“My current job just isn’t fulfilling, but I really love fitness and want to turn it into a career.  What certification do you recommend?”

I get these type of inquiries so often that I decided that this bit of writing would be my autoresponse which – as you’ll see below – has a bit of tough love that I think these folks need to hear.

A few months ago, Rachel Cosgrove said that about 80% of those who enter the fitness industry leave it within a year.  I haven’t seen the statistic myself, but Rachel knows her stuff and meticulously monitors the business side of the fitness industry and I defer to her completely.

Does it say something about the “status quo” that our industry probably has more turnover than this position at your local zoo?

Why the crazy turnover within the first year?  Well, for starters, I feel like entering the fitness business is an impulse decision for a lot of folks.  They hate their current jobs so much that they have to go to the opposite end of the spectrum to one of the only things in their lives that makes them happy: exercising.

Two months later, they realize that they’re working 60-hour weeks on their feet because they have floor hours at their local commercial gym in the middle of the day on top of their only two personal training clients – who conveniently schedule at 5AM and 6PM.  They’re rewarded with a whopping $600 check every two weeks, after taxes.  Starting with the 2011 tax plan, it’ll probably be $200; take notes, kids.

But you’ve got passion, right?

Wrong.

Passion (and optimism) might get you out of bed for that 5AM client, but only determination, preparation, intrapersonal skills, organization, and a solid understanding of exercise physiology are going to make it possible for you to get through the rest of the day while being happy and making sure that you’re just a little bit better the next day.

And, I will tell you flat-out that every single trainer I have ever met has had days when exercise was the last thing they wanted to do.  For me, it happened in the fall of 2006 every Tuesday and Thursday night – when my football guys came in to train with me at 7:30PM after I’d been training clients since 6:30AM.  Were it not for this kind of energy in my training partners, I probably would have gone home and just gone to bed.

Obviously, that’s a worst-case scenario.  However, I’m never going to discourage someone from pursuing what they feel could be a livelihood where they’d be happy and helping people.  I would, though, encourage them to adhere to the following steps (in this order):

1. Go observe a few current fitness professionals who are successful in their crafts. Ask questions and get a feel for whether this is a good fit for you before you jump into the deep-end, quitting your job and investing all sorts of cash in a career change.

2. Wait a year to get a certification. What?  Huh?  This is supposed to come first, right?  Wrong.  Getting a certification without any background experience makes you a liability, not a professional.  Every penny you spend in that first year should be on books, DVDs, seminars, and travel to go observe other coaches/trainers in action.  And, you should be taking advantage of all the free resources there are for you to get educated online.  Don’t ignore fitness industry business resources, either; they aren’t taught with certifications or degrees, but are tremendously important.

3. Get an internship. This is an extension of #1 – and it still comes before getting a certification.  You need to log at least three months of 40-hour weeks somewhere learning your craft and paying your dues.  Get a feel for whether you could see yourself doing this long-term.

Obviously, this is a concern because it would require you to quit your job, so you’d need to save up for this period.  However, you would be amazed at how many interns are hired by facilities after their internship period is over (all our “hires” at Cressey Performance have been former interns).  And, most facilities will pay for your certification and CPR/AED training, and some will even give you a continuing education stipends on top of it.

4. Get a certification. Yes, it is step 4.  Frankly, I don’t really care what certification you get because none of them really wow me, but then again, I have a hard time justifying an undergraduate exercise science degree for $100, let alone $200,000.  If I was 18 today, I’d save all that money, get an internship, and spend the cash on loads of books/DVDs – and taking selective courses (gross anatomy, kinesiology and biomechanics). A lot of folks, for instance, have told Mike Robertson and I that they learned more practical information in our Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set than they did in their entire college careers – for only 0.0015% the price.

And, I sure as heck wouldn’t pay a university fo accept my internship credits; that’s one of the biggest scams of all time!  However, before I digress too much on that front, get the certification.  Most jobs will require it even if it is just a small foot in the door.

5. Pay your dues. There is no way around it.  You aren’t magically going to have a full client roster on your first day of a job; you have to start somewhere.  I can promise you that you will be better off with the background you’ve created with steps 1-4.

In Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell talks about the importance of accumulating 10,000 hours in order to become an expert in one’s field.  There are only 8,760 hours in a year – and even if you assume 60-hour work-weeks, it’s still going to take over three years to get to that 10,000-hour mark.

The 80% who don’t make it past the first year simply didn’t understand that you can’t live the life of an established professional, industry expert, or even someone who has seniority if you don’t put in the hours.

