Journey, Not A Destination

Hahaha, to be honest, the manager of the gym already knows who I am. I've seen him before too.... he's got an impressive physique. But when I originally inquired about employment opportunities at the gym, I was told to email the manager. I knew it was this same guy with the impressive physique.

I emailed him from the email address of my new business/website.

He must have checked it out b/c a couple of days ago he approached me on the gym floor.... so he had to see my picture on my site in order to know who I am. Hopefully he took a look around, even though it's unfinished, so he not only gets a feel for what I'm doing.... but also gets a feel for who I am.

If the job fits my schedule and wants, I'm going to tell him flat out that whatever the pay is, it is. I'm not interested in benefits and all that. This is just another way for me to vent my passion. I make very good money outside of the gym setting and plan on making good money elsewhere in time. Hopefully he respects that this isn't a 'job' for me. It's a way of life.
 
Steve said:
I was, thanks. :)

Tonight I am supposed to meet with the manager of my gym and see if there's a 'fit' for me at their facility. It's nice having an interview that doesn't really matter. If there's a fit, great. If there isn't, no skin off my back.
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Very interested in hearing how that turns out.

It is a no pressure situation but being successful at something you've worked at is also a nice reward.
 
jeeeez - one of these days I'm actually going to be able to provide real assistance to you... not today clearly.

your website pretty much shows that it's not a job for you - that it is party of who you are...

again -you'd be an asset..

:wanders off rubbing the brown stuff off my nose::
 
Darth Pooh said:
Very interested in hearing how that turns out.

It is a no pressure situation but being successful at something you've worked at is also a nice reward.
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I already consider myself a succesful trainer, to be honest. I don't need this to validate my success. I just like the gym and wouldn't mind being a part of it. Plus, once my company is off the ground and website is in full operation, it would be nice to have a 'home base' where I can train people in person no matter what.

Thanks man.
 
maleficent said:
jeeeez - one of these days I'm actually going to be able to provide real assistance to you... not today clearly.

your website pretty much shows that it's not a job for you - that it is party of who you are...

again -you'd be an asset..

:wanders off rubbing the brown stuff off my nose::
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lol, you've helped plenty over the last few months, Mal
 
Steve, hows it going man?

I know i told you i was going to get back to ya, because i have so many questions about the routine you laid out for me but i have been so busy with school. It looks like you have been busy as well, but im just letting you know, eventually i will hit you up with a private message.

Thanks again for the help!

Trevor
 
So I met with the training manager last night of the gym I workout at.

It was a fantastic meeting.

It actually lasted over 2 hours, lol. I'd say that's a great first interview!

He definitely talked to me as an equal rather than a potential employee. He browsed my website before hand and even though there's a lot left to be done with it, he really liked it and my philosophies.

Towards the end of the conversation, one awesome part went like this:

Me: How many trainers do you have here?

Him: 5 at the moment.

Me: Wow, are there not many trainers coming in looking for work?

Him: Too many, I've interviewed 75 in the last 2 months and hired 1. I think the word's getting out that I don't hire anyone.

Me: Holy shit. (ya, at this point we were talking like best buds)

Him: To be honest, I don't really like the trainers I have on the floor currentlyl.

Me: Phew! Ya know, I don't think it's my place to throw people under the bus, but it's relieving to hear you say that. I've been training here for a while now and being a trainer, I like to watch other trainers in 'action.' I've always wondered what the hell it is that these trainers you have here think they're doing. There's absolutely no progression in their routines, it seems as if they are just pulling stuff out of thin air not matching it to the client's needs, they don't teach worth a damn from what I hear, and they aren't friendly.

Him: Wow. You just hit the nail on the head. It's been my problem all along. How about you come in here and change all that? You look like a trainer. You talk like a trainer. And I want to workout with you, haha. What would it take to get you in here.

Me: I'm don't really care what the pay is or anything like that, so it isn't going to take much. I just want to be able to come in and train people the way I want to train. I want to have a gym that I can call my 'home base' until I eventually open my own place years down the road. I guess we can start by letting me sit in on a few initial evaluations so I can see how you guys are running them.

Him: Steve, honestly, I think if you observe my trainers doing anything, you're going to tear them up. I'll have you shadow my evalutations one day coming up.

-----------------

So yea, that was the gist of how things played out. He was very cool about my own business and website. Basically said I could start training there ASAP.... if I want a set schedule, we can do that. Or if I want to come and go as I please, that's fine too.

I have to think about some things but in the meantime, we set up a 5pm training time on wednesday.... he wants to show me this fancy contraption he loves to train himself and his clients on.... it's called kinesis. I told him my true feelings about machines and he promised me an awesome workout. We shall see.

To sum, it was an excellent meeting and I see real potential at this facility. I wish they had more amenities for sports training, but such is life. It seems like I'll be given full range of motion to do what I want there.
 
Trevor10 said:
Steve, hows it going man?

I know i told you i was going to get back to ya, because i have so many questions about the routine you laid out for me but i have been so busy with school. It looks like you have been busy as well, but im just letting you know, eventually i will hit you up with a private message.

Thanks again for the help!

Trevor
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Hey Trevor.

I know how things go, trust me. And it's your routine. I'm not going anywhere, haha. So when you're ready to start implementing and getting questions answered, you know where to find me.
 
Way to go on the interview and it sounds liek a fantastic opportunity for you for both yout mindset and skillset :)

and you'd have some fun too...
 
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Thanks Mal... I'm pretty stoked. I was admittedly a little nervous b/c I didn't approve of how any of the trainers there were training and I was thinking their methodologies might be coming down from this guy....

Turns out he and I think very much alike.

So I might not only get to train in a beautiful facility... but also 'clean some house.'

hehehehe
 
Turns out he and I think very much alike.
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that is very cool - and unusual... but it's a good thing :)

And well done to you for trying to keep an open mind when you went in and having your mind changed about him... :)

have yourself an awesome day :0
 
So what would you be doing with them? Having an individual client base or kind of free style where you could assist anyone who needs the help or asks for the help? it doesn't sound like he's totally mercenary and is all about the bottom line, but are you there for assistance or for money making - now in my world - assistance leads to money making but in most gyms i've been in you cant get help without money...

I think i confused myself with that question
 
maleficent said:
So what would you be doing with them? Having an individual client base or kind of free style where you could assist anyone who needs the help or asks for the help? it doesn't sound like he's totally mercenary and is all about the bottom line, but are you there for assistance or for money making - now in my world - assistance leads to money making but in most gyms i've been in you cant get help without money...

I think i confused myself with that question
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I discussed this exact thing with him actually. I told him, being the independent trainer that I am, I've always opposed the "transactional trainer."

He wasn't sure what I meant by that.

I explained that a transactional trainer is your ordinary trainer you find in a gym who herds clientelle like cattle trying to get the highest number of transactions and therefore make the most money. I explained that I think most gyms are set up so a) they hire bad trainers want this and more importantly, b) management of most gyms promote this for obvious reasons.

I explained that I understand the need to make money. That's what pays the rent! But most gyms take it to the extreme and I think there needs to be a happy medium.

He agreed 100%.

I also explained that I'd have trouble meeting quotas, if there are any. I'm not about quantity... I'm about quality. If I want to take an extra 30 minutes with a client to explain something, I don't want to feel pressured b/c I'm supposed to be cruising the floor looking for my next sale.

He actually said he's the same exact way, and that's how the conversation evolved into him giving me a choice. I can either be a usual trainer with a set schedule or I can just do my own thing and however many clients I train, I train. In either case though, quantity wouldn't be an issue. He said he doesn't care if I train 3 hours each week.

I'm not sure if that answers your question or not, now that I'm re-reading it.

To be more precise and to add to what was discussed... I'd be starting off by doing the free, initial evaluations they give to each of their new clients. From there, it's on me to convert that person to a client of my own. Really, it's the gym's client and I train them... they take a huge chunk of the hourly rate, which I expected. When I'm not training a client, it's up to me what I do. He said most of his trainers just leave... not even working out at the gym!

I'd be working out myself and hopefully make such a name for myself there that people will willingly approach me to ask questions. I want to be very open, since it seems that the current trainers aren't doing this. The manager explained that there have been numerous complaints, even from guys who normally wouldn't care about such a thing, that the current trainers aren't approachable and these complainers are actually holding in questions rather than asking the trainers.

That's bad.

That's what I plan to change.
 
I'd be working out myself and hopefully make such a name for myself there that people will willingly approach me to ask questions. I want to be very open, since it seems that the current trainers aren't doing this. The manager explained that there have been numerous complaints, even from guys who normally wouldn't care about such a thing, that the current trainers aren't approachable and these complainers are actually holding in questions rather than asking the trainers.
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that's the answer I wanted to hear... :D and would expect nothing less from you.. good to see that he wants the same thing...

Create that environment and it will make money...
 
Steve, this sounds like your wet dream come true. I am stoked for you man...

I know your feeling mighty good right now, good on you and congrats.
 
Hahahaha....

My wet dream come true would be winning the lottery so I could build my version of the 'pefect facility' and run my business from there.

That will happen with time, I predict. Patience and consistent effort is all I need.

With that not being a possibility right now.... this is a close-second. So yea, I am stoked. It was nice to walk into a big gym like that and get that sort of treatment. And I'm excited to start working with people one on one again in the gym setting.... it's something I miss.

Thanks man.
 
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