**Double-check your email for accuracy to ensure you receive the report.How to Be a Bad Ass
Hey there, hope you're awesome and kickin' some serious ass in your business
Seriously… I hope you are just friggin' CRUSHING IT… cuz it really is all in your hands.
No one else is gonna crown you a bad ass… or has the right to decide whether or not you're worth of everything you want and deserve in life.
In fact, the majority of people are miserable in their lives, relationships and jobs… so I wouldn't listen to most of em… they're better off to learn what NOT to do from… it's true… if you want to have kick ass life and a rockin' business… just watch the majority and do the opposite
Most people put give all their power away to others and make excuses for every negative thing in their life, putting WAY TOO MUCH stock in what others say and do… what the economy is like.. what the "industry experts say about x" … what so and so thinks.. etc…
Most trainers put way to much emphasis on the number of certifications they have… now I know this ain't gonna make me a lot of friends… but the only people who the certifications really matter to are the organizations who make the certifications… cuz that's how they get friggin paid… handing out letters to go after your name… but besides that they're pretty much useless.
NOW, if what you LEARNED to get those certifications makes you a better trainer, or if you enjoy getting certifications, by all means do so… NOTHING wrong with that… and definitely don't stop getting them cuz I said so…
Just know this one simple fact… 9 times out of 10 the trainers with the most certifications make the LEAST amount of money ( I know plenty of GREAT and BROKE trainers… living month to month… but they gotta lotta letters after their name ) There are exceptions, but they're rare.
And… it's not like you can't learn all that stuff by reading a few books from some of the great exercise and resistance training minds of our time. LOTS of good books out there… they just don't come with cute little letters to put after your name.
SURE, you gotta be good at what you do… but some letter after your name has nothing to do with how good of a trainer you are and CERTAINLY has nothing do with how much money you're capable of making.
Ya know what the trainers who make the most money and have the most fun do?
They learn how to get from where they are now to where they want to go ( very rarely does more certifications come into play here )… they educate themselves in things like business, sales, marketing and time management... and usually even some mindset stuff thrown in there.
They take massive action in the direction of their goals… MASSIVE action… not like one or two little things… they get a TON of momentum going in the direction of their goals.
They do the stuff they makes them uncomfortable ( the only way to grow is to get out of your comfort zone…. and if YOU don't grow, chances are your business won't either)
They don't take a lot of shit from people… they give others a lot of shit either… they live by their own rules and let others do the same.
They invest in themselves and in their business… knowing that if they invest in the right things, it'll come back a hundred fold or a thousand fold or even more.
They almost always work for themselves… knowing that if you really want to get ahead they need to be the captain of the ship, take charge, take a few risks and friggin head out to sea.
Now they're not perfect… nor are they really any smarter than most of the unsuccessful people out their… and they've had some dark hours… but they'll be the first to tell you those dark hours are the keys have helped shape who they are today.
They've overcome great hurdles and have learned lessons along the way.
In fact, most of them carry around some serious dysfunctions… OCD, A.D.D… you name it… it's part of what makes them who they are.
They know the importance of giving… and do so often… yet they also know the importance in getting paid good money for providing a highly valuable service… and make no apologies for charging two, three or even four times what they're competitors often charge.
They realize that no matter what they say or do, not everyone is gonna put it into action… that only a certain percentage of people are gonna get results cuz only a certain percentage of people are doers… they're ok with this.. they do their best, providing the best _______ ( workout, book, guidance, coaching, whatever) possible, and then they're also ok with the fact that from that point on the results are out of their hands ( you can give someone a great workout… but you can't follow them around 24/7 making sure they're doing everything else right)
They refuse to buy into the norms… if I would've bought into the "norm" I would be dressed in a suit and tie right now, would never swear, would make sure there's weren't any speling errers anywhere on the page… and I'd be following all the other boring norms that is business coach is "supposed" to follow… well you know what.. most business coaches are
1. Boring
2. Broke ( not dead broke… but most don't have many clients and rarely make a good living… no thanks!)
If I did that stuff hardly anyone would read this blog… because it would be in-authentic… today this blog has THOUSANDS of regular readers… I guarantee you if I followed what everyone else was doing ( and what most people were actually TELLING me I should do) that I'd be lucky to have ten percent of the readership I do… people want authenticity and they want to not only learn, but also to be entertained in the process.
