Training is all about relationships. The client-trainer relationship is usually a very personal one and for me, this is why it’s important to develop a personal brand that people can easily identify and trust.

Personal branding is all about creating an image of ourselves that goes beyond just a name. It’s about what you and your brand represent. It’s about sharing our mission, vision and values with the world through every aspect of our business. From the products and services we offer to our company website and social media, we’re reaching like-minded people who may feel impacted and inspired. A personal brand speaks directly to the consumer who wants to learn from someone who has been in their position and has hands-on experience.

Fitness solopreneurship

In 2020, we have the power to start a business with very little overhead. All we need is a computer, internet connection and the desire to solve a problem.

Think about it, we can open an Instagram account and use it for free marketing, we can get a 30-day trial to train and manage clients with Trainerize, we can track our finances with Google Sheets and we can easily create professional-looking designs with Canva.

Being a solopreneur is now at the tip of our fingers and this means that we need to leverage ourselves in every aspect to create an image for our company and brand that represents something bigger.

Establishing your brand

We all want the best for our lives, we all want to find purpose and we all want to contribute. That’s why I use the ‘sharing’ approach for my brand. I lead by example, share authentically, and consider myself a role model. As such, need to practice what I preach when it comes to a healthy lifestyle.

What I do in my day-to-day, how I look, what I write about and what I share with the world—this represents me. Not only myself as a person but also my company. If I want my company to succeed, I have to personally seek continual growth, development and improvement.

By building my own personal brand I have created a stronger and more stable business. Here are my most successful methods in developing my personal brand.

1. Take a stance

Figure out what you believe in and what makes you a great coach. Craft a message for your personal brand that is real, unique and consistent. In my case, clients, people who visit my site and followers on my social media platforms know that I’m a fitness trainer but I also share a more personal side like the start of a career and business in fitness, my personal development and evolution as a person, my views on world events and even my family life. All these things are aspects of my life that other people can relate to and that other, bigger companies might not have the ability to recreate.

2. Find a niche

This is similar to taking a stance but it’s more about the business itself. We can ask ourselves what makes us unique or different and use this to our advantage to find the perfect client who fits a certain profile for our business. For me, Calisthenics was my entry point into fitness and what I’m the best at when it comes to coaching and programming because of all the experience and education I’ve had. My personal brand is now also attached to this type of training so when someone is looking for a Calisthenics trainer, all of the sudden my company becomes the more ideal one.

3. Build an active social media

On social, you can speak directly to potential clients, show your authentic self and use the ‘sharing’ method daily. This is a great way to expand our business, find like-minded people, express our voice and even collaborate with other professionals to promote what we do. Social media has been a huge source of opportunities for me because I have been actively sharing my life, my growth in calisthenics and my journey as an entrepreneur. This has attracted people who are on a similar journey and want to learn from me!

4. Talk to your audience

Our ideal client is out there and we need to communicate directly with that person. Keep in mind who your client is so you know what problem you’re solving. Craft your message to reach that person. I talk to people who are looking to make a change in their lives, who seek accountability, structure, and guidance in their fitness journey. I put myself in their shoes (because I’ve been there) and share what I’ve done to solve that problem. Keep it real, have fun with it and deliver value.

5. Be consistent

With my personal brand, I aim for consistency in everything I do. From YouTube to invoicing, I make sure that I speak with the same tone, I use the same colours and I create predictability and trust by enabling my clients and potential clients to know and easily understand what my business is all about.

6. Choose a Rule #1

Never Skip Monday

I came up with something I call my Rule #1. This rule has become a bit of a tagline for myself and everyone who trains with me. By being consistent and committing to training every Monday, I have created a movement that is based around the idea of never skipping a Monday workout. This has been huge in my business because even though it started as a personal commitment, it proved to be a simple enough concept for more people to feel related to and compelled to follow. I now not only have extra motivation to keep training every Monday, but also I’m helping hundreds of people move, get their training session in at the start of the week and create momentum for the days ahead.

So think about your #1 Rule to help establish your personal brand—maybe it’ll resonate with your audience too!