**Introduction (3–5 minutes):**

 “You’ve heard it a hundred times: 'There's more than one way to skin a cat.' But in our mentorship practice, there’s only one way to drive predictable, repeatable success—and that’s by following the proven strategies in our toolkit.”

“We’ve refined our approach through trial and error, through working with nearly 3000 gyms. That’s a lot of data. The methods we recommend aren’t random—they’re the product of years of testing and experience.”

 "While new ideas can be exciting, our job as mentors is not to offer something different or untested to our clients. It’s to help them apply what’s already been proven to work in a way that drives predictable outcomes."

The Myth of the Perfect Idea

 “It’s tempting to share the latest 'shiny object' you heard about in the Tinker program, on outside podcasts, or in books. But those ideas are unproven, and often just variations on strategies that aren’t fully tested or proven in the real world.

**Example Story 1:** Bring a Friend *Day* vs. Bring a Friend *Week*.

     - “We’ve found that ‘Bring a Friend Day’ works because it creates urgency, limits the time frame, and focuses the gym owner on conversion. A week just creates delays, more work, and a larger window for losing potential leads. A day does what a week doesn’t—it converts faster.”

   - **Example Story 2:** Rate Increase Letters.

     - “The rate increase letter we provide in the Growth Toolkit is the result of years of feedback, refinement, and testing. It’s not about creating your own version. While a mentor’s individual letter might seem like a good idea, it’s not backed by the same level of data. It’s a roll of the dice.”

“There are many versions of pretty good but only one version of excellence.”

    **Part 2: "Why New Ideas Aren’t Always Better" (12 minutes)**

“When you’re working with clients in the Growth or Stage 1 phases, they need predictability. They need tools that are proven to work, not variations of ideas that haven’t been fully tested yet.”

The Progression From Stage 1 to Growth.

     - “In Stage 1, gym owners are just starting out, and they don’t have the bandwidth to experiment with new ideas. They need clear guidance, a step-by-step plan that’s been honed over years. Anything else just leads to more distractions.”

     - **Picture your staff walking down a road toward a finish line. Every new thing you add is a step backward – they have to learn it, screw it up, and do it well before it becomes a step forward. You can’t eliminate these backward steps, but you should minimize them. The less you change, the faster they go. Novelty creates friction.”

“Our job isn’t to reinvent the toolkit or come up with new ideas—it’s to deliver what’s already working even better.”

"Delivering Consistency Over Innovation" (10 minutes)**

“Our toolkit has already been refined, tested, and proven across hundreds and thousands of clients. It’s tempting to think that new or 'cutting-edge' ideas are the best solution, but our job is to apply what's in front of us with excellence.”

Tinker Ideas vs. Proven Success.

“The Tinker program is a laboratory for ideas—some of those ideas will make it into our toolkit, but only after rigorous testing. Until then, we need to stick with the processes that have been proven to drive results, not the unproven experiments.”

“It’s not boring to follow proven strategies—it’s what gives our clients the results they expect.”

   **Conclusion (3–5 minutes):**

“As mentors, we don’t need]]>Quickcast: "The Power of Proven Tools: Why Following the Toolkit Drives Predictable Success"

   **Introduction (3–5 minutes):**

 “You’ve heard it a hundred times: 'There's more than one way to skin a cat.' But in our mentorship practice, there’s only one way to drive predictable, repeatable success—and that’s by following the proven strategies in our toolkit.”

“We’ve refined our approach through trial and error, through working with nearly 3000 gyms. That’s a lot of data. The methods we recommend aren’t random—they’re the product of years of testing and experience.”

 "While new ideas can be exciting, our job as mentors is not to offer something different or untested to our clients. It’s to help them apply what’s already been proven to work in a way that drives predictable outcomes."

The Myth of the Perfect Idea

 “It’s tempting to share the latest 'shiny object' you heard about in the Tinker program, on outside podcasts, or in books. But those ideas are unproven, and often just variations on strategies that aren’t fully tested or proven in the real world.

**Example Story 1:** Bring a Friend *Day* vs. Bring a Friend *Week*.

     - “We’ve found that ‘Bring a Friend Day’ works because it creates urgency, limits the time frame, and focuses the gym owner on conversion. A week just creates delays, more work, and a larger window for losing potential leads. A day does what a week doesn’t—it converts faster.”

   - **Example Story 2:** Rate Increase Letters.

     - “The rate increase letter we provide in the Growth Toolkit is the result of years of feedback, refinement, and testing. It’s not about creating your own version. While a mentor’s individual letter might seem like a good idea, it’s not backed by the same level of data. It’s a roll of the dice.”

“There are many versions of pretty good but only one version of excellence.”

    **Part 2: "Why New Ideas Aren’t Always Better" (12 minutes)**

“When you’re working with clients in the Growth or Stage 1 phases, they need predictability. They need tools that are proven to work, not variations of ideas that haven’t been fully tested yet.”

The Progression From Stage 1 to Growth.

     - “In Stage 1, gym owners are just starting out, and they don’t have the bandwidth to experiment with new ideas. They need clear guidance, a step-by-step plan that’s been honed over years. Anything else just leads to more distractions.”

     - **Picture your staff walking down a road toward a finish line. Every new thing you add is a step backward – they have to learn it, screw it up, and do it well before it becomes a step forward. You can’t eliminate these backward steps, but you should minimize them. The less you change, the faster they go. Novelty creates friction.”

“Our job isn’t to reinvent the toolkit or come up with new ideas—it’s to deliver what’s already working even better.”

"Delivering Consistency Over Innovation" (10 minutes)**

“Our toolkit has already been refined, tested, and proven across hundreds and thousands of clients. It’s tempting to think that new or 'cutting-edge' ideas are the best solution, but our job is to apply what's in front of us with excellence.”

Tinker Ideas vs. Proven Success.

“The Tinker program is a laboratory for ideas—some of those ideas will make it into our toolkit, but only after rigorous testing. Until then, we need to stick with the processes that have been proven to drive results, not the unproven experiments.”

“It’s not boring to follow proven strategies—it’s what gives our clients the results they expect.”

   **Conclusion (3–5 minutes):**

“As mentors, we don’t need to be the source of new ideas. We need to be the source of excellence in applying the proven tools that work. Our clients are not signing up for experiments—they’re signing up for predictable outcomes.”

“Let’s not confuse creativity with success. Let’s deliver excellence by staying focused on what works—and making it work better every time.”

In this quickcast, I’ll explain the difference between coaching and mentorship, and why it matters for our approach as mentors.

**Coaching** is about helping people execute a model or strategy with precision and skill. Coaches focus on **tactics**, removing roadblocks and obstacles, and ensuring the client is doing the right thing at the right time. A good coach can execute a proven strategy or model with **virtuosity**, ensuring clients make faster progress without wasting time.

On the other hand, **mentorship** is about **strategic guidance** and **long-term planning**. Mentors help clients navigate the journey ahead, providing insights into broader concepts, building a path forward, and helping clients avoid common mistakes. While a mentor might help clients with high-level decisions, they don't get involved in every detail of execution. They focus on the **big picture**, helping clients avoid blind spots, and offering connections and resources to fill in the gaps.

In our current model, we’re not in the mentorship business, we’re in the **coaching** business. Our job is to help gym owners **apply** the model we’ve developed to grow their gyms effectively. The toolkit we provide has been tested and refined through years of work, and it’s our job to **help clients follow it precisely**.

That means, as mentors, we **don’t create new models** or **explore untested strategies**. Instead, we deliver the **proven, step-by-step actions** within our toolkit, and we help clients execute with **speed** and **precision**.

**So, when a mentor comes across a new idea or strategy (like from Tinker, other podcasts, or books), they should be very cautious about introducing it to a client without evidence that it’s been tested and refined in the field.** For example, the “Bring a Friend Day” is a proven strategy that works. We don’t need to reinvent it—introducing a “Bring a Friend Week” may sound interesting, but there’s no evidence that it’s more effective. Instead, it just adds complexity.

This is where we need to shift the focus: it’s not about introducing new ideas, it’s about helping clients execute **what already works** in a way that delivers consistent and predictable outcomes.

Ultimately, the most important thing we can do as mentors is to **stop reinventing the wheel** and focus on refining and applying the model we’ve already established.

Remember, **we are coaches, not mentors.** Our job is to help clients apply a proven model, **not invent new ones**. Stick to the toolkit, deliver it with precision, and get clients the results they’ve invested in.

We speed up their adoption of the model by providing tools, instructions, and mentorship—not by solving every problem for them. Long-term success comes when clients can run and grow their gyms independently. Our role is to hold them accountable and coach them through essential habits, like focus, without creating a dependency on us.

Ultimately, mentorship should help clients become self-sufficient entrepreneurs capable of scaling and thriving on their own terms. Learned helplessness occurs when we let them off the hook for responsibilities that build resilience and success.

Hope this episode helps you reflect on your role as a mentor and inspires new ways to foster independence in your clients.

Welcome to Help Best, the weekly quickcast where I share skills and tactics to help our mentor team guide gym owner clients to success. In today’s episode, I’m talking about an incredibly powerful coaching tactic: turning the question around or being the mirror.

I start with a personal story about a pivotal moment in my life. Ten years ago, I was considering a big move but felt unsure. A friend asked me a simple but profound question: "What could they say that would make you stay?" That question made me realize there was nothing that would keep me where I was. It gave me the clarity I needed to make a difficult decision. Fast forward to today, when I faced a similar question about staying on as CEO of my company. The same question rocked me again, prompting deep reflection.

At a recent Strategic Coach meeting, I noticed that the coach never answered questions directly but instead turned questions around on the person asking. This technique—acting as a mirror—helps clients discover their own answers and make stronger, more confident decisions.

In this episode, I explain how you can use this strategy in your mentorship calls. Often, the best mentors aren’t there to provide answers; they’re there to help clients uncover the truth they already know deep down. I share seven powerful questions you can use, each tied to specific challenges gym owners frequently face:

"What would happen if you didn't make this change?"

Example: Hesitating to increase prices despite low profitability.

"What would success look like if you solved this problem?"

Example: Retaining clients after a short-term challenge ends.

"What is stopping you from taking action right now?"

Example: Avoiding hiring because of fear of finding the right person.

"If you could wave a magic wand, what would be different in your business?"

Example: Wanting more time to focus on strategy instead of operations.

"How would your future self thank you for making this decision today?"

Example: Debating whether to introduce semi-private training.

"What do you know deep down that you're afraid to admit?"

Example: Knowing a tough conversation with an underperforming staff member is needed.

"What is the smallest first step you can take right now?"

Example: Overwhelmed by marketing but starting with scheduling one post.

I close with a challenge for you: on your next mentorship call, test this mirroring strategy. Come prepared with a few of these questions and see how your client’s mindset shifts as they find their own answers.

Being the mirror can change lives, and it can change businesses. Let's keep helping gym owners succeed, one powerful question at a time.

In this episode, I explain how the Two-Brain Avatar chart helps mentors identify and overcome behaviors that slow or accelerate a client's progress toward their Net Owner Benefit (NOB) goal. While the curriculum itself works for everyone given enough time, the timeline depends on how quickly a client does the work.

I break down the key avatars—like the Eager, Buddy, and Cynic—and explain how each type requires different mentoring strategies. Great mentors don't change the curriculum; they adapt their approach to fit the client. This chart is our tool for speeding up client outcomes.

If you want your clients to reach their goals faster, this episode is for you.

After a client has built the basics in Stage 1 and created their metrics dashboard in Stage 2, we use those metrics to determine their Next Best Step.

https://vimeo.com/899043103/8f17186a69?share=copy

Here are the steps:

Look at their metrics and their targets in the Dashboard.

Find their biggest gap (current metrics vs target)

Scroll down the Toolkit to find a list of Projects to improve that metric

Choose a Project to solve their problem

Break the Project down into Tasks (usually 3-4)

Assign the Tasks in the Dashboard.

These steps fit into the Growth Call template, right after you get them out of “story state” and focused on the present opportunities.

In this episode, I share key lessons from Strategic Coach founder Dan Sullivan that will help mentors guide entrepreneurs toward greater success:

• Focus on Unique Ability: Help clients identify and amplify their greatest strengths while delegating or eliminating the rest.
• Measure Progress Backward, Not Forward: Shift focus from the future to celebrating past wins and growth (The Gap vs. The Gain).
• Prioritize Four Freedoms: Coach clients to make decisions that maximize freedom in time, money, relationships, and purpose.
• Simplify First, Then Multiply: Encourage clients to simplify their businesses by focusing on the 20% of actions driving 80% of results.
• Ask Transformational Questions: Use powerful questions to help clients clarify their vision and solve challenges, like:
• "What has to happen for you to feel happy about your progress?"
• "What’s the biggest obstacle holding you back?"
• "Who, not how, can solve this problem?"
• Create Repeatable Frameworks for Growth: Guide clients to develop predictable systems and routines for consistent progress and sustainability.

👉 These principles align with our mission to help gym owners grow their businesses while achieving balance and freedom. Listen now for actionable tips you can apply with your clients today!

Evolution never ends. The human body - and the species - is constantly adapting to changes in our environment, our lifestyle and the demands we make of it.. 

Unfortunately, in many areas of the world, the species is actually devolving. We’re living longer, but we’re less healthy. Our lifespan is being increased by drugs and long-term bed care, but our healthspan is decreasing thanks to an overabundance of carbs and a shortage of movement. We’re living longer, but not better.

For the first time in history, many of my generation will have shorter, sicker lives than their parents did. I want to fix this problem. The people who are best suited to turn the tide are fitness coaches.

But just as our clients are always evolving, the field of fitness must evolve. 

When I started coaching fitness back in 1998, no one had a cell phone. Few people had personal trainers. There was no CrossFit. No gyms had bumper plates. No one did any biometrics tracking and nobody really thought about healthspan.

My parents’ generation was told to eat low-fat meals and go jogging. But most of them grew up without excess, and didn’t really need a gym, let alone a trainer. Look at television from the 70s and 80s: the “fat people” were barely even chubby.

My grandparents wouldn’t understand what I did or how anyone could make a living at it.

But my kids’ generation sees fitness as a necessity. In only 50 years, we’ve gone from “only weirdos join a gym” to “everyone needs to work out at least 4x/week…and it’s probably not enough.”

The need for change is larger than ever. And we do have new tools: new science to point us toward what’s best. New technology to measure our food and our sleep and our fitness, and tell us whether we’re improving - or even help us to improve. New societal acceptance and awareness of the pursuit of fitness. If you aren’t working out, you know someone who is. New working conditions, especially post-Covid, create more time for exercise, meditation, and proper grocery shopping. New supplements are everywhere (and many of them are even helpful). HRT and available and, for some people, the new GLP drugs will actually encourage them to change. 

We even understand the science of change better. We know that people who don’t exercise aren’t necessarily lazy; that nobody actually has a “sweet tooth”, and that we can change our bodies by changing our habits.

WHo’s evolving the field of fitness? Who’s taking all of these tools and making them useful on the front lines of fitness: in the gyms, studios and clubs?

There’s a gap between the lab and the university and the researchers, and the coaches actually applying the knowledge to change lives. Who’s bridging that gap?

Is it the certifying bodies? No.

Is it the universities? No.

Is it the licensing boards for dietitians and therapists? No.

We’re going to do it.

The purpose of this podcast is to introduce you to new research, technology, and methods that will get your clients results. But it’s not enough for me to say “here’s why training in Zone 2 matters” - we’re going to tell you how to use it in your coaching practice to get clients results. 

It’s cool to talk about HRV and watch your clients wear a Whoop…but how do you use that to change their program, or even talk about it with them? We’re going to give you that.

I’m really into this stuff and have been for over 30 years. But the evolution of the industry can’t pass through me - I’m too slow. So I’ve invited some mentors from Two-Brian, successful gym owners and coaches, to help me out.

Kenny Markwardt

Brian Bott

Chris]]>The first coaching business I ever owned was called FOCUS. The tshirts said, “The continued evolution of the species”.

Evolution never ends. The human body - and the species - is constantly adapting to changes in our environment, our lifestyle and the demands we make of it.. 

Unfortunately, in many areas of the world, the species is actually devolving. We’re living longer, but we’re less healthy. Our lifespan is being increased by drugs and long-term bed care, but our healthspan is decreasing thanks to an overabundance of carbs and a shortage of movement. We’re living longer, but not better.

For the first time in history, many of my generation will have shorter, sicker lives than their parents did. I want to fix this problem. The people who are best suited to turn the tide are fitness coaches.

But just as our clients are always evolving, the field of fitness must evolve. 

When I started coaching fitness back in 1998, no one had a cell phone. Few people had personal trainers. There was no CrossFit. No gyms had bumper plates. No one did any biometrics tracking and nobody really thought about healthspan.

My parents’ generation was told to eat low-fat meals and go jogging. But most of them grew up without excess, and didn’t really need a gym, let alone a trainer. Look at television from the 70s and 80s: the “fat people” were barely even chubby.

My grandparents wouldn’t understand what I did or how anyone could make a living at it.

But my kids’ generation sees fitness as a necessity. In only 50 years, we’ve gone from “only weirdos join a gym” to “everyone needs to work out at least 4x/week…and it’s probably not enough.”

The need for change is larger than ever. And we do have new tools: new science to point us toward what’s best. New technology to measure our food and our sleep and our fitness, and tell us whether we’re improving - or even help us to improve. New societal acceptance and awareness of the pursuit of fitness. If you aren’t working out, you know someone who is. New working conditions, especially post-Covid, create more time for exercise, meditation, and proper grocery shopping. New supplements are everywhere (and many of them are even helpful). HRT and available and, for some people, the new GLP drugs will actually encourage them to change. 

We even understand the science of change better. We know that people who don’t exercise aren’t necessarily lazy; that nobody actually has a “sweet tooth”, and that we can change our bodies by changing our habits.

WHo’s evolving the field of fitness? Who’s taking all of these tools and making them useful on the front lines of fitness: in the gyms, studios and clubs?

There’s a gap between the lab and the university and the researchers, and the coaches actually applying the knowledge to change lives. Who’s bridging that gap?

Is it the certifying bodies? No.

Is it the universities? No.

Is it the licensing boards for dietitians and therapists? No.

We’re going to do it.

The purpose of this podcast is to introduce you to new research, technology, and methods that will get your clients results. But it’s not enough for me to say “here’s why training in Zone 2 matters” - we’re going to tell you how to use it in your coaching practice to get clients results. 

It’s cool to talk about HRV and watch your clients wear a Whoop…but how do you use that to change their program, or even talk about it with them? We’re going to give you that.

I’m really into this stuff and have been for over 30 years. But the evolution of the industry can’t pass through me - I’m too slow. So I’ve invited some mentors from Two-Brian, successful gym owners and coaches, to help me out.

Kenny Markwardt

Brian Bott

Chris Guerrero

…and more.

We’ve also started a free public facebook group called STrengthCoachCollective.com . There are already over 3000 coaches in that group.

And we’re putting together a book - maybe a series - to teach the fundamentals of changing clients’ lives. There are lots of methods out there; but how do you use those methods together? How do you apply new knowledge to old methods that aren’t evolving?

We’ll be talking to coaches live at the Two-Brain summit this year, and hosting more coach get-togethers in the future.

What do we make from this? Not money - I have nothing to sell you, no certifications, and our books don’t make money (they cost money to write, produce and publish). What we make from this is a difference. We make evolution. We make science applicable. 

We make better coaches who create bigger change.

You, in turn, are the one that matters most. You’re the one out there at 5am, smiling your way through the hard work of changing lives. You’re the one answering their texts when you should be relaxing after dinner. You’re the one carrying programming ideas in your head when you’re trying to go to sleep. 

I know it’s stressful; I know it’s hard work to carry another’s burden. In closing, here’s some advice for managing the daily battle of coaching:

Go Coach

Here’s the secret cure for stress: do something nice for someone else.

You’ll feel better right away. If you don’t, double the dose.

Coaching is one of the ways I “give.” I’m a very active coach, and after two clients or classes, I’m spent. Yes, I charge for my time (and you do, too) but consider what we’re giving people:

The only time they’ll hear “You are doing a great job!” all day.

The only measurable accomplishment they’ll probably make all week.

The only genuine greeting (“It’s great to see you!”) they’ll get from most people.

The only “fast hour” of all 24.

The only screen-free conversation they’ll have before bedtime.

Hugs, PRs, and all that stuff.

Joy.

After almost 20 years as a coach, I’ve learned the best way to deal with stress is to just. go. coach.

Stressed about a nasty email? Go coach.

Worried about the rent? Go coach.

Tired? Achy? Sad about the weather? Go coach.

The secret to life is to make other people happy. You’re doing that. Go coach.

When it comes to motivating gym owners, we often focus on what they stand to gain by doing the work. We paint the picture of a thriving gym, loyal staff, and financial freedom—but sometimes, that vision isn’t enough to get them moving. Here’s the truth: humans are wired to fear loss more than they hope for gain.

In this episode, we’re flipping the script. Instead of asking, “What will the client gain by doing this work?” we’ll explore the powerful question, “What does the client have to lose if they don’t?”

We’ll break it down into three key areas where clients stand to lose the most:

Staff Retention and Pay

What happens if you don’t raise your rates? Will your best coach leave because they can’t make ends meet? Imagine the time, stress, and financial burden of replacing them.

Business Sustainability

What happens if you keep running your gym the way you’ve been? Is the current approach sustainable? Where will your gym be in a year—or three—if nothing changes?

Client Experience

What happens if you don’t improve your service? Will your clients start leaving because they’re not seeing results or feeling valued? How will that impact your gym’s reputation and revenue?

In this episode, we introduce the concept of negative motivation—using the fear of loss as a tool to drive action. You’ll learn how to ask the right questions to help clients visualize the real cost of inaction. Sometimes, helping a client see the consequences of staying stuck is the nudge they need to move forward.

Takeaways:

Humans fear loss more than they hope for gain. Use this to your advantage.

• Ask clients hard questions about what’s at stake if they don’t act.

• Help them visualize the real cost of inaction—on their staff, business, and clients.

This is about empowering clients to take action—not scaring them, but giving them a clear, honest perspective. The right question could make all the difference.

