I read a statistic the other day on Bloomberg that stated that 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first 18 months. That’s 80%!!!! I have to say that I was a bit taken back by this statistic as I had no idea that the level of failure was so high. Lucky for us, we have been able to remain in business for over a decade and continue to grow and expand each new year. By no means do I consider myself to be a business expert but I also do not consider myself to be lucky and fortunate to have been part of the 20% that do succeed. I don’t believe there is such a thing as luck when it comes to being successful in anything. I believe in consistency and hard work. I believe in sacrifice and dedication. And I believe in drive and determination. But luck? Definitely Not!

Sucking at Social Media

I have a confession to make. I suck at social media. As much as I try to stay consistent with our daily training tips and nutritional recipes on our Facebook Group Page, or relevant with our Instagram news feed, the fact remains that when it comes to social media, I’m an amateur who just can’t compete with the pros. Despite my lack of knowledge of the online world and my extreme disinterest and distaste for whoring myself out in skimpy outfits or shirtless photos to help “inspire” and/or “motivate” others to exercise, our business has still managed to remain profitable and successful. I’ve been told by many trainers in my industry that social media is the future and that if I do not “get with the times” then I will be left behind. Well, perhaps that might be true. Perhaps I should spend more time promoting myself and our business through this digital networking landscape. But before I decide on why or how I should do this, let me tell you why I don’t.

Our Clients Come First

Currently as we speak, Forever Fit has over 140 clients, both online and in person. Now that number may not seem like much to some people, however if you understood as to how much work and detail goes into working with just one of our clients behind the scenes, that number might become increasingly more impressive. One of the reasons as to why we have over a 90% clientele retention rate and why most of our clients have worked with us for over a decade, is because of the level of service that we provide. Ask any one of our clients how long it takes for us to respond to either an email or text message from them, and they’ll tell you, less then a few hours. Ask any of our clients what sets us apart from other training companies and they’ll tell you, our professionalism, attentiveness and our customary approach to each individual. We don’t create generic training programs or design cookie cutter diet plans nor do we just think of our clients as participants who want to exercise and be healthy. We learn about our clients. We ask questions and we find out not just about their fitness goals, but more importantly as to why they want to achieve these goals. Ask me about any of my clients, or Megan about any of her clients and we’ll be able to give you a complete summary of their training goals, physical limitations and any current injuries that they may be dealing with. We are also able to help our clients overcome the obstacles that may impede them from reaching their goals by remaining a constant resource of information, motivation and guidance for when they require it.

Opportunist or User?

From a small business owner’s perspective, I can understand the attractiveness of using social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to help promote your business and generate new clientele leads. From a trainer’s perspective, I can understand the power of promoting yourself and your business from instant training videos, workout tips and in depth nutritional content. From someone who has integrity and self respect for not just himself, but also for his clients, I cannot understand how taking a photo half naked in the bathroom mirror or a video of my clients exercising for the world to see, can help me maintain that level of trust that my clients have for me and the respect that I have for myself. I refuse to ask my clients if I can use them as marketing tools. My clients pay me to help them. So why should I be asking them to help me during their paid time?

An Analog Man Living in a Digital World

Alright, I know that social media is important. And I understand that it’s the way of the future and is here to stay. And I can accept that to continue to achieve success in the fitness industry, that we will have to remain consistent and relevant with our daily digital content. However, I will not accept ever using social media for cheesy marketing gimmicks or to help fulfill my own ego on the days that I’m feeling low or bad about myself. I will not use social media at the expense of our clients who come to see us to achieve their health and fitness goals, rather then be critiqued and shamed on a workout video posted online for the world to see. I will only use social media to help motivate and inspire others to live an active and fit lifestyle. I will only use social media as another form of communication and as additional resource to our clients who work with us online and in person. I will only use social media to be positive and uplifting rather then negative and discouraging.

I still have lots to learn about this cyber world, and in time I know I will be better at it. But for now, if I miss a daily Facebook post, or skip a few days on Instagram, don’t think it’s due to a lack of creativity or a sign of laziness. Our clients come first, their workouts and their nutrition come second, and their health and fitness goals remain a constant focus. Using social media to attract new and potential clients? Well, sorry but as important as that might be, will always come last.

“It takes months to find a customer
and only seconds to lose one”

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit