March 13, 2025 • 34 mins
Still on the fence about sending regular emails? In this conversation with Lara Gallert from Alloy Personal Training, we dig into how simple email newsletters drive engagement, boost retention, and make your fitness brand stand out with older adults.
Plus, Lara shares her own studio’s wins and how we turned one email into serious ROI.
🧠 Best for: gym owners, franchisees, and coaches building community
You’ll learn:
- What kind of emails work best for 50+ clients
- How often to send and what to say
- Real-world results from Alloy’s client communication
Enjoy Lara’s enthusiasm and expertise. And if you need help with your emails, call me!
Topics Covered:
✅ The Power of Newsletters for Client Engagement
✅ Challenges Faced by Middle-Aged Fitness Clients
✅ Marketing & Communication Strategies for Gym Owners
✅ The Importance of Movement for Longevity
Connect with Larra Gallery:
• Website: https://alloypersonaltraining.com/location/summerfield-nc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laragallert
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-gallert-7884ab50/
Connect with Jay Croft:
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primefitcontent
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/croftjay/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaycroft
For more tips reaching the over-50 fitness market, subscribe to The Optimal Aging Podcast or visit www.primefitcontent.com.
Email: jay@primefitcontent.com
Thanks for listening!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's just been amazing how people will respond
and hold on to things that weassume they don't want that
information, so that wasfantastic.
It shows us like how we cancontinue to fulfill this
audience by giving them thisinformation.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hi everybody, I'm Jay Croft and welcome to the
Optimal Aging Podcast, where wediscuss the business of exercise
, healthy living and well-beingfor people 50 and over.
Each week, we explore whathealthy living means for
millions of people over age 50,and what's coming next, with a
focus on communications, contentand making powerful connections
(00:40):
.
Okay, gym owners, I hear thisall the time.
You want to know why should Isend newsletters to grow my
business?
For some reason, a lot of youstill resist using newsletters
because you don't like them oryou think they're spam or
whatever.
For some reason I can'tunderstand.
Well, I have an answer for youtoday through your question
(01:03):
about why you should bother tosend newsletters, and it comes
straight from someone who'smaking it work Lara Gallard, the
OG Alloy Personal Trainingfranchisee.
She opened the very first Alloyfranchise studio nearly five
years ago in North Carolina andshe's here today to share her
hard-earned wisdom on reachingand retaining fitness clients
(01:25):
who are 40, 50, and older.
And whether you run a gym orsome other kind of business,
lara's insights are going to beinvaluable.
She has stories real, practical, proven stories that can help
you grow and give you anemotional boost to keep doing
what you do.
One of her stories is anabsolute masterclass in why
(01:47):
newsletters work.
Seriously, I couldn't have madethis up.
If I tried to come up with thison my own as a commercial for
my own business, you wouldn'tbelieve me.
Lara relates how she converteda long dormant prospect into a
happy alloy member just byshowing up in her inbox into a
happy Alloy member just byshowing up in her inbox.
And you'll hear Lara tell it inher own words later in this
(02:08):
episode.
Now Lara is one of the Alloyfranchisees who have brought me
on in the last year or so tohelp with their content and
communications.
I send two newsletters a weekto their prospects and clients,
helping them convert theprospects and build a valuable
sense of community for theirmembers.
And as Alloy keeps growing 100studios open now, more than 300
(02:32):
locations sold and who knows howmany more to come I hope to
work with even more of them.
So if you're an Alloy owner, Iwant you to go to my Alloy page
to learn more.
That's primefitcontentcombackslash Alloy.
For you Alloy owners, and don'tworry, everyone who's not
affiliated with Alloy mybusiness, prime Fit Content, is
(02:52):
still dedicated to helping youas well.
Just visit primefitcontentcomto learn more.
Now you've heard Alloy founderRick Mayo on this show before,
and you've heard multiplefranchisee Nick Garrity share
his story.
And now I'm really happy tointroduce Lara Gellert.
She's talking about the powerof communicating, how it helps
(03:14):
you connect with active agerswho are hungry for the
communications and for your helpto live their best lives, why
she's a true believer in stayingin touch with prospects and
members through consistent,engaging, premium newsletters.
I'm so glad I got to know Laraand I'm excited for you to hear
this conversation Enjoy.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I was there and ran the Alloy Licensee program until
I heard Alloy was going intothe franchise.
You know they were going totransition from licensing to
franchising and so that was whenI went through that process,
you know, with Alloy and all,because I truly believe in the
(03:57):
product and how it does helpthis very large population that
really and truthfully doesn'tget a lot of attention right and
they're, for the most part,falling through the cracks
endlessly.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yep, and that's what I want to talk about.
That's why I'm in business andthat's why I'm so enamored of
Alloy as well, and it's what Itry to do with my other folks of
alloy as well, and that's whatI tried to do with my other
folks.
You know, I create and sellmarketing materials to other
gyms that want to reach peoplein the same demographic and just
made sense to hook up with withyou all because you're so good
(04:34):
at it and, uh, you have thisgreat infrastructure and so I
love it.
I'm a big, a big.
I've been for even before Istarted working with any of you.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Well, I think you're a great addition, because it
really is.
You know, at the end of the day, right?
We get to see a client one houra day, two times a week or
three times a week, and it'sreally hard to grow that
relationship with them and givethem everything that they're
looking for grow thatrelationship with them and give
(05:21):
them everything that they'relooking for.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So you taking your expertise and getting it out.
I wanted to have you on justbecause I felt like we were
singing the same song when wespoke before, so give the folks
a little bit of the backgroundthat you alluded to a little bit
there before, but you were atthe club earlier and working
with Alloy and so what's your 50words or less life story and
(05:43):
how you got to be here today?
Speaker 1 (05:45):
A life story on how I am where I am today.
You know.
I mean, I had a previous career.
I was a flight attendant formany years and thought that it
was because I wanted to travelthe world, which I did.
But as years went on and itjust wasn't something I could
continue to do and I had todeviate to a new career.
(06:08):
It just made sense that it waspersonal training, because it
was something that you did as aflight attendant.
You know, if you were on aplane, you were gone.
But once you got to the hotel,what was the first thing you did
?
Went to the gym.
I was hired back in the 90s when, you know, you did have to look
a certain way and it is aphysically demanding job, so it
(06:29):
was part of the play you know asyour career.
And then, as I stopped flying,I was searching what it was I
wanted to do and my husband, youknow, really pointed out to me
you care about people, you lovethe gym.
Why not correlate the twotogether?
And that's when I reallytransitioned into full-time in
the fitness industry.
(06:49):
And then, as this brand shows,it really is about if you care
about people, you want to touchas many as you can and this
brand really allows Alloy allowsyou to help anybody coming
through the door of any walk oflife.
So kind of fast forward startedwith the club, worked with them,
(07:11):
brought this product, the AlloyLicensee in and we ran the play
play and really in thebackground really saw like see
people come into the gym and dotheir own thing and go to group
x classes and go to pilates andgo to spin.
But really the people I alwayssaw most connected and making
(07:32):
the most change in their lifeoverall were the people in the
programming.
So when I heard, you know,years later, as Rick was going
to take the franchising role outor he was going to unroll it
and just kind of handhold it alittle bit more, I definitely
wanted to be a part of that.