0:14: And understanding that someone's nature in, let's say, one of the yellow avatars can still hang around even if they're doing all the things and all the actions that a green avatar can do.

0:28: So, if you ever feel like your mentees or clients are making progress, but they still slip back into old habits, it's not so much failure, it's part of the process.

0:37: So, We just want to talk about,, you know, just because someone is green, it doesn't doesn't mean that, you know, it's set and forget, and that the work is done.

0:47: And so, we need to figure out how to consistently move mentees from those red and yellow to green avatars.

0:56: And then, why even that green avatars can sometimes swerve and how we can manage those things.

1:02: And then looking at mentorship as one big habits-based challenge.

1:09: So, we all know green avatars are those, you know, dialed, eager and classic avatars, where the client is focused, they're consistent, and they're making progress.

1:17: And we know that the yellow flat and stalled avatars, the client is moving a little bit, but they lack direction or confidence, and they're stuck in cycles of inconsistency.

1:29: And then that red avatar where, you know, the person's overwhelmed, they're resistant to change, and they're sabotaging their own progress.

1:36: So, it's just important to remember that even when a mentee gets to the green level, they can still maintain some of those old habits, some of those right side habits,, they can linger around.

1:49: So, we cannot change who someone is quickly.

1:53: And it's important to realize that.

1:54: So real change happens through the mintes consistent action and guidance.

1:59: So, mentorship is a lot like fitness, so results are step by step, brick by brick.

2:04: It's not about one-time fixes or, you know, repeating poor habits.

2:10: It's about making sure that we can stack good habits on top of more good habits.

2:15: So, if we take the example of the recent Golden hour challenge, you know, it's just with higher accountability, more frequent course correction for the mentee, and some deeper reflection on their habits.

2:27: So, we often say, fix the owner, fix the business.

2:30: And it really is true that if the owner changes, the business will follow suit, and it's more to do with the mindset shift that happens over months and years in that mentee that actually gets the business moving forward.

2:42: So what we're really looking to do is rewire the Minte thought process and strip away those self-sabotaging tendencies they've carried around, probably their whole lives.

2:50: So, going from red to yellow,, starting with those things like small wins, simple, clear priorities, and building trust, and then going from yellow to green is, you know, making sure that we're tying things back to their goals, and it's something personal, and that we're holding them accountable, and then celebrating their wins.

3:11: So, that's absolutely huge that we can do that, but we need to realize that it's not linear, it's not a linear process.

3:16: Someone could go from red to green.

3:19: And the thing to realize is that those red tendencies can hang around.

3:23: So, what does it look like if a client is green?

3:26: So they're taking action, but they still have some of those swerving tendencies.

3:30: So they might look dialed in, but they overcommit, they procrastinate, and they bounce between ideas.

3:36: It's not really aggression, it's more residue from their previous avatar, and I think that hangs around in everybody.

3:44: Why it happens...]]>0:00: Hey team, so this week on the Health Best podcast,, I'm going to talk about how fixing the owner can fix the business and how we move avatars from red to yellow to green.

0:14: And understanding that someone's nature in, let's say, one of the yellow avatars can still hang around even if they're doing all the things and all the actions that a green avatar can do.

0:28: So, if you ever feel like your mentees or clients are making progress, but they still slip back into old habits, it's not so much failure, it's part of the process.

0:37: So, We just want to talk about,, you know, just because someone is green, it doesn't doesn't mean that, you know, it's set and forget, and that the work is done.

0:47: And so, we need to figure out how to consistently move mentees from those red and yellow to green avatars.

0:56: And then, why even that green avatars can sometimes swerve and how we can manage those things.

1:02: And then looking at mentorship as one big habits-based challenge.

1:09: So, we all know green avatars are those, you know, dialed, eager and classic avatars, where the client is focused, they're consistent, and they're making progress.

1:17: And we know that the yellow flat and stalled avatars, the client is moving a little bit, but they lack direction or confidence, and they're stuck in cycles of inconsistency.

1:29: And then that red avatar where, you know, the person's overwhelmed, they're resistant to change, and they're sabotaging their own progress.

1:36: So, it's just important to remember that even when a mentee gets to the green level, they can still maintain some of those old habits, some of those right side habits,, they can linger around.

1:49: So, we cannot change who someone is quickly.

1:53: And it's important to realize that.

1:54: So real change happens through the mintes consistent action and guidance.

1:59: So, mentorship is a lot like fitness, so results are step by step, brick by brick.

2:04: It's not about one-time fixes or, you know, repeating poor habits.

2:10: It's about making sure that we can stack good habits on top of more good habits.

2:15: So, if we take the example of the recent Golden hour challenge, you know, it's just with higher accountability, more frequent course correction for the mentee, and some deeper reflection on their habits.

2:27: So, we often say, fix the owner, fix the business.

2:30: And it really is true that if the owner changes, the business will follow suit, and it's more to do with the mindset shift that happens over months and years in that mentee that actually gets the business moving forward.

2:42: So what we're really looking to do is rewire the Minte thought process and strip away those self-sabotaging tendencies they've carried around, probably their whole lives.

2:50: So, going from red to yellow,, starting with those things like small wins, simple, clear priorities, and building trust, and then going from yellow to green is, you know, making sure that we're tying things back to their goals, and it's something personal, and that we're holding them accountable, and then celebrating their wins.

3:11: So, that's absolutely huge that we can do that, but we need to realize that it's not linear, it's not a linear process.

3:16: Someone could go from red to green.

3:19: And the thing to realize is that those red tendencies can hang around.

3:23: So, what does it look like if a client is green?

3:26: So they're taking action, but they still have some of those swerving tendencies.

3:30: So they might look dialed in, but they overcommit, they procrastinate, and they bounce between ideas.

3:36: It's not really aggression, it's more residue from their previous avatar, and I think that hangs around in everybody.

3:44: Why it happens is because that mindset isn't fully rewarded yet.

3:48: It's like muscle memory, old habits remain until the new patterns become second nature.

3:54: So, it's important to realize that mintes may revert under stress, or during stretch periods when they're they're growing.

4:01: And even with progress, small doubts can nudge them back into their right-sided tendencies.

4:06: So that's why accountability and frequent check-ins are critical, even for green clients.

4:12: So, the real goal here is to movementies permanently to green by eroding those, you know, yellow and red tendencies and those thought patterns.

4:23: So, how we do that is catch it early.

4:25: So, be vigilant for, even if they're green mentee, signs of swerving.

4:30: You know, someone's saying things like, you know, haven't we done this already?

4:33: I've already done that.

4:34: , then we need to reframe things like failures as feedback.

4:39: So, when they stumble, we need to normalize it, turn it into data, and not defeat.

4:44: We need to help them prioritize momentum over perfection, so those small actions always are better than big plans.

4:53: And then tie their progress to their identity.

4:56: So, you know, make sure that we're reinforcing that they are evolving themselves.

5:01: You know, you're you're not just successful, you're showing up consistently.

5:06: So, we know that on average it takes 2 years, 1 month, 9 days to hit, you know, net owner benefit goals.

5:12: But what happens in the year leading up to that?

5:15: Most often than not, my thought is that it's avatar shifts from yellow to green.

5:20: It's not just revenue growth, it's that mental shift that creates the foundation.

5:25: So as mentors, our main job is to accelerate that shift.

5:29: So the faster that we can shift those avatars to the left hand side to those green tendencies, the faster the mintes grow, the faster the business grows.

5:37: So here's some practical steps that I've taken from a swerving green minte, if that even makes sense.

5:44: , this guy in particular, was doing the work, but consistently swerving, you know, thinking that he'd already tried it and going to try different things all the time.

5:55: You know, a lot of shiny object syndrome.

5:57: So some practical steps to defeat things like that.

6:00: Frequent check-ins, make sure they're shorter, more frequent check-ins to build momentum.

6:04: Don't wait for the the monthly call with this person.

6:07: , address small swerves as you see them.

6:10: If they don't show up for a bright spot, you know, tag them.

6:14: , the next thing is to catch those yellow habits early.

6:17: So, if they look green,,, but, you know, they're doing things that possibly cast some doubt, like procrastinate or overthink, you know, make sure that we get them back on track as quickly as possible.

6:31: And then lastly, it's focusing on habits, not just strategy, which is why the golden hour is so powerful for everybody, whether they are green, yellow or red.

6:41: And more so for people who have moved to green.

6:44: , it's important that they stay consistent and stick to the process and not revert back to their old mentality.

6:51: So, it's the real growth that happens in those daily habits.

6:54: So make sure you're encouraging time audits, Eisenhower matrix, like someone said a few weeks ago.

7:00: , that you're holding them accountable, and that they're regularly reflecting on what they're doing and how they're doing it.

7:08: So To round it up, shifting avatars is a lot like just coaching someone through their fitness journey.

7:15: It requires constant guidance, not quick wins, and if we're trying to move people from red to yellow, keeping them dialed at green, consistency is the secret weapon.

7:26: So, if we think about any avatars that we've got,, any clients that we've got that we've moved from possibly swerving or lost some red or some yellow minties, and they're now green, possibly just check in on them and make sure that they're not going back to their old tendencies.

How to Pivot the Conversation (2-3 minutes)

• Use Future-Focused Questions:
• "What’s one thing we can work on today to help you feel more in control?"
• "How can we make sure your business feels like a source of stability while you’re dealing with this?"
• Redirect to Actionable Steps:
• "Let’s focus on something we can change right now—what’s the top priority in your business today?"
• "I know this is a tough time, but let’s make sure your business is supporting you. Where do you feel stuck right now?"

Short Phrases for Refocusing (1-2 minutes)

• Share these go-to lines:
• "I can see how much this is affecting you. Let’s focus on making your business as strong as possible so it can support you through this."
• "That’s really tough. Let’s make sure we’re taking steps today to give you peace of mind on the business side."
• "I can’t imagine how hard that is, but let’s focus on what we can control right now in your business."

and as business mentors, we wear a very specific hat. We are there to guide, challenge and help our clients succeed, but our value isn't measured in how much people like like us. It's measured by the results that we help them achieve. And in fact, there is this dialog I always have running in the back of my mind when I'm on mentee calls and I'm about to say something challenging or direct, and it goes something like this, my role here isn't to be their friend or to sugar coat things, to hold them accountable to their goals and deliver results. If they want a friend, that's fine, but mentorship, that's a different thing, and I think that it's also like important to nurture our relationships outside of our businesses and outside of our roles as mentors, so that we don't have this craving to be liked in every aspect of our life, because it's unrealistic.

So I think that one last thing that I want to give you this week is the difference between being kind and being nice. Being nice often looks like telling people what they want to hear. It feels good in the moment, but it doesn't move the needle. And being kind, on the other hand, means telling people what they need to hear, even if it's uncomfortable, it means framing back, framing back what I told you, framing feedback in a way that's constructive, but it's not sugar coated. It's direct. Think of it as think of being kind versus being nice. This way being kind is about serving their growth, not their ego.

So how do we actually navigate those situations when we need to have hard conversations? Or how do I do it first I check in with myself and remind myself my role here is to help them grow, even if it feels uncomfortable and it's okay to feel uncomfortable. It's a normal human emotion.

It's okay to have the urge of being liked, also very human. And then I just tell myself, how human of me to want to be liked, but I still want to do the right thing for the role that I'm here to do and to execute. Then I try to approach the conversation with empathy but clarity. I acknowledge their effort or progress, but then pivot, pivot to the heart through its so.

So for example, I see that you are working hard on delivering these client classes, but these current strategies isn't getting closer to your goal. I had a similar conversation with a gym from the UK that weren't growing because they didn't want to let go of group coaching. They were charging very little money for it, and they were complaining that they don't have the time energy resources to offer more PT, more semi private training, and then we had to have this conversation of, why are they basing their decisions based on fear, not on what they said they wanted to do? And the hard word is that they're sticking to the wrong thing. And so this way, I hope at least I show them that I care about them, but I'm also focused on what they said that they want to achieve.

And so results matter more than being liked.

And it doesn't mean that we can't build great relationships with our clients, but it's important to remember that the safety of being liked or making friends is something we save for other roles in our life, like our family, our personal relationships or our social circle, and in mentorship, our role is to be the guide people need, not the friend they want, because the truth...]]>Hey everyone, welcome to this quick cast. Today I want to talk about something that's not often said out loud, but I think it's very powerful when we are on our mentee calls and our goal is to deliver results, and that is that as business mentors, our role is not to be liked, is to help our clients get results, and that sometimes means having tough, honest conversations, just like in our business, our role is not to be liked by everyone, by our clients, but to make the best decisions that serve our business and our team

and as business mentors, we wear a very specific hat. We are there to guide, challenge and help our clients succeed, but our value isn't measured in how much people like like us. It's measured by the results that we help them achieve. And in fact, there is this dialog I always have running in the back of my mind when I'm on mentee calls and I'm about to say something challenging or direct, and it goes something like this, my role here isn't to be their friend or to sugar coat things, to hold them accountable to their goals and deliver results. If they want a friend, that's fine, but mentorship, that's a different thing, and I think that it's also like important to nurture our relationships outside of our businesses and outside of our roles as mentors, so that we don't have this craving to be liked in every aspect of our life, because it's unrealistic.

So I think that one last thing that I want to give you this week is the difference between being kind and being nice. Being nice often looks like telling people what they want to hear. It feels good in the moment, but it doesn't move the needle. And being kind, on the other hand, means telling people what they need to hear, even if it's uncomfortable, it means framing back, framing back what I told you, framing feedback in a way that's constructive, but it's not sugar coated. It's direct. Think of it as think of being kind versus being nice. This way being kind is about serving their growth, not their ego.

So how do we actually navigate those situations when we need to have hard conversations? Or how do I do it first I check in with myself and remind myself my role here is to help them grow, even if it feels uncomfortable and it's okay to feel uncomfortable. It's a normal human emotion.

It's okay to have the urge of being liked, also very human. And then I just tell myself, how human of me to want to be liked, but I still want to do the right thing for the role that I'm here to do and to execute. Then I try to approach the conversation with empathy but clarity. I acknowledge their effort or progress, but then pivot, pivot to the heart through its so.

So for example, I see that you are working hard on delivering these client classes, but these current strategies isn't getting closer to your goal. I had a similar conversation with a gym from the UK that weren't growing because they didn't want to let go of group coaching. They were charging very little money for it, and they were complaining that they don't have the time energy resources to offer more PT, more semi private training, and then we had to have this conversation of, why are they basing their decisions based on fear, not on what they said they wanted to do? And the hard word is that they're sticking to the wrong thing. And so this way, I hope at least I show them that I care about them, but I'm also focused on what they said that they want to achieve.

And so results matter more than being liked.

And it doesn't mean that we can't build great relationships with our clients, but it's important to remember that the safety of being liked or making friends is something we save for other roles in our life, like our family, our personal relationships or our social circle, and in mentorship, our role is to be the guide people need, not the friend they want, because the truth is, At the end of the day, they are not going to remember how much they liked us. They're going to remember the results they achieved because we held them accountable. Thank you so much for listening and have great Christmas holidays.

He really gets the principle of Golden Hour: every day, do one thing to grow your business. Some of those things are marketing reps that are repeated daily. And some are Projects, that get worked on until they're done - even if they take multiple days.

In this Quickcast, James shares how he assigns Projects based on the Eisenhower matrix.

To watch the video, click here: https://www.loom.com/share/918854fe07f1443ca1e0e4f25c1abc82?sid=a648b43e-b6cb-44f2-809e-ef6b9498f43a

Transcript:

Client Growth Strategy Audio

Speaker 1 adapted the "golden hour" concept for a client feeling overwhelmed by her growing gym business. They created an individualized program using a two-step process: a "hidden time worksheet" to track daily activities and an Eisenhower matrix to prioritize tasks. The matrix helped the client focus on urgent and important tasks, delegate non-critical but urgent tasks, and eliminate unnecessary activities. Key actions included hiring a CPA for bookkeeping, defining SOPs for gym tasks, and ensuring the client's coach focused on certification studies. This personalized approach aimed to help the client manage her workload more effectively.

Transcript

https://otter.ai/u/FvnqdOP_YdbAemqTqrAySKDOZOg?view=transcript

Action Items

• [ ] Hire a CPA to handle the client's bookkeeping on a weekly and monthly basis.
• [ ] Create an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) to delegate the gym's programming to the coach Ben.
• [ ] Stop spending time helping the coach Amanda study for her certification, and have her focus on passing it herself.

1. It’s achievable in about 2 years from today

2. It’s challenging enough to require hard work and focus (it won’t just happen on its own)

3. It will make a meaningful difference in the life of their family (at least 25% improvement, or from losing money to making money, etc.)

4. It’s approved in advance. If the mentor does not get the goal approved in advance no incentive will be provided as it is not considered an “approved” goal.  

0:07: He pointed out the statistic that 64% of my current clients have either met their annual plan net owner benefit goal or they are on pace to achieving their net owner benefit goal.

0:19: Chris highlighted the fact that that statistic is about two X R company average.

0:24: So naturally, his follow up question was, what are you doing with your clients that is resulting in these outcomes for them?

0:33: The simple answer to that question is that the client's net owner benefit goal is at the forefront at all times, the clients that owner benefit goal is the anchor of every conversation, every call, every email, all correspondence between our calls.

0:55: The N O B goal is referenced during celebration of bright spots.

0:59: While we're trying to overcome obstacles, the client is going through when they bring ideas to the table, when they're swerving when they're stuck.

1:06: A O B is always the foundation and the anchor to our conversations.

1:11: Let's talk about what this looks like in practice.

1:14: We'll start with an easy one from a mentor standpoint when the client comes on a call and they're elated storm.

1:23: I am so excited.

1:25: I just made the largest sale of my career $1200 front end revenue.

1:31: My first response is going to be Bethany.

1:34: I am so happy for you.

1:37: This moves the needle on your primary goal of 100 K net owner benefit today.

1:44: Congratulations.

1:47: Maybe better yet.

1:49: I'll ask Bethany a question.

1:51: Oh, my goodness, Bethany.

1:52: Congratulations.

1:53: I'm so happy for you.

1:55: How much money of this front end revenue are you prepared to carve out today to contribute to your monthly net owner benefit?

2:05: And remember based on the targets that we set for your annual plan, it's probably gonna be around 30% and let Bethany highlight the fact that she gets to put X amount of dollars towards her net owner benefit for the month because of the sale that she made.

2:26: Always anchoring the moment back to the goal.

2:31: So let's talk about some more challenging moments in keeping the net owner benefit goal at the forefront.

2:38: Let's say a client brings a new bright idea to the call.

2:41: They want to put in a new recovery center in their gym and it's going to cost them several tens of thousands of dollars.

2:50: They want a fleet of saunas and a fleet of cold plunges and a bunch of other accessory items.

3:02: My very first question for the client is going to be one.

3:06: Can you remind me of your goal and sometimes they'll give you a softball.

3:13: Yes.

3:13: My goal was 100 K net benefit or fill in the number other times they'll tell you that they don't know or that they don't remember.

3:19: And together you'll just pull up the annual plan, share the screen and point out the fact that the pie in the sky is that benefit goal from there.

3:29: Your follow up question is, does this recovery center move you closer to or pull you further away from that N O B goal?

3:40: If the answer is no, they're the ones to say it.

3:44: If the answer is yes.

3:46: Now we get to map out a plan to bring that to life.

3:50: But the client is reminded why we're doing this thing and how it's going to help them achieve the actual goal.

4:00: I believe that by keeping the net loader benefit goal as the forefront of all the work that we do with our clients, it helped keep them centered, keep them grounded and keep them focused on the task at hand.

4:15: No matter how exciting, distracting, challenging or overwhelming the situation that they're in might be.

Just a refresh

You should do Golden Hour challenge yourself

You should look at your P&L - do the stage 2 project

Annual plan will move to end of their first year eventually, but not yet

Tasks are called projects

Nutrition simplification

Step 2: Choose Client and ARM Goals on a P&L

Step 3: Pick the Next Best Step (and bonus projects)

talk to the smart kids

I think we need to make everyone smarter

In this episode, I talk about the intent behind the Golden Hour (developing habits); who should do it; who should NOT do it; and why we're doing this NOW.

Chris Cooper discussed the 2025 challenges and advantages, focusing on the 96% conversion rate to 73% retention in the growth phase. Key challenges include gym owners not meeting net owner benefit goals, lacking a two-year client retention period, insufficient CEO skills, and lacking a long-term sustainability plan. Solutions include a new coach development program, addressing flat, stalled, and lost avatars, and introducing habits training. Competition is minimal due to Two Brain's unique data-driven approach. Advantages include a comprehensive program delivered in stages, continual coaching improvement, and a focus on client outcomes.

Transcript

https://otter.ai/u/NftWNHZyAzepqq_YFn7JPQCE8VA?view=transcript

Action Items

• [ ] Introduce a new coach development program to help gym owners deliver a better product.
• [ ] Implement semi-private training to address the "flat, stalled, and lost" client avatars.
• [ ] Introduce habits training to help gym owners develop the necessary entrepreneurial skills.
• [ ] Explore the use of AI and software tools to assist mentors, but ensure that the human coaching component remains the focus.

Outline

Challenges in 2025: Retention and Mentorship

• Chris Cooper introduces the challenges and advantages for 2025, starting with the challenges faced in mentorship.
• Conversion rate improved to 96%, meaning most people continue in the growth phase after their first year of mentorship.
• Retention in the growth phase is only 73%, indicating that many people quit too early.
• Four criteria for successful mentorship are outlined: meeting net owner benefit goals, having a two-year client retention period, demonstrating CEO skills, and having a vision for long-term sustainability.

Criteria for Successful Mentorship

• Meeting net owner benefit goals is crucial; if the goal is met, it signifies success.
• Gym owners must keep clients for at least two years to see significant life changes.
• Gym owners need to have CEO skills beyond just coaching skills, with an EHR (Earnings Before Hourly Rate) higher than their per-hour training rate.
• A vision and plan for long-term sustainability are essential to prevent gym owners from reverting to old habits.

