The Warm Up with Kyle Wood - Bootcamp Ideas

Kyle Wood: Hello.

Welcome back to the Warm Up.

I'm Kyle Wood.

And today we are talking about what to
do when you want to go away on holiday,

or you want to have some time off, or
you just want to run less sessions.

What do you do?

How do you find, how do
you duplicate yourself?

When your clients love you, they won't
train with any other trainer except you.

Um, how do you do that?

How do you find someone out there in
the world who can have the same rapport

with your clients that you have, that
your clients are actually excited

about training with, uh, and so that
you can get a break once in a while.

That's what we're going to
talk about in today's episode.

Um, and I'm going to go through
all the different things like how

to find the right kind of person.

Um, what you like, how
do you train them up?

How do you introduce them to your clients?

Uh, how do you then trust them to take
care of this baby, which is your business?

All right, you ready?

Let's get into it.

So the first thing I have for you is
two words and it is succession planning.

Now this sounds like a big corporate
speak word, uh, and it is, and it's

not something that I would normally
say, but I felt like it was perfect

with this because for most of those
of you listening to this, I'm,

you're just a one person business.

You're a one person show.

It's you.

In your clients.

And that's it.

There's, you don't have lots of
trainers working underneath you.

Um, you have maybe moved away from
working for other businesses, um, as

just like a hiring trainer and, uh,
maybe you've got a good thing going, but.

I'll share the story.

What inspired this was a trainer
who was talking about that.

They had started a new type of class
and they loved running this class, but

running the new type of class and their
old classes was just burning them out.

It was too much.

Uh, they were reaching an age
where they wanted to scale

back on what they were doing.

So they want to bring in a trainer
to take over their old classes

cause they're still very successful.

They still have lots of
people coming to them.

But their clients are like, no, we
don't, we'd rather just not just

send us some workouts to do at home.

We'd rather not, um,
train with anyone else.

So, uh, that's, that's where this
thing of succession planning comes in.

Cause it's like, who,
who's going to take over?

If you're the only person in the
business, who's going to take over

when you're not there or yeah, when
you hit an age where you're like, I

don't want to be doing like 60 hours I
want to be, I want to be pulling back.

So that's what succession planning is.

It's thinking about, it's accepting
the reality that you're not going to

do this forever and it's putting your
business and your clients in a good

position for when you're not there.

So, and we'll put that under the
title of how to duplicate yourself.

So, so, so who is the right kind
of person to train with you?

My advice is you, yeah, okay.

I've introduced this section terribly,
so we're going to sort of, here's

how we're going to tackle this.

We're going to talk about who's
your ideal sort of person, trainer,

who's going to work with you.

And we'll talk about
the interview process.

Then we're going to talk about
the apprenticeship process.

go into it more about that.

And then I'm going to talk
to you about ongoing how this

person fits into your business.

So let's talk about the first bit.

And so, and this is coming from experience
of having had assistant trainers in

the past, having left my bootcamp
and had another trainer come in and

wanting them to take care of my clients.

Um, and then working with lots of
trainers who've gone through this issue.

So.

Um, that's where I'm coming from.

That's where my experiences and I'm
going to be talking about like how

much to pay them and things like that.

I'm not a lawyer, I'm not a financial
planner, but I'm just going to share with

you my experiences and what I witnessed.

And hopefully that's really helpful in
you making your own decision around this.

So first thing, what do we want
to look for in this person?

You want them to Get your business
and get your classes the way that

you run your classes, because that's
why your classes are successful.

Yes, it is good.

We do want them to bring in their own
twists and flavors and stuff like that.

But in general, we want them
to get the overall ethos of

what your business is about.

Um, the other thing that I think is,
Kind of clever is to look for trainers,

not for trainers who want to be a
trainer, be a personal trainer as a

full time gig, whether that's working
for other people full time or, um, or

having a business, um, where they sign
their own business, sign their own

bootcamp, is their own fitness business.

You want to look for people who
have an existing career, but

have a passion for fitness that
they want to explore on the side.

So.

Um, the reason for this is that a, they
have like a reliable, consistent life.

Uh, and so they tend to be
reliable and consistent, which

is what you want from a trainer.

Um, they also are not looking to
take over your business one day.

They're happy to just to come in,
assist, take some classes here and there.

Whereas someone who is looking
to do this full time may reach

a point where your business is
not big enough to sustain them.

Um, or may reach a point where they're
like, okay, I've got enough experience.

I want to have a go at
doing this on my own.

Both of which are fine.

You've now mentored a trainer
who's going to go out into the

industry and do good things.

But in terms of like, these
people are an investment.

Um, you want to keep them as long as
you can, as long as it's a good fit.

So that's why I found my most
success with trainers who were

doing this as just a side thing.

