who you are at your core, the easier things become.

And Brian discusses this and why it’s helped him quite a bit.

Honestly in this little niche, there are a lot of tips and techniques that you can use to build your fitness or personal training business. And from time to time I hear about getting your head straight when it comes to being successful in business. But the big focus is on the “tips” or “tricks” you can use to build your biz.

And that’s because they work. They are the action steps that need to be taken to bring clients in your door.

But if you’re head is all screwed up and you really don’t know who you are, all the tips and techniques that are out there for you to use, will not work for you in the long run. In the short term they can, but long term they won’t.

And that is why the headline to this part of Brian’s interview mentions the “Anti-Guru” way to a great fitness business.

Because he goes into what it takes to be successful from the inside out. Once his internal game was set up, applying the other tips and techniques he mentions in his interview helped to blow up his biz big time.

There is a ton of great content in this part of Brian’s Interview, it’s definitely a must watch. As is part 1… How To Build A Six Figure Fitness Business With Brian Devlin

Brian Devlin Interview Highlights

What the 3 stages of success are.
What is required to be an expert or trusted authority.
Why core beliefs are important to your business.
What Brian’s big focused niche was.
Why finding a partner is so important.
How he found a JV partner and made the offer work.
Why the size of the facility does not matter.
How to make a joint venture work.
Why you don’t need advertising to build a six figure fitness business.
Why building your business is about tribe building, not marketing.
Why contracts and details are so important in joint ventures.
Why it’s important to hire a trainer from within the business.
Why energy in your facility is more important than the size.
How he turned a flower shop into a personal training facility.
How much revenue his current business is bringing in.
How many personal trainers are in his business.
Why looking for opportunities that resonate with your core values are so important.
How Brian created an amazing following and tribe.
Why it’s important to ask, “why wouldn’t my tribe follow me to the ends of the earth?“
Who are Brian’s biggest fitness and business inspirations.
Why Brian doesn’t have business mentors.
Why creating a sideshow in your business is so important.

If you’re interested in seeing more of what Brian is up to, check out his site. www.BrianDevlin.com

And if you have questions for Brian, just leave them in the comment section below.

How To Build A 6 Figure Fitness Business With Brian Devlin

Erik — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 11:48:02 +0000

Recently I wrote a post about how Fitness Business Interviews was going to be making some changes. One of the changes was to make the interviews shorter. And that is being done with current interviews. But from time to time, there will be some that will just have to go longer because they are so good. And this interview with Brian Devlin is one of those. So check out the interview to see what I mean.

Audio/MP3 Download

Download MP3

In this interview with Brian I had to break it up into a few parts. What you are seeing above is part 1.

From time to time there is just some info that is so good and refreshing there needs to be no time limits on what is shared.

And in part 1 of this interview, Brian talks about how he got into the industry and built one hell of a fitness business.

What’s really cool is he talks about how to build a six figure personal training business without all the shiny marketing hype we are always hearing about.

I’ve gotta say, it’s refreshing.

You get to see how Brian was able to literally map out his plan for domination, and what he did to make himself stand out from the competition.

Plus it’s just one of those awesome stories you get sucked into.

Brian Devlin Six Figure Fitness Business Interview Highlights

How Brian got started in the fitness industry.
When he wanted to do his own thing.
How he got his first personal training clients.
Why starting in a gym training is the best bet.
How he sold his memberships.
Why having tunnel vision with his clients was huge for him.
Why you should NEVER go in and focus on being a six figure trainer.
How Brian was able to get the most results for his clients and himself at the same time.
How he set himself apart from other trainers in the gym.
How he closed prospects so well.
How he got the facility owner to let him have his own business.
What types of struggles Brian had to deal with.
How he kept other competing personal trainers happy.
How Brian was able to duplicate himself and what the process was like.
How to get into a new facility with ease.
Why Brian was very unhappy and how he was able to overcome it.

In the next part (coming soon), Brian talks about what the 3 stages of success are, why it’s important to know your core values, and what it takes to become the expert in your niche.

Until part two is up, check out Brian’s Blog at… www.PtExplosion.com

My Top Secret Fitness Business Networking Script… Revealed!

Erik — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:37:46 +0000

Hey,

I’ve got something pretty cool for you below. After years of getting my head kicked in, and struggling with networking to try and build my fitness business, I finally started to understand how the whole game worked.

During that head bashing time I learned a few things. Some of them being the psychology of speech, emotion, and conversation.

Once I understood that, I ended up with a few routines or scripts that I could follow that would work when it came to networking, finding prospects, and closing sales.

And one of them worked really well. So I wanted to share it with you.

Actually, I want you to steal it from me and use it.

That’s because once you understand how it works, it’s gonna be able to help you.

Basically the script I posted below is super simple. I call it the “survey method.” Yeah I know, real original name for that one huh? I should have come up with some really killer name for it.

But it’s so effective and simple that it really doesn’t matter what the name is.

It’s something that I’ve used now for a few years, and I’v tweaked it so that it can work almost every time.

This version of the script was designed to work for two things.

1) Networking For Your Fitness Business – basically it’s a real easy way to break the ice, and get people interested in what you do.

2) Find Qualified Leads – I would use the one below (with some changes) when I was in public and talking with people. It helped me find qualified prospects that I could turn into clients.

When used the right way, people will say YES and want to know more about who you are and what you do.

Here’s a quick example…

Just last week I attended a local business “mixer.” I have a consulting client that is part of the local Rotary Club and he told me about the mixer, and asked if I would go. I said yes.

Now if you’ve ever gone to one of these things before and it’s your first time, it can be a bit overwhelming.

It’s like when you go to a bar and not know anyone, and then feel pressure to always be talking or look cool. If your not talking with someone you feel like a tool.——->>>>

And when you are at an event like this, you’re surrounded by people who have been in business for quite a while. They have have very close social circles, and are usually friends.

Somehow you need to work your way in with these people. Because it makes no sense for you to just show up, eat, drink, and then leave. That would be a huge waste of time.

So in this situation I used the “survey method” script to meet just about everyone there, and come away with some really POWERFUL contacts.

So here’s the script, and a video that breaks things down as to why this really works. Make sure to check out the video to get the best use of the script

Fitness Networking Survey Script

Hey,

How’s it going?

- Wait for their response

My name is (insert your name) and I am new here. And I was just wondering if you could help me with something?

- Wait for the response

I am a local fitness expert and I’m doing a small survey, and I am looking for for a few opinions about something I’ve been thinking about.

Basically I ‘m just curious to know if you think…(insert a topic related to sports/fitness that can tie back their business)

The reason I am asking is because I’ve noticed that there might be a need for this, but I’m curious to know what you thought about it?

- Wait for there response

Hmmm, interesting. I see what you’re saying.

I’m curious to know why you feel that way?

- wait for response

OK, I see. You know, that’s actually really helpful, and I appreciate your feedback.

Anything I can do for you?

- Let them respond and get into a general conversation about what they do, what you do, just like you normally would. Then as the conversations is about to end, throw this at them…

Hey, it was great meeting you. I really appreciate your help with my little survey. I was wondering if you have a business card?

- Wait for response, and get their business card or contact info. If you have one, give it to them.

Cool, thanks. And since you’ve been really helpful I’m going to email you a little gift. I think you’ll like it.

- Wait for their response.

Ok thanks again (insert their name) I’ll be talking to you soon.

- End Script –

This works EVERY TIME I use it. Especially in groups.

It’s an easy way to break the ice with anyone. You can use it on individuals, groups, even pissed off people, or people in a hurry and it works.

And by getting their contact info, you can send them a free trial pass, a free e-book, coupon, or whatever you can think of.

And the best part is, it even works when you have nothing to offer them. You could literally not use the closing part of this script and it will still work.

Especially if you’re just trying to break the ice.

But it is important to understand why this script works. Because if you don’t, there is a good chance of making a fool of yourself when trying to use it.

So make sure you watch this so you can get the best use out of this script.

Oh, and one more thing…

This is pretty powerful stuff. Please use this responsibly, and DO NOT use it to do anything manipulative or shady. Because that’s just not cool.

Let me know what you think about the script below.

How To Crush It As A Fitness Writer And Get Into Large Publications

Erik — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 10:28:18 +0000

I’ve got professional fitness writer Lee Boyce with me today. We’ve been talking for a little while now and I realized that he has a ton of info on how to get into writing for larger publications.

So I asked him to come on and share exactly how he ended up writing for different websites and large publications like Men’s Health. In the interview he shares what it took and what you need to do get there also. Oh, and Lee is one of the youngest dudes to be writing for Men’s Health. So you know he’s good if he can do it at a young age.

Audio/MP3 Download

Download MP3

If you are running any kind of fitness business, being able to do some fitness writing for newspapers, publications, or magazines is a great way to build your credibility.

A lot of fitness pros (myself included) struggled for a while to get into local publications like newspapers.

Even if they did get into these publications, it wasn’t on a consistent basis.

What’s cool about this interview with Lee, is that he talks about what it takes to be a fitness writer for places like T-Nation, or Men’s Health. He also reveals what you need to do to get your foot in the door. Which is one of the hardest parts to do.

When it comes to writing for a local publication or a large one, the ideas and principles are the same.

The only difference is that in a local publication it can be easier to reach the decision maker, and get your stuff posted. So if you want to dominate your market, the tips Lee shares are gonna help you big time.

But if you’re looking to expand and make a big name for yourself as a fitness writer, you’re gonna want to step up your game and get in with the big boys.

And according to Lee, there are a bunch of key things you need to be doing to even get these guys to notice you.

Now most times, it’s not the easiest thing to do. But if you’re patient, consistently write some killer fitness articles, and build up a reputation, you could have your articles up for everyone to see.

And once you’re writing in large fitness publications, it can open up other doors for you too. This is exactly what has happened to Lee.

But it’s not all easy. You have to be prepared to deal with the bumps along the way. As Lee says…

“People will repost your information everywhere. People will bite your topics, people will take your thoughts and use it as theirs, people will paraphrase you and sometimes take credit. You have to be up for that, and deal with it by just putting out MORE stuff. It’s about how hungry you are.”

If that’s happening just remember that the biggest form of flattery is when someone copies or steals what you’re doing.

If that happens, and it’s not costing you money or hurting you’re reputation, then you know you’re doing something right.

Haha, just make sure you don’t steal my stuff

How To Be A Fitness Writer With Lee Boyce

How old Lee really is
Who Lee writes for.
What his background is in fitness.
Who he learns from and inspires him.
What separates the pros from the average trainers.
What TV show he is on, and what it’s like.
How he got that TV Show.
How Lee was able to contribute to large publications at such a young age.
How he convinced the top fitness writing gurus that he was good enough to contribute.
How to submit proposals.
How many proposals it took before he got published.
When and how much to follow up.
What type of email you should write to stand out when contacting the decision makers.
What is expected from a fitness writer in large publications.
Whether or not you should ask for money.
What type of quotas are expected.
What the process was like to become a fitness writer for Men’s health
Why writing style is important.
What type of writing styles are used in different fitness publications.
Why knowing the publications inside and out is important.
What type of articles should be submitted to publishers.
What type of expectations each publication has.
How to not disappear in the industry as a fitness writer.
Why Lee always pitches his article ideas.
What Men’s Health is really looking for in fitness writer’s.
How Lee got on TV.
What Lee’s plans are for the future.
What is Lee’s biggest piece of advice for being a potential fitness writer.

If you want to see what Lee is up to you can check out his site at www.leeboycetraining.com

And to see out some of his writing check out www.t-Nation.com

Definitely listen to what Lee has to say, cuz there are some gold nuggets in here. And if you have any questions about how to make it as a fitness writer or get into big publications, post them below.

Is Fitness Business Interviews Boring? The Reveal…

Erik — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 10:24:09 +0000

So a while back I sent out a survey that was called, is Fitness Business Interviews boring? I received some really interesting responses to the questions I asked.

And I wanted to share the responses that I received and give you an update as to where FBI will be headed.

Also, after running this survey, I discovered a lot about the site and realized there are a lot of cool ways to make positive changes.

Like anything else when changes are made, some people will like them, some wont.

So I’m expecting some interesting feedback on the upcoming changes. Feel free to let me know what you think in the comments below.

The changes are based on the what the majority of people voted for in the survey. And maybe I’ll add a little twist to them to make sure things stand out.

Speaking of standing out, I don’t think I’ve seen anyone in the industry reveal the specific results and actual answers of a survey.

And since this was an anonymous survey (I don’t know who the responses came from), I’m going to share a few of the actual responses that people left so you can see what others think about the site.

The answers to some questions had written responses and others didn’t. That is why you will see a few questions that have written responses and others don’t.

I also left a few questions out because they really weren’t applicable to specific changes for the site. They were for some of the behind the scenes stuff I was thinking of doing and I wanted to get a feel for what people would have liked.

So the number order you see below will be off.

As you can see, the response to this is split pretty evenly. When it comes to surveys sometimes they don’t help as much as you would like, but there are reasons for that which I will cover in an upcoming post.

Based on this survey I’ve already made some changes to the site that you may have noticed.

For example this post is not an interview. It’s written. Based on the feedback it seems people like the mix of interviews and written posts. So I’m going to go with the mix of interviews and blog posts.

Also, I’ve included a lot more graphics with the written posts. The video interviews are tough to change up the graphics within the video because I have to work with other busy fitness pros.

Having them supply me with video and pics to use in the interview is tough for them to do. I’ve already tried it, and it hasn’t worked out too well. That’s just because they are crazy busy. So I have to respect their time.

The other thing that I find interesting is that some people want me to interview more of the bigger names, and others want me to interview the “small guys.”

So determining which direction to go with that was tough. So what I’ve decided to do are different series from time to time. For example, I did the Female Fitness Entrepreneur Series which I thought came out pretty good.

This one I already knew the answer to. I need to make the interviews shorter.

They will now be between 20-30 minutes, and much more precise. I’m working on a few ideas of a layout to do the interviews differently. That way they are more entertaining, but will have just as much content as a longer interview.

For some interviews, I will split them into two shorter parts. But I wont do that much. I’ve tested it, and I notice that people generally wont come back to watch the second or third parts.

They would rather get an interview with one person all at once.

Also, one thing I didn’t cover with this question is how many times should I post interviews each week.

I started out doing 3 a week. That was way too much. People didn’t have the time to watch or listen to 3 a week. It was too much content. Plus it was killing me trying to schedule all of the interviews and put them all put together.

It actually takes about 7-9 hours to get one interview done and posted. That’s after having a system down to do it. It use to take way longer than that.

So then I went to twice a week. But I still ran into the same issues. Two hour long interviews a week was still a lot.

So recently I’ve been doing one a week. That seems more manageable for the visitors and for me. But since I will be doing shorter interviews, I may go back to a few times per week.

Plus I can include a written post during the week also.

Oh, and one interesting thing I’ve noticed. Responsiveness and comments have increased when there isn’t so much content and when it is mixed between interviews and written posts.

Too much content seems to lower the responsiveness of visitors.

As I mentioned above, it’s really obvious that I need to make the interviews shorter.

I will also be diving more into their business, and how their business operates.

As I’m working on the layout for the new interview style, I’m going to test a few different ways to break down the interview. This is still in the works.

This question had a huge range of responses. I was only able to show a handful of them.

Based on the feedback from this question there are two big things I am going to do.

The first one is include questions in the interviews that are submitted by you.

So I am going to either have a form where you can submit questions and I will read them to the interviewee so they can answer them, or I will email you and ask to submit questions for the interview coming up.

I’ve been wanting to do this for a while, and I think it’s going to be pretty cool to have the interviewees answer some of your questions.

The second thing I’m planning on doing is having a monthly report. I will go over who was interviewed, and what the key takeaways were from each interview.

This will be a good breakdown of exactly what was discussed and what were the most important topics that were covered.

This one is pretty simple. I will be looking to take on guest posts that are related to building a better fitness business and life.

I haven’t asked for or taken any yet, but I will be doing that soon. If your interested in guest posting click here. Have the subject line say “Guest Post.”

I will get back to you with the criteria and what I’m looking for.

I left this one in here to show you because I thought it was really interesting to see what people thought about the fitness business building products that were available to them.

I wont be making any direct changes to the site because of this question, but I will make sure that any fitness business products I create are not going to be “average.”

I am happy to see that most people feel that the products out there are decent. If people were saying they were bad, that wouldn’t be good for the industry.

One thing I should’ve done is ask why most products are only average, and what would make them great?

Actually, feel free to answer that below. Check all that apply.

So those are the questions and answers to the survey I sent out a while back. The changes will be taking place pretty quickly. Although the next few interviews you see may still be with the longer format. Once those are posted you will start to see the shorter interviews.

Oh, and one last thing. From what I see, most of the feedback of the site was that it was NOT boring! It just needs some changes to make it better.

And that’s what the site is going to get.

So thank you to all of you who participated in the survey and helping to guide the site in a new direction. Your guys friggin rock!

Lastly, I want to know what you think about the changes I’m going to make, and if there is anything else you would like to see. So leave a comment below.

How To Get Your Fitness Website Online With Scott Bolinger

Erik — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:37:14 +0000

In this interview I have fitness website design bad ass Scott Bolinger. Scott is a web designer who really knows his stuff, and was also one of the behind the scenes guys who helped with the graphics for the 2011 Fitness Industry Rising Stars Event.

And what he shares in this fitness business interview is the basics of how to get how to get your fitness website up and running and what the best strategies are to use to get visitors.

Audio/MP3 Download

Download MP3

Scott and I decided to take some time and do an interview on the basics of how to give your fitness business a web presence. We decided to do that because we noticed that there is not a lot of information for fitness pros on how to get your fitness website up and running.

A lot of the marketing, and business building tips are geared towards fitness pros who already have a business and are somewhat established.

So Scott lays down some killer info on exactly what needs to be done for you to build a good online presence and get your fitness website started.

For many fitness entrepreneurs, getting a website up and running is a task that is usually handed off to an assistant or employee.

But for the beginners out there, they may not have the funds yet to have someone else do this for them.

Even a bunch of the well established fitness pros end up doing these things themselves.

But it’s not only the newbies at business who do this, a lot of times there are established personal training businesses who still don’t have any sort of web presence.

So what Scott shares will help out anyone who is interested in figuring out how to get a fitness website online.

Oh and one more thing. Scott’s makes a great point to keep in mind when planning your website….

“The best way to go about things is to start your idea with how are you going to get traffic and customers to your site.

