The Intersection of Technology & Brick'n Mortar - Warren T. Martin

Hey fitness fans, welcome back to the Future of Fitness podcast and interview series. I'm your host, Eric Malzone, and this is episode number 37, and I get to talk to Warren T. Martin. So Warren is an absolute legend within the fitness industry, and I'm going to tell you all about him here in a second. But first of all, I need to ask for your help. So in 2018, our goal for this show is to go from amateur to pro. So what does that mean? Right now, to be honest, it's a small podcast, right? We want to grow it tremendously, which means we need your help. So I'm going to ask you to do one of three things. Actually, I want you to do all three things if you can. Number one, go to YouTube and subscribe to our YouTube channel. That would be huge. Number two, go to however you get in the audio, whether it be iTunes, Stitcher, subscribe to us there and rate us. Hopefully it's a good rating. That would be not the ideal. Number three, if you like an episode, share it on social media. That would be tremendous. And tag me, Eric Malzone. I will also shamelessly promote you for doing it. So this could be a really great partnership. But I'd love to hear from you and what you're thinking and what you want from this podcast. So let's make this interactive. So please go out and do that right now. Hit pause, do those three things. That would be huge. So let's talk about Warren T. Martin. So Warren is a best-selling author. His book is The Wellness Code. And he's also now launching very soon as the date of this release, a very amazing online program for women only. It's called Amplify. So that launch, I'm really excited to see it. I think it's going to change the industry, just like this guy's done over the years. So within this episode, there's so many nuggets. I mean, anytime you get to talk to someone with this much experience, you're going to get something really valuable, right? And just like many, uh, he tends to take big, complex things and then boils them down to a very simple way to deal with it, uh, based basically on just human behavior. And we're all people, right? Let's not forget that. And what I really like about the conversation too is where it turned at the end towards how technology and brick and mortar need to start working together. And if you're not forming your online presence in some way, shape, or form, that you should start doing it right now. And I think that's a very powerful message. It's something I tell people every single day. And here it come from his mouth is even more powerful. So uh without further ado, this is Warren T. Martin. He's the man. I hope you enjoy it. And on we go. Hey everybody, welcome back. It's Eric with the Future of Fitness Podcast. And today I have a very, very special guest, Warren T. Martin. So uh Warren, love it, man. I'm I'm super excited to talk to you. I I just uh when I get the opportunity to talk to people with this much experience, um, you know, there's just so many rabbit holes that I always want to go down. And uh so maybe if you can, you know, within a quick summary, because there's a lot, just tell people um, you know, kind of who you are and and your your history and how you got started.

And um yeah, and it's again I'm Warren again. Um I'm here in Arkansas, you probably tell with the little accent I have. Very charming. Yeah, and uh I've been in the industry about 18 years, uh, been through ups and downs, worked for uh gyms. Uh now I'm currently I own a gym uh for two years now. Decided to dive into that uh path. Um it's been an experience, it's been great though. Um I've uh been publishing multiple books, have one best seller that collaborated with a few professionals. Um but uh my love is fitness man. Uh helping people, that's the main thing, is uh helping not just clients but other fitness professionals and learning from each other.

What was the book? What's the best-selling book? What's the title?

Um, The Wellness Code. Um, John Spencer Ellis is in it. Um others, so yeah, check it out.

Yeah, yeah, I will. Um, I'm actually embarrassed I haven't yet. Uh so Warren, um when you got started in the fitness industry, did you did you have mentors or did you have a coach or anything like that? How did you how did you get your words?

Man, honestly, I came out with the perception that if I got a college degree in in fitness, that I just go into the work world and just it'll just be booming. And uh that was went to a screeching halt um really quick at the beginning. Um I realized a lot of things that I was taught about college uh that it's not necessarily honest in that aspect of things. I remember sitting there for the interview, and uh the guy interviewing me just looks at my portfolio, opens up the first page, closes it, and then sets it back down in front of me. And my heart just drops because I'm thinking four years of thinking everything has to be just perfect. Um, and uh it didn't really matter much at that point. Now, I don't discredit college because it helps you I went through the learning phases, learn how to research and all that. So I just started uh at the ground, and that's the main thing is starting from the ground up. Um I was in the Marines as well, so um, I was used to starting at rank number one and uh having to prove yourself to get through the ranks.

