Fitness, Business, Fitness Business, & Achieving Life Goals

I had an experience this week that was a perfect example of getting more than you expected and the loyalty that creates. So here’s my story:

I was given a small snow blower by a couple of clients last year. It was great. After all, this is Maine and you can practically use that through the spring. We stored it in the basement until the first snowstorm this winter. Couldn’t start it, couldn’t start it, couldn’t start it, yanking my shoulder out of it’s already arthritic joint. Set it aside and hit the shovel for the next 2 snowstorms.

So the prediction is 12-15 inches for Wed. It’s Tuesday. I finally loaded the blower up and took it to this little small engine shop. I had no hope of getting it back in time before the storm. I was just using it as a reason to get the blower into the shop.

The shop looked pretty much as you would expect, bare basics with small engine products they carried, snow blowers, lawn mowers, chain saws, etc. The man at the counter was very nice, took my information, my snow blower, asked what the problem was and said they would get to it as soon as possible but couldn’t promise it would be ready before the storm. (You could hear engines running in the back work area, so you knew they were busy.) I told him that I didn’t really expect it that quickly and I left.

I get a call about 5:30pm Tues., same day and they close at 5pm, to say that it’s all set and ready to go. I went in the next morning as soon as they opened, still before the storm hit, to pick it up. The same man, I assume the shop’s owner was at the counter, was busy with several other customers. When came my turn he remembered me, explained in detail what was wrong, what they had done, and what the work cost (far less than I expected). As he was charging my card, he asked if I needed any of the oil you mix with the fuel. I said yes to be on the safe side and could he throw that on the card as well. “I’m not going to charge you for that. It’s just a bottle of oil.” Yes, he’s right. It was just a bottle of oil and pennies to him, BUT… the gesture, on top of everything else, made this a very good experience. I felt like I trusted and liked this man and shop.

While I was waiting to have the snow blower rolled out, I was looking around at the products and thought to myself, “The next small engine piece of equipment I buy will be from here.” I even found myself thinking that I could use a chainsaw, which, if you know me, is pretty funny. 

The moral to my story is, good service and creating customer loyalty isn’t some elaborate thing. It’s about the simple stuff: trust, a sense that you matter, exceeding expectations. How can you do that in your business? (and yes, I am plugging the shop… Ray’s Small Engine Inc. 584 Alfred Rd, Biddeford, ME 207-282-6565)

Self talk, positive or negative, can not only dramatically effect our ability to achieve our goals, but it can also effect our health by adding stress/anxiety to your life. Negative self talk rears its ugly head in the form of “I can’t… I’m not… I’ll never…” and let’s not forget the phrase that frequently leads up to it, “They’re right…”. The fact is that negative self talk is usually something we learn in childhood in response to what we hear others say about us.

Negative statements from our parents, teachers, siblings, and “friends” change the way we think about ourselves. We start to believe them when they say, “You’ll never amount to anything.” “You can’t do that.” “You’re not smart enough…. don’t have the discipline… too lazy… etc.” After a while, you start believing it yourself. Even worse, you start to say it to yourself without “their” input. What’s a person to do when they find themselves in a sea of impossibilities and depression about our own capabilities?

First, start and end the day by saying something good about yourself. While it doesn’t have to be Stuart Smalley”s self affirmation, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me”, it could be that simple and general, ” I can accomplish anything I set my mind to…” . The key is to believe it as you say it. You may also get very specific, like, “I will get __________ done today. Then at the end of the day, even if you didn’t complete what you set out to do, feel good about the percent that you did get done and tell yourself that. (see previous post …Play the Percentages).

Another issue is to start to recognize when you are putting yourself down. You need to stop yourself and turn the statement around. As my wife will ask her clients when she catches them in negative self talk, “What would you say if it was your best friend you were talking to?” Hopefully they would want to talk them up, not down, and usually her clients understand (at least for the moment).

You could pay yourself. Anytime you catch yourself in negative self talk, throw a dollar into a container to be used later for something positive for yourself. It could be a spa day, attending a seminar, or even a feel good movie.

Whatever you choose to do, you need to talk to yourself and about yourself in a positive way, a way that is supportive of you, your capabilities, and your life.

As I prepare to go outside and shovel out my driveway and walks, I wanted to remind people why this is an activity that is responsible for many injured backs, shoulders, not to mention heart attacks. It doesn’t snow every day (thank goodness!), or even on a regular basis. It is sporadic. That means that your body has no way to “get used to it”. It can be traumatic.

The reasons for me writing about this are:

1. Don’t overdo. Take plenty of breaks. In wetter, heavier snow, take smaller shovel fulls so you don’t struggle throwing it off to the side. Alternate which side you’re shovelling from to avoid overusing one side.