It’s a rude awakening when you spend so much money on a website and getting it looking all pretty and fancy, you put these products up and nothings happening.

… So in my opinion, the best thing to do is start with a traffic strategy.”

Scott Bolinger Interview Highlights

The type of plan should a newcomer have when getting started online.
Why most online plans are backward.
What is the best way to start with you’re online plan.
What are some of the best traffic strategies for your fitness website.
What you can do to be different online.
Why too much content might not be good for you.
What basic search engine strategies you need to be using to rank highly in the search engines.
What back links are and why they are so important.
What website software is the most popular to use right now.
What the cost difference is between having your site designed and using something like WordPress.
What the difference is between a free and a premium wordpress theme.
Which WordPress option is best to use.
What makes using WordPress so easy.
Why Scott still Uses WordPress even when designing bigger sites.
What WordPress plugins are.
Why you should use plugins.
What the process is of actually setting up a website.
What a domain name and hosting are.

And if you want to learn more and see some tutorials then check out what Scott has going on at www.PressCoders.com

If you’re still without a site, but looking to get one up, remember to grab a domain name and find a good hosting company.

To do that Scott recommends you can get your domain and hosting set up through www.DreamHost.com (This is the host I use too and have an affiliate with them)

Once you have those squared away, you can pick up a good WordPress theme. Scott has one specifically for fitness pros.

Actually, I think so far it’s the only custom WordPress theme designed specifically for fitness pros. Which is pretty cool.

To grab it all you have to do is click the ad below and use the coupon code B4097B621E when you checkout. That will give you a $20 discount!

*FitPro Platinum only
Fitness Business Interviews is an affiliate for the Fit Pro Website System & www.presscoders.com

The Fitness Industry Transparency Resolution

Erik — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:29:36 +0000

Hey there,

It’s interesting how things have worked out recently. After the Fitness Industry Rising Stars Event and apologizing for making some errors, there have been a bunch of things that have told me that now is a good time to share this resolution with you.

I’ve been working on this for years (since I left the financial industry), and actually I have had this post written for months now. I just never knew what the right time was to share this with you.

But I feel that now is the right time. So below is one of the biggest things you can follow to build an awesome business, and life.

There are 6 Basic Principles/ Steps…

Before I get to these 6 principles, there is a reason why transparency is going to be the new key to business success.

And it’s simple. The more transparent you are, the easier it is to make a difference in someone’s life.

If you can do that, your going to have a better business.

At first I thought honesty was the key to making a difference. But I realized that you could be honest and not transparent.

For example.. I could sell a product and say that a portion of sales will go to charity. That’s honest, but not really transparent.

If it was transparent, it would be more like this…

I am selling a product and 50% of sales will go to The Make A Wish Foundation.

See the difference?

In that example I mention exactly how much is going to a specific charity. The fact that I say how much, and where the funds are going, plants a subconscious seed in a persons mind that what I’m doing is really for the right reasons.

If I just left it as “I’m selling a product and donating some money to a charity,” that leaves a lot of questions unanswered. And if there are any questions in a persons mind, they usually wont commit to doing anything. Even if it’s for charity.

The other interesting thing about transparency and why it’s the new key to business (and life) success, is that most businesses are the furthest thing from being transparent. And people (me included), are getting really friggin tired of that.

If a business screws up, has a crappy product/service, or runs a promotion that doesn’t work, they usually try to bury the results and go into damage control mode.

Here’s an example…

Remember when I mentioned above that I worked in the financial industry. Well not a lot of people know that I worked for the firm that pretty much threw the economy into a tailspin.

The day after that firm went under, that is when all the crazy stuff went down.

Now I’m not an economist, a banker, or wall street wiz, but I’ll bet dollars to donuts that if banks and lenders were transparent about who they were lending loans to, and what they were doing with all that debt, thousand of businesses would still be going strong, and millions of people would still have jobs.

What’s really interesting about the firm I worked for, is that the CEO and other big dogs “allegedly” knew what was going on. They were allegedly adjusting the books, and hiding crucial information, that if released earlier, could have saved the firm and thousands of jobs.

If they were just transparent about what they were doing, the firm would still be around today.

On the other hand, there are businesses that are now realizing transparency is the key to creating value, helping others, and being successful.

One of my favorite examples is Domino’s Pizza.

I’ll be honest. I couldn’t stand Domino’s because there pizza sucked.

But they finally realized their pizza was no good, and it was time to stop hiding that they were using crappy ingredients.

So instead of continuing to market a crappy product, they were transparent, totally admitted it sucked, and said they were going to fix it.

Not only did they admit it, they were completely transparent, and opened up about how customers were unhappy. It worked so well (and continues to work), that transparency became their new advertising and marketing model, and it changed their business big time.

Watch this to see how transparency saved their business…

So transparency is the key factor in…

Helping more people.
Creating more value.
Accessing more of what you want in life.
Building a bigger business.
And it will be the new way of doing GOOD business in the future.

Plus it’s gonna be one of the big keys to success as the fitness industry matures.

In the past few years I’ve researched and studied what transparency really is and why it’s a huge key to success. Yeah, I know thats a weird thing to research, but I’m always looking for things that can give an edge in business, and push the fitness industry further.

And being such a nerd about it, I realized that transparency was actually a monster principle, and was way bigger than I thought. But after years I was finally able to break it down into these six basic principles.

One leading directly into the other…

This is a pretty simple one. Give more than you take.

The more you give and not ask for anything, the more transparent you become.

If your constantly giving to others, It proves to them that you are in it for their best interest and not yours.

When it comes to giving, there is a simple way that works best to show others what your intentions really are.

It’s a spin off of the Losada Principle.

The Losada Principle basically says that you should have 5 positive comments for every negative one.

I thought about this principle and wondered if I could apply the same idea to giving, but with a different spin.

The difference is, try to give first by helping at least 5 people before asking for anything.

That doesn’t mean you can’t ask for something right off the bat.

And it doesn’t mean you have to do 5 things for the same person before you ask for something.

It just means that you should try to help 5 people in some way before asking for anything.

What’s crazy, is when I started doing this, a lot of cool things started happening. And they continue to happen.

Being open is the same as honesty. Not just honest about your business practices, but honest about why your in business, and honest about your intentions.

Openness is one of the scariest principles of this resolution.

That’s because being open means sharing feelings, and sharing some private information. Anytime feelings or private info is shared there is the opportunity to offend, hurt, or upset people.

Also, it creates the chance that you can be hurt too. So this is the one principle that trips up a lot of people and businesses because it creates fear.

But the best part about this is, nine times out of ten if your afraid to do something because of the fear, then chances are it’s the right thing to do.

This is a simple proof that you truly believe in what you are doing. If you stand behind who you are, your programs, and services for your clients, then your clients will stand behind you!

A guarantee is a core principle of the transparency resolution because it tells others that you are honest and trustworthy. A guarantee says that what you provide is valuable, actually solves problems, and promises results.

Now it’s true that there are some people out there who will throw up a guarantee knowing that it will help increase sales. But they have no intention of honoring it.

For those people who don’t honor their guarantees…

Just know that Karma is a bitch!

And they wont be in business too long.

This principle of the resolution is based on the fact that you have to be willing to not hold back. To be willing to share, reveal, let people into your life and business, and why you do what you do

You have to be willing to face the fear that being transparent is scary as hell.

For example…

I’m pretty scared about releasing this. I’ve been wrestling with this for a while. That’s because I don’t know how you are going to react to this. There is this fear that you will think I am some kind of wacko, that this is crap, and that there is no value in this.

Or that my reputation might be hurt by releasing this in some way.

But I believe in transparency so much, and that this is the going to be a huge factor in the success of our industry that I am willing to put myself out there.

I’m willing to get WAY out of my comfort zone to just reinforce how important being transparent is.

For our clients to know we are really in it to help them, we have to apply the four previous principles.

And not just apply them in any order, in the exact order they are listed above.

You must give, be open, provide a guarantee, and be willing to do whatever needs to be done (ethically) to create trust.

Think about it. No one is going to trust you if you just come up and push something in their face and try and sell it.

But if you gave a person something or helped them in some small way, the door to building trust starts to open.

Then if you are open and share with them why you gave them something, and how your there to help them, the door opens a little more.

If you follow that by guaranteeing what you gave them will work, and will solve their problem, the door opens a little more.

And if your willing to provide all of this, bend over backwards, and do what needs to be done, then the door swings wide open and you’ve built a deep trusting connection.

Once that trust has been created, and only when all the other principles have been applied, then you will reach the final step in the perfect transparent business…

When you have someone’s trust, then they will believe in what your doing. They will believe that you have them in their best interest, they will believe that you are looking out for them, and they will believe that you are the person/ business that is perfect for them.

But there are a few other sides to the belief principle.

You have to believe that others are going to respect you for sharing what is uncomfortable.

You have to believe that you are making a difference.

You have to believe that what you offer in terms of a product, service, and who you are to others is truly the best that you can provide.

And you have to believe in yourself, and the fact that what you are doing is the right thing for others.

–
There is a huge shift taking place not only in the fitness industry, but in our society. A shift towards transparency in everything we do. From business, to every day interactions, to personal relationships.

It is going to be this shift that will change everything. And for the fitness industry, we need to be the leaders for others to follow.

That’s because our industry is the only one where the majority of the people involved are in it because they love what they do.

There is really no other industry like ours.

And now that I think about it, most people in other industries got into them for 3 reasons.

There is money in it.
They need a job.
Or they thought they may like that industry and wanted to give it a try. Only then, they got “stuck” in that industry because they needed the money, and the comfort that a job provides.

The fitness industry is different. It is built around people who love what they do, and love helping others more than anything else.

And the fact that we are so focused on helping others, and love what we do, actually makes it easier to be transparent.

Because of that, our industry, and what we do inside of our industry, will pave the way for others.

I’m proud and honored to say that I look forward to what the future holds for the fitness industry. And I’m excited to see where we are headed.

I believe that transparency is the key to keep our industry moving in the right direction.

Oh, and there is one more important thing to note about transparency. It doesn’t mean that you have to reveal everything. It just means that you share information that will be helpful and beneficial others.

Let me know if I am I way off base here. I’m curious to hear your opinion below.

Some photos provided by: yoursecretadmiral

Was The Fitness Industry Rising Stars Event A Failure?

Erik — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 10:03:31 +0000

Hey there,

It’s been about a week since the 2011 Fitness Industry Rising Stars Event wrapped up.

I’ve been doing a ton of research and thinking about the event, and I started to wonder if the event had been a failure.

During the past week, Greg and I have had a lot of requests about statistics from the event. So I’ve gone through a bunch of the stats, and broken things down to determine if the event was a failure or not.

Some of the stats below cover the amount of votes and other interesting facts.

But before I get to those stats I just wanted say something important about the actual voting days of the event.

Due to one big error on my part (not Greg’s) the event did not go as smoothly as I would have liked. Actually it was anything but smooth. And most of you noticed too.

I failed to realize what type of response and turnout this event would have. I didn’t think as many people would participate as they did.

Since there were so many people, the servers/hosting company could not handle everything. And as you know, the site was either down or took forever to load.

Actually the first time the server crashed was at 9:12 pm. That was only 12 minutes into the early voting period.

This is absolutely unacceptable and I take full responsibility for this.

Actually this was such an issue some people that I received some very interesting emails. Some personal attacks too. And you know what, I understood their frustration.

But I can promise you this. Next year when Greg and I run this again, I will make sure this is not an issue.

Ok, now here’s some of the cool stuff…

For the 2011 Fitness Industry Rising Stars Event we had almost 54,000 votes. That’s crazy, and it’s way more than Greg and I could have ever expected.

Now I know we allowed people to vote multiple times, and that doesn’t reflect a true number, but with the server issues and the site being down so much, that means that we had way less votes then we could have had.

And before I reveal the estimated votes we could have received, here are a few reasons why multiple votes were allowed.

It gave more exposure to the rising stars and allowed more people to see what they were doing in the industry. The more times people came back to the site to vote, the more they were able to see the different nominees and what they were doing.
It gave the rising stars who had a smaller following a chance to do well.
Having multiple votes kept everyone on edge because the standings could have changed at any minute.

Obviously, the rising stars who had a bigger following still had an advantage, but the ones with a smaller following could place higher if they wanted to.

And here’s where it gets really interesting…

The site loaded REALLY slowly or was down for approximately 75% of the time. I know, that is horrible, and I can’t believe I’m admitting it, but it’s important to share.

Here’s why.

If the site was up and running at 100% without any server issues then we would have received approximately…

Crazy right? And that’s a conservative estimate.

I’m guessing a few will want to know how I got that number. Apologies ahead of time for the quick math session, but here’s how…

During the event (middle of the day) I timed a 27 minute time span to see how many votes there would be.

That came out to 1,254.

I took those 1,254 votes that took place in those 27 minutes and figured out how many votes that would be if the site was running 100% of the time.

Then I just added that to the actual number of votes we received.

After doing the math it came to approximately 108,199 total votes. If you want to see the math click here.

Now that is just a general “calculation” but it was just cool to show the possibilities of how many votes there could have been. I actually feel after going through everything that there would probably have been more than that. That’s pretty amazing to think about.

Votes For The Top 5 Rising Stars

1. Joe Meglio

- 6,965 total votes
- Joe had 45.1% of the votes in his group

2. Benjamin Ballinger

- 5,758 total votes
- He had 83.5% of the votes in his group

3. Trina Gray

- 5,375 votes
- She had 61% of the votes in her group

4. Pete Isip & Rob Morales

- 5,050 Votes
- They had 32.7% of the votes

5. Tyler English

- 2,865 Votes
- He had 67.5% of the votes

The top four were really close all the way until the end of the voting. With about an hour and a half left the top 4 were within 1,000 votes of each other. And at that point we were getting around 3,000 votes per hour. So things were very close.

What was awesome to see, was Tyler English end up at number 5.

We sent out the last updated standings email at 6pm. Tyler wasn’t even in the top 10. But in the last few hours he was able to pull in a ton of votes which skyrocketed him all the way to #5.

Speaking of votes. Zach Even-Esh’s boys crushed it. He had two nominees in the top 5. Joe Meglio, and the boys from Krank Systems Pete Isip and Rob Morales.

Each influencer for the top 5 winners had quite a bit of voting going on. Especially Zach Even-Esh. His group had 43% more votes then the next group.

1. Zach Even-Esh

– Had two nominees in the top 5

2. Todd Durkin

3. Chris McCombs

4. Pat Rigsby

Demographics

One of the other big areas this event exposed is the demographic of the rising stars. It revealed where a lot of the talent is and where the fitness industry is shifting towards.

Almost 1/3 of the list was made up of women. 29% actually. Considering that the industry is made up mostly of men, seeing almost 30% of this list is women isn’t too bad. It’s actually more than I expected.

Although it would be good to see more, I’m betting that in future years where we run this contest there will be more and more awesome female fitness entrepreneurs.

Here is the breakdown of the top 5 winners showing their age and location

Joe Meglio
Age: 21
Location: Staten Island

Benjamin Balinger
Age: 27
Location: Newport Beach, California

Trina Gray
Age: 35
Location: Alpina Michigan

Pete Isip & Rob Morales
Age: 30 ish
Location: New Jersey

Tyler English
Age: 29
Location: Canton Connecticut

The average age for the top 5 was 28ish – I didn’t have the exact ages of Pete and Rob.

The average age for all the nominees in the contest was right around 30.

This was a pretty good sample of successful fit pros that showed the age of the rising stars, and how young they were. This proves that the industry will continue to benefit from these awesome fitness pros in the years ahead. And that’s awesome!

For the geographic location it was interesting to see that the Northeast represented strongly in the top 5.

Since California is the hotspot for fitness I was thinking majority of the top 5 would be from there. But only one was.

As for the location of all of the nominees in the contest, you can see how many were from each state and country below.

Arizona – 1
California – 10
Connecticut – 3
Florida – 3
Indiana – 2
Kentucky – 1
Louisiana – 2
Maryland – 1
Massachusetts – 2
Michigan-3
Minnesota – 1
Missouri – 1
New Jersey – 3
New York – 5
Nevada – 1
Oklahoma – 1
Pennsylvania – 2
Rhode Island – 1
South Carolina – 1
Texas – 5
Canada – 2
UK – 5

It was pretty spread out with the weaker area being the central US. But it’s pretty standard that the west coast, northeast, and south represented strongly. They are all bigger areas for fitness.

The UK represented well because all of Paul Mort’s nominees were from there. Actually the UK is becoming a very big spot for fitness.

Number of Weeks To Organize The event – 7

Total hours involved between Greg and I
Approx. 150 hours. Give or take a few.

Number of emails before the contest
Approx. 470 – This does not include how many Greg had.

Number of emails during, and after the event
Too many to count

Total Number of Facebook Likes (4 total posts)
110, 266, 2,000+, 240

Total Number of Facebook Shares (4 total posts)
315, 1,711, 271, 263
*Note – There is some crossover between likes and shares.

What’s interesting about the Facebook totals is that it shows this is the “social media” hangout for the fitness industry.

In other industries it’s Twitter. But that is a conversation for another time.

Lastly, This event Has…

Created awareness that there are some awesome people out there doing amazing things in our industry.
Showed that the industry has a positive future ahead of it.
Helped many nominees realize the impact of what they are doing and how many lives they are changing.
Helped the businesses of many of the nominees.
Based on feedback from one nominee, it helped to bring a community together.
Given people a direction.

And after going through all these stats, speaking with a bunch of people, Greg and I have come to the conclusion that the event (even with it’s issues) was a NOT a failure. It was a success.

Not because of the stats, but because it accomplished the main goals that Greg and I set out to do.

Do something positive for the industry.

Bring the industry closer together.

And try and help as many people as possible.

Were there people who didn’t like the event? Of course. Not everyone is going to like an event like this. But Greg and I are both satisfied that this event was a success because it was able to help people.

And that is what the fitness industry is all about.

Your 2011 Fitness Industry Top Rising Stars – Winners

Erik — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 13:00:14 +0000

Sponsored by the FitPro website system
by Press Coders

Your Top 5 Fitness Industry Rising Stars

Click Here To Jump To The Influencers Winners

1. Joe Meglio

Joe Meglio www.MeglioFitness.com

Do you want to thank anyone?
I don’t even know where to begin with this question. This whole experience has been overwhelming and I have a lot of people to thank. Let me start off by thanking my family, friends, clients, followers and anybody else who supported me throughout this process. It is really a blessing to be surrounded by so many people that genuinely care about my success.

