The health and wellness industry is booming, with more people prioritizing their physical and mental well-being than ever before. This ever-growing market presents a golden opportunity for coaches and trainers to carve out successful careers. However, excelling in this field requires more than just expertise in fitness and nutrition; it demands a keen understanding of the business side of health and wellness. Enter Billy Polson, founder of The Business Movement, whose insights and strategies have helped countless coaches and trainers thrive.

Billy Polson is a renowned business coach in the health and wellness industry, known for his ability to transform passion into profitability. His approach emphasizes the importance of differentiating oneself, leveraging charisma, and fully utilizing one’s unique toolkit. He gave us his best industry advice for coaches, trainers, and studio / gym owners to thrive in a market that is constantly growing. 

Asking The Expert

If you’ve found yourself digging into the leaders of the fitness industry, you’ve probably come across the name Billy Polson once or twice, and if you haven’t, today is your lucky day for an introduction. Billy has worn many hats in the health and wellness industry including personal trainer, performance coach, fitness entrepreneur, founder, owner, and (if you ask me or many people around him) leader and motivator. Not only is Billy the founder and co-owner of DIAKADI Fitness, one of the best gyms in San Francisco, he also helped with the production of DIAKADI’s fitness entrepreneur education program, The Business Movement. 

With so much experience building his own brands and businesses, Billy has some major insight as to what makes someone successful in this industry. The Business Movement is focused on helping studio and gym owners as well as personal trainers as they curate their business strategy to differentiate themselves and to find success in their chosen niche. Or, as Billy puts it, “My job is to help other people find their dream job”.

Standing out as a coach or trainer can become increasingly difficult as more people turn towards health and fitness related careers. How do you separate yourself as a leader and an expert in your field when the industry continues to grow at such a fast rate?

Finding Your Unique Differentiator

Finding your dream job within the health and wellness industry doesn’t need to be as complex or extreme as it may sound. One of the main things Billy suggests to his clients is to figure out your unique brand and differentiator, and you can do so by asking a few questions. 

• What makes you unique? 
• What is your niche? 
• What makes you the best? 
• Who do you want to work with? 
• What are their needs? 
• What do you offer that is different from anyone else that wants to help that same set of clientele.

Answering those questions will give you a great head start as you’re finding your direction, re-assessing your business, or looking to obtain more growth doing what you already love. Finding your differentiator is step one. 

Leading With Charisma 

After you figure out what your differentiator is, you’ll have to accentuate your expertise with your individual charisma. The definition of “charisma” according to Merriam-Webster is two-fold. 1. “a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure (such as a political leader)” or 2. “a special magnetic charm or appeal”. Either way you dice it, Billy points out that this is one of the main qualities he sees in all of the coaches and trainers that are the most successful overall.

Some would argue that charisma is something you’re born with, and not something you can learn, but whether you’re born with it or not, you’ll want to spend time building upon your charisma and magnetism. 

Some ways to build on this might be:

• Joining a toastmasters club 
• Practice more active listening
• Shine your light on to others
• Be confident in what you’re selling – practice your shop talk with people you trust so you feel confident when it’s time to give your delivery to potential clients
• Smile more, and don’t fear eye contact

Nail Down Your ToolKit  

Billy also commented that having a superb toolkit is something he sees the most successful trainers utilizing. What is a tool kit? In the simplest form, a tool kit is a metaphor for a real life tool box. Each tool in the tool box is meant to do something to fix or build. Hammers, screwdrivers, nails, and measuring tapes are the metaphors for your business skills you’ll need to have if you want to find long-term success in your business. 

Some of these tools can be as simple as continuing your education and remaining ever-curious. By learning more, you’re always growing with the trends and changes, and providing your clients an even more professional experience. You’ll also want to build your tools around acquiring and retaining clients, business practices, and Billy even goes into the way you celebrate client results. 

Final Thought

The health and wellness industry is ripe with opportunities for dedicated coaches and trainers to thrive while doing what they love, but success requires more than just a passion for fitness and helping others. Billy exemplifies how understanding the business side of health and wellness can turn your passion into your profit. His approach to differentiating oneself, leveraging charisma, and building a comprehensive toolkit offers a roadmap for standing out in a competitive market.