Well, I I appreciate your humility. I mean, I if if you guys search Warren, um you'll find a lot of accomplishments, you know. And I I uh I I know you're not one to toot your own horn, but there's a lot. I mean, you've been featuring a lot of TV here and a lot of books. I mean, a best-selling uh book is is a really big deal. And I I'm curious because I talked to a lot of fitness professionals who have been in the game for a while, really established a name for them. And there seems to be a common theme that they wrote a book, or at least one, right? Tell me about that. Like what what was the impetus for that? Like how what made you get started and and was the process difficult? Did you do how long did it take? Uh, I think there's a lot of people who have a book in their head.

Well, just like at the beginning from the previous question, you know, about mentors. Um, at that point for a few years, I had none. I because I again I was lost. I was just in the college belief that that's what all I needed. And uh I didn't really have anybody to at that point the internet wasn't big. I'm showing my gray here now. Um, I think even cameras, we had to go and get them developed, and uh there's no digital anything. Uh CDs were started, you know, as the big thing, just you know, converting from tapes and yeah, so so the communication thing, me talking to you right now just wasn't really possible. I mean, so it was local. I'm in Arkansas, so um I wasn't really no one to reach out to, so I was real reclusive. And I'm kind of that way. And college I hated talking in front of people. I remember skipping speech class all the time because I just I would get petrified of just having to talk, you know, in front of ten people, you know. Um but uh uh what kind of broke me uh out of that was um technology uh is getting better through the uh Facebook and all that. Um about I think it was about eight years ago, um that's when I started looking at mentors. Uh started going, wow, you know, there's there's others that think the way I do. But what I think is great is with that is beginners should find a mentor. But I think if you get too engulfed into mentors, you lose your own innovation, your own process of trying to figure things out. And and if you look back in the past, a lot of inventors they didn't really know what other people were doing. You know, it they they had it forces you to think and try to come up with things and problem solve, and I I think that's kind of missed a little bit too. Um but uh uh what got me into the writing was um I didn't have confidence in myself to do that. Again, I was you know, I already had by that time multiple certifications, multiple uh specializations. Um I was to the point where I'd take a certification, not study it, just to see if I could pass it. And uh so that was getting boring to me. So I was like, man, you know, I don't want to be bored in fitness, you know, what can I do? And uh definitely get into article writing, things like that. Um now the process of that again is just like when I got out of college. Um I thought you just had to write a few things, and you know, but it it goes further into that storytelling, um, it's being able to uh have flow, uh grammar, you know, all those things, uh, point of view or how people perceive it, what they get out of it, is it what you're trying to convey? You know, all those dynamic parts to it, you know, really again made me start trying to learn new things again. But it also allowed me to, I guess you could say, learn more about fitness, more into the psychological part of things, I guess you could say. Uh being able to convey what I mean uh better, I guess you say as well. Um the uh the I think the best thing about article writing, writing books or collaborating is networking, um, getting to meet people. Yeah, I just can't say I've I've met hundreds of people now. Um, and I a lot of times I do things for that reason. It's not just uh be part of a book or a seminar or whatever it is, it's to actually meet people. Um the more people I meet, the more things I learn.

Yeah, that's that's an interesting point. And I think um listening to you and reflecting, right, on my own my own experience and doing this podcast series gives me the same thing. It's like now I get to talk to people like Warren, right? I get to get you know little bits of information and tidbits of knowledge from people like you. And I think it's kind of you know almost a modern day book writing, right? I mean, we have what's crazy is like I'm I'm on an island off the coast of Canada, you're in Arkansas, and we're talking right now like we're almost in the same room. And you go 10 years from now, maybe less, God who knows, you know, it's gonna be like altered reality. It's gonna be we're just gonna be almost sitting in the same room and it's gonna be incredible. And here we are talking about like uh, you know, times before we had spell check, right? When you're writing, you're gonna learn how to do grammar.

Exactly. And and uh, you know, and that's a good point. I think right now, you know, to be able to communicate with a lot of people in different areas is what we see as easy right now. I think it's gonna get even easier.

Oh, yeah.