Challenges: Product Quality, Avatars, and Entrepreneurial Skills

• Product quality in gyms is a challenge, with the new coach development program aiming to improve delivery.
• The issue of flat, stalled, and lost avatars is addressed, with semi-private training hoped to help these clients.
• Lack of entrepreneurial skills among gym owners is a significant challenge, with many overwhelmed by information rather than action.
• The introduction of habits training is proposed to help gym owners build necessary skills through practice and accountability.

Competition and AI in Mentorship

• Chris Cooper addresses the competition issue, emphasizing that no one else tracks metrics and progress like Two Brain.
• The idea of a software company using Two Brain data to create an AI-driven mentor is discussed, with concerns about replacing human mentors.
• AI is good at presenting knowledge but cannot replace the human component of coaching and experience.
• The focus remains on coaching and the human element in achieving client outcomes.

Advantages: Comprehensive Program, Continual Improvement, and Focus on Outcomes

• A comprehensive program delivered in stages helps gym owners achieve incremental progress and focus on specific goals.
• Continual improvement in coaching is emphasized, with mentors constantly evolving to better...]]>Help Best - Challenges and Advantages in 2025

  Chris Cooper discussed the 2025 challenges and advantages, focusing on the 96% conversion rate to 73% retention in the growth phase. Key challenges include gym owners not meeting net owner benefit goals, lacking a two-year client retention period, insufficient CEO skills, and lacking a long-term sustainability plan. Solutions include a new coach development program, addressing flat, stalled, and lost avatars, and introducing habits training. Competition is minimal due to Two Brain's unique data-driven approach. Advantages include a comprehensive program delivered in stages, continual coaching improvement, and a focus on client outcomes.

  Transcript

  https://otter.ai/u/NftWNHZyAzepqq_YFn7JPQCE8VA?view=transcript

  Action Items

  • [ ] Introduce a new coach development program to help gym owners deliver a better product.
  • [ ] Implement semi-private training to address the "flat, stalled, and lost" client avatars.
  • [ ] Introduce habits training to help gym owners develop the necessary entrepreneurial skills.
  • [ ] Explore the use of AI and software tools to assist mentors, but ensure that the human coaching component remains the focus.
  
  

  Outline

  Challenges in 2025: Retention and Mentorship

  • Chris Cooper introduces the challenges and advantages for 2025, starting with the challenges faced in mentorship.
  • Conversion rate improved to 96%, meaning most people continue in the growth phase after their first year of mentorship.
  • Retention in the growth phase is only 73%, indicating that many people quit too early.
  • Four criteria for successful mentorship are outlined: meeting net owner benefit goals, having a two-year client retention period, demonstrating CEO skills, and having a vision for long-term sustainability.
  
  

  Criteria for Successful Mentorship

  • Meeting net owner benefit goals is crucial; if the goal is met, it signifies success.
  • Gym owners must keep clients for at least two years to see significant life changes.
  • Gym owners need to have CEO skills beyond just coaching skills, with an EHR (Earnings Before Hourly Rate) higher than their per-hour training rate.
  • A vision and plan for long-term sustainability are essential to prevent gym owners from reverting to old habits.
  
  

  Challenges: Product Quality, Avatars, and Entrepreneurial Skills

  • Product quality in gyms is a challenge, with the new coach development program aiming to improve delivery.
  • The issue of flat, stalled, and lost avatars is addressed, with semi-private training hoped to help these clients.
  • Lack of entrepreneurial skills among gym owners is a significant challenge, with many overwhelmed by information rather than action.
  • The introduction of habits training is proposed to help gym owners build necessary skills through practice and accountability.
  
  

  Competition and AI in Mentorship

  • Chris Cooper addresses the competition issue, emphasizing that no one else tracks metrics and progress like Two Brain.
  • The idea of a software company using Two Brain data to create an AI-driven mentor is discussed, with concerns about replacing human mentors.
  • AI is good at presenting knowledge but cannot replace the human component of coaching and experience.
  • The focus remains on coaching and the human element in achieving client outcomes.
  
  

  Advantages: Comprehensive Program, Continual Improvement, and Focus on Outcomes

  • A comprehensive program delivered in stages helps gym owners achieve incremental progress and focus on specific goals.
  • Continual improvement in coaching is emphasized, with mentors constantly evolving to better help clients.
  • The team's skills are highlighted, with a focus on client outcomes rather than just presenting new ideas.
  • The importance of coaching and the team's unique approach to achieving results are reiterated, with a focus on outcomes rather than knowledge.
  
  

  Conclusion: Changing the Coaching Industry

  • Chris Cooper concludes by expressing pride in the team and their impact on the fitness and coaching industries.
  • The focus on outcomes and continuous improvement sets Two Brain apart from other business coaches.
  • The team's dedication to helping clients achieve their goals is highlighted, with a vision for future success.
  • The meeting ends with a thank you to the participants for their contributions to Help Best.
  
  ]]>35d59d72-328d-42f3-87c0-c53d216b968dSun, 06 Oct 2024 00:30:00 -050014:29falsefull14747147: Why Clients Should Take More Money From Their BusinessesPay Themselves More: why they should increase NOB

  The habit matters. We're building the habit

  Get it under your mattress - avoid just losing your gains to overtaxation

  Put it somewhere to save - if it's immediately available, you'll spend it

  Put it somewhere to grow - even a high interest savings account is better than nothing

  Put it somewhere liquid

  Put it somewhere for the future

  ]]>Pay Themselves More: why they should increase NOB

  The habit matters. We're building the habit

  Get it under your mattress - avoid just losing your gains to overtaxation

  Put it somewhere to save - if it's immediately available, you'll spend it

  Put it somewhere to grow - even a high interest savings account is better than nothing

  Put it somewhere liquid

  Put it somewhere for the future

  ]]>84a64506-da20-4413-914d-de58e514c750Sun, 22 Sep 2024 01:30:00 -050006:56falsefull14646146: Awesome Habits for EntrepreneursAt our team meetings this week, we walked through the Golden Hour book, Habit Formation, and Habit Stacking.

  The team came up with some amazing examples of habits that could be stacked once gym owners have mastered the basic marketing habits in the TBB program:

  Coach convos

  Roleplay

  Metrics checking (esp sales metrics)

  The daily marketing tactics in this book

  Reading a P&L

  Getting client referrals

  Consistent delivery of service by your staff

  Selling your product or service

  Client communications

  Staff evaluations

  Content creation

  ]]>At our team meetings this week, we walked through the Golden Hour book, Habit Formation, and Habit Stacking.

  The team came up with some amazing examples of habits that could be stacked once gym owners have mastered the basic marketing habits in the TBB program:

  Coach convos

  Roleplay

  Metrics checking (esp sales metrics)

  The daily marketing tactics in this book

  Reading a P&L

  Getting client referrals

  Consistent delivery of service by your staff

  Selling your product or service

  Client communications

  Staff evaluations

  Content creation

  ]]>101bc74c-5b06-4b30-ac71-a1ac0f6c0548Sun, 15 Sep 2024 00:30:00 -050005:03falsefull14747145: Avoiding Boredom0:00: Hey, mentor, Team Peter, coming at you with a help.

  0:03: Best episode today.

  0:06: Really fun one in my opinion, how do we avoid boredom as a mentor?

  0:12: And maybe boredom is used too loosely here.

  0:14: But the boredom I'm referring to is we repeat a lot of the same material over and over and for some of us that's four or five years or longer at this point, Some of you guys are a little bit newer and that's going to become something that you're like, I've said this before.

  0:27: I've said this before.

  0:29: And how do I avoid bringing in my newest hottest topic into the conversation?

  0:33: Like I just read a great book and I'm like, I wanna bring unreasonable hospitality into every call because the book was so mind blowing to me.

  0:41: I really want to talk about some tips and things that I do to avoid that shiny object.

  0:46: So first of all, we all know we've heard it before.

  0:49: We need to stay focused on doing the basics.

  0:52: If you do the basics over and over, then we're going to see the best results.

  0:57: It's almost as if we hosted an entire summit around that and virtuosity.

  1:01: So we have to remind our mentors that we should be doing audits quarterly, semi annually or annually.

  1:08: And those audits can change from financial audits to client journey audits.

  1:12: Even doing seed client interviews over at least once a year is something I heavily encourage my clients to do because their seed clients are changing, especially seed clients that you had since before COVID to after COVID.

  1:24: So I go back to the basics very often.

  1:27: And in those basics, I like to audit different parts of the business with people again at various in increments throughout the year.

  1:35: The next thing I love to do is if I have a lot of clients, I will often look at the most important thing in the tool kit that is relevant and I'll use that for all of my calls in the same day or all of my calls in the same month.

  1:49: So recently, there's been a lot of transition back to storytelling on social media.

  1:55: So looking at social media content and how we're utilizing that, especially with the update to the two brain tool kit around lead magnets.

  2:04: And really, if you look back at a lot of my calls over the last few weeks, I've been reintroducing lead magnets to a lot of people because we get a lot of yeses.

  2:11: Hey, do you know how to use a lead mag?

  2:13: Oh Yeah.

  2:14: Yeah.

  2:14: Yeah.

  2:14: I sent it out in my email last week.

  2:16: Well, great.

  2:16: Can you share your screen with me and show me how you used it?

  2:20: And then I realized that their interpretation of lead magnet is one or two degrees different than maybe what Kieran or Tarn have told us about lead magnets.

  2:27: So we really want to understand, are they using the most basic tools?

  2:32: And then do they actually understand or comprehend how to utilize those tools?

  2:38: So the audit doesn't stop on a call for my boredom for me, just to say, do you understand what we're saying?

  2:44: It comes back to proof, either share your screen and show me, you understand or, and this is a big one for me.

  2:51: I will go find someone of my clients that have done this really well and give my current mentee that I'm talking to social proof.

  3:00: This is a great way to do it.

  3:04: So oftentimes I go back and look at somebody that got 50 plus likes on one of Coop's top Facebook posts or they got a ton of shares on one of those things or they, I know their lead magnet brought in a few clients and I'll go and I'll get a screenshot of that and I'll share that.

  3:19: So how do I avoid boredom?

  3:20: A couple of key things here.

  3:22: One, I'm always...]]>0:00: Hey, mentor, Team Peter, coming at you with a help.

  0:03: Best episode today.

  0:06: Really fun one in my opinion, how do we avoid boredom as a mentor?

  0:12: And maybe boredom is used too loosely here.

  0:14: But the boredom I'm referring to is we repeat a lot of the same material over and over and for some of us that's four or five years or longer at this point, Some of you guys are a little bit newer and that's going to become something that you're like, I've said this before.

  0:27: I've said this before.

  0:29: And how do I avoid bringing in my newest hottest topic into the conversation?

  0:33: Like I just read a great book and I'm like, I wanna bring unreasonable hospitality into every call because the book was so mind blowing to me.

  0:41: I really want to talk about some tips and things that I do to avoid that shiny object.

  0:46: So first of all, we all know we've heard it before.

  0:49: We need to stay focused on doing the basics.

  0:52: If you do the basics over and over, then we're going to see the best results.

  0:57: It's almost as if we hosted an entire summit around that and virtuosity.

  1:01: So we have to remind our mentors that we should be doing audits quarterly, semi annually or annually.

  1:08: And those audits can change from financial audits to client journey audits.

  1:12: Even doing seed client interviews over at least once a year is something I heavily encourage my clients to do because their seed clients are changing, especially seed clients that you had since before COVID to after COVID.

  1:24: So I go back to the basics very often.

  1:27: And in those basics, I like to audit different parts of the business with people again at various in increments throughout the year.

  1:35: The next thing I love to do is if I have a lot of clients, I will often look at the most important thing in the tool kit that is relevant and I'll use that for all of my calls in the same day or all of my calls in the same month.

  1:49: So recently, there's been a lot of transition back to storytelling on social media.

  1:55: So looking at social media content and how we're utilizing that, especially with the update to the two brain tool kit around lead magnets.

  2:04: And really, if you look back at a lot of my calls over the last few weeks, I've been reintroducing lead magnets to a lot of people because we get a lot of yeses.

  2:11: Hey, do you know how to use a lead mag?

  2:13: Oh Yeah.

  2:14: Yeah.

  2:14: Yeah.

  2:14: I sent it out in my email last week.

  2:16: Well, great.

  2:16: Can you share your screen with me and show me how you used it?

  2:20: And then I realized that their interpretation of lead magnet is one or two degrees different than maybe what Kieran or Tarn have told us about lead magnets.

  2:27: So we really want to understand, are they using the most basic tools?

  2:32: And then do they actually understand or comprehend how to utilize those tools?

  2:38: So the audit doesn't stop on a call for my boredom for me, just to say, do you understand what we're saying?

  2:44: It comes back to proof, either share your screen and show me, you understand or, and this is a big one for me.

  2:51: I will go find someone of my clients that have done this really well and give my current mentee that I'm talking to social proof.

  3:00: This is a great way to do it.

  3:04: So oftentimes I go back and look at somebody that got 50 plus likes on one of Coop's top Facebook posts or they got a ton of shares on one of those things or they, I know their lead magnet brought in a few clients and I'll go and I'll get a screenshot of that and I'll share that.

  3:19: So how do I avoid boredom?

  3:20: A couple of key things here.

  3:22: One, I'm always recirculating the basics if everyone's doing the basics really well.

  3:27: Honestly, that's really fun to me.

  3:28: It excites me because I know people are going to see progress.

  3:32: If I do have a great book or a great thing that I need to introduce, I'll make sure that I work that into the part of the tool kit that they need to be focusing on.

  3:41: So if we're looking at their annual plan, I will try to insert that into a month that looks a little bit slower.

  3:47: And then how do I keep discipline to stay with these things?

  3:51: I will often do a similar concept for a lot of my mentees at one time.

  3:56: And if they're not showing me that they're comprehending it, I'll ask them to share their screen, show me what they're actually doing.

  4:03: And then finally, I will ask or show them social proof of someone that I know has done it really well.

  4:09: I can't tell you guys how many newsletters I get from different gyms that I'm mentoring.

  4:14: How many different gyms that I'm following.

  4:15: Hopefully you guys are doing the same thing because that's really where some of the most basic stuff gets repeated over and over is just following those gyms and really seeing what they're doing.

  4:25: It's a lot easier for me to call them out and say you didn't do your homework from last time if I pull it up and say, look, your last post was 25 days ago.

  4:33: And so for me, all this comes back, how do I avoid the boredom?

  4:38: I keep a close eye on people, I track what they're doing.

  4:41: I do the basics over and over.

  4:43: I have a plan to audit those basics over and over.

  4:47: And then I asked for proof, either from them or from social proof from somebody else.

  ]]>3997a8d8-2624-4828-9784-a20cb6a4288aSun, 08 Sep 2024 00:30:00 -050004:53falsefull14545144 - Doing it For ThemToday, we're talking about doing it for them, and why we shouldn't. One of the greatest gifts that you can give entrepreneurs is not specific tactics or even strategies. These things work for a while and tend to fade out with time or change. The great thing that you can give entrepreneurs in a mentorship program is skills. There are really four stages to skill development. First there's the learning phase. I do it and you watch, and we cover this in two brain inside our curriculum. They're going through the course. Here's how to do it, and they're basically watching one of us do it. Second phase is, we do it together. And this is what the mentorship calls are for. We go through the work and we get it done on the call. The third phase is, you do it and I watch. And this is really where growth phase, or higher levels of mentorship, come in. We are giving them homework and checking to make sure that they've done it, and hopefully taking a peek to make sure that they've done it well. And fourth, you do it and I support you and watch you train others. So the four phases of skill development are, I do it and you watch like a course. Second, we do it together. Third, you do, I watch, and fourth, you do, I support and you train others. This, teaching it to other people, as you found, as a mentor, often helps the skill really become honed, because when we're mentoring other people to do it, we get a more objective perspective on what we're doing ourselves. That said, when we're teaching people to do skill acquisition, there are a few things that you do to sabotage them. You care so much about all of your clients, that you tend to do things for them, instead of giving them the power and the tools to learn how to do it themselves. And when you do it for them, they don't learn the skill. So instead of posting bright spots where you tag your clients and say, I'm so proud of them for doing this, text a client and say, post your bright spots, or text a client and say, I'm proud of you for this. Share that as your bright spot, don't email their accountant or their bookkeeper or their lawyer or their software company. Don't take a call to learn something that you then turn around and try and teach them. Show them how to book the call, show them how to write the email, show them how to query their bookkeeper and ask for the P and L help them do it. I'd never say that our clients are like our kids, but all of you parents know that cutting your kids steak when they're a teenager is not preparing them for life. You have to give gym owners skills, and that means reps, that means habits, that means letting them fail and then helping them get back on the horse and do it the right way instead of driving the cart for them. Thank you for helping other entrepreneurs.
  ]]>Today, we're talking about doing it for them, and why we shouldn't. One of the greatest gifts that you can give entrepreneurs is not specific tactics or even strategies. These things work for a while and tend to fade out with time or change. The great thing that you can give entrepreneurs in a mentorship program is skills. There are really four stages to skill development. First there's the learning phase. I do it and you watch, and we cover this in two brain inside our curriculum. They're going through the course. Here's how to do it, and they're basically watching one of us do it. Second phase is, we do it together. And this is what the mentorship calls are for. We go through the work and we get it done on the call. The third phase is, you do it and I watch. And this is really where growth phase, or higher levels of mentorship, come in. We are giving them homework and checking to make sure that they've done it, and hopefully taking a peek to make sure that they've done it well. And fourth, you do it and I support you and watch you train others. So the four phases of skill development are, I do it and you watch like a course. Second, we do it together. Third, you do, I watch, and fourth, you do, I support and you train others. This, teaching it to other people, as you found, as a mentor, often helps the skill really become honed, because when we're mentoring other people to do it, we get a more objective perspective on what we're doing ourselves. That said, when we're teaching people to do skill acquisition, there are a few things that you do to sabotage them. You care so much about all of your clients, that you tend to do things for them, instead of giving them the power and the tools to learn how to do it themselves. And when you do it for them, they don't learn the skill. So instead of posting bright spots where you tag your clients and say, I'm so proud of them for doing this, text a client and say, post your bright spots, or text a client and say, I'm proud of you for this. Share that as your bright spot, don't email their accountant or their bookkeeper or their lawyer or their software company. Don't take a call to learn something that you then turn around and try and teach them. Show them how to book the call, show them how to write the email, show them how to query their bookkeeper and ask for the P and L help them do it. I'd never say that our clients are like our kids, but all of you parents know that cutting your kids steak when they're a teenager is not preparing them for life. You have to give gym owners skills, and that means reps, that means habits, that means letting them fail and then helping them get back on the horse and do it the right way instead of driving the cart for them. Thank you for helping other entrepreneurs.
  ]]>d6a1d249-8171-44e9-b487-244b03583f03Sun, 01 Sep 2024 00:45:00 -050002:48falsefull14444143 - Don't Experiment With Your ClientsIn this episode, Kenny Markwardt shares how he avoids the temptation to prescribe shiny objects to his clients. he uses the example of ideas from the Tinker group that are just in the brainstorm phase and don't yet have data to support their use for everyone.

  0:00: So our last summit was on virtuosity.

  0:03: And basically the idea that, you know, just really the, the importance of just continuing to hone in on the basics and really master the basics being all that most of us really need.

  0:16: And I think that's incredibly important as mentors to remember that, you know, that's, that's what our people need even at, even at the Tinker level.

  0:25: as a Tinker coach, I find that I end up helping people circle back around and really master those basics even when they want to be focusing on the bright and shiny.

  0:34: And it's really relevant because I think a lot of us when we're exposed to the, to the bright and shiny new things or the potential distractions and and higher level, what are probably experimental ideas at the Tinker phase, we end up being very tempted to bring those things down to our clients who are in in the first stages of their, their mentorship with us.

  1:02: And again, I think the point is is that the basics are proven, the basics have been working time and time and time and time again.

  1:11: And so it's really unfair to them to bring any distractions in when they haven't mastered the basics.

  1:19: And what I find is that the continual circling back around to those basics is what's most effective.

  1:26: And then as a, as a matter of progress and a matter of, of trial and error, once they've really dove into those basics and they have tried those basics over and over and over and over again and they've refined those basics over and over and over again and they've, you know, polished it to a diamond then I think, yeah, it certainly it can be relevant to try and mess with the, the recipe a little bit and try some more advanced stuff.

  1:56: But I find that to be incredibly rare and my, some of my bigger mistakes and, and mentorship have been introducing some of those higher level ideas to the, let's say, just say for lack of a better word, lower level clients.

  2:12: And I think it, you know, for me, a, a great parallel for this is fitness.

  2:18: I mean, my, my primary language is still fitness.

  2:21: I still love the gym.

  2:22: I still love working with people and I still love that.

  2:24: And so as far as that pertains to this, it's, it's the, the virtuosity of the basics still remain.

  2:31: And even though like, for example, in my gym right now, we're playing around with blood flow restriction training and we're not doing that with any clients at all.

  2:40: We're doing that as coaches and we're just trying to learn and experiment and I'm refusing, we're, I'm advocating that we refuse to talk to anybody about this until we understand it, until we see the benefits or the, the drawbacks until we fully see what the results will be.

  2:59: And until we find that client that is the perfect fit for it, there's not a chance in the world, we're gonna introduce that idea to somebody.

  3:08: And again, it's the same just as another, another parallel.

  3:11: It's for looking at the terms of like most of us have had group members or, or members who think they need more.

  3:18: They think they need to follow this crazy advanced program design that they found online where most of them realistically are not good enough to need anything like that.

  3:30: And you know, a lot of us can probably imagine that person who can barely squat to parallel, but who's following the, the competitor level program design that they found online.

  3:41: And the, again, the, the relevance to that is that th those people would be so much better served by working on...]]>In this episode, Kenny Markwardt shares how he avoids the temptation to prescribe shiny objects to his clients. he uses the example of ideas from the Tinker group that are just in the brainstorm phase and don't yet have data to support their use for everyone.

  0:00: So our last summit was on virtuosity.

  0:03: And basically the idea that, you know, just really the, the importance of just continuing to hone in on the basics and really master the basics being all that most of us really need.

