Finding Success In Fitness [Part 2]
Success in Fitness [Part 2] Think Like An Entrepreneur
Step #2 is to think like an entrepreneur.
If you’re just jumping into this series and haven’t heard about Step #1 yet, Become The Resource; click here to read it now.
Entrepreneurship is a sexy concept these days across all industries, but in the Fitness Industry you don’t have to be a business owner or millionaire to start thinking like one.
It all starts with seeing YOURSELF and your clientele as a business and thinking beyond gym shorts and burning calories. You have to wake up every day thinking (and taking action) like an entrepreneur.
Don't want to read about it? That's cool.... watch this video instead.
[1] Look at fitness as a business.
I’m sure if you are reading this at all then you have a passion for fitness, working out, and probably even for helping others find their path towards health & fitness. That is not enough.
Yea you read right, it’s not enough. Maybe it was in the early days of personal training when the industry wasn’t as competitive as it is today. These days that it everyone’s story so what is going to set you apart? When you start looking at things like a business then you start to force yourself to do things like, create systems, have a plan, and make decisions not just based upon how you feel that day but what’s going to add to the life and longevity of your business.
Early on you are not going to get benefits. You will not have a retirement fund. You will work a lot of hours and not have a lot of stability, but thankfully it doesn’t have to stay that way. If you approach yourself as a business entity and a brand then you will find it easier to take daily action on the non-sexy things you need to execute in order to offset those challenges and build a fulfilling and financially rewarding career for yourself.
[2] Trust process.
This means grinding away every day and continuing to take action knowing that there will be some challenges in the process of paying your dues. Entrepreneurs don’t give up and they learn to take failure as a faster way towards finding the answers. It can be used.
You’re only going to be getting paid when you’re working with clients and the people I your life may give you doubts because they want a safe route for you. Getting clients can be a struggle at the start too but there is a learning curve and once you hit it, things start to fall into place. Take action based on the faith that you’re going to make it happen – you absolutely have to be willing to bet on yourself.
[3] Be ok with uncertainty.
A high percentage of Personal Trainers get out of the industry within 12-18 months, but you aren’t looking to be average are you? Entrepreneurs are not driven by certainty but gaps that create opportunity. If you believe you have something to deliver to people and the world, then you have to let go of some of the control. You cannot truly control every client that doesn’t sign-up or falls off so you have to stay focused on the bigger picture purpose as well as the daily actions you know can help move you forward. You never know when your next big breakthrough or high-paying client is walking through the door.
[4] Most of all…….Be driven by a purpose.
Entrepreneurs are who they are because they have a deep seeded desire to create impact in the world around them and solve problems for others. What first made you want to get into Personal Training and help others? If it was for money alone then go ahead and throw in the towel now, lol. Money is there to be made but if might not be worth the cost if you don’t have a love for people. Your purpose is going to be what keeps you going and makes all the hard work worth it. You’re going to have long days with split schedules that suck. You give a lot of yourself to others in this field so if you’re not driven to be a servant leader it’s going to be that much harder to stay the course.
Entrepreneurship is a mindset. People with this type of mindset and outlook have accomplished some amazing things in this world so if we can take even a little bit of what makes them successful and apply it to helping clients in the Fitness Industry then we are on the right path.
Best of luck and stay tuned for Part 3 next week!
