We have so many things to say and more people to thank than even possible for helping to make Skill of Strength the best gym on the planet over the last 10 years.
Mike and I are beyond blessed to be living our dream right now and it wouldn’t be possible without YOU.
We opened our doors 10 years ago in North Chelmsford and what a wild ride it’s been so far. Two expansions, a major flood, a pandemic and an owner diagnosed with cancer at 41 years old. You can’t predict these types of major obstacles, but when presented with challenges you can choose to control what you can and keep moving forward.
There are hundreds of lessons we’ve learned, of course, but let’s be real – we have a gym to run and kids to take care of… so you get 10 today. I’m sure we’ll be learning millions more since we’re just getting started here!
1. KEEP SHOWING UP AND BE KIND.
You’ll want to give up at times. Don’t. Consistency trumps perfection. Keep showing up. Even when you don’t feel like it. Even when it’s hard.
Treat people right. Remember that being honest and real is being kind.
Employees and members may not always agree with you or like your answers, but you can agree to disagree and still be kind.
Also, don’t put down your competition. There is room for everyone.
2. DITCH YOUR BAGGAGE & UNDERSTAND INDIVIDUALITY.
Leave your baggage at the door. Sometimes you’ll have to fake it ’til you make it, but you always want your client’s training session to be the best part of their day.
You spend a lot of time with your clients. Some will tell you everything about their lives. Listen more, talk less. Let them confide in you. Training is personal. It’s about so much more than lifting weights and moving your body.
And yes, sometimes your clients will want to hear a bit about your life outside of the gym. Cool. Connect, and keep it mostly positive during sessions.
Set aside your own training goals when helping clients determine their own. Most people don’t care if they can deadlift 300 pounds. They want to feel good. Your training goals are likely not your clients goals.
3. MAINTAIN YOUR BOUNDARIES.
Life will be busy when you own your own business. If you don’t set (and keep) boundaries and you don’t prioritize self-care, it’s very easy to let both slip away.
Practice what you preach. Make your own training non-negotiable. Block your schedule and guard that time. In some seasons you may have to shorten your workouts or tweak your goals. Keep forward motion.
Sleep is important and vacations are necessary. Burnout is a real thing even when you love your job. Plan ahead and if you can’t miss a week at a time (this can be really hard in our industry), don’t discount a long weekend getaway as a re-charge.
Don’t overstep boundaries or do work outside of your profession. Refer out when necessary. It’s okay to not know everything. Always do what’s best for your client(s) and keep learning.
4. BE SELECTIVE WHEN CHOOSING YOUR BUSINESS PARTNERS AND EMPLOYEES.
Be very picky if/when you decide to go into business with someone. Define your roles and talk a lot to make sure you have a shared vision, complementary skill sets (you should not be exactly the same!), and trust each other completely.
Working with your spouse only works if you communicate all the time. Have separate work spaces if possible. Be honest about what you need form each other. Determine roles and who owns what tasks.
Speaking of boundaries and business partners… keeping business conversation out of the home is a nice idea, but it’s not realistic.
Hire people you like being around. Great people are more important than experienced coaches. You can teach coaching skills, you can’t teach someone to have a great personality.
Avoid gray areas with employees as much as possible. Don’t force employees into roles if it’s not a good fit. Happy employees are much more productive and lead to happier members too. Staff meetings are important. Touch base at least weekly. Continuing education is amazing, but don’t become a cert chaser. Hands-on experience is powerful too.
5. SURROUND YOURSELF WITH OTHER SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE.
You’ll attract members who are like you and have the same values as you do. Learn how to keep them around and you’ll create an amazing community.
Word of mouth is the best form of advertising, but it doesn’t happen overnight. Be patient and find ways to encourage members to talk about you and their results outside of the gym.
Network with other gym owners, and also with other business owners and successful people. Find mentors and role models. Look at what they do that helps them be successful and find ways to implement those things into your own life.
6. OUTSOURCE WHERE YOU CAN.
Gyms need to be cleaned… a lot. While you may have to do this yourself in the beginning and you will definitely always have to do things like plunge toilets and wipe down machines, remember the value of your time. Hire out for weekly cleanings when possible.
Speaking of outsourcing – hire someone to do your taxes and use a payroll company. You don’t want to mess up.
Other things to consider…
You are much more productive when not multi-tasking so you may need some childcare for your kids even if you are working at home or could technically bring them to the gym.
Even if you love coaching, at some point you’ll have to cut down your coaching hours in order to work on your business. Hire great coaches and your members will be happy, even without you being with them every day.
7. COACH THE HECK OUT OF PEOPLE.
Evaluate all clients using the FMS. If you don’t know where you’re starting, how do you know how to get where you want to go?
Correcting someone’s technique once doesn’t cut it. You’ll have to say the same things over and over to many of your clients for years. Do it anyway.
Don’t over coach. Most clients don’t want to hear exactly why they are doing certain exercises all the time. Let them trust you.
Don’t under coach. Yelling at your clients isn’t coaching.
8. COMMUNICATE MORE OFTEN THAN FEELS NECESSARY.
Joining a gym is intimidating for most people. Don’t sell memberships to people who are not a good fit for your program.
Spend time with members up front setting expectations and determining a plan to help them be successful.
Form relationships and keep members happy so they stay with you a long time. Stay in touch with your members, past and current. Find out what would make their experience even better.
Apologize if you mess up (and you will). People like working with humans, not businesses.
9. CHANGE IS CONSTANT.
Learn from your mistakes. There will be many.
Don’t stress when a member moves on. It should be your goal to train someone so well that they know how to go off on their own when/if they want to. Besides, members often find their way back when the timing is right as long as you provided a great service.
Employees will come and go. Support them and facilitate an open manager/employee relationship so it’s an easier transition for all involved.
Your training programs should evolve. If they look the same as they did 3 years ago, you’re not learning.
Keep your eye on your core values. Just remember that while your mission remains the same, your delivery methods will often need to change based on staff, space, demand, pandemics… you know.
10. YOU ARE NOT FOR EVERYONE.
Don’t give too much value to outside opinions. You’re not for everyone. Own who you are and crush what you do best.
If someone comes in looking for spin classes, yoga or Zumba, our gym is probably not going to be a great fit at this time. Don’t forget that while you want to provide programs to help your clients get the best results, they aren’t going to get any results unless they’re showing up. Hint: they need to enjoy it at least a little bit to make that happen.
Same goes for budget. If someone only values fitness enough to spend $10/month, we are probably not the best gym for them right now either.
You need to have contracts and policies in place. Be transparent, but stick to your word. You’re human, you’re being kind and you’re also running a business.
Everyone is looking for a deal and you have to be okay with sticking to your ground. You are worth it. And the right members will learn they are making a solid investment.
Do you own a gym or a business? We’d love to hear your lessons too!