Active Management

Tag: fitness industry

#JTInTheRaw Show 24: Which New York Gym Is The Best & Staff Accountability
Welcome to JTInTheRaw show 24 and I am so much warmer than last week! In today’s show:
- Let me tell you about the latest book I am reading;
- I’ll answer an #AskJT on staff accountability
- What am I up to next week
So last Friday was freezing my butt off in Times Square, New York City. If you missed show 23 watch it how – click here.

I headed to IMAX Shift on Friday morning then backed up in the evening to go to AKT in Motion before finishing of my NYC adventure at Tone House on Saturday morning.

Every work out in New York was different. Every studio was different. Was one better than another, I don’t really think so. I think some may have been more suited to me but none was better than another. They were just different.

And that is a great lesson for everyone in business, no matter the business. Forget about being better and competing on who is the better gym, personal trainer, real estate agent, clothing designer or widget maker. Focus on being different. Make a decision to go with your niche or target group, understand what they want and make that your difference. Compete on difference.

While meeting with my fellow Roundtable facilitators, Mark shared a book called ‘You Win In The Locker Room First.’ I am loving! It is easy to read although there are no pictures. I am just half way through and the book is dog eared and destroyed with notes and hi-lighting.

The theme of the book is the 7 C’s to building a winning team:
1. Culture
2. Contagious
3. Consistent
4. Communicate
5. Connect
6. Commitment
7. Care
Grab your copy by clicking here

I was then doing my initial coaching session with a new client yesterday. She has just taken over as a Club Manager and she was asking about the importance of culture.

I said to her that culture will be the driving force that creates the resilience, toughness, passion and attitude to overcome obstacles and challenges.

I told her that:
- Culture drives expectations and beliefs
- Expectations and beliefs drive behaviours
- Behaviours drive habits
- Habits create the future
She asked me “Where do I start?”

I said your culture is what do you stand for. What do you want to be known for? And when you know the answer to this, the right people will work for you as they will stand for the same thing.

Apple is famous for saying ‘culture beats strategy.’

My suggestion to her was focus on culture from today and then worry about strategy.

This is a really enjoyable book. It is very American as one of the authors is an NFL coach, so if you like hearing sports stories to explain leadership . . . grab a copy.

#AskJT

This week’s #AskJT comes from Melissa in Adelaide who asked, “I know I should but I struggle to keep my staff accountable. Any tips”

Good question Melissa and let me suggest keeping your staff accountable starts with you. You are their leader and you must be consistent in your behaviour. You must be consistent in your leadership style, approach, attitude, philosophy, and tactics. If you are inconsistent you lose the trust of your staff and then you lose the game!

Despite the lows of the adversity or the highs of success, you must remain consistent in your feedback.

I would suggest that every staff member has 3 numbers that they need to achieve. Each of those numbers have 3 levels:
- BAM
- Target
- Goal
I talked about goals last week, to watch click here.

Your role is to:
- Be their cheerleader if they hit those numbers
- Be their coach if they don’t
You need to monitor those numbers at least weekly and maybe daily. The faster the feedback on the numbers, the more accountable they will be. This is your role.

My big tip Melissa, face to face . . . you cannot beat holding your team accountable face to face. Way more powerful if you are talking one to one. You can see body language and determine authenticity and listening levels from your staff.

The key word is consistent Melissa.

Next Week

I have the last coaching sessions for the year with Sylvia, Manny, Lachlan and Chris.

I am running an orientation session for Amanda, Cam and Aaron who are new members on the Club Owner Roundtable – which by the way has a couple of positions available in 2017, if you are keen to know more pop ILR in the comments below and we can chat.

I am off to the opening of Stable Base. A member of the Victorian Personal Trainers Industry Leaders Roundtable brand new studio. Very exciting to check this out and congrats Greg on what you have done in such a short time!

On Thursday & Friday I have my final Roundtables for the year with my Victorian & NSW PTs. We are using the formula discussed in Verne Harnish’s book Scaling Up to set the Vision and plans for these PT businesses for the next 12 months. I’m not sure the Team realise how challenging these could be to complete! Nevertheless, next week is the coaching session for them to have completed by February next year.

And if you want to know more about the ILR for your PT business click here.

And that’s my week!

On top of these things, I am finalising the theme for my business in 2017. I’ll give you a hint – I am highly influenced by Gary Vaynerchuk. Stay tuned as I’ll share our 2017 theme soon.

Quote of the Week . . .

Perhaps the simplest quote but one in which if you get it right will mean 2017 will be your best year EVER . . .

“It all starts with culture. One team. One culture.”

Check out all previous shows here: http://www.activemgmt.com.au/category/jt-in-the-raw/
December 14, 2016
Press Release: MYZONE Launches “The MYZONE Moves Podcast”

CHICAGO – December 8, 2016 – MYZONE, a wearable technology company, announced today the launch of a new podcast called “The MYZONE Moves Podcast.” Hosted by MYZONE Master Trainers, Dr. Ayla Donlin and Emily Sopo, M.S. the podcast provides an in-depth look at the fitness and wellness industry, while also discussing MYZONE technology.

“In addition to personal application using MYZONE, we’ll get the inside scoop on how to effectively integrate MYZONE into facility programming,” said Emily Sopo, M.S.

The podcast will cover a variety of topics including: sports nutrition, wearable technology, fitness management, exercise science, sports performance, and more.

“One of our goals with this podcast is to appeal to a broad audience, from fitness enthusiasts to club owners/managers to fitness professionals. The guests we will interview on the podcast will have expertise in many health and fitness related fields,” said Dr. Ayla Donlin.

“The MYZONE Moves Podcast” is available on both iTunes and Google Play with new episodes released monthly.

About Dr. Ayla Donlin

Dr. Ayla Donlin is the Director of the LifeFit Center @ The Beach, a health and fitness facility and educational laboratory on the campus of Long Beach State University (LBSU). Ayla has been active in the fitness industry for more than 12 years as a group fitness instructor, personal trainer, group fitness director, master trainer, and health club general manger. She is also the chair of the Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIMOC) Leadership Team at LBSU and advises the EIMOC student organization.

About Emily Sopo, M.S.

Emily Sopo is an Assistant Director of the LifeFit Center @ The Beach, a health and fitness facility and educational laboratory on the campus of Long Beach State University (LBSU). Emily has experience in several forms of group fitness, personal training, management, and teaching. Emily is a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and a certified group exercise instructor through the Athletics & Fitness Association of America. She also holds a Master of Science in Kinesiology, Exercise Science degree.

About MYZONE

MYZONE is a wearable fitness technology company that develops accurate wearable technology, to provide engaging and motivational experiences to support behavior change that make exercise habits stick. MYZONE’s primary markets are premium gyms and health clubs, corporate wellness sites and educational establishments. MYZONE is already represented in over 2,500 facilities in 35 countries. For more information, visit http://www.myzone.org/.

December 13, 2016
#JTInTheRaw Show 23: Live From Time Square New York & Talking NYC Gyms

Here I am in New York City. The city that never that sleeps. If you can make it here you make it anywhere.

For many the mecca of theatre and musicals.

For others the financial heart not just for the US but the world.

Others may see New York as the place for fashion.

For me a micro-ecosystem of fitness offerings.

Today, I’ll share some of my experiences with some of those offerings and a powerful insight that sticks with me every day from the author Jim Collins when it comes to setting your business goals. So let’s have some fun today with #JTInTheRaw show 23!

No notes this week . . . you’ll just have to watch the video!

Quote of the Week . . .

Working in Agenda 1 in business is the easy route. Working in Agenda 2 & 3 requires thinking and produces growth, results and fun!

Check out all previous shows here: http://www.activemgmt.com.au/category/jt-in-the-raw/

December 8, 2016
Fitness Australia announce formation of Fitness Industry Standards Council
Fitness Australia has announced the formation of the Australian Fitness Industry Standards Council – an entity that will help to advance and elevate Australia’s fitness industry.

The newly-formed council will seek to – among other things – develop, manage, promote and review a suite of standards, codes, guidance materials and other documents to assist the fitness industry to manage safety and improve service quality.

Comprised of ten members appointed in October 2016, the council boasts a unique and diverse range of experts who will contribute to the future positive direction of the fitness industry.

Three of the council members represent academia, with experience in the fitness industry and in a relevant discipline (sports or exercise science, business, law), while another three are experienced industry practitioners. There is an additional three external members, including a representative of consumers, a representative of education providers, and a person with experience in accreditation systems.

The members of the Australian Fitness Industry Standards Council are:
- Professor Patrick Keyzer(Chairman), Law Academic
- Professor Kevin Norton, Exercise Science Academic
- Professor Elisabeth Wilson-Evered, Business Academic
- Mr Max Martin, Experienced Industry Practitioner
- Mr Michael Cunico, Experienced Industry Practitioner
- Mr Gavin Aquilina, Experienced Industry Practitioner
- Ms Maxine Cooper, Consumer Representative
- Dr Melissa Arkinstall, Education Representative
- Associate Professor Michael Greco, Accreditation Expert
- Mr Craig Knox, Executive Officer & Secretary
The objectives of the Council are to:
- Develop, manage, promote and review a suite of standards, codes, guidance materials and other documents to assist the fitness industry to manage safety and improve service quality;
- Develop, manage, promote and review a suite of standards, codes, guidance materials and other documents to assist the fitness industry to support Fitness Australia’s registration and accreditation programs;
- Develop a risk management model and a program of total quality management for the Australian fitness industry that is based on data and other inputs that will help drive safety improvements by guiding prioritisation of standards development and regulatory activity;
- Provide independent technical advice to Fitness Australia staff, the Board and the public; and
- Undertake initiatives to support Fitness Australia’s role as the peak body in the self-regulatory model of fitness service provision in Australia.
- Fitness Australia CEO, Bill Moore is excited by the opportunities to affect positive change and direction in the industry with the guidance of the newly-formed council.
“This is an exciting time for our industry, and when you can attract the quality of members that we now have on The Council, it’s cause for even more excitement,” said Moore.

“This is an initiative designed not just to provide standards, as the name might suggest, it’s really a chance for some of the brightest minds in the industry and in a number of different specialist fields to get together, discuss, plan and project on where the industry is headed.

“We’re part of an ever-evolving industry and the formation of this council is a step towards reflecting that even further.”

Stay tuned to fitness.org.au for updates from the newly-formed Standards Council as they come to hand.

About Fitness Australia:

Fitness Australia is the peak health and fitness industry association, providing a range of support services and solutions to almost 30,000 registered exercise professionals, fitness service providers and industry suppliers Australia-wide.
December 2, 2016
#JTInTheRaw Show 22: If You Burn Out, You’ll Burn Your Customers
In show 22:
- Why the show was aired late on Friday;
- How to avoid burnout;
- #AskJT is about contra deals in business;
- And a huge announcement where next week’s show will be!
For any first time watchers #JTInTheRaw is your weekly Facebook Live show that is generally on 8am (Sydney time), 1pm LA time, 4pm NYC time or 9pm London time and it is where I just chew the thin! It’s a business licorice all sorts show that overflows into life!

Your other option is to subscribe to #JTInTheRaw on YouTube and you’ll never miss a show. Click here to subscribe.

The reason today’s show is late is this morning I had a colonoscopy.

I have a chronic illness called Ulcerative Colitis. I won’t gross you out with the symptoms of this disease! It means I need to have my colon examined every 12 to 24 months, which is great as it forces me to get EVERYTHING checked! This means prostate cancer, colon cancer and anything else down there and as well as regular blood tests looking for abnormalities!

Which is just awesome because I’m like most men – bullet proof; lazy about their own health and SO busy! Just SOOO busy!

In all honesty, I know if I didn’t have to have this procedure I’m not sure I would “get around to” having my colon, prostate or anything else checked.

Colon cancer facts:
- It is estimated that it will become the 2nd most commonly diagnosed cancer this year.
- The age-standardised incidence rate will be 62 cases per 100,000 persons (74 for males and 51 for females)
Prostate cancer facts:
- In 2016, it is estimated that the risk of a male being diagnosed with prostate cancer by their 85th birthday will be 1 in 6.
- It is estimated that the risk of a male dying from prostate cancer by their 85th birthday will be 1 in 30.
- There will be more males diagnosed with prostate cancer this year than females diagnosed with breast cancer
- More stats by clicking here.
Cancer is a very real disease, so guys get to the Doctor to have a check up. It certainly has greater prevalence with males over 50 but cancer doesn’t discriminate on age!

If you know a male over 50, commit to speaking with them over the next 48 hours about getting a prostate cancer check.

Shout Outs

By this time of night in the US many Americans have passed out in food coma! Nevertheless, I’d like to shout out and wish every American a happy Thanks giving. I hope you had an incredible day with your families.

A HUGE shout out to everyone who watched show 21 where I had a little rant about celebrity trainers and peak bodies calling them out. If you missed the show click here to watch.

I’d also like to give a shout out to some new clients this week in my business:
- Great to have Aaron apply this week for the Club Owner Industry Leaders Roundtable. We have a couple of others on the fence;
- Confirmation from Cindy for me to work with her Team on their annual Retreat and Bonny for the opportunity to work with her team; and
- Amy a Pilates & Yoga Studio owner as a new coaching client.
And a quick shout out to QANTAS! A few weeks ago I had my bag crushed in a conveyor belt. Totally trashed and Qantas have been outstanding and timely with their service. I am very grateful for what they have done and I am pleased to say, I’ll be staying with Qantas!

Harvard Business Review Article

This week I read an article in the Harvard Business Review titled ‘Managing Yourself. Beating Burnout.’ Fascinating research and findings.