The ones who are kickin' ass have a higher purpose, whether it's a spiritual thing… some sort of contribution… they're doing it for their family… whatever it is, it goes FAR beyond just them
They KNOW they're gonna make mistakes
They KNOW the ducks ain't never gonna be all in a row
They KNOW they're gonna piss a few people off along the way and get some dirty looks
They're cool with this
The fitness trainers who are trying to please everyone, are overly concerned with what others think about them, avoid walking through fears, are scared to piss a few people off, are scared to make mistakes, don't take action, don't invest in themselves, avoid risks, are waiting for everything to be perfect, are willing to take shit from others, are ONLY in this business for themselves and don't think they're worth a lot of money are RIGHT.. they're pretty much just in the business of collecting certifications and that's about it… and they're worth about as much as they think they are… and it ain't much.
As a reader of this blog you're in the other 1%… the tiny fraction who see's through the B.S. and is taking some personal responsibility for things… and for that I commend you.
You're damn good at what you do but know that letters after your name are really just letters after your name… they don't define you at all… YOU define you… what you say and do defines you… not what someone else says or does or thinks…and at the end of the day, what others say or do or think ain't really much of our business anyway, that's their business, not ours.
You are defined by your contribution.
How do I know you're probably like this when such a small percent of our industry is … cuz if you were in the other 99% you woulda ran like hell the first time you came across this blog… it woulda scared you to death and forced you take a long hard look at yourself… and that's just too damn intense for the 99%'ers
I commend you on being a one percenter, an action taker, a person who makes mistakes and admits it when you do… I commend you for all the people you're helping and all the money you charge… I commend you for being a straight up bad ass.
Don't get me wrong… I LOVE this industry… I LOVE it with all my heart.. I just choose to surround myself with the ones who are rising to the top.
Recently I was out a Gary Vaynerchuks Wine Library in Jersey…. and I asked him what he wanted to be remembered for… and he said…
"I want my Great, Great, Great Great, Great, Great, Great Grandchildren to say, that my Great, Great, Great Great, Great, Great, Great Grandfather was BAD ASS"
I'd love to hear your comments in the comment section below… and I realized this post might make me even more enemies than I already have… but sometimes ya just gotta say what's on your mind.
And if you'd like a super in-depth look at EVERYTHING I do to get so much of the big important "money making" stuff done in so little time… then check out Time Management for Trainers
It contains all the exact same time management and productivity strategies I use in my business that allow me to get a TON of stuff done, make a great living and still have a lot of free time left over at the end of the day…
If you'd like to clear on exactly what you should be doin' in your business, what actions you should take, how you should prioritize things and not let the minutia and busy work hold you back from building your dream business and lifestyle, I STRONGLY suggest you check this out… it can make a HUGE difference in your life, just like it did mine…
You'll discover...
- How to achieve COMPLETE control over your time, clients and the world around you…in order to achieve ULTIMATE productivity
- How to avoid the time-sucking minutia from creeping into your life… most fitness pros spend far too much time focusing on non-important “busy work” instead of focusing on the real important things that will help them achieve their goals
- 4 things you can do in your business right now to cut your hours in half while doubling your income over the next 3 to 6 months
- How to get up to 300% more stuff done in less than half the time you do now
- And much more
Click Here To Learn More About Time Management For Trainers
Image of the women working out in the back yard contributed by Lauren Brooks Miller of Lauren Brooks Kettlebells
Comments on How to Be a Bad Ass »
Amen, Brother. Awesome post. Dead on. Couldn't have said it any better but you spoke my feelings 100%.
Randy Woody
http://randywoody.com
Bad ass post bro reminds of a will smith quite
2 plus 2 only equals 4 if you accept it… 2 plus 2 is what I want it to be
Wow, awesome post. We all need to condition our minds with stuff like this EVERY DAY.
Wow, out of ALL your other blog posts (All your other blog psts are awesome but…) This one really struck a fucking chord in me, I am one of the coaches that got to where I am by being self educated, got experience through work rather than do a sport science degree cos I know theres nothing about uni I cant learn in life too, every university grad thinks theyre BETTER than me cos of what they got. a FUCKING CERTIFICATE! Well guess what? I earn more money than they do, Im in a position where I can do what the hell I like, and Im loving it, thanks for the post Ill copy it and stick it on my bathroom mirror, Thanks to this everything that I am doing so far, I know I am on the right track….I knew I felt like a badass for some reason, now I know for sure
Great post!