  0:16: And I think that's incredibly important as mentors to remember that, you know, that's, that's what our people need even at, even at the Tinker level.

  0:25: as a Tinker coach, I find that I end up helping people circle back around and really master those basics even when they want to be focusing on the bright and shiny.

  0:34: And it's really relevant because I think a lot of us when we're exposed to the, to the bright and shiny new things or the potential distractions and and higher level, what are probably experimental ideas at the Tinker phase, we end up being very tempted to bring those things down to our clients who are in in the first stages of their, their mentorship with us.

  1:02: And again, I think the point is is that the basics are proven, the basics have been working time and time and time and time again.

  1:11: And so it's really unfair to them to bring any distractions in when they haven't mastered the basics.

  1:19: And what I find is that the continual circling back around to those basics is what's most effective.

  1:26: And then as a, as a matter of progress and a matter of, of trial and error, once they've really dove into those basics and they have tried those basics over and over and over and over again and they've refined those basics over and over and over again and they've, you know, polished it to a diamond then I think, yeah, it certainly it can be relevant to try and mess with the, the recipe a little bit and try some more advanced stuff.

  1:56: But I find that to be incredibly rare and my, some of my bigger mistakes and, and mentorship have been introducing some of those higher level ideas to the, let's say, just say for lack of a better word, lower level clients.

  2:12: And I think it, you know, for me, a, a great parallel for this is fitness.

  2:18: I mean, my, my primary language is still fitness.

  2:21: I still love the gym.

  2:22: I still love working with people and I still love that.

  2:24: And so as far as that pertains to this, it's, it's the, the virtuosity of the basics still remain.

  2:31: And even though like, for example, in my gym right now, we're playing around with blood flow restriction training and we're not doing that with any clients at all.

  2:40: We're doing that as coaches and we're just trying to learn and experiment and I'm refusing, we're, I'm advocating that we refuse to talk to anybody about this until we understand it, until we see the benefits or the, the drawbacks until we fully see what the results will be.

  2:59: And until we find that client that is the perfect fit for it, there's not a chance in the world, we're gonna introduce that idea to somebody.

  3:08: And again, it's the same just as another, another parallel.

  3:11: It's for looking at the terms of like most of us have had group members or, or members who think they need more.

  3:18: They think they need to follow this crazy advanced program design that they found online where most of them realistically are not good enough to need anything like that.

  3:30: And you know, a lot of us can probably imagine that person who can barely squat to parallel, but who's following the, the competitor level program design that they found online.

  3:41: And the, again, the, the relevance to that is that th those people would be so much better served by working on their, their mobility and their range of motion and their quality of movements and their quality of the basics before they went into the advanced stuff.

  3:58: And that focusing on that advanced stuff is massively to their detriment, even though it might be entertaining in the short term, it's incredibly counterproductive in the long term.

  4:08: And so again, I think that it's our responsibility to put the blinders on them and keep them focused on those basics until they are at a point where they're comfortable experimenting and they're comfortable understanding that, you know, they may have some, some leeway for which to experiment, which a lot of us are doing in that Tinker program.

  4:31: A lot of us are hearing about new ideas that are being used for the first time and we really don't know what the outcome is going to be necessarily, it sounds good in theory.

  4:40: But as the tip of the spear in that program, we have the opportunity, we have the financial padding, we have the experience for which we can play with that stuff and not completely grenade our businesses in that experimental stage.

  4:54: So again, the point I think I'm trying to make is that it's really our responsibility to keep the basics at the forefront and continue to help our people master the basics.

  5:04: And once they've worked on one set of basics, then we move on to the next set of basics.

  5:08: And then in my opinion, there's really no shortage of the there's no, there's not necessarily an end to that cycle.

  5:16: And again, what I've found is that even at all stages, I'm having to work on the basics.

  5:19: So point being focus on the basics don't let your distractions become your mentees, distractions and keep them marching forward on the basics.

  ]]>6901c621-b7ea-4f99-8b93-ab9cf155c270Sun, 25 Aug 2024 03:00:00 -050005:31falsefull14343142 - Inputs and Outcomes, with Colm O'ReillyWe're focused on outcomes, but many of our clients are new entrepreneurs. Colm explains how to focus on inputs instead of outcomes with them.

  0:02: Hey, two brain.

  0:03: Chris has asked me to come on and talk about when mentees aren't reaching the goals that we've set for them.

  0:10: I love a good meme and I love a good joke.

  0:12: And there's a great one out there about Deloitte or one of the big consulting firms just handing a $40,000 bill to a company that says in brief, lower your costs and increase your revenue.

  0:25: And that's great.

  0:25: That's an outcome goal.

  0:27: And that's probably what all our businesses should be doing all the time or at least keeping an eye on those two figures.

  0:32: But very often our mentees get stuck when they don't know how to reach or they're failing consistently to reach an outcome goal.

  0:40: So for example, sell an extra two K two K this month, that's an outcome goal, add 10 personal training sessions this month, an outcome goal increase your net owner benefit another outcome goal.

  0:52: And I actually had this with a mentee a while ago where they were trying to sell 10 P T sessions a week.

  0:59: And every time every week in the weekly meeting, the mentee was talking to their head coach and the head coach was constantly sailing, falling short of this and saying he didn't reach it.

  1:09: The mentee was exasperated until we said, ok, if you're not in your process, your outcome goal, what are the inputs we can track to find out where the real issue is.

  1:17: If he's putting in the work, there might be a skill issue or an environmental issue.

  1:22: For example, if you're in a town of 10 people, it's pretty hard to have 1000 person gym.

  1:27: Extreme example, to illustrate the point or maybe the actual goal that 10 P T sessions a week needs to be adjusted.

  1:33: Now, this is the last thing I advise changing without looking into what's actually going in, what's the work going in to actually achieve the goal?

  1:42: One of my coaches runs a very successful sales company, he coaches our teens classes and he said once to me that senior sales people are just measured in outcomes only don't really care what he does with his diary, with his time.

  1:55: If he consistently builds his target each quarter and above his target, happy days.

  1:59: Whereas juniors have their inputs measured, they're measuring how many phone calls, how many meetings they're set, how many emails they're sent they're sending so we can start there.

  2:08: And while mentees might be reluctant to be treated as junior sales people, maybe this is the thing that really helps them.

  2:15: So for example, let's say that a mentee of ours needs 10 new clients this month we can look at.

  2:21: Ok.

  2:21: Well, how many intros do I need to close?

  2:24: If I need to get 10 new clients?

  2:26: And if they're at 50% well, then they need 20 intros.

  2:30: If they're at 50% they also need sales training to bring that number up to 70% plus which is what we're aiming for.

  2:36: So, one of the process goals would be to watch the sales modules again in the course, get on office hours and actually practice reps each week with your staff, your family member, or even your dog.

  2:49: I can't tell you guys the amount of speeches and drafts that panda pup has had to listen to in order to get his treats and while our mentees might like it and sales work is probably the one of the most clingiest things you can do when you're just talking in front of a mirror, handling objections.

  3:03: It's really, really important that they get these reps in before they're in front of a life life client.

  3:09: Now going back to the 20 intros and let's say 50% of the people who book show.

  3:14: Well, then they need 40 intros...]]>We're focused on outcomes, but many of our clients are new entrepreneurs. Colm explains how to focus on inputs instead of outcomes with them.

  0:02: Hey, two brain.

  0:03: Chris has asked me to come on and talk about when mentees aren't reaching the goals that we've set for them.

  0:10: I love a good meme and I love a good joke.

  0:12: And there's a great one out there about Deloitte or one of the big consulting firms just handing a $40,000 bill to a company that says in brief, lower your costs and increase your revenue.

  0:25: And that's great.

  0:25: That's an outcome goal.

  0:27: And that's probably what all our businesses should be doing all the time or at least keeping an eye on those two figures.

  0:32: But very often our mentees get stuck when they don't know how to reach or they're failing consistently to reach an outcome goal.

  0:40: So for example, sell an extra two K two K this month, that's an outcome goal, add 10 personal training sessions this month, an outcome goal increase your net owner benefit another outcome goal.

  0:52: And I actually had this with a mentee a while ago where they were trying to sell 10 P T sessions a week.

  0:59: And every time every week in the weekly meeting, the mentee was talking to their head coach and the head coach was constantly sailing, falling short of this and saying he didn't reach it.

  1:09: The mentee was exasperated until we said, ok, if you're not in your process, your outcome goal, what are the inputs we can track to find out where the real issue is.

  1:17: If he's putting in the work, there might be a skill issue or an environmental issue.

  1:22: For example, if you're in a town of 10 people, it's pretty hard to have 1000 person gym.

  1:27: Extreme example, to illustrate the point or maybe the actual goal that 10 P T sessions a week needs to be adjusted.

  1:33: Now, this is the last thing I advise changing without looking into what's actually going in, what's the work going in to actually achieve the goal?

  1:42: One of my coaches runs a very successful sales company, he coaches our teens classes and he said once to me that senior sales people are just measured in outcomes only don't really care what he does with his diary, with his time.

  1:55: If he consistently builds his target each quarter and above his target, happy days.

  1:59: Whereas juniors have their inputs measured, they're measuring how many phone calls, how many meetings they're set, how many emails they're sent they're sending so we can start there.

  2:08: And while mentees might be reluctant to be treated as junior sales people, maybe this is the thing that really helps them.

  2:15: So for example, let's say that a mentee of ours needs 10 new clients this month we can look at.

  2:21: Ok.

  2:21: Well, how many intros do I need to close?

  2:24: If I need to get 10 new clients?

  2:26: And if they're at 50% well, then they need 20 intros.

  2:30: If they're at 50% they also need sales training to bring that number up to 70% plus which is what we're aiming for.

  2:36: So, one of the process goals would be to watch the sales modules again in the course, get on office hours and actually practice reps each week with your staff, your family member, or even your dog.

  2:49: I can't tell you guys the amount of speeches and drafts that panda pup has had to listen to in order to get his treats and while our mentees might like it and sales work is probably the one of the most clingiest things you can do when you're just talking in front of a mirror, handling objections.

  3:03: It's really, really important that they get these reps in before they're in front of a life life client.

  3:09: Now going back to the 20 intros and let's say 50% of the people who book show.

  3:14: Well, then they need 40 intros booked.

  3:16: And if you need to have 80 phone calls or sell by chat conversations, it's probably more, then you need to have 80 conversations to get those 10 new clients.

  3:26: And what we're doing is we're working back the outcome goal to a process goal and then Frances are, they only get a fraction of the people they call or they text to actually answer and we'll just say it's one in one in five for argument's sake, which is about 400 attempted phone calls and outbound text messages a month.

  3:43: Well, then they need to make 10 to 12 outbound phone calls and messages a day.

  3:48: And that's the process goal we can set for them.

  3:51: So very often mentees can look at a goal and say that's great.

  3:54: Absolutely.

  3:55: I want to increase my net owner benefit.

  3:56: I want to reduce my hours, but we don't step back right the way to what's a daily step I can make for them.

  4:03: And very often we need to walk them all the way from their goal, all the way back to the daily steps.

  4:09: Much like when we have a fitness client who wants to lose weight, we walk them all the way back to eat this amount of food, drink this amount of water, get this amount of sleep, do this volume of workouts with me.

  4:20: And that's going to be the process that you focus on to bring you towards your outcome goal.

  4:26: Hope this helps everyone.

  4:27: And if you have any questions, just send me a message.

  
  

  ]]>1f6940fc-6481-422a-8f0d-d71f63cf41c5Sun, 18 Aug 2024 00:30:00 -050004:30falsefull14040141 - Communicating between calls, with Brian StrumpHow to communicate with your clients between calls.
  ]]>How to communicate with your clients between calls.
  ]]>2b2cd5f2-8ec2-407f-b806-dde5e0fe9c0aSun, 11 Aug 2024 00:45:00 -050006:43falsefull13939138 - Changing Long-Held Beliefs, with Taryn0:00: What's up guys, Taryn Dubreuil here, asked to be a guest on Coop's Help, Best Mentor podcast this week and I am super stoked here to share a story and some tips about how to deal with clients who are longtime gym owners come into mentorship and have some of the most closed off minds you might have ever worked with.

  0:19: These clients are tough.

  0:21: They are exhausting but they need our help just as much, if not more, just like everyone else we get to work with.

  0:28: So when I thought back on this, there really is three main ways these clients present themselves to us.

  0:34: It might sound something like this.

  0:36: And so the first one is, this is just how I've always done it.

  0:40: I'm sure you've worked with people who are unwilling to change for whatever reason and this is often their go to line.

  0:46: This is just how I've always done it.

  0:48: The second type of these people is when it goes away from their belief and they're not willing to weigh data and evidence against those beliefs.

  0:58: OK?

  0:58: Those are tough.

  1:00: And the third one is that it won't work for me.

  1:03: People the classics.

  1:05: Coop asked me to cover this topic because I've been working with one of these exact types through stage one and two over the past couple of months.

  1:12: And I finally had some breakthrough success with him.

  1:16: For context, he's a 14 plus year crossfit gym owner.

  1:20: He lives and breathes everything about crossfit, like the real O G type of crossfit attitude and by his measures, he runs a quote unquote successful gym.

  1:31: He's a great dude and sure they have a popular gym.

  1:35: If you just looked at how many members he has, he has like 300 members.

  1:39: But as we know, metrics tell a different story.

  1:42: And so that's the case he's in immediately, he had three big pieces of resistance that presented themselves early in our conversations.

  1:51: The very first one he brought up was there was no way he was running an on ramp.

  1:56: He never has never will.

  1:58: Crossfit is for everyone.

  2:00: He gets way too many transfers from other gyms.

  2:03: People are gym shopping and this would just be a big barrier like his excuse list was a mile long.

  2:10: The second resistance piece was that N SI S weren't necessary.

  2:13: There was no need to install a book sales appointment when he already had 300 members.

  2:19: And he did that without N SI S already.

  2:21: Ok.

  2:22: Third one, additional services just weren't in the question.

  2:26: It was crossfit and crossfit only.

  2:28: Just group classes.

  2:29: No P T no nutrition.

  2:31: Nothing.

  2:32: Just crossfit.

  2:33: All right.

  2:34: Ok.

  2:34: Laid it out on the table for me.

  2:36: I knew I was gonna have trouble with him probably about 5 to 10 minutes into our very first meeting.

  2:42: So he would bring these resistant pieces all up on his own before I could even ask any questions.

  2:48: It would sound something like, hey, Tarn, I read through the modules.

  2:51: I watched the videos but I didn't bother doing the homework because of X Y Z.

  2:56: Like there was no chance to have a discussion about it.

  2:59: He watched the videos and he made that decision before we could even talk about it.

  3:04: And admittedly, it took me probably about two calls to really find a rhythm and a cadence to my conversation with him basically until I could figure out more about his personality.

  3:14: And that would tell me how I needed to approach him.

  3:17: And so here's, here's what I did to build success with him and I hope you can take away some key points that can help you too.

  3:24: I really nailed...]]>0:00: What's up guys, Taryn Dubreuil here, asked to be a guest on Coop's Help, Best Mentor podcast this week and I am super stoked here to share a story and some tips about how to deal with clients who are longtime gym owners come into mentorship and have some of the most closed off minds you might have ever worked with.

  0:19: These clients are tough.

  0:21: They are exhausting but they need our help just as much, if not more, just like everyone else we get to work with.

  0:28: So when I thought back on this, there really is three main ways these clients present themselves to us.

  0:34: It might sound something like this.

  0:36: And so the first one is, this is just how I've always done it.

  0:40: I'm sure you've worked with people who are unwilling to change for whatever reason and this is often their go to line.

  0:46: This is just how I've always done it.

  0:48: The second type of these people is when it goes away from their belief and they're not willing to weigh data and evidence against those beliefs.

  0:58: OK?

  0:58: Those are tough.

  1:00: And the third one is that it won't work for me.

  1:03: People the classics.

  1:05: Coop asked me to cover this topic because I've been working with one of these exact types through stage one and two over the past couple of months.

  1:12: And I finally had some breakthrough success with him.

  1:16: For context, he's a 14 plus year crossfit gym owner.

  1:20: He lives and breathes everything about crossfit, like the real O G type of crossfit attitude and by his measures, he runs a quote unquote successful gym.

  1:31: He's a great dude and sure they have a popular gym.

  1:35: If you just looked at how many members he has, he has like 300 members.

  1:39: But as we know, metrics tell a different story.

  1:42: And so that's the case he's in immediately, he had three big pieces of resistance that presented themselves early in our conversations.

  1:51: The very first one he brought up was there was no way he was running an on ramp.

  1:56: He never has never will.

  1:58: Crossfit is for everyone.

  2:00: He gets way too many transfers from other gyms.

  2:03: People are gym shopping and this would just be a big barrier like his excuse list was a mile long.

  2:10: The second resistance piece was that N SI S weren't necessary.

  2:13: There was no need to install a book sales appointment when he already had 300 members.

  2:19: And he did that without N SI S already.

  2:21: Ok.

  2:22: Third one, additional services just weren't in the question.

  2:26: It was crossfit and crossfit only.

  2:28: Just group classes.

  2:29: No P T no nutrition.

  2:31: Nothing.

  2:32: Just crossfit.

  2:33: All right.

  2:34: Ok.

  2:34: Laid it out on the table for me.

  2:36: I knew I was gonna have trouble with him probably about 5 to 10 minutes into our very first meeting.

  2:42: So he would bring these resistant pieces all up on his own before I could even ask any questions.

  2:48: It would sound something like, hey, Tarn, I read through the modules.

  2:51: I watched the videos but I didn't bother doing the homework because of X Y Z.

  2:56: Like there was no chance to have a discussion about it.

  2:59: He watched the videos and he made that decision before we could even talk about it.

  3:04: And admittedly, it took me probably about two calls to really find a rhythm and a cadence to my conversation with him basically until I could figure out more about his personality.

  3:14: And that would tell me how I needed to approach him.

  3:17: And so here's, here's what I did to build success with him and I hope you can take away some key points that can help you too.

  3:24: I really nailed it down to five things.

  3:26: So the first one was educate.

  3:29: First, I had to ask myself, does he just maybe need a little bit more information?

  3:34: Does he maybe need some more context?

  3:36: Maybe some proof, maybe a little bit more dialogue.

  3:39: So I've I tried giving him examples of other gyms in terrain or of my own gym of what the data proven tactics had produced and I actually figured out that proof was what he was looking for because we had a mutual bonding point over having 14 year affiliates.

  3:57: So this helped implement some tactics.

  4:00: He just needed social proof of the things we had in common.

  4:03: The fact that we were 14 year affiliates.

  4:05: We both had this O G crossfit attitude, this and that and that showing that it worked in my gym and other old, not old as in old, old, but just longtime affiliates that if it worked in ours, it would work in his, it didn't solve all of my problems, but it was, it started to push the ball where I needed to go.

  4:24: So the second thing was, is asking more questions to figure out exactly what the resistance was like.

  4:31: Usually the problem is not actually the surface level problem they're giving you, it's either a different problem or a deeper problem.

  4:39: So a different problem was turns out he had a reluctance to implement some things because he actually had some staff problems brewing and that paralyzed him knowing that he would need to implement staff into that equation.

  4:52: Ok.

  4:52: Cool.

  4:52: That's a whole different problem.

  4:54: And by solving that problem helped me get him to implement some other things.

  4:58: Once we figured out that was the different problem, other things like hi, the deeper problems which were like his projections, it just turned out he was a little scarcity minded about money and So the fact of a sales conversation didn't sit well with him.

  5:12: So we just needed to navigate through some projections that he had.

  5:15: It still didn't solve all of the problems.

  5:17: So the third tactic I used with him was I needed to meet halfway on the important things.

  5:23: And I've really, I've kind of narrowed this down into two subsections of this approach.

  5:28: So the first one is I would ask him, are you married to the idea of dot dot dot And I would refer to something he's already doing.

  5:37: This would tell me how committed he is to the things that he's already doing, which he had no problem stating were working for him since he had 300 members.

  5:48: So essentially, I was just testing the waters on what he was willing to budge on and what he wasn't.

  5:53: And this helps me make decisions for myself on what to push on and what to pull back on.

  5:59: The second sort of subsection of this.

  6:01: I would ask him is how can we meet halfway on this?

  6:05: And by asking him this, he came up with a solution.

  6:08: This is just me getting him to commit to building some sort of skeleton of the concept that I wanted and start because done is better than perfect.

  6:18: And I know that later on, I can come back to this and I can continue to build on to it.

  6:23: Kind of like when you put a client through your own on ramp.

  6:27: And they're terrible movers.

  6:28: And you know that once you, you get them into group or P T or whatever their next step is, you can continue to refine their movement even better after they finish their on ramp with you.

  6:38: OK.

  6:38: Same thing.

  6:39: This also, this kind of approach also helps him believe in it better since he came up with the idea of where to meet halfway.

  6:46: So basically just lead the horse to water.

  6:50: This the fourth one was perspective.

  6:53: He only sees what's directly in front of him.

  6:56: I know what the bigger picture is.

  6:58: I know that this little thing we're focused on right now in this very moment is actually 10 stepping stones towards something really bigger that he wants.

  7:07: I found out that he was told about rate increases on a sales call and he got super hyper focused on that.

  7:15: He just wanted to raise his rates.

  7:17: But you and I know that we can't do that in stage one and two.

  7:20: And then we need some important stepping stones before we do that to ensure the success of the that rate increase.

  7:25: Cool.

  7:26: That's the story I had to tell to get him to buy into the process.

  7:31: If you want the rate increase, when we get to growth, we need these preceding steps to be in place.

  7:36: And here's why so find the motivator use your perspective to paint the picture.

  7:42: And I mean, in regards to perspective, I'd often tell him too that he's paying for my perspective that I've been in his shoes.

  7:50: I've walked further in them than he has.

  7:52: I know what's coming down the road, both good and bad.

  7:55: He doesn't.

  7:57: So when we would refer to the rate increase, this was a great place to add the importance of the perspective of the mentor and how that's a strength for him.

  8:07: Ok.

  8:08: The last one, tough love.