I guess you won’t be surprised to know that the symptoms for burnout are:
- Exhaustion – profound physical, cognitive and emotional fatigue.
- Cynicism – you detach yourself from your projects – ie disengage.
- Inefficacy – relates to feeling incompetent, unproductive or under achieving.
The author Monique Valcour shares some recovery & prevention tips:
- Prioritise self-care – she says “It’s essential to replenish your physical and emotional energy.”
That’s funny because if you are doing the #RefillYourCup Challenge you will be warding off burnout! Next week is week FOUR of this challenge and you can join at any stage. We are shooting for 8 weeks of 15 minutes every day of journaling and examining what are you grateful for. If you missed show 19 where I explain the #RefillYourCup Challenge watch it here.

Valcour goes on with:
- Shift your perspective – you will need to alter your perspective to buffer the negative thoughts.
- Reduce the stressors in your job – identify the stressors first then re-set expectations of your family, team and colleagues of what you are willing to take on.
- Seek out connections – Develop rich interpersonal connections for personal and professional development.
Interestingly when she was explaining the last tip, she talked about a powerful networking group called Vistage – an advisory program with non-competing peers. Funny sounds like the Industry Leaders Roundtable!

In every business we have customers – they could be our staff or paying customers. If we are short, cynical or down on ourselves we cannot be customer centric and that WILL impact our business!

Let’s ensure we don’t burn out or our team. Lets increase our consciousness to everyone’s behaviour to ensure that their battery is full of juice!

#AskJT

This week I had a question from personal trainer in Melbourne. Linda asked, “I’m just 3 months into business and I have been doing a contra-deal with a client for them to do my website and I train them. Problem is my website needs some love and I feel guilty asking him to look at it.”

Linda contra deals or swapping services are a great way to save money when starting out but a sure fire way to create unwanted stress if one of the parties is not happy.

My two tips around contra from your side of things are these:
1. Have them quote for the job you need first. This way you know exactly what the cost is.
2. Then suggest an equal value swap of services. This means if the website design is 1000 bucks and you charge 100 a session, then the offer is 10 sessions.
I suggest that you both sign whatever ‘customer paperwork’ is required. The person you are doing the deal with must know the expectations of being a client of yours and vice versa. The more open the discussion from the beginning the better arrangement.

You know Linda contra deals are just like employing anyone as either a service provider or an employee. Communication from the beginning is critical. From the beginning have the “goal posts” set and agreed upon. Ideally, in writing so that you can both refer to the arrangement in the future, if needed.

Always, get it right at the front end and the back end will take care of itself.

Next Week

It’s a big week for me and it all starts on Sunday with an 8 year old gymnastics party. Zoe turn 8 on Monday, so her party is Sunday.

Then Tuesday I fly to New York for the rest of the week. I am meeting with the REX Roundtable chairs from around the world. It is a massive couple of days of professional development. This development makes me a better facilitator and leader for the Industry Leaders Roundtable.

So show 23 will be coming to you live from New York City. So if you want to see the show from Times Square – give me a thumbs up to see the all sights & sounds of NYC!

Now before I go, on a serious note, today is White Ribbon Day in Australia, a day where we focus on preventing violence against women.

I’m going to take The White Ribbon Oath with you all as my witness and hope you do the same: “I will stand up, speak out and act to prevent men’s violence against women. This is my Oath.”

Quote of the Week . . .

Get it right at the front end and the back end will take care of itself.

Check out all previous shows here: http://www.activemgmt.com.au/category/jt-in-the-raw/
November 29, 2016
FIT-TECH: WEXER ANNOUNCES ACQUISITION OF CLUBVIRTUAL

The UK based fitness technology company Wexer has this week acquired Dutch based company ClubVirtual. The combination of Wexer and ClubVirtual will create a new industry market leader leveraging Wexer’s recognised position as a global pioneer in virtual fitness, with ClubVirtual’s well-known brand in Europe.

With virtual installations in more than 40 countries, Wexer’s mission will remain the same after the acquisition: making world-class exercise accessible to more people through technology. CEO for Wexer, Paul Bowman states that this acquisition is part of the overall growth strategy.

“Over the past eight years, we have been able to secure a very strong market position across all continents. Predominantly by helping operators transform dead studio space into active space through the use of virtual classes.” he said. “Now, we are additionally helping clubs expand outside their four walls through streaming and mobile technology. This acquisition will allow us to empower more club groups faster when it comes to creating digital ecosystems to engage their members.”

The fitness industry is undergoing a period of intense change that is rapidly redrawing the competitive landscape and breaking down barriers between brick-and-mortar and technology. Through a number of strategic partnerships as well as constantly developing products and services, both Wexer and ClubVirtual have successfully helped club groups operate more effectively in this new and more technology-centric market.

