The Business of Fitness: An Interview with Ryan Lee
Thought you guys might like to take a look at today's newsletter; I think Ryan brings up some really good points on the direction of the industry (and there are some other goodies in there):
It is a great interview! I have to admit, as most of you know, I used to be a skeptic regarding Ryan Lee. I used to be one of those guys he talks about as living in scarcity and boxing myself in. But I contacted Ryan and he made me realize what he talks about in Eric interview. In order to be a successful trainer in this cut-throat biz (and it is very cut-throat for all you non-fitness personnel) you REALLY need to know your craft to sustain a business (whether you work on your own or in a club). Your personality, your physique, fads, and chatter only get you so far...if you are able to get your clients to their goals--then that is what sticks out in your resume. And Ryan has made me realize that that is what he is FOR. Quality trainers putting out quality products.
If anyone has ever had the opportunity to hear Ryan speak, he is a soft spoken gentleman. During his talks, his enthusiasm starts to rev up, and reading this interview, I feel like I can hear Ryan speak. He is a true gentleman and great reprsentative of this business. I am happy to say I have turned over a new leaf and I have printed up that interview to read and have my staff read. Thanks for sharing Eric.
Great food for thought Eric, thanks for posting it over here.
__________________
Working "hard," or the perception of working hard, doesn't really mean anything. Sweating, vomiting, and breathing hard could be a good workout or a tropical disease kicking in.-Dan John
Ryan interviewed me a couple weeks ago for a package he sends out to his subscribers. We were talking about the media in general and magazines in particular, so I think I had some useful information to share.
But it still felt weird to be interviewed by him when, really, I have a lot more to learn from him than he does from me.
Seriously? No. I'm a Systems Analyst for Xerox Corporation.
You work for Xerox?
The crap I learn everyday.
__________________ 2009: No races, No times. Slow year. So, now you're 96 cals short. You're now in starvation mode. Doomed. - LostDog
Blog entry: November 1, 2009, Pancakes LiveSTRONG daily plate log
It only gives me a headache when the copy quality sucks. But, I just pop an Aspirin® and wipe the glass off with a Kleenex® for them. If they're going to do some advertising for us, it had better look good, at least!
Does it bug you when people say they do "reverse hypers®" on a swiss ball?
When I was a magazine copy editor, the brand-name thing was an incredible pain in the ass.
You couldn't say "Frisbee" -- if it wasn't made by that company, it was a "plastic flying disc."
The worst was Velcro. Unless you were sure the product on a jacket or wallet you were describing was indeed Velcro, you'd get a letter from the lawyer for Velcro admonishing you for not saying "hook and loop fastener."
Another weird brand-name factoid:
When I was at MH, I learned that we owned the phrase "adventure travel." It's hard to think of something more generic than that, but the phrase was copyrighted by a magazine called Mountain West, and when Rodale bought that magazine's assets (mostly to get its mailing list for Backpacker, I think), it also bought the copyright to "adventure travel."
By the way, I've copyrighted "strength training," "muscle hypertrophy," and "Brad Pitt's abs." (John Williams beat me to "ript abz!", so I had to settle for Pitt's.) Anytime you use those phrases, you owe me a royalty. If not, you'll hear from my lawyer ... or you would if I actually had a lawyer.
The strangest one that I know is when the cash strapped State of Kentucky trademarked the name "Kentucky," forcing Kentucky Fried Chicken and the Kentucky Derby to change their names rather than pay the royalties. The state has since abandoned the idea and the Derby has started using the word again. So, I've heard...
The Business of Fitness: An Interview with Ryan Lee
It will have your mind churning if you are interested in moving ahead in the fitness industry.
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