You’ve probably noticed that I geared a lot of this toward those in the private sector.  However, much of it will still apply to those looking to go into college strength and conditioning – but keep in mind that you will run into a lot of hurdles in college S&C if you don’t have a college degree in a related field.  That’s just the game as it’s played, so keep it in mind.

Do any of you veterans have any tips for the aspiring up-and-comers in the business?  If so, post them as comments.

Related Posts

Alwyn Cosgrove on “The Evolution of Personal Training”
Three Years of Cressey Performance: The Right Reasons and the Right Way
The Most Important Thing for Rookie Trainers

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EC: In your experience, what are the biggest mistakes aspiring fitness professionals make?

AC: Here are my top four:

1) They don’t understand that they are running a business!!!!

Most fitness professionals are running a hobby and trying to make money at it. That will never work long-term.

Being a great trainer is imperative in today’s market. You aren’t going to succeed unless your skill-set is of a high enough level.

However, it’s not just training skills – that’s only part of the big picture – the “client fulfillment “portion.

It’s also business skills. Michael Gerber – the author of The E-myth – calls this the seven essential skills: Leadership, Marketing, Money, Management, Lead Generation, Lead Conversion and Client Fulfillment.

You have to understand how to lead and motivate your team: leadership.

You have to understand marketing, which results in lead generation.

You have to have good sales skills – which converts leads to customers.

And you have to be able to understand cash flow and operating expenses before you can create a profit.

You need to have mindset AND skill-set before you can be successful. But skill-set consists of seven areas. Make sure you are studying each area (not just training) equally.

2) They don’t understand the client mindset.

Ask yourself these questions if you’re a trainer:

Do you think a good fitness professional is a valuable investment?

Do you think a good fitness professional can get someone to their goals faster than they can get there on their own?

Are you personally in the greatest physical condition of your life right now?

Are you ecstatic with your own strength levels and conditioning?

I bet that 80-90% of those who answered will say – yes, yes, no, no.

So – extrapolating from that – what is YOUR trainers name? Why did you hire him or her?

I bet most trainers don’t even have training partners – never mind a coach to help them with programming and getting to the next level.

In other words – if you tell me right now that you DON’T have a trainer – despite not being in the best shape of your life, not being ecstatic at your own fitness, and believing that a good trainer can get you there faster than you can alone, and is valuable — then deep down – you don’t believe that a trainer IS valuable.

What I’m getting at – is WHY, despite all the knowledge and beliefs and goals, most trainers haven’t hired (or used) another trainer to help them?

It’s the same reason prospects aren’t hiring you — they aren’t in great shape, and maybe don’t know (as we do) how much a trainer can help?

Lawyers hire other lawyers. Barbers hire other barbers. Doctors see other doctors.

So list the reasons why you didn’t hire a trainer personally. That’s why people don’t hire you.  And that’s the WHY we need to figure out for your next career move: the client mindset.

“If you can see John Smith through John Smith’s eyes, you can sell John Smith what John Smith buys.”

3) They Don’t Create TOMA.

Have you ever had a client tell you that “I’m definitely going to hire you as my trainer, but I am going to lose ten pounds first!”

I’m sure you have. But while we think it’s crazy, it’s a sign that you don’t have weight loss TOMA in your area.

TOMA is Top Of Mind Awareness. Are you the first person or business that jumps into a client’s mind when they think “weight loss?” Or “sports conditioning?”

Quick, name a soft drink company. I bet it was either Coca-Cola or Pepsi.

What is the number one sneaker brand? I bet you came up with one of three names: Nike, Adidas, or Reebok.

Your goal with all of your marketing is to position yourself, in your area, for your target market as the “top of mind awareness” obvious choice for that particular topic.

A lot of fitness businesses get hurt here by dividing their efforts and marketing to different demographics – and that’s ok – but two demographics should mean two different campaigns – not two “half” campaigns.

What do you want to be known for?

This is something that you’ve actually done very well, Eric (probably before you actually had your business systems in place). Think baseball conditioning in Boston and Cressey Performance springs to mind.

4. They don’t find mentors and coaches for the business side, and they don’t mastermind with like-minded successful individuals.

Okay, this is really two for one!

Mentoring: “All successful individuals have coaches” – James Malinchak.

Think about this: boxing and MMA are probably the ultimate “one-on-one” sports. Two guys, with no equipment (or even shirts!) face one another.

But when you look back to the corner – there are usually three or more guys helping him. They include a coach (known as the “chief second”) and several other teammates.

To me, a mentor is nothing more than someone who is climbing or has climbed the mountain before you, and has reached back and is helping you up, way faster and easier than you can climb yourself.

