OctoberFit -- It's On!

I spent much of this morning on the phone talking to coaches, and I have to tell you, this is an absolutely phenomenal and elite group of people. Our coaches are change agents in a world that's like a "deer in the headlights" on this expanding obesity trend. You guys get it - and you are fixing it, one person at a time.

The focus of the coaches I have spoken with has not been on the money (although nobody has complained about the weekly check). Their focus is on the effect their role as coach is having on the people around them!

I spoke to a coach this morning named Robert Cohan in New York, who happened to also be a Ithaca College grad like me, coach Dick Comanzo, and our VP of Programming at MDB-TV, Scott Salik. (Go Bombers!) Robert has a great story of personal weight loss success that he is just now adding to his profile page. But to talk to him, and hear how he is helping the people around him get focused on eating right and working out is a inspiration of the value of being a coach.

When you step up and say "I am willing to help you get results and stay consistent", it matters to people who feel helpless. And Robert is proving that with the people he has recruited. That is something that a big company or a gym can't replicate -- only a peer can make that kind of impact on someone. And that is the impact our coaches are having on the people around them -- our coaches are literally saving the lives of people they care about.

To give you a sense of how your success can inspire others, look at how Robert found us: Robert learned about Beachbody and Million Dollar Body from MDB coaches Dawn Barca and Tony Barca. Their success has been featured in multiple infomercials and now they are showing talent as an inspirational force as well. People they meet see their energy and attitude and want some of that for themselves! And when that leads to a transformation, the ripple effect continues.

As I said to Robert, the key to helping people get that transformation is to get them to take their before photo, and then keep them accountable to taking their 30 day photo, and so on. When people see their own transformation, they wouldn't believe it if they didn't have the proof. And once you see results, there's no stopping you.

Inspiration goes beyond sharing success with peers though. I also spoke to Dawn today, and the most fulfilling part of that conversation was hearing the about how meaningful it is to her that her eleven year old daughter is growing up in a household that makes it a priority to live a healthier lifestyle. (As a father of a seven year old who still thinks ketchup is a vegetable, I feel the same way.) When people ask me what we are doing for the trend of childhood obesity, my answer is that the best way to get kids to live a healthier lifestyle is to help their parents lead a healthier lifestyle. And it's one of the most important by-products of being a coach. You are an example that it's a priority, and that it's possible to live this way and still have "a life".

Keep up the great work coaches! More updates later... Now I am on my way to Las Vegas to meet a roomful of great coaches and prospects as the OctoberFit recruiting drive continues!