“The thinking between our two companies is very aligned and becoming part of Wexer is a great next step for us as well as an incredible opportunity for our clients. We really look forward to continuing to support key operators in their endeavours to be of value to their members 24/7 through the use of technology, and excited to be on the forefront of this transformation of our industry” said CEO for ClubVirtual, Laurens de Kock.

ClubVirtual will continue to operate their company to produce high quality virtual fitness content, which will continue under the ClubVirtual consumer facing brand.

CONTACT:
Wexer: Paul Bowman, CEO
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +447803 356994

ClubVirtual: Laurens de Kock, CEO
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +31 (0)85 888 28 53

About Wexer
Wexer, short for “World of exercise”, was founded in 2008 by fitness entrepreneur Rasmus Ingerslev. The company has grown from initially focusing on replacing dead studio space with virtual classes to offering a wide range of digital solutions that allow clubs to provide services to their members 24/7/365 in, and outside their clubs. Wexer works with numerous key stakeholders in the fitness industry including the majority of the top 25 health club groups globally.
www.wexer.com

About ClubVirtual
ClubVirtual was founded in 2008 by entrepreneurs Martijn van Lierop and Laurens de Kock. The company has more than 850 installations across 18 countries. Their mission is to create the ultimate fitness experiences for athletes of all levels with ClubVirtual’s well-known brand ClubVirtual Cycling^®. A successful immersive virtual cycling concept, currently available in 12 languages.
https://www.clubvirtual.com/en/fitnessclub/

November 26, 2016
Want To Remember People’s Names For Less Than Two Weeks of Gym Membership?

This SIX part professional development video is a great tool for everyone in your Team, as there are weekly exercises to complete to improve the ability to remember people’s names. Using people’s names is the fastest way to connect with them; critical in making a sale; converting a PT client; or appeasing a cranky member. And saying “I’m not good at remembering names is fallacy.” It is a skill that needs to be practiced. Follow these exercises and I guarantee you will be better at remembering names.

Use the code 'Active' to save $25 and grab your copy of the staff training tool for only 25 bucks!

November 25, 2016
#JTInTheRaw Show 21: Why Celebrity Personal Trainers Piss Me Off
Show 21 today, where if you hang there with me I have:
- A rant on celebrity trainers and how they piss me off for not being ‘part’ of our broader industry. That is to come!
- Some very exciting news for my business;
- Plus the regular #AskJT question.
First I want to share with you an interesting opportunity I want you to know and then capitalize on in your business: in every business around 20% of our customers would pay 30-50% more if we had a product to offer.

A the Industry Leaders PT Roundtable we discussed premium packages and some of the ideas that were floated were amazing! So cool for the consumer. A huge opportunity for business.

The reason people won’t pay more for what you do, is because you don’t think they will pay more. You have the limiting belief not the consumer!

Get to work on your premium products:
- Have a limited number.
- Sell them for a restricted time.
And make 2017 a ripper year for you!

#AskJT

Each week you can ask me any questions on work, life and anything in between.

This week I was chatting with someone and they asked me a question I have never been asked, “JT why are you not telling people you are an expert? You’re a fitness industry veteran, you’re on the Fitness Australia Roll of Honour as a leader, you’ve owned clubs, you have bought and sold them, and you know your shit. Do you feel embarrassed to self promote?”

WOW! They hit me right between the eyes! It said I need to seriously look at my brand, my message that’s going out and I need to better position myself as an industry expert.

For whatever reason in business, many of us try to remain humble. Yet the consumer wants to know that they can:
1. Trust us;
2. Know what we are doing through proof.
You shouldn’t be ashamed of what you have achieved! There are two fitness businesses that have done that:
- Vision Personal Training have a video for their weight loss challenge & Andrew Simmons nails it – we’ve been doing this since 1999; we’ve helped thousands of people lose 134 tonnes or 84 RAV 4s!
- Jumpstart Personal Training say on their website: Since 1997, Jumpstart has trained over 2,000 locals and run over 50,000 sessions. We’re that good, our clients stay with us, on average, for 5 years.
You have a story to tell that positions you differently from your competitors. Don’t be shy, humble, bashful or any other verb to indicate not telling people you are good at what you do!

If you can see what I mean, then I want to know. I want you to write the word ‘story’ in the comments below. This will show me you are going to work on your story to show:
- Credibility
- Trust
Thanks for questioning me Kayley. You challenged my comfort zone and I have some work to do!

OK here comes my rant . . .

#JTRant

Would you go to a surgeon to have an operation who doesn’t have any qualifications or isn’t registered with the Medical Board? Would you go to an accountant who has no formal qualifications or not registered CPA?

Then why the heck do people go to ‘personal trainers’ who have no qualifications or are not registered? Can someone please answer me that?

