fitness consultant

Uncover the Game-Changing Secret to Skyrocket Your Fitness Career...

Join Barry and Shay as they unveil exclusive insights from one of Barry's recent strategy sessions, exposing the ONE elusive factor holding back fitness professionals from achieving unparalleled success. 

Discover the 'why' behind this obstacle, unravel its mysteries, and gain actionable strategies to shatter it.

Don't miss out on the career-altering revelations that can transform your journey in the fitness industry. This episode is your passport to breaking barriers and unlocking the true potential of your professional life!

 

Download your copy of Why You're Not Selling Out Your Classes (& What To Do About It!):

https://fitnesscareermastery.com/avalanche

The FCM Podcast is BACK and better than before! 

 

For 200 episodes spanning half a decade, we brought on experts from every corner of the industry to share what they know about what they do best. We interviewed everyone from marketing experts, legal, finance, studio design, vocal coaches, and professional class reviewers, you name it.

 

But now that we're back, we're going to change things up a bit...

 

Press play to learn how, and listen as Barry & Shay tell their stories for the first time ever on the show.

The FCM Podcast is BACK and better than before! 

 

For 200 episodes spanning half a decade, we brought on experts from every corner of the industry to share what they know about what they do best. We interviewed everyone from marketing experts, legal, finance, studio design, vocal coaches, and professional class reviewers, you name it.

 

But now that we're back, we're going to change things up a bit...

 

Press play to learn how, and listen as Barry & Shay tell their stories for the first time ever on the show.

This episode is going to cause you to question a lot about our industry, and how you’re offering the experience of exercise in your business. Because when it comes to inclusion, there is so much that we don’t think of that is causing a massive population of people to feel unwelcome and defeated by what you’re offering, rather than the way you hope they feel- inspired and excited to come back again. And I guarantee most of it is flying under your radar.

 

Things like… how you program your workouts, how you coach your workouts… whether or not offering pre-choreographed classes are the right thing to offer. How you’ve positioned your equipment in the room, and what that equipment is in the first place. Even down to what we define as “fit” or “fitness” in the first place! You’ll learn about why each of those and more might be culprits by listening to this episode today.

 

What’s so interesting to me is that the biggest concern that we hear fitness business owners talk about is their ability to attract new clients, or get clients to stay longer, and in this episode, you’ll learn that the answer to that may come from the realization that you’ve unconsciously and unintentionally been scaring away a huge potential clientele, simply from adopting too limited a view of what your business can be.

 

SHOW NOTES:

https://www.tashaedwards.com/

https://www.instagram.com/iamtashaedwards/

 

Our guest in this episode is a business operations consultant and attorney for fitness, wellness, and creative professionals. She’s passionate about providing her clients with her playbook and systems to teach them how to build the business they want and deserve, without the constant anxiety, overwhelm, exhaustion, or frustration. Through the conversation, we tackle a ton of valuable topics like:

1. Knowing the right way to grow by finding the right relationships with complimentary businesses. 

2. Learning from what others do well, and what others don’t do well, and applying that to your business.

3. Setting boundaries... sdpecifically how legal policies and procedures/ client agreements/ terms of service are really just a way of of communicating our feelings in a legal document in a way that protects your energy and peace of mind which is directly linked to the success of your business.

4. Reframing the importance of legal agreements- no matter what size business you run. Why it's vitally important that you don't put your future and fate in the hands of a sketchy google doc. Take yourself seriously as a business owner.

5. We wrap up with our guests's take on the future of fitness

 

SHOW NOTES:

She Vs. World Podcast

https://www.daniellesteadblanton.com/

 

If you’re a regular listener of the show, you know we talk a lot about leveraging your uniqueness to scale your business- whether that be your unique origin story, your core values, your beliefs, or your unique skills. The reason is because

#1, there is no one else like you in the world, and you can immediately set yourself apart from competitors this way, and

#2, your clients aren’t buying your workouts- they’re making a buying decision based on how you make them feel- and that comes from what you share about your beliefs and values, and how you believe your unique approach can change their life.

 

The best way to communicate this is through utilizing the power of story, and in Episode 190, we dove deep into just how powerful storytelling is to scale your business and find success. But something we didn’t talk about is specifically how to do that.

