Chapter 3:
Success Principles
Getting in your own way? Here’s 10 ways to increase velocity toward achieving your goals
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You ever worked with a client that made great progress with their fitness goals…. Only to fail after a time and regress, sometimes worse off than before?
As a coach, it is one of the saddest and most devastating outcomes to watch. We want the best for our clients. We want to see them win. And we want to see them keep winning.
But unfortunately, it’s all too easy for human beings to get in our own way. If we don’t make internal shifts…. The new reality we’ve created in our external world rarely holds. Why is this the case? How does this work? How can you avoid this from happening to you? And how can you identify and shift your mindset now? You need to get ahead of the change you want to create in your business and life. In this chapter, we’ll answer these questions. Then, we’ll explore ten principles for speeding up your fitness business success.
What’s really holding you back?
Success is the result of our actions and behavior. If you want to achieve more success, you must take more actions that yield results.
But what lies underneath behavior? Our feelings, our attitudes, and our beliefs. All these make up our ‘internal world’. Which is the environment that supports taking more of the right actions consistently.
A great book on brain programming is What To Say When You Talk To Your Self by Dr. Shad Helmstetter, PhD. He has a natural process he calls the self-management sequence. It determines our success or failure in managing our lives.
To achieve your goals, you must know how your brain is wired. Then, you must learn to rewire it. This is the key to success.
Are you getting in your own way right now? Could you benefit from some internal shifts to accelerate your success?
In 18 years, we’ve found 10 ways for fitness entrepreneurs to speed up goal achievement. We now call these the NPE Success Principles, and we refer to them often in leading our clients. These beliefs are key. They will guide you through mental breakthroughs. They will help you achieve more in business. I invite you to reflect on which one(s) may resonate with you the most right now.
Success Principle #1: You’re the problem
Get out of your own way.
When things aren’t working in business…. It’s too easy to blame things like “the economy” or “a bad employee.”
Or, to blame “inflation” or “competition.” We blame these external events for our problems. But in my experience, rarely is that the case. Many challenges and circumstances are always at play. But, it’s not the challenges that dictate our long-term circumstances. It’s the choices we make on how to deal with them that do!
If things aren’t working out, it’s your responsibility to look at the facts as they are… not what you may wish them to be. Ask yourself the following questions:
- What’s the problem you are facing in your business?
- What metric points to this being the problem?
- Do you know what to do to fix the problem?
- Are you clear on the step-by-step plan to do the work required?
- Are you consistently showing up to do the work each week?
- Do you ask for help when needed?
- Do you listen when you’re given feedback (even if it makes you uncomfortable)?
- Do you adjust where needed… and then go again… every single week?
If you’re not doing each of these things, then newsflash… the problem is you! And by that I mean, the problem is your thinking. It’s how you engage with the work needed to solve the issues before you.
You must embrace new leadership of self. Take some time to reflect:
- What decisions and actions have led you to this point?
- What’s worked? What hasn’t? What lessons have you learned as a result?
- What can you do better to improve how you show up and your performance on the field right now?
Take time in reflection… especially when things aren’t going right… because success teaches you nothing. Failure teaches you everything… if you take the time to reflect, grow, and learn.
Success Principle #2: Face your fear
As a business owner, you must confront your fears to grow.
Starting and growing a business is risky. And it doesn’t matter how many problems you’ve solved or how many years you’ve been in business. At any moment in time…. there are often many threats on the horizon in front of you.
You will have to face and deal with very scary things. On a regular basis. And the more you grow… the more scary things you’ll need to confront and deal with all the time. I’ve worked with many fitness business owners. It’s not uncommon to wake up with crippling anxiety, fear, and worry.
The stressors of business ownership will keep you up at night. It will make you want to throw up. Sounds fun, right? 🙂
And yet, despite all that, the way forward is through. You can’t make things better by avoiding problems. You won’t get better by hiding under the covers in your bedroom. You’ve got to get out of bed… face your fear(s)… and make growth decisions. The more you do this, the more you will build confidence from small wins. And, the more powerful and effective a leader you will become.