Hey Chris
Well said and you're so cool. It's what you stand for that makes you unique. There are so many lamb ass blog around that gives nothing like yours. Because of your REAL LIFE content that you give, I am back to your kickass blog for more golden nuggets. Seriously, I'm not sure where I would be if I haven't across your blog a year ago. Probably not in the fitness industry anymore. I always thought it's the certifications that helped and I found myself more broke with more certifications. LOL.
I LOVE the part that you said "YOU who define you".
oh yeah, totally agree. My gym rocks and lets us all be independent contractors. I've been there for 3 years now and there have been over 6 others that have come and gone. I've stopped even batting an eyelash when someone new comes in. No one can compete with me, but me.
ain't nuthin' better than bein a bad ass and livin life by your own rules!
it does bother me though, when people are doin the same shit they were doin 1 year ago and they still have the same excuses.
I live my life and make my actions b/c when my kids grow up I can look them in the eye and honestly, truly, tell them to go for their dreams.
If I never did it myself, I woulda felt like a dead beat Dad that never had the right to tell them to live their dreams, whereas most people dream their life.
Thnx bruddah, c u in a few weeks
–z–
Grea post Chris! Love the attitude bro - gotta shake the haters off!
Yeah … Thank you, Sir — Let's Go!
Chris,
Thanks for the inspiration. I'm a bad ass and don't take shit from ANYONE. You rock!
Good stuff. Some motivation to kick the day in high gear!!
And as an additional comment, I can't agree more with the certification thing … I've NEVER had a client ask me which certifications I have, but they all are PSYCHED when they start shedding pounds each week!
By far one of your best posts boss!
Here is what I think holds EVERYONE back from taking the risks associated with achieving success:
SELF-CENTEREDNESS
This is wrapped in the disguise of false "prudence and conservativeness" perpetrated by the LIE of "security"…
Basically, most folks are more concerned with sheltering their weak flesh from perceived danger than relinquishing their fate to The Creator.
Get over yourself, get off your ass, stop thinking and start moving.
There is NO perfect plan, and you're probably going to fail a bunch of times along the way… but so what!?!? — this is how we learn.
Escape Mental Slavery!
In the words of William Wallace (Braveheart):
"Give me FREEDOM, or give me DEATH."
BAD ASS post bro!
This is great stuff Chris. If I ever have any doubts I just read your stuff and listen to your coaching advice. It puts me out of my comfort zone and I love that!
That's the only way to succeed and kick serious ass. Thanks for everything that you do.
ATTITUDE for every day! Be IT, live IT, train with IT and win. Thanks for the reminder to maintain the BAA- Bad Ass Attitude! Thanx Chris
Great post! Very inspiring, Keep em coming!
I think everyone knows you are a BAD ASS! Keep it coming!
Right on, Chris.
I wish you much succes with your launch of MA2.
Peace.
Love the bad ass post.
You gotta draw the line between bad ass and jerk, but definitely brand yourself as who you want to be.
Keep being a bad ass Chris! Business isn't always about making friends.
Stephen Boyce
http://www.BoyceFitness.com
thanks for the help Chris, you kicked my soul in the ass! I'm going to go out there and contribute like a bad ass.
Love It!
Mccombs and Vaynerchuk….sick. I know that just reading this blog alone puts me in the top 1% because of all the wicked information you provide.
Awesome Chris- I love posts like this.
Thanks for the inspiring words!
John
Killer Post Chris! Makes me want to take over the world! Live life without limits and be a Bad Ass! If you try to please everyone, you please no one!
You are the perfect example of this and it speaks volumes about you because of what you have overcome. Thanks for the always inspiring, always entertaining, always BAD ASS content brotha!
P.S. Really looking forward to Sons of Anarchy tonight! It's definitely gonna be a bad ass episode!
Gotta love, Gary, for sure. Looking forward to finally meeting you in Orlando, bud.
Jeremy Nelms
Christian Weight Loss at http://www.FitForJesus.com!
Good stuff Chris as usual. It's really about taking action, willing to take risks, stepping out of your comfort zones, etc.
Thanks for all the HONEST stuff you share and the myriad of STUFF you give away! Thanks. "Whatsoever a man sows, that will he also reap" Gal. 6:7
Tyron
Fucking awesome post Chris!
Seriously!
