We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Matthew Collins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Matthew, thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
Quitting my job and starting my own business was a pretty big risk, now that I look back on it. I had a great job working with intelligent colleagues where I had the opportunity to work with a variety of different clients and patients with interesting issues to resolve. It was at this job that I really became a rehab specialist, rather than a run of the mill personal trainer. I would see 8-10 clients/patients per day and it was basically like drinking out of a fire hose in terms of how much I learned and how much value I got while working there. After about 3 years or so, I began having the urge to take on the world of health and fitness on my own and start my own business. At the time, it didn’t feel like a risk. It felt like a necessity to take that next step and forge my own path. It felt like it was time, and so I called my boss right then and there and broke it to him. Looking back, I was leaving the stability, partnership, free education, and paycheck that I had going for myself. If I didn’t make it work, what then? The thing is, I never have a plan B. I didn’t have a plan B when I packed up my life and moved across the country (basically as far as I could go) from Boston to San Diego, and I didn’t have a plan B this time either. Plan B’s allow room for bullshit to creep in and cloud your vision. But this massive risk I took paid off in spades, as I’ve had a successful and profitable personal training and performance coaching business for over 2 years and life keeps on getting better! Get out there and take that risk you’ve been thinking about.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Matt Collins and I was born and Raised in Massachusetts. I’ve been involved one way in the health and fitness world since I was 12 when I began weight lifting. I was consistent through my teens into my 20s where I studied Kinesiology and Physical Therapy in College. Following school, I moved to California where I began learning at an accelerated rate the world of rehab and performance. After about 8 years of sharpening my sword under mentor’s and employees guidance, I started my own training and coaching business, The Fitness Accelerator. These days, I focus about 25% of my time and energy on traditional Personal Training with the remainder on Performance Coaching. On the personal training side, I work with all age groups, genders and types of people with varying goals and aspirations. The Performance Coaching side focuses on High Performing business professionals to help them rehab nagging injuries, dial in their training and nutrition and really anything else needed for them to continue leveling up.
What I am most proud of these days is the extent to which I help my clients achieve what they never thought possible. Several times per week I receive texts telling me they’ve never felt better, they lifted a weight never lifted before, and they are in love with what they are seeing in the mirror. It’s a pretty cool feeling to have your craft and passion be able to help so many people in such deep and varying ways. It’s this passion and the specific skillset I have that really sets me apart from the pack as a coach because not only do I really care for my client’s success, but I am constantly trying to learn and improve and level up, just as I guide my clients to do.
The way I run my training program is akin to how a business professional would run their business. We collect objective measures which we can track, and make decisions going forward based on this data. In doing this, we eliminate hours and hours of wasted time and energy, really ACCELERATING the entire process. This is how The Fitness Accelerator got it’s name, and it’s how I am able to help my clients achieve amazing results in record time. This is the focus of my brand and what my business really cares about at it’s core.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Providing value is by far the best and easiest way to get some amazing clients on your roster. If your main goal is to connect with people and provide as much value as you possibly can, there’s no way to lose. Most people’s main goal is to make a buck. The thing is, people can smell that from a mile away. Rather than that, I feel it’s important to focus on making an impact. When you focus on making an impact, you’ll make a solid income. Income can be a direct reflection of impact, and that’s something I always focus on.
If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?
I am one of the fortunate few who found their craft and passion at an early age. I began lifting weights at age 12 and never looked back. When I got to college, I saw Kinesiology as an option for a major, and it was a wrap. I knew that I wanted to work with people to help them become the best version of themselves possible and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. Training and coaching is the only real job I’ve ever had (as an adult) and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: mattcollinscoaching.com
- Instagram: thefitnessaccelerator
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mattycol/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/thefitnessaccelerator/
- Twitter: tfitaccelerator