That's where the connection is really gonna be rampant. That when technology makes it like today, you know, getting on these softwares and opening a computer, having to be at a location, imagine erasing all those things. Where it's um, you know, whether it's you putting glasses on, because it's a it's a cloud-based computer, all you have the is the monitors, is all you need, and you could be anywhere and you're encapsulated in that area, you know, area. You know, it's just gonna make communication even better. You know, a lot of people have those c uh conspiracy theories that technology is gonna make things go bad. It's just it improves our ability to to bond, you know. Um to to one mind is great, two is awesome. You say you got a whole bunch of minds together, easier, faster, limitless. And I think this is huge in fitness. Fitness arena, if if you're not learning right now technology, even if it's gonna be old news in a year, you're gonna be behind. Is it's the learning steps that matter. Um I don't want to learn all the technology now because I think it's gonna be used in ten years. I need to know it now so when the new thing comes out, my learning curve is a lot better. Stay ahead of the game. And you know, I I do see a lot of gym owners, personal trainers, they don't try to keep up with technology, try to use it. And uh what I'm seeing and and it's getting faster and faster, how fast it advances. And there's gonna be a certain point where if you're not jumping on, you're gonna get behind and it's gonna be hard to catch back up. I mean, it's literally have to hire people around you to do it like 100% of the time because you won't be able to figure it out.

Yeah, and that that's really interesting. I think you and I talked about this a couple weeks ago actually, and how because I was um I was actually interviewed yesterday for for um a podcast and and we talked about they asked, you know, what's the one thing that I would suggest fitness professionals look at right now as far as digital marketing and things like that. I'm like, well, and I think the impetus was actually from you if you're not starting to build some kind of online product or service or some kind of digital, you know, aspect to your business. I mean, the brick and mortar facilities are, you know, like we discussed earlier, was you know, it's always people are gonna need a place to go, right? They're gonna need a place to physically use equipment, you know, connect with other people. But if you're not figuring out how you're gonna adjust to the digital age now, or at least having some concepts of starting to build it out, it's gonna be a problem, right? Would you agree?

Oh, yeah. Um, this is what I believe. I believe it's gonna be the integration of both. Um if I think people make mistakes by going only digital, people make mistakes by going only, you know, uh brick, you know, and and mortar. So it's understanding, and that and that those are things I'm dealing with and trying to figure out the best way to make them flow together. So the digital side could be on its own, but it also could be used here at my gym to up the business and and and production and sales and all that stuff in the brick and mortar as well. And the brick and mortar, same thing. So I use my brick and mortar stuff to develop products, you know. So I get my stage here, I get models, you know, who I need in videos and stuff like that. So I don't have to go out and look for it. So um, I'm looking at it as I'll be able to do a lot more faster. Um, and it builds up that in local area for brick and mortar, it builds up huge credibility, huge free advertisement, and people want to know what's going on. Um, you know, it it's it works with each other, I think.

Yeah, yeah, I and I know as at the time of this recording, you're in the thick of it right now. Like you're really you're really working working your tail off. Maybe you expand on that. Like, what's what are some of the details of like how like what are you doing? Um, like what kind of recordings are you doing? What kind of services are you developing? And then yeah, expand on that a little bit more. Like, how are you working with your your brick and mortar clients and how is that all integrating?