So that's when I partnered withmy partner at the time and we
(07:54):
became the first Alloy.
We're very excited to unrollour product.
So July 1st 2020 is when weofficially opened our doors.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Fantastic, you're coming up on five years and you
were the first one, and I thinkthere are a hundred now.
Is that right?
A hundred that are open?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Okay, so you are the Eve figure, you're the original,
you're the number one, the mamaof the whole thing.
How does that feel?
Speaker 1 (08:23):
It's very special.
I take a lot of pride in it.
I take a lot of pride in whatAlloy is and what it stands for
and I really try to empower myteam to take that role each and
every day.
So you know, I really want themto come in and do their job and
I really want them to come inand have fun with these clients,
(08:43):
because the population that wetrain, that 45 to 65 year old
client right, they've so muchgoing on in their headspace.
They are parents, they areempty nesters, they are jet
setters and their schedules arecrazy and their lifestyle is
hectic and they've got a lot ontheir plate.
(09:05):
Let's be honest, today is not aneasy world to live in.
The ability to allow ourclients to come in and come in
whether they're having a goodday and can give us 100%, or
come in when they're having abad day and say, hey, I've only
got 70% in my bucket to give youand we can say that's fine,
we're still going to take careof you and keep them moving
(09:25):
forward.
I think that's an integral partof our society and you know,
when we look at where obesity istoday and you know now you look
at everybody's looking for thatquick fix, and this is not the
quick fix, but it is thepermanent fix.
It is something that you willput you on the road to be able
(09:46):
to go out and play golf, to geton the floor with your grandkids
, to still go skiing at the ageof 50 and 60, right, like tennis
.
All those things that if youaren't exercising and you aren't
training and you aren't doingsomething for yourself, we lose
those things as we age.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Yeah, we do, and that's the compelling message
that I try to share.
I like to ski.
I grew up in Colorado andAlaska, so I grew up skiing and
I lived in Atlanta for 25 years.
So it's a challenge, you know,but it's still probably my
favorite thing and I don't wantto stop doing that just because
I'm 61 years old, you know, andI don't see the reason why I
(10:27):
should.
So yet I take pains to becareful to explain to people
that you don't have to ski, youdon't have to do triathlons, you
don't have to be a remarkableathlete just to be able to work
in your garden or to play withyour grandchild or to carry your
luggage through the airport onyour way to Europe.
That you're finally going to goon this trip you've been
(10:48):
anticipating for years.
That's the point, like the,what you do is I don't want to
say it's irrelevant, but it kindof is the point really is just
that you're able to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Right, we have clients that come in and we have
one that it's her third yearwith us, her third year
anniversary, and every summerthey go on a big vacation to
Europe.
And past two years she sat onthe sidelines when they were
going out and doing theactivities and she came in when
we were meeting in anaccountability session a couple
(11:18):
of weeks ago and she said so Isigned up for this and this and
this, all of the things that shewas afraid to do that she feels
like her balance, her corestrength, her stamina are all
capable of doing the things thatshe's set on the sidelines to
do.
So I feel like, for all of uswho have this, this great
(11:39):
viewpoint, right, I'm going towork really hard for however
many years I'm going to retireand then I'm going to travel,
and then we get to that pointand we have so many issues that
are in front of us that wereally never get to live out
that dream and to see people inhere being able to fulfill their
bucket lists.
It makes me feel good inside.
(11:59):
You know, when you get thatfeedback from clients and you
see their confidence go up andthey're super happy and their
life is in a better place thanit possibly could be without us.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Yep, absolutely.
It's why I like writing aboutit, because the stories are so
emotional, so uplifting.
They really touch you whereyour heart is.
A lot of these stories do thatyou're involved in, Now that
I've always been up and outthere for almost five years, you
were the first one.
A lot of folks down the linehave benefited from your
(12:34):
experiences.
You were the first one to do alot of things.
What did you have to learnabout your communications?
Maybe your marketing?
Maybe your approach toquote-unquote, selling fitness
to slightly older people?
What were some of?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
the challenges and how did you overcome them?
Well, one of them is I didreach out to you.
As it is, I love that Alloy hasa template.
So you know, we run the playand it allows us to focus on
building the relationships withour customers and then educating
our clients.
We take for granted that theyknow all of the things that we
have been learning all of ourlives and continually educating
(13:14):
ourselves on, so basic thingslike nutrition and movement, and
you know, just taking a walk orhow these things, like you said
, can benefit you in day-to-daylife.
It's integral to touching them,to keep them in constant
contact with you.
And so in the beginning, whenyou're trying to launch a
(13:36):
facility, you're busy trying toget everybody in the door.
But once you are here and we'renot a large client model, right
, we're 130, you know, 130people are really our makeup of
what we want as a customer basis.
So how do you keep that 130?
You can't continually bepulling them through the door.
(13:57):
I think one of the things Ipride myself on is you know, we
do have a very high retentionrate and that's because we're
building that relationship withthose clients both on the floor
and off the floor, and so youhave to give them that, feed the
knowledge to them of all theseother areas of life, of what can
I do when I'm not at the gym,or how can I make a better meal,
(14:21):
or what really is good rest,how do I unwind when I'm having
a stressful week.
And that's where thenewsletters can come into play
to really help our clients.
So I really feel Facebook hasbecome marketing of advertising.
Not a lot of people go thereanymore when people are doing
(14:41):
quick videos, people watch themand they see them.
But we do need to feed thebrain and that comes through
reading and absorbing thatknowledge, and newsletters
really do that for them.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Well, I'm glad that's been your experience, because
that's what I'm basing mybusiness on and I don't want to
make this all about me.
But the last time you and Ispoke I think it was the last
time before you signed up withme and we were talking about all
kinds of things and we werehitting it off and getting to
know each other and I don't wantto misrepresent you, so correct
me if I'm wrong, but the way Iremember it is.
(15:14):
You said something like shouldyou have me send your
newsletters to people youhaven't been in touch with for a
while, or should you justforget about them because they
don't want to hear from youafter a certain period of time?
And I said oh no, let's hitthem all.
If they haven't heard from youin a while, that's okay.
They asked to hear from you andif they don't want it anymore,
(15:39):
they can unsubscribe, and that'sfine.
You won't get your feelings hurtand we'll move on.
But let anymore.
They can unsubscribe and that'sfine.
You won't get your feelingshurt and we'll move on.
But let's send it to everybody.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
You never know you might get one that says, oh,
nice to hear from you again,alloy, yeah, sign me up.
It was just crazy.
So we had agreed and you said,okay, the first newsletter is
going to go out on Tuesdaymorning at 7 am.
And I'm literally not even outof bed.
Open my email, my work email,and there is a message from a
client who had walked throughour door two years prior so she
(16:10):
was still on our list and shehad gone through some personal
issues, a lot of turmoil, andshe had lost her husband and her
confidence was down.
Her life has been just a hotmess and man.
She emailed me right then andthere I emailed her back and I
think we had her in within aweek.