So many friends and family reached out to me and offered me their support, it was truly overwhelming. In all honesty, this probably means more to me than anything. The fact that people would take time out of their day to vote for me and help spread my message means the world to me. Instead of voting for me they could have been doing a million other things that are more important to them but instead they supported me and for this I am very grateful and will never forget.

I especially want to thank my mentor, Zach Even-Esh, for nominating me as a Fitness Industry Rising Star. Zach has had a profound impact over my life in the two years I have worked with him. To be honest, I don’t even think Zach understands the influence he has on my life. Over the past 2 years I have had the privilege of observing and watching how he goes about his business and it has been a life changing experience. I never met somebody who is so motivated and focused on doing what they love doing. His attitude about life and business has definitely rubbed off on me and I think it is fair to say that I would not be where I am today without Zach.

What does it mean to you that you’re one of the top rising stars of our industry?
Being named the 2011 Fitness Industry Rising Star is something I hold very close to my heart. Simply put, this is what I love doing and I plan on doing it for a long time. I think everybody should strive to be the best at what they love to do. If you aren’t striving to be the best than what are you striving for?

At first when I heard about this competition I thought it would be cool to be named as one of the top 5 rising stars in the industry, but when I really thought about it I realized that anything other than the number one spot is unacceptable. I challenged myself to be the number one rising star in the industry and guess what? I achieved this goal and have all my friends, family and followers to thank. You see, in any challenge that comes my way in life, I don’t want to just be good or great, I want to be the best or at the very least give it my all and have no regrets. Striving for excellence means taking action and doing what others aren’t willing to do.

Being named the top rising star in the industry also means a lot to me because it means that all my hard work and effort is not going unnoticed. While I do not judge my success by accolades, it is extremely rewarding to know that fellow strength coaches, athletes, family and friends respect what I do and realize that I have a bright future in the fitness industry.

What do you plan to do to make our industry better?
As you guys have talked about, there is no regulation in the fitness industry. There is somebody everyday anointing themselves as a guru or as an expert when really they have no business coaching and training others. I will make this industry better by educating myself and learning my craft better than anybody else.

The fact that this competition is called the top rising stars in the fitness industry is extremely humbling because it means that while I have a bright future, I still have a lot to learn. I pride myself in my ability to enhance athletic performance by providing quality content and by getting my hands dirty training athletes in the trenches.

I also hope I can help inspire some young strength coaches to take action and do what they love doing. This industry is in need of strength coaches who are dedicated to their craft and are willing to work at it. Anyway I can help educate and inspire others will help make this industry better.

2. Benjamin Ballinger

Benjamin Ballinger www.2BFitOC.com

Would You Like To Thank Anyone?
I would like to thank all my clients and friends who voted for me and helped me reach the top 5! You guys are awesome and are the reason I do what I do! I would also like to thank my mentor Big Chris McCombs for not only nominating me for this great opportunity, but also for being one of the most amazing people to grace my life… he has been such an immense help to my business and has been a guiding light for me and I am forever grateful for it.

I would also like to thank the members of the KBL mastermind group, all of whom are heavy hitters in this industry and are making a huge difference day in and day out, and who have each helped me progress myself and get to where I am today.

What does it mean to you that you’re one of the top rising stars of our industry?
It means a ton to me that I have not only been nominated into the top fitness industry rising stars, but that I’ve also been chosen as one of the top 5… dedicating my life to health and fitness has been an amazing experience and I am thankful for the opportunity to be recognized as someone with the potential to make a big difference, not only in the industry but in the world in general.

That being said, I would like to point out that every trainer and fitness professional out there who is passionate about what they do and strives to provide value to their clients deserves to feel proud for their accomplishments as well.

What do you plan to do to make our industry better?
I have always desired to make a real difference in the industry and do my part to help ensure that as a whole, fitness professionals continue to move forward rather than backward. I think it’s important that we band together to emphasize concepts like continuing education, employing science-based training and nutrition methods, building medical referral networks to send clients to when we move past our individual qualification levels instead of attempting to be know-it-alls, and to move away from the cut-throat, dog-eat-dog environment we’re currently in where people bad-mouth one another, hoard clients and care more about making money than about what’s best for the client.

There are enough clients and enough business to go around, and sometimes that means referring a client to another trainer who is better equipped to help that client succeed. This type of behavior should be embraced because it will be to the benefit of us all since the client will be getting the best value and will thus develop a more favorable impression of our industry as a whole. As I progress my career, I am dedicated to helping spread these ideas and hopefully moving our industry more towards the unified, standardized and professional heath service that it should be.

3. Trina Gray

Trina Gray www.BayAthleticClub.com

Would You Like To Thank Anyone?
To give thanks isn’t enough. I must give praise and recognition to the thousands of members at Bay Athletic Club and the small but mighty community of Alpena, Michigan for embracing change. People who are healthier are happier. We pay that message forward daily.

A heartfelt shout out to my world-class team at BAC, trainers across the country who believe in my mission, my mentors Todd Durkin, Chalene Johnson and my father Doug for believing in my ability to lead. Thank you to my mother, Judi, who showed me that fitness isn’t a number, it’s a way of life. And to my husband, Jeff, the shipwreck archaeologist who loves his wife enough to let her live her dream along with raising a beautiful family.

What does it mean to you they you’re one of the top 5 rising stars of our industry?
To be a rising star in the industry means that risk is worth taking, people are worth helping and gifts are worth giving. To be a rising star from a small, economically-depressed community in one of the unhealthiest states in the nation means that people do want to live better, and we need more leaders who are willing to lead us in that direction. I’m honored to be one of them and appreciate the huge undertaking of Greg Justice and Erik Rokeach to host the contest and keep our fires burning.

What do you plan to do to make our industry better?
To make our industry better, I will share the messages that I believe in and surround myself with other powerful entrepreneurs to carry it out. So what do I believe in? We must care about people more than pounds, we must care about connecting more than just cash flow. We must recognize our clients’ achievements, celebrate fitness year-round, overhaul workplaces, and dig into our communities to reach people who need us, but don’t seek us.

I want to share that the fitness industry isn’t all about the slickest website and the highest SEO, it’s about being real, giving to your community, and making better parents and more confident kids. In doing so, money and great success will follow. I want to make our industry better by coaching trainers to serve with purpose, to dial into what you love about fitness and how you can light that spark in others. I want to make our industry better by coaching trainers to inspire sedentary people to get active — not just for a boot camp — but for life.

4. Pete Isip & Rob Morales

Pete & Rob www.KrankSystems.com

Would You Like To Thank Anyone?
We would love to thank everyone Krank-a-maniac that took their valuable time out of their day to vote, vote again, and vote again to get us on the Top list. They D.W.S= Did Work Son!

What does it mean to you they you’re one of the top 5 rising stars of our industry?
Being in the Top 5 means a whole lot. It proves to us that taking the jump into our own fitness business, as uncomfortable as we were, was the best decision we could have made. And only after 1 Year to be recognized by our mentors and peers as one of the Fitness Industry Rising Star is humbling. Thank you

What do you plan to do to make our industry better? Just to continue to educate people and coaches the same way our mentors have done for us. I mean to be in the Top 5 shows our mentors are the Shizzzz-bomb!!!
Kill the day!

5. Tyler English

Tyler English www.TylerEnglishFitness.com

Would You Like To Thank Anyone?
There are so many people I’d like to thank. First and foremost I need to thank my family for being there in the beginning and always being supportive especially over the last 3 years! I know I’m not always “there” because I’ve been working so hard at growing my business but I want them to know they mean the world to me and I love each of you with all my heart. Thanks to my sister Tara for being my big “little” sister and the voice of reason, to my Mother for always being behind what I do 110% and to my Dad for believing in my vision and worth ethic, by taking a risk on me 33 months ago.

On an even more personal note – I’d like to thank my brother Rob(ert) for leaving his life in the Marines behind to come home and be a major part of my business.

I need to thank all of my clients! Without each of you I would not be where I am today. I know a good amount of them went out of their way to vote, which means the world to me.

A BIG thanks to my entire team at TEF! Each of you is an integral part in the function of our “well-oiled machine” and you help it operate at MAXIMUM capacity! KEEP IT UP!

A big thank you to my girlfriend Lindsay, for putting up with my work ethic and schedule and for loving me for me. Before meeting her I didn’t truly understand what having balance in your life meant but I understand it now.

I must thank my fellow Elite Mastermind Group members. Anyone of them deserves this honor! Each of you drives me to get better day in and day out! Love you all like family!

To everyone that has ever made an impact in my career. The list is long and stretches from BJ Gaddour to Zach Even-esh to Jason Ferruggia to Mike Robertson to Coach Dos to Brian Grasso to Dr. John Berardi to Rocco Castellano to Chris McCombs to Mike Boyle to Alwyn Cosgrove to Jim Labadie to Dave Jack and on and on! Thank you for helping me shape who I’ve become.

Thank you to ALL the other contestants, each of you are THE FUTURE of the Fitness Industry!

A big thank you to all the Fitness Industry Authorities who put us on this platform! Each of you is a STAR in the Fitness Industry!

Thank you to Erik and Greg for putting on an AMAZING event. This shows how strong the Fitness Industry truly is!

Last but not least I need to thank Pat Rigsby and Nick Berry. You guys saw something in me back in February of 2009, only 2 months after I started this entire journey. I appreciate EVERYTHING you have done for me over the last 33 months + and I promise you, I will continue to make HUGE strides!

THANK YOU!

What does it mean to you they you’re one of the top 5 rising stars of our industry?
I’m honored. It’s amazing what can happen to you when you leave such a positive experience in a person’s life. I’m completely blown away by the support I received!

I will be sure to wear this honor with pride! There are so many deserving people out there even beyond those who were nominated. I will do everything in my power to lead from the front!

What does it mean to you they you’re one of the top 5 rising stars of our industry?
I’ve watched over the past 3 years as our industry has become more and more split. There are those who pride themselves on being the real deal and others who hide behind their laptops.

Others who say the future is this or the future is that.

I can promise you I will ALWAYS be REAL! I pride myself on being a REAL WORLD Fitness Professional. I don’t hide who I am or what I do. The Fitness Industry needs to stay TRUE! If we can help pave the way by being real, then we can truly make a lasting positive impact in the lives of so many more.

The future of the Fitness Industry isn’t in fat loss, youth fitness, muscle building, corrective exercise, internet marketing, blogging or anything else.

The Fitness Industry needs ALL of us to work TOGETHER and be real to who we are; by continuing to help those who NEED our HELP!

I know I will do everything I can to stay real, will YOU?

Fitness Industry Influencers Individual Winners

There will be some overlap with the overall winners

Brian Grasso’s Individual Winner

Chris Brown www.GetFitAcademy.co.uk

Chris Brown’s Bio:
I’m the guy who is RENOWNED for getting results, the “go to guy” in my area. I work with EVERYDAY frustrated men and women and help them make PHENOMENAL changes in their lives and maintain them forever. I’ a former skinny/fat guy that struggled with his health and it was my own desire to fix my own health problems that lead me to a journey of learning and personal transformation. Through the experiences I had I really found my passion for health and fitness and it was this alignment with my purpose that lead me to an exciting change from learning the teaching and educating people to enjoy the same benefits I’d experienced.

Brian Grasso is the Former CEO of the IYCA

Chris McCombs Individual Winner

Benjamin Ballinger www.2BFitOC.com

Benjamin Ballinger’s Bio:
Hi, I’m Benjamin and my passion is personal fitness and nutrition! I am dedicated to helping people from all walks of life reach optimal levels of health, body composition and performance through an intelligent, scientifically-backed approach to exercise and a strong emphasis on the importance of nutrition. My mission is to teach my clients how to exercise and eat properly so that they can see optimal results from their efforts and live long, happy and healthy lives.

Visit Chris McCombs website at www.KickBackLife.com

Eric Cressey’s Individual Winner

Only nominee for Eric Cressey

Eric Oetter

Eric Oetter’s Bio:
I am currently a senior at the University of Georgia majoring in Exercise and Sport Science, with plans to pursue a Doctorate of Physical Therapy. An injury-shortened Division-1 football career at the Georgia Institute of Technology resulted in time off from school focused on rehabilitation. I’ve since ardently pursued my passion for coaching, garnering experience with clients of all ages and ability levels through internships at both Indianapolis Fitness & Sports Training and Cressey Performance.

Visit Eric Cressey’s website at www.EricCressey.com

Georgette Pann’s Individual Winner

Sarah Rippel www.FitProSarah.com

Sarah Rippel’s Bio:
I became a Personal Trainer because I experienced firsthand the positive impact that exercise had in my battle against anorexia. Through the ups and downs over the years, I have never lost sight of the fact that I LOVE being a fitness professional. I am proud to walk the talk as a competitive triathlete and former fitness competitor.

Visit Georgette Pann’s website at www.TheFitnessBootCamp.com

John Spencer Ellis’s Individual Winner

Dr. Jason Nielson www.WestValleyWellness.com

Dr. Jason Nielson’s Bio:
Dr. Nielson is at the top of his game when it comes to treating patients, he was published at the age of 20yrs old and has dedicated his life to give to many patients/athletes the newest treatments available to reach their peak performance.

Visit John Spencer Ellis’s website at www.JohnSpencerEllis.com

Pat Rigsby’s Individual Winner

Tyler English www.TylerEnglishFitness.com

Tyler English’s Bio:
Tyler English is Connecticut’s leading Fitness Professional, Physique Enhancement Coach and Fat Loss Expert. He is the owner of Connecticut’s #1 Hardcore Warehouse Gym, Tyler English Fitness, and the founder of Connecticut’s Most Elite Fitness Program, Connecticut Fitness Boot Camp. He is a Professional Natural Bodybuilder with the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation (WNBF), winning the honor in only 3 years of competition and prides himself on training more like a world-class athlete than your typical gym going bodybuilder.

Visit Pat Rigsby’s website at www.FitBusinessInsider.com

Paul Mort’s Individual Winner

Benjamin Owen www.FastWayToFitness.co.uk

Benjamin Owen’s Bio:
A passionate (cheeky) individual with bags of enthusiasm and lust for getting the best out of people, I’m a performance coach that lieks to see everyone perform to their greatest potential. Whether its getting people up onto podiums or down on the scales I love results and changing people’s lives. An elite athletics career and Sport and Exercise Science degree, sprinkled with qualifications in PT and S&C has put me in great stead to coach a whole host of individuals. I am critical yet positive and believe in my ability to improve those I coach.

Visit Paul Mort’s website at www.BootCampKing.com

Robert Dos Remedios’s Individual Winner

Cassie Gallagher www.WestUFit.com

Cassie Quintero Gallagher’s Bio:
I have been in the fitness/training industry for 11 years now- 6 of those years to the present I have co-owned West U Fitness with my husband Brent Gallagher. I strive daily to be the best version of myself -thus being the best trainer that I can be. I have an amazing team that holds me accountable to that, I would not be here with out them.

Visit Robert Dos Remedios’s website at www.CoachDos.com

Rocco Castellano’s Individual Winner

Jonas Deffes www.NolaTrainer.com

Jonas Deffes’s Bio:
Started my fitness business from 0 after losing everything in hurricane Katrina. Fast forward 5 years later I have successfully figured out how to help to help thousands of women get into shape.

Visit Rocco Castellano’s website at www.AskRoccoMedia.com

Sam Bakhtiar’s Individual Winner

Ray Grijalvo www.FitnessTrainerRay.com

Ray Grijalvo’s Bio:
I am an entrepreneur who’s love for fitness, business and people has taken me on a path to changing lives. My background in exercise physiology and psychology has given me the tools to innovate, create and motivate my clients to not only achieve goals but to surpass them.

Visit Sam Bakhtiar’s website at www.Super-Trainer.com

Todd Durkin’s Individual Winner

Trina Gray www.BayAthleticClub.com

Trina Gray’s Bio:
I am a successful entrepreneur who believes that fitness is a party and you have to invite people to it. I’m a passionate mom of two, a wife of an underwater archaeologist and a recognized leader in my community. I was named the “Change Agent of the Year” by my Chamber of Commerce and believe that do get more out of life, you must give more.

Visit Todd Durkin’s website at www.ToddDurkin.com

Zach Even-Esh’s Individual Winner

Joe Meglio www.MeglioFitness.com

Joe Meglio’s Bio:
I am a strength and conditioning coach at the Underground Strength Gym in Edison, NJ and have been fortunate enough to be mentored by one of the best and brightest minds in the strength and conditioning industry, Zach Even-Esh. I run a results driven business where like-minded athletes train together to enhance their performance. Aside from training athletes, I’ve played four years of college baseball, competed in power lifting and have written for many websites and also run my own blog, megliofitness.com.

Visit Zach Even Esh’s website at www.ZachEven-Esh.com

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Fitness Industry Top Rising Stars Voting Begins Tonight!

Erik — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 17:45:49 +0000

Hey there,

Hopefully by now you’ve heard of the Fitness Industry Rising Stars Event that will be taking place.

Greg and I are really excited about this, and looking forward to see who will come out on top.

We will be opening up the voting tonight (Monday) at 9pm. In the meantime we put together a cool video for you to check out of the Influencers and the Rising Stars.

So check it out below….

Oh, and if it’s cool with you, feel free to share this video around.

Thanks,

Greg & Erik

ps-

Early Voting begins tonight at 9pm Eastern right here at www.FitnessBusinessInterviews.com

How Fitness Entrepreneur Holly Rigsby Built A Tribe Of Raving Fans

Erik — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 16:03:36 +0000

Holly Rigsby is here to round out the Female Fitness Entreprneur series. I’ve had the opportunity to speak with Holly multiple times, and every time I do, I always find myself really motivated after speaking with her. Seeing how she is able to manage not only her business, time, and family, and make it look easy, is amazing. In this interview she reveals how she does it all, and how she ended up with a great following of moms.

Audio/MP3 Download

Download MP3 – Right click to save as or control click for Mac.

Not only is Holly great at helping post pregnancy moms get their body and lives back, but she is also really good at creating a following that is engaged, and loves her.

I’ve seen her speak before about exactly how to create a tribe of fans that love and rave about everything you do. And if you have any type of fitness business then you know how important this is.

When she speaks about this, it is something I listen too quite a bit. That’s because what she says… works!

And it was really cool of her to share some of her tips on exactly what she does to build a following of raving fans.

The other thing she is a pro at (besides helping moms and building a tribe) is managing time.

