Ramping up my remote coaching business while locked down abroad

My name is Robin Steyvers, and in March of 2020 I was working in three different gyms for 10-12 hours a day, 6-7 days a week, just to make a living in my home city in Belgium. In desperate need of a break, my girlfriend and I decided to take a one week trip to Morocco. The word COVID was only beginning to appear in the news, but a bit of research showed no cases in Morocco, so we set off.

2900KM FROM HOME (and my next paycheck)

First, we left Marrakesh and headed for the Sahara Desert. We arrived and spent two amazing days there, having the time of our lives (with no connection to the outside world). Once we came out of the Sahara, we learned that Morocco had gone into full lockdown, closing its borders the day prior, while we were still in the desert.

Luckily, a very kind man took us into his home, so we at least had a roof over our heads until we could fly back home—but that didn’t happen for another six months.

As a freelancer, I depend financially on my ability to work as a fitness coach, so this situation was discouraging, to say the least. We had no idea how long the lockdown would last, and our financial burden doubled, as our rent and other costs continued to mount while we were unable to get back home.

PUTTING PRINCIPLES INTO PRACTICE

It just so happened I was already coaching a small handful of people online. I had also just started my CCP journey (with my first cohort call starting the second week I was in Morocco). Thankfully, I took my laptop and pre-course reading with me so I could do some studying on my holidays.

The path became clear to me—I had to start putting the knowledge I was gaining from CCP to use right away. I did just that, and, in the 6 months that we were stuck in Morocco, I was able to double my client count and drastically improve my remote coaching business.

The biggest area of growth on the coaching side was improving my intake process. Learning how to properly assess and reassess clients made my program design much more tailored, so I could truly individualize my designs to fit any of my clients’ fitness goals.

The business side of things was also extremely valuable. CCP taught me how to acquire more leads, how to convert them into clients, and what metrics to track to gauge my progress. I also picked up some very useful tools to retain the clients I already had, like implementing monthly video consults and weekly written check-ins.

Life Since CCP…

Now, almost two years later, I work completely remotely. I’ve lived in five different countries and visited many other exciting places, where I often have the privilege of putting on workshops and live training seminars. I even had the flexibility to take two weeks off this year to climb the highest mountain in Africa for charity.

For the last year, I’ve maintained around 20 clients. This is ideal for me, as it allows me to pursue my passion for traveling, learning and always challenge myself in new ways. 

I used to think that being a coach meant accepting low pay for the opportunity to practice your passion. CCP showed me that you can build the business of your dreams, from wherever you are in the world, all while getting the pay you deserve. I would never have believed that this was a realistic lifestyle for a coach, but CCP helped make it possible for me.

Ready to start your own coaching story? Download the CCP Curriculum Guide and take your first step.