TalkTV’s Post

Transcript

By Ben and Lucy Halden. Come down from Chester today to speak to us. Thank you both very much. If you wouldn't mind starting by just giving us a sense of how your business has grown and what it's grown into, because there's a few different things we're talking about here at podcast And what what came first, Ben? The business came fast. So that was off the back of us essentially looking at personal training, being unaffordable for a lot of people. So that's what was kind of born with us wanting to help more people on the basis that they could really find value in, but not have to cough up every penny of their own to be able to get fit and in shape. So that was the concept that kind of born from. It makes a lot of sense. I mean, a lot of people love those YouTube videos to do a bit of fitness at home, but a lot of people struggle to find motivation. Lucy, you were a professional swimmer. Internationally for England, Congrats. That's awesome. In terms of how that has influenced the way that you wanna get ordinary regular folk who aren't proper athletes fit, how has that influenced the app you've developed? I think what it was with swimming. So I grew up in sport and as a woman in sport, I think it's a little bit different. We don't get as many opportunities and it's a little bit harder. And because I was always in it, I always saw the benefits. So when I stopped swimming, like stopped. Abruptly was a bit of a journey for me, developed an eating disorder. It was really hard time coming from that. And then I found the gym and I found fitness and you know the cliche, it completely changed your life. It really changed my life and the thought of. People not having access to that easily was a massive pinpoint for the app because most people they do wanna get fit, they wanna get healthy and it's the accountability they don't have. And with some personal training because it is so expensive, we were like we need to develop an app that has everything. So with my coach that's exactly what we've done and we're just so big in our community because they're the most wonderful people in the world, aren't they so lovely? There has been a sort of fitness and self help boom over the last few years, so how do you mark yourselves out as different? In that crowded landscape. So we're very no BS. We are very transparent, whether it's on social media, whether when we meet people face to face, the fitness injury can be quite toxic. There's so much there and it's very saturated. A lot of people will do whatever they can to climb to the top and that's where we're very different because what you see is what you get First things first and with a very honest approach, people trust us. So our biggest thing is our community, the my coach communities at the forefront of everything. At the heart and soul, they come first, whereas I think some other people wouldn't put that first because it's a very, very it takes a long time to grow, to build that community, to build that trust. Whereas what we've done with our app, it's not just workouts, nutrition, it's everything you'd want in one to one coaching. Put into one place. It's also a lot of responsibility building a community like that. Keeping them engaged and and providing a real clear and honest message you've already shared with us. Thank you details of you know your personal history and that transition away from being an athlete and sport. How How has your personal life influenced your business as well because you've got a podcast. You're married. Sorry, I should have said that. Beginning married couple here running a business together. Yeah. You married last June. Congratulations you very much. How did you come about the decision to start sharing? Sort of some of your personal experience and bring that into the business. I think it was thinking more about personal brand, which I think is such a big thing now in in business. It just gives a lot more authority to what you're doing and adds personality to what you're doing. So I think at first it can seem difficult because I don't look like an idiot or other people. I don't wanna seem stupid, but it's better to look stupid like a bit of an idiot when nobody's watching rather than loads of people. So that gave us more confidence to just share more and the more that we kind of share than we're open about things. I think especially in the fitness industry, there's a lot of boring people in it. So the more that you can kind of have a joke with people, have a laugh and show a bit more about yourself, people just really buy into that personal touch. I think the more we found that useful and the more that our our community found that engaging, the more we were kind of willing to share with him. Within reason. Yeah, absolutely. People like authenticity. They want to connect to it. They like personal stories as well. How have you found managing that barrier between keeping a personal life, you know, and your marriage private and your home life private, but also sharing enough that people feel that they can connect? I think what's special? About myself and Ben is that's always been the case. So when we first started working together, I was actually on work placement for Benny's company, which at the time was more one to one coaching and I started this work placement and then like six years later never left and that's how we started. So we've always had that ability to have the relationship and the business. So we have very different business personalities when we're together. When it's work we're working, we disagree on so much stuff, but then for us the personal element, it's like every week. We need to have a date. Night doesn't need to be baked or be going on a walk. It could be going on like to the cinema, going for dinner, whatever it is. It's really important for us because we could be there at 10:00 at night and if one of us mentions the app or the podcast or work with straight back into it. So we kind of rain each other in quite well. But because we do it for the past six years, it's been a bit more normal for us, isn't it? I think it's still difficult not to cross those boundaries. It's always gonna seep into your life a little bit, but it's about calling each other things sometimes on it. We do that, yeah. You know, professional couple in terms of ambitions where you see it going from here. You've already achieved a lot with the sort of the growth of the business. Do you have really big plans or are you happy where you're at? So we're just heading into our first fund crowd fundraising this year to move into the next development of the app and staffing, PR events and a few other things that we got in the pipeline for this year. So it's about doubling down what we're already doing I suppose and doing the right things and continuing to build that community and hopefully make more partnerships with. Gym groups and bigger, bigger membership groups that we can kind of tie in with to help pull that into our ecosystem. I'll I'll put you on the spot here. Lucy, what has been the most challenging day of the business so far? The charge Dad's Business School has been so many. I think there's a few things that we probably can't even share that they were, they were so intense. But I think when it comes to. The hardest thing for us, we went through a stage I think like three years ago where we, we thought the company wasn't gonna continue. And it was, you know what? It was around during COVID and I felt like it was me, me and Ben against the world. And there was so much stuff that happened during that time, which lockdown was really hard for everyone. It was really difficult time for everyone. We honestly, I remember one day sat there thinking we're going to just have to fold, as in we can't do this anymore. And we didn't. And honestly, the fact we kept going is beyond me because it was so hard, like the way we were working together, we're in this little. Us in Manchester, we didn't have a lot of cash flow at the time. It was really stressful time and it was just me and Ben. But I think we got each other through that pretty pretty well, didn't we? Maybe that's one of the times we're being a married couple was actually a good thing. Yeah, it really was. Really was. Look, on this series suite, we also like to ask the CEO's and founders we speak to about their best piece of advice for anybody in business or seeking to start their own business. Can you think of one piece? I've definitely got one. I think being your most authentic self and people will always have something to say about you, good or bad, whether you like it or not. God, I did. When I first started out, so many people said negative things and I chose just to ignore the noise. And I thought, you know what? I'm so passionate about this and it's special. I know if I'm consistent, I'm patient enough and patience is really hard. It's it's going to work. I know it's going to work but I think ignoring the noise, which can be really hard, and being your true authentic self, Ben just finally a piece of fitness advice for the viewers if they're struggling to stick to their motivation resolutions right now I think probably the easiest one is is having big goals is great, but big work is what gets success because. The times are gonna be hauling things aren't easy when you're trying to break into to fitness and do things on a weed sweet basis but start slowly and then start to scale. I think too many people probably see failures and also then go on social media and see all the people winning or compare themselves to other people. We will have this negative voice in the back of our minds. Sometimes that speaks to us in very critical and even we have to battle sometimes. I think it's important that you realize what that voice is and making sure that voice is the one that is going to lift you up and put you down because think it's easy then to reflect on yourself and look in the mirror and. Look at the scales and put yourself down. So there needs to be some substance behind what your goals are and then work on them. Work out your why, why you're doing it. Ben and Lucy Halden, cofounders of My Coach School, are not so fit Couple podcast. Thanks so much for joining us. Thank you.