We were lucky to catch up with Dr Phil Nicolaou recently and have shared our conversation below.
Dr Phil , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.
When you offer a fitness services it’s best to offer to a specific market, this allows your marketing efforts to speak to a specific person. For example, with seniors, I offer solutions for maintain their bone density, enhance their balance and strength! Someone in their 30s isn’t worried about bone density or balance. They want to “get jacked” or have 6 pack abs. So as you can see, if you focus in on a specific market segment, you can speak directly to their concerns and how you can help them!!
Many trainers get certified and somehow expect clients to come, I’m afraid it isn’t that easy. Getting certified is a must as is being insured but marketing is a huge step and a critical one. All marketing is getting your message to the proper audience wherever they are.
In my early days, I was kind of hopping around unsure where to go with my career. I fell into seniors kind of by accident in addition to special needs clients (dementia, stroke, cancer). The focus absolutely helped me deliver my message to the right person who sought out my solutions.
To a young pro, getting that first cert is an important first step. Then get a feel of which part of the population interests you. Focus your education on that, vs, for example athletes. Market toward that population!
A gym is a nice place to get your feet wet, but many don’t pay what the trainer is worth! However, they can be a good stepping stone to starting your own business.
Be patient starting a business takes time. Must persevere! Dr Jim Bell CEO of the IFPA taught me a LOT about the industry! From point A to point B. It was through this school that I learned a TON! Dr. Bell taught me how to persevere, keep learning and how to take the punches that the general public tends to dish out and keep moving forward as that is how wining is done!
Learning program design, continuing your education, diplomacy when dealing with the public as at times it can be channelling. And learning how to be a super cool people person. Personality Sells! The general public has to know, like and trust you. Building a business can take years! Learn to market. Offer sincere services! If you are a new trainer, looking for the true expert in the fitness field, I will also strongly recommend the IFPA. NCCA accredited Personal trainer school.
It was also his college The Fitness Institute of Technology where I obtained my PhD in Exercise Science.
After 26 years as a fit pro, loving what I do, I felt this was my calling. In addition to fitness, I felt the role of health coach was also very applicable and also utilized with clients. Many don’t realize you see your trainer maybe 1-3 hours a week. A coach covers more guidance! Definitely a complimentary service!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I have been in the fitness industry since 1999 .Having worked at several health clubs at the time including Ballys Total Fitness, LA Fitness and Cardio Kinetics for a number of years as I went to college for my initial B.S. in Information Technology. Fitness for me was a side job, never meant to be a full time business. My initiation into the fitness field was by a trainer I had hired for myselfr. He taught me a lot and suggested I go into personal training. I had hired him because I previously received a bad medical report from my primary care physician. At that time, I didn’t take this suggestion seriously as I knew nothing about fitness. I was a help desk analyst at the time. It wasn’t until IT positions kept falling through and I had experienced the benefits of physical activity in my own journey that I was inspired to make a career change. My initial career choice was not working out at the time. Many IT contract positions would last 3 or 6 months then I would be looking for work again. Too many gaps in unemployment for someone to make a living. Income needs to be consistent. The IT Feld, was not for me.
After working in the fitness field for a few years, walking the gym floor trying to build my book of clients, I had notice that certain gyms didn’t operate in a manner that seemed fair. It wasn’t illegal, just seemed unethical. It was then in 2008 that I decided to branch off and offer my own personal training to private clients.
I’m proud of my academic accomplishments, earning the highest education possible in the fitness industry with 4 Master Trainer Certifications, with a Doctoral Degree from the Fitness Institute of Technology. I’m also proud of my extensive certification education having obtained over 100 certifications in the field covering stress management, sleep coaching, holistic health coaching, Integrative health coaching (which is about GUTT health), Brain health and others.
I am more proud of the fact that my personality is that I persevered and struggled for a long time to stand on my own two feet. I certainly had nay sayers but I managed to rise above the ashes. My sister calls me the Phoenix.
Many business owners fail, especially in this field. It is often due to lack of perseverance, and clarity! I’m proud that my personality is likeable, relatable and people can relate to me and find me very friendly! If people like you as a person, guiding them to a healthy lifestyle is a much easier task!
Today, I focus on senior fitness with a speciality in stroke and special needs & post rehab training. It is open to anyone but marketing efforts are mostly toward those demographics.
Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?
Being relatable, sincere & likable to the general population is what helps me succeed. Listen, anyone can obtain a personal trainer certification but people can sense sincerity. Knowledge of exercise science is critical, absolutely. But unless you can relate to the person you are trying to help, it all becomes useless. No one generally cares where you went to school, they want you to listen sincerely and offer honest feedback. Being that the vast majority of the population doesn’t exercise, results also are very important but keeping it simple is also important!
No one will ever ask to see credentials. They do however, need to know, like and trust you! They want to know you have their best interest at heart! This alone will help them feel comfortable purchasing training from you. I never actually sell training. I contact a lead and offer them a 30 minute session, free of charge to help them feel welcome to talk to me in person to help build rapport, & this is the time to offer solutions to their issues.
The other aspect of being successful is a strong online presence and referrals. A website may not generate all your leads or sales, but it gets you in front of people. It’s a useful tool for Google. Any business is on Google today! Google reviews are also a must!
Referrals, I find to be gold! Your clients are your billboard! It’s the ultimate compliment to get a referral from a client.
This alone is the ideal way to build a business! But as you can see marketing is like fishing in a way. The more fishing lines you have in the water the higher the chances of getting leads!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I had failed in 3 business prior to my personal training endeavor. I also had a rough time in middle school being picked on so that helped me learn how to persevere tremendously.
The businesses I had that didn’t work was a family owned Pizzeria for a year. I also had a Curves for Women for a few years. Lastly, was a women’s bootcamp that lasted 6 months. It takes 1 thing to work and I found it!
My high school years is where I build most of my perseverance. Being picked on can take a toll on anyone. But through support I made it through, I went to a private school, graduated with a solid GPA and went onto my college career.
It was through my family’s support that helped me persevere through a difficult time in 7th grade. That perseverance I learned was instilled in me from a young age!
Contact Info:
- Website: philadelphiapersonaltrainers.com