 

That’s why we invited back our guest today- so he can teach you how to find that leverage to

#1- get more clients and make more money,

#2, leverage how you do what you do by packaging or productizing your values and beliefs and the way you do what you do, and

#3, how you can start to get others to reach out to you for opportunities.

 

Of all the episodes we’ve done, I think that what we talk about today is one of the simplest and most effective ways to scale your business based solely on leveraging who you are and what you believe. On that note, please welcome back Jude Charles to the show.

 

LINKS:

https://athleticgreens.com/fcm

Jude's Story Bank Journal

Jude's Newsletter

We've partnered with ACE for a few recent episodes to bring you the best info on how to future-proof your business. In this truly heart-driven conversation our guest speaks about why turning a mirror on yourself and consistently self-assessing is the key to career longevity. This involves taking a hard look at your interests, your skills, the types of people you want to serve, and what superpowers you have (because your uniqueness is always going to be the thing that brings you the most success- if you lean into it).

What comes next is a process of marrying this self-assessment, and what YOU want to give to your clients with what they actually NEED. Press play now to learn what that process looks like.

 

LINKS:

https://www.instagram.com/anthonyjwall_fit/

ACE Pro Compass to Provide Unprecedented Ongoing Career Support to ACE Certified Professionals (acefitness.org)

ACE Continuing Education: Workshops and Specialist Programs (acefitness.org)

Free Webinars | Fitness Webinars | ACE (acefitness.org)

 

Do you have an area of expertise in fitness? Have you ever considered writing continuing education content, or producing your own training program? Maybe you've mastered one skill that you want to share.

 

If you're wondering what the steps are to producing something that could be accredited by an organization like ACE, then press play on this episode, where Shay continues her conversation with Chris Gagliardi, the Scientific Education Content Manager with ACE.

 

LINKS:

https://www.acefitness.org/
https://www.acefitness.org/about-ace/ace-mover-method/

 

https://athleticgreens.com/fcm

This episode is a continuation of the conversation Shay had with Staci Alden in our previous episode. If you haven't listened to it, they really break down what it means to be a group fitness manager, and demystify this very important role at any fitness facility.

 

This week Staci talks about going beyond the numbers and the six things to look for when reviewing instructor performance that can't be found in data points, but are still trackable!

 

Follow Staci:

https://www.youtube.com/c/StaciAlden

https://stacialden.com/

 

Get a year's supply of Vitamin D and 5 travel packs of AG1 when you get a subscription to Athletic Greens:

https://athleticgreens.com/fcm

In this episode, we are diving into the role of the group fitness manager, which in almost 300 episodes is a topic that we haven’t really touched on before... and yet it was one of the most vital - albeit mysterious - roles of any club or studio.

 

We know that if you are a studio owner, you may be performing this role yourself. OR if you’re looking to hire someone to fill this position, where do you even begin? As you’ll quickly learn in this episode, there is no roadmap or playbook for a group fitness manager and the  job can be dense and intense.

 

But it’s also really dynamic, exciting, and fulfilling and if you’re a fitpro listening to our podcast you might be thinking, what opportunities lie in my future when I don’t want to teach 10-15 classes a week anymore, where can my experience take my career in fitness. If you’ve ever had dreams of becoming a group fitness manager, as Shay once did, this episode is also for you. We break down what the role really entails, the qualities necessary to be successful, tips to stay organized, how to effectively communicate to stakeholders, and ultimately make a really complicated job, seem less complicated while avoiding burnout and feeling fulfilled in what can be an all-consuming role,

 

Our guest, Staci Alden is committed to helping group fitness managers and club operators elevate their programs, instructors, and leadership. As an experienced consultant and strategic planner for both digital and in-person offerings, her clients range from large luxury health clubs and multi-family international companies to small studios. She has designed world-class studios on a tight budget, launched signature formats, and built turnkey solutions for enhancing systems, leaders, and talent. She is also an established presenter, writer, and YouTube influencer, regularly interviewing thought leaders and fitness professionals on her channel.

