Active Management

Tag: fitness business

  • Hiring, Training & Recognition Of Your Humans [Part 3]

    Hiring, Training & Recognition Of Your Humans [Part 3]

    Everyone wants to be respected & appreciated for their efforts and results (and tenure).

    What are you doing informally and formally to show appreciation for your teams?

    Handwritten notes (a lost art); meaningful gifts; public acknowledgement in person and in written communications, appreciation for spouses/partners that put up with our team’s passion and work schedules, raises, bonuses, titles, promotions…

     

    Reproduced thanks to the kind generosity of Norm & Justin Cates at Club Insider

    Click here to sign up for a 1-year online-only subscription to Club Insider

  • #JTInTheRaw Show 87 | The Number One Trait Needed To Accomplish Your Goals

    #JTInTheRaw Show 87 | The Number One Trait Needed To Accomplish Your Goals

    If you want to lose weight, then you have to do something different to what you are already doing.  

    If you want to read more books, then you have to do something different to what you are already doing. 

    If you want to make more sales, then you have to do something different to what you are already doing. 

    If you want to make more money, lead your business better, or do anything in life better then you have to do something different to what you are already doing. 

    And I bet $1million that most of you already know what to do you just don’t have the discipline to start it, do it and then remain consistent! 

    Welcome to JTInTheRaw show 87 where I chew the thin on business. I feel that every show can help any type of business, department or even sporting team. If you are a regular and agree give me a love heart… 

    And today’s show I am going to kick some of you in the butt and others I am going to turn the light on for you in a dark room.  Today, I’m going to share thoughts on your discipline to get things done.  I’m going to have you think and do different with 5 tips. 

    Shout Outs  

    A shout out to the Precor Team who sent me to Brisbane this week to talk all thing social media with a bunch of their clients.  Thanks for the opportunity and kudos to the Team for thinking outside the box on how to add value to their clients and potential clients!  

    In show 85 I said you need to get shit done to achieve your goals.  And I do not shy away from that in the slightest.  If you missed show 85, click here. This show cracked 500 views in the 3rd fastest time, so it must resonate with #JTInTheRaw fans!  

    If you missed the show, click here! 

    To get shit done requires discipline and after a few coaching calls this week, I think I need to talk about this today! So hold on to your hat . . . 

    Whether in terms of your diet, fitness, work ethic or relationships, self-discipline is the number one trait needed to accomplish your goals, lead a healthy lifestyle, and ultimately, be happy. 

    According to a 2013 study by Wilhelm Hoffman, people with high self-control are: 

    • Generally happier than those without. The study identified the self-disciplined subjects were more capable of dealing with conflicts and decision making.  
    • The self-disciplined people spent less time debating whether to indulge in behaviours detrimental to their goals, and were able to make positive decisions more easily.  
    • The self-disciplined people did not allow their choices to be dictated by impulses or feelings.  
    • Self-disciplined people made informed, rational decisions on a daily basis without feeling overly stressed or upset. 

    Here is perhaps the key point of show 87: self-discipline is a learned behaviour. It requires practice and repetition in your day-to-day life. To improve your own self-discipline, test out these 5 proven methods for gaining better control. 

    Let me say that again: self-discipline is a learned behaviour. It requires practice and repetition in your day-to-day life.  

    And one more time: self-discipline is a learned behaviour. It requires practice and repetition in your day-to-day life.  

    From all my research the best business leaders, sports person and entrepreneurs have learned this behaviour just like you can! 

    I have 5 tips I found to help develop your self-discipline: 

    1. Remove temptations 
    2. Eat regularly & healthily 
    3. Don’t wait for it to feel right 
    4. Schedule breaks and rewards 
    5. Forgive yourself & move forward 

    So let’s pull these apart . . .  

    1. Remove temptations. Yourself-control is easy when you abide by the old saying, “out of sight, out of mind.” Removing all temptations and distractions from your environment is the crucial first step to improving your self discipline. 
    2. Eat regularly and healthily. Studies show that low blood sugar will weak your resolve. When you’re hungry, your ability to concentrate suffers as your brain is not functioning to its highest potential. You cannot focus on the tasks at hand. 
    3. Don’t wait for it to “feel right.” Improving your discipline means changing your normal routine.  You must – I repeat MUST – acknowledge that it will take a while for your new regime to feel right or natural. Keep pushing along. You will get there! 
    4.  Schedule breaks, treats, and rewards for yourself. Your new regimen doesn’t need to be entirely cold turkey, hard core, or drill sergeant-like in execution. If you give yourself zero wiggle room you can expect failures, disappointments, and giving into your old ways. While practicing your discipline, schedule specific breaks, treats, and rewards for yourself – remember positive reinforcement of what you want. 
    5. Forgive yourself and move forward.  Instituting a new way of thinking won’t always go according to plan. You will have ups and downs, fabulous successes, and flat out failures. The key is to keep moving forward. When you have a setback, acknowledge what caused it and move on.

    So for you to improve what you achieve in your business, yes you need to get shit done but you need self-discipline to get that shit done!   

    The have 5 tips to develop your self-discipline: 

    1. Remove temptations 
    2. Eat regularly & healthily 
    3. Don’t wait for it to feel right 
    4. Schedule breaks and rewards 
    5. Forgive yourself & move forward 

    Next week  

    My week: 

    • Sunday – training @ Barry’s Bootcamp
    • Monday – Soul Cycle session & an International Roundtable meeting 
    • Tuesday – Roundtable meeting at San Diego Zoo 
    • Wednesday – convention begins 
    • Thursday – My first presentation on social media 
    • Friday – my second presentation on culture 

    Next week #JTInTheRaw will come to you LIVE from IHRSA! 

    Quote Of The Week: 

    Self-discipline is a learned behaviour. It requires practice and repetition in your day-to-day life.

  • Learnings From Amanda Bond On The Fitness Business Podcast

    Learnings From Amanda Bond On The Fitness Business Podcast

    Last week I spoke with Amanda Bond about stopping wasting money on Facebook Ads

    During the show, you will learn:

    • What you need to know about the Facebook Algorithm changes
    • Advice for Fitness Professionals to maximise your reach without spending a fortune on advertising
    • Should you start a Facebook group?
    • Understanding the Facebook pixel and re-targeting
    • Top 3 lessons for fitness professionals to use re-targeting

    Amanda also said:

    “Show up and be human on your platform so you can truly connect with your tribe.” – Amanda Bond

    Listen To The Podcast Now

  • Hiring, Training & Recognition Of Your Humans [Part 2]

    Hiring, Training & Recognition Of Your Humans [Part 2]

    Tell – Show – Do

    Tell what you want – Show how it is done – Do it with the new staff member (hands on).

    Without all three, you will just be “hoping” that your expectations are met. Remember, no matter how talented your team is, they cannot read your mind, at least not in the beginning.

    Think about cleaning for example.  If I said wash the car, one might have varying degrees of what that means. The iterations could be from these examples plus many more possibilities:

    • Wash & Rinse
    • Wash, Rinse & Dry
    • Wash, Rinse & Dry plus add Armor All to the tires and plastic trim
    • Plus clean the interior windows and vacuum the interior
    • Plus wipe off the dashboard as well

    But if I said detail every aspect of the car’s exterior and interior other than the undercarriage and engine, that would have a different meaning.

    Each expectation should be shared.

    The point in communication around expectations and responsibilities is we all too often assume others view things the way we view them.  Then we get disappointed with them when they didn’t do it “right” (“Right being defined the way we envisioned it being done.”) When someone doesn’t “get it” – it very well may be them, but as leaders, we should first question did we do what was necessary to make sure they “got it”.

    If we did our job and they didn’t perform, that is a performance management issue.  If we didn’t do our job in setting up clear expectations then that is on us, not our team member as good leaders/managers.

