THE 4 STEPS TO NEVER ENDING GROWTH
In the summer of 2014 I first came across a blog post about the so‑called laptop lifestyle, and I was instantly hooked. Not because I pictured sipping cocktails on a beach while clients slaved away on a boring, templated program, but because I sensed a path that could change things.
Like many young trainers with little business or marketing know‑how, I did what seemed sensible at the time: I paid too much for a flashy website and started an Instagram page for my business. I had no real plan, but I believed this was part of the route to laptop lifestyle freedom.
I figured I’d post a few blogs and educational content on Instagram, and people would rush to buy my yet‑to‑be‑built online training programs. You can guess how that went.
Crickets. For weeks and months, I heard nothing.
So, as any smart business person would do when there’s no demand for a high‑priced online coaching option, I lowered my prices. I slid from $1,000 training services to $29 e‑books. How many did I sell? Not many.
Despite how that little tale reads now, those moves weren’t the core fault. I’ll come back to that in a moment.
Meanwhile, my in‑person coaching kept ticking along, but the online side kept draining time and energy:
– 6:30 AM to 12:30 PM — semi‑private sessions
– 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM — mostly private and semi‑private sessions
– Evenings spent hockey practicing to earn a bit more, plus a weekly stint in a freezing rink all winter
Money wasn’t the real issue. I could pay the bills and live comfortably. The problem was the way I was earning it. The hours and energy I poured into online work were unsustainable, and if I wanted more time with my partner or a family, things had to change.
I kept grinding 60 hours a week, trying to build a scalable online business in every spare moment, and my ego told me online coaching wasn’t for me. I was a solid in‑person coach, and online coaching seemed foolish or unserious.
Yet I watched other good coaches grow thriving online businesses. Some even became so busy they had to shift entirely online to work from anywhere. It hit me hard: what I was doing wasn’t working, and others were proving a different path was possible.
That realization sent me into what I later called the Vicious Cycle of Imposter Syndrome. Here’s how it played out.
1) FEAR
I dreaded trying something I wasn’t good at. I’d always done well in school, hockey, and in‑person training. Marketing and social media felt foreign, so I quit before giving it a fair shot.
2) EXCUSES
The excuses came fast and loud: I was too good in person, online work wasn’t for me, the market was saturated, who would listen to a guy from Winnipeg? I convinced myself these were true.
3) NO ACTION
I did take some initial steps—started a page, built a site, offered training and e‑books. But when results didn’t come quickly, I stalled, half‑heartedly pursuing things and then giving up.
4) EXPECTING DIFFERENT RESULTS
I kept posting the same educational content, hoping for more likes or a viral post, even though it wasn’t working. I treated a square peg as if it would fit a round hole, and I told myself I wasn’t enough.
That pattern isn’t unusual to me — I see it in many trainers who say the same things. So I decided to flip the script from the vicious cycle to a virtuous one.
VIRTUOUS CYCLE OF GROWTH
1) FEAR
Fear remains part of the process. You can’t outrun it, but you can acknowledge it, harness it, and act anyway. Fear exists to keep you safe, and it’s part of human evolution. The fear of asking someone if they need help with their training is a far cry from facing a real danger, but it still test your ego.
2) TAKE MESSY ACTION (KNOWING IT WILL BE INCOMPLETE OR WRONG)
Action is scary, yet it’s often the move that reveals how not as scary it is. We tend to spin stories about what will happen when we take a risk. The only way to prove those stories wrong is to act—make the call, raise prices, post the content. The messier, the better. If I’m handed a bad grade, I’ll study harder next time.
3) SEEK FEEDBACK
This was the crucial step I missed in my first attempt. I may have felt the fear and acted, but I didn’t actively seek feedback. The lack of engagement, the drop in clicks and visits, the overall absence of measurable results — these were all signals. Don’t assume you know better. Ask questions and look for feedback after every deliberate action. Treat feedback like the final number on a combination lock — without it you’re just wandering.
4) RECALIBRATE AND TAKE MORE MESSY ACTION
That’s when the growth really takes off. With each action and its feedback, your next move becomes more precise. Repeat this process, and you’ll act with purpose. You can’t lose—either you hit it, or you learn, refine, and try again.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
If you’re like I was during my laptop‑lifestyle days, life might be going pretty smoothly now. Here’s a final question to consider, especially when motivation dips: Is this what I want to be doing in 10 years? Is this my version of my best life?
If the answer is yes, lean in and double down. If not, take action toward the lifestyle and business you truly want — and know it’s possible. After working with several coaches and investing significant money, I built a hybrid business that pays six figures a year and allows me to travel for weeks at a time while clients still get great results and are waiting when I return.
If I can do it, so can you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gavin McHale, a kinesiology graduate, soon realized the old business model traded time for money too harshly. Over eight years, he built a six‑figure hybrid training business and founded the Maverick Coaching Academy in 2019. Since then, he has dedicated himself to helping other strength coaches grow their businesses, with a mission to improve the fitness industry and help people reach their best selves. He offers a free course for trainers, coaches, and therapists to kickstart a more sustainable business. You can also check out The Coach’s Playground Podcast and MaverickCoachingAcademy.ca, and follow on Instagram at @gavinmchale1.
