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Introversion, Extroversion, Clients and Coaches

In 2010, I wrote “Cowboys vs. Shepherds” on my first blog, DontBuyAds.com. It was later included in Two-Brain Business (now available on audiobook.) But new research has prompted me to revisit the issue from a different perspective. In this post, I’ll compare the minds of the introvert, the extrovert, and the ambivert; then I’ll write about ways to optimize training for coaches and clients who fall into either category. Want to see if you’re an introvert or extrovert? Here’s a 25-minute test  from PsychologyToday, or a 4-minute test from LifeHack. First, a comparison of introverts and extroverts as clients: Extroverts become energized by noise and crowds. Introverts become fatigued and overwhelmed by the same. Extroverts are likely to ask questions of the coach (often, they’ll need to be “heard” during a class, even if they already know the answer.) They’re talkative, quick to welcome new members, and excited by the prospect of coaching a group themselves. They might choose one-on-one training over groups, but will be drawn to the crowd quickly. They’re held accountable more by social risk (“everyone will know if you cheat on your diet”) than by anything else. Introverts are more likely to think through a movement. In fact, if you see an athlete close their eyes while practicing, it’s a sure sign they’re an introvert: they’re subconsciously blocking out external distraction. They’re less likely to ask a question, but more likely to absorb what’s taught. They’re also more likely to avoid the group setting and choose one-on-one training. Introverts are best held accountable through a one-on-one relationship and might need more frequent contact by a coach (“I’ll be watching your food intake through the app.”) Second, a comparison of introverts and extroverts as coaches: Extroverted coaches are energized by a large group. They relax into coaching: several classes in a row won’t bother them. They’ll be more likely to engage in “sharking” and identifying movement deficiencies on ...
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The Path to Mentorship

  “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.”-Zig Ziglar If you search online, you’ll find over a million inspirational quotes from leaders in almost any field. Here’s the most important one: “Follow me.” Great coaches can change the lives of hundreds…if their gym business thrives. Our mission at TwoBrainBusiness is to assist those on the front lines of fitness. We are business mentors for gym owners. We believe in modeling success. We believe in actionable advice. We believe in personalized strategies. And we believe in creating leaders. We believe in a “sum of systems” instead of dogma. A mentor provides more than a map; a mentor is a guide. Over 250 gym owners have asked for my mentorship. 240 of them remain in the TwoBrain program. I’m convinced these are the “tip of the spear” that will drive The Movement forward. I’ve asked a few of the outliers to join me in mentoring other gyms. Below are the minimum criteria I considered in each case, whether each knew it or not. What is a mentor, and why am I publishing these criteria? This is not a “Help Wanted” ad. The next TwoBrain mentors will come from within the TwoBrain group; I trust every member within to know more than most “gym consulting” businesses. That might sound uncharitable. The truth is that a gym owner should be grateful for any help they receive (I certainly am) but also have the tools to discern experience from opinion. And I understand that a leader’s role is to create standards where none exist. Here are mine: A gym business mentor must own a gym. You and I are in the service industry. We sell a niche service. To be an effective model of success, a mentor must start from the same place as his protege. I’m wary of “experts” who have never been in ...
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How To Design A Personal Training Session

by Jason Brown, BoxProgramming.com Over the years, we’ve seen more and more gyms start to increase their revenue by way of personal training. Not only is this is a great idea, but allows us to open up our doors to segments of the population that might not want to do CrossFit. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people say (even current members) that they didn’t know we did personal training. The perception to the general public is that personal training and CrossFit are completely separate entities. Is there some truth to this? Possibly. I believe the two are more connected than most would like to believe. I’m going to outline how to design a personal training template for your current and new clients that do not necessarily take CF group classes. First off, a little background on my philosophy of training. The training I subscribe to is constantly-varied and utilizes functional movements. Sound familiar? This system also has an emphasis on challenging people where they need to be challenged most: their weakest links. Some considerations before beginning: How often is your client going to train with you? 2x, 3x, 4x a week? What days of the week? How old is your client and what are their goals? What is their training age if any? Do they have any nagging injuries? What is their life like outside of the gym? Of course there are many more questions that can be asked and screening that can be done beforehand, but this is a basic guide that will work for just about anyone that comes into your facility. I stress the word “basic” because there are always exceptions to the rule. These recommendations come from my own insights after 12 years of training a wide array of athletes from all walks of life. Below I’m going to outline what I feel to be the most logical mesocycles of training for ...
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Get Rid of the Maybes

One of my first lessons in salesmanship came from a consultant named Frank Foster. I was running a pro shop and ski school in the mountains. We had 130 coaches, a bunch of chalets and a thousand pairs of rental skis. But we didn’t have customers. Not enough, anyway. My job was to approach ski clubs and businesses and sell week-long getaway packages. I wasn’t very good at it. So they brought in Frank. Frank told me: “The people who say ‘yes’ are great. Obviously.” “The people who say ‘no’ are ALSO great, because you can move straight to someone else. You get closer to a ‘yes’ client when any client says ‘no.’ You don’t waste time.” “The ones you DON’T want are the ‘maybe’ clients. They cost you time. And they turn you into a salesman.” Frank Foster WAS a salesman, but he knew we didn’t want to be. Think about the last client who wasn’t sure about your service. Did you try to “sell” them? Did you try to “overcome their objections”? Did you make a special deal, or an extra promise? How did that make you feel? Is that why you signed up to own a gym – to be a salesman, like Frank? I didn’t. Before a client comes to the door, they should know your prices. They should know that you’re an expert. And they should be presented with a solution to their unique problems. We teach all of that in the Incubation Phase of our mentoring program. We don’t chase “maybes”. In fact, we remove them. Our clients might know very little about CrossFit when they start, and that’s fine. But we teach a LOT for free online (we publish new content daily.) We give them a full hour of our attention to listen and make a recommendation. But we’re confident in the knowledge that our service isn’t for everyone. Some can’t afford our ...
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Episode 37: Moments from the 2016 TwoBrain Summit

[vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRmdlby5pdHVuZXMuYXBwbGUuY29tJTJGY2ElMkZwb2RjYXN0JTJGdHdvYnJhaW5yYWRpbyUyRmlkMTA1MDM1MDEwMSUzRm10JTNEMiUyMiUyMHN0eWxlJTNEJTIyZGlzcGxheSUzQWlubGluZS1ibG9jayUzQm92ZXJmbG93JTNBaGlkZGVuJTNCYmFja2dyb3VuZCUzQXVybCUyOGh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZsaW5rbWFrZXIuaXR1bmVzLmFwcGxlLmNvbSUyRmltYWdlcyUyRmJhZGdlcyUyRmVuLXVzJTJGYmFkZ2VfaXR1bmVzLWxyZy5zdmclMjklMjBuby1yZXBlYXQlM0J3aWR0aCUzQTMwMHB4JTNCaGVpZ2h0JTNBMjUwcHglM0IlMjIlM0UlM0MlMkZhJTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/2″][vc_raw_html]JTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwJTNBJTJGJTJGd3d3LnN0aXRjaGVyLmNvbSUyRnMlM0ZmaWQlM0Q3NTYwMSUyNmFtcCUzQnJlZmlkJTNEc3RwciUyMiUzRSUzQ2ltZyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZjbG91ZGZyb250LmFzc2V0cy5zdGl0Y2hlci5jb20lMkZwcm9tby5hc3NldHMlMkZzdGl0Y2hlci1iYW5uZXItMzAweDI1MC5qcGclMjIlMjBhbHQlM0QlMjJMaXN0ZW4lMjB0byUyMFN0aXRjaGVyJTIyJTIwd2lkdGglM0QlMjIzMDAlMjIlMjBoZWlnaHQlM0QlMjIyNTAlMjIlMjAlMkYlM0UlM0MlMkZhJTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][/vc_row][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][vc_column_text][/vc_column_text][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][vc_column_text]This episode is sponsored by Liquid State Design and Healthy Steps Nutrition. The TwoBrain Summit ended yesterday. It was JAMMED with great conversation, some excellent presentations and amazing food. We might have lifted a few weights, too. Our goal at TwoBrain Business is to ask bigger, better questions, and create an entirely new paradigm for gym owners and coaches. Why DON’T average gyms gross in the millions and net in the hundreds of thousands? Why is a coach who makes $100,000 per year something to brag about, when it should be the norm? More importantly, what does it take to be HAPPY? Ribs are part of the answer, as we found out. So is comradeship with our peers: the best and brightest in the industry, brought together over coffee and barbells, in a supportive environment. Yes, we talked about new possibilities in Facebook marketing. But we also talked about industry tipping points, huge opportunities that dwarf most gyms’ perspective, and the bright shiny future the best gyms will enjoy. These are tiny keyhole insights into the weekend. I hope they help. This weekend I’ll be doing the same thing at the Games. Recorded from July 15-19, 2016.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row type=”in_container” scene_position=”center” text_color=”dark” text_align=”left” overlay_strength=”0.3″][vc_column column_padding=”no-extra-padding” column_padding_position=”all” background_color_opacity=”1″ background_hover_color_opacity=”1″ width=”1/1″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
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Episode 37: Moments from the 2016 Two-Brain Summit

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