Can someone tell me, that if I have a good enough body to take selfies with my shirt off how that makes me a personal trainer?

It doesn’t sit well with me and it shits me that people who are doing the right thing, getting qualified and then registering with Fitness Australia, or the peak body in any country, and then getting no support from that same body to educate the consumer.

I Googled a few ‘famous’ celebrity trainers and many appear to have at least completed Cert IV in Personal Training – although less than half actually say they have a PT qualification. But none of them said if they are registered.

I Googled several trainers the next level below ‘famous’ who have thousands of Instagram followers and many of them have no qualifications other than rock hard abs and a soft porn instagram account.

Now as Geoff said on my Facebook feed yesterday, “There’s plenty of very qualified people that are still muppets.”

Geoff is 100% right.

So I am not saying qualifications are the be all and end all but we need some qualification process.

I think what angers me more is what are our peak fitness bodies in each country doing? If they want to build their own brand, support the people who are playing by the rules and help build trust between the fitness industry and the consumer then call out the charlatans!

I’m quite serious, take a scalp! Get on every media outlet and call out a celebrity trainer or an Instagram trainer who may not be qualified or not have the Industry registration.

There are some great trainers who are playing by the rules and they are getting no support from the industry bodies. If the industry body wants credibility then go hard on the charlatan trainers!

And if you’re a celebrity trainer or qualified Instagram rockstar then for goodness sake start telling people you are registered with the peak body and you follow the CEC rules, that will help educate our consumers! And make our industry stronger!

Tell me below do you agree? Or disagree? I’m putting out there so join me with your opinion.

Now for Active Management news

As many of you know we have an online membership program. Members receive unbelievable value for just 300 bucks a year. I mean there are at least 17 marketing templates which is worth 3400 bucks minimum. There are over 400 social media tiles ready to load on your social accounts that are guaranteed to get you likes, comments and shares. Another couple of thousand worth of value.

We currently have over 500 members and my goal is to have 2000 members by the end of 2018! This means sales and retention of our members. So to ensure our current members are gaining maximum value in 2017 there will be 3 opportunities to join. Our focus will be on serving our members with quality resources and content. So only 3 months in 2017 will you be able to join.

Membership is currently open and will be until the 31^st December or until we get 700 members – which ever comes first! So become a member.

Every minute you spend designing a marketing piece, writing a staff form or something else, is a wasted minute as there is probably a resource on the Member hub you could use.

If you want to join, click here.

Next Week

Show 22 will prove very challenging next week. You see I am booked in for a colonoscopy. As guys get closer to 50 we need to check down and in there! So that’s on for me next week. I’m not sure of my procedure time, so I’ll keep you posted on when #JTInTheRaw show 22 will be!

Quote of the Week . . .

“We choose to help someone, thank someone and take care of those around us. No leader of the country can stop that choice. The choice to lead is in all of us.”

Check out all previous shows here: http://www.activemgmt.com.au/category/jt-in-the-raw/
November 22, 2016
#JTInTheRaw Show 20: Leadership, Marketing Over Christmas/Holidays & Boosting Productivity
WOW! What a week . . .

I guess in the future many of us – no matter the country we reside in – will be able to remember where we were when it was announced that Donald Trump became President elect. As so many described, it was a historical day for the US.

And I’m not going to make any comment on the result or the individuals but what I will say is in the democratic world that we live in, there is always a winner and a loser in an election. Whether we are happy or not with the outcome, we all had a chance to impact the result and we should be grateful for that opportunity.

And in our own little world, we can kiss or hug our parents, partner or children and then we can do something positive with them or for them.

We can be the leaders we want to be with our own families, at work or in our communities.

We choose to help someone, thank someone and take care of those around us. And no leader of the country can stop that choice.

The choice to lead is in all of us.

#JTShoutOut

Analee from Oh Magazine who has joined the Active Management Supplier Directory. Check out the Supplier Directory here.

The Team from ABC Financial who have confirmed they are going to be our newest partner on the Fitness Business Podcast. This is super exciting and very cool.

NSW Waratahs who have asked me to be their ground announcer one of their games in 2017. Could this be a new career path for me?

New coaching clients this week Chris and Haythem. If you would like to work with me, click here to see my coaching packages.

And a special shout out to Zoe my little girl who is having her band try-outs today. And she has never played a musical instrument and it is band try outs today, so perhaps my shout out should go to the volunteer band master who has to listen to 100 odd year 2 kids playing a variety of instruments!

#RefillYourCup Challenge

We are now entering week 2 of the #RefillYourCup challenge. I talked about why it is important to look after ourselves last week in show 19. If you missed show 19 click here.

