We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Quentin Pullen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Quentin, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear about the best advice you’ve ever given to a client? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)

The best advice I give to clients is to stay in the moment and find something to be joyful about. Staying in the moment allows us to be hyper focused on what’s in front of us. I don’t really believe in multitasking because focusing on more than one thing at a time means that we are not putting our very best into the thing we are trying to accomplish. My coaching approach is to simplify the programming down to the basics because even the most advanced movements, problems, or situations are basic at their root. I find that making the basics exciting teaches the fundamentals and contributes to better overall results. Imagine someone throwing an algebra equation at a person that never learned basic arithmetic, how much of a struggle would that be?

Often times, in the world of information technology, the most complex versions of things are glorified because people want to be impressed. What is discounted is the building blocks that are in place for the complex to be accomplished. Staying in the moment allows us the space to absorb better which leads to better results over time.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a fitness coach and movement therapist. Most people would think “Oh you’re a personal trainer.” I am that, however, like a black belt in martial arts, there are many degrees to coaching people. My slogan for coaching is, “I help people feel better, move better, and look better” which encompasses a lot. I work with people on various levels of their health and wellness journey, from competitive athletes to people just starting to find their way. Fitness/Wellness is a multifaceted undertaking because it involves the whole of an individual. Being fit or well means mentally, physically, and spiritually sound, it’s like fine tuning a piano where the notes played flow well.

My coaching involves helping those that I work with optimize their lifestyle so that they do life better. We start with the most basic training which is showing up for yourself consistently. Consistency is a character building trait that allows us to get better at wellness. Eating healthy consistently, training consistently, getting consistent rest, stimulating the mind consistently, clearing the mind consistently, are all elements of creating a more fit individual. It is my job to understand how to help people connect those elements into lifelong habits. Anyone can teach you how to lift weights and diet, but are you learning to be a better version of your complete self? This is what I do!

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

I am a work in progress! I used to get frustrated with people’s lack of discipline when it came to their fitness. My wife smacked me in the face with the biggest lesson one day. She told me “Q everyone is not like you…you have to let people progress at their level not yours.” I could probably drop the mic right there but there is more to the story.

I am a dual service veteran Marine Corps to my bones, and the discipline taught to me in my military career was a valuable asset. I am grateful to have learned at a young age how to focus on a task and complete missions. I did not understand at first how other people did not understand how to be disciplined. It was my opinion that once you wanted something you pulled out all the stops to get it. HA!!! Boy, was I misinformed!

Discipline is a learned mindset. In hindsight, my level of discipline has increased over the years and who better to establish that fact than my wife. She was right! It’s not that that side of me is gone because I do still question why such and such person isn’t getting X, Y, or Z but the little voice in my head reminds me “Q everyone is not like you”.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

One of my favorites and most influential books is “The Four Agreements” by don Miguel Ruiz. I read this book annually to remind me to stay the course. My favorite of the four agreements is the first agreement and that is, “Be impeccable with your word.” In the book your word refers to your thought and your speech. Impeccable means of the highest standard, which is to me the highest calling.

I mentioned before that I work with my clients on their mental wellness as well as the physical. I gift this book to people to listen to in hopes that it may move them the way that it did me. I believe that being impeccable with your word means that what you say, and think is from an honest place. How is your eating program? Are you doing your therapy exercises at home? The answer matters less than the honesty of the answer.

My business philosophy and daily operations fall right in line with the four agreements. When I feel misaligned, I reference the agreements to adjust my compass.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.QtheCoach.com
• Instagram: @Q_the_Coach
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/qthecoach
• Linkedin: Q the Coach
• Twitter: @QtheCoach
• Youtube: @QtheCoach
• Yelp: @QtheCoach
• Other: www.TheFitnessRanch.org