  8:10: Now, I know not everyone is great at this and probably some of our newer team members might be terrified to use this tactic.

  8:18: And me myself, I only use it in special circumstances when I absolutely need to usually for a problematic client, it's like once.

  8:25: But for him, I had to, I had to go to this many times and earlier than I probably normally would have.

  8:32: This is tough questions like why are you doing this or why are you paying for something if you don't trust the process or even just do you trust me and just asking very direct questions like that.

  8:46: So he can be truthful and honest about understanding that him not acting on these evidence-based steps, he's essentially stopping his own progress.

  8:56: And so the end result after three months of working through first steps with him was that I finally got him to come around and take baby steps with some of the major requirements that we need them to build into their businesses before they advance.

  9:08: When he saw the money coming in, him hitting his 60 K goal and essentially checking off the invisible check boxes towards his rate increase.

  9:19: He bought into it more and more each time we spoke.

  9:22: So I hope that these tactics work for you guys and any of the problem clients that you might have right now.

  9:28: If you need any other help, just reach out.

  9:30: I'm super happy to help where I can.

  9:32: I'm definitely not an expert at this.

  9:34: I am an expert in the tough love.

  9:36: So if you need a little help there, let's say that's where I can help.

  9:39: Best Cheers guys.

  ]]>301173a7-7993-41ba-a9c1-817d16dd462dSun, 04 Aug 2024 00:45:00 -050009:42falsefull13838137 - Using the Annual Plan on Monthly Calls, with GaryUsing the Annual Plan, breaking goals into quarters, and then into monthly focus and weekly tasks.

  With Gary Walsh

  ]]>Using the Annual Plan, breaking goals into quarters, and then into monthly focus and weekly tasks.

  With Gary Walsh

  ]]>71366eee-ac35-472a-a1a9-a36b3ac0e92dSun, 28 Jul 2024 00:30:00 -050004:16falsefull13737140 - Using the Connect-4 Exercise, with Gary WalshGary shares how he used the connect-4 exercise to reinforce the value of the lessons and mentorship using other clients.
  ]]>Gary shares how he used the connect-4 exercise to reinforce the value of the lessons and mentorship using other clients.
  ]]>f8c082d0-fea2-4da9-a51f-b20353b1b37cWed, 24 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -050005:02falsefull14040136: Changing a Client's State, with AleksWith Aleksandrina Angelova- Brandt: using the Momentum Model, getting a client focused on the work to be done instead of letting them vent on their call.
  ]]>With Aleksandrina Angelova- Brandt: using the Momentum Model, getting a client focused on the work to be done instead of letting them vent on their call.
  ]]>7b552fcc-c74f-405c-b282-920f633a0e70Sun, 21 Jul 2024 00:30:00 -050006:12falsefull13636135: How to Receive a Client BestToday's tips come from Karen Hazelton. She's recently received transfers from several other mentors and had great success with the clients, because she shows the clients they're being cared for by a team - and even though the style of coaching will be different, she already knows their history and goals.

  Her notes: OVERVIEW: 

  1. Build trust

  2. VERY small tasks with CLEAR descriptions for desired results

  3. Strong metrics focus

  4. Setting goals WITH timelines (goal timeline is key) 

  5. Use an annual plan to review projections and stay on track - it's not ok to be stagnant! 

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION: 

  
  

  1. Review call notes and tasks from previous calls, check out copper for old messages or notes that might help me understand the situation better, and slack with the previous mentor to see if there is any additional insight they can give me. 

  
  

  2. BUILD TRUST: Schedule a 15-30 minute call with the client (this is in addition to their first full call I will do later in the month). This is all about getting to know them better. It's casual and I follow up regarding tasks/notes/insight from their last mentor. Their first homework is to send me a list of ALL the issues they are currently facing at their gym. Nothing is too small or too big, but I tell them it's important to do this AND send it to me before our next call. Then I can look at everything ans identify opportunities for them BEFORE they talk. This helps me be super prepared for their first call too. 

  
  

  On that first call, we go over the list and I ask them, what do YOU feel like is the first area to focus on. Then we talk through the order to approach these issues, working hard to identify what the "lead domino" is. Is there ONE thing we can fix that would help fix others? They barely know me, so until I have earned their trust, I am aware that I want it to feel like it is THEIR decision (although I am supportive in helping them determine which is the most important next step.) 

  
  

  Then, we prioritize and execute on that next step. SLOWLY moving the needle. The tasks are VERY small and detailed so that there is no "grey area" it's very clear whether or not they do them. 

  
  

  3. Mentees in this scenario tend to need EXTRA accountability, so as we look through their tasks from the previous call, it's not just "did you do this?" but "share your screen and show me what you did" or what was the exact result from this task? I always have at least one check-in in between calls asking detailed questions for how the month is going. 

  
  

  4. METRICS FOCUS: Then, we usually have to spend a good amount of time on metrics. REALLY understanding them and how important they are to determine goals and action items, as well as a timeline to reach their goals (I love the Goal timeline for this!). Setting realistic expectations are key and also getting the point across that it's not ok to be stagnant anymore :) 

  ]]>Today's tips come from Karen Hazelton. She's recently received transfers from several other mentors and had great success with the clients, because she shows the clients they're being cared for by a team - and even though the style of coaching will be different, she already knows their history and goals.

  Her notes: OVERVIEW: 

  1. Build trust

  2. VERY small tasks with CLEAR descriptions for desired results

  3. Strong metrics focus

  4. Setting goals WITH timelines (goal timeline is key) 

  5. Use an annual plan to review projections and stay on track - it's not ok to be stagnant! 

  DETAILED DESCRIPTION: 

  
  

  1. Review call notes and tasks from previous calls, check out copper for old messages or notes that might help me understand the situation better, and slack with the previous mentor to see if there is any additional insight they can give me. 

  
  

  2. BUILD TRUST: Schedule a 15-30 minute call with the client (this is in addition to their first full call I will do later in the month). This is all about getting to know them better. It's casual and I follow up regarding tasks/notes/insight from their last mentor. Their first homework is to send me a list of ALL the issues they are currently facing at their gym. Nothing is too small or too big, but I tell them it's important to do this AND send it to me before our next call. Then I can look at everything ans identify opportunities for them BEFORE they talk. This helps me be super prepared for their first call too. 

  
  

  On that first call, we go over the list and I ask them, what do YOU feel like is the first area to focus on. Then we talk through the order to approach these issues, working hard to identify what the "lead domino" is. Is there ONE thing we can fix that would help fix others? They barely know me, so until I have earned their trust, I am aware that I want it to feel like it is THEIR decision (although I am supportive in helping them determine which is the most important next step.) 

  
  

  Then, we prioritize and execute on that next step. SLOWLY moving the needle. The tasks are VERY small and detailed so that there is no "grey area" it's very clear whether or not they do them. 

  
  

  3. Mentees in this scenario tend to need EXTRA accountability, so as we look through their tasks from the previous call, it's not just "did you do this?" but "share your screen and show me what you did" or what was the exact result from this task? I always have at least one check-in in between calls asking detailed questions for how the month is going. 

  
  

  4. METRICS FOCUS: Then, we usually have to spend a good amount of time on metrics. REALLY understanding them and how important they are to determine goals and action items, as well as a timeline to reach their goals (I love the Goal timeline for this!). Setting realistic expectations are key and also getting the point across that it's not ok to be stagnant anymore :) 

  ]]>20ab0fd5-6e3a-4636-a94c-45a705ec8809Sun, 14 Jul 2024 00:30:00 -050005:43falsefull13535134 - Why We're Doubling Down on The Mentor TeamAfter Summit 2023, I knew that our theme for 2024 would be "Virtuosity".

  It was already becoming clear that the fastest-growing gyms were sticking to the basics and repeating them over and over again, avoiding distraction and staying focused.

  But WHICH basics?

  I started to dive into the numbers. We knew the average TBB gym earned an ROI of about 2.3x the cost of mentorship per year (we actually peg our rate to the ROI clients receive.)

  But this was the mean average. The median wasn't as good. This meant that there was a subgroup of clients who were dragging the average up.

  So I dove in, and here's what I found.

  12.5% of our clients grow nearly 3x as fast as everyone else.

  While very few clients get a negative ROI on mentorship, this small group of 12.5% are way ahead. So what do THEY do that the others don't?

  It turns out that there's no one thing. That wasn't a surprise. What WAS a surprise was this: they do everything their mentor tells them. No more, no less.

  They take action. They avoid distraction. They focus. They just say "got it" and they get it done.

  Obviously, these are dream clients. And our courses and call templates were set up for these clients. But it's not the majority of our clients. And - uh oh - most of our mentor team comes from these clients.

  Short version: we're a team of people who say "tell me what to do" and then just go do it. We don't hem and haw and delay and second-guess. We're not cynical and we don't try to reinvent the wheel. We don't procrastinate. We focus. We have good work habits.

  And we don't usually understand people who aren't like us.

  This knowledge was depressing, at first. As John said at Summit, I spent months in my basement going through numbers. It was kind of a weird time, because I was frustrated by the inconsistent results we were getting; I didn't know how to improve them; and, to be honest, I'd just been offered a big number for Two-Brain.

  I knew that I didn't want to sell, but I also didn't want us to only be successful sometimes.

  So I went even deeper. I really don't remember much of July, August or September. I didn't write any new books (MGO was already written and in the editing process.) I was discouraged because I was sure I'd see a clear trend, but didn't. In fact, I found more problems: inconsistent delivery, lack of planning, and clients really being ignored. I read hundreds of client emails and watched 130 call recordings, and started getting angry....because this was my fault.

  I wasn't clear enough on our objectives for each client.

  I wasn't clear enough on the framework.

  I didn't incentivize client outcomes or create clear expectations for client outcomes.

  But the long-term result was amazing: I didn't want to sell TBB. I didn't even really care about growing TBB in revenue, profit or client headcount.

  I wanted to make TBB great. And making TBB great meant one thing: getting clients great outcomes.

  Every client who signs up for mentorship with TBB should expect a great outcome regardless of the skills they start with. That's a tough expectation to live up to, but it's my expectation for all of us (including me, who struggles with coaching clients more than most.)

  First, I removed a couple of mentors from the team. Their heart just wasn't in it anymore and it showed.

  Then I revamped the Growth Call template for clarity. If you're a fan of G2G, this is called "freedom adn responsibility within a framework." The framework was the call template; the freedom was all the gaps between the big cues in the template. The responsibility was to deliver client results.

  Then I added an incentive: when a client hits their NOB goal, you get a bonus. Strump said this better than I ever could: we all want to do our best job. The bonus is nice, but everyone is trying really hard and cares a lot.

  Then I added an expectation:...]]>After Summit 2023, I knew that our theme for 2024 would be "Virtuosity".

  It was already becoming clear that the fastest-growing gyms were sticking to the basics and repeating them over and over again, avoiding distraction and staying focused.

  But WHICH basics?

  I started to dive into the numbers. We knew the average TBB gym earned an ROI of about 2.3x the cost of mentorship per year (we actually peg our rate to the ROI clients receive.)

  But this was the mean average. The median wasn't as good. This meant that there was a subgroup of clients who were dragging the average up.

  So I dove in, and here's what I found.

  12.5% of our clients grow nearly 3x as fast as everyone else.

  While very few clients get a negative ROI on mentorship, this small group of 12.5% are way ahead. So what do THEY do that the others don't?

  It turns out that there's no one thing. That wasn't a surprise. What WAS a surprise was this: they do everything their mentor tells them. No more, no less.

  They take action. They avoid distraction. They focus. They just say "got it" and they get it done.

  Obviously, these are dream clients. And our courses and call templates were set up for these clients. But it's not the majority of our clients. And - uh oh - most of our mentor team comes from these clients.

  Short version: we're a team of people who say "tell me what to do" and then just go do it. We don't hem and haw and delay and second-guess. We're not cynical and we don't try to reinvent the wheel. We don't procrastinate. We focus. We have good work habits.

  And we don't usually understand people who aren't like us.

  This knowledge was depressing, at first. As John said at Summit, I spent months in my basement going through numbers. It was kind of a weird time, because I was frustrated by the inconsistent results we were getting; I didn't know how to improve them; and, to be honest, I'd just been offered a big number for Two-Brain.

  I knew that I didn't want to sell, but I also didn't want us to only be successful sometimes.

  So I went even deeper. I really don't remember much of July, August or September. I didn't write any new books (MGO was already written and in the editing process.) I was discouraged because I was sure I'd see a clear trend, but didn't. In fact, I found more problems: inconsistent delivery, lack of planning, and clients really being ignored. I read hundreds of client emails and watched 130 call recordings, and started getting angry....because this was my fault.

  I wasn't clear enough on our objectives for each client.

  I wasn't clear enough on the framework.

  I didn't incentivize client outcomes or create clear expectations for client outcomes.

  But the long-term result was amazing: I didn't want to sell TBB. I didn't even really care about growing TBB in revenue, profit or client headcount.

  I wanted to make TBB great. And making TBB great meant one thing: getting clients great outcomes.

  Every client who signs up for mentorship with TBB should expect a great outcome regardless of the skills they start with. That's a tough expectation to live up to, but it's my expectation for all of us (including me, who struggles with coaching clients more than most.)

  First, I removed a couple of mentors from the team. Their heart just wasn't in it anymore and it showed.

  Then I revamped the Growth Call template for clarity. If you're a fan of G2G, this is called "freedom adn responsibility within a framework." The framework was the call template; the freedom was all the gaps between the big cues in the template. The responsibility was to deliver client results.

  Then I added an incentive: when a client hits their NOB goal, you get a bonus. Strump said this better than I ever could: we all want to do our best job. The bonus is nice, but everyone is trying really hard and cares a lot.

  Then I added an expectation: in the first year, 20% of our clients would hit their NOB goal, with more reaching their incremental goals to set them up for success next year.

  I kinda flubbed that explanation - I apologize. I'll do better next year.

  Then I turned down two opportunities to start new projects, and ended my own META project so that I could reinvest close to 1M in training the mentor team - including the mentor summit, some experiments in mentorship, speakers, incentives and even this podcast. We made a few hires to help too.

  My goal - the thing that fires me up and pulls me through the hard data-collecting and decision-making - is not to make TBB more profitable or to make TBB bigger. The only thing I want to make TBB is great.

  One more thing: nobody else is doing this. No other biz coaches are worrying about client outcomes at all. Very few even track client outcomes. The ones who do tell me that if 20% are successful in the program, then it's a successful program. They say things like "20% will win no matter what, 20% will lose no matter what, and if you can move any of the remaining 60% a little closer to their goals, you have a winning program."

  That's not good enough for me (and I don' t believe it's good enough for you, either.) Being the best business coaching program in the world is a huge goal. But it's attainable - and the path is to get the clients the best results.

  Thanks for listening.

  ]]>cd9c04bd-42ab-4b7a-b261-d0ea5baa1dcbSun, 07 Jul 2024 03:00:00 -050008:05falsefull13636133 - Help First? Help Most? Help Best - What's the Difference?Help First - give free content - 95% of what we publish we give away for free.

  Help Most - do it for them. But this isn't the same as helping Best.

  Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach him to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime.

  We want people to see fast results and overcome paralysis. We also want to set them up for success long-term, by teaching them skills. This might seem like a dichotomy, but really it's a matter of timing.

  Most of our clients need really quick wins in the beginning. The way we help them best is not by giving them a ton of options or a bunch of knowledge. That doesn't work. The way we help them best is to say "do exactly this thing."

  Most of our clients don't want to do paid ads. But the way we help them most is to show them how paid ads work, and then set them up and teach them to monitor them themselves. Then they can decide if they want to continue or not. So sometimes helping best is getting them to go through short-term pain for long-term gain. Parents know what I mean here. "You can't say you hate it until you've actually tried it."

  Helping best almost always means saying "this is the answer" instead of saying "you have two options." The bigger the decision, the more valuable the clarity.

  For example, the reason we recommend Kilo for websites is because it's the best. Gym owners can spend a month researching the options and weighing pros and cons, asking for opinions and advice, and be no further ahead. But Kilo was built specifically for TBB gyms. John and Mateo bought a website company, said "what do TBB gyms actually need?" and "what do the numbers support?" and built that thing. Ditto GymLawyers and Colm's new DoneForYou marketing plan.

  So recommending these isn't a conflict of interest - it's in our client's BEST interest to just tell them the best answer. We're not a publicly-elected body that has to be responsible to government oversight. Our job is results, period. Every month spent deliberating on a decision by a client is a month they don't get results.

  Over time, in fact, we should narrow the options we present. We narrow these options by collecting data and understanding it. This is the scientific method, and it's one of our core values; we make decisions based on evidence, not opinion.

  So the stuff in the toolkit is chosen by data. It works in one gym - great. We find out about it. We test it in other gyms. If it works, great - it goes in the toolkit and we present it as mentors. When something stops working, we remove it. We don't just add stuff because it's novel or new or shiny. We test everything, because it's our duty to help BEST. Putting unproven stuff in the toolkit would be helping MOST - but just really creating more client overwhelm and getting less results.

  Helping BEST means focusing first on the client's end goal. It often means 'addition by subtraction' - removing the problems of optionality and saying "this one is best." It means accepting the burden of proof, and building a case through data, analysis and experience instead of "here's something I hear don a podcast" or even "here's an idea people are talking about in Tinker."

  Helping BEST isn't the easy road. But it's the only road for us, because the only way to be the best is to help your clients best.

  ]]>Help First - give free content - 95% of what we publish we give away for free.

  Help Most - do it for them. But this isn't the same as helping Best.

  Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach him to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime.

  We want people to see fast results and overcome paralysis. We also want to set them up for success long-term, by teaching them skills. This might seem like a dichotomy, but really it's a matter of timing.

  Most of our clients need really quick wins in the beginning. The way we help them best is not by giving them a ton of options or a bunch of knowledge. That doesn't work. The way we help them best is to say "do exactly this thing."

  Most of our clients don't want to do paid ads. But the way we help them most is to show them how paid ads work, and then set them up and teach them to monitor them themselves. Then they can decide if they want to continue or not. So sometimes helping best is getting them to go through short-term pain for long-term gain. Parents know what I mean here. "You can't say you hate it until you've actually tried it."

  Helping best almost always means saying "this is the answer" instead of saying "you have two options." The bigger the decision, the more valuable the clarity.

  For example, the reason we recommend Kilo for websites is because it's the best. Gym owners can spend a month researching the options and weighing pros and cons, asking for opinions and advice, and be no further ahead. But Kilo was built specifically for TBB gyms. John and Mateo bought a website company, said "what do TBB gyms actually need?" and "what do the numbers support?" and built that thing. Ditto GymLawyers and Colm's new DoneForYou marketing plan.

  So recommending these isn't a conflict of interest - it's in our client's BEST interest to just tell them the best answer. We're not a publicly-elected body that has to be responsible to government oversight. Our job is results, period. Every month spent deliberating on a decision by a client is a month they don't get results.

  Over time, in fact, we should narrow the options we present. We narrow these options by collecting data and understanding it. This is the scientific method, and it's one of our core values; we make decisions based on evidence, not opinion.

  So the stuff in the toolkit is chosen by data. It works in one gym - great. We find out about it. We test it in other gyms. If it works, great - it goes in the toolkit and we present it as mentors. When something stops working, we remove it. We don't just add stuff because it's novel or new or shiny. We test everything, because it's our duty to help BEST. Putting unproven stuff in the toolkit would be helping MOST - but just really creating more client overwhelm and getting less results.

  Helping BEST means focusing first on the client's end goal. It often means 'addition by subtraction' - removing the problems of optionality and saying "this one is best." It means accepting the burden of proof, and building a case through data, analysis and experience instead of "here's something I hear don a podcast" or even "here's an idea people are talking about in Tinker."

  Helping BEST isn't the easy road. But it's the only road for us, because the only way to be the best is to help your clients best.

  ]]>5d2b5cba-b730-40e5-8dd3-d3dcefde32e1Mon, 01 Jul 2024 09:00:00 -050006:51falsefull13636132: Sell Weekhttps://members.twobrainbusiness.com/index.php?pda_v3_pf=/_pda/2023/11/Sell-Week-Worksheet.pdf
  ]]>https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/index.php?pda_v3_pf=/_pda/2023/11/Sell-Week-Worksheet.pdf
  ]]>63f65bc5-8a6a-41ec-af2c-f080ad4c250bSun, 23 Jun 2024 00:30:00 -050005:15falsefull13232131: What The Top-Achieving Client Have In CommonWhat the fastest EVER to reach their goals have in common

  A clear goal, annual plan, tasks - 52 seconds to find all 3

  If I look at their last 90 days, they always have a marketing task

  usually it's a repetitive task (60-70% of the time)

  All of them have lots of reviews on Google/FB

  all are at least consistent with SM - good at one channel, maintaining the rest

  All use all 4 marketing funnels - really good at one, maintaining the rest

  None are optimized yet. :)

  ]]>What the fastest EVER to reach their goals have in common

  A clear goal, annual plan, tasks - 52 seconds to find all 3

  If I look at their last 90 days, they always have a marketing task

  usually it's a repetitive task (60-70% of the time)

  All of them have lots of reviews on Google/FB

  all are at least consistent with SM - good at one channel, maintaining the rest

  All use all 4 marketing funnels - really good at one, maintaining the rest

  None are optimized yet. :)

  ]]>8a4c44bb-dd51-4516-bb6a-3ce35f439e9bSun, 16 Jun 2024 01:30:00 -050006:30falsefull13030130: Working Outside Our NicheWe're often approached to help access gyms, big clubs, martial arts gyms, cheer gyms...and other businesses that are slightly different from our core audience.

  We usually say "no" - but with access gyms and clubs, we CAN help them build a coaching program. Here's more.

  ]]>We're often approached to help access gyms, big clubs, martial arts gyms, cheer gyms...and other businesses that are slightly different from our core audience.

  We usually say "no" - but with access gyms and clubs, we CAN help them build a coaching program. Here's more.