 

https://www.youtube.com/c/StaciAlden

https://stacialden.com/

 

Check Out Wellness Living using our link to receive 50% off the regular price of their professional membership for the lifetime of your subscription:

https://fitnesscareermastery.com/wellnessliving

 

We believe that nearly every person in the world knows that exercise, moving their body is good for them, but most people still don’t do it. We also don’t believe that it’s due to a lack of motivation. We believe it’s because they don’t feel seen.

 

The decision to purchase fitness classes is so different from the decision to purchase anything else. It’s an emotional decision that causes someone to bring the reality of who they are, or who they believe themselves to be into the light and look at it. Oftentimes that’s really scary and uncomfortable. It often means coming into contact with the limiting beliefs about themselves, and looking at those too. And depending on their preconceived notions about what fitness is, or is about through the media, it’s very difficult for most people to start.

 

This type of person doesn’t need to be motivated more- told that they can do it, or told they could look a certain way. They need to be met where they are, have their feelings and emotions validated, and made to feel seen.

 

The best way to accomplish this is through telling a story. A very special type of story. A story that combines a bit of your story, but also includes the story of your ideal client, and how you fit into their life story.

 

That’s why we’ve invited Jude Charles onto the show, who helps you dig deep to find the compelling story that no one else knows and then leverage storytelling to strategically scale your business by consistently connecting with the right type of clients. 

 

Sign up for Jude's newsletter:

https://judecharles.co/newsletter

 

Book a free Breakthrough Session to uncover your own story:

www.fitnesscareermastery.com/breakthrough

 

 

This episode features a fitness business owner and long-time FCM podcast listener who reached out to us through our website, expressing gratitude for pod and asked if he could be a guest on our show. It’s not often that we get a request like this, and we had a couple of spots open on our recording schedule, so of course, we said “Why Not.” Shay took the discovery call and thought that since we are coming up on our 200th episode this would be the perfect time to celebrate a listener who’s clearly taken inspiration from the show and consistently followed through with Action Steps to help his business thrive. 

 

One of the other things that he mentions at the beginning of the show is that by speaking on podcasts, he might be connected to a greater community of like-minded entrepreneurs. It’s so challenging to create and operate in a vacuum. This is one of the reasons we started the show in the first place. 

 

Enjoy this conversation today on overcoming challenges, putting people first, setting boundaries, niche-ing down, maintaining a business mindset and even negotiating tough lease agreements.

 

Contact Nate:

https://www.instagram.com/studio16nyc/

studio16bk@gmail.com

https://www.studio16nyc.com/

 

https://www.instagram.com/fitnesscareermastery/

Knowing how to price your services as a fitness professional is one of the most challenging things to do. Shay and I get it! We’ve been there! One of the reasons it's so hard is because each of us in this industry, and especially you, because you’re listening to this show- take what you do seriously and are so passionate about helping as many people as possible, and often, because we think charging less will allow us to help more people, we wind up unconsciously and unintentionally causing a ton of problems for ourselves, for our clients, and for our industry!

 

For example, if you’re not charging your worth, it makes it so much harder for you to show up with joy and enthusiasm so you can have the impact you want on your clients' lives. Why? Because it doesn’t feel worth it for the price you charged.

 

Secondly, charging more causes your clients to take what you’re offering more seriously. They made a larger financial, and therefore energetic investment, so they’ll invest more in showing up and getting results.

 

And lastly, for our industry, remember that people assign value to price. For example,  If I tell you there’s a coaching program that costs $500, and then there’s another one that costs $5000, which one do you think is going to be better? The second one right? This is one thing we really got wrong in the pandemic by offering all of our classes for free in an effort to help more people. We unknowingly communicated to our customers that what we have to offer isn’t worth paying for. And you know what?

 

The amount of work that we put into creating experiences that change people's lives in a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual way is absolutely worth the investment. I’ve had people come up to me after class and say things like, you’d have no way of knowing this but I’ve been coming for years and I wouldn’t BE HERE if it wasn’t for you. Don't tell me that it’s not worth it to your clients to invest in themselves for the potential to completely change their lives.

 

You’re going to walk away from this episode feeling so empowered to charge your worth, and equipped with tools to do it so everyone can benefit- because you know what? you’re worth it.

