Trainer HQ

Thinking about running Meta Ads to grow your personal training or online coaching business, but not sure where to start? In this episode of the Trainer HQ Podcast, Brad Sheppard sits down with Revel 'Rev' Loughlin , the Meta Ads strategist behind Trainer HQ's advertising campaigns, to unpack what it really takes to launch your first successful paid advertising campaign. With advertisin...

What does it really take to more than double your gym business in just 18 months? For Jacob Weatherburn, owner of Apex Strength, the answer wasn't simply more marketing, more leads or longer hours. It started with changing the way he thought, operated and led his business. In this episode of the Trainer HQ Podcast, Brad Sheppard is joined by Trainer HQ Master Coach Ben Dulhunty for an inspirin...

You're surrounded by hundreds of gym members, yet you're struggling to build your PT client base. Sound familiar? The problem might not be the number of opportunities you've got. It might be what you're doing with them. In this episode, Brad and Jason unpack the biggest mistakes gym-based personal trainers make when starting and growing their businesses inside commercial gyms. From...

Braden and Cassie didn't start Pure Shift PT with a big client base, an established brand or years of online coaching experience. They started from zero. After launching in February, the early growth was slow. Around six months in, they had approximately nine clients. Then things started to click. By December, roughly 10 months after launching, Pure Shift had grown to 40 clients and $3,080 in...

Are you running a business, or have you just bought yourself a job? This is one of the biggest traps Brad & Jason see with gym and PT studio owners. You start as the coach. Then you become the salesperson, marketer, receptionist, cleaner, manager and everything else the business needs. And suddenly, the business can't grow unless you do more. In this episode, they break down 5 growth ceili...

Yani is a two time Junior World Champion, Australian powerlifting champion and Australian bench press record holder. She has also built a hybrid coaching business reaching $19,500 per month , while still prioritising training, family, travel and lifestyle. Her journey includes being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia at just 21, going through months of chemotherapy, rebuilding her strength and...

Most fitness business owners we know aren't short on strategy. They've done the courses, hired the coaches, built the plans. And yet the results plateau, the patterns repeat, and the breakthrough keeps feeling just out of reach. In this episode, Jason and Brad unpack what they've been building and testing through IGNITE Trainer HQ's flagship transformation event and the one shift that changes ever...

After 16 months leading business growth at Trainer HQ, Peter Lucid has spoken with hundreds of fitness business owners through discovery calls and sales conversations. In this episode, he shares the biggest lessons he's learned about sales, leadership, human behaviour and what consistently separates high performers from everyone else. If you want to improve your ability to attract clients, hav...

Philip Di Bella built one of Australia's most recognised coffee brands before achieving a $60 million exit. In this conversation with Brad and Jason, he shares the lessons learned from decades in business, his philosophy on marketing and brand building, the incredible health transformation that saw him lose over 80kg, and his perspective on where Australia's economy is heading. If you're looking t...

What does it really take to become elite at sales? In this episode, Brad Sheppard, Jason Urbanowicz and Brad D unpack the habits, mindset, and lessons that separate top performers from everyone else. From mastering the fundamentals and embracing relentless practice to handling rejection, pressure, and self-doubt, this conversation explores what it really takes to perform at a high level in sales,...

Most fitness business owners focus on growth, clients, and revenue. But very few think about their exit strategy. In this episode of the Trainer HQ Podcast, Brad Sheppard and Jason Urbanowicz sit down with Benny D to discuss the lessons learned from building and selling a fitness business after more than 20 years. They discuss: • Why every business owner needs an exit plan • What makes a business...

Why do some personal trainers succeed while others stay stuck for years, even when they have support? In this episode of the Trainer HQ Podcast , Brad Sheppard and Jason Urbanowicz unpack one of the most important topics in the fitness industry. They discuss: Why coaching alone doesn’t guarantee success The biggest mistakes that keep PTs stuck Why implementation matters more than information The d...

What actually is MxP… and why are so many fitness coaches starting to pay attention to AI and automation? In this episode, Brad & Jason are joined by MxP expert John Bellamy for a deep dive into the systems, automation, and AI tools helping fitness businesses simplify operations, improve follow-up, and create a better client experience. They unpack: Who MXP is for Who it’s not for Why most PTs...

Before investing in business coaching, most personal trainers ask the same three questions: • How much does it cost, and is it actually worth it? • What’s the difference between coaching, agencies, and other programs? • What am I really committing to? In this episode, Brad Sheppard and Jason Urbanowicz break these questions down in a clear and practical way. They discuss: The difference between pr...

Fuel prices are rising. Cost of living is up. And a lot of coaches are starting to feel it. But here’s the truth… It’s not the economy or rising fuel prices that’s slowing your business down. It’s how you’re responding to it. In this episode of the Trainer HQ Podcast, Brad & Jase break down what’s really happening when external pressures like fuel prices increase and why some coaches struggle…...

In this episode of the Trainer HQ Podcast , Brad Sheppard sits down with Trainer HQ Master Business Coach Mark Thomas to unpack his journey from school teacher in the UK to building a thriving personal training business in Australia. After arriving in Australia over a decade ago, Mark navigated farm work, visa challenges and a frustrating first experience in the fitness industry before eventually...

Many personal trainers consider business coaching at some point in their career. But before making that decision, there are three important questions worth asking. In this episode of the Trainer HQ Podcast , Brad Sheppard and Jason Urbanowicz answer the questions they hear most often from trainers considering joining the program: • Is Trainer HQ actually the right fit for where I am in business ri...

PT's work with us to grow and scale their fitness business to $2K to $5K+ per week. Find out how here: https://www.trainer-hq.com/business-coachingIf you’d like to automate your business operation to grow and scale, check out MxP: https://marketingxprofit.com/register-your-interest In this episode, we sit down with Trainer HQ Master Coach Lauren McLaughlin , a coach who has spent over 12 years...

Brad and Jason dive deep into the real reasons most trainers and coaches avoid video and why that hesitation is costing them clients, authority, and long-term growth. They break down the mental handbrakes behind content resistance, including fear of judgment, comparison, imposter syndrome, and the belief that you need to be entertaining or perfect to succeed online. This episode pulls back the cur...

Brad and JD break down the reality of PT burnout and why most trainers get stuck trading time for money on the gym floor. JD shares his journey from long, exhausting days and underpriced sessions to building a system-led business through online and hybrid coaching. This episode unpacks why under-selling sessions leads to burnout, how emotional decision-making holds trainers back, and why tracking...

Jason dives into why pressure makes even skilled people fall apart, and how learning to stay relaxed under stress can dramatically improve performance in sales, business, and life. Jason shares his personal story of anxiety, burnout, and self-sabotage, and explains how emotional regulation, identity, and subconscious programming determine whether you perform at your peak or freeze when the stakes...

Brad and Jason dive deep into how Trainer HQ has evolved its client acquisition strategy over the past 18+ years from old-school marketing methods to modern paid ads, content, and authority-led funnels. This episode breaks down what still works, what no longer does, and why education-first marketing, discovery calls, and long-term trust consistently outperform hype-driven tactics. Whether you’re a...

🎙️ In this episode from the Pathway to Profits program, we share the proven Trainer HQ system that helps fitness professionals increase their charge-out rates while improving lifestyle, profitability, and client quality. 💡 What you’ll learn: • Why raising your rates doesn’t mean losing clients • The mindset shifts required to charge with confidence • How experience and demand justify higher prici...

🎙️ Jason shares the Pathway to Profits method to help fitness professionals craft messages that resonate, attract their ideal clients, and close more sales. 💡 What you’ll learn: • Why understanding your ideal client is more important than hard-selling • How to craft marketing messages that truly speak to their needs and desires • A proven method to relax under pressure in just 30 seconds • How to...

Brad sits down with Ethan Weston, founder of East 2 West Fitness, to explore his journey from working as a tradie to building a successful personal training studio in Melbourne. Ethan shares the real story behind starting as a PT, growing under the roof of other gyms, and eventually opening his own facility, including lessons on team building, client results, and balancing hands-on coaching with r...