Pete Dupuis

To the HS kid who was embarrassed to tell me he has a part-time job at the Olive Garden... That makes you 1,000 times cooler in my eyes than the entitled idiot at school who led you to believe otherwise. That experience will bring you value for years to come. Own it.

You’re not losing to competitors. You’re tripping over your own shoelaces…slow replies to leads, clunky scheduling, too many options. Before you obsess over the competition, fix what makes doing business with you harder than it should be.

Hoping someone sees your social media post and buys is like leaving your resume on a park bench and praying a hiring manager walks by. If you want business, ask for it. DM leads. Email them. Call. Say: I can help you. Here's how. Let's talk. Stop hinting. Start selling.

Managers check on people to track output. Leaders check in on people to offer support. The first is about control. The second is about trust. Your team needs leadership, not more oversight.

A gym lease isn’t a renewal guarantee. Buildings get sold, and landlords change course. Assuming you’ll simply re-up at market rates can leave you scrambling. Know your options. Start tracking comps. Build relationships. Have a loose understanding of Plan B.

Most wedding venues offer a list of approved vendors: • Local DJs • Trusted caterers • Florists who get the vibe Your gym should, too: • A go-to physical therapist • A skilled manual therapist • An orthopedic surgeon you trust Always be building your referral network.

Most gym owners think social media is just for lead-generation. But great coaches are watching too. Your content tells them what it’s like to work w/you. Details that clients may not notice still matter. You’re not just marketing to clients. You’re auditioning for future staff.

You’re not getting ghosted because your offer sucks. You’re getting ghosted because you’re hiding behind a screen. An in-person ask is 30x more likely to get a “yes” than email or text. You wouldn’t write a program without an assessment…don’t sell without a real conversation.

Your clients’ success stories outperform your marketing budget. Invest your energy where it counts.

Next time you run an annual review, shift the script. Instead of: “How can I help you get better at your job?” Try: “How can I help you outgrow your role here?” It’s about growth—not just performance.

The best coaches are great conversationalists. The most effective sales pitches? Thoughtful conversations around a clearly differentiated service. “I’m just bad at asking for money” is a cop-out if you’re really as good at your job as you think you are.

Beware these two potential clients: 1. The one who swears “money’s no issue” before seeing your offer. 2. The one who cries “overpriced” before setting foot in your gym. The real wins? They’re in the middle. Ready to listen. Ready to learn. Ready to commit.

My business started with $0 of revenue. My business partner once had no experience working with baseball players. The MLB pitchers he now trains? There was a time when they didn’t have a win at any level of baseball. Nobody was “born for this.” They built it. You can too.

When a smaller competitor takes a shot, stay steady. You don’t need to defend what’s already working. Surprise them: Praise their hustle. Stay generous. Keep building. Class ages well.

Label one of your pricing options “Most Popular.” Sales can jump 13–20%. It works because of social proof. People trust the crowd.

Losing a great coach hurts. But holding them back? Worse. If you’re doing it right, your best people will outgrow you. That’s not failure. That’s growth. Turnover isn’t the threat. Stagnation is.

Planet Fitness sells $10/month access. You sell outcomes. Don’t race to the bottom—raise the standard. Help price shoppers become action takers. That’s the real transformation.

Hiring mistake I’ve made: I picked the smartest person— and ignored the vibe they brought. Negativity spreads like mold. One bad attitude can sink a team. Optimism isn’t fluff. It’s fuel. Hire people who see the future as a chance, and not a threat.

Check your calendar from two years ago today... See who came in. Then drifted off. Send this: "Hey! Just realized it’s been two years since we worked together. Hope you’ve found something great—if not, would love to reconnect." Some doors don’t close all the way.

A coach left and “took” some clients? Let it go. All they really took was a few names and a snapshot of your business at one point in time. They didn’t steal your creativity, your problem-solving, or the work it took to build it—and they have no clue what you’ll build next.