This is one of the toughest issues fitness entrepreneurs have. Actually most people have this issue. It’s just that entrepreneurs seem to have so much more on their plates that a lot of things never get done.

And as Holly’s husband Pat Rigsby and fitness pro Dax Moy Say…

“You Get Paid For Done!”

So it’s super important that us fitness entrepreneurs manage our time well.

And in this interview with Holly, she actually shows how she manages her time with everything going on.

Fitness Entrepreneur Holly Rigsby Interview Highlights

How Holly got started.
How she met her husband Pat Rigsby.
How she ended up as a fitness entrepreneur working with moms.
How she went through the process of selecting a fitness niche.
How long it took her to reach the level she’s at today.
Why she got her personal training certification.
How long she worked at a gym.
How her flagship program Fit Yummy Mummy came about.
What her previous profession was.
What a typical day is like for her.
How Holly manages her time and gets her priorities done.
How her accountability system works.
When Holly realized that she needed help with getting everything done.
How she gets back into the “groove” after having so many distractions.
How Holly was able to create an amazing following and “tribe.”
How Holly gets her fans to rave about her and her programs.
How you can build trust and bigger following.
Why Holly isn’t afraid to share he “ugly stuff”
How did she create the “Fit Yummy Mummy” name.
What the Fit Yummy Mummy program is.
How Holly determines what products need to be created.
How the product creation process works for her.
What type of marketing she uses for her fitness info products.
How pricing was determined for her latest product.
What her first fitness summit was like and how well it did.
What she did to get people to come to her seminar.
What it is like to organize a fitness seminar.
What challenges she has had to face as a woman and a mother.
Whether women have an advantage over men in the fitness industry.
What Holly would like to see more of for female fitness pros.
What needs to change in the industry for women to gain more recognition.
What her biggest mistakes have been.

Oh, and I want to leave you with one more thing. Check out this video that Holly has of her son Tyler that talks about failure. This is really good, and something that is really motivating. Enjoy…

If you want to model a solid online fitness business, then Holly’s is a great one to do that with.

So take a look at her programs at www.FitYummyMummy.com and www.ClubFYM.com (no affiliate links)

Look around and see how everything is structured.

And if you want to know more about what Holly is up to then check out her blog at www.getfitandyummy.com

To see the other interviews in the women’s fitness entrepreneur series click the links below.

Part 1 – Fitness Entrepreneur Nicki Anderson

Part 2 – Fitness Entrepreneur Georgette Pann

Part 3 – Fitness Entrepreneur Samantha Taylor

Part 4 – Fitness Entrepreneur Rachel Cosgrove

Fitness Industry Influencers – Rising Star Nominees – And Event Info

Erik — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 20:13:11 +0000

What is 2011 Fitness Industry Rising Stars Event?

It is an event to showcase the up and coming stars in the fitness industry.

Click The Link To See The Cool Version Of This —->>>> http://bit.ly/mYwdVh

Why Is The Event Taking Place?

The event is taking place to showcase a lot of talent in our industry that we don’t normally hear about.

What Is The Purpose Of Voting?

1) It allows you to choose which rising star you feel is best.
2) To create a competition – Everyone loves a competition.
3) It allows you to voice your opinion.
4) For fun and recognition.

When Is This Taking Place?

Monday September 12th at 9pm Eastern – Early Voting Begins
Tuesday September 13th – Voting Lasts All Day
Wednesday September 14th – Winners Announced

Where Is This Taking Place?

Right here at Fitness Business Interviews.com

The Fitness Industry Influencers

The influencers selected the rising stars


Brian Grasso Former IYCA CEO	Chris McCombs www.KickBackLife.com	Eric Cressey www.EricCressey.com	Georgette Pann www.TheFitnessBootcamp.com

John Spencer Ellis www.JohnSpencerEllis.com	Pat Rigsby www.FitBusinessInsider.com	Paul Mort www.BootCampKing.com	Robert Dos Remedios www.CoachDos.com

Rocco Castellano www.AskRoccoMedia.com	Sam Bakhtiar www.Super-Trainer.com	Todd Durkin www.ToddDurkin.com	Zach Even-Esh www.ZachEven-Esh.com

2011 Fitness Industry Rising Stars

Listed alphabetically and chosen by the influencers

Aaron Guyett

Ali Gilbert

Angela Ross

Ben Owen

Ben Ballinger

BJ & Kori Bliffert

Brett Klika

Callie Durbrow

Carrie Kukuda & Alicia Streger

Cassie Gallagher

Chad Skrederstu

Chris Brown

Craig Rasmussen

David Peterson

Eric Chessen

Eric Oetter

Frank Pucher

Isaac Wilkins

Dr. Jason Nielson

Jeff Sherman

Jessika Loving

Joe Meglio

John Gaglione

John Kent

Jonas Deffes

Jonathan Conneely

Justin Blum

Justin Yule

Kim McCullough

Krys Davis

Matt Ellis

Mike Salvietti

Mike Sartorius

Nisha Obaidullah

Pete Isip & Rob Morales

Ray Grijalvo

Rick Daman

Rob & Shannon Yontz

Ryan Ketchum

Sako Yakinain

Sarah Rippel

Scott York

Shellie Wingate

Steve Long

Tammy Greear

Tim Megginson

Trina Gray

Tyler English

Vito La Fata

Wil Fleming

Remember: Early voting for the 2011 Fitness Industry Rising Stars Event begins Monday September 12th at 9pm Eastern – Right here at Fitness Business Interviews.com

Female Fitness Entrepreneur #4 – Rachel Cosgrove

Erik — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:37:58 +0000

In part 4 of the female fitness entrepreneur series I have one of the best in the biz. That is Rachel Cosgrove. She was cool enough to come on and share some killer details about how she and her husband Alwyn built one of the top fitness businesses in the country. And they did it while overcoming some crazy obstacles.

Rachel reveals some golden nuggets in this interview. So check it out..

Audio/MP3 Download

Download MP3- Right click to save as, or control click for Mac.

In this interview you can see why Rachel is one of the top female fitness entrepreneurs in the industry. You will also see why her and Alwyn’s facility was voted the #1 gym in the U.S. Which is pretty fricking cool!

Actually she and her husband have done so well with their business that they are helping other fitness entrepreneurs build their businesses. And they have a bunch of ULTRA successful students.

They’ve helped others through coaching/ mastermind groups and an awesome program they have called Counting Reps To Revenue. ( affiliate link)

Basically it’s a fitness business building program that covers everything you need to know to build your own fitness empire..

For example…

How to start your own facility.
What type of equipment you need.
How to position yourself as an expert.
How to build your team.
How to market your business.
7 areas that MUST be addressed in fitness programming.
Sales training, and converting more leads.

And those are just a few things it covers. If you want to see if this is something that would be good for you then take a look at Counting Reps To Revenue. ( affiliate link)

Rachel Cosgrove Fitness Entrepreneur Interview Highlights

How Rachel got started in the fitness industry.
How she met her husband Alwyn Cosgrove.
How she ended up as a personal trainer.
Why she and Alwyn ended up moving to California to start their own fitness business.
Where the idea came from to open up the business.
How she found the funds to open up the gym.
Why re-investing the income helped build the business much faster.
How big the original gym was.
How she determined what her role wold be in the business.
How the first clients were brought into the business.
What the business model was early on.
Why semi-private training ended up being the best model for the business.
Why EFT (Auto-debit) is good.
Why Thomas Plummer was so important.
How Rachel was able to train for an Ironman and keep the business going.
What systems are in place so that the business runs smoothly and almost on auto-pilot.
What makes their fitness business better than most of the others out there.
What they are doing to WOW their clients and have them rave about the business.
Why she and Alwyn started to do business coaching and help other fitness entrepreneurs.
What is the biggest issue that other fitness business owners face.
How things have changed for the better for women in the fitness industry.
Whether women have an advantage over men.

And if you want to learn more about what this all star female fitness entrepreneur has going on then check out the links below…

www.rachelcosgrove.com

www.resultsfitnessuniversity.com

www.results-fitness.com

www.countingrepstorevenue.com (affiliate link)

To see the other interviews in the women’s fitness entrepreneur series click the links below.

Part 1 – Fitness Entrepreneur Nicki Anderson

Part 2 – Fitness Entrepreneur Georgette Pann

Part 3 – Fitness Entrepreneur Samantha Taylor

Eric Cartman Interview On Fitness Business Interviews!

Erik — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 20:16:34 +0000

Whoa… Can’t believe I scored this one!
I got an interview with Eric Cartman from the Show Southpark. He’s actually on here to let us know what he’s been up to outside of the show.

* If you’re easily offended you probably wont want to watch this…

Interview Highlights

What profession he has secretly been working at for a while.

What are Eric’s favorite and least favorite things people say.
What noises he loves.
What word he uses to motivate his clients.
Who the best personal trainer is in the industry.
Who are his favorite type of clients.
What he thinks about his friends.
What Eric’s goals are as he gets older.
How he is going to get his own facility.
How he gets prospects to overcome objections.
What his idea of happiness is.

Haha… this was too funny.

Ok, so I admit it… I found an interview that was already done with Eric Cartman and I edited it up to make it work for personal training.

I hope you enjoyed it, and got a kick out of it.

The Female Fitness Entrepreneur Series – Part 3 – The Sales And Closing Specialist

Erik — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 10:22:52 +0000

In part 3 of the women’s fitness entrepreneurs series, I have the sales and closing specialist Samantha T. Samantha has a really inspiring story of how she has overcome some pretty hefty challenges to build up a business that is dominating right now.

She shares some pretty cool tips and tricks in the interview below…

Audio/MP3 Download

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In this interview, Samantha dives way into her business, and was cool enough to open up and share her biggest secrets.

She even revealed some major business and personal struggles. It’s a very inspiring story to hear and how she overcame those hardships to now being a superstar in the industry.

One of things that I think is very different about how she runs her business is that she is the only person I’ve interviewed so far where word of mouth hasn’t played a big part in building her business.

In fact, she uses another strategy that most of the gurus say to stay away from. And it works like crazy. She shares what this is in the interview.

Then finally, she is a sales and closing bad ass. She literally can close almost every prospect that walks in her door. And she gets just about every one one of them on 12 month contracts.

To catch a glimpse of how she does that, here is a simple process that she uses to screen her prospects…

” I send them an email with questions they need to answer before they come into the appointment. So I don’t ever just let them show up. I send them an email with some questions they need to answer before they come into the appointment.

I ask them to bring a picture of themselves with what their goal weight is, because I want to see what they look like before. Everybody has got that picture, well, most people.

I ask them to bring their bathing suit because I have the clients start measuring themselves, because that is really awesome. I like it better than measuring them.

But I take their before picture. Nobody likes that part, but I do it anyway. And this is important because you never know who your superstar is. You better take before pictures of every single client!

Most training studios do not have before and after pictures.

So if you go to 5 different trainers websites and one website has twenty, or three really good ones, they are going to call them.

Because a lot of the trainers website just say, hey I’m the greatest in the world come check me out. They don’t have pictures to prove what they’ve done for people.

I ask them to go look at that, I also send them a quick video introducing myself. Tell them what to bring, make sure they are prepared, and I always talk to them on the phone.

Because I’ve been in sales so long I do make sure they’re the decision maker that they can make a decision on a program that they like when they come in.

I think that’s very important.”

Interview Highlights

How Samantha started in the industry.
How she got into in-home training.
How she found her first in-home training clients.
What her experience was like working in a big box gym.
Why it was her focus on people and not money that literally changed her business.
Where she was getting most of her clients from.
Why believing in your own value is so important.
What her sales closing rate was early on.
What her market was like.
Why Samantha gave things up and started over.
Why she wanted her own facility.
What her demographic is like.
How you can negotiate a good rent and deal.
What a ramp up lease is.
What type of marketing works best for her.
Why restaurant reviews are so important for Samantha.
Why newspapers have been huge for her business.
Why coaching has been the biggest help for her.
How she found her coach.
Why being divided in what you do will hurt you.
What type of trouble she got herself into with credit cards.
How much credit card debt she actually had.
How many sales she recently closed.
What her monthly expenses are for the business.
How she found her employees.
How many prospects she closed in a row when she dialed in her sales process.
What having a business coach is really about.
What her sales and closing process is like.
Why finding out what motivates and drives people is the key to closing sales.
What the biggest objection is when closing clients.
How to overcome objections.
Why she switched over to a female only facility.
How long her contracts are for her clients.
How her payment structure is set up for clients
Why she doesn’t focus on referrals to build her business.
What is working best for her to bring in clients.
How she is adding the wow factor to help her clients.
What changes Samantha has seen for women in the industry.
What turns her off about the industry for women.
Why she feels women have an advantage being a business owner in the industry.
What needs to change for women to gain more recognition.
What her biggest failure has been.

To find out more info about Samantha, and see how well she uses testimonials check out www.purehealthstudios.com

And also look at her new site. www.sugaraddictionspecialist.com

To see the other interviews in the women’s fitness entrepreneur series click the links below.

Part 1 – Fitness Entrepreneur Nicki Anderson

Part 2 – Fitness Entrepreneur Georgette Pann

Female Fitness Entrepreneur And Trendsetter Georgette Pann

Erik — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:53:32 +0000

So here is part 2 in the Female Fitness Entrepreneurs Series. In this session I am with Georgette Pann. Georgette has built a name and business for herself by focusing around boot camps. She was one of the first fitness pros to make boot camps popular. She was actually a trend setter, doing a lot of things that were way ahead of her time.

And in this interview, she shares exactly how she was able to build her business both offline and online.

Audio/MP3 Download

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Georgette has been in the industry for quite some time now and has seen a lot of changes. Not just only in the fitness industry, but for women too.

What’s really interesting about her (as I mentioned above) is that she had the vision to literally look into the future and see what was coming down the road.

At the time, boot camps were around but there weren’t that many. And in her area, there were none. So she and her business partner realized that it would be the right way to go. And that’s what they did.

As time passed, Georgette saw another hole that needed to be filled. That huge gaping hole was that there was only one product on the market helped fitness pros start a boot camp.

So she jumped on the chance to create a better product. And by delivering a great product, great service, and being early to the market, is what helped her skyrocket her online fitness business.

So I wanted to make sure that I found out exactly how this all came about, and what she is doing to keep things on the cutting edge.

Interview Highlights

How Georgette got started in the industry.
What the industry was like when she got into the personal training side of things.
How long she was working as a personal trainer in a big box gym.
How she ended up going out on her own.
How she found her business partner.
How long it took to open the her and her partners business.
What obstacles she faced when when getting started.
How she found the money to open the studio.
What the layout of the studio was like.
What type of equipment she had.
What Georgette’s role was in the business early on.
How Georgette and her partner marketed the new business and boot camps.
What time slots worked best to train clients and why.
Why she had an advantage with her boot camp.
What the demographic is like in her area.
Why 4 week on 1 week off fitness boot camps didn’t work for her from the beginning.
Why she and her partner were trendsetters for boot camps.
What incentives were given away to get clients to refer new business.
What the hiring process is like.
How she and her partner keep clients happy.
How Phil Kaplan helped the business.
How Georgette got involved in building an online fitness business.
Where the idea came from for her first online product.
How she determined what to include in her product.
How she marketed her online business and product.
How Georgette built her email list.
How well Google Adwords has worked for her.
How Georgette competes with other franchises and licensing programs out there.
Where the first product evolved into.
Why a forum and online group made her life so much easier.
What’s else Georgette has going on.
How she was able to convince fitness pros to help submit articles for a workout manual.
How Facebook Ads are working for her business.
What were some of the challenges Georgette faced early on the industry.
What type of changes she has seen for women in the industry.
Whether or not women have an advantage in the fitness industry.
What type of advice Georgette has for woman just getting started.
What challenges she has faced in building her internet fitness business.
What was one of her biggest mistakes in building the business.

And if you’re a fitness pro looking to start or build your own boot camp, check out what Georgette has going on at…

www.thefitnessbootcamp.com (affiliate link)
www.thefitnessbootcampclub.com

Introducing… The Female Fitness Entrepreneur Series!

Erik — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:48:31 +0000

In the fitness industry there are so many women out there doing incredible things. Most of them not only have changed lives, but they’ve built amazing businesses for themselves.

What’s awesome is they have done this in a male dominated industry.

But things are slowly changing. Every year, more and more women are proving that they can kick ass, build one hell of a fitness business, and push the industry in a new direction.

Since the industry is mostly made up of men, many of the great women don’t get the recognition that they deserve.

And I believe that in an industry where 70% of personal training clients are female, women fitness entrepreneurs have the advantage… BIG TIME!

Women are able to connect better with their clients, they understand the feelings and emotions betters than us fellas, and can relate much easier with other women.

Think about it, how many guys out there can understand what a woman goes through after having kids? The emotional and physical change can be dramatic. And for us guys out there, trying to know how to find the best solution isn’t always easy.

So I want to take some time and give recognition to the women in the industry. And to do that, I put together the…

In this series coming all the interviews will be of amazing female fitness pros who are not only crushing it with their biz, but have done great things for the industry.

It is my hope to give recognition and credit where it is due.

And to start off the series, I was fortunate enough to get one of the best, who has years of experience and a great business.

That is Nicki Anderson. Who is one of the Top 100 Fitness Entrepreneurs. Nicki’s business is booming, and she is the go to person in her market.

She has some amazing info to share in this interview, and a great story. So check out what she reveals in part 1 of The Female Fitness Entrepreneur Series!

Audio/MP3 Download

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Nicki Anderson Interview Highlights

How Nicki started in the fitness industry.
When she started.
What they called trainers when they first started.
Why she was fired from her training job.
What she did after she was fired, and how it led into having her own personal training business.
How she used free clients for a year to get her business started.
What Nicki did after her year with the free clients.
How to establish yourself as a professional.
How Nicki brought in her first clients.
How to find speaking engagements.
What her speaking engagements consisted of.
What type of advertising works for her.
How you can get into writing for newspapers and publications.
How to realize what your value is.
Whether being a woman has effected her training and business.
Why training in a health club is one of the best ways to learn about training and business.
Why Nicki gave up in-home personal training.
How she found her first location.
How she found money for her studio.
How she ended up with television commercials for a really cheap price.
How fast her business grew in only a few years.
How you can plan for a grand opening.
What her demographic is like.
Why training people with money isn’t exactly what you would expect.
How important customer service is.
How Nicki recovered after losing 50% of her clients.
What her Real Life Weight Loss program was and why it ended up not working out.
Why advertising for weight loss helped the personal training business.
How she uses her orientation and a 6 week weight loss program to turn prospects into clients.
Why semi-private training and boot camps don’t really work for her business.
What social networking techniques are working for her.
What challenges she faced being a woman in the industry.
When she actually started to see more female trainers in the industry.
What she wants to see different for women in the fitness industry.
Whether or not being a female trainer and business owner is an advantage.
What women need to do to gain more recognition in the industry.
What Nicki’s biggest mistakes have been.
What are Nicki’s keys to success.