Success Principle #3: Nobody wants a cheap personal trainer
When results matter, prospects hire the best, and experts don’t come cheap.
I dislike discounting as a growth strategy. It harms your profit and cash flow. But even worse, it attracts the wrong clients!
In the services business, there is tremendous price elasticity. A personal trainer can charge $25/hr, $50/hr, $100/hr, or $250/hr.
What’s the difference? Well, we assume that the trainer who charges $250/hr is incredible. And the trainer who charges $25/hr is not that skilled yet.
If you have a big problem to solve, like getting out of pain, losing weight to feel good in your skin, or boosting your athletic performance… who do you want to hire?
The trainer charging $25/hr or the one charging $250/hr? Nobody wants to work with the cheapest. They want the best. And the best aren’t cheap! They value themselves. They value their time and professional experience. And they ask (and demand) others do as well.
Here’s the crazy thing about all this… Guess who sets your rates? You do!
And the higher you set your rates, the better your business will grow and perform.
PRO TIP: If there’s one secret to attracting clients, it’s raising your rates. The more ‘skin in the game’ your clients have, the better they perform. They show up on time, do their homework, and work hard in sessions. They value their investment and want to get the most out of it. As a byproduct, they get better results! This boosts your reputation as a great coach. Which allows you to continue raising your rates. See how this works? 🙂
Success Principle #4: Yo-yo marketing is for losers
Consistency wins in creating awareness and demand for your business. If you’re going to be a business owner, you must take the approach that it is your job to maximize the business. Nobody wants to own a shitty, weak business. You want to own a strong and profitable business that gives you freedom. That’s the whole point!
So what needs to occur for that to happen? Your goal should be to sell out your programs and create a waitlist. To do that, you must create more demand than supply. And that doesn’t happen by itself. It comes from consistency with the right marketing activities and systems.
Ok, so if that’s how this works… why is it so challenging to do? Because you have limited time and focus. Here’s how it usually goes. You need more clients and revenue. So, you focus on marketing for a while. You generate leads, sales, and new clients. Then you get busy serving those new clients. So you take your foot off the gas in marketing. Some of those clients complete their programs and leave the business after a period of time. But, since you haven’t marketed in a while, you now need new leads, sales, and clients again. So you get back on the horse and the cycle repeats itself over and over again. It’s like joining a gym in January. You work out for 2 weeks, then quit. You wait until next January to rejoin. This will never get you anywhere.
How do you get off this crazy train? You must dedicate time each week to marketing activities… always and forever. If you’re sold out? Good. Keep marketing to build the wait list. If you need clients now? Good! Keep marketing to find them. I don’t care if it’s raining, snowing, or a heat wave. Or if a tornado hits your town. You must always be marketing each week. For as long as you’re in business.
Businesses that succeed long-term maintain effective marketing processes on a weekly basis.
Success Principle #5: Be a coach, not a cheerleader
Become a change agent by balancing challenge and support.
Think back on your life. Recall the best coaches, teachers, and mentors who shaped the person you’ve become. Who are the people that helped you grow the most? Did they give you lots of hugs and tell you that everything was fine—no matter what? Or did they challenge you to raise your standards, work harder, and step up to a new level?
The best coaches and mentors know how to balance support and challenge. We need both of these to grow. Your clients need (and want) the same from you!
Nobody wants to work with a weak coach who lies to them and accepts bad behavior. They want to work with someone who can challenge them. This doesn’t mean you should act like an aggressive, mean jerk. It doesn’t mean shaming people. It means confronting and challenging your clients. Invite them to improve their thoughts, attitudes, and behavior. Set a standard that helps your clients achieve their goals.
Be a coach. Not a cheerleader.
Success Principle #6: If you’re not making money, you’re doing it wrong
Did you read that? If you’re not making money, you’re doing it wrong. Period.
Revenue minus expenses equals profit. Most coaches got into coaching because they love sports, fitness, and coaching. Not because they love accounting and spreadsheets. But for your business to grow and flourish, it must produce cash flow and profit. Cash flow and profit result from a good business plan that’s executed with efficiency.
