Coach's Chat

If you’ve ever felt frustrated because a client “just doesn’t listen to my advice”, you aren’t alone. Trainers with loads of expertise and a genuine interest in helping their clients dole out advice with the best intentions and still struggle to get clients to take it. The key is looking at how and why we give advice in the first place and then asking some key questions.  In this episode Betsy dis...

What is the difference between a novice trainer and a true pro? In this Episode, Betsy talks all things professional mindset and what might be holding you back including… a healthy dose of humility when you are brand new that there is no magic moment that you will feel like you know enough how seeking external validation as the only way you value your work sets you up to be disappointed 3 importan...

In the second part of this two part series, Betsy goes beyond big picture to talk about actual strategies for approaching potential clients on the gym floor (or wherever you run your training business). She talks... -why any initial conversation should be treated like the start of a relationship, with the intent of genuine connections -a few obvious (and sometimes not so obvious) DON'T DOs -w...

Many trainers dread it but in most cases it’s an unavoidable part of the job. Getting new clients means meeting new people, which if done without care or forethought can feel awkward at best and sleazy at worst. Whether it’s on the gym floor (if you work in a commercial gym setting) or somewhere else (if you work for yourself or online), you are going to sometimes have to start from scratch. In th...

Nobody (or at least no one I've ever worked with) became a personal trainer because they consider themselves a salesperson. Most personal trainers had their own transformative and/or meaningful experience with fitness and decided they wanted to help other people do  the same. So when it comes time to actually sell personal training, they balk. But is this because your conversations with prosp...

What do you do when your client shows up with no warning and a laundry list of aches and pains??? Yes, it happens more than you think. Part of being a great coach is being able to adapt, know when the issue is not in your lane, and determine how to proceed. In this episode, Betsy discusses… The common fear amongst new trainers that they might “break” their clients Why you should be prepared for no...

Ever feel like every one of your clients wants help with nutrition and you just don't know what will actually work? Give them a macro breakdown? Help them get more protein? Suggest supplements? It's a little simpler (and not surprisingly also more complex) than that! In this episode, Betsy gives you 3 big nutrition dial-mover topics to cover with your clients FIRST! These big topics: foo...

Becoming the best coach and trainer you can be means giving yourself the opportunity to embody your own unique coaching identity. And you do this by learning from different people! It’s common in the personal training world for people to get isolated in their comfort bubbles. Particularly at the start of their careers, new trainers dive all in and become disciples of the gym’s education system or...

As a rule of thumb, when it comes to general population clients, fitness has to fit in their real life versus the other way around. That's why the "No Excuses" mindset doesn't really help REAL people reach their goals. These excuses, otherwise known as obstacles/challenges, are inevitable. There are plenty of things that will need to take priority over fitness for our clients....

It’s true; the health and fitness industry is crowded. There are a lot of professionals out there doing the same things. The question is, does this mean it’s oversaturated? Is there room for you? In this episode, Betsy sheds some light on oversaturation in the industry, what that really means, and why more pros doing what you do IS NOT necessarily a bad thing. She breaks down… Why someone knowing...

The fitness industry has a MAJOR problem with personal trainer turnover. There are a few reasons and one of them is the lack of education/support around building success while maintaining healthy relationships and joy in their lives outside of work! In this episode, Betsy explains the typical struggles of a trainer at the start of their career (think awful schedules, low wages, little to no life o...

We are celebrating over here! Coach's Chat is officially 1 year old! And in this episode Betsy is sharing some gratitude for all the listens and kind words along with sharing some advice around the learning journey. For so many coaches, learning and professional development becomes another destination and they only allow themselves to feel confident when they hit some arbitrary milestone or g...

This is a NOT TO BE MISSED EPISODE!!!!! I’m joined by Tayna (Ty) Texidor who generously shares her experience and advice from 19 years in the industry! In this episode we chat about… Ty’s origin story that was sparked by an injury, led to work in athletic training, time in a biomechanics graduate program, and ultimately to an incredibly successful and rewarding career in personal training Why she...

It’s more common than you think… your client says they have a goal, you create a thoughtful program along with expert behavior coaching and still despite your best efforts it seems like your client just won’t do what’s necessary to get the results THEY said they wanted! This week I tackle this very issue that came from a listener request: what should I be doing when I want them to reach their goal...

With great power comes great responsibility… In this episode of Coach’s Chat I discuss body respect, how the way we speak about our own bodies can impact our clients, and how we can do a better job of creating safe spaces for all bodies in the training environment. I break down 4 important strategies you can use right away… Watch your language/talk around your own body/body image Establish ground...

It is a fact. You will lose clients. The best trainers in the world have lost clients. Money, time, and injuries are real reasons someone might stop training and that’s ok. In this episode, I break down the ways to insure you are doing the best you can to retain clients and also how to stop clinging to your scarcity mindset that has you stressing any time someone needs to take a break. Because the...

Can somebody tell me why we call all the important skills for relating to people and delivering great customer service “soft” skills?  In this episode, I chat about the pervasive problem in S&C and personal training where we diminish the importance of “soft” skills like critical thinking, communication, problem solving and intercultural fluency. Worse, we write these off as “un-teachable” when...

This episode is 🔥🔥🔥 Erica Marcano, MS ATC, CSCS sheds invaluable insight on burnout and overwhelm in athletic training, strength & conditioning, and personal training, with actionable tools for reflection and action to find joy in these helping professions. In the episode Erica chats about… her own journey from clinic, to boutique gym, to business ownership context for the role of athletic...

What does it truly take to be a great trainer? The best coaches are all unique but they share command of the 10 core competencies I detail in this podcast episode. If you want to build your most successful career and truly commit to bringing your clients the best experience possible, you need to take a look at where you are already crushing it and what areas need more attention. In this episode, I...

What if I told you showing up as yourself will increase the likelihood you'll attract clients you want to work with and have a long and fulfilling career? You are probably wondering how you could show up as anyone else, but I see it time and time again: trainers trying to fit a mold for some mythical gold standard trainer. All the while, clients are simply looking for someone who cares about...

How do I know I’m getting it “right” when it comes to programming??? I hear this so much! And I get it! You get taught the principles but how do you go from principles to practical application? I’ve got you! In this episode I talk all about… Fear of not being “good” at programming Some of the missing links that have left you feeling that way Why we need to shift the conversation to… “how do I make...

Michelle Farrell, whose path to becoming a coach included eye opening MLM experiences and a "non-traditional" path, is dedicated to creating coaching spaces for the folks who often get left out. She is consciously providing her clients with a safe, shame-free environment and the tools to decipher fitness and nutrition language to make decisions that align with their own personal values....

When it comes to streamlining your consultation and programming process, identifying some key "types" of clients that you are sure to see in the gym can save you time and energy and help you fill your training schedule. In this episode, I identify 4 types of clients that seek out personal training and what you can do to meet their specific needs/goals. Become a pro at spotting them, wow-...

True ownership of concepts, ideas, and principles means you can simplify them. You can synthesize all the information, boil it down to its essence, and then communicate it clearly without a lot of excess jargon. This episode is all about doing just that! I chat about... - Creating your own unique training philosophy (borrowing first) and then using it as the most powerful tool for communicating va...

A crash course in aerial coaching and so much more with Jessica John!! In this episode Jessica breaks it all down… -her unique origin story that interestingly enough began all the way back in a health club at a very young age -what it means to train for circus arts and to be an aerial athlete (she had to educate me!) -how she emphasizes strength work with her clients (often pushing against the ass...