Halfway Reflection

1) Tenaciousness is a competency

Since this is an online course I scheduled watching the lectures to the same day/time every week as if this was a regularly scheduled, in person class.  In addition to that, when I'm on campus and have a few hours to kill between my classes I work on writing my blog posts.  And last but not least I write everything down in a planner, when posts are due, when to watch the lectures, when peer reviews are due etc.

2) Tenaciousness is also about attitude

I recently felt like "giving up" when I realized I did an assignment but forgot to submit the URL to that post, meaning I don't get credit for my work, and I lose the opportunity for an additional point from the peer review.  I was frustrated and discouraged, but I decided to brush it off because there was nothing I could do at that point... and just move forward.  So Monday of this week I did the whole week's assignments (and submitted the URL's) and now I'm working on next week's assignments... So, I learned from my mistake, and now I'm ahead of the class in result.

So yes, I think that negative experience lit a fire under my a** and kicked me into gear.  It motivated me to be tenacious and proactive.

3) Three tips

I definitely think the skills that support tenacity can be developed further...

1. Plan, Plan, Plan!  Make a weekly plan dedicating time to each class/assignment!

2. Get Ahead!!- I know Pryor tells us this... & tbh I didn't listen at first, but it is such beneficial advice.  Some assignments you won't want to do... or you'll catch the flu... either way getting ahead leaves you room for slip ups, sick days etc.

Lastly I don't know if tenacity is something someone can "develop" or if it's more of a characteristic/trait.  In my opinion you either have it or you don't.  What I can say is if you want to be tenacious about something, you have to choose it, and commit to it. Period.  There's no questioning it, or doubting it.  You just do what you have to do until the work is done.

So I  guess;

3.  Decide what grade you want in this class, then do the work to get it... it's pretty simple.

Reading Reflection

Miracles Happen: Mary Kay Ash

1) What surprised you the most?

• I was most surprised by the amount of struggles Mary Kay had to overcome from such a young age, and throughout young adulthood. 
• What about the entrepreneur did you most admire?
• I most admired how relentless she was and how she always fought to be successful, and never let adversity hold her back.  I also admired how she was bold/courageous in standing up for her beliefs and what was right on behalf of herself and other women.
• What about the entrepreneur did you least admire?
• This is a tough one... I honestly can't answer that.  May Kay was a driven individual who believed in empowering women.  She was one of the first successful women in business and she became a leader and role model, opening doors for other women.  She was motivated, determined, relentless, and cared about people... What is there not to like, really?
• Did the entrepreneur encounter adversity and failure? If so, what did they do about it?
• Mary Kay faced adversity from early on.  Her father was diagnosed with tuberculosis when she was 7 years old. At 7, she immediately had to take on responsibilities of a grown woman.  Mary Kay was taking care of her father, cooking, cleaning, and shopping on her own, in addition to going to school.  And, when she was only 17 she married and began having children.  11 years into her marriage her husband left her for another woman.  And, her second husband passed away.  It seems as though regardless of what Mary Kay endured she always continued to move forward.  She didn't let set backs define her, and she continued fighting for her own success.

2) What competencies did you notice that the entrepreneur exhibited? 

 Mary Kay was competent in sales, beginning with encyclopedias, and Stanley home products and ending with make-up.  She was competent at innovating products, business in general, and relating to other people, especially women. 

3) Identify at least one part of the reading that was confusing to you.

The book discussed her jobs prior to starting her own company, and the transitions between companies, which is where I got somewhat confused.  She worked for Stanley Home Products where she was super successful and was crowned "queen of sales" but then began working for the World Gift Company, where she was also successful and trained other employees.  But at World Gift Company, a man that Mary Kay had trained was placed above her and given double her salary, this being the pivotal moment in her career.  It just confuses me that men were treated superior to women in business, while I know it's fact, I just can't relate to it because of the world we live in today.

4) If you were able to ask two questions to the entrepreneur, what would you ask? Why?

1. What made you keep faith, and continue fighting amidst all the obstacles you had to overcome?

2. What are the 3 most important pieces of advice you would give someone starting their own business?

I would ask these questions because they are relevant to myself.  I often times struggle with staying faithful when faced with adversity.  And I want to own my own business so I know her insight would be helpful to me on my journey.