(16:31):
And actually I met with herearlier this week for her third
accountability and it's justbeen life-changing for her
because, losing her husband,she's lost some connection with
what does she do with herselfand she's already met a friend
and so here they are trainingtogether and they're helping
each other and she benefits theone because that one, you know,
(16:55):
she feels like I'm seasoned here, so I'm going to show her what
to do and it's given her someoneto come to at the end of her
workday rather than go home toan empty house and deal with
that sadness.
So it's just been amazing howpeople will respond and hold on
to things that we assume theydon't want that information.
(17:17):
So that was fantastic.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Thank you for relaying the story just now.
I was so excited when you sentme that and the reason I want to
talk about it now for otherpeople to hear it, and this goes
for any gym owner, whetheryou're an alloy or not.
A lot of people have theseemail lists that they're not
doing anything with for onereason or another.
Either you're tired of it, oryou think it's not working, or
you personally don't likegetting emails, so you think
(17:42):
that no one does.
What have you?
You're just not doing anythingwith that email.
Then you start using it and youimmediately got someone who
signed up and is now a goodmember and you're helping that
woman have a better life.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
And isn't that amazing yeah, it shows us like
how we can continue to fulfillthis audience by giving them
this information.
There is a need for it.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Hey, are you a fitness professional trying to
grow your business with peopleover 50?
If you are, then you need toknow how to communicate with
them, how to market to them andhow to get them to trust you
with their fitness, well-beingand money.
We're talking about millions ofpeople who are a little older
than the typical market that thefitness industry usually
pursues.
They have more money, more timeand better motivation to make
(18:30):
the best long-term fitnessconsumers you'll find anywhere.
If you're not focusing on them,you should be.
Prime Fit Content is the onlycontent marketing company
designed specifically to helpyou engage people in this group
and to help you distinguishyourself from competitors in
your community.
It's effective, affordable andsuper easy to use.
Check it out atprimefitcontentcom.
(18:52):
That's prime like prime of yourlife, fitcontentcom.
Back to the show.
Yeah, I was really moved bythat.
I similarly have an email listthat I correspond with my
prospects and send them thingsthat I think that they'll find
useful or interesting orrelevant, somehow that aren't
sales pitchy.
And whenever I get a newsubscriber to my business, to
(19:14):
Prime Fit Content, I ask themhow did you hear about me?
What made you sign up with me?
And every once in a whilesomeone says well, I've been on
your email list for a couple ofyears and I just finally decided
to do it.
And you think really, goodnessgracious it happens, we got to
keep repeating the message andstaying in front of people so
(19:35):
that when they're ready.
Your woman went through lifetrauma and time passed and she
was delighted to hear from youand now she's changing her life.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
So the lesson, I think, is that we've just got to
keep at it, even when we think,oh, I don't want to do this
anymore I think we really needto understand that doing this as
long as I have the majority ofthe people coming through the
door that Alloy is geared forand that the people you are
trying to get the message toright that population they did
(20:07):
not grow up with.
Exercise was a way of life,especially the female population
.
So you know you have an injury.
Well, you don't exercise.
That's bad and it's theopposite.
Science has taught usdifferently.
We know so much more now.
So many of them are nervous,and to send that newsletter out
(20:28):
for prime fit content to betouching all these audience
people through all of thefitness places that utilize you
is giving that message to thepeople that are probably wanting
to read it behind closed doorsbecause they're afraid.
And you know it's that onelittle thing that's going to
help them just have that momentof confidence and hit a button
(20:51):
or answer the newsletter andallow them to open a new chapter
in their lives.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Yeah, I'm really glad that she's still coming in and
that you've had threeaccountability sessions.
That's great.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah, and she's doing fantastic Like wrapping her
head around how strengthtraining is great for a female
and how it's going to help heroverall health and play with the
grandkids and do more as she'saging and for her a concern is
she's home alone now.
So she knows, hey, if I fall,Alloy has taught me how to get
(21:26):
up properly.
Yeah, so her independence isgiving her a new confidence in
her life.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
That's just great.
Can I ask how old is she?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
She is 63.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Okay.
Reason I ask is because I'm 61.
And I really perked up when yousaid that previous generations
didn't grow up with fitness, andthat's something I talk about a
lot because we forget, orpeople much younger than I am
don't know that previousgenerations didn't work out.
There weren't gyms everywhere,there wasn't a Lifetime or a
(21:58):
Bally's or a I don't know OrangeTheory or take your pick.
Hotels didn't have gyms.
Your workplace didn't have gyms.
It just wasn't a thing untillike the late 70s, I guess early
80s maybe.
I remember when it happened.
I was in college, high schooland college, and that was the
late 70s, I guess early 80s.
Maybe I remember when ithappened, I was in college, high
school and college, and thatwas the late 70s and early 80s,
when it became sort of normalfor ordinary people to want to
(22:21):
work out, to exercise, to havemuscles, to watch their body
weight, that kind of thing.
And we forget that.
What's relevant is that anybodymy age or older, so 60 or older
it wasn't part of life for ourparents or our grandparents.
This is a new thing and a coupleof months ago I interviewed my
(22:41):
college roommate for thispodcast and I wrote about her
for prime pick content.
So she's 61 as well.
She has taken up power liftingat this point in life, which
just blows my mind because itwas not what she was doing in
college, put it that way.
So now she's doing powerliftingand she said to me when we did
the interview she said, Jay, youknow, when we were kids, nobody
(23:02):
told us this was important.
No one told me I needed to liftweights.
I never thought about it, andif I did, I would have thought
it was something only boyswanted to do, because they
wanted big muscles.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
And women.
I would have thought it wassomething only boys wanted to do
, because they wanted bigmuscles and women.
I remember for years we wouldhear well, I don't want to lift
because it's going to make mebig, not true?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Not true.
If only it were that easy.
Every time a woman says that, Iwant to say you know how many
men wish it were that easy tojust pick up a weight one time
and suddenly you've got bigmuscles.
It's a little harder than that.
It wasn't part of our culture.
And so we in fitness I mean asa communicator, you as a gym
owner we have to remember that,that that woman who called you
(23:41):
and is now a member, she didn'tknow.
A 40-year-old woman probablydoes, but a 65-year-old woman
probably does not.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
No, they for sure do not.
I mean, I was born in the 60smyself, so I'm 57.
And anytime I had an injury, mymom was drum all the way from,
all the way back then.
But I'm very thankful for itnow because I think it's made a
huge difference in my life and Ithink it allows me to really
relate with our clients whenthey're coming through the door.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
What else are they coming through the door with?
You know what else is on theirmind.
What do you hear from themcommonly?
Are they afraid?
Are they afraid?
Are they nervous?
Do they think that they're tooold?
Are they afraid they're goingto get hurt, that people will
make fun of them?
You know what are the mentalhangups that they're having.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
So I feel that the majority of the people that you
know we really ring through thedoor.
I mean, it is all walks of life, so it's male, it's female,
it's every age.
I mean, at the end of the day Iwill say you know, you can even
have your college student.
That you know.
Let's be honest, the youth oftoday, they don't have exercise.
(25:05):
I mean, when I went to gymclass we had gym class right.
They don't have gym class likethat anymore today.
Gym class, right.
They don't have gym class likethat anymore today.
So we're such a sedentarysociety that people have such
poor mobility and poor strengthand movement patterns that if
people aren't on a team and ithasn't been in their family
(25:27):
background, that they're at aloss.
