Did you have that moment when you made the switch from doing personal training as a hobby to ‘this is what I want to do full-time’ when you realised… ‘Wow, now I’m running a business.’?

I remember that moment and I it occurred to me around then that there are probably some business “things” I should be doing.

Over the years running bootcamps and training PT clients I learned a lot of those things and today I want to share with you one really simple business thing that will help you stay organised, keep your fitness business growing and help you continue to evolve as a trainer and self-employed person.

It’s the simple process of coming up with a super simple, yet actionable Quarterly Plan.

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Create your own plan for next quarter in one of my free upcoming workshops: Book Here

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• (00:00) - Introduction
• (01:01) - Quarterly Planning for Fitness Professionals
• (01:55) - Warmup Challenge Announcement
• (04:25) - Benefits of Quarterly Planning
• (07:44) - Five-Step Framework for Quarterly Planning
• (15:30) - Invitation to Quarterly Planning Workshop

As fitness trainers we all want to help others while also feeling emotionally and financially supported. But, going by recent emails you’ve sent me, that’s a bit of a struggle right now.

In this episode I share some of my own experiences, recent and in the past, where I didn’t feel financially or emotionally supported in my fitness career. And then, because I’m not an a-hole, I also share some ways that I worked through those moments.

I also dive into how this month’s theme on the podcast and in our community will help you if you feel like you or your classes are in a bit of a slump right now. It’s the perfect way to find your zest again!

• (00:00) - Introduction and Welcome
• (00:33) - Recent Challenges and Personal Updates
• (02:31) - Current Struggles in the Fitness Industry
• (06:49) - Empowering Clients and Business Philosophy
• (10:49) - My First Bootcamp Experience
• (18:44) - Warmup Focus and Upcoming Challenge

I don’t run ads on my podcasts, websites and newsletters. Instead I focus on creating helpful products and services to help you on your journey as a fitness trainer. If you love the podcast, you can support it by buying something from Bootcamp Ideas.

This week I’m recommending the brand-new BCI All-Access Pass which gives you access to all of my courses and tools (including BootCraft) for one low price. Check it out.

Links

• If you’re looking for the Bootcamp Ideas newsletter, then head to my 21 Days of Bootcamp Ideas series and sign up to get free access.
• Also, our free Facebook group, BCI: Ask, is back. Feel free to join us if you’re not already a member.
• If you’re enjoying the podcast, please leave a review so others can find it.
• If you’re not familiar with my website, it’s called Bootcamp Ideas. You can find more ideas for your business and group fitness classes there.

Here's how to be an influencer in your community without being an 'influencer'.

In today's episode I've brought back one of the most popular episodes from the Dale & Kyle Show where we break down the difference between a following, an audience and a community. We share why you need to know the difference and how you can serve all 3 to help you grow your business.

We also talk about some social media best practices to help you stay sane when it comes to creating content.

Enjoy!

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• (00:00) - Introduction to the Group Fitness Experience
• (00:57) - The Concept of a Light Work Week
• (01:44) - Podcast Episode Introduction: Building Your Following
• (02:53) - The Importance of Setting Boundaries
• (06:00) - Building a Following vs. Building a Community
• (15:31) - Consistency is Key
• (17:42) - Finding Your Medium and Authenticity
• (21:35) - Building a Community vs. Gaining Followers
• (22:51) - The Importance of Community Engagement
• (25:01) - Leveraging Social Media Platforms
• (26:53) - Diversifying Your Online Presence
• (30:19) - Consistency and Planning in Social Media
• (33:47) - Creating Effective Social Media Posts with Canva
• (36:56) - Automating Social Media with Social Bee
• (38:50) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Non-Sponsor

I don't run ads on my podcasts, websites and newsletters. Instead I focus on creating helpful products and services to help you on your journey as a fitness trainer. If you love the podcast, you can support it by buying something from Bootcamp Ideas.

This week I'm recommending the brand-new BCI All-Access Pass which gives you access to all of my courses and tools (including BootCraft) for one low price. Check it out.

Links to things mentioned:

• If you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a review so others can find it.
• If you’re not familiar with my website, it’s called Bootcamp Ideas. You can find more ideas for your business and group fitness classes there.
• This May I’m running a free challenge to help you find clients called The 5×5 Challenge. Join in anytime.
• Dale and I mention a few resources like Canva and Social Bee.

Today I'm reading from one of my articles a story about one of my early - dreadful - attempts to sign up a new PT client. You'll want to listen in just for the cringe factor (I'm sure you'll be able to relate). I also cover:

• How to become more confident in your skills
• What got me through my early days as a trainer
• What part of my body gets really sweaty when nervous

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• (00:00) - Introduction to the episode
• (00:34) - Finding the Podcast Rhythm: Writing and Recording
• (02:37) - Sharing Timeless Writing: Confidence Takes Time
• (02:55) - The Journey of Gaining Confidence as a Trainer
• (10:55) - Offering Support Through BCI All Access Pass

• I'm very excited to announce that the BCI All-Access Pass is here! If you liked this episode you'll likely enjoy my workshop 'Raving Fans' which is all about getting more referrals which is just one part of the All-Access Pass. Sign up for the price of a cup of coffee a week.
• Also, here is a great video from Humans of New York (HONY) creator, Brandon Stanton, on how he found confidence was the thing that helped him most when approaching strangers on the street and asking to take their photograph.
• You can read the original version of this article here: No One Tells You This: Confidence Takes Time

If you are feeling like you need some inspiration for growing the size of your bootcamp and group fitness classes, then you will love today’s episode.