 

Lesley's Magic Number Calculator:

https://profitablepilates.com/lp/magic-number/

We believe that the future of fitness is experience. You’ve heard us AND our guests say it in many different ways on the show- that what’s most important is the emotional connection that you’re making with your clients.

 

We’re both personally fascinated by finding new and interesting ways to make a fitness experience more immersive, enjoyable, and meaningful. That’s because, for most people, fitness isn’t fun. There are deep and powerful emotions and deeply rooted beliefs that they have in relation to movement, exercise, their abilities, fitness level, appearance, as well as fitness studios, and fitness instructors.

 

The point is, that there is a lot to overcome to get people excited to come in again and again. That’s why, when we discovered our guest today, who was previously the applied researcher into behavior science at Tonal, we just knew we had to speak with him, so we, and you can learn about and understand how to apply behavioral science to the experience you provide to your people in order to help them make movement a part of their lifestyle.

 

After this conversation, we realized that acts as simple as putting a bowl of healthy fruit out on your front desk can help your members begin to believe more and more that they are someone who lives a healthy lifestyle, and can trigger more healthy behaviors based on this shift in belief. If you find this fascinating and want to learn more, then press play now!

 

DOWNLOAD THIS EPISODE'S WORKSHEET:

www.fitnesscareermastery.com/behavioralscience

 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

Building a strong team is essential to running a profitable fitness business, but it’s also one of the hardest things to do, and that’s because often, we’re going about it in the completely wrong way.

 

Luckily, the fix is not only easy, but also incredibly empowering, and once you get it locked down, you’ll find that every single action and decision you make in your business will become easy and streamlined.

 

You’ll have an incredibly strong team that wants to stick around and grow with you, and a die-hard community that will generate a ton of referrals. If that sounds crazy and magical, just keep listening.

 

Book a free breakthrough session: http://www.fitnesscareermastery.com/breathrough

 

https://www.ericacourdae.com/

 

Erika's Implicit to Explicit Talk: https://open.spotify.com/episode/49H5dGYPAW2mZCmvGgwl8v?si=5bd19c17f8744353

The more we learn about the fitness industry, the more we realize how incredibly complex it is. The messages that the average consumer receives from the media, beauty culture, diet industry, fitness industry and even holistic wellness trends can be confusing and contradictory. Especially for women.

 

Shrink yourself, but take up more space. Lift heavy to get strong, but don’t get too bulky. Fit and healthy can happen at any age, but try all these tricks to look younger. Over the decades, we’ve been told that wafer thin is chic, to have a muscular Amazonian bod is empowering, goddess-like curves are divine and body neutrality is the ultimate path to self-love and acceptance.

 

Whatever the ideal of the decade that has been sold to us, we ate it up (or sweat it out) hoping that if we consistently show up to the gym and group fitness classes we can change our physique and we will be accepted, more successful, respected, worthy of love and finally feel like we belong. What we discover is that the process and the journey through physical exercise is infinitely more powerful than the results that we get.

 

 

Throughout the history of fitness there have been unsung heroines that understood this complex and powerful dynamic. They started movements that not only re-shaped bodies but re-shaped the world as we know it.

 

 

Our guest in this episode does a really excellent job of shining a light on some toxic traits of the fitness industry while illuminating the very best parts and the potential that we have as fitness professionals not only change people’s lives but to influence fashion and beauty trends, music and even consumer goods like tampons and cereal. The way we move… shapes our society.

 

Buy Let's Get Physical HERE

Follow Danielle HERE

We're so glad you're going to play this episode. This is a really powerful conversation that Barry had with a friend and colleague who runs the Fitness Business Asia Podcast, and what you’re going to hear in this chat are some really actionable takeaways on how to develop the culture of your business, which should be the #1 thing that you invest in, because the strength of your culture has a direct impact on the quality of experience that you provide, and the quality of experience you provide has everything to do with your success.

 

 

If you haven’t read the article in the New York Times by Holly Burns, we’re gonna break it down for you in this episode. It’s called “Breaking Up with Peloton” and highlights why some superfans are done working out at home. We’re going to walk you through the 5 big takeaways from the article, share our thoughts, tell some stories and give you a few tips and resources to walk away with.

 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE.