Episode #15: Mike Boyle | Scaling Your Private Facility, Administrative Considerations, Coach/Intern Development, & More
Jan 24, 2024
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In this engaging discussion, Mike Boyle, a leading strength coach, shares his journey in building a successful private training facility. He emphasizes the importance of financial literacy and the relationship between coaches and clients. Mike also discusses hiring flexible staff, fostering a sense of community in fitness, and the significance of safety in training practices. Notably, he addresses misconceptions about functional anatomy and recovery, advocating for a thoughtful approach to training that prioritizes both performance and well-being.
Mike Boyle emphasizes the critical role of financial literacy and long-term planning for strength coaches to achieve financial stability.
The podcast highlights the importance of cultivating strong coaching staff relationships and delegating responsibilities to facilitate business growth.
Boyle advocates for a fundamental training philosophy focused on essential exercises, promoting good technique and long-term athlete development.
Deep dives
The Journey of Building a Training Facility
The narrative begins with Mike Boyle recounting his early experiences as a college strength coach, where he initially trained professional athletes. Despite initial hesitations about training younger athletes, economic motivations led him to take on high school kids, which eventually flourished into a successful summer program. As word spread about his training, he quickly expanded his clientele and began facing challenges with the administrative aspects of running a training facility, including potential NCAA implications related to athlete recruitment. This pivotal journey demonstrates how embracing opportunity and adapting to challenges can lead to unexpected success in the sports training industry.
Emphasizing Financial Literacy for Coaches
Boyle discusses the importance of financial literacy among strength coaches, emphasizing the lack of retirement planning in the field. He shares personal anecdotes that highlight the significance of saving and living below one's means, underscoring that even a modest background can lead to financial security with the right habits. Through practical advice and lessons learned from a friend, he explains how understanding investment growth can significantly impact long-term financial health. This insight aims to equip young coaches with the knowledge necessary to prepare for a stable financial future in a career known for its unpredictability.
Transitioning From Personal Training to a Coaching Brand
The conversation transitions to the challenges of scaling a personal training business to include other coaches, which Boyle describes as a critical point for many in the private sector. He emphasizes the importance of establishing a strong coaching staff and shifting the focus from individual client training to building a trustworthy brand. Boyle advocates for delegating responsibilities to other qualified coaches, while still maintaining engagement with the training environment. This approach ultimately led him to create a coaching legacy that survives beyond his direct involvement, defining the establishment as a reputable training facility.
Core Principles of Effective Athlete Training
Boyle emphasizes the importance of simplicity in training programs, arguing that fundamental strength training techniques must be prioritized. He advocates for a structured yet straightforward approach that includes essential exercises like squats, deadlifts, and Olympic lifts, tailored for youth and adult athletes alike. The focus is not only on physical performance but also on ensuring athletes develop good technique and proper body mechanics. This philosophy supports the idea that training should be about building long-term habits and skills rather than chasing arbitrary metrics or fads.
The Long-Term Impact of Training on Well-Being
Finally, Boyle discusses the psychological and social dimensions of training, highlighting how the atmosphere created in the facility fosters community and personal growth. The relationships developed with athletes are viewed as invaluable, influencing both their performance and mental well-being over time. By acknowledging that the training experience can significantly affect one’s confidence and health, Boyle reinforces the idea that long-term coaching relationships contribute to life skills beyond physical training. This comprehensive approach to athlete development positions training facilities as crucial environments for nurturing both physical and emotional resilience.
Coming from Mike's hotel room in Beverly Hills, California, Lucas & Jared are excited to bring Mike onto the Podcast for a conversation regarding some unique topics.
We discussed the administrative side of running a private facility and how Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning was started, and we also touched on what Mike considers when hiring coaches, interns, and overall coach development.
Mike answers questions on how to scale your training facility, how to think long-term about your finances as a coach, the importance of relationships with your clients and athletes, and more.
The episode is available on all platforms, including YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
About your hosts:The All Things Speed & Strength Podcast is hosted by Lucas Quinn and Jared Wilson. Lucas owns a Training Facility in Westlake Village, California, and works with athletes from the youth to the professional level. Jared is an NBA strength coach and also owns a Training Facility in Ventura, California.