We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ariella Bocian. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ariella below.

Ariella, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

My approach to nutrition coaching is helping them understand how to reach their goals while also unraveling some bad habits they’ve learned in life through either diet culture (like eat less move more) or family norms (like finishing your plate even if you’re not full, not eating before bed, etc.). By focusing on what they personally struggle with, it can open up the doors to some emotional triggers that may be stopping them from seeing their progress or when they have a mental breakthrough.

So I have found that a way to be successful in this niche is to build a relationship with my clients. I want to know what they are up to on the weekends so I can better guide them through those times instead of stopping each weekend and starting each Monday. I want to know why family get togethers are so triggering so that I can help empower and guide them through those times. Having a relationship with my clients helps them be more vulnerable with me. In the end, the more open they can be, the further we can go together.

That being the case, I like to celebrate their wins as a coach and friend also. So each birthday I like to send them a birthday card. Each anniversary (I call it a Habit-Versary) I send them a card. For Christmas, I like to send them a little something. Just like a friend or mentor would do! I think it’s important that their milestones are noticed and celebrated.

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’ve been a Certified Personal Trainer since 2015. During that time I was a Paralegal working at various firms over the course of about 10 years. I had always wanted to transition to full-time coaching but… I had bills to pay and wasn’t sure how to do it. I moved from Milwaukee, WI to Nashville, TN in pursuit of this goal. I partnered with an outdoor boot camp company, met some great friends (and clients) that would make great roots for my dream come true. In 2019 I left my last law firm and was finally a full time Trainer.

Through my time with this company, I noticed that I really cared about my clients struggles and success. I also knew that working out was only a portion of their success, so I began giving my clients nutrition coaching services… for free. I felt that if they found value and benefit of eating balanced, it would only help their workouts improve. I quickly realized that I wanted to go in a different direction, and left that company in March of 2021.

I started hABit consulting to offer 1:1 personal training and also 1:1 nutrition coaching. I wanted a platform that would be able to coach anyone from anywhere, so my services are virtual. My services also come with weekly check-ins so that I can better understand what my clients are excelling at or struggling with so that I can make changes to either their training program or their nutrition plan for the week.

I also wanted a platform that focused on proper form and understanding how to lift properly, so I focus on helping my clients lift with purpose & understanding so that they are confident in the gym (or at home). I like to help my clients understand how to eat through all seasons of life, including traveling, holidays, and going out to eat.

Everything I do is personal to the client. Everyone is a wonderfully unique individual. What works for one person will likely not work for another person. Their training program and their nutrition coaching should reflect that. I like to empower my clients so that they are able to navigate through life’s ups and downs while also taking action on their goals.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

I have many points of contact with my clients. I want to be accessible to them all, and that means having many channels to get ahold of me. Especially an industry like nutrition coaching where they might have a last minute question when they are out with friends and family,… and aren’t sure how to navigate… I want to be able to be available for them ESPECIALLY during those times.

All of my clients get a phone call weekly checkin for the first 12 weeks they are with me. After 12 weeks, that moves to an email check-in. I hope to touch base with my clients at LEAST weekly.

All of my clients are able to text me through the app that I use, and they have my cell phone # in case they need to reach me for any last minute questions as stated above.

My training clients are able to leave comments on individual workouts to better ask specific questions. This helps me understand what they might need more coaching on.

Finally, we have community pages that help us learn from each other, get to know one another, and ask questions. I have a Facebook page for members that’s more of a page to share meal ideas, laugh at each other, or make fun of their coach. We also have a community forum for training and another for nutrition on the app that I use to build community for those who don’t use social media.

There’s something for everyone to take advantage of. Regardless if they choose to stay in communication with me through those channels, or just want to touch base once a week, I at least want to offer many ways to communicate, by one of the community options or by individual means.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Referrals are my #1 source. It’s also the highest compliment in my opinion. If a current client sees value in my coaching services and wants their friends/family to also find success with me, that’s a pretty big compliment. I also find that referrals has a higher retention rate than a cold lead.

I don’t like to sell or push my services on strangers or my clients friends. I do offer my clients a 50% off discount for their next monthly payment if they do send a referral my way as a thank you.

Contact Info:

• Website: habit-consulting.com
• Instagram: @h.ab.it
• Facebook: facebook.com/habitconsult

Image Credits
Brittany Hartstock Photography (headshot / plank)