The X Factor For Fitness Business Success

 

What Is The X Factor For Your Fitness Business?

 

If you really want to know the thing that allows some people to enjoy success in their fitness business while others settle for mediocrity – it’s really pretty simple.

Drive.

If one of your clients wants to lose weight, it’s more about their want, desire and willingness to stick to your program than it is about having any magic system.

If you want to build a six or seven figure fitness business, it’s more about your hunger and willingness to do what most won’t than it is about the latest greatest fitness business marketing fad or client getting system.

The truth is – a lot of different approaches will work…

…If you will.,/p>

I can look back and see this clearly hold true in pretty much any success I’ve ever had and for all the successful people I’ve known.

When I became a Baseball Coach, the two previous coaches at that University had been a former Major League All-Star and a legendary high school coach that had made the jump to coaching at the collegiate level.

Both struggled in the job I was about to take – and both had tons more experience, credentials and resources.

I was 23 and I can look back and count on one hand the number of people that expected me to be even modestly successful – and that’s including myself

But the fear of failure drove me tirelessly.  With less experience, worse facilities and poorer resources than virtually everyone we competed against – I was able to be successful because I was willing to do what others wouldn’t.

When other coaches were vacationing during the summer, I was working.

When they were home, I was recruiting.

While they were comfortable, I was hungry.

Really, I was just unwilling to fail and it drove me constantly.

When I moved into the business world, I’d only read 4 books that could be considered ‘business books’ in my life, I’d never made more than $33,000 in a year and I’m pretty sure I was about as unprepared for success as someone could be.

But after taking about 18 month to work for someone for a while to learn the ropes of the industry and study up on business – I took the leap into entrepreneurship and I – along with Nick – started a business.

But this time that Drive – and that fear of failure – was even bigger.

At that point, everyone I’d known in my life thought of me as a baseball coach and always expected me to go back to that.  So that fear of failure gnawed at me again.

But there was a second Driver that wouldn’t let me fail.

Family.

When we got started, Holly, Tyler and I lived in a basement for a year and under no circumstances was I going to fail them.

Everyone has their stories like this where they struggled and paid their dues.

It’s just that most of them aren’t in their early thirties – but that was a choice I’d made since I’d decided to change careers mid-stream.

And as far as I was concerned, failure was not an option.

Looking back, in both cases I (or Nick and I on the second situation) had a lot fewer resources and experience than the competition.

But that was made up for with Drive.

But this Drive – or willingness to do what others won’t is hardly exclusive to me.

Nick was willing to do what it took to become the industry’s leading expert in the ‘backside’ of fitness businesses – and I’m pretty sure that’s not where his passion started out since his degree is in Exercise Science and he started as a trainer – not a business guy. But he was willing to dive in to the part of business that most in the industry (including myself) prefer to delegate, outsource or ignore (not the best option.)

It seems like everyone talks about wanting to start their own info-empire at one point or another, but few are willing to put in the time once they realize it’s a full time job too.

Holly works more hours now with Fit Yummy Mummy than she did when she trained and ran all of our weight management programs – but that Drive has allowed her to build a great fitness business when most would’ve quit.

A.J. Roberts moved he and his wife across the country to work at our gym here in Kentucky because he wanted to be part of our team.  When he saw that we needed help with certain online tasks, he volunteered to take them on before he knew how to do them – then went and studied up in a hurry – because he was Driven to make more money and move up the ladder with us. Now, because of this Drive, he’s positioned himself as one of the leading experts in the industry when it comes to all things online.

Every member of our Elite Mastermind Group has their own story like these – as most all successful people do.

Tyler English, Jeff & Tiffany Larson, Ryan Ketchum & Wil Fleming all have built great bootcamps and group training business under very different circumstances – but the one common factor is that they all are Driven.

B.J. & Kori Bliffert moved to a market over a thousand miles from home and started a business. Art McDermott rebounded from a business setback that would have deterred most.

Both businesses are thriving now because they were Driven.

We’re fortunate enough to work with a LOT of successful fitness business owners and they all use different business models, different marketing strategies and even different training methods in one way or another.

But the one thing you’ll find in all of them – and every other successful person – is Drive.

I’d love to hear your thoughts below.

Dedicated to your success,

Pat

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2. Fitness Business Success: Focus and Diversify
3. Fitness Business Success: Labadie Urges You to Step Up