The Personal Trainer Mentor Academy Podcast

Me, Ant and Sky are back with three of your questions. How do you plan a full year of small group programming and adapt it for one to one? What’s the difference between a coach on 30k and a coach on 80k, apart from 50 grand? And how do you go online only and actually get clients from social media when posting and hoping isn’t cutting it?We finish with what’s on at the conference, now two and a half weeks away. A full practical day, then a marketing day with Luke Johnson, Rachel Henley and Simon.Grab your ticket for 27th and 28th November here: https://www.ptmentoracademy.com/ptma-coaches-conference-2026 Timestamps00:03 - Intro and weekend catch up06:53 - How do I plan a year of small group programming and adapt it for one to one?09:50 - What’s the difference between a coach on 30k and a coach on 80k?15:00 - How do I go online only and get clients from social media?21:38 - What to expect at the conference

The PTMA Coaches Conference is on Friday 27th and Saturday 28th November. Rachel Henley is speaking on the Saturday, going deeper on everything in this episode, including how to start a YouTube channel and find your voice online. Grab your ticket hereNext up in our conference speaker series, I'm joined by Rachel Henley from Henley Fitness. If you've ever said "I just want to coach, I hate social media", she's the one you need to hear from, because a few years ago she said exactly that.In 2023 Rachel was sitting on 19 clients and close to dipping out. She told her mentor she hated content and didn't want to do it, then decided to make it work anyway. Today Henley Fitness has a team of seven coaches, a group programme that's sold out 300 spaces on all 20 intakes, and an app with over 5,000 members.We get into what changed. Sorting her own head out, studying how the platforms actually work, and muting every coach she followed. She'll bet you 50 quid you follow too many coaches, and that's why your content sounds like everyone else's. Once she started talking the way she does with her clients, things landed.She also breaks down why 10 million views on a funny video brought her zero clients while her pull up and RDL videos brought in the right people, why her 100k email list does the heavy lifting on launches, and why 90k subscribers on YouTube now bring her more enquiries than Instagram.Timestamps00:00 - Intro: welcome Rachel Henley from Henley Fitness01:51 - Who Rachel is and moving online during COVID04:03 - 19 clients, ready to quit, and building to a team of seven and a 5,000 member app06:22 - The "I just want to coach" turning point06:58 - Why YouTube is the place to be if you hate social media08:09 - 90k subscribers and more enquiries than Instagram09:46 - Sorting her own head out first11:43 - Why you follow too many coaches13:26 - Muting every coach and talking like you do with clients14:17 - 2,000 posts, 10 viral ones, and reviewing every week15:00 - Finding your voice, and why AI copy sounds like nobody17:42 - Scared of your personal followers? Her first 20 clients came from her own circle19:55 - Going viral vs getting buyers20:58 - 10 million views and no clients vs helpful videos that sell23:40 - 100k on the email list and why Instagram is getting harder25:02 - Wiggle Your Bits: the free programme that built the list26:14 - If Instagram disappeared tomorrow28:18 - Launches: 40% open rates vs story views dropping from 50k to 5k29:53 - When content feels like a full time job32:28 - "I hate content, do not make me do it"33:57 - What to expect from Rachel's session on the Saturday35:06 - Wrap up

Me and Sky are flying solo this week while Ant’s off on another holiday (the girls in the mentorship have been counting, apparently). We open with Sky wanting a jingle after hundreds of episodes without one, then get straight into your questions.The big one was what three things you’d make non-negotiable in your coaching to keep one-to-one in-person clients for longer. For me it comes down to the first 30 and 90 days. Understand the person properly, their goals, their values, their reasons why, because most coaches think they do goal setting and they don’t. Future pace them so they know exactly what’s coming and what the milestones are. And get them a quick win, because nothing keeps someone going like seeing a return on the effort they’re putting in. Sky adds a really simple trick for monthly reviews that her clients love.We also get into how we’d plan our ideal week if we were PTs now, and what to do when your emails aren’t getting replies. My answer is you don’t sack them off. A couple of months isn’t an investment, copywriting is a skill you have to practise, and email is the one bit of your marketing you actually own. Sky flips it round and asks what reason you’re giving anyone to be on your list.Then it’s how to use your own races and community events for content, and what to do with a launch next week. Spoiler, triple everything and go back to your old clients, four people who’ve worked with us before joined this Accelerator intake.We finish with a heads up for Wednesday’s episode with Rachel France on biomechanics, ahead of her session at the coaches conference.00:00 - Intro: welcome to the mad house and the jingle debate01:00 - Ant’s not here (yes, another holiday)01:47 - Q: If you were a PT now, how would you plan your ideal working week?01:59 - Sky’s ideal week: sessions midweek, Mondays for clients, Fridays for marketing04:30 - My ideal week: small group only, mornings, and slow Monday starts07:01 - Q: When do you cut your losses with a marketing channel like email?07:30 - Why a couple of months isn’t an investment, and copywriting as a skill08:54 - You don’t own Instagram: why your email list is your data10:25 - Sky: how do you actually behave on other people’s email lists?11:30 - Give people a reason to be on your list, and stop only showing up to sell12:49 - Q: How do I use our HYROX, Affex and community events for content?14:23 - Sky: what do you want people to feel when they watch it?16:35 - Q: How should I approach a launch week in the first week of November?18:34 - Your old clients are still leads, and four came back for the Accelerator19:57 - Q: Three non-negotiables to improve in-person client retention20:14 - My three: understand the person, future pace them, give them a quick win22:59 - Sky: involving clients in the community and using AI to show their progress24:58 - Coming Wednesday: Rachel France on biomechanics, plus the conference on 27th November26:03 - OutroTimestamps

THE PTMA COACHES CONFERENCE | FRIDAY 27TH AND SATURDAY 28TH NOVEMBERTwo days. One in the gym, fully practical, with coaching skills you can use with a client the week after. One with the speakers, including Luke's full session on launches. Book your ticket and we'll send you Luke's brand bank calculator before the day, so his talk is built around where you're actually at.🎫 Get your ticket hereFirst guest on the podcast in about three years. Ahead of the coaches conference we're getting the speakers on to give you a taste of what they're bringing, and first up is Luke Johnson, the OG launch guy. We've known Luke since he invited me and Nik down to a Shredded by Science event back in 2017.Luke has launched everything from Alan Aragon's conference to challenges with 2,900 sign ups, and he treats it like periodisation. Pick the date, reverse engineer it, and get more specific the closer you get. Promote further out and more than you think, because nobody sees every post or reads every email. Give yourself 90 days if it's new, and accept your first one will be your best worst launch.He breaks down his brand bank, your audience, content and proof, and why one coach sells 200 spaces in nine minutes while another with a similar following struggles for 40. Then the stuff most coaches get wrong. Launching away from payday, why early January and early September are worse than you'd think, and why no one wants "group coaching". One of his clients got 10 people on a challenge and nine carried on to one to one.Sky asks what happens between launches and whether you should go back to back. Luke explains the peaks and troughs that leave in your revenue, why he likes three or four launches a year, and how to keep giving value in between so you're not ghosting everyone until the next one.00:01 Intro: our first guest in three years00:33 Welcome Luke Johnson01:41 Luke's history with our conference02:21 How Luke became the OG launch guy02:50 How we met: Shredded by Science, 201703:33 Treating a launch like periodisation06:00 2,900 sign ups at £49 vs 10 at £250: why both work06:54 The biggest lessons from Luke's own launches07:33 Promote earlier and more, and why you need 90 days09:57 The brand bank: 200 spots in nine minutes vs 4012:24 Matching your sign up mechanism to where you're at12:52 Front end offers and first launch expectations14:31 Launching around payday: build, pre-launch, launch, deliver16:55 10 on a challenge, 9 into one to one, and why no one wants group coaching18:14 Sky: what happens between launches?19:12 Seasonal peaks and troughs, and why January isn't always the answer21:24 The downside of back to back launches22:51 Holiday angles, and why end of September beats the start24:57 Building a stable business over 12 to 24 months25:42 Learning from every launch27:20 Sky: how to be ready before you launch28:09 Grow your audience and play the hand you've got30:33 Luke's brand bank calculator31:44 Wrap up and what to expect at the conferenceCoaches Conference, 27th and 28th November tickets here ... only 9 left.

Sky’s awarded herself employee of the month and nobody asked me or Ant. She thanks her parents for raising her in Grimsby, makes her case for a coffee and croissant voucher, and then actually pays us a compliment when Ant asks how hard we are to work with. I’m still recovering.Then into your questions. A coach has a fat loss client who can’t stick to any structure with food, and Sky reckons more structure is the last thing she needs. Give her one easy win that builds her confidence, even if it’s got nothing to do with nutrition. Ant gives his answer for enquiries that just ask for the price: give a range, explain what decides where they sit in it, and get them on a call.I take the big one on what holds commercial gym floor PTs back. The environment hands you clients through shifts, classes and website enquiries, so you never learn to market yourself in a way you can repeat. It breeds a bit of laziness, and the fix is doing the uncomfortable stuff that gets you in front of people.Last question is how to get a quiet client WhatsApp group going again. Sky says manage your own feelings about it first, ask the group what they actually want from it, and swap the weekly wins for conversations about what people are struggling with. I add that not everyone engages the same way, and that’s fine.We finish with Ant reminding you the Accelerator closes this weekend and it’s the last time at this price.Timestamps00:00 – Intro00:31 – Sky awards herself employee of the month01:14 – Her case for the title, and the socks02:41 – How difficult are we to work with, on a scale of one to ten?03:40 – Q&A begins: fat loss client who can’t stick to any structure with food06:42 – How to respond when an enquiry just asks for the price08:02 – The most common challenge commercial gym floor PTs face10:33 – Why it really comes down to proactiveness and doing the uncomfortable stuff11:47 – How to get a client WhatsApp group active again16:07 – My take: different people engage with community in different ways18:19 – Updates: the Accelerator closes this weekend19:16 – Why it’s the last time at this price, and Millie’s 17 new clients20:30 – Outro

Ant’s hosting this week, Sky’s Wi-Fi is just about holding on, and I’m on mute for the start thanks to a neighbour’s hedge trimmer. Then it’s straight into your questions.We cover what coaches should learn first, what goes on a flyer, and how to handle an all-or-nothing client who’s lost motivation. Sky shares her brilliant week vs good enough week tool for that one. We also get into small group numbers, shifting your marketing when your niche turns out different, what to offer people who don’t win your giveaway, kitting out your first studio, how many leads you need for three or four clients a month, and your October marketing angle. We finish on whether you should post progress photos when you don’t fully believe in them.Timestamps00:03 - Intro04:38 - What should coaches work on first: copywriting, Meta ads or psychology?06:50 - How much information should go on a local flyer?10:04 - My client is all or nothing and has lost motivation. What do I do?13:39 - My client says this is her “last push”. Anything change?15:51 - How many small group sessions a week is a good amount?21:09 - My niche turned out different to what I thought. How do I shift my marketing?23:52 - What should I offer the people who don’t win my giveaway?25:34 - What’s the one underrated thing that builds a successful PT business?30:56 - Kitting out your first studio: bare essentials or go for it?33:13 - How many leads do I need to sign 3 to 4 clients a month, and how long do they take to warm up?41:56 - What should my marketing look like for October?45:35 - Should I post progress photos if I don’t fully believe in them?50:25 - Outro

We kick off with Sky's "morning meditation" and a proper academy debate over which event each of us could beat everyone at. Sky reckons arm wrestling, Ant wants a power slapping comp at the coaches conference, and I get talked down to CrossFit because Connor would probably beat me anyway.Then into your questions. First up, should leads from the gym floor go to Instagram or email? I'd do both, every time. Instagram gives you the quick feedback and the conversations, but if your account gets shut down tomorrow you've got zero way of talking to anyone. Your email list is data you own, and it compounds.Next, what separates the PTs who are still here years later from the ones who drop out. Ant talks about realising this is the thing you actually want to do, staying open to learning, and keeping your expectations real about how long a business takes to build. Sky brings it back to the freedom you forget you have on the hard days, and how nothing beats helping a client change their life.Last one, how do you switch off when you're self-employed? Ant fills his diary with volunteering and football coaching, which he says saved his napper a few years back. Sky had to learn to sit with the panic of not working and realise the business doesn't fall apart if you step away. For me it's having events booked in, something every three months, because if I don't I'll just keep working and skip training.We wrap up with a heads up that the giveaway closes at 8pm tonight, and there aren't many entries so your odds are good. Plus you'll be hearing plenty about coaches conference tickets this week.00:00 – Intro and Sky's PTMA morning meditation00:38 – Monday hangovers and Sky's dodgy connection01:26 – Icebreaker: one event you'd beat everyone in the academy at02:21 – Olympic lifting vs CrossFit, and why Connor might beat me02:58 – Sky's secret weapon: arm wrestling technique03:46 – Ant's power slapping idea for the coaches conference04:34 – Q: Should gym floor leads go to Instagram or email?05:18 – Why I'd do both, and the risk of relying on Instagram alone07:44 – Q: What separates PTs who last from those who don't make it?08:03 – Ant: knowing it's what you want to do and staying open to learning11:11 – Sky: the freedom you forget about on the hard days12:48 – Ant: warped expectations and how long a business really takes14:23 – Q: How do you switch off when you're self-employed?14:53 – Ant: filling the diary with volunteering and hobbies16:08 – Sky: sitting with the discomfort and life admin as downtime18:04 – Me: booking events every three months to stay on track20:10 – Ant: how football coaching saved his napper21:59 – Final thoughts: giveaway closes 8pm tonight, conference tickets23:09 – OutroTimestamps

Me, Ant and Sky Hill are back with a full listener Q&A, after a jingle debate and Ant's theory that he's peaking for alcohol and tapering off the running. He also drops a Liam Gallagher quote that splits the room: you have to care a lot to not give a f***.We talk about the fifth annual PTMA Coaches Conference, why this one has practical sessions in it, and why CPD courses have gone so quiet in your feed. Then it's the questions. What should a brand new PT prioritise first (me and Sky don't fully agree), what to do when your online offer keeps pulling in-person enquiries, what to write in your emails, how to handle another coach disagreeing with you in public, how to manage clients when you take time off, and how anyone finds time to run a business.We finish with a big one from a coach going through an ADHD assessment, and Ant shares the one thing he sees holding back nearly every coach he's worked with. There's also an action hero debate that goes absolutely nowhere.Timestamps00:01 – Intro: the jingle debate and meeting the hosts00:54 – Ant's training plan: peaking for alcohol, tapering off the running01:29 – Liam Gallagher's quote: "you have to care a lot to not give a f***"03:22 – Coming up: the fifth annual PTMA Coaches Conference03:57 – Every venue we've done so far, from the Double Tree to the Malmaison to Ashton05:56 – Why this year is different: practical sessions and a split two days06:29 – Last week's CPD post, and why nobody sees CPD courses advertised anymore09:10 – The perfect pathway for a new PT: business, behaviour change or programming first?15:00 – Q&A begins: selling online coaching but getting in-person enquiries21:31 – What to write in your mailing list: does it always have to be educational?23:12 – Getting hate from another coach: take the bait or rise above it?29:35 – Top tips for managing clients when you take time off33:13 – What do we use to record the podcast?33:59 – How do people have time for everything when they run a business?37:08 – Action hero debate: time travel, John McClane and Scarface40:36 – Coaching with ADHD: staying on track, workflows and why weekly reflection matters47:31 – Final thoughts and outro