I can remember teaching a workshop in Calgary with a bunch of Crossfit business owners back in 2014. It was a 2-day event. I was halfway through day 1 when someone at the back of the room raised their hand and asked a question. “When should I start paying myself?”
I was a bit shocked at the question. I paused, then asked, “That’s a great question. How long have you been in business?” She said, “Two years.”
Two years she’d been grinding week in and week out… for zero financial return. I don’t even know how she was funding living expenses, like food, utilities, and shelter. But it wasn’t coming from her business. And that’s a real problem.
Listen, there are times when businesses lose money. The longer you’ve been in business, the more you’ll learn there are seasons when you’re killing it. And there are seasons when things are lean. If your business continues to lose money, it will ultimately reach a breaking point.
You can’t keep taking on debt. You can’t live off your parents’ or spouse’s income. And you can’t keep holding onto another job… while trying to manage and grow a business that isn’t performing. Your business must make a profit. It must pay you a wage. And not just any wage… it better be a very good one! It must justify the liability, risk, and stress of owning a business in the first place! Otherwise, what’s the point? You’d be better off with a job.
So where do we go from here? If your business isn’t making enough profit, take time to understand your numbers to find out why.
Do the work to make the changes necessary to right the ship, or get out. Great coaches are in demand, and great fitness businesses make great profits. Fix your business plan and execute it well.
Success Principle #7: Numbers don’t have feelings
Use data to make smart growth decisions.
More businesses fail because owners make emotional, not data-driven, decisions.
How does this happen? Because it’s hard to think clearly when you’re feeling tired, confused, scared, and overwhelmed. Any of those states are going to compromise your thinking ability.
As a great coach, training clients 25-30+ hours a week, it is easy to get fatigued and make poor decisions. But here’s the big problem. Big decisions often have heavy 2nd, 3rd, and 4th order consequences. They can kill your business!
For example… Buying a new squat rack today with the money you’ve got in the bank isn’t a big issue. Not having a cash forecast for the next 12 weeks will create real problems. Your business will need that cash to make payroll in 6 weeks, as you’ll face a big tax bill then.
That’s why I encourage you to approach your business like a scientist. Be curious. Ask good questions… always. What’s working? Why? What isn’t working? Why? Could there be something you’re not seeing or understanding right now? If so, what? And why? What are the potential risks with a big decision? What are the potential upsides of a big decision?
Don’t get pulled into the emotional rollercoaster of reacting to today’s game.
No matter your feelings about the business today, seek to understand the metrics and data. They will help you make good decisions.
What data should you be looking at? How do you use it to make good decisions? If you’re unsure which numbers to look at, stop. In 3 minutes, you can complete a health test at www.npefitness.com/score. You’ll get a growth report and personalized recommendations. They will show you where to best focus your efforts to grow.
Success Principle #8: Build a business, not a job
Build a business that gives you freedom and asset value.
What’s a job? Something where you trade time for money. What’s a business? A company that is profitable and gets great results for clients. It has a healthy team running daily operations without relying on you. This produces income, freedom, and asset value.
Most great coaches get stuck owning a job. Don’t let that happen to you. Look, everyone is going to work hard. But at the end of 5, 10, or 20 years… what will you have to show for your efforts?
If you’ve got a job… not much. If you’ve got a business… you’ll have income, freedom, and an asset. This book aims to lead you in doing that.
Success Principle #9: Follow the damn instructions
As a coach and expert, I’ve spent years honing and refining my skill sets, tools, and assets we use with our clients.
I’ve tested and proven the strategies, systems, and principles we teach. Clients pay us for access to these tools, and we support them in mastering their use to grow their business. There is NOTHING more frustrating than teaching something to a client… that I’ve spent 10-15 years proving with millions of examples worldwide… only to watch them try to reinvent the wheel.
One time I was teaching a workshop in Birmingham, Alabama, with a multi-unit studio group. They had all their top managers and employees in the house for 2 to 3 days of training.
