On today's episode of Vital Metabolic, hosts James Wheeler and John Parker speak with Bob Thompson, the founder and CEO of Legion Transformation Center and FitPro Syndicate. They talk about how Bob got into the fitness business, the importance of self-training, how to avoid burnout, and the future of fitness after COVID.
Episode Highlights:
- 9:25 - Bob didn't play sports when he was in high school, and only got into fitness when he was dumped by a woman and decided to bulk up.
- 10:50 - He didn't initially get results when he started working out, but he found a passion for it.
- 12:10 - He acknowledges that his relationship failed because of who he was as a person at the time, but getting into fitness helped him gain self confidence.
- 13:06 - Bob credits a lot of his success to the time he spent attending junior college before he transferred to Georgia Southern University.
- 15:13 - When he first graduated college, he originally worked in pest control and then got his first job in the fitness field as a sports performance coach for high school students.
- 18:02 - Bob stresses the importance of working with mentors and getting as much hands-on experience in the field as possible.
- 19:31 - James clarifies that there are some certifications that are necessary to work in the field, but there are a lot that are unnecessary and won't help you become a better trainer.
- 21:47 - John says that when obtaining certifications, you should take things with a grain of salt and figure out what works for you and what doesn't.
- 24:40 - Bob didn't open up his own location until 2012; prior to that, he was training people out of a basement.
- 26:14 - When he first opened up his gym, he didn't know anything about marketing.
- 27:21 - Bob made six figures of profit in the first year of owning his own business.
- 28:57 - When he first started, Bob would drive around and knock on people's doors and send cold emails inviting people in for a session.
- 32:07 - Bob owns 7 locations of Legion, and over 30 franchises have been awarded.
- 34:27 - Bob shares that he almost went out of business when he opened his second location.
- 36:34 - When he opened his second location, he had to figure out how to make his business model scalable and got a mentor.
- 39:17 - James talks about the dangers of burnout for trainers and how he combats it.
- 42:36 - Bob is on a three week vacation when they're recording the podcast, and he notes that he's never taken a vacation this long.
- 43:52 - Once he started his own business, Bob knew that he was most passionate about the business side rather than training clients all the time.
- 45:20 - Bob says that stepping away can show you the things in the business that you need to work on, but you can also see your team step up.
- 48:30 - Bob emphasizes the importance of having a set schedule that works for you rather than training on clients' schedules.
- 50:56 - Bob says that not everybody should have their own business.
- 52:09 - When asked about the future of fitness after COVID, Bob stresses the importance of having online components to your business.
- 55:05 - 30% of fitness businesses have gone under during COVID.
3 Key Points:
- Fitness professionals should focus more on self-learning and connecting with clients on a human level than obtaining as many certifications as possible.
- When building a business, it is important to make sure that your model is scalable and sustainable.
- It is just as important to take care of yourself as a trainer as it is to take care of your clients.
Tweetable Quotes:
- "I knew that as long as I stuck with it, I would get results, it was just a matter of me figuring out how to get those results." - Bob Thompson
- "When it comes to training people, it's so much about the connection you make with the person. You can be the best coach in the world, but if you can't relate to people...it doesn't matter." - Bob Thompson
- "A lot of these great, successful businesses all start with a small idea." - John Parker
- "As coaches, not only are we healers, but we listen to our clients." - James Wheeler
- "Every time I remove myself from a component of the business, the business has gotten better." - Bob Thompson
- "When you own your own business, it shouldn't be just to have a job, it should be to live the life that you desire." - Bob Thompson
Resources Mentioned:
