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Bolster Your Business and Fortify Your Purpose

Owning or managing a fitness business has its own set of challenges. It’s easy to settle into autopilot from one quarter to the next, allowing the status quo to dictate the bottom line. But there’s another option: Learn new, more efficient best practices to take your business to new heights.

Each year, IDEA’s programming department scours the earth looking for most respected, most innovative education and experts so that personal trainers and managers can learn top tips, skills and strategies to build and grow fulfilling careers. Here’s a small sample of the topics you can expect to learn about this year:

  • Technology has become a major player in helping personal trainers maintain contact with clients outside those three weekly sessions. In “How to Use Technology to Change Your Clients’ Behavior,” presenter Clifton Harski, director of training and global head coach for Fitwall, plans to share his insights on the top tools available and which are most appropriate for each client in his session, For example, here’s one way he keeps clients adherent outside of scheduled sessions: “They set an alarm to go off a few times per day that alerts them to move in a way that they determine (walking, stretching, brief exercise, foam roller, etc) and mark it off a to-do list on their smart phones.” He then discusses experiences during a subsequent meeting to enhance accountability.
  • Investing in equipment can be expensive. But Shari Kalkstein, CSCS, owner of Fortify Your Frame, says you don’t need the latest and greatest to provide clients with fun, challenging workouts. “I’m a business of one and don’t have a budget for lots of ‘toys,’” she says. “However, I like a variety when I work with my older clients.”
    If she’s looking for new tools to add to her toolbox, Kalkstein roams the aisles of her local dollar store. She’ll share some of her finds in the session “Budget-Friendly Tips for Creative Trainers.” “One of my new favorite core activities is done with a beach ball. I’ll be using videos of my clients using these dollar store items.”
  • A strong social media presence may be a necessary component of a profitable business, but not everyone makes the right choices when sharing content. One of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs can make is to focus content on themselves and not the customer, says Vito La Fata, founder of Fitness Profit Systems. “They send promos and post class updates, etc., but, they don’t actually deliver . . . helpful and useful content with the intention of serving their ideal avatar,” he says.

Baffled about what to post? In “Social Media Content Made Easy,” La Fata will clear up the confusion and provide attendees with the step-by-step process he uses to produce attractive, engaging content.

These sessions only scrape the surface—the education well is deep and there is much you can pull from to expand your knowledge base and grow your business. From exercise science to marketing, there’s something for everyone:

Coaching Strategies

  • Use Advanced Interviewing Strategies for Targeted Results
  • Communicating With Your Female Clients for Breakthrough Results
  • Discover Your Inner Coach
  • The Other 165—Habit-Based Coaching for Long-Term Success

Specific Populations

  • Training Active Boomers—From Prehab to Rehab
  • New Ideas for Training Generation X Clients
  • Smarter Exercise for Smarter, Fitter Kids!
  • Training the Female Client—How Hormonal Changes Influence Program Design
  • Complete Program Design for the Obese/Overweight Client, Updated for 2017

Financial Freedom

  • How to Attract More Clients and Make More Money
  • The Productivity Plan—Align Purpose With Passion to Create Profit
  • Get Financially Fit in Three Easy Steps!
  • How to Double Your Sales in 6 Months (or Less)!
  • Top Sales and Marketing Tips to Grow Your Training Business Now!

Conference Highlights

Top-level education is only part of the overall IDEA Personal Trainer Institute package. Aside from choosing among more than 100 sessions, you will have the potential to earn up to 21 CECs (earn up to 8 additional CECs with preconference sessions); share stories and make new friends (or even recruit new employees!) during social and networking opportunities; and score deals on education and equipment offerings from your favorite companies.

Check out these two can’t-miss fitness events:

  • At Thursday night’s Opening Session, “How to Transform Your Passion Into Financial Freedom,” Rick Mayo, founder and CEO of Alloy Personal Training Center and Alloy Personal Training Solutions, will share everything he’s done to create and license a wildly successful business model and live the life he’s always dreamed of.
    “I’ve owned and operated my brick-and-mortar gym since 1992,” Mayo says. “I will provide the audience with some of my most effective actionable items that they can take back to their businesses and implement on Monday!”
  • Mix, mingle and build solid connections with fellow attendees and fitness conference sponsors during Friday night’s Networking Happy Hour.

Stay relevant and help boost your business by attending one of the most exclusive fitness education events in the country. Don’t procrastinate! Space is limited, and this fitness event sells out—register early!

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