    My good friend Brent Darden often shares the concept of the “briefback” / “brief back” / “backbrief”– This is a concept that when a directive is given, the recipient repeats it back so that both parties are clear on alignment and understanding.

    From Velaction.com: “The process of giving instructions often leaves a significant amount of room for misinterpretation. People are often distracted during the briefing, or skim the email containing instructions. Or, the recipient may just make some different assumptions than the person delivering the instructions. Regardless, as in the childhood game of ‘telephone’, the message’s intent can be distorted. The briefback is an effective tool to manage that ambiguity. A briefback (sometimes called “brief back” with two words, or “backbrief”) is exactly what it sounds like. The person or people receiving the instructions give a synopsis of the instructions they just received. The person originally giving the instructions can then determine whether the message was received properly. Obviously, if the repeated version is not the same as the original intent, the instructions should be clarified.”

    Reproduced thanks to the kind generosity of Norm & Justin Cates at Club Insider

    Click here to sign up for a 1-year online-only subscription to Club Insider

    You may also like:

    Hiring, Training & Recognition Of Your Humans [Part I]

  • #JTInTheRaw Show 86 | 3 Presentation Tips To Command A Meeting Or Presentation

    #JTInTheRaw Show 86 | 3 Presentation Tips To Command A Meeting Or Presentation

    When speaking to any group, what you do and how you do it will determine if your meetings rock or whether they sink like a rock.    

    When speaking to any group, what you do and how you do it will determine if you’re seen by your peers as a leader to follow.  

    Welcome to JTInTheRaw show 86 where I chew the thin on business. I feel that every show can help any type of business, department or even sporting team.  

    If you are a regular and agree give me a love heart as this week I share 3 tips I shared this week with my daughter on how to command the attention of 28 nine year olds in her presentation.  And funny these 3 tips are super relevant for all of us who lead meetings.  Get them right and you will think and do different in your meetings! 

    WOW! What a week!  Mine has been HUGE! What about your’s . . . how would you rate your week on excitement level – 0 fall asleep excitement and 10 cannot sleep excitement! 

    Tell me in the comments below . . . 0 through to 10?  

    Now thanks for asking about my week. Here are 2 highlights: 

    1. The Fitness Business Podcast hit 1000 show note subscribers this week and this puts a smile on my dial!  Plus we are within a whisper of 200,000 downloads!  I know 200,000!  As our competitors continue to copy what we do – which we now take as a compliment – we continue to soar!  We have 3 meetings in 2 weeks with potential new sponsors, which is awesome exciting.  
    2. I had the first New Zealand Industry Leaders Roundtable meeting in Auckland.  I am so grateful for Ryan and Lisa who showed the faith to join me and their support.  It was an awesome meeting as we delved into marketing strategies, pricing structures, leadership behaviours and more.  It was bloody awesome and I cannot wait to see what this group will grow into.  If you are a NZ fitness business owner, now is the time to join! Pop ILR in the comments below and I’ll send you some info. ILR below go! 

    Just two of my highlights that helped me hot 10 in my excitement rating scale – what about you?  How do you rate your week?

    It was also this week, where I had time to think about the leadership training I did last week in Broome.  And I am grateful for the opportunity to work with teams developing their leaders.  It is awesome! 

    My daughter Zoe has decided to do her public speaking assignment on the Invictus Games. This was her decision and it is because she loves how sport is bringing wounded servicemen and women together and making them feel better about themselves. Her words not mine.  Her words from the research she did before she even started writing her speech!  I think it’s just because she has a thing for Prince Harry! 

    Anyway, when kids say and do something like this how great it is when they do something that makes you proud.

    So it was this week when I was helping her prepare that I identified 3 basic tips we should all be doing when speaking to groups of people or to our teams – if we want to be seen as a leader. 

    You see I am also invited to sit in on team meetings to give feedback to the owner or manager on how they lead the meeting, so these tips are for you!   

    And for years I ran shit meetings, so I think now I am old enough and ugly enough to know how to lead a meeting and how not to!  

    Here are my top 3 tips!  In fact, these 3 tips could be used in ANY meeting or any presentation.  

    1. Be prepared and therefore confident 
    2. Your body language tells the story 
    3. How you say it shows your conviction 

    Let’s pull each one apart. 

    Be prepared and therefore confident. 

    Too many times I hear managers confess they were not fully prepared for the staff meeting.  That’s just bull shit!  No formal meetings are “just” called and if they are you have a bigger problem in your business than how you lead meetings! 

    You must take the time to prepare for your meetings.  This means thinking about what you want to say, then planning what you want to say and then writing down what you want to say.  For some of us, it is even practicing what we want to say!   

    When you are fully prepared you will be 

    • Very clear in the message you want to convey.  
    • Your message will be concise 
    • There will be flow 
    • Your tone will exude confidence 

    Remember, you cannot cover everything in every meeting!  You’ll overwhelm the team, they’ll switch off and you may as well not have had the meeting! 

    Give your topic overview in the meeting concisely and back that up with handouts post meeting or a 1:1 later.  

    From my experience, when you are not prepared you will: 

    1. Ramble . . . waffle . . . go on a tangent or just fill the time with crap -> by the way this leads to your team never wanting to come to a meeting! 
    2. Umm . . . aghh . . . you know . . . and use other filler phrases as you think what to say.  This will lose your audience in the meeting and once they are gone, it’s challenging to get them back. 

    Quite simply the more prepared you are the more confident you will be and the more confident you are the more your team will listen and the more they listen the more they will follow you as their leader. 

    Let me say that again . . .  the more prepared you are the more confident you will be and the more confident you are the more your team will listen and the more they listen the more they will follow you as their leader. 

    If you agree . . . hit me with one of those love hearts! 

    Your body language tells the story. 

    I’m no body language expert.  There are some basics that I do know. 

    When you move, move with purpose or for a reason.  Too many times we walk around aimlessly in an attempt to have the people in the meeting feel sea sick as they follow us around the room!  Keep still!  If you want to emphasis a point walk forward or lean forward.  You can walk 2 or 3 steps either place from the centre but not to the edges of the room! 

    Do your best not to shake your legs or tap your toes.  These are distractions for your audience! 

    The solution is not to sit down! Never ever sit down when leading a meeting!  Your voice tonality will change when you stand.  And your personal confidence will also be lifted! 

    Your body language will mirror your confidence.  So guess what the more prepared you are, the more positive your body language! 

    Give me a thumbs up if this is something you need to work on – wandering the room when speaking? 

    And lastly . . . 

    How you say it shows your conviction. 

    Many of you would have heard “It’s not what you say it’s how you say it.” And never a truer word has been uttered to help you command and lead a room full of fitness pros, real estate agents, staff members, prospects, sportsmen or 9 year olds learning about the Invictus Games! 

    You have to be passionate about your topic.  Your passion will come through in your tone. 

    You have to have conviction in your topic.  Your conviction will come through.  

    You have to have empathy in your topic. 

    Your empathy will come through. 

    Whatever emotion or feeling you want from your speech, that must be in your voice! 

    And the feeling you want people to have from your chat, discussion, presentation or speech will be determined by how prepared you are! 

    So Zoe and anyone else who is watching today, speaking to a group really boils down to for me, how prepared you are!  If you agree give me a love heart. 

    Don’t be shy, if you are agree that the success of your presentation is based on how prepared you … hit that love heart. 

    I am not a public speaking coach or expert.  What I know is that the better you can convey your message the better leader you are.  My speaking coach is Michelle Bowden and she rocks!  She is the best speaking coach on the planet!  If you would like to refine, improve or just start speaking pop MB in the comments and I’ll send you her details. She has a terrific book that can be shipped anywhere and does face to face presentations in Australia.  So MB in the comments for my coach’s details. 

    Now before a sign off today, a reminder that on Wednesday I set my next 2 week challenge.  This is the third challenge for the year and it goes like this . . .  