So I would say number onepeople come through the door
very, very afraid that they justcan't do this, that they have
to be stronger before they cancome to us, that they need to
lose 30 pounds before they cancome to us, or if they have an
injury, that's keeping them fromcoming to us.
(25:48):
So it kind of parlays me toanother client that we have.
She has been with us for twoyears and she would come in all
the time and say I wish I couldget my husband in here.
Husband sits in front of acomputer 40, 50 hours a week,
mid-40s, young son at home andback issues.
(26:08):
So here we fast forward, twoyears later, constant pain, very
sedentary lifestyle, and shesaid to me if I can go to the
doctor visit with him.
And the doctor says he can come.
Will you see him?
I said has he had an injury?
Is he having surgery?
(26:30):
And she said no, they don'tknow.
He's just his back hurts allthe time.
So we got him in and he hasbeen here for three months and
within his first week of doingmovement patterns and exercises
with us, he said that this isthe first time his back has not
been hurting him as bad as itwas.
(26:51):
So the body is made to move.
Right, we are a machine that ismade to move and the best thing
we can do is allow our body todo what it was built to do.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yep, I would like to talk to him about that.
Write about him for the LAnewsletter.
I think that would be a greatexample if you think he'd be up
for it.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Yeah, definitely we should connect and make that
happen, because he's in a betterplace and it's already giving
him more energy during the day,better sleep at night and
they're able to have a betterquality of family life.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Oh, that's great, hey , so my messaging and Alloy's
are very similar, and I thinkthat's why I've one of the
reasons why I like working withyou all so much.
So tell me what messages reallyland, like what's effective
with people to get them in hereto meet you and to come and
start working out, and then youknow what maybe isn't so great,
(27:44):
and I'm asking this becausepresumably gym owners within
Alloy and gym owners outside ofAlloy are listening to this and
you're a successful person, andso you've got perhaps some tips,
I guess.
So what are some marketingmessaging suggestions that you
would tell people to incorporate?
Speaker 1 (28:04):
I mean, I think we are a culture, right.
It's.
We have a culture and acommunity that we really want to
help our people live a betterlife.
We want them to get busy livingand feel better and move better
.
Because we are personaltraining, it really is about
getting to know each individualperson's needs and what they
(28:26):
have going on in life.
That is icky, and what theyhave in life going on that.
To do so, it's just taking thattime to reach out to those
individuals and give them therelationship on the phone, in
the newsletter, via text, to letthem know they're going to come
in and meet with us one-on-one,we're going to sit down, we're
(28:46):
going to listen to what you havegoing on and we're going to
show you how we can help you.
And alongside of that, you're ina very small community, so it's
not large, it's notoverwhelming.
You know there are only up tofive other people with you that
are working with that coach andthat coach is going to be
prepared for you.
You're not coming to a class,you're coming to a session.
(29:08):
We've already vetted you.
We know what your injuries are.
You're coming to a session.
We've already vetted you.
We know what your injuries are.
We know what you can do andcan't do, what's comfortable,
what's out of your box right now.
And as you get stronger and youget more confident, we're going
to know that because we're goingto meet with you every 30 to 60
days and we're going toreassess, we're going to show
you where you're gettingstronger, we're going to listen
(29:30):
to how you're feeling, show youwhere you're getting stronger,
we're going to listen to howyou're feeling and we're going
to make those changes in yourprogramming for the next 30 to
60 days.
And that's just a relationship,a part of the family, of what
continues to grow with us.
So I think that's a realimportant thing is just hey,
come on in and meet with me,let's just sit down and chat,
let's see each other and let'ssee where we can go with this.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Excellent.
Well, I think it's just suchimportant work that you're doing
and I'm so happy to be talkingto the owner of the first alloy.
That is just really spectacular, and I'm happy that you and I
are working together and thatwe've had a good experience so
far and I just appreciate yourvote of confidence in using me
(30:16):
to help you grow your business.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Well, thank you.
I mean we are stronger together, right when you have a team,
when you have a community andyou can rely on the people who
naturally gravitate and arebetter at certain things.
Utilize them.
If I were trying to do anewsletter, we probably still
wouldn't have one out.
I appreciate that.
You know that's something youhave a passion for and you do it
(30:40):
well.
So for me to be able to giveyou content and then have you
deliver it to the massesdefinitely helps me.
But then I also see my clientson the background getting the
information they've been waitingfor or you know subliminally
needing, and then they'regrowing.
So I think it's a greatpartnership.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Good, now you're getting ready to go on vacation.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
I am.
We are going to Utila, theisland of Utila.
Where is that?
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Utila.
Where is that?
Speaker 1 (31:09):
It is a tiny island off of Honduras.
Two weeks ago I was skiing andnow we are hopping on an
airplane.
I don't usually travel thismuch but to go scuba diving, so
yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Wow, where did you go skiing?
Speaker 1 (31:26):
We went up at Snowshoe, so just up in West
Virginia.
Okay, it's a family gathering,kind of our family holiday.
But that's where I say to you Ihave some relatives that don't
exercise and their knees andtheir joints and their hips and
their backs and even the cardioright To recognize to put all
(31:46):
that equipment on and be able toget down the hill.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Exercise changes your quality of life and allows you
to do these things, so yeah, Ijust can't imagine not being
able to do whatever I want to,and when I was young, I lifted
weights because I wanted bigmuscles and I wanted to look hot
in a tight t-shirt, you know,and those days are long behind
me.
Whatever, I don't care anymore,but I can go skiing and I can
(32:13):
do anything I want to because Igo to the gym and take care of
myself, and that's a messagethat I it's not about me, it's
about what it can do for otherpeople too.
Yeah, it's wonderful.
Hey, I'm asking folks one lastquestion.
I'm trying to restart somethingthat I used to do on the podcast
.
I used to say three things Ilike this week, and at the end
(32:34):
of the conversation, I would sayhere are three things I like
this week, and they could befitness related or not.
It could be a book I'm readingor a new show I like, or a new
protein bar I found, whatever.
And rather than talking aboutthings I like, I'm asking people
to tell me something that theylike this week, and that can be
anything relevant, irrelevant,fitness-related or not.
(32:54):
So what comes to mind when Isay what's new that you like
right now?
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Well, I absolutely love that the weather changed in
North Carolina and that thedays are getting longer, so I
feel like everybody who ourenergy is going up.
So, that is definitelysomething that I like this week.
Beautiful, Well, Lara.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I like this week Beautiful.
Well, lara, I can't thank youenough.
It has been a delight gettingto know you these last few
months and again thank you foryour support and I hope you have
a wonderful time scuba diving.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Thank you very much.
It was wonderful gettingtogether with you and you
helping me be comfortable, beinguncomfortable, and I look
forward to our next conversation.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Excellent.
Well, we'll talk when you getback from your vacation.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Thanks.
Thank you for listening to theOptimal Aging Podcast.
I'm your host, jay Croft ofPrime Fit Content.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, review
and tell a friend.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
I hope you'll share anycomments you have with me,
including suggestions aboutpeople I should interview and
topics I should cover.
