We Wont Give Up On You!
We Wont Give Up On You!
By Mike Harland.
Before I get into the fitness part of this article, I’d like to start with something a little more personal. Like most people, my youth shaped my adulthood. The thing is, my childhood was much different than most of my clients.
A lot of stuff happened when I was young. When I was 13 I moved to a new city and wasn’t happy. I had resentment, anger, and emotions that no child should be filled with. That caused me to act out, to do and say things I knew were wrong, but I just didn’t care. The truth is, I was looking for attention and for someone to care.
Well, that didn’t happen and my actions and attitude got worse. This really affected my schooling and I got in a lot of trouble. When that started happening, it seemed as if the world turned against me. I was the problem child and nobody wanted to deal with that. They wanted to remove me from situations where I was disruptive.
As an adult, this really bothers me. What they should have done was see that there was a child that was hurt and needed help. I mean, after all, isn’t that the real role for adults, family, and teachers or anyone responsible for a child?
Well, I hold those feelings close to me. Of course, I try and show my children that, no matter what, I will always be there for them. I also want my clients to know that as well.
Our typical client isn’t a division 1 athlete, bodybuilder, or any person already in the best shape of their life. We tend to get people that have poor lifestyles, and because of that, their health is suffering via health concerns, weight gain, poor movement, and a list of other factors. Along with this, we also see depression, stress, fatigue, and other mentally draining side effects.
All of those things are extremely difficult to overcome.
So, with odds stacked against them, our client decides it’s time to make a change. Hopes and energy are high, excitement for a new lifestyle is evident, and they find our program.
Right at orientation, some people decide our program is too difficult for them. Why? Because I preach the reality of the work involved with completely changing our lives, along with real timelines for achieving goals. I will never promise someone unreasonable things to try and sell them on our program. It’s not worth it. Once they realize that those unrealistic expectations are bull, they quickly move on.
Now, for the person that says they’re willing to work for it, we try and start them on the right path. We do this by, of course, structured workouts with our coaches, but also with an email sequence loaded with information and weekly phone calls from our Member Experience Director. We’re trying to get a grasp of how they’re adjusting to their new lifestyle and to see if there’s more we need to do for them.
If we’ve identified an “at risk” client or someone that just needs a little extra help, we try and schedule time for them to come in privately to meet with us. We always try and go the extra mile to help people completely understand, enjoy, and continue their journey.
At times, the emails and phone calls may seem annoying or bothersome, but we’re just trying to be there for our people. We’re showing them that we care and that we will not give up on them.