We were refining and practicing their implementation of our sales systems and tools. We were going around the room role-playing the script. Over and over and over again. From one team member to the next. Putting in the reps to get the delivery right. And build confidence with execution. As we cycled through team members in the room, we had them stand up and role-play the script. We got to one guy and he was struggling. So we backed up. We slowed it down. We practiced the script one sentence at a time. But he couldn’t get it right. He got so frustrated that he exploded and left the room. This left a lot of tension and awkwardness for those who remained. What the heck happened? Why did this guy lose it practicing a basic script everyone else in the room had been mastering just fine?
It later came out that he couldn’t read. I can only imagine the amount of tension and uncomfortableness he must have felt that day. And many other days trying to learn and follow systems with the team. If you have a learning disability, struggle to read, or face other issues that hold you back, let your team know. Get help.
But, if you can read, write, and follow instructions, use a proven system or process that someone has given you. Do this. Repeat. The more you approach the situation with a beginner’s mind, the easier it is to learn and master new skills. So please… empty your cup… so you can refill it with all you need to succeed.
Follow the damn instructions. Always.
Success Principle #10: Commit to results, not activity
In 2008, we held a boardroom-style mastermind in Orlando, FL. Top studio owners flew in from across the USA.
Everyone was given approximately 45 min to present and share on the work they had done in the last 6 months. One of our clients at the time got up and presented on everything he had been doing… and it was a lot! He was running several marketing campaigns. He was out speaking in the community. He was leading local events. He was doing all kinds of stuff to grow his business…. And very, very busy! But something didn’t seem right.
About 20 minutes into his presentation, I raised my hand. I asked, “This is great, but can you summarize your results for context?” “How many new clients have you signed up?” “How many prospects have opted in for your offer?” “How many leads have you generated?” The man speaking turned a bit white and queasy, “I’ve signed up 1 new client.” Ouch.
How was this possible? This guy put in like a hundred hours doing all kinds of stuff… for months on end. How in the world did he only sign up one new client? Well, I’ll tell you how. He got lost in the doing. He got lost in being “busy.” He was so focused on doing things that he never slowed down to hold himself accountable for the results. So, he wasn’t adjusting his efforts on the field to get better results.
Listen, every business owner I know is working hard. Everyone is busy. But being busy doesn’t mean anything. You can’t pay your bills with busy. You can only pay bills with leads, sales, and new clients and revenue on the books! So now matter what you’re doing this week… Block 30-60 minutes at the end of the week. Review your results. And invest time in answering the following questions:
What worked? Why?
What didn’t? Why?
What lessons have you learned?
What’s next?
Then put your head down and get back to work… working on the things that will be more effective in changing your trajectory next week. Above all else…. Don’t get lost in activity, hold yourself accountable to results!
Get Out Of Your Own Way
Listen, I don’t know where you may or may not be getting in your own way right now.
But I know that YOU are often the biggest obstacle to breakthroughs in your business. And by that I mean how you think, feel, your attitude, your internal thoughts and belief system, and more. Each of these things makes rich soil. It will allow big dreams and goals to grow in your business and life- or hold you back.
If you’ve got weeds in the garden, you’ve got to clear them out. And there is only one person who can do that work… YOU! So my best advice is to take some time to reflect on these principles. Pick 2 or 3 that may best help you shift your inner world and reach your goals faster. And lean into it with all you’ve got.
I’d love to hear which one of these Success Principles is most meaningful for you today.
Shoot me a message on Instagram. My account is @foundersean or find me on Linked in by searching Sean Greeley. I look forward to hearing from you. 🙂
The next chapter will show you how to measure and hold yourself accountable for results. You’re going to learn the metrics that drive success with your business. I’m going to show you how to set up the game and keep score. Let’s go!
Exercise:
Review the list of NPE Success Principles.
Pick 1-3 that are meaningful for you right now.
Write down how shifting internally with this new belief will better support your transformation.
Post these principles on your wall or someplace where you’ll see them everyday.
Read them out loud.
Review the list of principles again in 90 days… and repeat.
Action Item:
Download the NPE Success Principles in the free workbook at www.npefitness.com/book
Attend live workshop
3 systems to increase profits, get clients, and build a healthy team