Integrating together. Um, well, I had to put my first year having this uh the gym is uh I had put all my energy into the brick and mortar building foundation live and learning um from all the way from employees to you know uh things not going the way I exactly want them to go because I was so used to you know 16 years of having complete control over every little circumstance. And you're smiling because you've had one too, and uh it just doesn't work that way. So I had to learn how to let go and I think I got I definitely have more gray last two years. But uh but again that growth part is what I loved about it because I feel like I've grown a lot, you know, even though I've been in the industry, you never, you know, where you need to be. I'm probably 10% of where I need to be. Um now with the digital that I started, uh it's all about timing. And uh I think it's just the next step for this brick and mortar to go to a new level and then get into the business side, the market, actually going into the digital side of things. And I'm doing a full program. My main one right now is for women. Um busy women, not busy women, women families, no families, pains, things like that. Um long time ago when I talked to Doug, uh a lot of times I get told, you know, what kind of niche are you in? Well, I have about 20. And um and it goes back to science, and this is why I try to teach a lot of fitness professionals is if you're designing like like this product, yeah, I have one niche I'm trying to go to because I want to market to that. But in fitness, there's one base of design of your workouts, and that's the human movement. Mechanics, all those things can be used, that's your foundation for any kind of niche, whether it's a woman that has a bad knee, a good knee, or a guy, or an athlete, or a pro athlete, or a kid, you know, all those things. So I'm building products based on that. And um I'm not gonna give all details, but um uh it's gonna be geared towards if you had a trainer and something changes in the week and you needed an adjustment. Days that you work out, time that you work out, how you feel that week. Um so you don't feel I don't like cookie cutter stuff, and I couldn't ever bring myself to make a program that is cookie cutter. Um I've had people doubt me and all that, but I'm gonna make it happen. Um I already got technologies right now about where it needs to be to make it all possible. Some new stuff, you know, that I found out about that really made me decide to do it. But uh same thing with nutrition. Um all gonna be uh individualized. Um and I think that's a thing in fitness industry that we have a problem with because of Instagram is the selfies with the uh trainers and all these things that make people clients believe that they can be like someone else. And uh it's 100% proven, guaranteed that you can't be like anybody else, and what that other person did to get to make them 100% will never make anybody else a hundred percent. It will allow your first few weeks to go great. Life is life, everyone has different variables, have has different tempers, has different motivation levels, has different times in the day, different jobs, different responsibilities, different willingness to have responsibilities in different areas. They have a hierarchy of things to do in the day, more than you can get done with. So uh I think long-term success in fitness is dependent on a sliding scale constantly. Three days a week of exercise doesn't guarantee something compared to two days a week or six days a week. I've seen people do six days a week and fail measurable. People do two days a week and be hugely successful because they can be consistent. Um that's how this program is kind of leveled out to uh to be that sliding scale that I think is really needed.

Oh, absolutely. I mean it's yeah, you you get me thinking like, you know, when was the last time I had my quote unquote perfect week of training?

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

You think of one and you know, within the last four months, and it was just like it was a unicorn, right? It's like everything just came together in one week and it was great. And every other week, as as much as I have a plan and a template in my head, because I you know have enough coaching experience to do that, it never pans out the way you want it, right? And you just have to be adjusting.

Yeah, and and you're an experienced fitness person. But you gotta realize the market is a bunch of unexperienced. So if they perceive it one way, the way we talk, they're gonna feel like a failure. Because they're being told by a professional gotta do this, this, and this, and something it just isn't right that week, whether it's other responsibilities, things that gotta be done. The first thing that goes in your mind, I mean, think about us in the past, you know, damn, I failed. It's must this must not be for me because you perceive it as this is how the only way you could do it. Um I think that part of understanding when people understand that and they can still get to their goals, it's about consistency.

Yes.

It comes down to that. It's not how many squats you do or how much you could bench or how much cardio you did or how much vegetables you ate. It's how can how long can you be consistent with the things that work in your life and make it possible. And that's where everyone's different. Everyone has their own fingerprint or footprint or whatever you want to call it. What allows them to be a hundred percent.

I mean, that's that's life, right? Consistency in anything. I mean, when it comes to business, you know, marketing, fitness, relationships, it's just consistency over time. There's a word that I used to use in my training and coaching practice, and it was I would look at a client, client's program, and I used uh, you know, Fitbot was a technology they used, and the the compliance, right? The word compliance is like, are they complying with all the workouts and doing everything? And then I really started to just not like that word, right? I'm like, because if they're not complying, then they're not working with you. Like, no, this isn't a real person, this is like their life, and there's shit going on, you have no idea that that's going on in their life, and they're just trying, they're just another human trying to make their way through life. And uh, you know, sometimes as coaches, we come down really hard on people, right? Like, you know, this is it. But I think I mean, what I sense from you is that you've probably um not probably that you do have enough life experience and you've uh that you can easily empathize with with clientele struggles, right?

Just the balance, you know, doing the you need to do this and and comply, doing it right. You know, um again, you know, I think we get too much into the the shows, the TV shows where it's about a bunch of yelling and that's what's gonna get them there. No, they're on a ranch and stuff there, and maybe we're gonna win a lot of money. You know, you know, I've been in boot camp, I promise you, after three months in Marine Boot Camp, I did not want to just stay there, you know, and be compliant with that. You know, it just wasn't but it was to get to the next thing. So um I I think it's all about balance. It's all about uh I think what makes a good coach is when to know to when to put it on the gas and then take it off. And and and helping clients realize the right choices. We're adults. I don't need to tell you, that's another thing, is is there's too many nutrition experts out there. The the the only nutrition books out there really have been already written. You know, I don't need to tell you as an adult that a Snickers is not healthy. Or broccoli has good nutrients in it. We know that our moms told us that when we're kids. If you look at it, our parents are probably the best nutrition experts out there. You're like, you know, no, you can't have that soda, you know. Only if you do this, it'll be a reward. You know, so there's things that I think we get focused too much on, that's really not going to get people that long-term success.

