Well, here we are, another year in the history books. What an interesting year it was for me and Core Fitness and Nutrition.
Bear with me because this is going to be long. 🙂
Going into 2015, my list of clients was stable. I had quite a few clients carrying over from the previous year, and I was in good shape.
Just like every year, I don’t get New Year’s resolution clients. January is actually a very quiet time for me. What happens is that everyone runs to the gyms thinking they are going to finally get in shape because they have a brand spanking new gym membership.
But then the end of January comes. And they are either only going to the gym once a week or not at all.
Then the end of February comes around, and they start thinking that they need someone to help them. The end of February/first part of March is when I start to get a lot of inquiries.
So just like years prior, it happened again this year. But this year was a little different. I got a lot of inquiries, but not a lot of people followed through. They would either inquire through email about price or I had some consultations where they didn’t sign up after their consultation because they thought my services were too expensive.
One person even signed up, was raring to go, and then quit before we got started.
*shrugs shoulders*
So I came out of the spring with a handful of new clients while still training my current clients. And that handful of clients is still going strong except for one. But she was a student at CSU and moved to Longmont. Thanks, Mary S., Emily, and Shana. You guys are great.
In May, I got the pleasure to actually compete for a client. You see, there is an online service that allows people to request quotes from service professionals. They submit an inquiry and we bid on our services. What I have found is that the majority of people who are requesting bids are looking for the cheapest deal.
Well, guess what? I am definitely not the cheapest trainer in town.
But the good news is that it also allows me to screen these people because this online service provides details about them. I can see their demographics, their location, and what they are trying to achieve. It helps me to determine which potential clients may be a good fit.
I got an inquiry through this service from a guy looking for a trainer for him and his wife. This person also gave me a call, but I was at lunch and didn’t feel my phone vibrate. He didn’t leave a message, but I decided to call him back regardless. Thankfully I did because I would have missed out, and I didn’t have to pay the service for the lead.
They did a consultation with me and they also interviewed two other candidates. At the end of the day, these potential clients at the time chose me over the other two candidates even though I charge more. It was a gratifying feeling. Thanks, Rich and Cathy. You know how much I love coming over to laugh and make you guys work. 🙂
In June, my wife and I took a trip to Napa/Sonoma for our anniversary. The kid stayed with Grandma and Grandpa, and we got a whole week to ourselves.
Well, guess what happened in the week that we were gone?
Three, count them, THREE clients got hurt. I was gone for one week and everything fell apart. One client completely shattered her knee, one client hurt her foot and the other strained her lower back very badly.
The take-away from this? I guess I can’t go on vacation anymore.
By the middle of summer, a whole new set of challenges took place. A few clients actually QUIT before they achieved their goals. That hasn’t happened since I worked at a gym when we first moved to Fort Collins.
It was quite bizarre. I am still trying to figure out what went wrong.
The good news is that over the summer, I gained a few 20-year-old clients that are busting their butt even to this day. It’s always refreshing to me to find younger clients who are committed to getting a jump on their health and fitness now versus later. These two young ladies have renewed my faith in the Millennial crowd. 🙂 Thank you, Teah and Brittany (and I should throw Emily into this shout-out to the Millennial crowd, too)!
I also picked up a GREAT family that trains together. Mom, dad, and their teenage son work together. We have a lot of fun and Naomi (mom) has lost over 40 pounds! She has another 20 to go, but I know that she is going to do it. Naomi, Vince, and Aidan, thank you so much for making each workout fun AND for teaching me the ins and outs of homebrewing and sharing your beer with me. 🙂
And then Lauren signed up.
Not to give you details on who Lauren is (even though you will learn about her soon enough), but I can tell you that Lauren is going to be my greatest success story to date once we get done.
You see, since the beginning of August, Lauren has lost… (drum roll, please)
45 pounds!
And the thing about Lauren is that she is NOT going to gain the weight back. She busts her ASS with every workout. She is getting her diet under control AND she is working out on her own.
Lauren, you are a freakin’ rock star.
Going into the fall, I said goodbye to a few long-term clients that decided it was time to move on. They were great clients and did a lot of good work. Maybe they will come back at some point. 😉 Thanks, Mary D. and Nate.
And here we are at the end of the year. From September to just last week, I signed up five new clients. All are doing well and also putting forth a tremendous effort. I can’t ask for anything more. John, Faye, Jennifer D., Betty, and the most recent client (who gets started next week), Beth. We are going to continue to do some great things!
So here is where I give a shout-out to my long-term clients. You guys have humbled me by continuing to trust me with your health and fitness needs. Here they are in the number of years that they have been working with me:
Sheryl and Besa: 9 years in February 2016 (WOW!)
Meg: 8 years in Spring 2016
Craig: 5 years 5 months
Valerie: 4 years 8 months
Cathy: 4 years 4 months
Jennifer P.: 2 years 5 months
Verlane: 2 years 2 months
Blythe: 1 year 3 months
Tammie: 1 year 2 months
Stephanie: Working on a year. 🙂
I am looking forward to 2016 and seeing what transpires. I have said it before and I will say it again: I have the greatest career in the world. The hundreds (if not a thousand by now) lives that I have touched over the last 12 years have been incredibly rewarding.
I have the opportunity to change people’s lives. When I left college, I always said I needed to have a career that allowed me to help people. I did it. This is what I was supposed to do with my life.
Even if you are a former client or just someone who reads the newsletters, thank you as well. It has been my absolute pleasure to bring my passion and love for health and fitness to you.
So I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas, and I wish all of you the best in the new year of 2016. Let’s rock this place.
Committed to your health and fitness success,
Dennis Blair
Core Fitness and Nutrition