You can learn more about mynewsletter and content business
(34:01):
at primefitcontentcom and writeme at jay at primefitcontentcom.
Again, thanks for listening.
Join me next time.
It's just been amazing how people will respond
and hold on to things that weassume they don't want that
information, so that wasfantastic.
It shows us like how we cancontinue to fulfill this
audience by giving them thisinformation.
Speaker 2 (00:18):
Hi everybody, I'm Jay Croft and welcome to the
Optimal Aging Podcast, where wediscuss the business of exercise
, healthy living and well-beingfor people 50 and over.
Each week, we explore whathealthy living means for
millions of people over age 50,and what's coming next, with a
focus on communications, contentand making powerful connections
(00:40):
.
Okay, gym owners, I hear thisall the time.
You want to know why should Isend newsletters to grow my
business?
For some reason, a lot of youstill resist using newsletters
because you don't like them oryou think they're spam or
whatever.
For some reason I can'tunderstand.
Well, I have an answer for youtoday through your question
(01:03):
about why you should bother tosend newsletters, and it comes
straight from someone who'smaking it work Lara Gallard, the
OG Alloy Personal Trainingfranchisee.
She opened the very first Alloyfranchise studio nearly five
years ago in North Carolina andshe's here today to share her
hard-earned wisdom on reachingand retaining fitness clients
(01:25):
who are 40, 50, and older.
And whether you run a gym orsome other kind of business,
lara's insights are going to beinvaluable.
She has stories real, practical, proven stories that can help
you grow and give you anemotional boost to keep doing
what you do.
One of her stories is anabsolute masterclass in why
(01:47):
newsletters work.
Seriously, I couldn't have madethis up.
If I tried to come up with thison my own as a commercial for
my own business, you wouldn'tbelieve me.
Lara relates how she converteda long dormant prospect into a
happy alloy member just byshowing up in her inbox into a
happy Alloy member just byshowing up in her inbox.
And you'll hear Lara tell it inher own words later in this
(02:08):
episode.
Now Lara is one of the Alloyfranchisees who have brought me
on in the last year or so tohelp with their content and
communications.
I send two newsletters a weekto their prospects and clients,
helping them convert theprospects and build a valuable
sense of community for theirmembers.
And as Alloy keeps growing 100studios open now, more than 300
(02:32):
locations sold and who knows howmany more to come I hope to
work with even more of them.
So if you're an Alloy owner, Iwant you to go to my Alloy page
to learn more.
That's primefitcontentcombackslash Alloy.
For you Alloy owners, and don'tworry, everyone who's not
affiliated with Alloy mybusiness, prime Fit Content, is
(02:52):
still dedicated to helping youas well.
Just visit primefitcontentcomto learn more.
Now you've heard Alloy founderRick Mayo on this show before,
and you've heard multiplefranchisee Nick Garrity share
his story.
And now I'm really happy tointroduce Lara Gellert.
She's talking about the powerof communicating, how it helps
(03:14):
you connect with active agerswho are hungry for the
communications and for your helpto live their best lives, why
she's a true believer in stayingin touch with prospects and
members through consistent,engaging, premium newsletters.
I'm so glad I got to know Laraand I'm excited for you to hear
this conversation Enjoy.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
I was there and ran the Alloy Licensee program until
I heard Alloy was going intothe franchise.
You know they were going totransition from licensing to
franchising and so that was whenI went through that process,
you know, with Alloy and all,because I truly believe in the
(03:57):
product and how it does helpthis very large population that
really and truthfully doesn'tget a lot of attention right and
they're, for the most part,falling through the cracks
endlessly.
Speaker 2 (04:13):
Yep, and that's what I want to talk about.
That's why I'm in business andthat's why I'm so enamored of
Alloy as well, and it's what Itry to do with my other folks of
alloy as well, and that's whatI tried to do with my other
folks.
You know, I create and sellmarketing materials to other
gyms that want to reach peoplein the same demographic and just
made sense to hook up with withyou all because you're so good
(04:34):
at it and, uh, you have thisgreat infrastructure and so I
love it.
I'm a big, a big.
I've been for even before Istarted working with any of you.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
Well, I think you're a great addition, because it
really is.
You know, at the end of the day, right?
We get to see a client one houra day, two times a week or
three times a week, and it'sreally hard to grow that
relationship with them and givethem everything that they're
looking for grow thatrelationship with them and give
(05:21):
them everything that they'relooking for.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
So you taking your expertise and getting it out.
I wanted to have you on justbecause I felt like we were
singing the same song when wespoke before, so give the folks
a little bit of the backgroundthat you alluded to a little bit
there before, but you were atthe club earlier and working
with Alloy and so what's your 50words or less life story and
(05:43):
how you got to be here today?
Speaker 1 (05:45):
A life story on how I am where I am today.
You know.
I mean, I had a previous career.
I was a flight attendant formany years and thought that it
was because I wanted to travelthe world, which I did.
But as years went on and itjust wasn't something I could
continue to do and I had todeviate to a new career.
(06:08):
It just made sense that it waspersonal training, because it
was something that you did as aflight attendant.
You know, if you were on aplane, you were gone.
But once you got to the hotel,what was the first thing you did
?
Went to the gym.
I was hired back in the 90s when, you know, you did have to look
a certain way and it is aphysically demanding job, so it
(06:29):
was part of the play you know asyour career.
And then, as I stopped flying,I was searching what it was I
wanted to do and my husband, youknow, really pointed out to me
you care about people, you lovethe gym.
Why not correlate the twotogether?
And that's when I reallytransitioned into full-time in
the fitness industry.
(06:49):
And then, as this brand shows,it really is about if you care
about people, you want to touchas many as you can and this
brand really allows Alloy allowsyou to help anybody coming
through the door of any walk oflife.
So kind of fast forward startedwith the club, worked with them,
(07:11):
brought this product, the AlloyLicensee in and we ran the play
play and really in thebackground really saw like see
people come into the gym and dotheir own thing and go to group
x classes and go to pilates andgo to spin.
But really the people I alwayssaw most connected and making
(07:32):
the most change in their lifeoverall were the people in the
programming.
So when I heard, you know,years later, as Rick was going
to take the franchising role outor he was going to unroll it
and just kind of handhold it alittle bit more, I definitely
wanted to be a part of that.
So that's when I partnered withmy partner at the time and we
(07:54):
became the first Alloy.
We're very excited to unrollour product.
So July 1st 2020 is when weofficially opened our doors.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Fantastic, you're coming up on five years and you
were the first one, and I thinkthere are a hundred now.
Is that right?
A hundred that are open?
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (08:13):
Okay, so you are the Eve figure, you're the original,
you're the number one, the mamaof the whole thing.
How does that feel?
Speaker 1 (08:23):
It's very special.
I take a lot of pride in it.
I take a lot of pride in whatAlloy is and what it stands for
and I really try to empower myteam to take that role each and
every day.
So you know, I really want themto come in and do their job and
I really want them to come inand have fun with these clients,
(08:43):
because the population that wetrain, that 45 to 65 year old
client right, they've so muchgoing on in their headspace.
They are parents, they areempty nesters, they are jet
setters and their schedules arecrazy and their lifestyle is
hectic and they've got a lot ontheir plate.
