I have more demand lately from couples, especially retired couples, who want to train together. I do train a couple of couples, but I’m wondering how other trainers are structuring the introductory session with two new people. Would love to hear your insights and perspective!

I’m wondering what type of liability or commercial insurance if any? Against being sued by a client or a contractor (trainer) or any other losses? Please and Thanks! :)

I want to document the development of my business and record insights if it may be of help to anyone here. Also, it will help me to record insights for my own reflection. Lawrence encouraged me to start a business diary on the forum so that’s what this is. Feel free to chime in or ask questions if anything is of interest to you. Currently, I have a business partnership with a local chiropractic and medical center that has a 1600 ft.² machine-based gym available to patients only. The creation of this partnership was a major lesson learned which I will document. It has not been perfect, but it allowed me to get back into personal training without any upfront costs other than the establishment of my LLC. I first became a personal trainer in 2010 after I got out of the army. I worked part time in a few clubs while I was going to college, which led me to managing a gym that was associated with a physical therapy clinic from 2016 to 2017. I got out of the business because the money was terrible, and I entered into corporate marketing and franchise operations at that time. I still work in inside digital marketing and sales to grocery store owners (a tough crowd!) Around 2023, I discovered Mike Mentzer through John Little’s videos. At that time, I shifted my own training style towards heavy duty for about a year. Somewhere around mid 2024, I discovered this podcast and dove a lot deeper into the evolution of high intensity training through the many leaders in HIT that we all know about. I also shifted my training more towards what I would describe as a Nautilus style HIT routine so that I could experience a more simple form of high intensity training without the complexities of pre-exhaust, super sets, etc. My reason for this is that I wanted to put myself in the shoes of a client with regards to workout timing, exercise selection, and overall general feeling at the end of a 30 minute HIT workout. Around the end of the year, I decided that I wanted to bring the style of training to more people and re-ignite my career as a personal trainer, all thanks to Lawrence and the many guests of the podcast.

What is your primary channel for getting clients today? If it’s different from the channel that helped you the most when you started, share that in the comments too.

Quick question for the crew — how do you handle billing when clients travel or miss sessions? I currently use monthly recurring billing, which keeps income predictable but gets tricky when clients miss more than a week or want to “bank” sessions or reschedule a bunch at once — even though it’s technically a use-it-or-lose-it setup to hold their spot. Have you found a system that keeps income consistent, sets clear expectations and is easy to manage for you? Curious what’s worked best for you.