PSTS First Year Re-cap!

June 2, 2011 was the first day the gym was opened. About ten athletes trained that day. A lot has happened since and a lot more will happen this upcoming year. The past year was a success in the fact that we had the opportunity to change many athletes lives both mentally and physically. We will continue to give the best service we can to those who invest and believe in us. The PowerStrength system has worked with all of our athletes and I want the opportunity to help as many as I can. If an athlete is driven to become better, there should be a proven system in place to help them get there no matter what. 

                                                                                   

Here are a few progressions of the main garage. However, PSTS is more than just a garage being transformed into a gym...

Below are some observations and knowledge bombs I have encountered and reflected on as I re-capped the past year over and over in my head. Some things I have harped on before but they were reiterated as time went by. Check it…

• Our parents and athletes are awesome. They are responsible, honest, and committed. We only enjoy working with great people and I couldn’t be more proud (and fortunate) to have such great parents and athletes that believe and support us. PSTS is built around community and this is the driving force of our business. We will be having a party in two weeks to recognize our athletes, say thank you, and to grow our relationships with our community members just because it will be a fun, awesome time. 

• It was such a fast year. If you don’t make time to get stuff done it will never get completed- and if it does it will be a crap job. Manage your time and priorities and get to work. 

• Proper training progressions elicit great, quick results. We have developed our own style of training and progressions. There’s a specific way to do things and we are constantly learning and re-vamping to find the most effective training methods to add to our system.

• Almost all of our athletes come through referrals. The power of POSITIVE word of mouth is invaluable. We haven’t spent a dime on advertising or marketing (other than a few fundraiser donations). If you know of any athlete or parents of athletes that are looking to step up their game, tell them about us! Shameless plug, had to do it…

• We have a code of ethics and values for ourselves, as a business, and as a gym. We don’t change or bend our values for anyone. Our clients are expected to adopt these values as their own in and outside of the gym.

• Some people don’t understand business. You go to the dentist- you have to pay for your appointment. You eat at a restaurant- you pay for your meal. Want an appetizer? That will cost you extra. Want to go to an amusement park? You pay to use their equipment. You go to work, you’re expected to be paid and be paid on time. Running a business costs dollars. Providing a service costs dollars. Just because it’s in the setting we’re in, or the fact that we wear gym clothes to work, makes some people think it’s not a real business and they are entitled to free service and free advice. I give away a lot of free advice and information and will continue to do so. I’ve had people pay it forward and so will I. However, if I get the vibe that someone thinks they’re entitled to this info and service without valuing it then I’ll quickly direct the person to the gym down the street. It's not all about the money but rather the principle of simply paying for service and getting rid of the the entitlement so many people have today. Rant done...

• Get help. I experienced the grind this past year. For the first 8-months I was doing everything from cleaning, training, programming, e-mailing, filing and tracking paperwork, making phone calls, etc. All these extra hours grew on me and wore me down which sucked. I want all my energy to be there when I’m training my athletes and doing everything yourself will sidetrack your focus.

• Get mentors. I have at least two mentors that I go to for business and training advice. They both provide different perspectives and give me plenty of options through their knowledge and experiences. Merely learning from mentors is useless unless you take action and implement what you learn.

• Eliminate all negativity. Negative athletes, parents, and coaches have no place at PSTS. I won’t deal with them any longer. I had to deal with a couple this past year and they stole the life out of the gym, the business, and me. THIEVES! Eliminate them from your everyday life if possible. I cut ties with many “friends” this past year simply because they are always negative and bring me down. Even the support they claimed to provide had negative undertones. No thanks. Not for me.

• Don’t cater to everyone. Many people told me to train this demographic or I should do this or that. Training athletes and inspiring them is my passion. There might be a time and a place to train other non-athletes but dominating the athlete niche is focus number one. All of our athletes get great results and strive to make positive changes in their lives. I want to share this with as many as I can. Once this is accomplished, we’ll tackle something else and get those people the results they always wanted too.

• Good help is hard to find. Some people are asskickers and some people like to pretend they are until its time to actually commit and work. Hang on to the good ones because there aren’t many. Period.

• Educating athletes and parents from day one has helped big time. The parents support the athlete and the athlete knows why he’s doing what he’s doing. I want our parents being the most knowledgeable parents in the stands. Knowledge is power and comes along with the investment in our program (some of this knowledge is invaluable!). From day one they know how we do things, why we do them, and what we expect. This eliminates all confusion and creates a standard on which to follow.

• People will discourage and put down what they don’t know and understand. They feel inferior, are jealous, and hate to see others succeed. This happens to hardworking athletes, trainers, and even to the business owner. This “hate” used to bother me. Now it fuels me and makes me smile to myself. There’s no winning with these types of people. Anyone can sit in the stands and act like an expert but actually being in the game makes you a player and provides all the chances to be a winner- that’s the only thing you can control.

I love the fact that our athletes are just getting warmed up. They do things not many other people can do in the gym and do it with a smile on their faces. I sincerely thank all of you for your support and making the first year possible. The fact that you’re reading this is very humbling. Big things will take place in Year 2! Keep following along and thanks in advance! 

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