My Life Story ? #sorrynotsorry

This morning I wrote an insta caption that I really want to expand on...

Before I went online to be a body transformation coach, I coached people on the gym floor for 5 years.

It was a slog.

First in Auckland, then in Gold Coast followed by Sydney.

I used up most of money to pay the franchise fee to become a PT at Fitness First and pay the bond of my studio apartment.

I had no connections or friends in the industry but decided to knuckle down and just started showing up at the gym at 6am and would leave at 9pm. Pulling back to back 15-16 hour days. These were the hours I made up for myself.

I figured If I worked those hours, I will fill the hours with training clients.

I introduced myself to everyone who was at the gym, shaking their hand and letting them know if I can help them in anyway way I would.

I used to get so nervous taking to clients because I was so young (the youngest PT in the gym) and the members had 10-20 years on me and decades in the corporate business industry, whilst I had never done a business course in my life. Why would they trust me with their cash?

I got a lot of “no’s” and did my best to make myself look busy. Wiping benches down, moving weights into order and offering free advice to people.

I did a lot of consultations that didn't lead to a paying client. I spent hours with people that never hired me but the people that I clicked with ended up hiring me.

I found my niche market, I guess.

I also learnt a lot from the clients I trained. They became like family to me.

I spent more time with them than I did with anyone.

In between walking the floor and training myself in the gym, I also tried to learn as much as I can from the more senior PT’s and register for courses to do in my own time on programming and nutrition.

Learning from the best in the biz in Sydney.

I’d text, email and call the people I had talked to in the gym that day and followed up with anyone I needed to. Even if it was 10/11pm , I'd message them.

I knew it was unprofessional sometimes (even though I wasn't sending half naked pics, just a nice hello, nice to meet you and see you at the gym) and knew they may have been asleep but I just wanted them to know that I was a coach that would go over and beyond for them, if we were to work together.

When I got home, I’d write programs and post on my social accounts.

I didn't have much time on my hands but I knew that this was a time I needed to go all in and reap the rewards later.

I worked a side job washing dishes in two different hotels on the weekend.

One in Parramatta in the morning and one in the Sydney CBD in the evening.

They were about 40-60mins apart and I would workout in between my kitchen hand shifts.

4-6 hours of dishes, 1-2 hours at gym, 8-10 more hours doing dishes.

I slept 4-5 hours most nights but within 3 months, I went from 0 sessions to 50-60 sessions per week.

Some PT's don't even reach that amount of sessions in their career but it wasn't anything to do with how talented I was, just how eager I was to put in the work.

Most PT’s reading this will say its’s “just another day in the office”, which it is. We are all very hard working by nature, I'm sure my story is not that rare.

You’re either made to be a PT (thick skin/work ethic) or you last 3-6 months like every other fitness enthusiast that pays rent and leaves after being disheartened that no one holds your hand along the way.

Im one of the unicorns in the industry that made it past 6 months and is still here 5 years later.

I wanted to be “online coaching” two years before I actually did it but the lessons I learnt on the gym floor cannot be learnt behind a laptop screen, they can only be taught face to face.

Just like you can’t be a great “online coach” without slogging it out on the gym floor, you can’t get where you want to be without putting in the time and work.

Effort > talent

Hard work > pointing the finger

Attitude > entitlement

And the same goes for you.

Whether you want to lose 8kg, gain 4kg of muscle or buy a new property.

The same principles apply and relentless hard work and consistency will always get you where you want to be.