“How would a doctor handle it? What’s the expectation in a lawyer’s office? That’s a good litmus test.”
Grid connects Chicago entrepreneurs who are laboring to climb the mountain with those who have reached the top. They talk, we listen.
MICHELLE BLAKELY,
Blakely Fit
Michelle Blakely, a former professional dancer, founded personal training company Blakely FIT 10 years ago. Last year, she was voted the city’s best personal trainer by the Chicago Reader. Blakely specializes in strength training for women.
Rita Polevoy started RediSetFit last year. She works mostly in the northwest suburbs, focusing on teens and women.
RP: How long does it take before you can really transition into the full-time 30-hour workweek and be able to pay off all the time you’ve invested, all the equipment that you’ve bought, all of the promotions? It seems like now, with summer season upon us, there are [fewer] people in the gym than I’d anticipated.
MB: Your marketing and your seeking out clients has to be ongoing. I completely understand where you’re at and why you’re there. I’d invite you to think about things a little bit differently. Instead of thinking, oh, summer is coming, people are going to want to wear their bikinis. Back in January, think about, what am I going to do in May to market myself? What am I going to do in July to spread the word? What can I do to promote interest? That needs to be ongoing.
As opposed to what a lot of us do, which I absolutely did, which was being reactive. All of a sudden I’ve got five client inquiries in one week, now I’ve got to hustle to find assessment time, instead of having a plan and being able to address it.
RP: How do you schedule around having a family and having a life of your own?
MB: You have to be very clear about what you want. You want a full book of business — you want 30 hours.