    • Think of a limitation or something that scares you this fortnight – maybe it is public speaking.   
    • Approach this from a different angle.  Push yourself to go past it.   
    • When you have conquered it, you’ll realise it is not as bad you imagined. 

    Do it over 2 weeks 

    • Think of a limitation or something that scares you this fortnight – maybe it is public speaking.   
    • Approach this from a different angle.  Push yourself to go past it.   
    • When you have conquered it, you’ll realise it is not as bad you imagined. 

    Thanks for being part of the fun today! I really hope you learned and will use the 3 tips to lead your team, department or business.  And feel free to share the show with other members of your team or people you know by tagging them in the comments OR just hot share and share away! Thank you for whatever you do! 

    If you liked today’s show, please give me one final love heart . . . live on replay hit with some love! Please! 

    And finally, quote of the week . . .  

    The more prepared you are the more confident you will be.  

    The more confident you are the more your team will listen. 

    The more they listen the more they will follow you as their leader. 

  • Learnings From Jan Spaticchia On The Fitness Business Podcast

    Learnings From Jan Spaticchia On The Fitness Business Podcast

    Last week I spoke with Jan Spaticchia about culture starting with the big conversation.

    During the show, you will learn:

    • Key questions to ask about your fitness business
    • How to ensure culture is part of the business regardless if you are in one location or many
    • Ways to measure the success of your culture

    Jan also said:

    “You have to hire for attitude and train for skill.” – Jan Spaticchia

    Listen To The Podcast Now

  • Expert Financial Training with a $0 Price Tag

    Expert Financial Training with a $0 Price Tag

    Mike Michaelowicz​

    Thinking about financial management ​may not be high on your list of priorities, but like it or not, understanding your finances is a necessary part of running a successful fitness business.

    Mike Michalowicz​ is the ​founder of three multimillion dollar companies and ​the ​author of​ Profit First, The Pumpkin Plan and The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur​. In 2016 I had the opportunity to interview Mike and I learn​ed ​that finance doesn’t have to be complex and daunting. ​

    Here are some simple rules he shared: ​

    • Stop what’s not working, and start focusing on what ​IS​ working and amplify that.
    • Set up multiple accounts, when money comes in, disperse it in pre-determined percentages.
    • Change the way your operating to work within the confines of what money is available for operating expenses – remove the temptation.
    • Be selective of your clients – not all clients are created equal, look at the ones at that are your best and focus on them. If you have the courage to get rid of your weakest clients and automatically your profits get boosted.

    Two years after our first catch up, Mike generously agreed to share his knowledge once again during our 2018 interview for The Fitness Business Podcast Intensive Series on Financial Management.

    This time we covered 4 specific areas:

    1. Recourses to improve your knowledge around financial management
    2. Tips for improving cash flow in your business
    3. Strategies to reduce expenses
    4. How to stick to your New Year financial resolutions

    For each topic, Mike, provides detailed information and key take-aways for fitness professionals. Each episode is available as a podcast as well as a downloadable transcript.

    If you are wondering how we could bring you a complete 4 week series completely Free of Charge, well, its thanks to the  amazing support of our exclusive podcast partner for The Intensive Series – ABC Financial.

    Plus we have to give ourselves a high five, because Active Management are the proud providers of the weekly transcriptions (You’re welcome!)

    What next?

    Go to www.FitnessBusinessPodcast.com and click on the Intensive tab, in fact I’ll make it even easier for you by giving you the exact links to his shows:

  • Your Fortnightly Challenge #3

    Your Fortnightly Challenge #3

    This Fortnight’s Challenge:

    • Think of a limitation or something that scares you this fortnight.   Approach this from a different angle this week.  Push yourself to go past it.   When you have conquered it, you’ll realise it is not as bad you imagined.

    Your challenge is to do complete this within 14 days.

    Every two weeks we pose a challenge for you.  A challenge where the focus is on you – it could be around self-care, getting to know yourself better, or stretching your comfort zone.

    And why?