There is nothing better than working for yourself, making money, enjoying life, not putting up with any bullshit and being a bad-ass! And for real, the certifications…what the fuck ever. I've got one, took me 6 weeks to get it and cost me $550 and I guarantee I make more than any trainer at a Peak Fitness or Ballys and I don't work for "The Man". The guy who owns the gym I run my program out of is starting to get upset cause I'm making bank, how bad-ass is that?!
And if you're worried about making waves, shaking things up, rocking the boat or pissing people off…you're gonna be stuck in whatever crappy place you're in right now. I'm writing a book that I'm sure is gonna piss off every nitwit with a fancy degree and 9 certifications but I know what they're really gonna be pissed about is that I wrote it and I'm making money off of it and they're $20 per training session at the local branch of whatever chain gym they work for.
Rock on Chris!
Doug Seamans
PRIDE Conditioning
http://www.prideconditioning.com
Dude this was a killer post! The past few posts have been killer man. I love being the boss and owning my own business and not just being a puppet for someone else. Thanks for everything. You're the man.
Im working on getting out of the corporate gym and into my gym. Bad ass!!
Awesome post Chris! You always deliver the goods and help pick me up when things are tough. Well, I am pumped again and ready to get back to it. MASSIVE ACTION . . . thanks brother!
I have been reading your blogs for about 2 months now and find this to be one of the top so far. I really appreciate all of the great information that you give, for free.
Sometimes it is extremely difficult to step out of your comfort zone and do what you actually and truely feel like doing. But you def give me confidence to break through that. So I jus wanted to show my appreciation.
Keep it comin man.
thank a lot.
Chris,
This post is spot on! I make a full-time income running my high-traffic fitness blog and I have never received a personal training certification. I am not against them and they do in fact make the road a little easier, but not absolutely necessary to make it big in the fitness industry.
People really do love to be entertained and they respect honesty. I run a fitness site, but on my "About Me" page I'm holding a beer and smoking a cigar on the Gulf of Mexico…I think it is "bad-ass", because I'm breaking the rules.
People want to hear your opinions For instance, I love James Bond movies…I think people should strive to look like men and women in "Bond" flicks. I also think that the big bodybuilder look is dated and creates a "cheesy" forced look.
Love me or hate me, my site gets crazy traffic. It isn't necessarily because I know more than the majority of trainers, I just help as many people as possible while putting my own unique flavor on it.
Great, great post…my favorite so far!
Rusty
chris-awsome bro. i was a 1% a long time ago.a no shit taker,bad ass muthu-f—er.ive been thru same way BAD DARK times.but i am coming BACK with a vengence! thanks for every thing you do for us trainers out here.you.bedros,steve all of you guys giving info out for free[thats all i can afford right now]your blogs ect.i WILL CLAW my way to the top of this shit pile of a life and people better watch out.thank you for every thanks again,hope to meet you some day.see you at the top.
I completely agree with the fact that letters after one's name and certifications mean nothing to any of your clients or potential clients. I do have a few silly letters after my name, but I have never been even asked what they mean by a client or potential client! Clients are interested in how you are going to safely and effectively improve them, not your certifications. The purpose of certifications and degrees should only be to enhance your own knowledge and confidence.
Who have you improved? Are you fun to be around? Do you have passion to train? How is your enthusiasm level? Are you competent and confident? (Those go way further than degrees!)
Read Gary Vaynerchuck's book Crush it if you want a nice shot of adrenaline. I would suggest looking at a few of his videos on you tube prior to reading the book. Try to read the book with enthusiasm as if Gary V was speaking to you.
Words of wisdom right here! This is the attitude we must keep in mind at all times. You have to live your life on your own terms. Be your own man or woman, don't follow the herd, take your life into your own hands and make it what you want it to be.
Rock on Chris!
Brandon
Spot on dude! Man I love meeting people and reading blogs who are on the same wavelength. You have 1 life as far as we know… how can you settle for anything other than BEST. And even then, I want the best of the best! Settle for nothing less. Taking advice from people who are not in their lives where you want to be is pointless. If you listen to people like that you'll become THEM… an average sheep! Accept or Reject nothing, only consider. I'm so happy I came across all this when I was young. Awesome!
Dan
great words!
Great blog chris!!!
