In an industry that is now built through social media where we only advertise the crazy, sexualized, and positive-news-only, it is hard to navigate who has their eggs in order. It’s difficult to find a strength coach mentor or person of authority that doesn’t have their head so far up their ass they can’t smell their own b.s. because how far their ego has gone to their head. However difficult it is, finding the right strength coach mentor can help you in the long term if you decide to work in the field of strength & conditioning, personal training, or fitness.
Let me start by saying that by no means do I know everything or everyone. What I do have is a certain set of skills. Something I have acquired over many years working in major markets, in every capacity of personal training, and various corporate and small businesses. If you can understand what value that has, then I can give you an understanding through my lens what I am about to explain to you.
Attempting to become a strength coach mentor is a selfish-endeavor. I call it selfish because the reward out of being a mentor is the self-satisfaction or feeling of charity that you have given off to another by enriching their life. There’s nothing wrong with being a mentor. If you’re doing it for the right reasons, you’re trying to push someone in the right direction, accelerate their personal and professional growth, or giving someone an opportunity they may not have had before.
Trying to be a strength coach mentor in an attempt to try to build an empire, building your reputation, or use others time for your self-advancement can be and should be considered a cheap form of leadership and character. You can also see other behavioral issues that I’ve outlined in an old article I was featured in. I know many who are considered the latter and only a handful who fit the first kind.
Lessons I’ve Had As A Strength Coach Mentor
I’ve only had the opportunity to be a mentor to only a few people. I saw no opportunity to make money off them, coerce their allegiance for me, or use them to advance my career. I only guided them for the questions they had, insights I had, and pitfalls to avoid as their strength coach mentor. This doesn’t mean that they could have benefited learning from their mistakes. That’s a critical part of being successful. Being a mentor in this case is virtuous because you’re allowing others to bypass the mistakes you made to have quicker mobility in their career.
Enough of the philosophy and sociology behind being a strength coach mentor, let me list why you should get a strength coach mentor.
- It will work with someone with more experience than you who is willing to give their time and lens of expertise to enrich your career. It’s your choice on how serious you take it.
- You will get a direct line of communication for all the questions and concern you have for multiple areas of the industry. Programming, exercise selection, marketing, communication, management, client retention, media, and understanding how to navigate the industry.
- Learn he mistakes they made to sharpen your knife. Iron can only sharpen iron.
- You can advance your career with the recommendation from that mentor or navigate around their “tree.” It’s likely that mentor has worked with others who have gone off and made their own name. There are opportunities in working with those and having something in common.
- If there is a chance for a mentorship, it might also be an internship. Make sure it makes sense for you financially and in your schedule. Don’t waste their time and yours. Make sure you can commit.
Asking for help isn’t a sign of weakness. Being comfortable in your own skin to look for guidance is actually a strength. Finding a mentor in the strength and conditioning or fitness world isn’t easy, but it is possible. My one last piece of advice is this: Don’t fall for everything anyone says because if you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything. Pay attention to what they say and how they say it. Make sure if you start something, you finish it. Don’t be afraid of doing the dirty work, putting your head down, and grinding.
Outside of finding a strength coach mentor, if you’re looking for more content to help you advance in the S&C or fitness industry, take a read at one of my early blog posts about building a B.S. detector in the industry.