    Because we know when you look after yourself physically, mentally and emotionally then you are a better leader.  You will lead your business, your Team and your clients or customers with energy and enthusiasm.  You will #thinkanddodifferent.

    Tell us how you go and even what help can we give you.

    #DoItForTwoWeeks

    Next Challenge Starts

    Wednesday 28th March

  • Gym Chain Owners Lead With Investing In Leaders

    Gym Chain Owners Lead With Investing In Leaders

    You’ve heard me say this in #JTInTheRaw show 74, if you give a s*#t about your staff then give a s*#t about them.  Last week, I saw owners care about their team beyond the numbers. They cared about them as people.

    Life & Soul have 4 clubs in north Western Australia – about 1200km apart. Bolted on to 3 of their box clubs are their own F45s. The owners, Cindy and Pete, are assisted by Tom, the regional manager, and a team of club and department managers who love their jobs and their clubs.

    Last week I had the amazing opportunity to work with them on developing their leadership skills. We covered:

    • Habits to make them personally high achievers;
    • Setting personal goals to achieve more and set examples for their teams;
    • Managing their businesses by numbers and implications of every action on a business number;
    • The importance of social media in the club’s positioning in the community and their role in that strategy; and
    • How to develop a strong, successful challenge.

    Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the meeting for me was when we spontaneously went on a tangent and had some of the leaders give presentations that I gave feedback on.

    It was right then that it dawned on me how powerful the art of public speaking is in the leadership equation.  When you can command a room or a group with how you speak, rather than what you speak, you become a leader at a deeper level.

    Congrats to the team as they took on the feedback and I know they will be leading their staff meetings with more conviction and confidence!

    Finally, Cindy and Pete exemplify ownership leadership. They are outstanding examples of empowering and delegating. They are allowing their leaders to flourish and fail, so they learn.  They are providing their team unique opportunities to help them get better.  They are tailoring their own conference to the business needs.

    I love IHRSA.  I love Filex.  I love big industry conferences.  They rock!!

    But I can see how running a 2 to 3 day internal conference truly benefits your culture, leadership development and trust amongst the team. The tailored messaging strengthens the brand and the individuals.  This is definitely worth including in your 2018 budget.

    Thanks Cindy, Pete, Tom and all the Team from Life & Soul and F45 for allowing me to work with you.

     

  • Hiring, Training & Recognition Of Your Humans [Part I]

    Hiring, Training & Recognition Of Your Humans [Part I]

    I know there is a lot of talk about Millennials (more now as they are the major force in the marketplace), Boomers, Generation X and every other classification demographers can come up with.  There are currently 5 (Yes – FIVE) generations in the current workforce.

    • Gen, aka Generation Z: born 1996 and after
    • Millennials: born 1977-1995
    • Generation X: born 1965-1976
    • Baby Boomers: born 1946-1964
    • Traditionalists: born 1945 & before
      (Credit:  genhq.com)

    But let’s spend a few minutes on Humans and Human Nature.

    I will make some assertions (what I believe):

    • The Generational Classifications are a result of what people have experienced during their formative years – not some radical shift in genetics or human behavior, or even moral compasses.
    • Everyone wants to do a good job and not be mediocre within a quality organization

    If you agree, then the goal is to set very clear and granularly explicit expectations on what a “job well done looks like”.  We often make assumptions on Great Customer Services; Immaculate Cleanliness; Profit Optimization; Expense Control; etc … But we don’t dive deep on what these things truly mean within our organizations, how to do them and what the outcome/results look like.  We sometimes (many times), still leave too much to chance on the interpretation of organizational objectives with the new associate/team member (or even more senior team members).

    So how do you approach this challenge:  We need to share what great service looks like; share what immaculate cleanliness looks like; share how to create new profit centers; share how to rethink expense control.  We shouldn’t mandate or dictate something without teaching/mentoring it.

    Reproduced thanks to the kind generosity of Norm & Justin Cates at Club Insider

    Click here to sign up for a 1-year online-only subscription to Club Insider