For this months business builder interview, I am going to introduce you to a trainer who is relativity new to the fitness industry but what she lacks in experience she makes up in passion and enthusiasm. I am talking about Sydney trainer, Rachel Dickman and her mobile business, Real Life Fitness. So lets find out how this career-changer has adapted to the world of personal training…
Rach, tell me how you first got into personal training?
I had an amazing personal trainer myself a few years back now. He got me out of my “diet” mentality and taught me so much about fitness and nutrition. I loved it so much I ended up entering a Fitness Model competition – this is when everything just clicked for me. I learnt so much about my body, exercise and nutrition it just became a no-brainer. I would find myself at the gym watching the other trainers thinking, “I could do that”. That combined with my quest for natural health (which is really another story), I think I kinda just morphed into a personal trainer from there.
Then from there, why did you want to go into business for yourself and how did you do it?
Well, I knew before I even got my PT qualifications that I wanted to have my own business I just hadn’t expected it to happen all so quickly. Before going out on my own, I really wanted to get 6-12 months of experience so I could learn and absorb as much as possible. While I was waiting for my certificates to come through I started approaching gyms to find out what they were all about and if I wanted to work for them.
Having come from the corporate world and completely changing my career I didn’t want just any job, I wanted to work for someone who had similar beliefs and values to me, I wanted to learn and I wanted the ability to earn decent money. After some very strange conversations and even after getting a job, I couldn’t find anyone who ticked all of my boxes. After talking things over with my business coach (actually I think I was crying things over), I decided to walk away from the job I landed after 2 days and go out on my own. To this day I’ve never looked back.
Who were your target market, what service did you provide and how did you market your business when you first started?
I really wanted to reach people who weren’t interested in going to the gym – I wanted the every day person who has tried all the diets and fads but have never had long lasting results. Enter the mobile personal trainer.
What was your biggest business challenge back then?
ME!!! I was definitely my biggest challenge. As I didn’t have any experience at all as a PT I really wasn’t sure I could pull it off. I thought I had to back myself up with testimonial after testimonial otherwise how would people know that I’m a good trainer. I mean there are so many other trainers out there why would they choose me when there are so many other experienced trainers out there. I now realize that people buy you, not your testimonials or your experience. They buy you as a person and what you can give them right now. I came to realize that I have got something that no other trainer has…. and that’s me!
What are your most successful marketing strategies for your business now?
It’s a bit of a mix really – the best offline strategies are networking, word of mouth and working with other local businesses. Also online is really starting to pick up for me now that I know what I’m doing thanks to you Rick. I’ve realized it’s all about finding your niche and just honing in on that. Saturate a particular market in a particular area and just go for it. I’ve learnt that you can’t be everything to everyone nor do you want to be.
What is your biggest business challenge now?
I would say that being the only person in my business is definitely the hardest thing. Being the CEO, the trainer, the admin person, the sales & marketing department and the finance and accounting team, can all get a little crazy at times. I must admit I really didn’t realize just how hard it would be but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I’m still finding my mojo with everything really.
Where do you and your business want to be in 5 years from now?
To be the most recognized & fun personal training and fitness business in Lane Cove, Sydney. I can’t wait to take on more personal trainers and have more fun exercise classes like our newly started Zumba classes. We are really just about having fun and making a difference to people’s lives. Exercise and fat loss is really not that hard – you don’t have to kill people to get results and I want to spread the word so that those who freak out at the thought of a personal trainer will realize that it really is easy to live a healthy lifestyle. It’s all about small steps taken consistently, like anything really.
As you can see, Rachel is really getting things moving for someone who hasn’t even been in business for a year at time of writing. It my opinion it all comes down t0 her simple attitude to be the best personal trainer in Lane Cove. Her dedication to continually learn new skills so that her clients can get the best possible results, while also still working fevorishly on the business-side of things has to be admired.
After reading Rachel’s interview, what aspect of her story do you relate to the most?
Cheers
Rick :-)
About the author: Rick Watson is the surfing, smiling personal training business guy who tells it like it is. He blogs, coaches, writes books and runs an online community for personal trainers but most of all he is a father and husband (with a healthy respect for road trips). If you like what you read, subscribe to the blog here or for more daily banter, you can follow him on Twitter here or Facebook here.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Guys.