One of the fastest ways to success in any field is to find a mentor who will help you, and a “mastermind” group of likeminded people with whom to network. The key phrase there is “likeminded;” we’ve all had the situation of asking a family member or friend for feedback on a project and being shut down when they don’t realize or understand the big picture. You need to be around people who are thinking the same way as you.

Your mind is like a garden. Be careful what you plant in there.

EC: That’s fantastic stuff – and #4 certainly hits home for me, as you’ve been my primary mentor in getting my facility off the ground.  To that end, while all my education came via email exchanges between the two of us, you’ve now made it easier for folks to learn what’s made you successful by introducing some products.

Most recently, there is “The Evolution of Personal Training” DVD, and just a few months ago, you released “55 Fitness Business Tips for Success” book.  I’ve checked out each of them, and in my eyes, people should buy both!  However, can you go into a bit of detail on the difference between the two?

AC: The DVD is a live shoot of a presentation I did for Perform Better this year where I really go into detail about how to evolve your business in today’s economy. The old methods of one-on-one training, weight-training-only workouts, and charging people for a “ten-pack” of sessions are just inadequate or outdated practices. I cover a few things in more detail – like transitioning into a semi-private model, repositioning yourself as a consultant as opposed to a “rep counter,” and understanding the client or prospect mindset. If you don’t understand that, you’re dead in the water as a business owner.

The book “55 Fitness Business Tips for Success” should have been titled “55 things that we did wrong when we opened our facility and somehow managed to survive, but make sure you don’t repeat these!” It’s kind of like a “pocket guide” to basic business tips for fitness professionals. And when I say “basic,” I mean stuff everyone NEEDS to know and practice but usually don’t! I tell my business coaching group to keep that book in their office and read a couple of pages every day to make sure you don’t ignore anything crucial.

EC: Thanks for the time, Alwyn.

I’d strongly encourage those readers of mine in the fitness industry to check out these resources, as Alwyn’s stuff is fantastic.  You can find out more and order at Alwyn’s site.

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I had the great opportunity to meet Beau almost two years ago and I was amazed by his hard work ethic that he applied during my workout. I felt much stronger and leaner day after day. I had the great pleasure to interview Beau Taillefer for PersonalTrainerz.com blog to share not only Beau Taillefer’s interests, but his professional and personal goals as well. So, let’s find out more about this intelligent, strong, and exceptional master personal fitness trainer.

1. Beau, tell me how did you get involved in fitness business?

I think I was always involved in fitness, not the business side though. I can remember as far back growing up in Haiti. My father used to wake up my brother and me for a morning jog, which I hated. I think I was about 10 years old. Then when I came to the States, I got involved in high school soccer and did my 1st bodybuilding show in high school. I did not know what I was doing. LOL … I got involved in fitness business when I met Tim Gardner, the Guru. He pushed me toward becoming a certified trainer in 2004. He said “why are you giving free advice? If you are passionate about what you are doing and believe in what you are saying, why not getting paid for it? That way you can help many instead of a few.”

That is why I got started, before you know it I was a part time trainer at BodyTech.

2. For how long have you been a personal trainer?
I feel like that I have been a personal trainer all my life. I have involved in fitness and health for over 15 years. I have been helping friends, family, and strangers with fitness and nutrition since the 1990s. The only difference now is that I am being paid for training and my advice. I was a Medical and Behavioral claims manager for a health care company in Tampa. I was HIPAA Compliance Officer and Compliance Officer. You see I was always around health and fitness of some sort. Legally, I have been a certified trainer for over 5 years and a Master trainer since last year.

3. Please tell me about your workout daily routine?

I wake up at 4:30 am on some days to train my favorite teacher at 5 am. At 7:30 am I start training with my workout partner, Joseph Yaffe. He is in training for a bodybuilding show. After weight training, I will run sprints for about 20 minutes to keep me in shape for soccer.

4. What are your best advices to stay fit and tight?

Be Fit! Be Life! That is my slogan. You have to find what you like and keep doing for a longtime. You have to be consistent, simple. That means an exercise routine coupled with a realistic nutrition program.

5. What are the most important determinations for beginners in fitness?

Be consistent! Don’t rush it! It will come to you. Whether it is for a competition or increasing your fitness level, just be consistent and don’t rush it. Remember you can’t hurry time.

6. How did you get involved in building nutrition programs?

I had a friend who wanted to lose weight because the doctor asked him to. I bought a magazine, read everything it had about nutrition. I put a plan together for him, but he did not like any of the foods selected. This was my first lesson about nutrition; one size doesn’t fit all. I sat down with him and went over what he liked and together we came up with a plan. He lost the weight his doctor recommended and he referred me his sister after that, then I started to work with my sister that was in 1996. Since then I have been helping friends and strangers with nutrition. In 2000, I decided to start my own program, Be Fit! Be Life! Now I have both, weight management instructor and sport nutrition certifications. I have worked with clients whose weight loss goals range from 10 to 80lbs and today I continue to write nutrition plans for fitness models, bodybuilders and regular individuals at Club Bodfit and B2B Fitness Club.