  ]]>10f22663-0dd4-42ba-8297-8b2d78701fb3Sun, 02 Jun 2024 00:30:00 -050005:10falsefull12929129: What I Learned From 84 Award Nomineestop tips:

  Keep it simple

  Do something fun (it’s more fun when you have customers)

  Partner, don’t compete

  Ask for help

  Learn from your mistakes

  Be a proud promoter

  Location matters

  Donate a percentage

  I also sent a VM to 84 nominees for the annual Two-Brain awards...and guess what? They told me the exact same things:

  Keep it simple

  Make it fun

  Ask for help

  Learn from mistakes

  "make lots of money, and give it away."

  SO simple.

  ]]>top tips:

  Keep it simple

  Do something fun (it’s more fun when you have customers)

  Partner, don’t compete

  Ask for help

  Learn from your mistakes

  Be a proud promoter

  Location matters

  Donate a percentage

  I also sent a VM to 84 nominees for the annual Two-Brain awards...and guess what? They told me the exact same things:

  Keep it simple

  Make it fun

  Ask for help

  Learn from mistakes

  "make lots of money, and give it away."

  SO simple.

  ]]>b134fb69-1404-4b89-b4ec-ac1cd0b943b4Sun, 26 May 2024 00:30:00 -050004:32falsefull282828: The 3 Phases of Skill AcquisitionThe process of skill acquisition happens in three stages:

  First, the cognitive stage. 

  In this stage, you have to be consciously focused on what you’re doing. You have to think about each step; follow a recipe; or follow instructions. Because you don’t own the knowledge yet, you might feel dumb, like “This is harder to learn than I thought!” or even “I’m just not getting this!”

  This stage is almost always done with a teacher or a mentor.

  Second, the associative stage.

  Now you’ve got the process memorized, even if you’re not really skilled at it. You’re a dedicated student; but you can practice on your own, and you can practice in the real world instead of a controlled classroom. You are aware enough of your own skill that you can self-audit (“Hey, it worked better when I did it like THIS”). This is where deliberate practice comes in: not just reps, but meaningful reps with feedback from yourself or others. One myth, at this stage, is the “10,000 hour rule” - the idea that you must put in 10,000 hours of practice to become a master. It’s not quite true. You must put in thousands of hours of GOOD practice to achieve mastery. That means feedback from yourself and others, not just doing the same thing poorly for 10,000 hours. Without this feedback loop, you will not improve. The more objective the feedback, the more rapidly you can improve. So a mentor can really help in this stage, too - even though it’s painful to continually find flaws in your practice.

  Third, the Autonomous stage.

  At this stage of skill acquisition, you can perform the skill pretty well. You can do it all day long. You don’t even really have to think about it. And that’s what makes this stage dangerous: your skill can plateau. You can get bored. Nothing is forcing you to improve, and so you might not want to. But real masters of any skill - including entrepreneurial skills - keep looking for ways to get better.

  
  

  ]]>The process of skill acquisition happens in three stages:

  First, the cognitive stage. 

  In this stage, you have to be consciously focused on what you’re doing. You have to think about each step; follow a recipe; or follow instructions. Because you don’t own the knowledge yet, you might feel dumb, like “This is harder to learn than I thought!” or even “I’m just not getting this!”

  This stage is almost always done with a teacher or a mentor.

  Second, the associative stage.

  Now you’ve got the process memorized, even if you’re not really skilled at it. You’re a dedicated student; but you can practice on your own, and you can practice in the real world instead of a controlled classroom. You are aware enough of your own skill that you can self-audit (“Hey, it worked better when I did it like THIS”). This is where deliberate practice comes in: not just reps, but meaningful reps with feedback from yourself or others. One myth, at this stage, is the “10,000 hour rule” - the idea that you must put in 10,000 hours of practice to become a master. It’s not quite true. You must put in thousands of hours of GOOD practice to achieve mastery. That means feedback from yourself and others, not just doing the same thing poorly for 10,000 hours. Without this feedback loop, you will not improve. The more objective the feedback, the more rapidly you can improve. So a mentor can really help in this stage, too - even though it’s painful to continually find flaws in your practice.

  Third, the Autonomous stage.

  At this stage of skill acquisition, you can perform the skill pretty well. You can do it all day long. You don’t even really have to think about it. And that’s what makes this stage dangerous: your skill can plateau. You can get bored. Nothing is forcing you to improve, and so you might not want to. But real masters of any skill - including entrepreneurial skills - keep looking for ways to get better.

  
  

  ]]>41a59eaa-6008-4821-a2c1-5c93e5f7f9d7Sun, 19 May 2024 00:30:00 -050009:15falsefull13030127: What "8-Year-Old-Easy" REALLY Meansit doesn't mean they're dumb

  it means get really specific

  this is a super hard skill most biz coaches don't have

  I started practicing in 2012 and get better all the time

  if you've seen incubator - rampup - stage 1, you know what I mean. stage 1 is right down to copy this and paste it here

  we need to do the same on calls

  general advice like "what are you doing to build culture?" is the standard for mentorship outside tbb, but it's not good enough for us

  To practice, I'm writing a general daily "WOD" on businessisgood.com

  that's the level of tactical advice you need to be giving

  in a year, i'll probably think that's too vague and find a way to get even deeper

  ]]>it doesn't mean they're dumb

  it means get really specific

  this is a super hard skill most biz coaches don't have

  I started practicing in 2012 and get better all the time

  if you've seen incubator - rampup - stage 1, you know what I mean. stage 1 is right down to copy this and paste it here

  we need to do the same on calls

  general advice like "what are you doing to build culture?" is the standard for mentorship outside tbb, but it's not good enough for us

  To practice, I'm writing a general daily "WOD" on businessisgood.com

  that's the level of tactical advice you need to be giving

  in a year, i'll probably think that's too vague and find a way to get even deeper

  ]]>495dc56f-fac4-49ee-880e-734ce8056ff9Sun, 12 May 2024 06:00:00 -050003:57falsefull272726: Changing the ConversationLike many episodes, this is a summary of the best advice from Two-Brain mentors.

  Over two hours, we roleplayed and picked the BEST questions and strategies to ask when a call starts on the wrong foot, or the mentor finds themselves in the backseat while a client drives the car...everywhere and nowhere.

  ]]>Like many episodes, this is a summary of the best advice from Two-Brain mentors.

  Over two hours, we roleplayed and picked the BEST questions and strategies to ask when a call starts on the wrong foot, or the mentor finds themselves in the backseat while a client drives the car...everywhere and nowhere.

  ]]>4b5f8aa1-f196-4ba1-b054-2990f78a80ceSun, 05 May 2024 06:00:00 -050005:18falsefull262625: Accuracy Vs. PrecisionAccuracy vs Precision These are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they actually mean different things. While accuracy is non-negotiable in mentorship, precision is priceless. here's what I mean: Accuracy means that you are directionally correct. Getting more members will help you grow your gym - that's accurate. Getting 5 more members at $200 per month will add $1000 to your topline revenue - that's precise. Our job, as mentors, is to be precise. Accuracy is the bare minimum. Yes, it's necessary. Precision is the gold standard.
  ]]>Accuracy vs Precision These are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they actually mean different things. While accuracy is non-negotiable in mentorship, precision is priceless. here's what I mean: Accuracy means that you are directionally correct. Getting more members will help you grow your gym - that's accurate. Getting 5 more members at $200 per month will add $1000 to your topline revenue - that's precise. Our job, as mentors, is to be precise. Accuracy is the bare minimum. Yes, it's necessary. Precision is the gold standard.
  ]]>89f44150-af9b-4b39-a21b-68bbc1b873f2Sun, 28 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -050006:29falsefull252524: Programming for BusinessProgramming for Business

  Summary

  • Effective programming for fitness goals. 0:01
  • Good programming starts with the goal and works backward, breaking down the problem into essential elements with clear steps and achievement points for celebration.
  • Setting and achieving fitness and business goals. 1:33
  • Chris Cooper outlines a goal-setting framework for business success, emphasizing clear goals and measurable progress.
  • Breaking down a large goal into smaller tasks for success. 3:03
  • Chris Cooper outlines a plan to increase NLB by $5,000 in 90 days through monthly goals and task assignments.
  
  ]]>Programming for Business

  Summary

  • Effective programming for fitness goals. 0:01
  • Good programming starts with the goal and works backward, breaking down the problem into essential elements with clear steps and achievement points for celebration.
  • Setting and achieving fitness and business goals. 1:33
  • Chris Cooper outlines a goal-setting framework for business success, emphasizing clear goals and measurable progress.
  • Breaking down a large goal into smaller tasks for success. 3:03
  • Chris Cooper outlines a plan to increase NLB by $5,000 in 90 days through monthly goals and task assignments.
  
  ]]>108cd2cb-b676-4ed8-9fb2-0979fede439fSat, 20 Apr 2024 06:30:00 -050004:02falsefull242423: Sticking To The PlanIt's 5am. Do you know where your client is?

  Our motto: Goal, plan, stick to the plan

  how do you balance sticking to the plan with reacting to circumstances?

  the 80-20 rule. 80% of your time should be spent taking action on the plan, 20% reacting

  This will shift as a client matures

  In stage 1/2, the curriculum IS their plan

  in growth, their plan is the annual plan

  in tinker, their plan is their 90-day sprint

  remember the rock climber's rule: 3 points of contact, 1 hand moving (about 80/20)

  ]]>It's 5am. Do you know where your client is?

  Our motto: Goal, plan, stick to the plan

  how do you balance sticking to the plan with reacting to circumstances?

  the 80-20 rule. 80% of your time should be spent taking action on the plan, 20% reacting

  This will shift as a client matures

  In stage 1/2, the curriculum IS their plan

  in growth, their plan is the annual plan

  in tinker, their plan is their 90-day sprint

  remember the rock climber's rule: 3 points of contact, 1 hand moving (about 80/20)

  ]]>6532941b-1c24-4ee9-aa6f-23a83f37a23bSun, 14 Apr 2024 05:00:00 -050005:15falsefull262622: The Curse of OptionalityWhat's the best answer?

  The classic mentor answer is "it depends".

  How do we get from "it depends" to action--and results--for the clients?

  The most common trap I fall into as a mentor is trying to impress with information. I want to tell people all of the options. I find myself saying "or..." when really I should be saying "this is best for now." I give options instead of solutions.

  Our clients come into Two-Brain overwhelmed with options already. They struggle with decision fatigue: they can't make any more choices. The don't want more options: they want the answer.They want us to make the decisions for them.

  This is counterintuitive. Our culture teaches us that options = freedom; that when you run out of options, you are trapped. But sometimes the opposite is true: when you remove optionality, you get action.

  Jocko says that discipline = freedom. What he means is that when an action becomes part of what you do (aka discipline), you just do it and don't stress over it. He doesn't have to decide to get up at 4am because that's what he does. He doesn't need to decide to work out becuase that's what he does. That discipline - rigid adherence to a plan over time - is what creates his lifestyle. The freedom he describes not freedom to do anything--which can be a prison of procrastination and paralysis by analysis. The freedom he describes is the freedom from decision and internal debate.

  Naval wrote "we all think we want peace of mind. Really, we want peace from mind." Making decisions is tough - we all know this. When we're tired, it's tougher. When we're broke, it's even harder, becuase every decision seems to take on another level of importance.

  The reason we teach "one right answer" in our material is because our clients need us to remove paralysis and just DO. Is 4/9 best for everyone? If they're struggling in their business, it is. Because it's a path forward. Maybe, when they're successful, they'll revisit it - but for now, they don't need to hear about subleasing and commission structures and pay tables - they need to hear "do it like this."

  Luckily, we have so much trust with our clients that they are eager and excited to take our advice. But it's important that we're giving advice instead of optoins. Options aren't actionable.

  When a client says "I don't think I want to do this" or "I don't think this is for me, what are my options?" our best course isn't to give them alternatives. Our best course is to say "let's try it, and here's how we'll measure the result. Then we can come back and tweak later." Remember: systemize (follow our plan), Optimize (test and tweak), automate (give to someone else when it's perfect.)

  Last thing: many people can't take action because they're scared of taking the wrong action. The truth is that it's easier to fix a mistake than to generate momentum. The longer you stay paralyzed, the harder it is to start growing. You get used to standing still. But when you have momentum, it's easy to fix mistakes...or just learn from them.

  Because we don’t need more options.

  We need clarity.

  The best way to get someone out of paralysis is to say "do it like this". And the best way to get them to do it if they're skeptical is to say "we can revisit later." Imperfect action always always beats inaction.

  ]]>What's the best answer?

  The classic mentor answer is "it depends".

  How do we get from "it depends" to action--and results--for the clients?

  The most common trap I fall into as a mentor is trying to impress with information. I want to tell people all of the options. I find myself saying "or..." when really I should be saying "this is best for now." I give options instead of solutions.

  Our clients come into Two-Brain overwhelmed with options already. They struggle with decision fatigue: they can't make any more choices. The don't want more options: they want the answer.They want us to make the decisions for them.

  This is counterintuitive. Our culture teaches us that options = freedom; that when you run out of options, you are trapped. But sometimes the opposite is true: when you remove optionality, you get action.

  Jocko says that discipline = freedom. What he means is that when an action becomes part of what you do (aka discipline), you just do it and don't stress over it. He doesn't have to decide to get up at 4am because that's what he does. He doesn't need to decide to work out becuase that's what he does. That discipline - rigid adherence to a plan over time - is what creates his lifestyle. The freedom he describes not freedom to do anything--which can be a prison of procrastination and paralysis by analysis. The freedom he describes is the freedom from decision and internal debate.

  Naval wrote "we all think we want peace of mind. Really, we want peace from mind." Making decisions is tough - we all know this. When we're tired, it's tougher. When we're broke, it's even harder, becuase every decision seems to take on another level of importance.

  The reason we teach "one right answer" in our material is because our clients need us to remove paralysis and just DO. Is 4/9 best for everyone? If they're struggling in their business, it is. Because it's a path forward. Maybe, when they're successful, they'll revisit it - but for now, they don't need to hear about subleasing and commission structures and pay tables - they need to hear "do it like this."

  Luckily, we have so much trust with our clients that they are eager and excited to take our advice. But it's important that we're giving advice instead of optoins. Options aren't actionable.

  When a client says "I don't think I want to do this" or "I don't think this is for me, what are my options?" our best course isn't to give them alternatives. Our best course is to say "let's try it, and here's how we'll measure the result. Then we can come back and tweak later." Remember: systemize (follow our plan), Optimize (test and tweak), automate (give to someone else when it's perfect.)

  Last thing: many people can't take action because they're scared of taking the wrong action. The truth is that it's easier to fix a mistake than to generate momentum. The longer you stay paralyzed, the harder it is to start growing. You get used to standing still. But when you have momentum, it's easy to fix mistakes...or just learn from them.

  Because we don’t need more options.

  We need clarity.

  The best way to get someone out of paralysis is to say "do it like this". And the best way to get them to do it if they're skeptical is to say "we can revisit later." Imperfect action always always beats inaction.

  ]]>7979c599-6d31-4bb0-9c83-8c5b456dad1aSun, 07 Apr 2024 06:00:00 -050004:21falsefull222221: Task SwitchingAs mentors, we all have to work on multiple "fields of play" every day:

  Our gym

  Our family

  Our mentor calls

  Our 'other' business

  Our workouts.

  How do you stay focused when switching around mentally? How do you avoid exhaustion and burnout? Storm Strout has two great working strategies to share.

  ]]>As mentors, we all have to work on multiple "fields of play" every day:

  Our gym

  Our family

  Our mentor calls

  Our 'other' business

  Our workouts.

  How do you stay focused when switching around mentally? How do you avoid exhaustion and burnout? Storm Strout has two great working strategies to share.

  ]]>746d6a2a-7354-40e9-83c7-45f687c6e327Sun, 31 Mar 2024 06:30:00 -050005:34falsefull212120: The Cynical Avatar"This won't work for me,"

  "My gym is different,"

  "We regret signing up"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"This won't work for me,"

  "My gym is different,"

  "We regret signing up"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>08d28fe8-80bb-4fa1-99d9-ccd46f82756bSun, 24 Mar 2024 07:45:00 -050003:23falsefull202019: The Skeptical Avatar"Someone else disagrees."

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  
  

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"Someone else disagrees."

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  
  

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>fc2da8bc-1734-4b6e-9f93-36d1fed75996Sun, 17 Mar 2024 09:00:00 -050004:27falsefull191918: The Swerving Avatar"I've already tried that."

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"I've already tried that."

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>1eef8aa7-e921-417b-866e-1e29bab69050Sun, 10 Mar 2024 06:00:00 -050006:47falsefull181817: The Lost Avatar"I'm buried!"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"I'm buried!"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>a80cd9c9-cae2-4a42-b1fc-c090f53503beSat, 02 Mar 2024 07:00:00 -050007:32falsefull171716: The Stalled Avatar"I just want to be a coach."

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  
  

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"I just want to be a coach."

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  
  

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>96f85b08-d785-4e4e-991f-b7631b44900fSun, 25 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -050006:35falsefull161615: The Flat Avatar"I'm just not feeling it"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  
  

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"I'm just not feeling it"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  
  

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>af085175-50be-4149-9812-8d4145b01eaaSun, 18 Feb 2024 08:30:00 -050005:14falsefull151514: The Buddy Avatar"How's your family doing?"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"How's your family doing?"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>2c5f8961-f8af-49a7-a793-a59539b528bfSun, 11 Feb 2024 07:00:00 -050007:53falsefull141413: The Classic Avatar"What's the next thing?"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  
  

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"What's the next thing?"

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  
  

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  
  

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>99fc8b57-7591-49af-8353-4950d4f2471fSun, 04 Feb 2024 09:00:00 -050006:30falsefull131312: The "Exceptional" Avatar"Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it".

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>"Just tell me what to do, and I'll do it".

  This avatar's catalysts and roadblocks are listed in the TBB Coach Certification here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/courses/certified-two-brain-business-coach/lessons/part-three-getting-clients-results/topic/client-avatars/

  And you can download the printable PDF of all avatars here:

  https://members.twobrainbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/_pda/2023/12/Client_Avatars_Chart.pdf

  ]]>18cb44f3-78f9-4fba-8f25-3ea9bad55709Sun, 28 Jan 2024 07:30:00 -050005:58falsefull121211: Playing Offensethis is meta

  Today we're talking about prioritization. One of the biggest lessons I got from my business coach, Carrie, this year was: "If it's important, it gets an appointment."

  Oon our team calls this week, Andrea brought up the situation where a client comes on a call and they have so many fires to put out, they're absolutely overwhelmed, and 40 minutes into the call you're trying to get them thinking about the future.

  Their state of mind makes doing annual planning almost impossible. So we're going to start with a time audit.

  We're going to do this on the call with them. Download the time audit worksheet.

  The next thing you're going to do is have them block time to work on their business. The best time is morning. We often say "every day, do 1 thing to grow your business before you do anything else." But even that can be tough for someone in crisis.

  Start with blocking 3 one-hour 'appointment' with them per week, like MWF. If they can't do that, book 1 hour on Sunday morning. they should open their calendars and block it right in there. Block 15 minutes beforehand for them to get into a quiet place and get focused.

  This is really building hte habit of building the business. Playing offense instead of defense. Running their business instead of their business running them.

  Every month, try to add a little more time - one more appointment per week to work on their business. This is a skill that some just haven't developed yet.

  Now, back to the call. How do you pivot them?

  Think of solving their current crises as playing defense. Fixing those things will keep them alive, but won't move them forward. If you're always playing defense, you never win the game. Doing the work you assign is playing offense. We all have to play some defense, but we want to go from spending 100% of our time playing defense to spending 30% of our time playing defense and 70% playing offense.

  Following the momentum model, we want to get them out of past-focused state, into a current-focus and identify their greatest need, then future-focused and identify how they grow their business. We don't want to let a whole month go by just playing defense, so we DO need to try to score a few goals. Try this:

  Let them vent. Find one actionable solution to one of their problems, knowing that you can't fix everything at once. List their problems and then use a decision-making bracket to decide which to tackle.

  Have them focus JUST on that, all the way through to completion. Give them the work to do. Have them check in as soon as that's done.

  Then you give them one thing that will grow their business. That's the next step, to be done before your next call.

  So they're playing defense, and then they make a tiny little strike at offense. They move forward a little bit and do their future selves a favor. 90% defense and 10% offense for now.

  The next call, you try to identify the next largest challenge and fix it for good. Then they get to the real work a bit sooner - 80% defense, 20% offense.

  Now obviously this is not a great pattern in Stage 1 or Stage 2, when we need them to do the work really fast. But we start Stage 1 with the time audit. If you get on a call and they're buried and not doing the work, this is your 'triage' plan: find time in their schedule, watch them make an appointment to do the work, and use your time on the call to do the work with them. If that call is the only time they play offense...then score as many goals as possible while still on the call.

  This is META, thank you for your service.

  ]]>this is meta

  Today we're talking about prioritization. One of the biggest lessons I got from my business coach, Carrie, this year was: "If it's important, it gets an appointment."

  Oon our team calls this week, Andrea brought up the situation where a client comes on a call and they have so many fires to put out, they're absolutely overwhelmed, and 40 minutes into the call you're trying to get them thinking about the future.

  Their state of mind makes doing annual planning almost impossible. So we're going to start with a time audit.

  We're going to do this on the call with them. Download the time audit worksheet.

  The next thing you're going to do is have them block time to work on their business. The best time is morning. We often say "every day, do 1 thing to grow your business before you do anything else." But even that can be tough for someone in crisis.

  Start with blocking 3 one-hour 'appointment' with them per week, like MWF. If they can't do that, book 1 hour on Sunday morning. they should open their calendars and block it right in there. Block 15 minutes beforehand for them to get into a quiet place and get focused.

  This is really building hte habit of building the business. Playing offense instead of defense. Running their business instead of their business running them.

  Every month, try to add a little more time - one more appointment per week to work on their business. This is a skill that some just haven't developed yet.

  Now, back to the call. How do you pivot them?

  Think of solving their current crises as playing defense. Fixing those things will keep them alive, but won't move them forward. If you're always playing defense, you never win the game. Doing the work you assign is playing offense. We all have to play some defense, but we want to go from spending 100% of our time playing defense to spending 30% of our time playing defense and 70% playing offense.

