The veterans — operators who already built it this way.
The most valuable endorsements on this page. None of these people bought the Blueprint — they are independent trainers with five to thirty years in business, reading the systems Jesse publishes for free and confirming that this is what already works. Tenure and income figures are self-reported on each thread and are each person’s own results.
“Been there. I did the big box for 7 years as a trainer FM/ GM/ and settling back to Master Trainer when I had kids. What was eye opening was when I left and went from $5,000 a month to $13,000 a month, I really did not realize how much money I was being left on the table.”
“Started a business during Covid going to peoples houses. After equipment was purchased the biggest overheads were replacing the Covid masks that some clients made me wear. 4-5 $100-125/hour sessions in the day, get home, have dinner and 3-4 friends/clients would lift in the evening at my house paying in bulk about 55/hour. Slow going at first but after building a website and social media page the calendar was full in a month. Targeted soccer players playing just below pro, adolescents and kids (in affluent areas). Commercial gyms are 100% the worst places to be for trainers.”
“I’ve been in the fitness and wellness space since 2002. Fortunately for me, 1yr into my journey I crossed paths with someone who showed me the independent contractor method of fitness training and it has allowed me to prosper greatly as a self employed fitness professional for years.”
“The first thing most newly certified Pilates Instructors say is ‘I want to open my own studio, but first I’m going to work for this other studio/gym to save up money.’ The truth is you will not be able to save much. Going Mobile will get you there faster... and you might discover, like I did... that you don’t want a brick and mortar location. Even when I worked at various studios I always kept an at-home private clientele. I work less, earn more, and have year after year consistency. That’s, unfortunately, not the norm in the Pilates world.”
“I insist this is what kept me in business with my semi private model. I still bill automatically. 75% of my business is semi private. Much like yourself I’m over a decade in the game. Self employed out of my own wee studio. Your whole post is golden, that whole list is why I’m doing well. No high ticket, no challenges, no nonsense, no deals, just simple, standard regular payments. Focus on it and it’ll feed families.”
“This is EXACTLY how I built my business. 15 years in and I’m never hurting for clients. Having a basic understanding of SEO and search terms helps a lot to making sure I show up.”
“Excellent post. Took me years to figure some of this out. I’d say most people who stayed with me long-term didn’t ask about pricing except in passing. I’m always upfront about how much I charge and how I don’t do discounts, no exceptions. If anyone still objects, I encourage them to look into the many cheaper trainers in my area that don’t have 23 years of experience.”
“I have a business Facebook page but the most use it gets is to make announcements. My clients do most of my advertising by word of mouth. Training a decade, independent since 2020, and I regularly have a wait list 5+ people long because of my niche.”
“Been in the private/in-home game for 5 years now. If you want to make a good income whilst keeping it low stress, this is the way.”
“Your content is so unlike other trainers, and especially the big franchise guys. I’ve only worked in one commercial gym, but my experience mirrors your position. Working for myself was not only better for me, it was better for my clients.”
“Heck yeah! I’ve done this for 14 years and I wouldn’t ever go back to a gym.”
“I started personal training clients in home back in 1996! My business grew exponentially due to clients results, word of mouth.”
