There is no better time than now to think about movement for you and your clients. Movement and progress for clients in their lives and hopefully movement within your business. When you really strip away the layers, fitness business owners aren’t all that different from the clients that fill their sessions.
The problems may appear differently, but the truth is that both parties tend to lack the kind of coaching relationship most people need to constantly move forwards and make better decisions in their lives.
Coaching leads to accountability and accountability leads to progress.
Accountability is the number one reason people hire a personal trainer in the first place. Clients have access to all of the information in the world and most of them arguably know that working out and eating better is the key to improving their fitness, yet they pay for training. This is because most of them need to know that when they wake up for a 5 a.m. session and they’re tired, that someone is there waiting for them. Someone who is invested in their success and will help them to continue making progress even when times are tough. Mentorship for fitness professionals operates off of the same construct.
The first quarter of the year is busy with servicing new clients and getting more in the door so it would be easy to put off building the employee manual you have been meaning to complete. It would be easy to put your head down with the daily grind and not make time to create that new management position that could allow your business to evolve.
When it seems like you have the least amount of time and money to work with mentors is probably the time you need it most. Most people don’t feel like they can afford it. If your goals are lofty and challenging (and they should be), then the truth is that you probably can’t afford not to invest in a mentor.
How do you find a mentor?
It’s not all that different from how clients should go about finding a trainer. Ask some of your colleagues and friends to find out who they have worked with and what kind of results they experienced. Look for social proof and testimonials from others. Do they have experience in the area of the industry you want to grow and what does their coaching process look like? Spend some time getting to know them and getting a feel for whether or not you feel like they understand your needs and could help you take the next step.
It’s all about finding someone who you trust and that you feel confident that they can not only keep you accountable, but has the experience and unique perspective to help you solve problems and move forward.
Mentorship can come in many forms but one thing that isn’t debatable is that mentorship leads to more action. Action leads to adaptation and those who continue to adapt and improve rapidly will succeed in today’s ever evolving fitness industry.