I want you to give yourself 15 minutes every day for 77 days to answer the following questions to #RefillYourCup:
1. What are you grateful for?
2. Who do you appreciate?
3. What opportunities did you see today?
4. What are the top 3 things to do tomorrow?
5. How are you travelling in your 84-day plan in regard to work; personal; family.
This exercise will boost your personal vitality, add positivity to your mood and help improve the brand that we call “YOU.”

I challenge you to do this daily as part of your routine. Are you up for it?

#AskJT

You can ask any questions you like and each week I’ll endeavour to answer them.

This week’s question comes from Peter in Brisbane who asked me, “December & January are bad months for me in business. I never do any promotions and have no sales. Is this normal?”

Peter a great question and this is 100% normal. It doesn’t matter what month of the year it is, if you are not doing any marketing then it will be a bad month. I don’t care if you’re selling gym memberships, personal training, cars, houses or widgets . . . when you don’t ask people to buy your product they won’t.

In December everyone is spending money. They are generally spending for other people but they are in the habit of taking out their wallets or purses and opening them. Your job is to give them a compelling reason to open it and spend it with you!

In January, you could say is slow as people are in holiday mode. But not everyone is going away, not everyone stops spending in January and so again you need a compelling reason for them to buy from you.

The reality of business is this Peter – if you plan for a bad month, you will have a bad month. Plan for sales and a strong month and you will have a strong month.

By the way Peter, we have some awesome Christmas vouchers you can order from us. They are an editable file, allowing you to insert your own details and logo. They will save you loads of money and time! Click here.

Next Week

I am in Sydney ALL week! Wahoo! So next week is a big week of writing, planning, catching up and ticking items of my project list for Alicia!

With so many things I need to do next week here is my plan and it may help you:
- Over the weekend I plan to go through every project I have to complete in the week.
- I will list them out from maximum income producing to least income producing.
- I will code them as either creative or operational.
- I will then allocate 45mins in my diary to each item based on their priority and having the creative items in the morning and the operational items in the afternoon.
- If after entering all my items I have any time left over, I’ll allocate review time of the major items and further work on them.
Why only 45 minutes? It is going to be like interval training. I will go hard for the 45 minutes and then recover for 15mins. Then go again. If I know I only have 45mins I’ll work lots harder to get more done.

Next Friday is FitnessBiz Brunch in Sydney. This is the last education event for 2016 that I’m doing so Sydney people get along & grab a ticket at activemgmt.com.au. I’m sharing the cheapest marketing strategy you will ever do! Plus taking you on a tour of over 40 health clubs around the world.

And of course I’ll continue with my #RefillYourCup Challenge.

Quote of the Week . . .

“We choose to help someone, thank someone and take care of those around us. No leader of the country can stop that choice. The choice to lead is in all of us.”

Check out all previous shows here: http://www.activemgmt.com.au/category/jt-in-the-raw/
November 15, 2016
#JTInTheRaw Show 19: How To Boost Your Vitality In Just 15 Minutes A Day
Welcome to show 19, I have been in Perth this week where I had an awesome time! I worked with 3 clubs:
- One club I worked on the service we deliver during the sales process. We talked a little about to how to close more sales but more focus was on how to be remarkable from prospects and members.
- One club we designed a 12-month marketing plan.
- And then the final business we talked about leadership, being an employer of choice and strategised the acquisition and retention of members.
I want to say a huge thanks to the owners and managers that invited me to work with their team. Your teams were open to ideas.

It was a great opportunity! And thank you! I am very grateful for the opportunity and the amazing feedback I have received.

In Show 18 I set you a challenge. Click here to watch show 18 and hear my challenge.

I wanted you to smile more to people. I wanted you to say please and thank you more. Did you do it? What response did you get? Tell everyone in the comments below . . . go!

I noticed the politer I was, the response I received was warmer.

Let me give you an example. Some of you may have seen on Facebook what happened to my bag on a Qantas flight. It looked like it had got caught in the conveyor belt and was completely trashed. I was furious – actually that was an understatement. When I got to the hotel I rang Qantas and gave them what for and achieved zero!

The next day I had to take my bag to baggage services back at the airport and show the damage to my bag, clothes and the 11 pieces of my fav drink bottle. Now I had calmed down and I thought I am going to change my mindset about this incident as being angry will get me nothing and I’m only talking about a bag and some clothes.

When I got to the baggage services, I was smiling, polite, patient and I felt empathetic toward the staff member – they would be used to being abused and I was determined not to go down that road.

I was consciously polite. I was authentic. I wasn’t faking my politeness. And I genuinely smiled – a lot!

The result a wonderful interaction with the staff member of Qantas. She exceeded my expectations. And I walked away thinking “WOW! What an experience!”

I am 100% positive that experience correlated with my politeness. The result of this conversation reinforced to me the power of smiling, pleasing and thanking people.

If you didn’t accept my challenge last week, then please accept the challenge this week of more smiles to people. I want you to say please more and thank you more. And tell me what results you get!

The 84 Day Challenge For A Thriving You

If I could promise with just 15 minutes every day you can have greater vitality, lead a thriving life and have a massive positive impact on your family, your partner or your work mates or Team would you be interested?

I am quite serious, 15 minutes every day of doing what I am going to share with you will boost the brand we know as ‘you.’

Every day, for the next 84 days – that is 12 weeks – I want to challenge you to write – not think or type – actually write with a pen and paper the answers to the following:
1. What are you grateful for?
2. Who do you appreciate?
3. What opportunities did you see today?
4. What are the top 3 things to do tomorrow?
5. How are you travelling in your 84 day plan in regard to work; personal; and family?
Will you do it?

Go on give yourself permission to be happier, thriving and increased vitality version of you.

#AskJT

You can fire any questions to me using #AskJT. Tweet me, FB me or email me.

This question comes from Brian in London. Brian sent me an email and asked, “My best performer in sales is not a team player. She doesn’t follow the culture of the business. She is a negative influence on not just the sales team but the whole business, including our clients. BUT she is selling nearly double the units to everyone else. I have tried everything with her. What should I do?”

WOW Brian, a star performer selling double what everyone else is selling. AWESOME! We all want one of them in our Team. But we don’t want the negative behaviour, as I read your email I knew it would be too good to be true.

Let me say if you think you should fire someone then you should!

If you have counselled her Brian – as you say you have – then despite her amazing sales numbers I would let her go. Perhaps the reason she is double everyone else is because everyone else is performing 50% less because they are disengaged owing to her negativity.

An easy metaphor for understanding what happens with a negative Team member is that of a rotting piece of fruit in a fruit bowl. The one piece of fruit begins to rot and then that rotting moves to the piece of fruit next to it and the rotting spreads until finally every piece of fruit is rotten and we have to throw the whole bowl out.

Brian before your Negative Nancy infects anyone else with her negativity, suggest a career adjustment. Do all the legal requirements but move her on.

If you think you should fire someone then you probably should!

Reading This Week

I wish I had something to report on what I have read this week but I haven’t read anything! I have been prep’ing for work with the clubs and didn’t open a book or a magazine! How bad is that?

Listening This Week

I did however listen to two podcasts – the last 2 shows from the Fitness Business Podcast.

Can I just say Chantal’s interview with Jay Baer in show 75 I think is the best show ever! It is incredible and so many takeaways for anyone in business – especially in marketing and handling complaints.

Then this week, Chantal backed it up with Susan Fowler. She wrote a book called “Why Motivating People Doesn’t Work And What Does.” And this interview is simply fascinating! She is right in the grill of how in business we motivate people and challenges the paradigms. It is a truly thought provoking interview for anyone who has a team or even for fitness people who have to motivate people to work out! I hope the producers of the Biggest Loser listens as it will completely change the way trainers train the contestants.

Next Week

First up for ALL the Active Management members watching today, tomorrow we have the 3^rd Virtual Roundtable with our legal Ninja Scott McKenzie. Scott is an expert in all things legal and he specializes in the fitness industry! He will be online every day in the Member Hub to answer your questions and share powerful insights into the legal aspects of running a business. Seriously, log on to the Member Hub and join the conversation.

On Wednesday, one of my coaching clients has a new studio they are opening, so I am going to swing by and check it out. I’m also going to do a face to face coaching session with at least one other coaching client too. I find the occasional face to face coaching sessions are something that my clients really love.

I have the last of my two day Industry Leaders Roundtable for Personal Trainers. We are meeting in Melbourne and one of our members is in the Hot Seat! She and her business partner will be presenting their business plan for their second studio. We will listen and then help strengthen their business plan. This is always exciting and a powerful asset to being on a Roundtable.

If you are interested in knowing about the Roundtable as a personal trainer, then type ILR in the comments below and we can organize a chat. And if you know a personal trainer who you think should be on a Roundtable, then tag them in the comments and if you have been tagged then lets talk!

#JTInTheRaw show 20 will come from Melbourne next Friday morning. I’ll be squeezing a quick show in before day 2 of the Industry Leaders Roundtable.

I really appreciate it when you hit like on the show; when you hit share and share the show; and am very grateful when you tag someone in the comments for them to watch the show. So if you liked todays show, now is the time to hit like!

Quote of the Week . . .

“In our life, we give so much to others. We must remember it’s a positive to slow down, take stock and refill our own cup.”

Check out all previous shows here: http://www.activemgmt.com.au/category/jt-in-the-raw/
November 8, 2016