  Following the momentum model, we want to get them out of past-focused state, into a current-focus and identify their greatest need, then future-focused and identify how they grow their business. We don't want to let a whole month go by just playing defense, so we DO need to try to score a few goals. Try this:

  Let them vent. Find one actionable solution to one of their problems, knowing that you can't fix everything at once. List their problems and then use a decision-making bracket to decide which to tackle.

  Have them focus JUST on that, all the way through to completion. Give them the work to do. Have them check in as soon as that's done.

  Then you give them one thing that will grow their business. That's the next step, to be done before your next call.

  So they're playing defense, and then they make a tiny little strike at offense. They move forward a little bit and do their future selves a favor. 90% defense and 10% offense for now.

  The next call, you try to identify the next largest challenge and fix it for good. Then they get to the real work a bit sooner - 80% defense, 20% offense.

  Now obviously this is not a great pattern in Stage 1 or Stage 2, when we need them to do the work really fast. But we start Stage 1 with the time audit. If you get on a call and they're buried and not doing the work, this is your 'triage' plan: find time in their schedule, watch them make an appointment to do the work, and use your time on the call to do the work with them. If that call is the only time they play offense...then score as many goals as possible while still on the call.

  This is META, thank you for your service.

  ]]>9b027381-f601-4297-b157-3c7fee31fbbbSun, 21 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -050006:01falsefull111110: Second-Order ThinkingSecond-order thinking is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can develop

  it's the skill of asking "and then what?" and imagining the outcome instead of just hoping for the best or considering the immediate consequence.

  Unfortunately it's not taught in schools. It doens't occur to most poeple to ask 'and then what?"

  this is a function a mentor can serve really well, because we're objective. We can ask, 'and then what'? without trying to unconsciously project what we WANT to happen.

  This means we're often pouring a bit of cold water on a mentee's fire...but that's why they hired us, to temper their unbridled enthusiasm. They don't have the context or experience or maybe the maturity to see the future - but we can teach them the skill.

  For example, a gym nearby is closing. What if I give their members a discount to join?

  Well, more of them will sign up! If you don't think past that point, this seems like a great move.

  But second order thikning means you ask, "and then what?"

  what if a bunch of members from a failed gym join at a discount?

  how will that affect my current members?

  how will that affect my current coaches?

  how will that affect my bottom line?

  What will happen to the new members when the discount is up?

  how will THAT affect my current members, coaches, and bottom line?

  The gym owner might really want us to confirm their idea: "yeah, go ahead and offer a discount!" but deep down they know there's a potential problem...but they just don't have the context or discipline to imagine different outcomes than what they want to happen.

  A great book on this is The Most Important Thing, by Howards Marks

  Shane Parrish has an excellent blog on it and talks about it in his book, Clear Thinking. Parrish's advice is:

  Here are some ways to put second-order thinking into practice today.

  Always ask yourself, “And then what?”

  Think across time — What do the consequences look like in 10 minutes? 10 months? 10 Years?

  If you’re using this to think about business decisions, ask yourself how important parts of the ecosystem are likely to respond. How will employees deal with this? What will my competitors likely do? What about my suppliers? What about the regulators? Often, the answer will be little to no impact, but you want to understand the immediate and second-order consequences before you make the decision.

  
  

  Second-order thinking takes a lot of work. It’s not easy to think in terms of systems, interactions, and time. However, doing so is a smart way to separate yourself from the masses.

  ]]>Second-order thinking is one of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can develop

  it's the skill of asking "and then what?" and imagining the outcome instead of just hoping for the best or considering the immediate consequence.

  Unfortunately it's not taught in schools. It doens't occur to most poeple to ask 'and then what?"

  this is a function a mentor can serve really well, because we're objective. We can ask, 'and then what'? without trying to unconsciously project what we WANT to happen.

  This means we're often pouring a bit of cold water on a mentee's fire...but that's why they hired us, to temper their unbridled enthusiasm. They don't have the context or experience or maybe the maturity to see the future - but we can teach them the skill.

  For example, a gym nearby is closing. What if I give their members a discount to join?

  Well, more of them will sign up! If you don't think past that point, this seems like a great move.

  But second order thikning means you ask, "and then what?"

  what if a bunch of members from a failed gym join at a discount?

  how will that affect my current members?

  how will that affect my current coaches?

  how will that affect my bottom line?

  What will happen to the new members when the discount is up?

  how will THAT affect my current members, coaches, and bottom line?

  The gym owner might really want us to confirm their idea: "yeah, go ahead and offer a discount!" but deep down they know there's a potential problem...but they just don't have the context or discipline to imagine different outcomes than what they want to happen.

  A great book on this is The Most Important Thing, by Howards Marks

  Shane Parrish has an excellent blog on it and talks about it in his book, Clear Thinking. Parrish's advice is:

  Here are some ways to put second-order thinking into practice today.

  Always ask yourself, “And then what?”

  Think across time — What do the consequences look like in 10 minutes? 10 months? 10 Years?

  If you’re using this to think about business decisions, ask yourself how important parts of the ecosystem are likely to respond. How will employees deal with this? What will my competitors likely do? What about my suppliers? What about the regulators? Often, the answer will be little to no impact, but you want to understand the immediate and second-order consequences before you make the decision.

  
  

  Second-order thinking takes a lot of work. It’s not easy to think in terms of systems, interactions, and time. However, doing so is a smart way to separate yourself from the masses.

  ]]>5133d320-c652-41e0-9634-f1600fe13560Sun, 14 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -050005:48falsefull101009: Coaches and MentorsMany people use the term “Business Coach” and “Business Mentor” interchangeably. However, there are distinct differences. 

  Business coaches help entrepreneurs overcome short-term obstacles in their business. They apply models from their coaching toolkit to the situation to help the entrepreneur work past it. They draw on their own experience in similar situations to offer examples and support.

  Business coaches are never know-it-all gurus on the mountaintop. The best business coaches are usually subject matter experts: their expertise is narrow but deep. 

  That means a business coach is a specialist in one topic, and they take that deep expertise from one client to the next. Business coaches differentiate themselves by knowledge, not niche.

  Conversely, business mentors take a higher-level view. Their relationship with a client is longer (usually years instead of months). They are a model of long-term success in the client’s niche. They plan strategically, and guide the entrepreneur from one level to the next. Business mentors are experienced and successful in their niche, though they may not have deep specific knowledge in any one area.

  For example, a business coach who specializes in hiring staff can apply their hiring knowledge to a wide variety of businesses. A business mentor might help the entrepreneur identify where they need help; budget for hiring; define the roles to be hired; and measure the effect of the hires.

  Another example: a business coach might be an expert in Instagram marketing. They stay up-to-date on the new shifts in the product algorithm, and help businesses in different industries succeed at Instagram advertising. A business mentor in the fitness niche might say, “We should do Instagram advertising–my other clients are having success with it!” The mentor will include Instagram advertising in the fitness entrepreneur’s overall plan–but they usually won’t have deep knowledge of the ever-changing Instagram algorithm.

  Mentors are strategic. Coaches are tactical.

  For this reason, many entrepreneurs work with both coaches and mentors.

  I have a mentor for building my mentorship practice. He has built a 40M practice, and can show me the entire journey to get there. I have coaches to help me with the specifics, like how to boost my podcast audience by 10%, or how to improve our sales team’s close rate.

  The larger the business, the more valuable it is to have both a mentor for the CEO, and coaches for specific tactics. 

  Some mentors are also coaches. For example, in my mentorship practice, Two-Brain Business, we have over 50 mentors. But some are also subject matter experts in different areas. Colm O’Reilly is a subject matter expert in Facebook ads, so he does some deep coaching in those areas. Clients purchase extra calls to work with Colm for short periods, and he does some group coaching in our live streamed Office Hours. Taryn Dubreuil is a subject matter expert in selling high-ticket programs, so she does some coaching on that topic. Clients purchase extra calls with Taryn, or attend her live Office Hours segments.

  Finally, mentorship is usually done 1:1 or in a small group, while coaching can be done 1:1, in a small group, or to a very large group.

  Though everyone on Two-Brain staff is a certified mentor, our job is really a balance of “mentor” and “coach”.

  As mentors, we help clients set goals, and build plans to reach those goals. But holding clients to the plan requires us to switch into a coaching role.

  It’s tempting to keep conversations at a high level; introduce new ideas and talk about principles and theories on every call. But most of our clients don’t get their work done unless we coach them through it. That means doing the work with them on calls; breaking homework down into tiny steps; and checking to make sure they’ve done it.

  ]]>Many people use the term “Business Coach” and “Business Mentor” interchangeably. However, there are distinct differences. 

  Business coaches help entrepreneurs overcome short-term obstacles in their business. They apply models from their coaching toolkit to the situation to help the entrepreneur work past it. They draw on their own experience in similar situations to offer examples and support.

  Business coaches are never know-it-all gurus on the mountaintop. The best business coaches are usually subject matter experts: their expertise is narrow but deep. 

  That means a business coach is a specialist in one topic, and they take that deep expertise from one client to the next. Business coaches differentiate themselves by knowledge, not niche.

  Conversely, business mentors take a higher-level view. Their relationship with a client is longer (usually years instead of months). They are a model of long-term success in the client’s niche. They plan strategically, and guide the entrepreneur from one level to the next. Business mentors are experienced and successful in their niche, though they may not have deep specific knowledge in any one area.

  For example, a business coach who specializes in hiring staff can apply their hiring knowledge to a wide variety of businesses. A business mentor might help the entrepreneur identify where they need help; budget for hiring; define the roles to be hired; and measure the effect of the hires.

  Another example: a business coach might be an expert in Instagram marketing. They stay up-to-date on the new shifts in the product algorithm, and help businesses in different industries succeed at Instagram advertising. A business mentor in the fitness niche might say, “We should do Instagram advertising–my other clients are having success with it!” The mentor will include Instagram advertising in the fitness entrepreneur’s overall plan–but they usually won’t have deep knowledge of the ever-changing Instagram algorithm.

  Mentors are strategic. Coaches are tactical.

  For this reason, many entrepreneurs work with both coaches and mentors.

  I have a mentor for building my mentorship practice. He has built a 40M practice, and can show me the entire journey to get there. I have coaches to help me with the specifics, like how to boost my podcast audience by 10%, or how to improve our sales team’s close rate.

  The larger the business, the more valuable it is to have both a mentor for the CEO, and coaches for specific tactics. 

  Some mentors are also coaches. For example, in my mentorship practice, Two-Brain Business, we have over 50 mentors. But some are also subject matter experts in different areas. Colm O’Reilly is a subject matter expert in Facebook ads, so he does some deep coaching in those areas. Clients purchase extra calls to work with Colm for short periods, and he does some group coaching in our live streamed Office Hours. Taryn Dubreuil is a subject matter expert in selling high-ticket programs, so she does some coaching on that topic. Clients purchase extra calls with Taryn, or attend her live Office Hours segments.

  Finally, mentorship is usually done 1:1 or in a small group, while coaching can be done 1:1, in a small group, or to a very large group.

  Though everyone on Two-Brain staff is a certified mentor, our job is really a balance of “mentor” and “coach”.

  As mentors, we help clients set goals, and build plans to reach those goals. But holding clients to the plan requires us to switch into a coaching role.

  It’s tempting to keep conversations at a high level; introduce new ideas and talk about principles and theories on every call. But most of our clients don’t get their work done unless we coach them through it. That means doing the work with them on calls; breaking homework down into tiny steps; and checking to make sure they’ve done it.

  ]]>3a99cc92-a3ec-4da1-ba2f-e46fffbcef89Sun, 07 Jan 2024 08:00:00 -050004:55falsefull9908: Contribution Margin and the 4/9 modelEvery person who works for your company should generate 2.5-3.5x what they're paid. This is called Contribution margin, and it's a basic accounting principle. The 4/9 model is a simplified, actionable rule based on Contribution Margin. Gym owners don't need to understand advanced accounting to benefit - they just use the 4/9 math. Application of that math changes slightly as the gym grows, but the goal is always to set up the gym for the future, without creating barriers to growth down the line.

  When a trainer or coach is acting by themselves, with no facility, they can keep almost all of the revenue they create. When they become a gym owner, they enter our world, and they should pay themselves 4/9 of the revenue they generate. The other 5/9 will go to overhead.

  Likewise, everyone they hire should be paid 4/9 of the revenue they generate. In this case, with a gym owner employing one other trainer would provide: marketing client streams insurance access to equipment access to space a sales funnel a banking portal (with fees covered) promotional materials administration software for booking and service delivery mentorship In essence, the gym owner covers all costs and does the work to grow the trainer. The value is immeasurable, because the trainer literally couldn't do it on their own. The trainer's income is split like this: 4/9 to the trainer 2/9 to overhead 3/9 to the owner.

  When the second trainer joins the gym, the owner's costs increase but don't double, so their contribution of 2/9 is enough to share costs. All positions that deliver the primary service (coaching) should be paid up to 4/9 of the revenue they generate. In Stage 1, Stage 2 and Startup, the gym probably only needs another coach, who should be paid 4/9 of the revenue they generate.

  As the gym grows, though, it will eventually require staff that don't generate revenue and don't deliver the primary service. For example, the gym will need a cleaner and an accounts administrator. Now the pay strategy evolves to a Salary Cap: 44% of all revenue covers staff costs. This might require a rate increase to cover the new staffing costs; but most often, the costs are covered as more clients join. The 2/9 portion of the owner's total revenue creates a "pot" from which they can hire first a cleaner, and then an admin. Their income doesn't change, but their EHR improves. In Growth phase, the gym probably needs a few coaches (paid up to 4/9 of the revenue they generate), and two or three roles that don't generate revenue (an admin, a cleaner, and possibly a CSM.) Their compensation and hours are determined by the space left under the salary cap after the owner and coaches have been paid. At this stage, the owner will be making 4/9 of the services they provide and 3/9 of the services provided by all others. If they choose to hire an administrative role, that comes out of the 3/9, and the owner must reinvest their time in higher-value activities, like marketing. They might also choose to do less coaching, which reduces their pay from the 4/9 but increases their pay from the 3/9 generated by other coaches.

  At the next level of gym growth, the gym might hire a manager. Now the pay strategy evolves to Contribution Margin: the total revenue of the gym should be 2.5x-3.5x its staffing costs. In effect, staff pay drops to 3/9 or lower - not by reduction in pay rates, but by increase in profitability. This happens through economies of scale: 1 - the gym has more people in its groups, so coaches earn a bit more but the gym profit increases disproportionately; 2 - the admin and cleaning labor doesn't increase as revenue increases; 3 - the gym might share staff across several locations; 4 - some gym staff might become salaried, trading security against a lower share of hourly revenue.

  It's important to notice that there are short-term dips in profitability at each evolution. When the gym hires its first coach, the owner makes less on each...]]>Every person who works for your company should generate 2.5-3.5x what they're paid. This is called Contribution margin, and it's a basic accounting principle. The 4/9 model is a simplified, actionable rule based on Contribution Margin. Gym owners don't need to understand advanced accounting to benefit - they just use the 4/9 math. Application of that math changes slightly as the gym grows, but the goal is always to set up the gym for the future, without creating barriers to growth down the line.

  When a trainer or coach is acting by themselves, with no facility, they can keep almost all of the revenue they create. When they become a gym owner, they enter our world, and they should pay themselves 4/9 of the revenue they generate. The other 5/9 will go to overhead.

  Likewise, everyone they hire should be paid 4/9 of the revenue they generate. In this case, with a gym owner employing one other trainer would provide: marketing client streams insurance access to equipment access to space a sales funnel a banking portal (with fees covered) promotional materials administration software for booking and service delivery mentorship In essence, the gym owner covers all costs and does the work to grow the trainer. The value is immeasurable, because the trainer literally couldn't do it on their own. The trainer's income is split like this: 4/9 to the trainer 2/9 to overhead 3/9 to the owner.

  When the second trainer joins the gym, the owner's costs increase but don't double, so their contribution of 2/9 is enough to share costs. All positions that deliver the primary service (coaching) should be paid up to 4/9 of the revenue they generate. In Stage 1, Stage 2 and Startup, the gym probably only needs another coach, who should be paid 4/9 of the revenue they generate.

  As the gym grows, though, it will eventually require staff that don't generate revenue and don't deliver the primary service. For example, the gym will need a cleaner and an accounts administrator. Now the pay strategy evolves to a Salary Cap: 44% of all revenue covers staff costs. This might require a rate increase to cover the new staffing costs; but most often, the costs are covered as more clients join. The 2/9 portion of the owner's total revenue creates a "pot" from which they can hire first a cleaner, and then an admin. Their income doesn't change, but their EHR improves. In Growth phase, the gym probably needs a few coaches (paid up to 4/9 of the revenue they generate), and two or three roles that don't generate revenue (an admin, a cleaner, and possibly a CSM.) Their compensation and hours are determined by the space left under the salary cap after the owner and coaches have been paid. At this stage, the owner will be making 4/9 of the services they provide and 3/9 of the services provided by all others. If they choose to hire an administrative role, that comes out of the 3/9, and the owner must reinvest their time in higher-value activities, like marketing. They might also choose to do less coaching, which reduces their pay from the 4/9 but increases their pay from the 3/9 generated by other coaches.

  At the next level of gym growth, the gym might hire a manager. Now the pay strategy evolves to Contribution Margin: the total revenue of the gym should be 2.5x-3.5x its staffing costs. In effect, staff pay drops to 3/9 or lower - not by reduction in pay rates, but by increase in profitability. This happens through economies of scale: 1 - the gym has more people in its groups, so coaches earn a bit more but the gym profit increases disproportionately; 2 - the admin and cleaning labor doesn't increase as revenue increases; 3 - the gym might share staff across several locations; 4 - some gym staff might become salaried, trading security against a lower share of hourly revenue.

  It's important to notice that there are short-term dips in profitability at each evolution. When the gym hires its first coach, the owner makes less on each client than they'd make if they took the client themselves. When the gym hires its first non-delivery role (like an admin or cleaner), they are paid out of the profit account, and the owner makes less in the short term (but buys back their time to do better marketing and sales - Growth phase.) When the gym hires a manager, they are paid out of the profit account, but the gym owner buys back their time to open a second location or invest elsewhere - Tinker phase.)

  Gym growth is stunted when the gym pays their staff incorrectly at any stage. In the first stage, if the gym overpays its second coach or trainer, the owner has created no extra margin for the business. The second trainer might reach their target income faster, but the owner will still be stuck training clients for money--essentially competing with their new hire.

  In the second stage, if the gym overpays its coaches and trainers, the owner will not be able to create time to manage clients or billing or learn to market. Client churn will be high; the gym will experience a roller-coaster of growth as the owner keeps reaching their limit as CEO. The gym will hover at 100-150 clients and low profitability for years while the owner gets burned out and the coaches leave to start their own gym.

  In the third stage, if the gym overpays its trainers and staff, the gym could actually fail as the owner redirects their attention elsewhere. Since managers can't grow a business - but can only maintain it - shrinking profitability means the owner is quickly pulled back in to 'save' the gym. Or, worst case, they jump to something more profitable and close their gym. Why run a complex, stressful business that isn't profitable just to employ other people?

  ]]>550fc744-6655-4bf1-a874-98f7047baf03Mon, 01 Jan 2024 09:00:00 -050008:05falsefull8807: Why I Didn't Sell My GymIn 2023, I came very close to selling my gym. I had it all set up: the potential buyer (I had two), the valuation, and even the story to share with others. 

  But at the last minute, I decided to keep my gym, because I can use it to help other gym owners.

  Thoreau said there are no more philosophers, only teachers of philosophy.

  Philosophers from Seneca all the way through Thoreau say the same thing - do not believe what others say. Test things for yourself. Received truths often turn out to be mere prejudices. 

  How does that play out in practice, since all of our gyms are different?

  We collect data from 15,000 gyms

  We look most closely at the 1000 gyms in tBB

  We determine what’s working best

  Then we practice using it in our own gyms to fill in the gaps. We connect data and turn it into useful knowledge through storytelling. And we can tell stories best from our own experience.

  So our mentorship shouldn’t be “here’s what works in my gym” - it should be “here’s what works, and how I used it in my gym.”

  Gandhi story about sugar

  “A woman and her young son had come to the ashram to speak to Gandhi. She complained about her child’s addiction to sugar. “My son won’t stop eating sugar”, she told Gandhi. “Please tell him to stop.” Gandhi listened to her, and then asked her to come back in two weeks.

  Two weeks later the woman and her child sat in front of Gandhi. He looked at the boy and said “stop eating sugar”. The mother was perplexed. “Why couldn’t you have told him this 2 weeks ago?” To which he replied, “Madam, two weeks ago I was still eating sugar”.

  Gandhi knew—as we all know—that eating sugar is bad. He did not feel qualified to tell others to stop eating sugar until he’d done it himself. This is the mark of a great mentor, and it’s why I don’t sell my gym.

  There are a few mentors who no longer own their gyms in TBB. They have had successful exits, and that experience is also valuable. But the vast majority of us should own gyms, because we love it - and because, like Seneca and Thoreau and Gandhi, we need the experience to help others.

  ]]>In 2023, I came very close to selling my gym. I had it all set up: the potential buyer (I had two), the valuation, and even the story to share with others. 

  But at the last minute, I decided to keep my gym, because I can use it to help other gym owners.

  Thoreau said there are no more philosophers, only teachers of philosophy.

  Philosophers from Seneca all the way through Thoreau say the same thing - do not believe what others say. Test things for yourself. Received truths often turn out to be mere prejudices. 

  How does that play out in practice, since all of our gyms are different?

  We collect data from 15,000 gyms

  We look most closely at the 1000 gyms in tBB

  We determine what’s working best

  Then we practice using it in our own gyms to fill in the gaps. We connect data and turn it into useful knowledge through storytelling. And we can tell stories best from our own experience.

  So our mentorship shouldn’t be “here’s what works in my gym” - it should be “here’s what works, and how I used it in my gym.”

  Gandhi story about sugar

  “A woman and her young son had come to the ashram to speak to Gandhi. She complained about her child’s addiction to sugar. “My son won’t stop eating sugar”, she told Gandhi. “Please tell him to stop.” Gandhi listened to her, and then asked her to come back in two weeks.

