We recently connected with Maggie Goodman and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Maggie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory of how you established your own practice.

I started my practice at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, I was a personal trainer at a popular gym in Chicago and when the pandemic started my workplace shut down. I quickly was able to pivot my business through contacting all my current clients and establishing remote training opportunities. Within a couple months, I moved out to Los Angeles and began training people outdoors, as well as keeping my virtual clients. I successfully set up a website, created a personal brand, established rates, and utilized lead generators and social media marketing to build my clientele. I have since gotten my Masters in Sports Psychology and moved back to Chicago. I am currently working towards earning my Certified Mental Performance Certificate (CMPC) so I can work with mental performance clients 1:1, while still doing independent personal training on the side.

The key challenges for me having my own business started after I was already established. Because of COVID, I think things were a little more relaxed from a business standpoint and people’s schedules were much more flexible. As life returned to normal, I had to deal more and more with clients canceling, trying to reschedule, and stretch some boundaries that I as a business person was not prepared for. I also priced myself low to accommodate for COVID hardships and never raised my rates as things went back to normal. Because of this, I burned myself out. I tried to implement new policies to my current clients but it was hard to do that after a certain set-up was already established.

When I moved back to Chicago, it gave me the opportunity to start fresh again and I was able to implement boundaries as a business person that I would have done right away had I known better. They include: establishing an upfront reschedule and cancelation policy, making sure I am paid before the session, making sure clients acknowledge that there could be an hourly rate increase in the future, and also setting the expectation that clients cannot contact me or expect a response at all hours of the day. I priced myself to match the market rate and I created a contract that I make all my clients sign so that they are aware of the expectations.

If you are a young professional who wants to start their own practice I would sit down and write out what you want your business to look like and how you want it to be run. What is your personal brand? What expectations do you have for your clients or services? What goals do you have for the first quarter, the first year, the first 5 years? What are some of your business non-negotiables? Lay all these things out so that when you go to create your personal brand and start building your business your clients are aware of all of your expectations up front. You want your clients to be satisfied with the services you are providing, but you also need it to work for you. If you are burnt out, overwhelmed, or not fulfilled, the business will not thrive.

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

I am a personal trainer and mental performance consultant. I started my career as a professional ballet and modern dancer. I have always been a mover, but have also had to work under the stresses and demands of a performance career. I was working customer service at a gym in Chicago when my boss discovered I had a personal training certification. She encouraged me to try personal training and it stuck. I have a my CPT through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and also hold certifications in pre/post natal training and sports performance enhancement. I love working with clients of all goals and fitness levels. I was Trainer of the Year two years in a row at my gym in Chicago, something I am very proud of. I have always prided myself on not only helping clients feel strong and reach their fitness goals, but also on building trusting relationships with my clients and allowing them to unlock their strength from a mental standpoint.

In 2019, I began pursing my Masters of Science in Sports & Performance Psychology. I realized I wanted to work with athletes and performers to help them with their mental performance, and additionally, use those skills with my personal training clients. I graduated in 2021 while I was living in Los Angeles. I began working with performers 1:1 and did contract work with different companies by providing resources and education for business professionals on how to thrive in a performance setting.

One of the things I have been most proud of as a fitness professional has been starting my own business during the pandemic and growing it to over 40 clients all over the country. The relationships I build mean so much to me, and it is awesome to see my clients crush their goals, whether it is weight loss for a wedding, getting stronger before having a baby, or unlocking a mental block to return to a performance career. I am now back in Chicago and rebuilding my personal training business here while pursuing my Certified Mental Performance Certificate, so I can work with athletes and artists on a much broader scale. I am working with athletes, teams and performers 1:1 to help them achieve their peak performance, while still keeping a small personal training client load.

One thing potential clients should know about me is that the passion in my work is helping others dig deep to discover their “why” and continue to unlock their highest potential. I believe we all keep changing and growing. Life doesn’t work when you are content or stagnate. My clients are my utmost priority and one of my favorite things is getting to know them and building a relationship with them where we can talk, grow as a team, and crush goals.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

In the beginning, you need to make yourself open and available. That might mean working on a weekend or later at night. Once you are more busy, you have the luxury of having the hours you want. Growing a clientele also involves using a lot of different marketing methods. Utilize social media, have a solid website that is informative and allows clients to contact you. One thing that was helpful for me when growing my business was using lead generators like Thumbtack and Bark. I paid for a certain number of “credits” and could contact people directly that were interested in personal training. Putting money into my business upfront helped it thrive. Once you get more established, I highly recommend using client referrals! Ask clients if they know anyone, let clients bring a friend for free for a session, or offer your clients a free session for giving you referral.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Growing up in the performing arts world, I had to establish resiliency early on. You get told “no” a lot and face a lot of rejection. As a performer, you need to grow a back bone and not let one-hundred “no’s” burn your confidence. For me, building resiliency transitioned into being a business owner. You face a lot of rejection. I have had clients get upset if they didn’t like a rule I tried to establish, or tell me they were no longer interested in training with me anymore. for whatever reason. I had to remember to not take it personally. At the end of the day, someone having a personal trainer is a luxury. You can’t let those let downs and rejections effect you otherwise you will never move forward, no matter what your profession is. Resiliency is one of the biggest things I work with sports psychology clients on. You have to be a resilient athlete or performer to excel at your craft.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mgoodmanperformance.com
• Instagram: mag.goodman
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maggie-goodman10/

Image Credits

Eddie Eng Photography