The 5 Most Impactful Decisions I’ve Made for My Business

Since opening in 2012, I’ve certainly learned a lot. Back then, I didn’t have a fucking clue what I was doing business wise. I did not take any business courses in college, nor did I have any experience managing finances, marketing, pricing, etc. As with most things in life, you learn by doing, and that’s exactly what I did.

Even after navigating through the Coronavirus saga, my business has never been in a stronger position. I attribute this to the many changes I’ve made along the way. Here are some of the most impactful decisions I’ve made.

1.) Do NOT be afraid to fire clients

I’m starting with this because it had the most meaningful effect on my own happiness and performance as a coach. When I first opened, I needed clients to support all of the costs associated with owning a business. I took people I had no desire to train, had lower pricing, and dealt with some total assholes.

Ironically, the first client I fired was the one paying me the most (over $2,000/month), but they treated me like I was their servant. Showing up late, skipping sessions, complaining if someone else even walked in the door during “their time.” It was fucking miserable. It ended with a nice screaming match and me telling them to get the fuck out.

In 2016 I had my best financial year ever, but my hours were sky high and I was miserable. That’s when I decided to pivot my business. I cut my personal training in half, fired all the clients whose sessions I dreaded, and shifted my focus. I obviously took a financial hit, but recovered by 2018.

Now, I fire any athlete who is lazy, and cut my personal training clients down to about 5-10% of my business. I fired about 20-25 clients this past year alone and I don’t regret a single one. Your time is valuable and finite. Who you surround yourself with is meaningful. Don’t let shitty people drag you down or zap your energy.

2.) Be selective in the clients you take

Around the time when I opened, an older business owner I followed on Facebook kept posting about how he had an application process to become a client. I thought he was crazy because I was still in the process of trying to build my business. He is rather successful and kept saying it was the best decision he ever made, so I kept it in the back of my mind.

Fast forward to today, and I take about 5-10% of the people that request my services. I don’t have an application, but I typically only accept referrals and provide each prospective client with my expectation. In my first correspondence with them I state, “Training is a long term process and proper development takes time. I only take athletes who value physical preparation and recognize its place in the yearly training plan. If you’re just looking for something more intermittent in nature, or a few weeks here and there, please let me know.”

Remember, not every client is worth your time and if they just want to pop in and out, you can’t really do your job. By relying on referrals you will get like-minded people who already have an idea how you operate. Plus, if they are acquainted with a current client, there’s a better chance they will be a good fit.

Who I avoid – If the first thing they ask is, “what’s the cost?”, I don’t even bother responding. They are price shopping, not looking for a quality service. If they ask for a discount, I immediately stop responding. The price is the price.

3.) Raise your prices

I learned two very important things early on:

• If everyone says, “ok” to your price, it’s too cheap. 
• The cheaper the service, the less the client will value it

When I first started writing diets I was charging something like $100. Tons more people purchased it, but the majority never followed through with the plan. What did they care? It was cheap. So you end up getting a ton of lazy, half-ass people who waste your time. When I raised it to $200 I got way less people, but everyone who signed up actually went through the whole process and got results. That’s the point, no?

When you spend more on something, you clearly value it more. Just think about anything you have that was free/cheap vs. how you treat really expensive things you’ve purchased.

4.) You do need an online presence, but real money is made in person

Everyone wants to be an influencer and do “online training,” but let’s be honest, the majority of that is just smoke and mirrors bullshit. Very few people will make a living entirely online, it’s just not a likely endeavor.

However, perception is reality, and many of your prospective clients will look you up online. If your online presence is weak, that’s going to impact how they view you. You will need a reasonable website, some reviews, and social media accounts that don’t resemble a barren desert. I’d also recommend you cool it with all the videos of yourself lifting. None of your prospective clients give a shit about your workout, so unless you’re a world class lifter or athlete, make sure you also show your CLIENTS training. They aren’t hiring you to watch you lift, they’re hiring you so you can help THEM.

5.) Location does matter

If there is one thing DoorDash should have taught you all, it’s that people like convenience. When picking my location I looked at the local high schools, median income of the neighborhoods, and traffic. Some people will travel for your services, but not enough to thrive in your business. A cheap rent is great, but if nobody comes out to train, it doesn’t really matter.

I’ve seen businesses move even just 10-15 minutes away from their previous location and clients think it’s too far. Do not gloss this over. Your location is very important and could determine the fate of your business.

Bonus tip – Find additional sources of revenue. For me, this has been writing books, adding a subscription site, holding seminars, and investing in the stock market. The internet provides you with enough free knowledge to accomplish almost anything. Use it to your advantage. Any questions, just post below.