Well, I think clients really um they really crave accountability, right? And I think that's you know, whether or not the nutrition expert is quote unquote an expert or knows the science, they just what people really want is accountability. But really, as coaches, what we if we're truly doing the best service for them, we're teaching them how to be accountable to themselves, right? So that's hopefully a year from now they don't need the coach, they want to be with the coach, and that's and that's uh that's a big differential.

Well, it's the other 23 hours of the day. Yeah, with I mean the one hour a day that you're with them is not gonna overpower 23 hours. It's not gonna happen. So um they and and I never say the word diet to my my clients as well. It's managing what you're eating. It's management, it's understanding how how do you prevent now I'm getting sidetracked on nutrition. It's kinda like if you go to the grocery store, a simple thing is you know, you have a client getting a bunch of snacks that you shouldn't be eating. Well, they're probably going to the grocery store wrong, they're going hungry. So of course if you're hungry, you're gonna go down an aisle you don't eat.

You know.

The simple thing is make sure they eat before they go to the grocery store. But if they if they don't understand that, what triggers things, then they're always gonna be struggling. And again, when you're not with them, you know. And I think that's why a lot of the programs out there they depend on the repeat customers every year. You know, in a way, I mean, I hate to say it, but you know, there are some not 100% ethical thought put in some of the things, and it's meant to make you come back. Rebranding of things. Rebranding of the same diets. I just this year it's happened. Rebranding of the Atkins diet.

Yeah.

I mean it it's the truth. You know, no carbs and and they just kind of modified it where they say, Oh, no, you can't eat as much protein, just eat more fat, you know. So in in my mind, if it get if someone doesn't it helps them start losing weight, it's great. All diets will get someone started. But does it help in the long run? No. They don't understand what's actually making them not get to their goal or gain weight or what.

Yeah, that's beautiful. And I think um fitness professionals listening just from that last five minutes probably will get something that will change their practice. You know. Um so Warren, if if people, because I know you you got some big launches coming up, uh, if people want to find out more about what you're doing and and keep an eye on what's coming up next, where do they where do they go? Where do they find you?

Um, www.warrentmartin.com. You can check out my my gym uh website as well, you know, for any of you that are looking at starting up a gym or or not. Uh ww.syncsy n c fitness and movement.com.

Sync fitness and movement.com. Awesome. Well, Warren, I um thank you for coming on, man. This is great. I uh you're you're you know very modest, very humble, and you have a ton of knowledge, and uh I really appreciate you sharing all that with us today. Appreciate it, man. Thank you for having me. Yeah, we'll talk soon. Hey fitness fans, don't leave yet. This is Eric Malzone, your host, and I have an extremely special offer just for you. If you go to fitnessmarketingalliance.com forward slash assessment, you can claim your complimentary digital marketing audit. Are you a modern fitness professional? Do you have some sort of online presence? Do you have a sneaking suspicion that your website is not performing optimally and therefore costing you money? Well, this is how you start to find out all of the details just like fitness. You need to start with an honest and objective assessment. So go to fitnessmarketingalliance.com forward slash assessment club perform, and you will have it to you within 72 hours. You will cover your overall site performance, rank from 0 to 100, how you rank your chosen keywords to that search engine optimization, your website traffic history over the last six months to the editing flows and reports within it, your website speed, which is highly relevant to people coming to your website and then powering off because it's working too slow, your social media presence, competitive analysis, and much, much more. So this is just a typical idea for what this is the starting point for building your online business. So please take advantage of it to offer it because we feel it's equally important to you and the industry overall, and you can claim it by going to fitnessmarketingalliance.com forward slash assessment. Do it today, do it right now. Don't hesitate. This offer will last forever. So thank you for listening. Greatly appreciate it. If you ever need to reach me, hit me up, Eric at fitnessmarketingalliance.com, and I'll be talking to you very, very soon.