5) For fun: what do you think the entrepreneur's opinion was of hard work? Do you share that opinion?

In my opinion, Mary Kay didn't view hard work as "hard."  I think she saw opportunities, and decided she would take them regardless of what it required.  I think she just did what she thought was necessary and right at that time.. I don't think she would have necessarily viewed it as "hard work."  

But based on her work ethic, and relentless pursuit of success she would probably say that if you really want something, you have to commit to doing it regardless of the work required; & that success takes time, persistence and consistency, and to never give up.

Figuring Out Buyer Behavior No. 1

I want to preface by saying the exact time/place a person realizes they need a fitness coach isn't necessarily an exact moment, or physical place.  It's often characterized by life experiences, and can be an on going need they are aware of before they decide to take action.

a) My first interviewee is someone who needs fitness coaching because she can't lose weight on her own, and doesn't know what to do.
Need awareness:This person realized their need for a fitness coach when she realized the 2017 was coming to an end and she had gained 20 lbs and felt hopeless/lost about what to do next.

Information search: The first thing this person did after realizing their need was go o the internet.  She googled things like "gyms in Gainesville," "personal training," "workout plans," "diet to lose 20 lbs."In addition, she spoke with friends and family in the area who could share their experiences/opinions about what worked for them.  She said she typically follows diets her mom has used and found successful.

b)  My second interviewee is someone who needs fitness coaching because she isn't able to motivate herself to get it done and stay accountable.
Need awareness:  This person became aware of her need when she was in the gym, and wanted to go home, was finding herself distracted and unmotivated to exercise, and when she would snooze her alarm and blow of her workouts.

Information search: This person went to social media and looked for fitness trainers in the area, as well as fitness inspiration.  In addition she talked to her friend about their personal training experiences.  She says her friend referred her to her current personal trainer (& the friend found the trainer through social media).


c)  My third interviewee is someone who needs a fitness coach to help him get ready for a bodybuilding competition.

Need awareness: This person became aware of his need when he decided he wanted to compete in his second competition.  He had competed once before and didn't do as well as he wanted to, so he knew the next time around he would need to hire a coach.

Information search:  This person spoke to his friends.  He said he was friends with someone who coached people, so he asked that person to coach him. He had become friends with this person because they worked out at the same gym.


Conclusion:  In conclusion I realized how important word of mouth still is.  With that, it is also important what kind of service/experience you provide someone because that is what they are going to tell others about.  In addition, the internet and social media play a huge role in people seeking out information regarding their needs.

Idea Napkin

1)   I am a "fit-repreneur"... In other words, fitness is my life, and I plan to make it my career.  I am about to graduate with a B.S. in applied physiology and kinesiology with a specialization in health and wellness.  I am an ISSA certified personal trainer.  I am an NPC bikini bodybuilder, flexible dieter, and invest pretty much all of my free time into educating myself more about fitness.  

Fitness has been my life since I was 16, and I'm just trying to find a way to make it profitable.  This business idea will allow me to do what I love everyday and educate people about what I am passionate about, and make a living.

2)  I'm offering a service of fitness coaching to clients.  This service is to solve their problem of not being successful in accomplishing their fitness goals on their own.  Whether that be because they don't know what to make of all the contradictory information available about health/fitness,  or they lack accountability etc. 

In addition to the service of coaching I will also offer training and nutrition plans that are customizable, as well as non customized programs to target people with different financial resources. 

3) I am offering the specific, customized training/nutrition plan with check-ins and communication with myself, to only those who are extremely serious about their fitness goals and are willing to commit 100% to accomplishing their goal, and can afford to spend the time/financial resources to do so.  Furthermore, there will be an application process before being accepted to work with me, where I will decide if their goals are reasonable, and can be attained in a healthy fashion.

The training programs (specifically the non-customized workout plans which will be the cheapest option) are offered to a larger population.  These customers can be a lot less serious about their goals; they may not have specific goals at all, and are just looking for structure in their workouts.  These customers also do not need to have as much time/ financial resources as those who want the fitness coaching service.

