Instructor Newsletter 6 November 2014

 

 

Kick Start Fat Loss Ireland

I am super proud to announce that Anti Gravity Yoga’s Laura Armarda Buch is now the Kick Start Fat Loss Master Franchisee for Ireland.

Laura  begins her own classes this week which sold out in 2 days! – She has 40 people in each class, which is amazing and is now looking for Instructors all over Ireland to join KSFL. There will be one KSFL Instructor in each area and we launch at a special event on 23 November in Drogheda.

 
If you are in Ireland and you would like to get involved with Kick Star Ireland Contact Laura via Facebook to book your place on our special event.

I  will be coming over to do a talk and meet Instructors on this exclusive event  so look forward to seeing you there.

HOT FITNESS PILATES

Great News!

We have written & finalised the course and will be ready to roll out the very first HOT FITNESS PILATES training BEFORE Christmas.

This will be our very first course and will be running in a Hot Yoga studio in NOTTINGHAM.

There will be 12 places and dates and booking will be up online next week.

I predict HOT Fitness Pilates will be huge next year.

Therefore if you live near a Hot Yoga studio pop in and see if they potentially could be interested in you teaching Hot Fitness Pilates. To attend our HFP course you will need to be Fitness Pilates trained.

Tweet me if you are interested tweet me @RachelHolmes

My Top Music Picks This Week.

All my music comes from Pure Energy and you can find all of these mixes
on the Pure Energy Website.

1: IBIZA 2 – B side This is an old mix but boy is it WICKED. I’ve created a new
Tabata class to this and the music just ROCKS!

2: IBIZA 2 – A side I have been Stepping this week to this mix & everyone is loving the summer vibe.

3: Mind Body Playful Movement by Ceri Hannon – For Fitness Pilates. This is an uber cool mix perfect for a progressive Fitness Pilates class.

You can find all of these mixes on PureEnergymusic.com

Facebook Adverts

Are you wondering about Facebook adverts & if you should
jump in and  utilise FB Adverts for your fitness business?

The answer is YES

FB Ads are an AMAZING way to drive traffic to your
live classes & online fitness businesses.

In fact they work SO WELL to drive new leads & business
once you understand the “knack” of how to do it.

You will need to do
some tweaking & testing before you create
THE perfect ad, but once you understand the nuts & bolts of it, you will be all set to really reap the benefits.

I am creating a new Facebook Adverts for Fitness video tutorialprogramme
that will show you step by step exactly how to set up your adverts.

*You will need to have your own website.

* A content management system
such as Mailchimp, Aweber, Constant Contact or Infusionsoft

Be prepared to spend £5 – £10 a day tweaking your ads.

The key as well is to keep growing your EMAIL list on a daily basis adding new emails to your list and sending out valuable content to your fans & customers.

Facebook Adverts for Fitness will be launching very soon.

Can you let me know if this interests you? Tweet me @RachelHolmes

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

KS EXTREME with Rachel & Kelly

This has been such an incredibly successful tour and Kelly & I have 2 dates in Derby & London.

Derby 8th November
London 23rd November

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Your Website by Rachel

A topic I love to revisit from time to time, and as 2015 is rolling up faster than any of us can believe, now is a great time to make sure your website is fully functional, able to take bookings and YOU are able to update it. Here are my top tips for creating the perfect fitness website for your business.

1.In my humble opinion WordPress is still the best platform to build your website on. It’s free, you can choose a funky theme and you can easily get someone to create it for you really quickly. Both C2Go and KSFL are both built on wordpress blogs.

2.Invest in a robust email newsletter delivery system. Aweber, Constant Contact & Mailchimp are all great ways for you to collect email addresses and send out your regular newsletter and your special offers and updates. YOU have to collect every email address possible and build up a list of everyone who visits your site and comes to your sessions.

3.Wordpress has tons of “plug ins” which means you can plug in videos, podcasts, photos, audio features and pretty much everything you need to make your website an all singing all dancing site that is attractive and will service your members and client base. Plus, it will create your own revenue stream.

4.Learn how to update your site yourself. Firstly, I would get someone to create your site for you and get lessons from them on how to update it so you can change, tweak and update the site as often as required. If you can’t do this, then life can become expensive and difficult as you will always have to rely on a 3rd party to update things, which is tiresome.  So learn how to do it yourself. It’s worth it.