7. How does a nutrition plan help beginners to achieve good results in losing weight?

The key word here is good result. Without nutrition, one will achieve some sort of result, but it won’t be good or consistent and very hard to maintain. Keep in mind, to lose weight you need to expand more calories and consume fewer calories. Couple ways you can do this. One is with exercise and the other is with nutrition. When you couple them (exercise and nutrition) together, they work synergistically to produce good result, in some cases, great result.

8. When you create a nutrition plan for your clients, what kind of strategies you follow?

I go through a series of questions like: allergies, medical conditions, type of foods they like, medications, supplements, commitment, exercise and support system. Then we begin to talk about different steps in the program. In the beginning, I would like for everyone to start with a detox phase, but again you have to think about the individual not everyone can do it. Sometime it is modified to fit the individual needs and ability to avoid failing. After the detox phase, I will introduce a transition phase, follow by the reduction phase. Then we continue to the transformation phase and final is the maintenance.

9. Beau, I can say, you are one of the best personal trainers in Tampa area. What is your training keys success?

I think I am a good trainer. I will leave the best trainer stuff for other trainers because when you start thinking like that you become complacent. In this business, complacency will kill you. A key to my success is simple; do not harm the client. Most trainers think they have to cripple a client to measure their abilities and training skills. I think differently. Success is measure by success. If your clients are successful, whether it is with weight loss, strength gain, muscle development or increasing the fitness level that is what I enjoy the most. I take the focus of me and put it on the client. At the end of the day, it is really about the client. I can remember when you first started. You barely could do a couple of pushups, but now you can match your husband push up for push up that is the key to my success. Striving to change people lives and increase their fitness level while they enjoy life. The other one is the constant thirst for knowledge. I pick up and read anything that says health, nutrition and fitness. I subscribe to medical and fitness newsletters.

10. Beau, how did you get involved in training for fitness shows?

It was by accident. Lindsay Thommes, one of the trainers at Club Bodfit, asked me 1 year ago to train for her first competition, Fitness Universe 2008 in Miami, the biggest show at that level. I trained her for about 4 months. She made top 5 and won 4th place out of 67 girls in her first competition. Then Angelike Psoinos signed with for Universe Florida in Tampa, she won model universe in her first competition. She then went to Vegas for Fitness America where she won Ms Bikini Tall and runner up in model universe. That was her second competition. This year I trained, Yvette Kirk, Willie Thomas, Candice Graham, Erika Branch, Polina Petrusevich. They all did wonderful. Yvette won 8th place in Grace and Physique in women’s Tri Fitness Tampa. Willie won his first show Lone Star Universe in Texas, Candice won 4th place in Bikini medium and 11th place in model; Fitness Universe 2009 in Miami, Erika was 23rd place in Model, her first competition. Polina took 12th place in bikini short in her first competition. This year, I have worked with competitors from Tri Fitness, Figure and bodybuilding. Currently, I have the privilege of training Natalia Muntean, Ms Bikini Champion, of Fitness Universe 2009.

Beau Taillefer with Lindsay Thommes and Angelike Psoinos

11. What do you think the important keys to success in fitness world?

One key is dedication. People think it is an easy sport. They don’t realize the dedication it takes to be successful. You need to be dedicated to the nutrition plan, the exercise regimen, to the dreaded cardio routine. Fitness model and competitor are not like bodybuilders or any other athletes. There is not off season. You may have a photo shoot or a commercial ad in mid season so you have to stay in shape year around.

12. What would you like to say people that are training to be a fitness model?

Stop training! LOL, just kidding! I want them to know that it is not easy to be a fitness model. At time, you will have doubt, or start thinking you will never get there; that is ok. Don’t stop training! Keep going, keep training! Make you sure you have a good trainer, a trainer that will tell you the truth, not someone who just wants to put on stage for the sake of it.

I had a blast to interview Beau Taillefer, an amazing Master Personal Trainer. He is the funniest and smartest person I have ever interviewed. Currently he is busy with training, helping his clients to reach their goals and dreams, and be healthy and active.

Personally, I wish Beau Taillefer to continue discovering new clients to be trained for fitness shows, and tremendous success in his career. Thank you Beau Taillefer for sharing your personal and fitness aspects with PersonalTrainerz.com.

Check out Beau’s new website at http://www.b2bfitnessforlife.com

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