(09:05):
Let's be honest, today is not aneasy world to live in.
The ability to allow ourclients to come in and come in
whether they're having a goodday and can give us 100%, or
come in when they're having abad day and say, hey, I've only
got 70% in my bucket to give youand we can say that's fine,
we're still going to take careof you and keep them moving
(09:25):
forward.
I think that's an integral partof our society and you know,
when we look at where obesity istoday and you know now you look
at everybody's looking for thatquick fix, and this is not the
quick fix, but it is thepermanent fix.
It is something that you willput you on the road to be able
(09:46):
to go out and play golf, to geton the floor with your grandkids
, to still go skiing at the ageof 50 and 60, right, like tennis
.
All those things that if youaren't exercising and you aren't
training and you aren't doingsomething for yourself, we lose
those things as we age.
Speaker 2 (10:05):
Yeah, we do, and that's the compelling message
that I try to share.
I like to ski.
I grew up in Colorado andAlaska, so I grew up skiing and
I lived in Atlanta for 25 years.
So it's a challenge, you know,but it's still probably my
favorite thing and I don't wantto stop doing that just because
I'm 61 years old, you know, andI don't see the reason why I
(10:27):
should.
So yet I take pains to becareful to explain to people
that you don't have to ski, youdon't have to do triathlons, you
don't have to be a remarkableathlete just to be able to work
in your garden or to play withyour grandchild or to carry your
luggage through the airport onyour way to Europe.
That you're finally going to goon this trip you've been
(10:48):
anticipating for years.
That's the point, like the,what you do is I don't want to
say it's irrelevant, but it kindof is the point really is just
that you're able to do it.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Right, we have clients that come in and we have
one that it's her third yearwith us, her third year
anniversary, and every summerthey go on a big vacation to
Europe.
And past two years she sat onthe sidelines when they were
going out and doing theactivities and she came in when
we were meeting in anaccountability session a couple
(11:18):
of weeks ago and she said so Isigned up for this and this and
this, all of the things that shewas afraid to do that she feels
like her balance, her corestrength, her stamina are all
capable of doing the things thatshe's set on the sidelines to
do.
So I feel like, for all of uswho have this, this great
(11:39):
viewpoint, right, I'm going towork really hard for however
many years I'm going to retireand then I'm going to travel,
and then we get to that pointand we have so many issues that
are in front of us that wereally never get to live out
that dream and to see people inhere being able to fulfill their
bucket lists.
It makes me feel good inside.
(11:59):
You know, when you get thatfeedback from clients and you
see their confidence go up andthey're super happy and their
life is in a better place thanit possibly could be without us.
Speaker 2 (12:11):
Yep, absolutely.
It's why I like writing aboutit, because the stories are so
emotional, so uplifting.
They really touch you whereyour heart is.
A lot of these stories do thatyou're involved in, Now that
I've always been up and outthere for almost five years, you
were the first one.
A lot of folks down the linehave benefited from your
(12:34):
experiences.
You were the first one to do alot of things.
What did you have to learnabout your communications?
Maybe your marketing?
Maybe your approach toquote-unquote, selling fitness
to slightly older people?
What were some of?
Speaker 1 (12:50):
the challenges and how did you overcome them?
Well, one of them is I didreach out to you.
As it is, I love that Alloy hasa template.
So you know, we run the playand it allows us to focus on
building the relationships withour customers and then educating
our clients.
We take for granted that theyknow all of the things that we
have been learning all of ourlives and continually educating
(13:14):
ourselves on, so basic thingslike nutrition and movement, and
you know, just taking a walk orhow these things, like you said
, can benefit you in day-to-daylife.
It's integral to touching them,to keep them in constant
contact with you.
And so in the beginning, whenyou're trying to launch a
(13:36):
facility, you're busy trying toget everybody in the door.
But once you are here and we'renot a large client model, right
, we're 130, you know, 130people are really our makeup of
what we want as a customer basis.
So how do you keep that 130?
You can't continually bepulling them through the door.
(13:57):
I think one of the things Ipride myself on is you know, we
do have a very high retentionrate and that's because we're
building that relationship withthose clients both on the floor
and off the floor, and so youhave to give them that, feed the
knowledge to them of all theseother areas of life, of what can
I do when I'm not at the gym,or how can I make a better meal,
(14:21):
or what really is good rest,how do I unwind when I'm having
a stressful week.
And that's where thenewsletters can come into play
to really help our clients.
So I really feel Facebook hasbecome marketing of advertising.
Not a lot of people go thereanymore when people are doing
(14:41):
quick videos, people watch themand they see them.
But we do need to feed thebrain and that comes through
reading and absorbing thatknowledge, and newsletters
really do that for them.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
Well, I'm glad that's been your experience, because
that's what I'm basing mybusiness on and I don't want to
make this all about me.
But the last time you and Ispoke I think it was the last
time before you signed up withme and we were talking about all
kinds of things and we werehitting it off and getting to
know each other and I don't wantto misrepresent you, so correct
me if I'm wrong, but the way Iremember it is.
(15:14):
You said something like shouldyou have me send your
newsletters to people youhaven't been in touch with for a
while, or should you justforget about them because they
don't want to hear from youafter a certain period of time?
And I said oh no, let's hitthem all.
If they haven't heard from youin a while, that's okay.
They asked to hear from you andif they don't want it anymore,
(15:39):
they can unsubscribe, and that'sfine.
You won't get your feelings hurtand we'll move on.
But let anymore.
They can unsubscribe and that'sfine.
You won't get your feelingshurt and we'll move on.
But let's send it to everybody.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
You never know you might get one that says, oh,
nice to hear from you again,alloy, yeah, sign me up.
It was just crazy.
So we had agreed and you said,okay, the first newsletter is
going to go out on Tuesdaymorning at 7 am.
And I'm literally not even outof bed.
Open my email, my work email,and there is a message from a
client who had walked throughour door two years prior so she
(16:10):
was still on our list and shehad gone through some personal
issues, a lot of turmoil, andshe had lost her husband and her
confidence was down.
Her life has been just a hotmess and man.
She emailed me right then andthere I emailed her back and I
think we had her in within aweek.
(16:31):
And actually I met with herearlier this week for her third
accountability and it's justbeen life-changing for her
because, losing her husband,she's lost some connection with
what does she do with herselfand she's already met a friend
and so here they are trainingtogether and they're helping
each other and she benefits theone because that one, you know,
(16:55):
she feels like I'm seasoned here, so I'm going to show her what
to do and it's given her someoneto come to at the end of her
workday rather than go home toan empty house and deal with
that sadness.
So it's just been amazing howpeople will respond and hold on
to things that we assume theydon't want that information.
(17:17):
So that was fantastic.
Speaker 2 (17:19):
Thank you for relaying the story just now.
I was so excited when you sentme that and the reason I want to
talk about it now for otherpeople to hear it, and this goes
for any gym owner, whetheryou're an alloy or not.
A lot of people have theseemail lists that they're not
doing anything with for onereason or another.
Either you're tired of it, oryou think it's not working, or
you personally don't likegetting emails, so you think
(17:42):
that no one does.
What have you?
You're just not doing anythingwith that email.
