As a small fitness business owner, crafting a compelling founder's statement and story can help you establish a personal connection with potential customers, differentiate your business from competitors, and build a strong brand identity. Especially if you're marketing to Gen X, Millenials, or Gen Z, a well-designed founders story that engages your client and brings them behind the brand is not a luxury; it's a requirement. 

From a foundational level, your founder's story should:

1.  Speak directly to your ideal client's pain points, goals, and personality.
2. Highlight your passion for your chosen modality and how that shapes your studio.
3. Describe your unique approach to training and why it's so impactful.
4. Clearly state your mission and how you help others achieve their health and wellness goals. 

Let's break down the steps to create a powerful founder's story that resonates with your target audience.

Define Your Values and Mission

Before you start writing your founder's story, take the time to clarify your values and mission for yourself as a fitness professional and your studio. We dive into mission creation in this article, but if you don't yet have a mission statement, ask yourself why you started a fitness business, what sets you apart from other trainers or gyms, and what kind of impact you want to make in your community. These answers will serve as a foundation for your founder's statement.

For example, your values might include:

• A commitment to personalized attention.
• A focus on functional fitness.
• A dedication to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Based on those values, your mission statement could be to empower clients to achieve their fitness goals in an empowering, welcoming community through personalized functional fitness.

Once you have your mission, it's time to craft a narrative that staff, current clients, and future customers can rally around.  

Share Your Personal Story

Your founder's story should reflect your journey in the fitness industry. 

• What inspired you to become a trainer or start your own gym? 
• How have you overcome obstacles and challenges in your career? 
• What have you learned about yourself and your clients along the way?

Be honest and vulnerable in sharing your story. The more authentic you are, the easier your clients will connect with you. Vulnerability doesn't translate directly into tears- a common misconception and fear with founder's stories. Instead, focus on the most relevant aspects of your story, but don't shy away from the challenges that brought you here. You might discuss:

• How you discovered your passion for fitness
• Any obstacles along the way
• The "why" behind your brand
• Your mentors who have influenced you
• The specific training techniques or philosophies that have helped you and your clients succeed.

Show Your Personality

Your founder's story should also showcase your unique personality because people purchase packages from people they trust. Put your heart into your story, so the client on the other end thinks, "I would love to work with someone like that!" What makes you stand out from other trainers or studios? How do you connect with your clients and create a positive and engaging training environment? Why would someone want to train with you?

Shining your personality could mean showcasing your sense of humor, your knack for connecting with your clients, or your love of putting together the perfect class. It might mean sharing your embarrassing first-class story when you were a client that made you realize you wanted to offer something better. Whatever sets you apart, ensure your founder's story conveys your individuality and authenticity. You want clients to remember the individual behind the brand when they're finished hearing your story. 

Highlight Your Experience

As a fitness professional, your expertise and experience are essential to your founder's story. Your potential customers want to know that they will be working with a qualified and knowledgeable studio owner who will help them achieve their goals safely and effectively.

Highlight your certifications, degrees, and other credentials, as well as any specialized training or continuing education you have pursued. Discuss your experience working with different types of clients, especially your ideal client. Depending on the delivery, include testimonials or success stories from past clients to create social proof. 

Remember Your Audience

Now that you have an outline of what you want to say think about who you're trying to connect with. Who are you trying to reach with your business? What are their needs, interests, and pain points?

Tailor your story to resonate with your ideal clients, whether that means focusing on the benefits of functional training for busy professionals or the importance of exercise for seniors. 

Use language and tone that speaks directly to your audience, and avoid jargon or technical terms that might be confusing or off-putting. Tailoring your story will also impact the delivery. Is this a video on your website home page? An Instagram reel? A blog post? Think about how your ideal client receives information and consumes marketing material, so you have the best chance of ending up in front of them.