And were happy just to turn
up, do the class, and go home.

Uh, and it was a bit of a creative outlet,
it gave them, you know, maybe they worked

in an office all day and they actually
got to get outside and run, you know,

people around and do things like that.

So that's the first thing I look
at, uh, or the second thing.

The first thing was really like that.

They get your business, that
they're familiar with your business.

So you may not be posting this position
in Facebook groups and on job, you

know, websites, career websites with
job positions and things like that.

This might come from, well, the best is.

Someone who's already a client.

So if it's always good to keep an eye
out for clients who are interested in

becoming trainers And then the other
one is like through word of mouth

is always really good, too so that's
the first thing and that's I like

this term succession planning because
Don't think of succession planning.

You think of you know, like a like
a king Um, back in the day, planning

out how the, then the first child
is going to take over from them.

Um, and it's a long process, it's years,
it's decades thinking about this and

doing this for you might not be decades,
but you do want to think about that

this process is going to take a while.

It's going to take a while to find
someone who's even a good candidate.

Then as we talk through this next
few phases, it's going to take a

while to bring them up to a standard
where you're happy to leave them

with your clients and your clients
are happy to be left with them.

So let's talk about the next bit.

So the next bit is interviewing.

Yeah.

The most important thing you can do in the
interview, because you probably like me,

maybe don't come from HR background or,
you know, position or management position

where you, you were used to hiring people.

So the most important thing I can
say without going into like nitty

gritty details and questions is.

to focus on making the person
feel as comfortable as possible.

So you want to take them somewhere
for the interview that they're

going to feel comfortable.

That might be the park
where you run the classes.

Um, that might be going for a coffee.

It might be doing a workout together and
then, you know, sitting down and chatting

afterwards, whatever it is you want to
make them feel comfortable because that's

when their true self will come through.

That's when they'll, Rather than
telling you what they think you

want to hear, they'll be more
relaxed and comfortable and chatty.

Uh, and then you can get a good feel like,
is this person, are we going to get along?

Um, and are they going to
get along with my clients?

However, do not make the mistake of Hiring
someone who is exactly the same as you

again, going back to the other thing, like
you don't necessarily want to hire like

a trainer who wants to make a business.

Like you want that to be different.

So you're having parts of them that are
different to you, different background,

different fitness journey, uh, can
be really helpful in actually making

your classes and your business better.

So yeah, it's really tempting.

And I get it.

I interviewed some people and I was
like, man, we get along so well.

And then they were just terrible.

They were just so unreliable.

Um, I had one guy who signed up and
then like a month later was like,

I'm going on tour with my band.

And then he was just gone.

And I didn't hear from
him for like six weeks.

Uh, I would hear from him.

He's like, Oh yeah, I
should be back next week.

And then he got back.

And then he's like, Oh,
no, I need to rest up.

And I just didn't hear from him.

Um, so that was terrible.

I really liked the guy, but I didn't do
enough of this like really sussing him

out and really finding out what made
him motivating or what made him tick.

And he was a great guy, but, uh,
ultimately looking back on that now.

I should have picked,
um, someone different.

And he didn't last very long.

He stuck around for about 12 months and
then he wanted to find a more stable

career cause he was sick of juggling
all these different professions.

And then he left, he went into this other
career and he left all these other ones.

So that's just maybe a bit of a sign.

Like especially if you're doing
this for the first time, that's

not like the kind of person who
you want to like take a chance on.

Uh, yes.

So interviewing, that's the one way
saying, make them feel comfortable.

Pick someone who is not a clone of you.

Um, who is not like, Oh,
I just like this person.

So I'm going to hire them and actually
have a look behind that about like, what

are they going to bring to the business?

Um, what, you know, what qualities
are you looking for in them?

And like I said, one of
the things is reliability.

And I would be checking out with the, um,
the people they've worked with before.

So like their, um, what's
the word, references, uh,

and, and checking up on that.

All right.

This is my second time recording
this podcast cause the first one, um,

technology worked against me and I
didn't have that issue talking about

hiring people that are different to you.

Maybe I just didn't think about it.

Uh, but okay.

So let's say you've used, you've put
the net out, you caught some people,

you've interviewed them, you've picked
a person, uh, maybe it's just one person

all through through this and you're
like, yeah, I think they're a good fit.

I want to get started with them.

The next thing I recommend, and this
is so that one, they can get an idea

of how your classes work and how you
operate and also be, uh, so that they

can build a rapport with your clients.

You want to have some form of
apprenticeship they're coming to.

And I think those of you who have been
doing this for a long time, probably

nodding along with me that the fitness
profession should have an apprenticeship.

It should be like a trades
person who come, you know, to

become a plumber or electrician.

You get, you work and
get paid as you learn.

I think it should be the same.

