It hasn’t been brought up yet but i was thinking about this the other day.  If it was possible to have a legit, if not NICE, training center (gym) and not charge anyone i would be the first to do it.  I have this strange desire to help people accomplish things they never thought possible.  It brings me joy.

So WHY do i charge people to train with me?  Well its kinda simple and kinda complex.

First of all its rare to find people that will actually listen to you when they don’t have anything invested in the situation.   My previous life as an unknown trainer brought this up alot.  What makes this 25 yr old college punk so knowledgeable?  Why should i listen to him.  In the off chance that i got  complete stranger to train with me (people usually came from referrals) it usually took a couple months to build a solid reputation.  Strangely enough the fantastic coach that is running Black Box S&C/CF ATM in college station was a complete stranger (her husband wandered in one day and just never left, then he brought his wife in).

I now understand that it takes a little time to EARN peoples trust and prove to them that you are a legit coach and usually more importantly a legit person.  Initially there needs to be some sort of exchange.  If i could take something different from everyone that held value to them ( i did this in the old days and thats why i have some of the things i have now, i still ride my bike, thanks Drew) i would but i would also have tons of crap that meant little to me.

Money has a strange effect in that there is a number that everyone has where they absolutely will not waste it.  For some its $50, for some its $500 and others its $5000.  I took an online course a couple weeks ago that was 8 weeks and cost $1500.  I did everything in my power to participate in every online discussion and lesson.  Even though i was on the road quite a bit, i still forced myself to make time.  I remember coming back to my hotel room from a bar and then going back to the bar…

By charging people i place value on myself and the commitment of clients.  I understand that the only thing bringing some people back for the first couple months is their financial commitment.  They think, just like i do, “I paid x for this training so it better work and i’m not gonna just throw the money away.”  Those that don’t show usually didn’t have enough of a commitment and thats my fault as much as theirs.  I have actually increased the price of training on clients that would cancel frequently.

Anyway, i hope this makes sense to some of you, both coaches and clients.  Bottom line is that i would do this for free, but its unlikely that most people would initially.  Its also highly unlikely that a landlord would go for that…