4) I plan to grow my social media platforms (Instagram and YouTube) where my audience will be able to see that I am knowledgeable about health and fitness and not just some Instagram model selling a workout plan she didn't even write.  In addition, my audience will be able to see my credibility through my personal physique and experience bodybuilding, as well as other client testimonies.

*Basically think of your favorite IG model/fitspiration/YouTuber and how they grow a large social media following, and then direct their audience to their website to purchase X.

5) As mentioned in number 1, I have a degree in this stuff... I'm not just some tool telling you to eat 500g protein a day with no rhyme or reason (LOL).   In addition, I'm a certified personal trainer, and I have experience from competing in bodybuilding competitions myself.  I'm knowledgeable, I use science to back up my information/reasoning, and I have experience and a physique that makes me credible.  I utilize flexible dieting, which means more freedom with what you eat, no BS meal plans telling you to just eat tilapia and asparagus.... and I use other strategies to ensure that my clients metabolisms don't suffer.  Overall, I get people to their goals in the HEALTHIEST, and most SUSTAINABLE way possible.  I'm not selling some quick-fix BS.  I'm selling the opportunity to work with a coach who knows her s**t, cares about her clients health in the long term, and will educate them about why we do things the way we do them, making them successful in the long term!

Testing the Hypothesis pt 2

I feel like I've touched on this assignment's requirements in previous parts but I'll try to sum it all up here, again.

Who: As I identified earlier, not ALL people with fitness goals have a need for a fitness coach.  People who specifically fall outside my boundaries include those whose fitness goals are not very specific/serious (ex. "get healthier this year"), those who are successful on their own, and those who can't afford coaching.  Those who lie within my boundaries are those with very specific goals and the determination to determination to reach them.

What: The need for a fitness coach is not a general need.  It isn't the same as needing a personal trainer twice a week, needing some advice on nutrition, or needing motivation to accomplish your goals.  The need is differentiated by having a well defined, specific, timely goal, the ability to invest time and money into that goal, and the determination to reach that goal at all costs.  Again, this is a specific need that will only apply to a small population.

Why: From speaking with people who should but don't fit within my boundary, I realized the factors that often separate them from those within, are not being able to financially invest in their goals, or simply the ability to achieve their goals on their own.  So it's not the underlying cause, there's just a limiting factor.

Inside the boundary:

1. Who:  Those with specific a fitness goal, the ability to invest time and finances into it, and the determination to achieve it at all costs.
2. What the need is: A need for the knowledge and guidance of a fitness coach.
3. Why the need exists: People with very specific goals lack knowledge or the accountability to reach their goals on their own.

Outside the boundary:

1. Who:  People with broad fitness related goals, lacking the desire to fully invest and commit to those goals.  People without the financial ability to hire a coach.  People who are successful accomplishing their fitness goals on their own.
2. What the need is not:  A need for more motivation; a reason to pursue their goals. 
3. Alternative explanations:  There are people who don't meet the requirements to even have this need.  And then there's people who do meet the requirements to have this need, but have a limiting factor preventing them from having the need.
• The requirements = having a very specific fitness goal, the time and money to invest in that goal, and the determination to reach that goal at all costs.

Solving the Problem

The opportunity I chose to pursue is providing a service of fitness-coaching.  The "problem" I'm trying to solve is that (some) people are unsuccessful in accomplishing their fitness goals because they lack the knowledge and/or accountability required to be successful.

First, I want to grow my social media platforms (Instagram and YouTube).  This will allow me to establish an audience/population of people interested in fitness, to whom I will market my services.

I plan to create a website to sell my services.  I will focus mostly on one-on-one coaching.

• One-on-one coaching will entail working personally (myself) with the client.  Together we will discuss their goals, and decide on a healthy approach to achieve them in an appropriate amount of time.  I will provide the client with a nutrition and training plan.  The client will be required to send me their beginning stats (height, weight, measurements and before photos), and check-in with me on a weekly basis so I can personally track their progress and make adjustments as needed.  They will correspond with me weekly and as needed for questions/support.  This is the most in depth service offered, and requires building a relationship between client and coach.