Great interview. Rachel has been a lot of help to me by just networking with her, as we have found so many similarities. Like Rachel, I am young (18) & although I do not have all the experience in the world I am VERY,VERY, VERY passionate about fitness & know enough to be able to help me people – Hey, if I can go from 13% bodyfat to 4 or 5% in 16 weeks then imagine what I could help my overweight clients do! – practice what you preach!
Anyway, keep at it Rach!
As I am going to be Mobile as well, I will keep picking your brains!
Once again, great interview – Talk soon!
Hey Dallas
Dude, it is trainers like you that make this industry a great place to be. Keep up the great work and continue to hang-out with people like Rach and you will go far :-)
Btw – those BF figures are really impressive and like you said, being able to walk your talk is a massive part of being a great trainer.
Rick
Are you guys serious?
How about teaching your clients that 4-5% body fat is an unrealistic and unhealthy goal to set for anyone. Not to mention unachievable for the average person.
13% is bordering on unhealthy.
Rick, I must disagree, what this industry needs is trainers who understand that body image and self esteem are more important than causing cellular damage by dieting to the point of craziness to get a six pack.
What is important is teaching clients that true health and wellness has nothing to do with crazy low BF, it has to do with quality of life, feeling good about results, forward progress and continued commitment to lifestyle change.
Anyone in the industry with any knowledge knows that to maintain sub 10% levels of body fat in guys, especially over the age of 30 takes an enormous toll on the body.
Google cortisol effect.
Trying to get women below 12% is even worse.
Google early onset menopause, disrupted menstrual cycles, osteopania and more.
Dallas, if you really want to go far in this industry, realise that the average client you will work with could care less about your 4% body fat, in fact they are most likely intimidated by it. What they really want is someone who understands how huge it is to be able to run for a bus or chase the kids, that being able to lift their own body weight is amazing or fitting into the jeans they wore before they had their baby.
Unless you intend to work with body builders for the rest of your career, I suggest you come to grips with the fact that most of the people who utilise personal trainers, at least in my gym, are mid to late thirties or older (up to their 60′s) and low body fat and six pack abs don’t even enter the equation in 90% of the cases.
The one thing I will agree with is that Rachel is a forward thinking, young trainer who seems to be very switched on.
Keep on growing Rach, you deserve to be in the Big League.
Daran Pratt
Author, Motivational Speaker, Fitness Lecturer, Personal Trainer, Entreprenuer.
Hey Daran,
Welcome to the site and thanks for taking the time to make such a detailed comment. While I am all for telling it how is, I am also all for supporting young trainers. Everyone has to start out somewhere in this industry and I think it is important that while we educate young trainers like Dallas that we also show them a little respect.
Looking forward to more of your insights from the “big league”.
Cheers
Rick
Great post. I can relate to wearing all hats in the business and how crazy that gets!! I think thats when our passion shines through though as you really need a passion for this industry to make it work as it is a lot of hard work.
Keep up the great work Rachel you are one of the good guys!
Great post Ric
Hey Brad,
I think you hit the nail on the head mate. It is one thing to be a great trainer and get epic results with your clients, but it is another thing to be great at all things business. Then it comes down to the passion pulling you through the learning stages of your business til you develop the skills and experience you need.
Love it or leave it eh?
R
Great post guys and gals,
I am in a similar position to Rachel and it’s good to see that she is doing well and it gives me confidence that everything i’m doing is for the best. I think when you have the panic moment of being all hat in the business at once that you need to take a step back and remember why you got into being a personal trainer…I get reminded every time I see my clients groan, smile, curse and sweat in each session!
Hey Daran,
I was not implying that I want my clients to get to 4% body fat, not even bodybuilders maintain that so that would be stupid.. I meant that if I can do that then there’s no limits to what overweight clients (my target market) can achieve. It was meant in a more motivating sense..
Obviously I am dieting because competing is something I have chosen to do on MY terms as a bodybuilder BUT that does not mean I am going to be telling my clients to set goals of that caliber, because that would be stupid & unrealistic..& I know that. Just because I have chosen to compete in one bodybuilding competition doesn’t mean I will train every client to be a bodybuilder.
I understand also that most clients just want to “lose a few kg’s” & “keep fit” and think nothing of a six pack ..and at the end of the day it comes down to what THEY want anyway….I just think you read to far into my post as what you’ve posted is not at all what I meant.
Thanks,
Dallas.