Confessions From a Personal Trainer: My worst month in business
True Confession Tuesday:
Where every Tuesday: I confess.
Confession: I just had my WORST month in business.
Happy 1-year business anniversary to me. Worst month ever. I don’t tell you this to make you feel sorry for me one bit, so come along this journey with me and I know you will be able to relate even if you are not a entrepreneur.
Credit: Derek Halpern of Social Triggers
The graphic above perfectly explains my journey so far.
“I’m excited” – I was thrilled to be starting off on my own with the confidence to know I would succeed.
“Ugh! This is hard” – Had some of those moments for sure early on.
“IT’S WORKING” – A few months of cruising right along.
“I messed up” – Sure. I put out a few programs that very few people purchased.
“Give up the good for the great.” – I can’t say I’ve 100% had this one yet, but I feel amazing every time I work with clients, write blog posts, and interact.
“I think I’m going bankrupt” – This is my current state on the chart. Never fear – I’m not ACTUALLY going bankrupt. But as I said, I had my worst month so far. Also notice that this point is the lowest on the whole chart. Lower than the hard part at the beginning.
But if the chart is real and it seems to be so far, I have something great coming.
“I’m good. I don’t know why I get so down on myself.” – I can’t wait for this!!! And the parts that come later.
I found myself in April having lost 4 clients. Each one stopped training for a very good reason and sort of one at a time. To the point where you notice but you don’t really put as much stake into it until you realize you just had your worst month.
Why did this happen? I was putting in the same work. I didn’t change. My work didn’t change. What I was writing and doing didn’t change. And I was being purposeful about opening up my world to new clients, staying positive………..
THAT IS THE PROBLEM. I DID NOT CHANGE.
- I expected that if I did nothing different, I would build my business.
- I thought that since I was putting in my efforts with current clients, I would gain new ones.
- I figured since I had a decade of experience, clients would just come parading through my door.
- Since I’m a kind human being, surely clients would just manifest before my eyes.
- I put in 9 years of structured time before branching out to create my own business, so obviously clients would be jumping at the chance to work with me.
- I studied online entrepreneurs and business people, listened to podcasts and increased my knowledge, and felt like that would increase my business.
“Nothing changes if nothing changes.”
You see. I am the same kind hearted person who opened up my business a year ago. But in the last year, I worked my current business without any proactive developments for future business. I fooled myself into thinking clients would magically appear because I’m good at what I do.
So I put on my big girl pants (the ones with zippers!) and I went to a business networking meeting. An opportunity to meet other professionals doing the same thing as me. I put aside my nerves, I changed my attitude, and I actually enjoyed myself and am looking forward to how I will develop and change personally and professionally by continuing to go to the meetings.
We hold ourselves back and have “worst months ever” all the time in so many areas of our life.
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We expect to lose weight but we don’t change our eating habits.
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We want a new job but we don’t look.
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We crave a deeper relationship with a significant other but we don’t tell them.
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We desperately want to meet new people but we never reach out or join a group.
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We want to be stronger and more fit, but we never exercise.
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We want to become more educated but we don’t read or listen to podcasts.
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We want to spend more quality time with our kids but we don’t ask for a different schedule at work that would allow that.
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And on, and on, and on, and on.
I told a client the other day half joking “I better find some more clients or start looking for a job.” He looked at me like I was nuts and said “Would you really do that?”
No way. And here’s why. I will only go back to looking for a job if I can look myself in the eye and know that I did EVERYTHING I could possibly do to grow my business. And the answer is no I haven’t.
I have a renewed sense of purpose, a great fire lit underneath me, and the enthusiasm to try new things and put myself out there in different ways. It’s scary, but the chart tells me better days are coming. 🙂
I want to know from you – where are you having a “worst month ever?” Where are you fooling yourself into thinking things will change with any effort from you?? PLEASE EMAIL ME and let me know.
