I’ve just returned from a weekend long fitness seminar (The Fitness Summit) where some of the finest minds in my industry came together to educate, network and socialize to see each other succeed.
I have kicked myself routinely over the years for not taking it more seriously to attend events like this and finally made the commitment to go. I am so glad I did.
Not only did the summit allow me to meet former guests from my podcast but I was finally able to meet face-to-face many others who I would love to have on the show in the future. In addition, it was great to meet up-and-coming trainers who are trying to make a name for themselves in this industry. The camaraderie at the event was beyond description and I’ll definitely be making this event a priority to attend in the future.
It also reaffirmed how important it is to surround yourself with people who care about your mission, your goals and your vision. Not just from a professional standpoint but how seamlessly it transitions into our personal lives as well.
When you consider the popularity of programs like Weight Watchers or the efficacy of 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, etc. it’s built on the foundation of support.
Knowing this was the reason why I started a closed community on Facebook of our current active clients to help each other stay on pace to realize their goals. I recently went a step further and created two pilot groups to test the intimacy and effectiveness of a smaller group of clients who are motivating one another through food journals, daily weigh-in checkpoints and diet troubleshooting.
Many of my clients who had previously been stuck at a given weight are finally breaking through the plateau because the accountability in these smaller groups is helping them focus on what it takes to succeed.
We want to look to our spouses and significant others to help us along the way, and don’t get me wrong, they are important pieces to the puzzle. But let’s face it: men and women don’t always motivate in the same way and regardless of whether you are in an opposite or same-sex relationship, we don’t always desire the same things in the same ways at the same time.
That’s where your support system becomes a crucial factor to help you break through.
You need a place to vent and emote. A panel, if you will, of people who won’t always tell you what you want to hear but what you need to hear. In the business world, they are frequently referred to (often with a hefty price tag) as mastermind groups.
The premise is the same:
I have (or will have) a problem and I need people to help me solve it or avoid it.
So, take stock.
Who is your panel of support?
Look at friends, family, co-workers, Facebook acquaintances who share a common goal. Find those people, explain your dilemma that you need a solution to and build that network. It’s one of the reasons my clients hired me. They needed another person to support their goal and help them solve their respective challenge.
Through all these years of owning RevFit, I’ve been so fortunate to have an arsenal of strength coaches, dietitians, accountants, doctors, financial advisors, realtors, mortgage brokers, attorneys, you name it. The network for both my health and my livelihood is there. It’s not only for my benefit. That same network can be of benefit to my clients should they need it.
The people I met at the summit over the last weekend were yet another reminder that the support system can never be too deep, too vast and too multi-faceted.
But make sure beyond everything else, you find people you trust to be honest with you. People who shore up your weaknesses and have an emotional (or monetary) investment in seeing you be the best you that you can possibly be.
Oh, and allow me to introduce some industry folks who you really need to be aware of. Meeting these three in person was everything I had hoped it would be. I consider them part of my support system: (bottom left) Kelly Coffey of Strong Coffey Personal Training, (upper right) Patrick Umphrey of Eat, Train, Progress and (lower right) Melody Schoenfeld of Flawless Fitness. They’re brilliant and immensely inspirational people who I want to see continue their world domination. I believe that if you surround yourself with greatness, you have unlimited potential to succeed.
“We make great people greater”