  Two weeks later the woman and her child sat in front of Gandhi. He looked at the boy and said “stop eating sugar”. The mother was perplexed. “Why couldn’t you have told him this 2 weeks ago?” To which he replied, “Madam, two weeks ago I was still eating sugar”.

  Gandhi knew—as we all know—that eating sugar is bad. He did not feel qualified to tell others to stop eating sugar until he’d done it himself. This is the mark of a great mentor, and it’s why I don’t sell my gym.

  There are a few mentors who no longer own their gyms in TBB. They have had successful exits, and that experience is also valuable. But the vast majority of us should own gyms, because we love it - and because, like Seneca and Thoreau and Gandhi, we need the experience to help others.

  ]]>1a7535ad-9c97-4126-b55a-6c52d1d00d76Wed, 27 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -050003:31falsefull7706: Should an advanced client do the Stage 1 / Stage 2 material?A great question from David Allen last week:

  "When should we tell a Growth client to go through the new Stage 1 / Stage 2 courses?"

  The answer is: it depends on their goal and their plan.

  Here's how I decide.

  ]]>A great question from David Allen last week:

  "When should we tell a Growth client to go through the new Stage 1 / Stage 2 courses?"

  The answer is: it depends on their goal and their plan.

  Here's how I decide.

  ]]>729955cd-28ee-4221-8cf5-0014bc96bdf7Fri, 08 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -050004:53falsefull6605: Why We're a 1:1 PracticeBuilding and scaling a 1:1 mentorship practice is hard, because:

  The experience of each individual mentor is limited

  Collecting and sharing that experience is a challenge, requiring layers of management, money, data interpretation skills and playing "telephone"

  This is why most business coaches do 1:many programs. And those programs are more profitable than 1:1, by a huge margin.

  However, we do 1:1 because it *can* get the client better results.

  When done right, the client gets to their goal faster because of:

  • personalization
  • efficacy (accountability)
  • retention
  • focus
  
  

  The key is that the mentor works within a strong framework and remains focused on getting the client their goal.

  In other words, the mentor has to be tailor, not teacher. Data proves what works; those strategies build the framework; the mentor tailors the framework to get the client an outcome faster.

  ]]>Building and scaling a 1:1 mentorship practice is hard, because:

  The experience of each individual mentor is limited

  Collecting and sharing that experience is a challenge, requiring layers of management, money, data interpretation skills and playing "telephone"

  This is why most business coaches do 1:many programs. And those programs are more profitable than 1:1, by a huge margin.

  However, we do 1:1 because it *can* get the client better results.

  When done right, the client gets to their goal faster because of:

  • personalization
  • efficacy (accountability)
  • retention
  • focus
  
  

  The key is that the mentor works within a strong framework and remains focused on getting the client their goal.

  In other words, the mentor has to be tailor, not teacher. Data proves what works; those strategies build the framework; the mentor tailors the framework to get the client an outcome faster.

  ]]>6f826408-6129-4f9d-801a-f7f95dd97aa8Mon, 04 Dec 2023 09:00:00 -050006:17falsefull5504: ClarityThis is meta mentors, strategies, tactics and skills to help other entrepreneurs in about five minutes. Today, I want to talk about clarity. Clarity is often the best gift that you can give to somebody. And it's especially valuable because very few people are willing to do it. The reason that people are unwilling to be clear with their employees, with their mentees with their friends with their spouse, is because it's painful for the doer, the giver, the mentor, the employer. Here's why it's so important.

  And I learned this lesson from my own gym. Years ago, I had this trainer named Jared. And Jared was a nice kid, you know, showed up on time really well presented. The problem was that he was very quiet, meek, shy, you couldn't really put him in front of a group and the position that I had was for a group coach. And so with his personal training clients, he was okay. And then I put them in front of a group and it would be boring, be silent and be dead. People would complain, people would shift, they'd go to other groups, they'd write me an email. And so after about three months of this, I said, Okay, Jared, it's time for your evaluation. And I said, You're doing well, you could do with a little bit more presence. Okay, so notice that I'm not being clear, right? I'm giving him like a hint or telling him something that makes sense in my brain. But he's probably interpreting it completely differently. So three months passed, and he's no better. We do another evaluation, Jared, okay, man, things are going well, I really need you to get loud in groups. So I want you to shadow Tyler, I want you to do what Tyler does, okay. Again, not directly making the connection, hoping that he will pick up on what Tyler is doing and take the right lesson from it didn't work three months later, he's still way too quiet in groups. The groups are boring, and people have given up on them. I meet with them again, Jared, Look, dude, to be a group coach, you have to be able to project your voice. You have to have onstage presence you have to present. Pretend that you're being an entertainer that you're on stage, you have to be loud. Got it? Yep, I can do that. No problem. Now at this point, we're nine months in and I'm thinking, this kid has a d minus, I'm going to fire him. He's thinking I'm a B plus, I've got one little thing to correct. But everything else is great. Finally, with two weeks ago, in his contract, I said, you know, the best favor that I can do this kid is to tell him he's on the hotline. And so I snagged him in between classes. And I said, Jared, look, I know, this isn't an evaluation period. But I got to tell you, if you can't get louder and more present in classes, I'm not going to renew your contract in two weeks. And it was a shock. And the big lesson here is that you're better to give people bad news, especially as it's happening than to have it be a shock later. Now, how does this translate into mentorship? Well, as mentors, we are always walking this fine line between empathy, and directness. And I know some of us are more comfortable being direct, some of us are maybe too comfortable. And we could use a little bit more empathy. But a lot of us are too comfortable being empathetic. And instead of telling people the real reason that they need to do something, we couch it, right, we dance around a little bit, we give hints, we're not clear. And when we're not clear, we're not actually helping the client, because there is nobody else in their life, who will give them this level of clarity that we are literally being paid to do. To brain is all about that dichotomy of empathy, and clarity. And sometimes the best favor that you can do to people is with people is to give them the clarity that they can't get anywhere else. You can be tactful, you can be polite, you can be caring, but ultimately, if we don't get them absolute clarity, and make sure that they understand what we're saying, we're not doing our job. Here's an...]]>This is meta mentors, strategies, tactics and skills to help other entrepreneurs in about five minutes. Today, I want to talk about clarity. Clarity is often the best gift that you can give to somebody. And it's especially valuable because very few people are willing to do it. The reason that people are unwilling to be clear with their employees, with their mentees with their friends with their spouse, is because it's painful for the doer, the giver, the mentor, the employer. Here's why it's so important.

  And I learned this lesson from my own gym. Years ago, I had this trainer named Jared. And Jared was a nice kid, you know, showed up on time really well presented. The problem was that he was very quiet, meek, shy, you couldn't really put him in front of a group and the position that I had was for a group coach. And so with his personal training clients, he was okay. And then I put them in front of a group and it would be boring, be silent and be dead. People would complain, people would shift, they'd go to other groups, they'd write me an email. And so after about three months of this, I said, Okay, Jared, it's time for your evaluation. And I said, You're doing well, you could do with a little bit more presence. Okay, so notice that I'm not being clear, right? I'm giving him like a hint or telling him something that makes sense in my brain. But he's probably interpreting it completely differently. So three months passed, and he's no better. We do another evaluation, Jared, okay, man, things are going well, I really need you to get loud in groups. So I want you to shadow Tyler, I want you to do what Tyler does, okay. Again, not directly making the connection, hoping that he will pick up on what Tyler is doing and take the right lesson from it didn't work three months later, he's still way too quiet in groups. The groups are boring, and people have given up on them. I meet with them again, Jared, Look, dude, to be a group coach, you have to be able to project your voice. You have to have onstage presence you have to present. Pretend that you're being an entertainer that you're on stage, you have to be loud. Got it? Yep, I can do that. No problem. Now at this point, we're nine months in and I'm thinking, this kid has a d minus, I'm going to fire him. He's thinking I'm a B plus, I've got one little thing to correct. But everything else is great. Finally, with two weeks ago, in his contract, I said, you know, the best favor that I can do this kid is to tell him he's on the hotline. And so I snagged him in between classes. And I said, Jared, look, I know, this isn't an evaluation period. But I got to tell you, if you can't get louder and more present in classes, I'm not going to renew your contract in two weeks. And it was a shock. And the big lesson here is that you're better to give people bad news, especially as it's happening than to have it be a shock later. Now, how does this translate into mentorship? Well, as mentors, we are always walking this fine line between empathy, and directness. And I know some of us are more comfortable being direct, some of us are maybe too comfortable. And we could use a little bit more empathy. But a lot of us are too comfortable being empathetic. And instead of telling people the real reason that they need to do something, we couch it, right, we dance around a little bit, we give hints, we're not clear. And when we're not clear, we're not actually helping the client, because there is nobody else in their life, who will give them this level of clarity that we are literally being paid to do. To brain is all about that dichotomy of empathy, and clarity. And sometimes the best favor that you can do to people is with people is to give them the clarity that they can't get anywhere else. You can be tactful, you can be polite, you can be caring, but ultimately, if we don't get them absolute clarity, and make sure that they understand what we're saying, we're not doing our job. Here's an example. I have a gym owner who is moved out of state, he has left his gym in the hands of his general manager, a general manager, by nature is not going to grow a gym, they're an operator, they can fulfill up to a standard, they can live by the playbook. They can hold other people maybe up to the standard of the playbook. They can't do that and be the marketer. If they can be an amazing operator and an amazing marketer. They should probably be an entrepreneur. But in this case, the gym is slowly going downhill. This happened to my gym, and I know that the conversation I needed to have when it was happening was one of clarity. And so the conversation has to be Listen,

  client gym owner, your GM is not going to grow your gym, you have two choices. The first is you take over the marketing and you take on the responsibility for growing your gym. The second is you sell it while it's still worth something. Now that sounds harsh, but let's face it, every single month that goes by that I don't give him that kind of clarity is a waste of time because every single month that goes by the gym becomes worth less he gets more frustrated, more distracted, the general manager gets more and more burned out and he loses more money. It's

  Some point the biggest gift that we can give people is absolute clarity and great mentors with experience know when it's time to give that gift Hope it helps thank you for your service.

  ]]>9f4f008f-76c7-4055-8a28-471793bdaa98Wed, 29 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -050005:13falsefull4403: Evidence-Based Decision MakingThis is meta mentors, strategies, tactics and skills to help other entrepreneurs in five minutes or so. Today I want to talk about evidence based decision making. This is a core value at to brain we make our decisions, and we build our curriculum based on evidence. And I'm going to talk about what evidence means the hierarchy of evidence. But first, I want to start off with skepticism, and cynicism. as mentors, we have to maintain a healthy sense of skepticism all the time, but we can't lapse into cynicism. So here's the difference. A skeptic is someone who wants to see evidence before they accept what you're telling them. A cynic is somebody who rejects everything you say, before they hear the evidence. And even after they see evidence, they still won't accept it. Both of these come from Greek philosophy, it's very hard to balance both with so much misinformation out there on the internet. And in the fitness space, as well as the business coaching space. There are people out there who are actually trying to fool us. So I think a lot about how to maintain a healthy sense of skepticism, wanting to see evidence before you make up your mind about something without lapsing into cynicism, where you just don't believe anything. Anybody says, in a lot of business coaching masterminds, you get a ton of people who exaggerate their experience or exaggerate their success, they want to be helpful, but they want to fit in, they want to sometimes even impress other people. Now in our Tinker program, it's a little bit different, you don't get a lot of this, because everybody going into Tinker has already shared their numbers with their mentor, and Jeff, and I filter people based on their mindset. But this is really rare. And in most business coaching programs, this doesn't happen. In most business coaching programs, you have a few people who are super legit, and they're worth sticking around for. But they're hard to identify. And you don't really know who's good, and who's telling the truth, even without digging and sticking around for a long time. So here are a couple of tools to identify first, who is actually legit in a mastermind, and then I'm going to share you how to make decisions based on evidence and the value of different types of evidence. So first, people who are trustworthy in a mastermind, generally are open about their mistakes. So often, they'll share their mistakes before they share anything else. If you are talking to somebody, and they're like, I'm doing great, and they never share a mistake, you should be skeptical of every single thing. They say. Second, the people who say I've made a mistake will usually be very specific about that mistake. And they've learned from it. So they can say like, here's what I would do differently. Now. Third, they knew how to correct the mistakes, and they had corrected it. So it's okay to be skeptical of somebody who says I screwed this up. And you know, my gym is bankrupt. I wish I'd known that five years ago, but they've never actually fixed the mistake. So they don't know if what they're telling you is actually the truth. Okay? So it's really important here that we maintain an attitude of healthy skepticism, meaning we want to see evidence before we teach something to our clients, or before we support it. So there are five basic levels of evidence. Now, skepticism is what really gave rise to the scientific model that we're all taught in like the third or the fifth grade, or whatever. And really, this scientific model should be applied to media should be applied to social media, it should be a tool to help you evaluate claims. Unfortunately, most of the time, it's just taught in kind of like this rigorous laboratory setting. And we don't think about it outside of science class, but our kids and us as mentors need to learn this more than anything else. So the bottom level of evidence is a media claim, you read something in a newspaper, you read something online, and it's like, is...]]>This is meta mentors, strategies, tactics and skills to help other entrepreneurs in five minutes or so. Today I want to talk about evidence based decision making. This is a core value at to brain we make our decisions, and we build our curriculum based on evidence. And I'm going to talk about what evidence means the hierarchy of evidence. But first, I want to start off with skepticism, and cynicism. as mentors, we have to maintain a healthy sense of skepticism all the time, but we can't lapse into cynicism. So here's the difference. A skeptic is someone who wants to see evidence before they accept what you're telling them. A cynic is somebody who rejects everything you say, before they hear the evidence. And even after they see evidence, they still won't accept it. Both of these come from Greek philosophy, it's very hard to balance both with so much misinformation out there on the internet. And in the fitness space, as well as the business coaching space. There are people out there who are actually trying to fool us. So I think a lot about how to maintain a healthy sense of skepticism, wanting to see evidence before you make up your mind about something without lapsing into cynicism, where you just don't believe anything. Anybody says, in a lot of business coaching masterminds, you get a ton of people who exaggerate their experience or exaggerate their success, they want to be helpful, but they want to fit in, they want to sometimes even impress other people. Now in our Tinker program, it's a little bit different, you don't get a lot of this, because everybody going into Tinker has already shared their numbers with their mentor, and Jeff, and I filter people based on their mindset. But this is really rare. And in most business coaching programs, this doesn't happen. In most business coaching programs, you have a few people who are super legit, and they're worth sticking around for. But they're hard to identify. And you don't really know who's good, and who's telling the truth, even without digging and sticking around for a long time. So here are a couple of tools to identify first, who is actually legit in a mastermind, and then I'm going to share you how to make decisions based on evidence and the value of different types of evidence. So first, people who are trustworthy in a mastermind, generally are open about their mistakes. So often, they'll share their mistakes before they share anything else. If you are talking to somebody, and they're like, I'm doing great, and they never share a mistake, you should be skeptical of every single thing. They say. Second, the people who say I've made a mistake will usually be very specific about that mistake. And they've learned from it. So they can say like, here's what I would do differently. Now. Third, they knew how to correct the mistakes, and they had corrected it. So it's okay to be skeptical of somebody who says I screwed this up. And you know, my gym is bankrupt. I wish I'd known that five years ago, but they've never actually fixed the mistake. So they don't know if what they're telling you is actually the truth. Okay? So it's really important here that we maintain an attitude of healthy skepticism, meaning we want to see evidence before we teach something to our clients, or before we support it. So there are five basic levels of evidence. Now, skepticism is what really gave rise to the scientific model that we're all taught in like the third or the fifth grade, or whatever. And really, this scientific model should be applied to media should be applied to social media, it should be a tool to help you evaluate claims. Unfortunately, most of the time, it's just taught in kind of like this rigorous laboratory setting. And we don't think about it outside of science class, but our kids and us as mentors need to learn this more than anything else. So the bottom level of evidence is a media claim, you read something in a newspaper, you read something online, and it's like, is that actually true or not? Right? You really cannot accept anything that a media person is telling you without further evidence anymore. So if you know the journalists write something, and they point to three studies, okay, that's a little bit better than what we get in the news most of the time. The level up from that is personal experience. And we sometimes refer to this as n equals one n is just like the number of people in your evidentiary study, right? So when I was starting to brain, or even before that, when I was working for three to one go or writing, writing the first book, everything that I was talking about was N equals one it was, here's what I did. Now, I had no idea if that would work for anybody else. And so when the first client from New Jersey called me and she wanted to sign up, I was like, I don't know, I don't know if I want to take her money, because this is what worked for me. That's what I've been sharing on this blog, but I can't really say for sure if it's gonna work for you. She talked me into it and just said, like, you know, it's worth the investment of 1200 bucks or whatever it was to see if this does work. And it did. And then I took a few more clients and you know, out of 10, the things that worked for me worked for eight or nine of them. So, n equals one experience is more valuable than

  Just a claim that you read in the media or a claim that somebody makes on Facebook. The next level above that is a quantitative survey. So basically, that's where you say, okay, here are 10 gyms, and all of them did go reviews, and eight out of those 10 saw an uptick in their retention or upsell, or whatever that is, okay, that's a quantitative study. So we're actually looking at numbers from a bigger sample size in to brain where you'll see this is when we want to test something. So we want to test doing done for you paid ads, or we want to test maybe like the NC fit coach, like a pro program. You know, we do this probably three or four times a year where I'll pick 10 mentor gyms, or offered to 10 mentor gyms. And then we'll say, Okay, here's what we're testing. Here's what we're measuring. And this is like what we want you to report on. And usually that cost something so for like Coach like a pro, it cost me five grand to find the answer. But that's still good, because I want at least quantitative data before we make a decision on whether we recommend it or not. The next level above that is a cohort study. So this is where now it's no longer self report. It's a quantitative survey is like when you give people a survey, and they just answer. So you know, when we asked you how much money did you make last year, you're probably not going to answer right down to the penny, right, you're gonna round up or round down or ballpark or approximate, we're still going to get a number is probably going to be close. But we don't know how close the next level above that as a cohort study. And this is where you take a pretty large sample size, and you measure the results. So you set up kind of a controlled experiment, and you track what happens. So they're not self reporting anymore. And this is what we do in state of the industry. So instead of the industry, we actually take data from WaterFire pushpress, team up kilo, we take the numbers that the gyms are putting into the system, instead of asking the gym owners, how are you doing? If you ask a gym owner? What's your retention? They'll overestimate if you ask a gym owner, how profitable are you, they'll often underestimate. We want to know the actual numbers. And so we do a cohort study by partnering with the software providers and getting the real numbers. So when we say the average gym owner makes $32,000 a year, like we know that to be almost entirely true. A meta analysis is when you take a bunch of cohort studies. And you dive into the data of all of them. And you see like what is common. Now you'll never see this in the fitness industry. Even just doing a cohort study in the fitness industry is brand new to brain is the first and probably the only people who would do this. But if somebody like IHRSA did it, you know, maybe they could do a CT study, CrossFit could do it. Both of these people sometimes do quantitative surveys where they'll send like a survey out to their affiliates or their gyms or whatever. But they never do a cohort study because they don't have the data.

  The meta analysis is where you would take a cohort study from CrossFit and a cohort study from Ursa and a cohort study from maybe the NSCA. And a cohort study from all the 45 franchises. And you put all those together and you say, what is the average gym owner making? What is What are they making? If they are self employed? What are they making, if they're a franchise, and now it'd be a meta analysis, and that's the gold standard. Unfortunately, very few of those exist. Now, if we're talking about fitness and health care, of course, it's much, much easier to find a meta analysis. But what's really important here is that you understand,

  like what makes good evidence, something that you read online, it's, you can just assume it's probably not true or not even pay attention to it. If somebody's sharing their personal experience that's more valid than somebody sharing an opinion. If somebody has a quantitative survey, hey, we surveyed 30 gyms and here's what we found. That's better than an N equals one experience. If somebody has a cohort study, like we actually took data that Jim's actually reported, instead of just asking Him to fill in the blanks, that's way better and that's, you know, the best we've seen in fitness, and then a meta analysis as the gold standard. The key here though, is to know the difference to have filters to be skeptical until you see evidence but also flexible enough to change your mind in the face of evidence instead of being a civic Hope that helps thank you for your service.

  ]]>722a6966-b9f0-4ca4-8561-de2a495af26eWed, 29 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -050009:23falsefull3302: Keep it SimpleVietnam story

  8-year-old-easy

  Al of our clients are educated and smart. But they're distracted and stressed, and their mental capacity is reduced to that of an 8-year-old. They need to be fed one crumb at a time.

  You're better to make it too simple than not simple enough

  My trick: pretend I'm programming a robot. Do this, then this.

  But here's one way you can practice: brushing teeth, teach it to an alien, someone who's never seen a toothbrush before.

  ]]>Vietnam story

  8-year-old-easy

  Al of our clients are educated and smart. But they're distracted and stressed, and their mental capacity is reduced to that of an 8-year-old. They need to be fed one crumb at a time.

  You're better to make it too simple than not simple enough

  My trick: pretend I'm programming a robot. Do this, then this.

  But here's one way you can practice: brushing teeth, teach it to an alien, someone who's never seen a toothbrush before.

  ]]>5671f324-a51e-420d-a0e2-4a6bf5491276Mon, 27 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -050005:11falsefull2201: FocusDan Sullivan story - just do the work

  Our challenge: we're all a bunch of people who can just do the work. We're the 12% superachievers and our clients usually aren't.

  How do you help people focus?

  • Increase frequency
  • decrease complexity
  
  

  Higher speed, lower drag

  ]]>Dan Sullivan story - just do the work

  Our challenge: we're all a bunch of people who can just do the work. We're the 12% superachievers and our clients usually aren't.

  How do you help people focus?

  • Increase frequency
  • decrease complexity
  
  

  Higher speed, lower drag

  ]]>d61ef9cc-fdd2-4bea-926a-3701cf82350cMon, 27 Nov 2023 09:00:00 -050005:57falsefull11