Then you start using it and youimmediately got someone who
signed up and is now a goodmember and you're helping that
woman have a better life.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
And isn't that amazing yeah, it shows us like
how we can continue to fulfillthis audience by giving them
this information.
There is a need for it.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Hey, are you a fitness professional trying to
grow your business with peopleover 50?
If you are, then you need toknow how to communicate with
them, how to market to them andhow to get them to trust you
with their fitness, well-beingand money.
We're talking about millions ofpeople who are a little older
than the typical market that thefitness industry usually
pursues.
They have more money, more timeand better motivation to make
(18:30):
the best long-term fitnessconsumers you'll find anywhere.
If you're not focusing on them,you should be.
Prime Fit Content is the onlycontent marketing company
designed specifically to helpyou engage people in this group
and to help you distinguishyourself from competitors in
your community.
It's effective, affordable andsuper easy to use.
Check it out atprimefitcontentcom.
(18:52):
That's prime like prime of yourlife, fitcontentcom.
Back to the show.
Yeah, I was really moved bythat.
I similarly have an email listthat I correspond with my
prospects and send them thingsthat I think that they'll find
useful or interesting orrelevant, somehow that aren't
sales pitchy.
And whenever I get a newsubscriber to my business, to
(19:14):
Prime Fit Content, I ask themhow did you hear about me?
What made you sign up with me?
And every once in a whilesomeone says well, I've been on
your email list for a couple ofyears and I just finally decided
to do it.
And you think really, goodnessgracious it happens, we got to
keep repeating the message andstaying in front of people so
(19:35):
that when they're ready.
Your woman went through lifetrauma and time passed and she
was delighted to hear from youand now she's changing her life.
Speaker 1 (19:44):
So the lesson, I think, is that we've just got to
keep at it, even when we think,oh, I don't want to do this
anymore I think we really needto understand that doing this as
long as I have the majority ofthe people coming through the
door that Alloy is geared forand that the people you are
trying to get the message toright that population they did
(20:07):
not grow up with.
Exercise was a way of life,especially the female population
.
So you know you have an injury.
Well, you don't exercise.
That's bad and it's theopposite.
Science has taught usdifferently.
We know so much more now.
So many of them are nervous,and to send that newsletter out
(20:28):
for prime fit content to betouching all these audience
people through all of thefitness places that utilize you
is giving that message to thepeople that are probably wanting
to read it behind closed doorsbecause they're afraid.
And you know it's that onelittle thing that's going to
help them just have that momentof confidence and hit a button
(20:51):
or answer the newsletter andallow them to open a new chapter
in their lives.
Speaker 2 (20:58):
Yeah, I'm really glad that she's still coming in and
that you've had threeaccountability sessions.
That's great.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Yeah, and she's doing fantastic Like wrapping her
head around how strengthtraining is great for a female
and how it's going to help heroverall health and play with the
grandkids and do more as she'saging and for her a concern is
she's home alone now.
So she knows, hey, if I fall,Alloy has taught me how to get
(21:26):
up properly.
Yeah, so her independence isgiving her a new confidence in
her life.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
That's just great.
Can I ask how old is she?
Speaker 1 (21:34):
She is 63.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Okay.
Reason I ask is because I'm 61.
And I really perked up when yousaid that previous generations
didn't grow up with fitness, andthat's something I talk about a
lot because we forget, orpeople much younger than I am
don't know that previousgenerations didn't work out.
There weren't gyms everywhere,there wasn't a Lifetime or a
(21:58):
Bally's or a I don't know OrangeTheory or take your pick.
Hotels didn't have gyms.
Your workplace didn't have gyms.
It just wasn't a thing untillike the late 70s, I guess early
80s maybe.
I remember when it happened.
I was in college, high schooland college, and that was the
late 70s, I guess early 80s.
Maybe I remember when ithappened, I was in college, high
school and college, and thatwas the late 70s and early 80s,
when it became sort of normalfor ordinary people to want to
(22:21):
work out, to exercise, to havemuscles, to watch their body
weight, that kind of thing.
And we forget that.
What's relevant is that anybodymy age or older, so 60 or older
it wasn't part of life for ourparents or our grandparents.
This is a new thing and a coupleof months ago I interviewed my
(22:41):
college roommate for thispodcast and I wrote about her
for prime pick content.
So she's 61 as well.
She has taken up power liftingat this point in life, which
just blows my mind because itwas not what she was doing in
college, put it that way.
So now she's doing powerliftingand she said to me when we did
the interview she said, Jay, youknow, when we were kids, nobody
(23:02):
told us this was important.
No one told me I needed to liftweights.
I never thought about it, andif I did, I would have thought
it was something only boyswanted to do, because they
wanted big muscles.
Speaker 1 (23:13):
And women.
I would have thought it wassomething only boys wanted to do
, because they wanted bigmuscles and women.
I remember for years we wouldhear well, I don't want to lift
because it's going to make mebig, not true?
Speaker 2 (23:19):
Not true.
If only it were that easy.
Every time a woman says that, Iwant to say you know how many
men wish it were that easy tojust pick up a weight one time
and suddenly you've got bigmuscles.
It's a little harder than that.
It wasn't part of our culture.
And so we in fitness I mean asa communicator, you as a gym
owner we have to remember that,that that woman who called you
(23:41):
and is now a member, she didn'tknow.
A 40-year-old woman probablydoes, but a 65-year-old woman
probably does not.
Speaker 1 (24:07):
No, they for sure do not.
I mean, I was born in the 60smyself, so I'm 57.
And anytime I had an injury, mymom was drum all the way from,
all the way back then.
But I'm very thankful for itnow because I think it's made a
huge difference in my life and Ithink it allows me to really
relate with our clients whenthey're coming through the door.
Speaker 2 (24:25):
What else are they coming through the door with?
You know what else is on theirmind.
What do you hear from themcommonly?
Are they afraid?
Are they afraid?
Are they nervous?
Do they think that they're tooold?
Are they afraid they're goingto get hurt, that people will
make fun of them?
You know what are the mentalhangups that they're having.
Speaker 1 (24:43):
So I feel that the majority of the people that you
know we really ring through thedoor.
I mean, it is all walks of life, so it's male, it's female,
it's every age.
I mean, at the end of the day Iwill say you know, you can even
have your college student.
That you know.
Let's be honest, the youth oftoday, they don't have exercise.
(25:05):
I mean, when I went to gymclass we had gym class right.
They don't have gym class likethat anymore today.
Gym class, right.
They don't have gym class likethat anymore today.
So we're such a sedentarysociety that people have such
poor mobility and poor strengthand movement patterns that if
people aren't on a team and ithasn't been in their family
(25:27):
background, that they're at aloss.
So I would say number onepeople come through the door
very, very afraid that they justcan't do this, that they have
to be stronger before they cancome to us, that they need to
lose 30 pounds before they cancome to us, or if they have an
injury, that's keeping them fromcoming to us.
(25:48):
So it kind of parlays me toanother client that we have.
She has been with us for twoyears and she would come in all
the time and say I wish I couldget my husband in here.
Husband sits in front of acomputer 40, 50 hours a week,
mid-40s, young son at home andback issues.
(26:08):
So here we fast forward, twoyears later, constant pain, very
sedentary lifestyle, and shesaid to me if I can go to the
doctor visit with him.