2. This is a great reminder as to yet another reason to workout. You may feel fit enough to get by in your typical day to day life. What about those out of the ordinary situations, like shovelling, changing a tire, raking leaves, other yard work, etc. Being physically prepared for those atypical activities and situations is important because life is full of them.

Don’t let your sense of being “fine” lull you into being complacent about your health and fitness level. Life’s stresses are not simple and even. Among many other reasons for working out, you need to be physically ready to handle those times that are more demanding.

Shovel with care, Mark

We’re into the new year and how are you doing with all of those resolutions you made? Are you sticking to your plans or are you already not doing as well as you had hoped?

The problem with a New Year’s resolution is that we see January 1st as the ultimate fresh start and make those larger than life promises to ourselves. “This is it. I’m going to do everything right. Nothing is going to stop me.” And there’s the issue. You’ve just set the bar too high without giving yourself permission to not be perfect. So, when you do fall off the proverbial wagon (and we all do), it’s likely to leave you feeling like a failure and could stop you in your tracks, preventing you from reaching your goals.

So, as you evaluate your progress, look at the percent of success that you have achieved. If you achieve 20% of your goals, that’s 20% better than you have done in the past and that’s great. Accept it for the success that it is. Allow yourself to make changes gradually, adjust your expectations, have small successes, rejoice in them, and then build on them.

This is a time for you to make changes that you can sustain for a lifetime. Making the necessary changes in smaller percentages will keep you feeling positive and motivated to continue.

Be Your Own CEO While Working for Others is a session I will be presenting at Club Industry East in Boston this year. The idea came from club employed Personal Trainer complaints that I’ve heard through the years. “The club is getting half of the money, so why should I work hard at selling Personal Training for them?” That kind of mindset limits their ability to build their business. Which isn’t good for them or the club.

I get it. You don’t want to work for “the man.” You want the money to be all yours. I can’t blame you. BUT, if that’s the case, then you had better be ready, willing, and able to go and start your own business. And, by the way, the money is never “all yours”. What about your facility overhead, taxes, insurance, etc. that is currently taken care of by the club you work for? Now, I still believe that most people should be working toward owning their own business, but know what it really takes to do that. Don’t just think it’s as simple as hanging a shingle. Read The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber.

So, in the meantime what do you do…resign yourself to doing a half-a** job because you’re working for some else? Get over it! Your brand, your reputation, how smart you work, your business within the club, is in your control. Yes, the club takes it’s cut, but you get yours as well. Are you doing what it takes to make the most you can in the club. Ask yourself these questions(and there are more):

If there are Personal Trainer tiers, are you taking the steps necessary to move up to the top tier?

Are you always friendly, smiling, and approachable?

Do you always look and act as a professional?

Are you exceeding your existing clients’ expectations, constantly showing the value?

Are you asking them for referrals?

Are you spending time in the club and on the workout floor (on your own dime if necessary) connecting with members and seeking opportunities to sit down with them to problem solve and make a recommendation (if appropriate) to train?

Are you connecting with your club sales people and letting them know what you specialize in and what kind of members you work best with? You could even treat them to a session so they will know what they’re promoting in you.

Are you opening your schedule up to connect/integrate new members into the club.

Are you teaching group exercise classes for greater exposure as a fitness expert and to build rapport with a large group of people?

Are you doing small group trainings to maximize your $/hr earnings?

Are you creating an contact/email list to: re-connect with people, see how their program is going and if you can be of help to them, send e-newsletters, blog postings, links to articles of interest which helps to make you the go-to person for information?

Are you using/creating the tools to monitor your productivity? (i.e. a closing ratio spreadsheet)

This is not a complete list, by any means, but is a great start on taking control of your business within the club you work for. Good luck, make it happen, and if I can be of help to you, please email me at m a r k @ m a r k n u t t i n g . c o m.

Best wishes, Mark

While the best time to start your new health/fitness/proper eating is right now, this moment, many people are waiting for the first Monday of the year. So, hey, that’s tomorrow. What’s your plan? Don’t leave to generalities, “I’ll eat better and work out.” How specifically are you going to eat better and what and when specifically are you going to do for a workout?

By now you should know that I believe in making small changes that can be sustained for a lifetime. So, what one thing can you do tomorrow to make your diet better, more healthful, than it has been. Is there something you can prepare tonight to insure that that happens? (i.e. pack a snack, get breakfast ready, etc.) As for working out, what are you going to do tomorrow? Where? (the club, home, outdoors) What could help you complete that? (Call a friend to workout with you, check the weather, set your gym gear out, etc.)

The key to getting going is to not leave it up to “winging it”. Make a specific plan for tomorrow. Ideally you’ve created a long-term plan, but even if it’s one day at a time, a plan can make all of the difference.

Good luck and let me know if I can be of help.

Mark