Nicki runs her business called Reality Fitness, and can be found at www.realityfitness.com.

Also, she has a blog at www.nickianderson.com

107 Ways To Build An EPIC Fitness Business & Life

Erik — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 15:00:15 +0000

It’s been really cool to be able to be part of the fitness industry. I love it, and so do most of the others I meet in this industry.

I love the fitness entrepreneurs who are trying to change lives and build an awesome fitness business at the same time.

So, I figured I would put together a little list of a few things I’ve learned from interviewing some amazing fit pros about what they have done to build an amazing and totally EPIC business for themselves.

It’s a different kinda list that is filled with some business advice, a bunch of entertainment, a lot of life tips, and some crazy things I’ve come across.

Just as a side note, If your easily offended probably not a good idea to check this out then. But if you like the show Tosh.0 – then you will be fine.

Don’t ever settle…EVER! You only have one life to live, so why settle for an average life?
Don’t ever quit and don’t ever give up. As Jim Rohn says… regret weighs tons.
Have fun. All the time. If your not having fun, what’s the point?
Be Good, Do Good, and help a shitload of people.
Take 5 minutes a day and find something that makes you laugh. You can start with this…

Get rid of the tire kickers in your biz. If they cause you to dread doing what you do, get rid of them.
Opt-in below for more free bad ass fitness business tips.

Don’t be lame or boring. Do things that are fun for your clients, and entertain the hell out of them.

Be different. Find out what your competition is doing, and do the exact opposite.
Do cool things for your clients. Show up at their work with some balloons, send them a card, make a video just for them and mail it. Anything that you would like to get from someone, they would like too. So use that as a starting point.
Please, please, please, whatever you do, don’t market like this… (read the sign carefully)
Be smart with your marketing, and don’t do things like they did in the above picture.
Constantly look to other industries to get new ideas to keep your business on the cutting edge.
Spend more time working on your business, instead of in your business.
Don’t have guys like this in your business…

Get a good Accountant! Not just for the money thing, but because they are the power players in your market. They know everyone.
Find cool, similar, and good businesses to joint venture with.
It is not cool to make your clients puke.
Make fun of yourself… A Lot! —->>>>>>
Do more public speaking.
Do more fundraisers, and charity events.
Make sure your clients don’t dictate your life. Set up your business the way you want your life to be.
Don’t be sketchy and promote things to your clients that you’ve never used, tried, or trust in 100%
Don’t be a Douche-A-Sauraus and bad mouth your competition.
Actually, just don’t be a Douche-A-Saurus.
If what your trying to do doesn’t resonate with who you are in your soul, then don’t do it.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone. Find what your good at, and focus on that.
Visit this blog often and watch the interviews of top fitness entrepreneurs
Delegate as much of the time wasting crap that you can.
Always be passionate about your biz. If your losing your passion, try something else to keep that spark going.
Grow some big ones (see below) and don’t let anything get in your way.

Have a website that gets people to call, email, or register for your programs.
Do whatever you can to be the best part of your clients day.
If your overwhelmed with everything that you have to do, then just stop and bang out 30 pushups. Or you could do the time tested thing of just breaking things down into manageable chunks.

Do at least one big thing each day to move your business forward. That doesn’t mean reading this. Although, I do appreciate you reading this, because this is one thing I did today to push my site and business forward.
Give, give… and give some more to your clients.
If you have employees, pay them well, and treat them even better.
Be a damn good trainer, be a damn good business person, but be an even better human being.

Jonas - The Original Honey Badger!

Go totally and completely honey badger with your business. Be fearless and go after it like there is no tomorrow.
Build genuine and good business relationships, where both parties benefit.
FOLLOW UP! Don’t just do something once and hope it works. Continue to follow up so it does.
You don’t need top of the line equipment to have an EPIC business.
Block out your time and get $hit done.
Be the best at what you do.
Make it a habit to say THANK YOU more and more every day.

Systemize EVERYTHING! Build kick ass systems so that if Tyrone Biggums (see picture) came in and wanted a job, he could run your biz when you went to go find some cops who could bust his ass.
Do cool stuff for people before you ask for anything.
Don’t be afraid to have some haters. If you do, chances are you’re doing something right.
Always have something that motivates you to take it to the next level. If your having a tough time, then this should help motivate you…

Or just play the theme song from Last Of The Mohicans with everything you do.

If your doing the same thing over and over in your business and your not getting any results, then try something different. Don’t be like this guy…

Dump all the negative people from your life.
Surround yourself with energetic, positive, and successful people.
Will Smith says this way better that I can…

Always know your “WHY” – It’s the one thing that will keep you going when times are tough.

Be part of a mastermind group.
If your not part of a mastermind group, surround yourself with people who are a lot smarter than you.
Remember – Putting bling on your dog does not make you a bad ass.
Build a legacy business. One that will continue to help people once you’re gone.
Stop worrying about the little shit.
Ugh… I hate writing this because it is so damn cliche, but if you want to grow or even start a fitness business, then Take MASSIVE Action.
Run contests and challenges in your business and watch this show a lot…

I’ve actually come up with some cool biz building ideas from this show.

Tell fear to go “F” itself.
Smile A Lot. Especially at your clients.
Bring a ton of energy to everything you do.
Create your own economy! There are always people out there no matter how tough things are that will need your services. Find those people and you will be set.

Whatever you do, don’t hire baloon guys for an event.
Step WAY outside your comfort zone… A LOT!
Be grateful for everything you have in your life.
Have multiple sources of revenue. Like this HERE (affiliate link)
Stop chasing every new and hot marketing product or technique, and focus on what is working well for you.
Be kind!
Get comfortable with selling.
Ask for referrals.
Don’t ever compete on price. Ad value to your business. At least 10x what what your charging.
Apple over PC every time!
Become a bad ass at networking.
Know the difference between gross and net income.
Every now and then get away from your business and find someplace cool to clear your mind

Get your clients on EFT. That basically means get them on an auto debit program (credit card) so you don’t have to chase them down to get your money.
Don’t hire trainers like this…

For a good laugh, ask your clients who invented injuries.
Remember that most people out there don’t know what their purpose or passion is in life. If you want an EPIC business, help to create a purpose and passion for them.
Happiness isn’t something you chase, buy, or pursue, it is a choice. A choice where you decide to be happy.
Understand that most people come to you because they’re unhappy about themselves. So give them an opportunity to be happy by getting them better results then they every expected.
Don’t wear a fanny pack!

Read, read, read, as much as you can.
Over-deliver with everything you do.
Stop being afraid of failure! It’s a good thing! Look at Sam Bakhtiar. He calls himself the king of failures and the dude has one EPIC personal training business.
Money is not your most valuable asset. Time is! So don’t waste it.
Stop worrying about the competition. You can’t control what they do. Focus on your business and what you can control.
Testimonials work! Get as many as you can.
Don’t try to be like someone else. You already are the best at being you.
Figure out some cool way to include this video below in your marketing…

Listen more!
Learn to say NO way more then you say yes.
Lead by example.
Go to at least one seminar or conference per year, and talk to as many people as you can. You never know who you could meet that could take your biz to the next level.

On your tough days, remember there are always people who have it worse than you.
Semi-private and group training rocks, but it does not mean that one-on-one personal training is dead.
Visualization works. It’s not some woo woo garbage that wacked out hippies use. Just take some action and steps towards what you want.
Don’t bitch to your clients about your problems.
Play Michael Jackson’s song ABC, and dance your ass off in front of your clients if you want them to have a good time….

You can know every little trick, secret or technique to grow your business, but if you don’t have the right mindset, non of it will work.
Stop trying to make everything perfect, just get it started and fix it a long the way.

Find and Interview fitness entrepreneurs who have a bigger and better business than you, and ask them how they did it.
And lastly if you want to build an EPIC business and life for yourself, make sure you follow these people. Their goal is to help you build an awesome biz, and they’re damn good at it too…

Pat Rigsby
Chris McCombs
John Spencer Ellis
Bedros Keulian
Steve Hochman
Alicia Streger And Carrie Kukuda
Dax Moy
Ryan Lee
Sam Bakhtiar
Eric Ruth And Sean Greeley
Craig Ballantyne
Alwyn & Rachel Cosgrove
Curtis Mock

Apologies if I left a few out.

How Forrest Walden Built Over 50 Personal Training Businesses & Then Sold Them All To Start Over

Erik — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:05:34 +0000

When it comes to building personal training businesses, there are so many unique and different fitness entrepreneurs who run them. Some are super high energy, others are pure trainers, but it’s usually the quiet guys you gotta watch out for. And one of those quiet guys is Forrest Walden.

When I heard what this dude was doing I had to get him on here. I am serious when I tell you that he knows how to build a fitness business. In fact, he’s built dozens, and dozens of them. And he shares how he did it in this interview.

Audio/MP3 Download

Download MP3 – Right click to save as or control click for Mac.

I’ve gotta say Forrest has done some amazing things. He’s literally running an amazing business right now, and is crushing it!

When he sets a goal, he gets it…and then some.

For example, he wanted to build the fastest growing Crossfit franchise. So what did he do?

He found what the fastest growing one was, how many members they had after six months, and decided that he wanted fifty more members than that in six months.

And you know what? He friggin did it! Now he’s doing it again with another facility.

And he’s doing it in Birmingham Alabama currently. Not really the place you think of when it comes to health and fitness.

But that is only part of his story. Part of the reason he has been able to do that is because he figured out a system that works to bring in clients and build a personal training business fast.

He did that through operating, oh, I’d say just a few fitness franchises.

And what’s crazy is that that he opened up and shared exactly how he did it in this interview.

He talks about how he’s tested, tweaked, and tried just about everything to find out what works. Everything from different referral programs to direct mail.

Speaking of direct mail, here’s some advice that he shares on how to get people to open the mail you send them…

” …If you’ve got time in the beginning, and I’ve certainly done it on multiple locations, and it’s not fun, but if you’ll hand address them, or recruit your kids or your wife, or even an eight dollar an hour high school kid to hand address them, that dramatically increases the opening rate.

If you use a live stamp, instead of metered mail that people will immediately know that is junk mail, makes a huge difference. Even using a special kind of stamp.

Don’t just use the regular American flag. Use a commemorative stamp, hand address it, people will immediately think they received a personal letter from someone.

You don’t want to put your business name on the return address because it will ruin the whole effect, just your return address.”

Forrest Walden Interview Highlights

How Forrest got started.
Why he always knew what he wanted to do.
What type of business knowledge Forrest had.
How he got into having his own personal training business.
Why he chose the fitness franchise model.
How he brought people into his business.
What the demographic is like.
How he overcame the perception of what a personal trainer is back when training wasn’t popular.
How he ended up getting into direct response marketing.
How he found a consultant when there were very few in the fitness industry.
How he ended up opening multiple locations.
When he signed the lease and why that date was significant.
How many franchises he planned on opening early on.
How many clients he needed before he opened up another location.
What other marketing Forrest was doing to expand.
What is the first thing someone shouldn’t do when getting into direct mail.
How to pick the right mailing company.
How much you should invest in direct mail if your just starting.
What ABC mail is.
What a 3D campaign is, and samples of what his latest mailing looks like.
What will actually get your mail opened.
What to watch out for when choosing a mailing company.
How successful his direct mail campaigns have been.
What is sequential mailing and why it works.
How many franchises he had after 3 years.
How he ended up as a master franchisor and what he did with that.
What it’s like to sell a business.
How he made selling his business easier for him.
How many franchises he wanted to own as a master franchisor.
How many locations he actually opened.
How he managed all of the franchises.
How he found trainers when he was located in a different state.
What type of trainers he hired.
What steps Forrest took to open a new location and find staff.
How many franchises he owned.
Why he decided to look for what was next and start over.
How Forrest got into Crossfit.
What happened to all the franchises he owned.
Why he wanted to create a different type of Crossfit business.
How many members he wanted to have in his first 6 months.
What Forrest did to get those members in his first 6 months.
Who his Crossfit business is for.
What he is doing with his clients to build a community.
How many members he limits each gym to.
Where the majority of his personal training business growth comes from.
What programs he offers and how much the customer pays.
How big his classes are.
What workshops are free and what ones are paid.
What type of referral incentives are offered.
How he ended up with his own food line for the business.
How many clients he has in his second location.
How many facilities Forrest wants to open.
How long it takes for him to open a facility.
What is the typical size facility he looks for.
What are some difficulties that he has had to overcome.
What his future goal is.

To see what the latest thing is that Forrest is doing in his personal training business go to www.irontribefitness.com

I want to know what you think about this interview. So leave a comment below.

How To Build A Revenue Crushing Online Fitness Business With Jeff Cavaliere

Erik — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 12:25:23 +0000

Ok, so I am super pumped about this interview. I’ve got an online fitness business superstar that is really crushing it right now. That’s Jeff Cavaliere! In this interview, he shares why his internet fitness business is rockin! Not only that, he breaks down why partnerships are so important, and how he was able to skyrocket his biz in only a few years. Definitely some killer info here…

Audio/MP3 Download

Download MP3 – Right Click To Save As or Control Click For Mac

What is so cool about this interview is that almost every question that I had for Jeff, he answered before I could get to it. Plus a whole lot more.

Seriously, he was using some Jedi tactics to read my mind. He even went ahead and broke down in crazy detail, things I never even thought of.

Pretty bad ass!

But there was one thing he covered that has been the key to his success. That is building relationships.

Building relationships has been so important for him (one specifically), that it literally exploded his business in just a few short years.

And even though Jeff has been pushing hard in the online world for a short time, he shares a lifetime of knowledge that can help anyone take their online fitness business to the next level.

And after you see the interview you will be blown away by everything he shares.

Like I mentioned before, he literally covers everything. From youtube to the importance of customer service.

Speaking of customer service, here’s a quote from Jeff on why it’s so important…

“…Just to be able to give them some feedback (customers), they buy like 90% of the time. That’s because they are more confident that they’re not getting ripped off, or scammed, number 1, that they are not going to give you their credit card and never hear from you again.

And number 2, that you actually cared about whether or not they purchased the program or not, you gave them some decent information back.

You can tell them something of value that they can take with themselves. Even if they decided not to buy from you.

And that is something that we’ve strived to do forever. That’s what I did initially myself, and now I tell my guys to do for me now.

And I think if you don’t do that, you lose a lot of potential sales and revenue because guys just say, ah, I’m outta here, I’m just going to the next one.

Or, I wrote to so and so, and they never wrote back. Or I wrote to this other person and they never wrote back. I’m just trying to get an answer to this question.

And then, you answer the question and they buy from you.

So customer service… it’s enormous.”

Jeff Cavaliere Interview Highlights

How Jeff Cavaliere started in the fitness industry.
Why he wanted an online fitness business.
Why he chose to work part time in a physical therapy clinic and how it built the business.
How he ended up writing for some very large publications.
What a “clip” is, and why it’s so important to get into major publications.
Why the little things actually add up for good things.
Why giving himself “room to fill up with clients” was key for him to build his practice.
What his schedule used to be like.
What happened with his physical therapy business.
How Jeff ended up working for the New York Mets.
What Jeff’s life was like when he was with the Mets.
Why he decided to move on from the Mets and what he did next.
How a workshop with Ryan Lee played a crucial role in Jeff’s new internet fitness business.
Why becoming friends with his business partner Paul Reddick was one of the keys to his success.
How Paul helped Jeff.
Why it was so important for Jeff to create a brand and not just make a product.
How he was introduced to his business partner.
What it is that makes their business partnership work.
Why he believes delegating is so important, but only after you’ve done it yourself.
What AthleanX is, and where the concept came from.
How he marketed AthleanX, and spread the word about the program.
What the quickest way is to get people to come to your website.
How Youtube helped Jeff.
What the keys to success were for Jeff using Youtube.
What he did to increase his view count on Youtube.
What types of videos worked better for him then others.
What type of issues Jeff had with being on camera for his videos.
How he an Paul determine what products are best to create.
How important customer service is.
What some of Jeff’s biggest mistakes have been.
What have been the biggest keys to his success.

To see what one of Jeff’s big programs is and why his online fitness business is rockin, check out www.athleanx.com

And you can also take a look at his Youtube channel and see why he does so well there. You can find his channel at www.youtube.com/jdcav24.

Make sure you leave a comment below. I want to hear from you!

How You Can Be The King Of Failure And Still Have A 7 Figure Personal Training Business With Sam Bakhtiar

Erik — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 12:31:11 +0000

Sam Bakhtiar has one hell of a personal training business. There is no way around it. He has not only surpassed the 7 figure level, he is now doing multiple 7 figures. And in this interview, he explains how he did it.

Audio/MP3 Download

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One of the most astonishing things about Sam is his ability to focus. He literally knows exactly what he wants and does EVERYTHING he can to get it.

But the other really cool thing about him, is that he is a great guy, and is always looking to help others out.

It’s that combination of working his ass off, and helping others that has helped to take his business to an Ultra- successful level.

But it wasn’t always easy! In fact Sam actually calls himself the “King Of Failures.”

That’s crazy talk coming form a guy running a multiple 7 figure business… right?

But he is not afraid to call himself that because he has learned from his failures, and it has led to him being super successful.

And in this interview, there is so much on how you can build a personal training business, but the part about failure is one of the biggest takeaways. Oh, and the story at the end is awesome too!

Now normally I put a long quote here from the interview, but this time I am going to share just a short one. Actually I’ve stolen it (sorry Sam) and included it in my file of favorite all time quotes. I have even posted it up on Facebook already. But that’s because it’s just that good. Sam Says…

“If Your Not Failing, Your Not Trying Hard Enough!”

This is so true, and I think every successful business owner and entrepreneur can relate to this.