And the doctor says he can come.
Will you see him?
I said has he had an injury?
Is he having surgery?
(26:30):
And she said no, they don'tknow.
He's just his back hurts allthe time.
So we got him in and he hasbeen here for three months and
within his first week of doingmovement patterns and exercises
with us, he said that this isthe first time his back has not
been hurting him as bad as itwas.
(26:51):
So the body is made to move.
Right, we are a machine that ismade to move and the best thing
we can do is allow our body todo what it was built to do.
Speaker 2 (27:02):
Yep, I would like to talk to him about that.
Write about him for the LAnewsletter.
I think that would be a greatexample if you think he'd be up
for it.
Speaker 1 (27:10):
Yeah, definitely we should connect and make that
happen, because he's in a betterplace and it's already giving
him more energy during the day,better sleep at night and
they're able to have a betterquality of family life.
Speaker 2 (27:23):
Oh, that's great, hey , so my messaging and Alloy's
are very similar, and I thinkthat's why I've one of the
reasons why I like working withyou all so much.
So tell me what messages reallyland, like what's effective
with people to get them in hereto meet you and to come and
start working out, and then youknow what maybe isn't so great,
(27:44):
and I'm asking this becausepresumably gym owners within
Alloy and gym owners outside ofAlloy are listening to this and
you're a successful person, andso you've got perhaps some tips,
I guess.
So what are some marketingmessaging suggestions that you
would tell people to incorporate?
Speaker 1 (28:04):
I mean, I think we are a culture, right.
It's.
We have a culture and acommunity that we really want to
help our people live a betterlife.
We want them to get busy livingand feel better and move better
.
Because we are personaltraining, it really is about
getting to know each individualperson's needs and what they
(28:26):
have going on in life.
That is icky, and what theyhave in life going on that.
To do so, it's just taking thattime to reach out to those
individuals and give them therelationship on the phone, in
the newsletter, via text, to letthem know they're going to come
in and meet with us one-on-one,we're going to sit down, we're
(28:46):
going to listen to what you havegoing on and we're going to
show you how we can help you.
And alongside of that, you're ina very small community, so it's
not large, it's notoverwhelming.
You know there are only up tofive other people with you that
are working with that coach andthat coach is going to be
prepared for you.
You're not coming to a class,you're coming to a session.
(29:08):
We've already vetted you.
We know what your injuries are.
You're coming to a session.
We've already vetted you.
We know what your injuries are.
We know what you can do andcan't do, what's comfortable,
what's out of your box right now.
And as you get stronger and youget more confident, we're going
to know that because we're goingto meet with you every 30 to 60
days and we're going toreassess, we're going to show
you where you're gettingstronger, we're going to listen
(29:30):
to how you're feeling, show youwhere you're getting stronger,
we're going to listen to howyou're feeling and we're going
to make those changes in yourprogramming for the next 30 to
60 days.
And that's just a relationship,a part of the family, of what
continues to grow with us.
So I think that's a realimportant thing is just hey,
come on in and meet with me,let's just sit down and chat,
let's see each other and let'ssee where we can go with this.
Speaker 2 (29:53):
Excellent.
Well, I think it's just suchimportant work that you're doing
and I'm so happy to be talkingto the owner of the first alloy.
That is just really spectacular, and I'm happy that you and I
are working together and thatwe've had a good experience so
far and I just appreciate yourvote of confidence in using me
(30:16):
to help you grow your business.
Speaker 1 (30:18):
Well, thank you.
I mean we are stronger together, right when you have a team,
when you have a community andyou can rely on the people who
naturally gravitate and arebetter at certain things.
Utilize them.
If I were trying to do anewsletter, we probably still
wouldn't have one out.
I appreciate that.
You know that's something youhave a passion for and you do it
(30:40):
well.
So for me to be able to giveyou content and then have you
deliver it to the massesdefinitely helps me.
But then I also see my clientson the background getting the
information they've been waitingfor or you know subliminally
needing, and then they'regrowing.
So I think it's a greatpartnership.
Speaker 2 (31:01):
Good, now you're getting ready to go on vacation.
Speaker 1 (31:03):
I am.
We are going to Utila, theisland of Utila.
Where is that?
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Utila.
Where is that?
Speaker 1 (31:09):
It is a tiny island off of Honduras.
Two weeks ago I was skiing andnow we are hopping on an
airplane.
I don't usually travel thismuch but to go scuba diving, so
yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:23):
Wow, where did you go skiing?
Speaker 1 (31:26):
We went up at Snowshoe, so just up in West
Virginia.
Okay, it's a family gathering,kind of our family holiday.
But that's where I say to you Ihave some relatives that don't
exercise and their knees andtheir joints and their hips and
their backs and even the cardioright To recognize to put all
(31:46):
that equipment on and be able toget down the hill.
Speaker 2 (31:51):
Exercise changes your quality of life and allows you
to do these things, so yeah, Ijust can't imagine not being
able to do whatever I want to,and when I was young, I lifted
weights because I wanted bigmuscles and I wanted to look hot
in a tight t-shirt, you know,and those days are long behind
me.
Whatever, I don't care anymore,but I can go skiing and I can
(32:13):
do anything I want to because Igo to the gym and take care of
myself, and that's a messagethat I it's not about me, it's
about what it can do for otherpeople too.
Yeah, it's wonderful.
Hey, I'm asking folks one lastquestion.
I'm trying to restart somethingthat I used to do on the podcast
.
I used to say three things Ilike this week, and at the end
(32:34):
of the conversation, I would sayhere are three things I like
this week, and they could befitness related or not.
It could be a book I'm readingor a new show I like, or a new
protein bar I found, whatever.
And rather than talking aboutthings I like, I'm asking people
to tell me something that theylike this week, and that can be
anything relevant, irrelevant,fitness-related or not.
(32:54):
So what comes to mind when Isay what's new that you like
right now?
Speaker 1 (32:58):
Well, I absolutely love that the weather changed in
North Carolina and that thedays are getting longer, so I
feel like everybody who ourenergy is going up.
So, that is definitelysomething that I like this week.
Beautiful, Well, Lara.
Speaker 2 (33:12):
I like this week Beautiful.
Well, lara, I can't thank youenough.
It has been a delight gettingto know you these last few
months and again thank you foryour support and I hope you have
a wonderful time scuba diving.
Speaker 1 (33:22):
Thank you very much.
It was wonderful gettingtogether with you and you
helping me be comfortable, beinguncomfortable, and I look
forward to our next conversation.
Speaker 2 (33:34):
Excellent.
Well, we'll talk when you getback from your vacation.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
Thank you.
Speaker 2 (33:38):
Thanks.
Thank you for listening to theOptimal Aging Podcast.
I'm your host, jay Croft ofPrime Fit Content.
I hope you enjoyed it and Ihope you'll subscribe, review
and tell a friend.
All of that helps me grow myaudience.
I hope you'll share anycomments you have with me,
including suggestions aboutpeople I should interview and
topics I should cover.
You can learn more about mynewsletter and content business
(34:01):
at primefitcontentcom and writeme at jay at primefitcontentcom.
Again, thanks for listening.
Join me next time.
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