Certs mean nothing if ur a Pt for the general population. U don't need an exercise science degree to run a Successful bootcamp business. If u are training Olympic athletes ur probably gonna need a few certs though. Otherwise they are useless in terms of growing a Pt business or generating new clients and keeping them long time.
Hi mate
Great post. As a qualified EP myself, certs do mean something but only to other trainers and educational institutions. It does not mean much to people on the street that is for sure. Something I wished I had learned years ago.
Heck ya you are right Chris. Lead ahead or be left behind the ship. When you plan out your day it becomes so much easier to do things. It becomes a combination of things as a trainer. Systems must be in place to run your life effectively. No matter with business, clients, or life in general, the principles are the same. Keep up the awesome posts man.
Awesome post mo fo!
Right on Chris,
I'm fairly new to your blog and wish I wasn't. I realized early that you speak in truths and don't sugar coat anything. I appreciate that, because it not only kicks me in the ass some times, but it bring me closer to the bad ass inside that the 99%'s are constantly trying to hold down. Thanks you. and keep it commin!
Good post, but I am going to be different than everyone else and disagree with what you are saying about certifications. I actually get a ton of clients based on my education. I see too many crappy trainers that are good sales people and get people to sign up for training and then hurt their clients. I'm not saying certifications are perfect and you cannot merely rely on getting one and doing nothing else. It is awesome to be a great business minded trainer and you can make a lot of money, but you need to offer the best service to your clients. The more you understand about the body the better trainer you will be.
So true, letters don't matter, but the learning does count, don't you think? So the letters represent (IMO) that you have obtained a certain level of knowledge in order to do your job. And exercise inherently poses risks that you need to be aware of and that comes through reading, reading, and more reading! Or learning from experts.
Training Groups really is key. I was training 1-on-1 charging $80 per session and just not happy with the feeling of not doing as much as I could with my time. Learning to delegate more from your posts, another good one sir.
Great Blog!
Someone once said to me, "what do you prefer, someone who has the creditials behind them and is non-effective to the client or someone who is effective with clients and doesn't have the creditials but gets the results?" I believe in what they are saying but for safety sake (Liability reasons) it is good to have some creditials behind you! Old school of thought- my parents age and beyond believe in creditials and won't take you seriously, new wave of thinking is different! sometimes a catch 22 depending on who or which population you are working with. For myself, knowledging myself is what is important!
This post gave me the chills…Very inspiring Chris!!!
Great blog! Im a personal trainer who has his own business, and I couldn't agree more with what was said. I run a martial arts based training business, which focuses on blending self defence with fitness, and had endured harsh criticism from my examiners when I was studying for mt certificate in PT. One went to even say "How can you be a personal trainer if you dont know how to use gym equipement, let alone identify it?" He also said id never make it. Ha! Well, whos laughing now that I have a web prescence, several dedicated clientele and one in particular who works in corporate and gives me raving reviews and thinks Im the best thing since sliced bread? Why? Because I am a 1%er! I aint like 99% of all other trainers out there thats why! Plus I enrolled into a basic course to get my qualifications, and the school was pushing us to do the executive training course, which was nearly double the price. What happened to all the people i know that enrolled? They have either quit the industry or gave up midway, further proving that you dont need to sign up to do these courses in order to be successful. They are nothing more than like Chris said letters after your name!
Well Chris I am trying to get to the 1 percent level. I started at the bottom so Im slowly making my way up. Through your products and blog I have realized that doing the same shit day in and day out will not make me wealthy or allow me to enjoy life. So I am implementing a lot of the things I have learned from you and your guest bloggers. Its a process but it will pay off in the end.
Hey Chris!
This so powerful and extremely helpful to me. Your blogs help me on a weekly basis and thank you for all your tips. I have been working with Michael Duivis since November last year and business is booming!
I want to thank you form the bottom of my heart all that you have done for Michael and I. I met you at Bedros office in January, not sure if you remember me.
You rock and till wee meet again.
Your buddy,
Irma Sandoval:)
Great words Chris .
the only way to win this game is to make the rules and not be afraid to break them.Your posts always inspire thanks hoss
Nice post Chris. That pretty much puts it right on the line.
I bought this product about a month ago. It has made such a difference it getting the right things done.
that was hilarious!! there is also the kindergarden school trainer who talks to their clients like their 5 mixed in with a little over zealous cheer leader who chants great job, you are amazing after every rep lol!!!!!
One of your best posts Chris. Lol, nice work