What happens when great coaching doesn’t equal great income?

It’s a question too many fitness professionals face. You can have top-tier credentials, years of experience, loyal clients, yet still struggle with pricing, customer acquisition, and business systems that grow. 

That’s the gap the Fitness Business Association (FBA) set out to close.

Founded to support the business side of the fitness industry, the FBA helps certified professionals shift from “trainer” to “business owner.” Whether you’re independent or part of a team, the core idea is simple: strong coaching needs strong infrastructure behind it.

FBA offers on-demand education, digital resources, mentorship, and member perks. But their standout contribution is SUCCEED, a virtual conference platform designed to teach fitness pros how to monetise, scale, and sustain their careers.

Let’s break down why it works and why thousands attend.

SUCCEED: Built for a New Fitness Economy

When the FBA launched SUCCEED in late 2019, the timing couldn’t have been stranger. Their early version flopped, right up until COVID-19 reshaped everything.

In 2020, SUCCEED pivoted fast. It became the first major virtual fitness business conference to grow at scale. Now, it runs three times a year and has evolved into the leading online event for fitness professionals seeking to refine the business side of their practice.

Here’s why it continues to stand out:

• No travel. No fluff. All function. You can attend from your phone or laptop. No airfare, no hotels, no time away from clients.
• More continuing education credits than in-person events. SUCCEED conferences offer more CEUs/CECs than most live expos. Many attendees complete full recertification over a single weekend.
• Only one ticket is needed. Your registration grants access to all three events across the year.
• Flexible and approachable. SUCCEED isn’t some buttoned-up corporate tradeshow. Speakers are approachable. Chats are active. You can get real answers from real people.
• Relatable experts. You’re not listening to tech CEOs or abstract marketers. Every speaker is someone who’s lived inside the fitness business trenches. They’ve scaled studios, weathered client droughts, built brands, and rebuilt again.

August 2025 Conference Snapshot

The August event maintains a lean and focused format. This year’s edition is 100% pre-recorded, a rare shift from their usual semi-live model. But that doesn’t mean passive viewing.

From sales systems to staff retention, pricing psychology to branding, there’s a track for almost every niche.

• Interactive chats remain open with speakers during sessions.
• Gamification features are layered to encourage exploration. Prizes, rewards, and surprise giveaways help boost engagement.
• AI-powered Q&A and topic tagging enable attendees to filter through over 20 sessions based on their business stage or area of focus.

Why Go To SUCCEED?

Adding another conference sounds like a stretch, because if you’re like most trainers or gym owners, you’re already maxed out. 

So, what makes SUCCEED different? It’s not like other events. You don’t have to rearrange your week. You don’t need to dress up or fly out. 

All you have to do is just log in.

More importantly, it’s one of the few spaces built entirely around helping fitness professionals run better businesses. It’s all made out of field-tested frameworks from people who’ve built six-figure studios, digital coaching empires, and thriving hybrid models.

It’s also the kind of place where you’ll feel seen. 

No hard selling, no ego. Just shared insight and solutions from people who’ve been through the same slow months, hiring mistakes, or marketing confusion.

Final Thoughts

Fitness professionals deserve more than just technical knowledge. They need business fluency and a place to build it. The Fitness Business Association has created that space with SUCCEED.

It’s one of the few fitness conferences where every single session is about making coaching sustainable. 

If you want to strengthen the foundation behind your coaching (your systems, your marketing, your client pipeline), then SUCCEED is worth locking into your calendar. 

One ticket. Three events. All focused on helping you grow what you’ve already built.

Registration for SUCCEED is now open on Marketplace.

About Robert James Rivera
Robert is a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the health niche and its ever-expanding sub-niches. As a food and nutrition scientist, he knows where to find the resources necessary to verify health claims.