It’s natural in a fitness business to go through periods where you have lots of new people coming in and periods where you just have a few new faces appearing at your classes. What’s most important though is that you’re always experimenting with new ways to find new clients and that there is at least some new people starting with you to balance out the natural attrition.

In today’s episode of The Group Fitness Experience, I’m going to share with you 24 (actually, there is 27 but 24 for 2024 has a nicer ring to it) different ideas for finding and attracting new clients. Enjoy!

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Would you like a handful of new clients? This May I’m running a free challenge called The 5x5 Challenge where I’ll show you a simple method to get 5 new clients and we’re going to do this like a HIIT workout where we get in, do the work and get out. You can start as soon as you join, so join us for The 5x5 Challenge today.

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• (00:00) - Introduction to the Episode
• (00:31) - Today's Inspiration: 24 Ways to Find More Clients
• (01:00) - The Importance of Consistently Adding New Clients
• (02:03) - Introducing the 5x5 Challenge on Bootcamp Ideas
• (03:57) - Announcing the All-Access Pass for Bootcamp Ideas
• (07:16) - Branding: The Foundation of Client Acquisition (1-4)
• (11:37) - Leveraging the Online World for Growth (5-10)
• (16:54) - Offline Strategies for Expanding Your Client Base (11-15)
• (22:24) - Community Engagement and Client Retention (16-21)
• (30:41) - Attract New Clients By Doing Something New (22-27)
• (34:54) - Conclusion and Defining Your Own Success

Links

• If you’re not familiar with my website, it’s called Bootcamp Ideas. You can find more ideas for your business and group fitness classes there.
• This May I’m running a free challenge to help you find clients called The 5x5 Challenge. Join in anytime.
• When I talked about newsletters I mentioned a helpful newsletter that gives you prompts for your newsletter (very meta, I know). You can find it on Nicole Cloutier’s website.
• Towards the end I mentioned the roller coaster of business, this graphic sums it up so well.

Welcome (back) to The Group Fitness Experience!

In this episode I share what motivated me to restart the podcast, some insights on creating a transformative experience and chat about some upcoming challenges for readers and listeners.

I also dig up and read out our Manifesto to set the tone for what’s to come.

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Would you like a handful of new clients? This May I’m running a free challenge called The 5x5 Challenge where I’ll show you a simple method to get 5 new clients and we’re going to do this like a HIIT workout where we get in, do the work and get out. You can start as soon as you join, so join us for The 5x5 Challenge today.

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• (00:00) - Welcome to the Group Fitness Experience Podcast
• (00:48) - The Journey from Procrastination to Podcasting
• (01:48) - Reflecting on Past Collaborations and Embracing Vulnerability
• (03:56) - Why the Podcast is Making a Comeback
• (08:44) - Setting the Tone with the Bootcamp Ideas Manifesto
• (17:41) - Launching New Challenges and What's Next

If you’re not familiar with my website, it’s called Bootcamp Ideas. Here are the links on there to the Bootcamp Ideas Community Manifesto and my recent course, the Fitness Branding Bootcamp.

I also mention 2 challenges: Our challenge for May is to get 5 new awesome clients and our challenge for June will be shared later in the month (I’ll update this space closer to the time).

Sometimes when life throws a curve ball it can be a good thing.

Despite the pain and heartache, it can be the catalyst to doing something you’ve always wanted to do.

For my guest today, that was taking her personal training and bootcamp business from a part-time to a full-time income. All while a pandemic was closing up everything around us.

She showed courage and fortitude though as she tried new things and collaborated with other to make it work. I’m really excited to share her story with you today.

Show Notes

• Why Deb will never run a bootcamp in the sand (1:23)
• Why you should encourage your clients to train more than once a week (2:39)
• Why being pushy can be a bad sales method (3:13)
• How Deb doubled her income during the pandemic (5:23)
• Saying ‘Yes’ to every new client won’t always work (9:47)
• Get your clients outdoors! (12:37)
• How Deb runs successful challenges (16:47)
• Where to cap your challenges to ensure their success (22:59)
• Landing corporate challenge gigs (24:09)
• Rapid Fire Questions (29:11)

In today's episode of Everything Bootcamp, my guest is Jessi Schlegal, from (for not much longer) Vancouver, Canada. Jessi will soon be moving - moving her home and her business - and that is what we chat about in this episode. Just how do you go about moving your fitness business from one community to another? How do you build up that community from scratch?

• The importance of regular exercise for quality of life (3:13)
• The effects of the pandemic on a business with employees (4:27)
• Elevating client's morale during the pandemic (10:16)
• Moving house and business in one hit (18:30)
• Rapid Fire Questions (25:28)