If you’re already looking for conferences and opportunities this summer, there are so many great options out there, and I want to make sure you’ve got them all at your fingertips. No matter what your budget is, you’ve got options for getting educated in both business and in all star, tumbling or general coaching this summer. Here are the top 3 ways you can get going!

  • Conferences: Summer is the PERFECT time to network with other gym owners while also taking a mostly tax-deductible vacation away from the gym. Yes, I called it a vacation, because while you’re working, you can also enjoy a few nights out on the town and remember what it’s like to see a sunset (we’re all coaching, so unless you’ve got bay doors with a great view…I imagine you don’t see one often!) This summer I intend to visit a few conferences that will focus on business and coaching. You’ll find me in Louisville and Oregon for the Next Gen conferences as well as in the Bahamas and back in Louisville. If you’re looking for something super affordable with fairly close travel (especially those in the Midwest and East Coast) make sure you check out the Next Generation Gym Owners conference for non-academy members in Louisville. (Academy should check out the retreat in Oregon – it’s going to be AMAZING!) 
  • Podcasts: This is a FREE way to really get the ball rolling (and get the wheels in your brain turning!) Every time I listen to new podcasts, I get ideas or affirmations. You’ll pick up some great new ideas about things you can do in your gym or ways to better manage your time or your staff. Maybe you don’t learn 10 new things in the first episode, but hopefully you’ll get some affirmation that what you’ve been doing is the right thing and you’re on the right track! A few of my favorite podcasts include: 
    • Next Generation Gym Owners Connecting People & Profits Podcast
    • Entreleadership by Dave Ramsey
    • Business Made Simple by Donald Miller
    • The Benefits of Lazy Parenting with Stephanie Kennedy (Steph is a former Academy member and a gym owner with some amazing knowledge on child development. This is also great for coaches who don’t have children!)
  • Books: Ewwwww right? Who wants to spend their summer reading?? Ok, I probably read the most books on a float in my pool in the summer. If that’s not you, grab a hammock and head outside. Still not you? Subscribe to Audible. I like to mix in the following types of books, which I believe ALL can help you become a better gym owner and a leader: 
    • Business operations books that will help you run areas of your business more effectively such as Profit First and Clockwork both by Mike Michaelowicz.
    • Sales books to help you learn more about effective sales funnels and helping people see what a great product you’re offering such as Sell or Be Sold and Be Obsessed or Be Average by Grant Cardone.
    • Motivational books to help me learn better time management and get organized such as 10X by Grant Cardone and The Energy Bus by John Gordon.
    • Leadership development books and books that will help you learn about human nature so you can better work alongside others and lead them such as Extreme Leadership by Jocko Willink and Basically Anything by John Maxwell. 

If you’re not a book reader and you need a recommendation to help you get better at something specific, reach out to any of us at Next Gen, and we’d be glad to recommend something!

The most important thing this summer is that you’re not just learning about coaching and how to spot more skills. You’re broadening your education by also learning about leadership, business and people skills. All of these things will make you a better coach! I recently read Wooden on Leadership (a book recommended by Shelley, one of our Next Gen owners). While I thought I’d learn a lot about how to lead my staff better, I couldn’t help but use all the tools in it to think about how to be a better coach. In fact, I want my whole staff to read the book now. (I plan to implement several takeaways from it, and read it again next year with a total focus on becoming a better leader for my staff.) 

So, make a plan to get educated this summer and do it! If you don’t make a plan, the summer will pass you by and you’ll be no farther along in your education. Constant learning equals constant growth.