Like we're working with
people's human bodies.

We have the ability to do great harm
to people if we train them incorrectly.

Therefore, there should be a period of
at least mentorship, uh, beyond what

you sort of have to mandatorily do as
your, um, as to, to pass your course.

So, yeah.

For an apprenticeship, for someone, it
depends how long the person's been a

trainer, whether you Make this a short
apprenticeship or a long apprenticeship.

If they've only been a trainer
for a short period of time, you

might set out an apprenticeship
with you that lasts for a year.

And during that year, they are given
more and more responsibilities.

Um, but you

might decide that like, that's
what you want someone to commit to.

And you're going to filter
out a lot of people.

Like not everyone's
going to commit to that.

Not everyone's going to
make it through that year.

Uh, but the person who does is
probably going to be exactly

the person you're looking for.

So don't see it as a bad thing and you
will mess up like this process of like

bringing people into your business.

You will mess up.

You will hire the wrong person.

You will hire someone who seems like
the perfect fit and they let you down.

It just, it just happens.

It's just part of it.

Um, just know that going into it.

I think if you know that going
into it and can accept it, you

won't put so much riding on each
person who, um, Who you train up.

So, um, a brand new trainer, you might do
a longer apprenticeship six months a year

for a trainer with a bit of experience.

You might do like a three
month, uh, apprenticeship.

And so let me break that down to you.

So the first month might be,
they're just shadowing you.

They're just coming along to classes.

Um, they're getting to
know the other clients.

They may be doing a
little bit of coaching.

That's something you want to make
sure that's, that's like a green

flag with a, with a new trainer.

Do, do, are they looking around the
class and seeing who needs help?

Are they having the confidence to step
in, to, to correct technique, to coach

people, to, to give people that bit of
assistance, who need that bit of help.

That's a good sign.

And that's something you want to
encourage, um, them to do from day one.

Yeah.

And you can always give them feedback on
that if you felt like they stepped in at

the wrong time or something like that.

So from, from the first month, just
shadowing you and yes, pay them.

Yes, we'll talk about how much to pay them
in a sec, but definitely pay them because

they're giving up their time to come.

Um, and then the month two,
you might get them to start.

Running part of the workouts.

Maybe they'll run a warmup or a finisher.

Maybe you'll even get them to
come up with their own idea based

on what they've seen you do.

Uh, and then in month three,
you're going to get them to, um,

sorry, a truck's pulled up outside.

In month three, you're
going to get them to,

Then in month three, you're going
to get them to start running some

classes to plan a class out, come up
with a class idea and then run it.

Maybe they'll run one of your
classes first, but then, and you can

start giving them feedback on that.

So each session that they do a little
bit, or even they're just helping

out with coaching, just like have
a little debrief after the session,

have a little hot debrief, tell
them, give them a couple of pointers.

Don't be overly critical, but give them
that feedback so that they can improve.

So then once they've gone through
those three months, now they've

spent three months in your business.

They've come to a lot of classes.

Um, they've started to build a
rapport with your clients and now

you could probably start feeling
comfortable saying, Hey, I'm going to

get you to take the class on Monday
night and I'm not going to be there.

Um, and then, you know, get feedback
from your clients on how it went,

what they thought, things like that.

So.

That's your apprenticeship payment.

How much to pay these people?

Um, there are two ways to pay
people for the apprenticeship.

I would just pay them a flat rate and it
might increase throughout the months as

well as they take on more responsibility.

So month one, they might get paid the
certain amount of month two, they get

paid a little bit more month three,
they get paid a bit more again.

And you might have milestones as well that
if they achieve certain qualifications and

things like that, that their rate goes up.

And for simplicity's sake, because you're
a small business, you probably aren't

going to set them up as an employee.

You probably just have them invoice
you, uh, set up their own business

numbers and things and invoice you, uh,
once a month or once every other week.

Don't do it weekly.

It's just annoying for you and for them.

So just like once, once every two
weeks or once a month is usually good.

Uh, then the other way
you can pay them is.

And this is more if you do end up hiring
someone who is self motivated, who wants

to grow inside of your business, you might
pay them a sliding scale based on how

many clients, um, come to the session.

So you might start with like
a small base amount, like 20

bucks, 15, 15 or something, but
then they get paid per client.

Um, who, who comes above that and that
way, if there's someone who's motivated

to go out there and grow the classes
and do some marketing for you, then

they've got room to grow on there and
they can earn good money and you're

earning good money because you make
sure you price it that, uh, always make

sure you price it that you're still
making money at the end of the day.

Like don't have a class just going, it's
like a charity if it gets to a point

where there's not enough people coming.

you pull the plug on that class.

Um, unless you're going through a
typically quiet period of time, like

winter or summer holidays, you might
keep a class going, but in general,

don't run a class if it's running
at a loss, that's just a good rule.