Interview Highlights

What type of gross revenue Sam’s business is pulling in.
How long it took Sam to reach 7 figures.
What can happen when you gross 7 figures in your business.
How many income streams Sam has in his business.
How important is it to have multiple revenue streams.
What his local demographics are like.
What his business avatar is – or who are his main clients.
What his facility is like.
What a typical day is like for Sam.
How Sam got into the industry.
How he won a body building championship in every weight class.
When Sam realized he had the entrepreneurial spirit.
What type of money he was bringing in with his first business.
How he ended up with his first fitness business and what type of business it was.
What the business was like early on.
What were some of the difficulties Sam faced early on in his business.
Where his business was located.
How much money he payed in rent.
What he did to bring clients into his facility.
When he realized group training would be good for business.
When he realized he needed business coaching.
How many clients Sam currently has.
What his rates are for each of his programs.
How long he retains his clients for.
Why sometimes he feels like Donald Trump.
How he is keeping his clients happy.
Why he emails his members everyday and why they are OK with it.
How he became the local fitness celebrity.
How he had a chain restaurant promote his business on their menus.
How you can get a business to promote for you.
Whether he has employees or independent contractors.
What Sam looks for when he is hiring.
What the hiring process is like.
Who he has working for him in the business.
How he brings in 8 out of 10 clients from the internet.
Why Facebook ads are known as interruption advertising.
How well Groupon ads have done for him.
How Sam manages a business half way across the country.
What is the biggest mistake trainers make with their websites.
When you should delegate tasks and when should you not.
How Sam ended up taking over Super-Trainer.com
Why he is running Super-Trainer differently from other sites in the industry.
What is the end goal is with Super Trainer.
What is the biggest mistake that Sam sees other trainers make in their business.
What Sam’s biggest failure has been.

In the interview – Sam discussed that he is now running on of the best blogs in the industry, Super-Trainer.com, which my buddy Kaiser Serajuddin originally created and built.

There is so much great content on there, and the site covers it all. From fitness marketing to everything you need to know on how to build a personal training business. It’s definitely something you need to check out, and you can find it at www.super-trainer.com

And if you do, make sure you leave a comment for Sam. He likes comments on the blog.

Speaking of comments… I like em’ too. So it would be super cool if you leave one below. Thanks

Fitness Niche Domination With Josh Henkin

Erik — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:03:17 +0000

How can you create and dominate a fitness niche? In the interview with Josh Henkin below, he shares his story and experience on how he carved out a niche, business, and a name for himself based on training with sandbags. That’s right… sandbags. This is one interesting story, with a ton of huge info on how to build a successful fitness business.

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There is all this talk about finding your fitness niche and becoming the go to person in that niche.

I agree that focusing on a niche is one of the big keys to success.

But most people (especially newbies) still wrestle with the idea that if the niche is too small that they wont make enough money, and build a successful business. So they go for the bigger niche. For example…. fat loss.

And a lot of times they struggle… big time. That’s because everyone else is in that niche and they are all competing for the same thing. And the newbie has done nothing to separate himself from everyone else.

Now you can definitely build a fitness business in a large niche and make a ton of money, but you are going to work a helluva lot harder then you would if you focused on a smaller niche.

And my buddy Josh Henkin decided to do just that. He found a sweet spot in the fitness industry and exploited it. It’s not a big niche, it’s actually tiny. And because of this (and a lot of hard work) he’s now the go to guy when it comes to sandbag training.

Who would have thought that training with bags of sand could become a good business?

Josh did. And now he’s crushing it!

If sandbag training was a huge niche, Josh could’ve become the go to guy for it, but it would have taken a lot longer, been even more stressful, and probably cost him a lot more money.

Since he chose a smaller niche, and had a laser focus, he’s the authority. And he did it in a lot less time.

Here’s a quote from Josh on what it was like early on with the sandbags…

“I got into odd object training after it being suggested by a colleague of mine and I was really intrigued by the concept.

At that time we didn’t really have a lot of the training implements that people have access to today. I know I’m talking like an old guy, but that was probably only 8 to 10 years ago, and so we simulated a lot of the different odd object training with home made sandbags.

And instantly if you’ve been training with bars and dumbbells for a while, when you pick up something like a sandbag it’s just so dramatically different, and I just knew there was something to that. And I wanted to bring that to my clients, because I felt that not only were the exercises different but the experience of actually doing the lift was different.

… So we did the whole homemade thing. I would bring them into the gym and there was a running joke I told everyone. You could find where I was by the trail of sand that would follow us throughout the gym.”

Josh Henkin Interview Highlights

How Josh got started in the industry.
How Josh ended up having his own fitness business.
Why his first business failed.
How he learned the business side of training.
Whether he preferred training athletes or general fitness clients.
Why he realized it was time to have his own facility.
What his facility was like.
How Josh got his first clients at the new facility.
How competitive his market is.
How he ran the facility and had trainers pay him.
How he found his trainers.
What happened to his training facility.
Where the idea for the sandbags came from.
How he realized that he could turn the sandbags into the business.
How he got his name and business out there early on.
Why Ryan Lee was so important to Josh’s business.
How he determined the price of the sand bags early on.
Why early on he wouldn’t have marketed the sandbag as a “sandbag.”
What his biggest marketing tool was early on.
What the earliest bags were like.
How he found the first manufacturer.
How many manufacturers he has worked with so far.
What issues Josh has to deal with when working with a manufacturer.
What’s important to do when working with a manufacturer.
What Josh’s biggest piece of advice is when choosing manufacturer.
What was the biggest mistake Josh made.
What his patent process was like for the sandbags.
Why hiring a patent attorney is really important.
Why “patent pending” doesn’t mean your products are actually protected.
What drop-shipping is.
Why Josh created a sandbag training certification.
What his biggest failures were.
What Josh reveals that he never told anyone else about his products.

To see how Josh is running things and what he’s doing take a look at his site www.ultimatesandbagtraining.com

I want to hear your comments! Let me know what you think below!

A Health Club Industry Rock Star – Why Nick Osborne Is Crushing It

Erik — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 13:38:34 +0000

When it comes to the health club industry most clubs focus on increasing the number of members in their gyms, and let the personal training services slide. Not Nick Osborne. He’s crushing it right now and has one of the highest personal training penetration rates I’ve ever heard of. Watch the interview below to see how he does it.

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A while back I kept hearing about a guy in the health club industry that was doing amazing things. I kept hearing about how he has one of the highest personal training penetration rates (watch the interview to see what it is) in the industry.

It’s funny how things work, because all of sudden I get an email from Curtis Mock connecting me with Nick Osborne. I come to find out that Nick was the guy I kept hearing all these things about.

So I was really excited to have the opportunity to interview Nick to find out what the hell he is doing that is so different from everyone else.

And he didn’t disappoint.

He literally shared everything! And here is the coolest part. What he is doing is so simple it’s genius. It’s all about systems. Now, this is no super secret way to build a business, it’s well known.

But the way Nick has applied his systems is cool.

He’s developed and created a uniques system for his trainers, how they train and how they sell. It’s a bit different from a lot of the other personal training businesses, gyms, and clubs out there.

And because of this he has built a personal training business that is better than most.

He has actually been so successful that others have turned to him to help their businesses. Since so many people were asking him what he was doing, he ended up turning everything into a simple step by step program. Which has been really helping a lot of other businesses.

Nick definitely knows his stuff! And in this interview you will be take away some amazing content that will help push your business forward.

For example, In the quote below, Nick shares why most gym members never use the personal training services that are offered and how to solve that problem…

“Gyms are not offering…making the buying decision easy for the client. Your expecting the client to sort through stuff they don’t know about.

These people are coming in, they know their finances, they know how much time they have. But you make them choose things they have no idea about. Do i go with the person who is a cardio person, or a kettlebell person, or a body buildier, or a power lifter, or a strong man? Your making them make all these decisions when it should really be, look, we have a system which is proven that it works.

What time of the day would you like and what type of personality would you like? How many times a week would you like?

Those things they know. Look I’ve got, two hundred dollars I can work with a month. And here’s your options with two hundred dollars a month.

We make it really simple for the client to make safe decisions… so offer people things they can make choices on.

The second thing is, teach your trainers how to sell effectively by having a consultive sales system. Be a consultant for the client.

Teach your trainers to be on the clients side.”

Nick Osborne Interview Highlights

What a personal training/fitness studio penetration rate it is.
How to figure out your penetration rate.
What Nick’s penetration rate is.
How many members he has in his gym.
How big his gym is.
How Nick into the fitness industry.
How Nick supported himself before he decided to build a personal training business.
How he ended up with his fitness business.
What happened right when he started.
What type of business experience Nick had when he first started.
What type of payments he took when he first started.
How long his clients stayed with him early on.
Why he changed his business radically.
Why you need to stop listening to your employees.
What type of personal trainer marketing he was doing to bring in clients.
What marketing works for him, and why it really shouldn’t.
How many responses he received after mailing out half a million direct response post cards.
What works best to bring in new members for Nick.
How he closes his prospects.
How his personal trainers get prospects to sign up without selling.
Why Nick pretty much lets his best trainers do whatever they want.
How much a gym looses when a good trainer leaves.
How much he retains when a trainer leaves.
What type of personal training offerings Nick’s club has.
What his retention rate is and how long his gym members stay for.
Why there are no long term memberships.
How he keeps his members for so long without a long term commitment.
Whether Nick’s business/ training system works for an athletic training business.
Why health clubs have such a tough time getting members to use the personal training services.
What type of trainers Nick hires.
Why the turnover rate is really so high in the fitness and health club industry.
Why a lot of gym owners hate their personal training departments.
How he gets his trainers to believe in his systems and business.
How many single and group sessions he has his trainers do per week.
How many hours his trainers work per week.
How he gets his trainers comfortable with the sales process.
What trainers are afraid of.
How to get trainers comfortable with selling.
Why do new trainers and fitness business owners have a tough time getting referrals.
How to build a quality team for your health club or personal training business.
What Nick’s hiring process is like.
What clients are really looking for when they join a health club.
What is it a client really wants from a trainer or coach.
What a gym owner really wants from a trainer.
What the (IFCS) Integrated Functional Coaching System Is.
Who is the IFCS for.
What makes this system different from anything else out there.
How he sold this system when he never marketed it.
How long it took to create the product.
How he tested it to make sure it really does deliver.
What type of results other health clubs, and fitness businesses are seeing from this.
What was the general penetration rate of gyms before using the IFCS.
What being a fitness professional really means.

Nick is really crushing it, and is definitely someone you should follow. If you want to see what he is up to and what his system is, take a look at… www.IFCSonline.com (Affiliate Link)

I’m curious to know how you get your personal training staff involved in trying to better your business. Let me know in the comments below.

How To Achieve Anything You Want With Tom Terwilliger

Erik — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 13:01:25 +0000

Here is second part of the interview with Tom Terwilliger where he discusses how you can achieve anything you want in life and business. I have to say, this is probably one of the most important interviews I’ve done so far. Watch the interview below to see why…

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If you missed part 1 of the interview, then check out how Tom went from bad ass biker to achievement expert here.

OK, so I’m gonna adjust what I said above about how this is “probably” one of the most important interviews I’ve done so far, and say this is the most important!

This is a topic that every fitness entrepreneur has to have right in order to be successful. Actually not just the entrepreneurs in the fitness industry. Everyone who wants to achieve their goals in any industry has to have their head screwed on right.

Mindset is literally the foundation of success. You can have all the right tools, mentors, and products to build a huge fitness business, but if your mindset isn’t right, you are going to struggle…BIG Time!

Actually, you may even have a business already. It may be doing OK. But for the life of you, you are not able to take it to the next level. That usually can be traced back to the wrong mindset.

Or, you have been busting your ass, working hard, doing all the right things, and you are just plain ole’ struggling. Chances are your head isn’t in the right place.

I see it a lot. Plus I have been in that situation before.

So it is so important to develop the right mindset. Because once you have that set, then you are going to crush it.

So that is why I am so happy to have the leading achievement expert Tom Terwilliger come on and share exactly what needs to be done to develop the right mindset.

In this interview he shares tips, advice, and even free resources that will put you in the right frame of mind.

Oh and make sure to check out the free resources that Tom recommends by looking here…
www.7rulesofachievement.com/resources

Look for the IR Visualization process – That one is really good!

Speaking of visualization and mindset here is a short quote from Tom…

” When you already have what you want in your mind, then your unconscious mind begins to set out and make it happen, period.

Incredibly powerful!

At times you don’t even have to think about it consciously, you don’t even have to make any effort. Your unconscious mind will simply drive you towards making it happen.” So visualization, internal representation thing is very important”

Tom Terwilliger Interview Highlights

What it was that completely changed his life from bad ass outlaw to a success.
What book he read that helped to change his life.
What it was that helped him to take action to change things.
What the RAS (reticular activating system) is, and why it’s so important.
How you program the reticular activating system.
What is the importance of having goals and how you set them.
How many businesses don’t have a mission statement.
Why goal setting has a bad reputation.
How struggling fitness professionals can get on the right track.
What words leaders and achievers never use.
Why the language you use is so important when it comes to achieving success.
Why sharing your mission statement with employees and others will build your business.
Why visualization is so important.
How to do visualize correctly.
Why it’s important to visualize what you want as if you actually have it right now.
Whether it is more important to visualize ourselves in the moment or wanting the moment.
Why many people visualize everything they want but still don’t get it.
Why some people don’t believe in visualization and manifestation.
What steps people can take to believe in themselves more so they reach their goals.
What the”Do Then Believe” process is.
Why the role of achievement is a process.
How to build and keep your confidence.
What the 3 steps of building confidence are.

Oh, and one more thing. Tom is a best selling author. He reached that status with his book, The 7 Rules Of Achievement. On Amazon it has a 5 star rating. I believe in Tom, trust him, and really respect what he does. So this is a book I highly recommend. You can get it by clicking here!

There is no affiliate link to the book. I just want you to know that I really believe in what he does, and think this would be a good guide on how to achieve anything you want in your life and fitness business.

I want to know how much having the right mindset has helped you. So let me know in the comments below.

How Tom Terwilliger Went From Bad Ass Biker To Achievement Expert

Erik — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 12:01:20 +0000

I really have to say I am excited to have interviewed Tom Terwilliger. Tom has been a huge help to me, he’s become a good friend, and he is doing some amazing things in the field of achievement. I believe that Tom’s interview (part 1 & part 2) is one of the most important interviews on Fitness Business Interviews. Watch the video below to see why.

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Ok, so this is part 1 of a 2 part interview. I broke this up because it is just so good and entertaining.

The first part is Tom’s story. It’s one of the craziest and wildest stories I’ve ever heard and that is why it needed it’s own section.

Without revealing too much, lets just say that Tom used to be a bad ass biker living the outlaw life. If your into bikes, crazy stories, and being a straight up bad ass, then your gonna love this interview. If not, your still going to love this.

It’s interesting that Tom lived the outlaw life for many years, doing some really crazy things and then transformed it into becoming the top expert in the science of achievement. It was a complete 180 degree turn around.

And, speaking of achievement he is also a former Mr. America. He won the 1986 National Body Building Championships. Here’s a quick video of that with some awesome 80′s music…

And If your curious to know what the outlaw life was all about, check this out…

” The group of guys I started riding with were already insiders. And they were cool guys. Most of them were much older than me, much older. I mean not even in their twenty’s, thirty’s and forty’s. And I began to see that it wasn’t just a brotherhood, it wasn’t just a camaraderie, it wasn’t just strength connection. And it certainly wasn’t about the motorcycles. Not by a long shot.

The motorcycles had become a bit of a backdrop in this scenario. And what it becomes about is an outlaw lifestyle, and whatever it takes to support that outlaw lifestyle.”

Tom Terwilliger Interview Highlights

What Tom’s childhood was like.
Why he believed he was inferior to other kids growing up.
Why he was different from other kids.
What type of sports Tom was involved in.
Why Tom was attracted to bodybuilding.
How he got into bodybuilding.
How he got hooked into riding motorcycles.
How he payed for his first chopper.
How he got into the outlaw biker world.
What the outlaw life was like.
What kept him in this lifestyle for so long.
Why riding with the outlaws was a way for him to hide from who he was.
How he got out of the biker world.
What his first stop was after he left the outlaw world.
How he was paying the bills during this time.
How he ended up winning body building competitions.
Who he was training.
How he ended up opening his own training studio.
How long he had his businesses for.
How he got into working in television.
How Tom met his wife.

To learn more about how Tom is kickin’ ass now and what he is doing, then check out…
www.TomTerwilliger.com

What It Takes To Build A 7 Figure Personal Training Business

Erik — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 11:48:44 +0000

Here is a personal training business interview with Cabel McElderry. This guy has got a monster business and has built it to 7 figures in just a few short years.

Watch the interview below to see how he did it…

Audio/MP3 Download

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So one of the coolest things about Cabel is that he literally is 100% open about his business and what he is doing. I really am grateful that he opened up and basically shared everything about his personal training business.

After talking with Cabel, it’s really easy to see why his business has skyrocketed.

And he is even now living the lifestyle that many successful fitness entrepreneurs are working towards. I’m talking about the short work week, having great clients, traveling and not having the business fall apart, and a bunch of other cool things.

So it was important for me to share how Cabel reached this level, and have him reveal exactly what he is doing so that you can reach that level too if your not already there.

Actually one of my favorite things that he talks about in this interview is how he has not only helped his clients, but how he helps other businesses. The way he approaches and creates alliances with local businesses is really cool. Here is how he does it…

“There’s two pitches that anybody going to talk to a business should use because they are the two that always work.

And one is if you have any amount of people on your mailing list you simply walk in and the first thing is always positivity. So Erik, you know what? I’ve heard great things about your business. My customers are coming here, they say great things about you, I have a list of five hundred people, I just like to know how can I refer them to your business. Who do I talk to about referring them? So that’s number one that always gets you through the door.

Number two that works extremely well is, Erik, I’ve heard great things about your business, my customers are saying really great things about you. We really like to associate ourselves with great businesses in the community like yours. You are one of two businesses that I am sponsoring this month, and I would like to give all the employees here this trial package.

They can use our services, it is absolutely free. Here are some gift cards you can give to your clients. And try to give the business owner something better. The business owners, we give them anywhere from one to three months of one-on-one training to really build a foundation of that alliance.”

Cabel McElderry Interview Highlights

How much revenue Cabel is generating.
What type of training Cabel does at his studio.
How many training sessions the studio runs in a week.
What the layout of his personal training studio is like.
How Cabel got involved in the fitness industry.
When Cabel started training and when he first started his personal training business.
Where he was doing his training.
How many times Cable failed with his business.
What he did when he failed.
Whether selling was natural for him or not.
Where he got the money to promote a body building event.
How he got involved in promoting body building events.
How he promoted and got people to show up for the body building events.
How many clients he had early on.
What was working for Cabel to bring in clients.
How Cabel became a columnist.
Who was one of the biggest influences that helped him.
How Cabel found money to open up his personal training studio.
How much money was originally invested for the studio.
How Cable brought in his first clients into the studio.
What Cabel’s and his partners roles are in the business.
How many clients/ appointments the business had early on.
What he charged when he first opened.
How he kept his clients coming back for more personal training sessions.
What he does to separate himself from the competition.
What the the closing rate is for personal training sales.
How many employees he currently has in the business.
How Cabel hires employees.
How he gets his employees to buy into the culture of the personal training studio.
Why he uses interns in the business.
How Cabel “wows” potential clients.
What he does special for his clients.
How he gets alliances with other local business.
How he gets medical professionals to refer clients.
What the most cost effective client getting strategy is for his personal training business.
What his custom thank you cards are.
What type of offline marketing techniques he is using.
How Cabel found speaking engagements, and how he ran them to get clients.
How Cabel conquered the fear of public speaking.
Why one specific charity event is the key to building the right atmosphere in the business.
When Cabel stepped out and started to help other fitness business owners build their businesses.
How he found clients to consult for.
Why and how he runs business building workshops.
Why he is going to license and franchise his business.
Why systems are critical to his success.
Whether systemizing should be done on day one or should new biz owners get their feet wet first.
What Cabel’s life is like now.
What is his key to success.
What his biggest failure has been and what he learned.
What’s his biggest piece of advice is.

For more info on how Cabel can help you build your personal training business visit www.profitablepersonaltrainer.com

To see his personal training studio website go to www.personaltrainingreddeer.com

Let me know what you liked about this interview below.

A Female Fitness Business Pioneer – Kelli Calabrese

Erik — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:47:43 +0000

Today I have an awesome fitness business interview with one of the top female fitness entrepreneurs out there. That is Kelli Calabrese. In this interview Kelli shares here story and some amazing tips that will help you improve your business

Audio/MP3 Download

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What is really awesome about Kelli is that she knew what she wanted to do early on. Because of that one small thing it helped to put her a step ahead in life and business, and achieve a level of success many people dream of.

But not only that, Kelli is also a trailblazer for women in the fitness industry. She even talks about how for a long time she would sit in on panels at events with all the “big dogs” and she would be the only woman.

But that never stopped her from going out taking action, and doing what she loved. And that is really cool!

Speaking with Kelli and listening to everything she had to say was really motivational.

One of the most important things besides her passion for the fitness industry is that if she didn’t enjoy it, or it didn’t fit with her values she simply wouldn’t do it.

And that is one of the biggest lessons we can take away from anything we do. If we don’t enjoy it or if something is not done to to the level we are comfortable with then maybe it shouldn’t be done.

It may come to the point where regardless of what it is, it might be time to walk away and find something else.

In this interview she really provides and underlying theme of making sure you love what you do. And that starts with knowing what you want.

Once you know that, then you can really go after it.

Oh, and Kelli also talks about how important it is to set your ideal schedule based around your business and what you love. Here’s a quote about how to set your ideal schedule and when to hire help…

“Well, you need to set your ideal schedule first. So whatever that means for you. For example if you say you want to train between eight and three, you’ve got to keep to that schedule, and you’ll be surprised at how your clients are somehow able to accommodate that time.

But you’ve got to set limits. Otherwise you will become a slave. You will be working with clients at nine o’clock at night and on Sunday Mornings. So you really have to set your limits on your training hours. And once your training hours are full, then it makes sense to hire somebody.

But don’t wait to that point. Have a mentor, get an intern. Start to be bringing somebody up in the ranks so that when the time comes it’s an easy transition, and you make it as smooth as you possibly can.

Of course your clients are always going to prefer you, but you need to find somebody who is going to stomp in a really close second.”

Kelli Calabrese Interview Highlights

How Kelli got started in the industry.
How she ended up as a fitness director of a club as soon as she got out of college.
What her role was as a fitness director.
If Kelli had to learn the business side of things or if it was natural for her.
How she ended up as a manager of the fitness club.
How long it took until she ended up a partner in the business.
What her role as a partner included.
How she and her partners expanded the business.
Why they put a club in a corporate center.
How they convinced corporate businesses to work with them.
Where the clubs were located.
Why she moved on from being a partner in the business.
How she handled leaving the partnership.
Why she created an exercise institute and ACE exam prep school.
What type of marketing she did to bring in people to the school.
How Kelli got into the internet side of things.
How she got involved in working with ediets.com
What Kelli’s role was at ediets.
How Kelli found the time to work full time, consult, and raise a family.
How Kelli got into the speaking circuit.
What Kelli recommends to get out and speak at big conferences.
Why she decided to move on from ediets.com
How Kelli got back into training.
How she built her in home personal training business without spending any money on marketing and advertising.
When the right time is to hire help.
How Kelli found the right trainer/help for her business.
Why Kelli left that business, and what happened to it.
How Kelli got into fitness boot camps.
How Kelli got her first clients in an area where she knew no one.
How many clients she ended up with early on.
How Kelli got press for her new business.
Why having systems in place helped here boot camps tremendously.
How long Kelli ran the business before she brought someone else in to help.
How she was able to bring men into the boot camp.
What the difference is between the men and woman’s boot camp.
How the marketing is different between the men’s camp and women’s camp.
What type of fitness marketing Kelli is doing.
How working with ediets.com has helped the boot camp business.
What else Kelli has going on outside of her boot camp business.
What Kelli’s role is in the Adventure Boot Camp Program.
How Kelli became partners with John Spencer Ellis.
Why Kelli wants her legacy to be.
What she has going on online.
How Kelli ended up as an editor for PFP Magazine.
Where the idea came up to write a book.
How she had her book recommended by Brian Tracy.
What advice Kelli has for other women in the industry to be successful.
What some of Kelli’s failures have been.
How she says no without offending others.
What the biggest piece of advice Kelli has received.

For more info on Kelli and to see all that she is up to you can check out her site at www.kellicalabrese.com

And if you feel it’s cool, please leave a comment below. Thanks!

How To Build A 7 Figure Personal Training Business With Dave Parise

Erik — Wed, 25 May 2011 10:59:12 +0000

Dave Parise is here with me today. He has taken his personal training business to a stratospheric level by keeping it simple, and just doing what others are not willing to do.

He’s built a 7 figure business without all the crazy fitness marketing strategies that are out there.

Check out the interview to see how he did it…

*Note – As much as I love cool technology, sometimes it can be a pain. With that being said, I just wanted to give you a heads up that the audio is a little funky on this (or I’m just really picky). Either way you will still be able to hear everything you need. I figured I’d just let you know.

Audio/MP3 Download

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Ok, so I’ve gotta admit. Dave is brilliant! He’s got everything down to an exact science. And in the interview it’s easy to see why he has done so well.

I mentioned above that he doesn’t use any of crazy marketing techniques to build his personal training business. He stays focused on delivering the absolute best experience he can to his clients, and just simply does things for his clients that very few others do.

The secret is – he’s taken his business and applied the country club feeling to it.

Now I don’t mean filling up his business with stuck up, old crusty dudes, who play golf all day, or Jack Hartunian types (Caddyshack reference). What I mean is that he has created an atmosphere that is just like a country club.

It’s as if his clients every need is catered too.

And it’s that atmosphere combined with an incredible training staff that has elevated his biz to the 7 figure level.

To top it off, Dave is just one cool guy who seriously knows his stuff!

So when the opportunity came to do interview with him, I had to grab it.

This is definitely an interview worth checking out. You’ll be able to grab a bunch of great tips and ideas that will help you take your business to the next level.

Not only that, Dave actually covers some interesting areas that no one else has talked about before.

For example – How to keep your landlord happy!

That’s something most fitness pros don’t really worry about, but if you own your own facility I’m sure at some time you will have to deal with your landlord when something is not right.

Speaking of keeping your landlord happy, here is a short quote from Dave on exactly what he did recently so that he could keep his landlord happy.

“Number one, never call them… period. Or complain! If you have a life death situation, find a solution, write it down, send it in a certified letter, then ask for a meeting. As an example, we have a flat roof. Worst mistake in the world. I had a lot of water in my facility this winter, bottom line here’s what you do.

You basically call a roofer, you get an estimate, I know people out there listening are saying that’s not my job, it’s the landlords job. If you have that kind of attitude, your not going to get anywhere.

Take it upon yourself to make the calls, talk to people, get something in writing, which will get done ten times faster than your landlord will do it. So get your estimates on how the roof can be repaired, then you present these estimates.

And for going beyond the call of duty for your landlord, say here’s the leaks, you take some pictures, you submit some pictures, and that’s what I did and I got a new roof. Versus calling up and saying my roof is leaking, and complaining all the time.

So I just found out, treat your landlord like your client.”

Dave Parise Interview Highlights

How much revenue Dave is generating for his business.
How long it took to reach that level.
How big his facility is.
How many trainers Dave has.
What is hiring process is like?
How long it takes until his trainers are training on their own.
How Dave gets past clients come back in and sign up again.
How a personal training business owner should hire employees.
Why one-on-one personal training works for him.
What you should look for when finding a facility for your business.
What type of equipment he would choose if he was to open a new facility.
How you develop a good relationship with your landlord.
What type of lease Dave uses for his facility.
What type of marketing Dave uses to bring in new clients.
What makes his business so different.
What he did to bring clients in when he first opened.
How Dave gets referrals.
Why direct mail and direct response advertising didn’t work for him.
What’s the best way for someone to get on TV.
How he gets prospects to pay everything up front.
Who his clients are.
What his programs are like.
Why customer service is so important.
What the cancellation policy is.
What his retention rate is for his clients.
What exactly Dave does to keep his clients coming back for so long.
Whether it is more important to be a friend to your client or having the practical knowledge and applying it.
Whether it is better to have one location or multiple.
If you should focus on a smaller niche or not.
How he came up with a personal training school.
How Dave developed the right mindset for success.
Why passion and desire are the keys to success.

For More Info on Dave and all the cool things he’s doing you can check out his site at
www.DaveParise.com

Or if you want to see his personal training business website go to www.resultsplus.com

And if you want to check out his personal training school go to www.fitprospersonaltrainingschool.com

I hope you enjoyed this interview with Dave. I want to hear what you thought below.

How Cara Eckerman Built Her 6 Figure Fitness Boot Camp Business

Erik — Wed, 18 May 2011 10:33:53 +0000

Here’s an interview with Cara Eckerman on how she took her fitness boot camp business to six figures in no time at all…

Audio/MP3 Download

Audio Download

Impressed by Cara? I know I am. She is really smart, and just one cool chica.

It’s so amazing that just a short time ago she was living a life where she wasn’t happy. She had no business, and didn’t know what she wanted to do with her life.

That all changed when she took a leap of faith with her husband and decided to start her own fitness boot camp.

In only a short time she has become one of the best in the biz. What’s even cooler is she is doing a great job representing what amazing accomplishments women are doing in the industry.

So rock on with yo’ bad self Cara!

Just so you know, Cara is probably one of the most passionate and caring people I know in the industry. And it shows in this interview.

She shares all kind of amazing tips that she’s used to skyrocket her business. But it’s not just the tips she shares. Probably the most important things she gets into is how she serves her clients, and over-delivers with everything she does.

She just cares so much! And because of that, she has a business with her husband that she loves. And her clients love her.

Since the business is doing so well, Cara and her husband already have multiple boot camps in different states. And they are working on opening another one very soon.

But if it wasn’t for the one thing she found when she stepped outside her comfort zone, none of this would have happened.

The one thing is …

Passion.

She found it by taking a chance, and now loves her life, her business, and how she is changing lives.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t think it gets much better than that.

And if your on the fence thinking about starting your own fitness business here is what Cara has to say to you…

“Ask yourself this question. Would you do this if you didn’t make a penny. And if the answer is yes, then it’s really your passion and you really should do it.

If you know you can wake up every morning and walk into training one client, two clients, three clients, whatever it is, and know deep down in your heart that your making a difference in the world…

Then Do It!

I don’t care what it takes, make it happen for yourself. Because that means that’s your calling, that’s your passion.

If your thinking, yeah maybe, then I wouldn’t say it’s for you, but I think you should find what is right for you because I think everyone should have their calling in life and passion.”

Cara Eckerman Interview Highlights

How many boot camp clients she has.
What type of revenue she is generating.
How long it has taken her to reach the level she is at.
What Cara was doing before running her boot camp business.
How she got started in the fitness industry.
How long it took for her and her husband to make the decision to get started.
What Cara was feeling when she was making this huge change in her life.
What motivated Cara to take the leap and start her own business.
How long it took Cara and her husband to get started with their first location.
Why Cara’s first location pulled their lease.
What she did with her original clients when their first location closed.
How she found the second location.
How she convinced the second location to work with her.
How Cara and her husband found clients for their second location, when they knew no one.
How Cara got the owners of the facility to send out emails promoting for the boot camp.
How they built relationships in an area where they knew few people.
How she determined what to charge at the beginning.
How she sells and closes a prospect.
What type of marketing is working for her and her husband.
How many charity events they do.
How they get charities to help them.
How they are marketing their fundraisers.
What the atmosphere is like in her programs.
How she finds the energy to have energy for her classes.
What she does in the class to build a connection with her clients.
What Cara’s role is, and what her husbands role is in the business.
How important follow up is to building her fitness business.
What type of social gatherings they do to bring their clients closer together.
How she gets clients to continue after their contracts run out.
How she gets clients to promote the boot camp.
How important Facebook has been for Cara’s business.
What’s the biggest driver for bringing in new clients.
How she handles the tire kickers coming from the social deal sites like Groupon.
How many leads she generates from Groupon and how she handles all of them.
How long it took before they opened a second location.
How her and her husband managed the both locations.
Why it’s so important to take your time to finding the right trainers.
How many clients they had at the end of their first month in business.
How long they ran their two Houston locations before they decided to head to California.
How they handled leaving their boot camps in Houston and moving to California.
How her clients handled the situation when they found out Cara and her husband were leaving.
How she manages two businesses that are in two separate states.
What Cara’s role is in the Fit Body Boot Camp organization.
What’s next for Cara.
What’s the difference from running a fitness boot camp business in a gymnastics center and having your own stand alone facility.
What Cara has to say to those who are thinking about starting their own fitness business.

In just a short time Cara has done some amazing things. And if you have a few questions for her then just friend her on Facebook at…www.Facebook.com/cjeckerman

Oh, and as always, leave a cool comment below.

Shawn Phillips Role In Creating The Performance Nutrition Industry – Part 3

Erik — Fri, 13 May 2011 10:28:44 +0000

Here is the 3rd installment of the Shawn Phillips Performance Nutrition Industry Interview….

Audio/MP3 Download

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If you haven’t seen part 1 or part 2 then click the links below. But make sure you come back and watch this final part.

Shawn Phillips Performance Nutrition Industry Interview

Shawn Phillips Role In Creating The Performance Nutrition Industry – Part 2.

In the third part of Shawn’s interview is where he really opens up and shares the big picture stuff. All kinds of amazing things from what his definition of success is to some of the things he is struggling with.

You’ll get to see some incredible pictures of what he is really trying to do not only for himself but for the industry.

And when he does something, he does it BIG.

You will see why when you watch this.

But you’ll also get to see some of the things that haven’t worked so well for him.

That’s right… Failures.

He goes through a whole list of things that didn’t work, or what he could have done better. This is pretty interesting stuff.

Speaking of big picture stuff, here is Shawn’s take on what it’s like if you want to run your own non-profit organization.

” You know the thing I think about non-profits is you gotta be awful damn serious because of all the legalities of it, and the way they have to be managed, and the responsibility. Because you take on a hell of a responsibility with it.

You hear people sometimes running reasonably sized non-profits that just screw up some of the paperwork and land their ass in jail.

I think there’s a lot of ways to run charitable events and charitable activities. It’s like Bill my brother. He’s supported the Make A Wish Foundation. So he’s not running his own non-profit, but he’s the single largest contributor to make a wish in it’s history.

So you don’t have to have your own non-profit.”

Shawn Phillips Performance Nutrition Interview Highlights

How he markets Full Strength.
Who he has on board promoting the product.
What the 14 day re-boot is.
What the Coalition For Strength is.
Why he is in the nutrition shake business.
Why Shawn goes after big ideas.
What “Lift The World Day” is.
What Shawn’s advice is on doing your own non-profit organization.
What Shawn’s definition of success is.
How your definition of success determines your level of success.
What Shawn is struggling with right now.
What are some of his biggest failures.
Why Shawn had a Jerry Maguire moment.
How Shawn will convince you to follow your passion.
How you live your life from the position of strength.

Oh, and during one section of the interview he talks about having a “Jerry Maguire Moment.” I don’t want to reveal the details here (gotta watch the interview for that), but you can check out what that moment lead to by looking at his my life shattered open blog post.

And this post from Shawn is one of the best I’ve seen on a blog in a long time. It is something that I thought you would enjoy

And when your done checking out the interview just let me know what you thought about this interview series with Shawn Phillips in the comments below.

Shawn Phillips Role In Creating The Performance Nutrition Industry – Part 2

Erik — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:54:40 +0000

So here’s the second part of the interview with Shawn Phillips and his role in creating the performance nutrition industry.

Audio/MP3 Download

MP3 Download

If you didn’t see the first part where Shawn talks about the behind the scenes stuff with all the business then you need to watch that first by clicking the link below…

Shawn Phillips Performance Nutrition Industry Interview

Just make sure that after you watch the first part that you come back and watch this part too!

In this interview (part 2), Shawn covers the process from start to finish on how he took Strength For Life from idea to best seller. He even gives advice on what you can do if your looking to publish your own book. This is some pretty killer advice!

The best part is Shawn goes into some major detail about Strength For Life and how it was a project that “kicked his ass.” It will definitely open your eyes as to what it takes to publish a book, and what you will go through.

From there he talks about his current business, Full Strength Nutrition. He reveals some pretty cool nuggets on what it’s like to run this business, and why the nutritional supplement industry is not one most people want to get into.

Oh, and take special note to listen carefully at about 20 minutes in. This is where you get to see Shawn’s genius at work. It’s one of the best sales pitches for any product that I’ve heard in a really long time. And you don’t even know your being sold on his product. This is amazing!

Seriously, that section is pure gold, so listen carefully!

And before I get to the highlights, here’s just one small quote about what Shawn went through to create his first book….

“Abs solution, because it was the first book it was a cool concept. The whole idea of doing a coffee table knowledge guide, bringing in a little bit of that imagery and stuff.

And the abs book was one that was called for. Me and Frank Zane got famous for abs. I’m lucky to have achieved that, and held that for so many years, and I still have my abs back thanks to my cycling these days…

Abs solution was a chore. Graphically it was a lot of design elements, and I wrote a lot for it because I tend to overwrite.

So I wrote a lot for that book, and Bill (his brother) helped edit it down. It’s not his writing so he could cut it more. And it came about to be a great concise guide.

What I’ve never released is the full Abs Solution. I have it kind of in development Abs Solution Two. It’s actually sitting in a PDF on my desk.

Abs Solution Two which is kind of the full picture, with more stuff in it, and I might do that as an e-book or freebie because there is so much wisdom and knowledge in there.”

Interview Highlights

What he recommends when approaching a publisher to get a book published.
What steps you should take to promote your book.
What types of books he would write, and why they would be more successful.
Why Strength For Life is actually three books, and how one part alone would be another best seller.
What Shawn thinks of “Master Guides.”
Why he would self publish next time.
How long it takes to get a book published – From pitch to print.
What Shawn did to market Strength For Life.
What happened when his book launched.
How long it took to reach best seller status.
What books he is planning for the future and what his market is.
What his writing style is like.
What writing his first book was like and why it was easier than writing Strength For Life.
Why Strength For Life was “A Huge Ass Whipping”.
What most fitness books are like.
What Shawn’s biggest piece of advice is when writing.
What he really likes and where his future focus is going to be.
When Full Strength Nutrition came about.
Where the idea came from For Full Strength Nutrition.
Why he went direct for Full Strength and not retail.
What the retail industry is like for performance nutrition products.
What the costs are like when creating nutrition products.
What the other reason is why he keeps Full Strength off the shelves.
Why the supplement business is a tough business to be in.
How he decided on what the Full Strength Shake would be.
Why he had a study done on his product and what it revealed.
Where MET-Rx actually came from.

To find out more about Strength For Life go to www.mystrengthforlife.com

And if your interested in Shawn’s premium nutrition shake go to www.fullstrength.com (not an affiliate link).

Part 3 coming tomorrow!

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Shawn Phillips Role In Creating The Performance Nutrition Industry – Part 1

Erik — Tue, 10 May 2011 10:16:41 +0000

I’m honored to have another one of my biggest idols on here today. That is Shawn Phillips. Now I can go on and on about all the amazing things that he has done for our industry. But instead of doing that, I’m going to let him fill you in with all the details below…

Audio Version/ MP3 Download

MP3 Download

It was really friggin cool of Shawn to take time out of his day to do this interview.

So what I did (thanks Jonas Deffes) is break this interview up into a few parts. That way you don’t have to spend an hour checking this out.

In part one of Shawn’s Interview, he shares how he got into the industry, what the early days were like with Muscle Media, MET-Rx, EAS, and Strength For Life.

It’s a pretty cool story to hear him share some of the behind the scenes stuff that went on in building a performance nutrition empire.

It’s become an empire that has influenced not just the fitness industry, but a bunch of industries that span the entire globe.

That’s pretty damn cool! Not too many people can say they’ve been part of something like that.

So if your looking to one day do something on a global scale, then part 1 of the Shawn Phillips Interview would be a good thing to check out.

Oh, and since I’m a media geek, I love the quality of this interview. The video and audio are awesome. Shawn even rocks it like a radio DJ. Super professional of him, and I am grateful for it. So thanks Shawn.

Here’s a quote on what his original idea was for Strength For Life, and why it evolved.

“My first kick was, I wanted to write what I called a man’s guide to life in the second half. Because coming up on the forty’s and mid life I realized that once you cross about thirty six, nobody in the world gives a crap about a guy. Nobody markets anything to him except AARP when your fifty.

Nobody has any instructions, knows what to do. You know all the supplement products are marketed to a twenty two year old or eighteen year old, and there is just nothing.

And I said, so where’s the guys guide? You know, where do you wake up to that?

So when I went to New York and pitched it all, and did all the book pitches, it came out with well, I love what your talking about, love all your stuff, this is great, but can you make it more Body For Life like? More general in the presentation, or can you open it up to men and women?”

Shawn Phillips Interview Highlights

How Shawn got started in the nutritional supplement industry.
How he decided to become a personal trainer.
Why training wasn’t for him.
What Shawn’s background was in.
What Powerbuilding was, and why it was so revolutionary.
How he marketed Powerbuilding.
Where Muscle Media evolved from.
What the early days were like for Shawn and the businesses.
What it was like early on working with Bill and the rest of the family.
How Shawn got into running MET-Rx
How he ended up being involved in EAS.
What EAS was like in the early days.
What Shawn’s role was in EAS.
Why they got into the international market.
What types of struggles EAS had to deal with when going international with the business.
What goes into creating a sports nutrition supplement.
Why Shawn decided to get out of EAS.
What he did once he left EAS.
Who his staff was with his projects.
Where the idea for Strength For Life came from.
What is Strength For Life.
How Body For Life helped get Strength For Life rolling.
Where the name Strength For Life Came From.

And if you want to check out what Shawn is up to now, you can take a look at one of his blogs at www.startstrongmonday.com

I would love to know what you thought of the interview. So just let me know below. It would be even cooler if you left a comment for Shawn since he’s done some great things and helped A LOT of people.

Click here for part 2 of the Shawn Phillips Performance Nutrition Interview.

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Fitness Fortunes Live With John Spencer Ellis And Kelli Calabrese

Erik — Fri, 06 May 2011 11:44:26 +0000

Click Here For More Information About Fitness Fortunes Live

[Affiliate Link Above]

Ok, so in my search for cool things to help you build your fitness business, I wanted to just give you a heads up on a super cool event that is coming up. If you haven’t heard yet, Johns Spencer Ellis, and Kelli Calabrese have put together Fitness Fortunes Live.

It’s an event designed to help you build your business and really create the life that you want while doing what you love.

Since it’s important to me to let you know of things that can help you, I wanted to make sure you knew about this event.

So somehow I was able to get Kelli and John to come on and do a group interview (which was really cool), and tell me what the event is all about.

Oh, and just so you know. Not only is this one cool event where it’s going to help you build your business, but if you sign up through the link below, you’ll be able to actually help an organization that is close to my heart.

That is the Crohn’s And Colitis Foundation Of America.

So what I’ve done, is set up an affiliate link below the video. And if you register through that link, I will take 50% of whatever money comes in and donate it to the Crohn’s And Colitis Foundation Of America.

This way, not only will you be able to attend a life changing event that will help you build an amazing business, but you will be changing lives at the same time.

Here are a few highlights from the video interview above.

What Fitness Fortunes Live Is All About.
What makes this event different from others.
Why the fitness industry has one of the highest turnover rates, and why people leave.
Who is going to be at this event, and how they are going to help you.
Why speaking is one of the best techniques to build your business.
What are some of the biggest mistakes business owners make, and how Fitness Fortunes Live will help you avoid those mistakes.
How to handle the media and what’s the best ways to use it to grow your business.
Why most trainers and business owners handle the business side of nutrition wrong.
Why this event will help you manage your time.
Why video is so important to trainers and fitness businesses.
Why info products are so important to you and your business.

Why mindset is so important.

Who you will be able to network with.
Who is on the panel and how they are going to help you.

As I mentioned in the intro of the interview, this is going to be a cool event. It’s a bit different from others, in that it has pretty much every area covered that can help your business make more money.

And to top it off, there will be some of the top fitness pros in the industry attending. Just imagine spending a few minutes with some of these top pros, and how that will help you.

So to find out more information or sign up, just click the link below…

Click Here For More Information

[*50% Of All Affiliate Sales I Make Through This Link Above Will Be Donated To The Crohn's And Colitis Foundation Of America]

Fitness Branding 101 With Rocco Castellano

Erik — Tue, 03 May 2011 12:45:27 +0000

In the video interview below, I’ve got fitness branding expert Rocco Castellano. He was cool enough to come on and share some awesome tips on how to brand yourself and your business.

Plus, I felt that this would a great interview since Rocco always says what’s on his mind, and he is always entertaining. And he definitely didn’t disappoint.

Also at the end of the interview, I thought it would be cool to do something different. I put Rocco on the spot and told him to tear apart what I’m doing here with Fitness Business Interviews. That way you can see exactly what I am doing wrong so you don’t make the same mistakes I am. Plus, if your interested in doing interviews, he gives some great tips on how to do it right.

* Oh, and a few notes for you…
- There is some colorful language in this interview.
- Rocco was cool enough to give away a few branding materials that you can use for your business below.

Fitness Branding Interview With Rocco Castellano

Audio/ MP3 Download

[Download MP3]

Interview Quote

“The basic formula is brand idea. You have this brand idea. And everybody has this brand idea of what their business is going to be. That is your brand idea. That is right where you start from.

So you start with that brand idea, and you build a brand strategy from that. And from that brand strategy, you build a business strategy.

So you see, brand idea, brand strategy, and then the business strategy comes in. That’s the third thing on the list, and it’s not even the first.

But everybody wants to build a business plan, a business outline, a business strategy. And you know, you really can’t.

Take your idea, understand what that thing is, and then it makes it easier to create forward momentum.”

Interview Highlights

What Rocco’s background is like.
How Rocco found out who he actually is.
Why being an asshole has helped Rocco and others.
How long he has been in the industry.
How long it took before Rocco realized he wasn’t being true to himself.
When he started his first fitness business.
At what moment in his life he realized that he wasn’t doing what was best for him.
How many and what type of businesses he had.
How he specifically branded himself and his business.
What are 3 specific things you need to know about yourself before you can brand anything.
How to handle having enemies and dealing with negative attention.
What are some types of good and bad controversy that can help your business.
When you should start branding your business.
Why a brand idea is so important
What three steps you should take to build the right momentum for your business.
Why your fitness business plan is not the first thing you need to build your brand.
Why branding for shy people is tough, and what they can do about it.
Why you need to be authentic.
How Rocco would brand boot camps to stand out since a lot of people are running them now.
What Rocco did to differentiate his business from his competition.
Why he thinks it’s a good idea to get out of boot camps right now.
Why he is a big fan of online press releases over traditional press releases.
What a pitch really is.
How to set up a pitch the right way. See download link below.
Who you send your pitches too.
Why radio is the best type of media to promote your business.
How to reach the decision makers in a radio station.
How to pitch the decision maker your idea the right way.
What the most important thing is you can do to get on the radio.
Why television is not as effective as radio.
How to be effective when your live on radio and t.v.
What television and radio hosts hate more than anything.
What to wear if your on television.
What type of branding you should do to have success online.
What problems Rocco sees with what I’m doing.
What you should never do when trying to build a successful brand.

Here are some cool sample branding materials that Rocco was kind enough to share. You can use these and model your material just like Rocco’s, so your branding is super effective.

Sample Pitch #1

Sample Pitch #2

And if you want to know more about Rocco and fitness branding you can check out Rocco’s blog at www.fitnessbranding101.com

And if it’s cool with you, I’d love to know what your doing to brand your business and make it stand out. Just let me know below.

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Why Running A Fitness Business Out Of A Church Is A Goldmine

Erik — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 14:00:44 +0000

In the fitness business interview below I have a special guest by the name of Sam Feltham.

Sam is great guy who’s running a business across the pond in London.

I was recently talking to Sam about what he has been up to and he’s doing some pretty interesting things.

There were actually 3 things that Sam is doing that I had to find out more about.

The first thing is he’s brand new to running boot camps. He’s only been at it for about 5 months, and he’s doing really well.

In noticing that not many people were focusing on helping out the new guys in our industry, I decided that since Sam was pretty new, he would be able describe his experiences which would help all of the newbies just getting into it.

The second thing he did that was really smart of him was to start and operate his fitness business in a location that already had a built in clientele…

A church!

Think about it. Is there any other place where there is such an active and positive community? And the rumor mill is running at top speed, so imagine if one person is part of his program and loves it.

The whole church will know about it within a few days. Really cool!

The final thing he is doing which I find interesting is he is working on his own fitness business franchise.

With a lot of licensing and franchise programs out there right now, it’s very interesting to learn how he’s doing it, and what makes his different.

So if your working in a “globo gym” and your thinking about doing your own thing, or if your looking to open a new location…

Then this interview is going to be awesome for you…

Interview Highlights

How Sam got into the fitness industry.
What amazing things he accomplished after college.
How he ended up starting his own business.
Where he had his first business.
How long he ran his first business and why he decided to start a new one.
Why he decided to locate his boot camps in a church.
How he got his first months rent for free.
How he approached the church to end up renting space from them.
How he decided to run his boot camps.
Why he decided to do a charity drive right when he started.
How he spread the word to raise money for the charity.
How he got clients from the charity.
What type of membership programs he offers.
How he got the father of the church to promote for him.
What type of marketing he is doing within the church.
What his biggest fitness marketing strategy is.
How he runs his referral program to bring in new clients.
What the market is like in London.
How he separates himself from the competition.
What he does different for his clients.
What he does for his clients outside of the boot camp.
How he makes sure his business is flowing right.
Why he focuses his marketing within the church.
How feedback has helped his business.
What his different revenue streams are.
How he’s looking to expand.
Why he is looking to franchise his fitness boot camp.
How he came up with the idea to franchise.
How he is marketing the franchise.
How public speaking is helping to build the franchise program.
How he gets his speaking gigs.
What makes his franchise different from the competition.
What people get being part of the franchise.
Why he’s pushing his franchisees towards setting up their business in a church.
How his web design background has helped his business.
Where he is looking to spread his franchises to.
What he has going on online.
What he offers with his online programs.
What is the difference between his blog and membership sites.
Where the name for his blog came from.
Where he is finding the time to manage everything so he doesn’t burn out.
What his biggest challenges and failures have been.

Sam Feltham Fitness Business Interview

Audio/MP3 Download

Download The MP3

For more information about Sam you can check out his blog at www.fitnessbusinessdude.com

I’m definitely a fan! Plus he does a ton of interviews. Which I love.

Oh, I’d be curious to know what you think about running a fitness business out of a church. Just let me know below.

Dr. John Spencer Ellis Interview

Erik — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 15:37:25 +0000

I’ve gotta say it’s an honor for me to have Dr. John Spencer Ellis on here sharing some great wisdom, tips, and advice.

This is a guy who has not only done well for himself, but has done a lot for the fitness industry. He’s helped hundreds of thousands (maybe more) of people, and helped to give rise to a bunch of the superstars in the industry today.

Even to some on the Top 100 Fitness Entrepreneurs List.

So when the opportunity presented itself to do an interview with him, I jumped on it.

In our video interview below, John talks about some pretty cool things. Not just about business, but what it really takes to reach an ultra high level of success in life.

He dishes out some amazing stories about what he’s been through, how he’s built his businesses, and gives advice for anyone trying to build an awesome business and life.

The best part is he took took a ton of time out of his day to do this. And that was pretty cool of him. Especially since he’s running dozens of businesses, is pulled in multiple directions, and everyone wants his attention.

Oh, and here are just a few of the businesses and associations he runs…

NESTA (National Exercise and Sports Training Association)
The Spencer Institute For Life Coaching.
International Triathlon Coaching Association
MMA Conditioning Association
Adventure Boot Camp
Get America Fit foundation.
and on and on…

And that’s barely scratching the surface.

So if your gonna check out any of the interviews here, this is definitely one you don’t want to miss.

Oh, and the end of the interview is killer. He gets on a role just dishing out some incredible tips and advice. If I had known some of this stuff a while back it would have saved me a ton of money.

Here is one of those killer tips he shares that can make a huge difference when building a business….

” You don’t want a big business, you want a big bank account!

A big business can be a big pain in your butt. So what do I mean?

I tried to make thing bigger than they needed to be because I thought that meant success. It has nothing to do with success at all. All it did was create more stress, more headache, and definitely a lot more overhead.

… Having all that big stuff doesn’t mean anything. And it just wastes your time, your money, your effort and it’s not necessary. And it went along in thinking that I was bigger, needed to be bigger, had to do more, and it’s just not necessary. And that is a huge lesson.”

Interview Highlights

What some of John’s accomplishments have been to date
What makes him different and able to accomplish more than most people.
What type of traits successful people have.
Why he can take his businesses to a massive level.
Why contrast in life is a good thing.
Why he searches out the best talent to learn from.
What his biggest growing experiences have been.
What his movie The Compass is, and what it’s all about.
Where the idea came from for The Compass.
How your visualizations can become reality.
What it is like to create and produce a movie and book on a large scale.
How he got “A” List Superstars to appear in the movie.
Why he gave out free copies of the movie before it came out.
How his team has helped to grow his empire.
Who his team is, and what their roles are in the business.
Why NESTA (his certification company) is different from some of the others out there.
How he set up and built his certification company.
What the process was like building a certification company.
How he was convinced to continue building NESTA when he almost gave up.
How long it took to create NESTA and get it up and running.
How he marketed NESTA.
How many members and students are in NESTA.
Where NESTA is expanding to.
Why systems are vital to his businesses.
What has to be systemized in the businesses.
What continuity income is, and how many continuity models he has in place.
What businesses create for John and why he builds them.
What struggles John had to go through when he first started.
What certification companies he owns.
How he is able to find and fill gaps in the marketplace.
How he came up with the idea for his Adventure Boot Camp Program.
Why he turned Adventure Boot Camps into a licensing program.
Where he sees the industry heading in the next few years.
Why John is shifting almost every business he owns online.
How he keeps his clients happy and coming back.
Who were John’s biggest mentors.
What his biggest failures were.
What has made him successful.

John Spencer Ellis Interview

Audio/MP3 Download

John is one busy dude! And there are so many things he has going on so trying to track him down can be tough.

But if you want to meet him, learn more about what he’s doing, and actually learn the step-by-step process of how to build a successful fitness business then check out www.fitnessfortuneslive.com

It’s a seminar where he’s brought in some top level talent that will get you going exactly where you need to go. If you go to this site and opt in, your going to get some free killer videos (interview style- which I love) that will set you up and get you in the right mindset for success.

Plus you get to hear Perk (the star of The Compass) speak. And if your into online marketing and know who Jeff Walker is, then you’ll be amazed at how similar Perk sounds like Jeff. It’s kinda crazy.

If you want to see what else John is up to, visit www.johnspencerellis.com

John has been super successful with his career. I’d love to hear what your thoughts are on success are below…