The Value of Conferences and In-Person Learning

Most coaches don’t burn out because they’re lazy.

They burn out because they care too much — and they never learned where to draw the line.

In this conversation, I sit down with George Pagan III to talk about what it actually looks like to build something meaningful without losing yourself in the process.

George describes it as a tug of war between two versions of the same person — the ambitious coach and the guy who just wants to hang out with friends, make time for his wife Nikki, and paint something that has nothing to do with work.

We get into:

→ How journaling keeps him grounded (without overthinking it)

→ Why he’s building a hybrid coaching model — and refuses to become “just a business manager of coaching”

→ What clients actually value (and why your fancy programming isn’t it)

→ Why going to conferences alone is the whole point

→ A handwritten note he left me at Real Coaches Summit that I still keep in my closet

→ His closing advice: challenge what you think your limits are — they’re set way too low

This episode is for anyone who’s trying to build something — while still trying to live a life that feels like their own.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 — Intro: why most people don’t change

1:00 — Reconnecting after years and how fast life moves

2:00 — George opens his own facility (2023) and major career milestones

3:00 — Time slipping away and making space for life outside work

4:00 — “It’s like playing tug of war with two versions of the same person”

5:00 — Goal setting and journaling to stay on the path

6:00 — Why journaling works when you drop the pressure to be perfect

7:00 — Using a journal to slow down vs. staying productive

8:00 — Taking emotion out of decisions and thinking in terms of capacity

9:00 — Running a training business and Fitletes simultaneously

10:00 — Separating main hustle from side hustle to dose your energy

11:00 — Curbing ambition for speed and making room for patience

14:00 — Sharing goals publicly and enrolling people in your vision

15:00 — George’s hybrid coaching model: local training + online programming

16:00 — “I like coaching. I don’t wanna just be this business manager of coaching.”

17:00 — What clients actually talk about vs. what coaches think matters

18:00 — People need people — even in fitness

19:00 — Group vs. 1-on-1 coaching and how service models evolve

20:00 — Growing beyond yourself: when your client base fills a bigger room

21:00 — George attends a neuroscience conference and meets Dr. Katie Debrowski

22:00 — Healthspan and lifespan: coaching with a 20-30 year lens

24:00 — Why coaches get stuck: absence of inter-industry connection

25:00 — Competition mindset at conferences vs. collaboration mindset

26:00 — Learning from the person next to you, not just the presenter

27:00 — The energetic shift of in-person vs. online education

28:00 — The handwritten note: George’s letter to Chris at Real Coaches Summit

30:00 — Small anchors that keep people in the industry long-term

31:00 — Why Real Coaches Summit specifically: cost, access, and community

32:00 — Removing friction: flights, accommodations, and international reach

34:00 — The real value of in-person events: it’s all people-related

35:00 — George on living in your own bubble and finding blind spots

36:00 — Being helpful as a form of growth, not just networking

37:00 — “I’m still just this goofball who’s 14 on the inside and almost 40 on the outside”

40:00 — Going to events solo: George usually travels alone to conferences

41:00 — Nobody is judging you the way you think they are

42:00 — “I don’t know anyone” — that’s the whole point of going

44:00 — The only difference between knowing a lot of people and not: showing up

45:00 — Rising tides lift all ships: why sharing knowledge helps everyone

47:00 — George’s personal goal: making more time for art and creativity

48:00 — Blending art with work: digital designs, paintings for the gym

49:00 — Chris’s Don Cino character and the creative side of coaching

51:00 — Painting, Lego, music — meditative practices that help you think

53:00 — George’s closing advice: “Challenge what you think your limits are”

54:00 — Applying that advice to the area of your life with the biggest deficit

👤 Connect with George Pagan III

🌐 https://fitletes.com/social/

📸 https://www.instagram.com/fitletenation/

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