So you've worked out how much you're
paying them, worked out something

again, you want someone who's
passionate about your business.

So they're not necessarily
there for the money.

doesn't mean you should underpay them.

Um, I was trying to find a balance of
where they felt like they were getting

paid well for their time and there was
still money left, uh, that had made

sense from a business perspective too.

So this is the last thing, and
this is the most important thing.

You might be like, great, I found someone.

I, I mentored them.

We went through the apprenticeship.

I've released them onto my clients.

They're now I can just forget about it.

No, that's a big mistake.

Um, over time with any employee or anyone
who works for you want to be keeping

in touch with them because If there's
something that they feel dissatisfied

about or something like something that
happens and then it could be something

little But I find if those things fester
without them talking to you directly

about them They can grow and grow and
grow until the person becomes very

dissatisfied and that can show up then
in the way that they run Their classes

or it can just show up in like them
saying hey, I don't want to do this

anymore with no apparent notice So you
want to keep that relationship with them?

And how you do that is I used to be
like, you got to meet up with them,

you know, every week do this stuff.

But I think a better way to do it is
what works for you and the other trainer.

If you've got a very experienced
trainer, you might just choose to

meet up once a month for coffee
and just have a little check in.

If you've got a, and I make this,
sorry, one thing I'll say about

this, whatever you do decide, Make
sure that they know from when they

start, this is expected of them.

That there's going to be this
regular meetup, that this is

part of them working with you.

Uh, maybe you'll even
pay them for their time.

It's like a work meeting.

Another way you might do this
is, uh, like I've seen some them.

Places out there that will put
some money towards some continued

education for their trainers.

So they'll say, Hey, if there's
a course you want to do,

we'll put a hundred dollars.

We'll put 200 towards
it, something like that.

I think a better way to do this,
especially if the trainer isn't

as experienced with you is to do
your continued education in house.

Yes, they can go to other
courses, but have them come in.

Um, and catch up with you and maybe
you'll do a workout together where you

show them some of the stuff that, that,
you know, that maybe they don't know.

So maybe you'll do a session on like
running or a session on like games or

something like that and actually get
in there and have a play together.

Um, and then you can have a bit
of a debrief at the end of that.

But when you're doing exercise
together, which is getting.

Everyone in a good mood and more open
to like having a good discussion.

So if there are any grievances or there is
something that the person is upset about,

your trainers upset about, they will feel
more comfortable talking to you about it.

And B, you're mentoring them.

You're teaching them more about the
way that you like to run classes, the

way that you like to do things, um,
which is just going to help again,

with that issue that we talked about
at the start, which is like my clients

don't want to train with anyone else.

They love me.

the more you mentor them, um,
and provide space for them.

So you might meet up once every other week
and do that once a month, or maybe once

a week, uh, if you've got a few trainers.

So that's what I recommend to
have some sort of ongoing support.

Don't just expect that because you've
hired someone that will just rock up

and happily do their job every week.

You need to have, you need to give, give
them that little bit of extra, little

bit of extra guidance and support.

All right.

I hope that's been really helpful.

Uh, let's do a little recap on how
to duplicate yourself, remember it's

to start thinking about this now.

Uh, I don't want to put pressure on you.

It's like, Oh God, Kyle, another thing
to do, but something about this now,

because it takes time to find people and
train them up and all the rest of it.

So think about that succession planning,
like Where do I want my business to be in

five years, 10 years, start keeping an eye
out for people who might be a good fit.

Then make sure that they
aren't the same as you.

We don't want another trainer
in our business who wants

to start their own business.

It's not, it's like a, Oh, we're
afraid they're going to steal our

clients, but just in that they're
probably not going to stick around.

Um, so you're gonna invest
all this time in someone.

So hiring someone who's just loves
fitness, uh, Whereas the new passion for

fitness is happy to do this as a side gig.

Perfect.

Um, biggest thing with interviewing,
make them feel comfortable, make

them feel, really feel like they can
be themselves, set up some sort of

apprenticeship or mentorship model.

Once they join, make sure you're
paying them something that makes

sense from a business perspective and
actually rewarding them for their time.

And, Lastly, make sure you
give them ongoing support.

And I really like the model
of continued education.

I think it's adds a good
function to what you're doing.

Um, and it benefits you.

You get to teach what you're,
you know, and maybe sometimes

they'll teach what they know.

Maybe I'll go do a course and
then you'd say, Hey, why don't

you mentor me this session?

Uh, and then you guys are all on the
same page and it provides a regular

catch up for you guys to talk.

All right.

That's it for the Warm Up this week.

Uh, hope you guys enjoyed it.

I'm Kyle Wood and I'll see you next week.