We recently connected with Allen McClain and have shared our conversation below.
Allen, appreciate you joining us today. Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
Let’s rewind back to 2016, Phoenix, AZ and it is “hot” like open the oven and the heat hits your face hot. I was working at a fortune 500 company in Scottsdale, great salary, but I knew there was more that I wanted to do. I always desire to mentor young men and the opportunity presented itself after I told my wife, “This job isn’t really it, I believe God wants me to do more”. No lie, a week after praying about this and discussing it with my wife, Janee (my wife) calls me and says “I found your first client!!” This is what makes my first client was special, I remember vividly. His name was Marcus, 5th grade at the time getting ready to transition to 6th grade. It was my wife though; she was the one who got me my first client with A1 Hoops Elite. That is what makes my first client so special, she was the one that sparked it all to make it what it is today. I am forever grateful to my wife for that, she doesn’t even know what it means for me to have her support when I wasn’t even sure of the direction I wanted to take with my entrepreneurship. I was literally at work at a job that I knew wasn’t in the direction God wanted me to go, and she called me telling me that she found my first client. From the start date to what he needed work on with his skills to his availability. Wow! Yeah! My wife is the greatest! Seriously booked my first client like she was my assistant lol haha.
The feeling that I had was indescribable, yes my first training session was outside in 105 degree weather but I was thrilled to even be in that position. Marcus gave me so much hope for future clients, he made it somewhat easy. There are countless times where I have had those raw players that have absolutely no experience in basketball, just desire to play. This wasn’t like that, he could play but really needed guidance. This project wasn’t about the money at all, I recall after workouts taking him to this vegan restaurant called New Green Vegetarian about 4 mins down the road from where we were working out. Whenever his mom paid, it was nearly 15 dollars each session haha. Now I have special packages for my training, and I believe Marcus was the first and last client to ever be charged at such a rate. Without my wife and without Marcus, A1 Hoops Elite would be nonexistent. My Wife Janee’ believed in me getting my first client more than I did, she was proactive and was the driving force behind what I do today. She is the word of mouth when I don’t brag about myself, she’s the share/repost button when I need more marketing, and she is the biggest supporter that I have ever had. I know this was about my first client, but what can I say…she brought in my first sale of 15 bucks to A1 Hoops Elite and now we are on the way to making my business one of the most successful in the city of Memphis.
I am forever grateful for my wife and helping to make all of this possible. To my boy Marcus, I am sure you are in your senior year of high school or preparing for your first year of college. Just want you to know that I am thankful for you and your mom having faith in me, and working with me throughout those hot 110 degree days at the park in Phoenix! Marcus you were fuel to getting A1 Hoops Elite off the ground and into the sky for everyone to see!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am Allen McClain, born and raised in Memphis, TN and the way I got into my industry was just my love for the sport of basketball. Growing up playing basketball the only trainer that I had was my dad, hours on end he was there pushing me, my sister and my late older brother (cousin) day after day. It was unpleasant at times but helped build the resilience and persistence that I have now. I have always been very disciplined in the sport especially after my senior year of high school, my dad invested in a trainer for me to get out of me what he exhausted himself attempting to pull out. There is something about having a personal trainer that will really pour into you in order to bring out the best in you, and I had that in two special trainers in the Memphis area; Scotty Mason and Tony Harris. Those two really opened a new level of competitor in me that I didn’t think that I had and I am forever grateful for the seed they planted while God watered it. From seeing them at a young age, all I saw was “trainer” but they were really teachers to me. They sparked something in me that wasn’t just about basketball, it was moreso about life and how I should be the same teacher in other’s lives. With that being said, they instilled a new level of discipline in me as well to stay the course with my craft.
The services that A1 Hoops Elite offer are skills development basketball training from one on one sessions to small groups. Monthly I offer basketball clinics/classes for those who aren’t able to train with me during the week due to busy schedules. The problems that I solve are low self-esteem, declined confidence, and all things basketball related. I speak for myself alone, but what I believe sets me apart is from others is my passion for people. I am not the trainer who takes your money and puts your kids through rigorous training for 65-70 minutes and chunks the deuces. My goal is to see the student athletes have fun while playing basketball and have a confidence through the roof because they know they have been putting in the work. I am all about building up young men and women, and developing life long relationships that they will be proud to even mention the time they worked out with Coach Allen. The glory for that belongs to God, but I am grateful He put me in this position to change lives and mindsets for the better.
What I am most proud of is my ability to change a kid’s perspective about how they view themselves, not only on the basketball court but off the court as well. We are just raising hoopers, we are raising young men/women who will impact this world in a major way in the next years to come. This is why our motto at A1 Hoops Elite is “Every move you make should be made with purpose”. Every time I step on the court, every time I write out the workouts for the day, every time I set up cones, etc I am moving with purpose and intentions to have the most impactful workout in the country. This goes also for the student athletes as well, I tell them to move with a purpose nearly every day; not just on the court but at home, school, in public, as a student athlete and it goes for the parents too.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective strategy for me growing my clientele is simply moving with a purpose. As mentioned earlier in the interview; our motto is “Every move you make should be made with purpose”. The way that I operate my business is to provide the best service and more to the client, not only am I providing basketball clinics, camps, and training but I am also motivating the kids and sending them home with small gifts/prizes. It’s more than just basketball, it is a lifestyle that we are living and this is the epitome of moving with purpose. It’s normality to go to a workout and go home, but it’s out of the normal to go home weekly with posters, backpacks, gifts, shirts, etc. So the experience makes for the growth, the word of mouth by the parents makes for the growth. Any time I have the opportunity to bless the student athletes it makes for a talking piece to their parents, and the parents talk to other parents about how little Sammy got a huge poster from his skills training coach. Now that parent asks who, and my current client shoots them all of my information (referrals). And I also have a referral program for my current clients as well, so they are eager to talk on my behalf because there are benefits for them too.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One lesson I had to unlearn was doubting my expertise. I believe that at the time when I was in Phoenix where I was originally training for overseas basketball. I wanted to be a professional so bad and after I put that dream to rest, I went into a season of doubt. Doubting what God could do in my life, doubting my skills and talents , and doubting if what I knew would ever be valuable to anyone. It’s that point in time where every basketball player that’s talented and has done this for years and years, dating back to when I was 5, and you say “What’s next? What can I do outside of me having the ball in my hands? What other skills do I have besides putting the ball in the hoop?” There at that moment God let me know that I am a teacher and a mentor, when I speak people will listen and understand. Even in college, I was always passionate about the mini team camps we would have for the surrounding elementary kids and we weren’t even getting paid for those events. Still, I took pride in teaching those young hoopers everything I thought I knew at the time. God began to give me flashbacks of moments like those, the light bulb started to flicker on and off as if this was it. Teaching and mentoring is one of my callings!
Ever since then I haven’t looked back or doubted what God could do with what I know.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://a1hoopselite.company.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/a1thetrainer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/a1hoopselite