I'm walking round sore as hell after doing German volume training for the first time in fifteen years, which kicks off a proper trip down memory lane through every training fad me and Ant have lived through, GVT, the 300 workout, Tabata, TRX, Vipers, animal flow, all of it. That rolls into gym horror stories, including Ant's new favourite: a bloke who did two sets on the Smith machine, took a selfie under the downlights, and left.Then we get into listener questions: following up when a lead goes quiet after you've sent pricing, the top priorities and pitfalls moving from PT to running your own gym space, knowing when to be direct versus empathetic with a client, finding the balance between working in and on the business versus taking proper downtime, and where the line sits between being real on social media and still being inspirational.We close out with a teaser, the full lineup for the coaches conference goes live Friday, 20+ tickets across two days (one gym-based, one in the usual event space), plus a surprise we're not giving up yet.00:00 – Intro00:12 – Nik's sore from GVT, DUP debate01:14 – The 300 workout, GVT taking over the squat rack, insanity, 75 Hard02:04 – Tabata's big moment02:52 – TRX and Vipers, £600 of kit gathering dust03:34 – Animal flow / zoo warm-up era, trends cycling back05:06 – Most annoying thing seen in a gym05:16 – The Smith machine selfie guy story06:28 – Shadow boxing between sets07:13 – Why commercial gyms bring out the worst07:28 – The macho ice bath corner08:00 – Q&A: following up when someone's gone quiet after pricing11:09 – Top priorities/pitfalls moving from PT to your own gym space14:13 – Direct vs empathetic coaching16:59 – Balancing working in/on the business with downtime22:34 – Being real vs inspirational on social media26:36 – Final thoughts: conference lineup drops Friday28:19 – Outro

Timestamps00:01 – Intro: checking we're actually live00:46 – Welcome back: Sky Hill filling in for Nick this week01:19 – My week off: track sessions, spoiled kids, and a lecture about buses02:34 – Lexi's exam results and the CV pub crawl round Uppermill04:10 – Running recap: a brutal new hilly route and 9k of intervals on the canal05:26 – Sky's week: the Affex competition and what it actually involves07:49 – Plan to clip Sky's Affex review for extra reach08:02 – Q&A begins08:14 – Going live with an online offer in a month, leads but no one obvious to ask for 1:1 first10:09 – Should we run an SGPT panel at the conference (and maybe a podcast episode on it)?11:57 – A prospect pushing for a month's free trial after already getting seven days14:00 – Building the confidence to open a gym or small group setup in a new area20:22 – The three most important skills a coach needs — Sky's answer23:38 – The three most important skills a coach needs — my answer27:02 – What's coming up: Connected Coach, the next Accelerator push, and the November conference28:44 – Outro: no episode next week, bank holidayWelcome back, it's been a rough week without me. I've been off with the kids for the week, Sky Hill's stepped in for Nick who's on his annual leave, and we open with the usual state of play before getting into a full listener Q&A.I run through my week off, track sessions with the kids at Sports City, Lexi's exam results, and the now-legendary CV pub crawl round Uppermill where she handed her CV into half the bars in the village while I had a beer in every one of them. Sky's just come back from the Affex competition and gives a full breakdown of what it actually involves for anyone thinking about entering.Then it's straight into questions from the coaches. We cover what to do when you've got a list of leads for a new online offer but no one obvious to approach for 1:1 first, whether an SGPT panel would work at the conference, how to handle a prospect trying to push a seven day free trial into a month, and how to build the confidence to open a gym or small group setup in a completely new area (which happens to be relevant to us right now too). We close out with the big one, the three most important skills a coach needs, and Sky and I both give our answers.Quick look ahead: Sky and Nick's Connected Coach, the next marketing push for the Accelerator ahead of October, and the coaches conference on the 27th and 28th of November in Manchester.