An Entrepreneurial Personal Trainer Shares His Tips For Success



Hi All,

Following on from my previous posts on Getting Fit and the Entrepreneurship we thought we would share with you some info on starting up as a personal trainer. We catch up with Ryan Hughes which shares his tips on how to succeed as a personal trainer.

Personal training is all the rage right now. There are millions of personal trainers in the US alone, and it’s a lucrative business, so long as you get it right. Being a successful personal trainer is about having a regimented work ethic, the ability to be a mentor and to get on with a large variety of clients. You need to understand what makes people tick and help motivate those who struggle with procrastination.

Because the industry is so crowded, it’s often difficult, however, to make waves. Building a solid reputation and a personal brand takes time, and without the right strategy, you might find yourself low on money.


Ryan Hughes was a “dime-a-dozen” personal trainer when he first started out. But he soon realized that the key to success wasn’t so much what he did inside the gym, but what he did out of it. Here are some of his tips about what you need to do to succeed.

Entrepreneurial Personal Trainer Tip #1: Always Network

Personal training, Hughes says, is all about the people you know. If you network right, then success will follow. When Hughes first started out in personal training, he did everything he could to shake people’s hands. His social life became his business, and he evangelized about personal training and his own product everywhere he went.

He soon realized that his body was his business card and made sure that he trained hard every day, so he could be a living embodiment of what was possible with the right combination of training and diet. He says that keen personal trainers need to attend local clinics, fitness expos, businesses events and wellness fairs. Each new place you go is a potential platform to expand your business, he says, and win lots of high-end clients like he has.

Entrepreneurial Personal Trainer Tip #2: Build Lots Of Relationships

Many personal trainers think that their job is to facilitate the workout. That’s part of it. But the real task of the job isn’t loading weights and counting reps, it’s becoming a mentor and giving clients the energy that they need to succeed. For many trainers who go down the online personal training route, this is the majority of their job. Building relationships are the key to success. Hughes recommends investing as much time as you can into each of your clients. Ask questions about their life, he says, and try to understand where they are coming from. A little investment like this can go a long way.

Entrepreneurial Personal Trainer Tip #3: Make Yourself Different


Different personal trainers have different strengths. Because of this, says Hughes, not all personal trainers should do the same things. Some excel in small group sessions, others are great in classes, and yet others are better in one-on-one situations with individual clients. If you’re loud and outgoing, you stand a better chance of making a lot of money using group sessions. If you’re reserved and prefer to invest your time in a small group of friends, then you’re probably better off with solo training.

Hughes also says that it’s a good idea to have a particular area of expertise, like TRX or Pilates to differentiate you from the competition.

2 comments

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Johnwilliam said...

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