Our business advisers regularly help customers start and develop their businesses. Recently, Wendy Foster, one of our business advisers, helped Graham Angus with his business as a personal trainer, to take it to the next level. We caught up with Graham to learn more about him, his journey and what his future plans are.
Thank you for taking the time to talk to us! Could you start by telling us a bit about your business and the work that you do?
I run a coaching business called LFT (Lifestyle, Food, and Training) where I coach people 30+ who are looking to lose fat sustainably.
Unfortunately, a lot of the fitness industry today is designed around quick results, created by very aggressive diets, unsustainable activity and copy/paste training plans which are not tailored to each person’s needs and abilities.
My coaching is designed around the three pillars of fat loss – hence my business’s name – to help my clients ditch the quick fixes and achieve results that stay with them. As a coach, my goal is to give my clients the time, knowledge, and support to never need a PT/Coach ever again.
What inspired you to start your business, and what has the journey been like so far?
My inspiration comes from my desire to help as many people change their lives by improving their body, health, and mindset in a sustainable way.
The fitness industry is often confusing; one person will tell you “do this, don’t do that” and then the next person will tell you the opposite. The culture around fitness has also cultivated the perception that if you don’t have a six pack or ass cheeks, you’re a failure.
I don’t want fitness to be like that. I want all levels of ability to be welcome, especially those taking the daunting step of getting started on their journey. Making moves to improve your lifestyle, food, and training (whatever level you are at) can create such a dramatic difference in yourself, both in appearances and self-confidence.
My journey to becoming a personal trainer started when I was 30 years old, after working 10 years in TV/Sports production as a sound engineer. Not the typical path into coaching, but my love of training and the gym started at 16 and it’s always been a passion of mine. At 30, I decided to make my passion my profession.
It has not been smooth sailing and I’ve made MANY mistakes along the way, but as I enter my 5th year in the industry, I can confidently say I made the right choice. I love showing up for my clients, whether that be for a training session or responding to a quick text to help them make a good choice of food at a restaurant.
SBREC has been there for me since the start of my journey and having someone like Wendy to guide me into the world of self-employment has been nothing short of invaluable. I continue to utilise her and the expertise of SBREC to this day, as I grow and develop my business.
What is the main challenge you have faced while running your business?
Organisation has never been a strong suit of mine; I’m very much a people person and not a business person. However, to survive and thrive as a business, it’s crucial to be organised, so this is something that I’ve had to work on to make sure I can keep doing what I love.
Another thing I wish I done earlier is delegate tasks which are outside my strengths and knowledge. For me this is finances (I got an accountant) and social media (I got help here recently too). When budgets are tight I know this is not always possible, but taking external help pays itself back 10x, especially when it comes to generating revenue and paying taxes.
I also tend to feel guilty for not working all the time, which has been a big challenge. I remember Wendy telling me to take time off, and make sure I scheduled it in advance. I never did and I burnt out within 3 months, which meant I needed to take some time off to recover, rather than taking time off because I wanted to.
Since then, I work 50-60 hours per week and make sure I have a good break at the end of the week, otherwise I drop in performance and my business suffers as a result.
On a more positive note, tell us a bit about your biggest wins and what keeps you going?
My biggest wins are seeing the clients’ successes. I’ve helped over 100 people drop body fat and improve their health, productivity, and confidence in themselves. This absolutely lights me up and drives me each day to do more. It takes a lot of time and effort to lose weight, and people already have a lot of pressures in their lives, so being able to help them on that journey gives me so much purpose and joy.
We’re glad SBREC has been able to support you on your journey! What does the future hold for LFT Coaching?
The dream for me is to reduce the number of in-person clients and really push my online coaching, since this would allow greater freedom as I scale the number of people I can help dramatically.
I would also love to get involved with those who are in a less privileged position, educating those who can’t afford to get coaching to help them make better choices, live healthier lives, and improve the health of the future generations.
It’s been great to hear from you, it’s so inspiring to see how you’ve turned your passion into a business! As a final question, what advice do you have for anyone thinking about starting their own business?
Do something you love and have a passion for, and you’ll never work again. It’s very cliché but for a reason! If you don’t love your business and your work, then you won’t push through the tough times, the doubts, and the anxiety that comes with having your own business. However, if you do love what you do, these things are only bumps in a fantastic journey with endless possibilities. I consider myself truly lucky to love what I do for a living, and I wish everyone else the same joy!
See more from LFT Coaching:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_graham_lft/
*We strive to do our best when supporting small business and their growth. Our business databases can give you information and data that can help you with advertising, market research, company information, and industry factsheets. If you have already taken the plunge, we would love for you to join us at a seminar, our workshops cover digital marketing, business model canvas and planning, demystifying taxes and intellectual property to name a few. Visit our events page or website for more information.
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