 The price will vary based on the length of time required to reach the goal, as well as the client's knowledge and ability.   But, one-on-one coaching will be the most expensive service offered, because it requires the most amount time, planning, and investment on my end.


As I realized when interviewing people to "test my hypothesis," one-on-one coaching is not ideal or affordable for everyone and their goals.  So in addition, I will offer personalized coaching to varying degrees.  For example, personalized training OR nutrition plans sold independently, for a one-time purchase, with no weekly check-ins from me.  I will also sell training programs that are not personalized for an even cheaper amount.  For example, an '8 week Booty Builder" program etc.  These non-personalized plans will sell for about $30-$50. 

So basically I'll have a 3 tier system.

1. Not personalized training programs (cheapest option)
2. Personalized training or nutrition programs
3. Personalized one-on-one coaching with weekly correspondence from me (most expensive option)

I think that covers all the basis... at least you get the picture here.

A few of my peers asked how I plan to differentiate myself from other coaches so I wanted to address that as well.  

I'm credible:

First, I am an ISSA certified personal trainer, I will soon have my B.S. in applied physiology and kinesiology (and may go back for my masers in exercise science) and am personally an NPC bikini competitor.  

 In addition to this, I use a flexible dieting approach rooted in scientific data; no fad diets, no BS cleanses, no boring meal-plans.  I intend to coach all my clients as safely as possible without pushing them to unhealthy extremes.  I believe in reaching your fitness goals in the most healthy and sustainable way possible, with the least negative repercussions at the metabolic and hormonal level.  

 

My goal is to inspire, motivate, and educate people to obtain their fitness goals in the healthiest and most sustainable way possible!

Testing the Hypothesis

1.      The service I've decided to pursuit is fitness coaching.  I believe there is an opportunity for this because people trying to reach their fitness-goals, are often times unsuccessful because they lack the knowledge and/or accountability required to achieve them.

2.     The who: People who have fitness-goals
The what: They are unsuccessful in pursuit of their fitness-goals
The why: They often times lacking the knowledge, and/or accountability it takes to be successful


3.     Testing the who:  Not everyone who has fitness goals, needs a fitness coach.  For example, not everyone takes their fitness seriously enough to feel the need to invest in coaching (i.e. recreational gym goers).  And some people are successful managing their fitness goals on their own!  However, lots of people could benefit from working with a fitness coach.  For example, people with more serious, specific or timely goals; like people looking to lose X-number of pounds for a special event,  a power lifter training for a meet, someone looking to lose 100 lbs, a body-builder looking to compete, etc.  And then there's people who just need the accountability factor, like lifestyle clients looking to improve their metabolism, the ectomorph struggling to gain muscle, or even a successful fitness-fanatic who'd prefer to take the stress off themselves when it comes to designing a fitness program.

Testing the what:  Again, not everyone is unsuccessful at accomplishing their fitness goals, but a lot of people are.  And not all goals are specific enough to need coaching but, some are.

• honestly idk how to better test the boundaries of the "what"....

Testing the why:  When exploring why people are unsuccessful at achieving their fitness goals, it seems not knowing what to do (or lack of knowledge), not having self-control, not being fully-committed to the goal, and even social/peer pressure lead to failure.

I interviewed 5 people in the gym.  Three of which have super specific goals (body building focus).  Of these 3, 2 have experience having coaches.  The other one would invest in coaching if he could afford it, but still manages to be successful on his own.  The other person was successful in achieving his goals on his own, and said he doesn't need a coach, but could see the benefit in others hiring one.  And lastly I spoke with a girl who is trying to lose weight on her own, but struggles with the social pressure of going out to eat/drink with friends
After interviewing people, I realized the service I chose to pursue has a pretty specific "who".  My service is not for the general population.  It is for people with "specific" fitness goals, who place enough importance on them to invest in coaching.   The "what" was hard for me to explore... People do admit to being unsuccessful at achieving their fitness goals, but not everyone is.  The "why" went deeper than I addressed.  And while no one flat out said " I'm not accountable," I think having someone there to keep them accountable would reduce factors that make them unsuccessful, like lacking self-control, and giving in to social pressure to make bad decisions.