5. Invest in great branding and graphics. Your banners and logos need to be created professionally. Choose your colours, logos and fonts wisely and employ a graphic designer to do a selection for you until you get the right mix for you and your brand. This could take a few weeks so don’t rush it and really consider the kind of image you want the site to give.

6.Make sure you have a shop where you can sell your classes, services, online products easily and are able to add new products as your create them.?Paypal is the easiest way to take payment, so sign up for Paypal Pro account and lean how to create Paypal buttons to take money in your shop.

7.Create great content for your website and keep updating it. Your site is a reflection of YOU and your services.  There’s nothing worse than a cheap looking, outdated site, so keep adding to it once it is built.

8.You can easily get a wordpress blog/website built for you. My favorite site to getting things technically done is Peopleperhour.com and I like to use people based in the UK. They maybe a little more expensive but you will get what you want so much faster and easier than if you outsource overseas.

Use the same site to find graphic designers and adding plug ins for your site.
If you already have a site that’s looking a little tired and not really performing, then now is a great time to put some effort into it and getting it all shiny and new ready for the new year.

Outsourcing Tips

If you have decided to get a new website then I suggest 100% you take a look at www.Peopleperhour.com I LOVE this site and get so many of my technical jobs done here. You can easily search for web designers, take a look at each one carefully and check out their portfolios.

You will be able to see samples of their past projects and work. Put a brief together of exactly what you would like to create send an email asking if this is something they can do for you. I would send your brief to several possible designers and ask for feedback on your project, then all you need to do is choose the one that feels right for you.

Quick Tips when Outsourcing

?1.Create a brief of how you want your new site to look.

2.Search PPH website and check out as many of the web designers as possible.

3.Contact each one that looks like it could fit your bill and email your brief asking for feedback, costings and how long it may take.

4.Research thoroughly each designer’s portfolio and ask more questions if necessary.

5.Choose one. You are asked for a deposit, then the balance on completion.
You will need to make tweaks and updates as you work though the project. Ask the designer to consult you at all stages of the design to ensure they are on track.?Getting a site built is really not as scary as you think and using a site like PPH is a straight forward process. Do let me know how you get on. Tweet me @rachelHolmes or message me via Facebook.com/Choreographytogo

Zoe Mc Nulty Miss Galaxy – Miss Monroe Galaxy

Last week I told you about the fitness and beauty pageant I was taking part in at the weekend, Miss Galaxy Universe. Well, I only went and placed 1st in Miss Monroe International!  I am Miss Monroe International 2014 and I’m pretty blummin’ chuffed about it! I set out to prove that sexiness has got nothing to do with body shape, fat percentage, dress size or age… And boy, did I have a blast doing so!

As I said last week one of the things I love about MGU is that it doesn’t just focus purely on  aesthetics but function as well as form and we were all put through our paces at the K2 Sports Track in Crawley on Friday evening. The last time I raced or competed in anything like this was at school and it wasn’t voluntary.  It’s safe to say I was bricking it. Thankfully we’d had beautiful weather that day and the forecasts of rain had been incorrect!

We competed in teams of 8 and we had to run 800m followed by the long jump; 400m and a minute of press ups; 200m and a minute of squat thrusts (evil combination) and finally 100m and a minute of sit ups. We got extra points for doing a minute of 18 inch box jumps (I was most pleased with my 28 until I witnessed a machine of a girl do 68!!) plus there were bonus points for doing pull ups.  I avoided this station completely as there were no bonus points for dangling limply for 3 seconds which would have been my personal best.  The worst bit was the 800m; my lungs felt like they were going to burst and I couldn’t feel my legs or feet, it was very surreal and I’m pretty sure I was running like Phoebe from friends by the end of it.  But on the whole it was a really enjoyable experience with all the girls being super supportive of each other. Again, one of the wonderful things about MGU is the friendships formed.  There’s something really special about sharing out-of-the-ordinary experiences; bonds being created in a profound way and I felt a part of something special, even as a newbie.  When we all got back to hotel I was buzzing and could have done it all again (which means I could probably have tried harder)!

By this point I still had no clue which of the 3 dresses or 5 swimming costumes I had brought with me I would wear the next day.  Non of them were spot on but I had an idea of which one would be best and had been encouraged by the thought that it’s not about the dress, it’s about how you carry yourself in it.  There’s only one thing for it when you can’t make a decision yourself… Ask Mum!  Mum and Dad were coming to cheer me on anyway (as were my brother and his girlfriend and about 15 friends from the fitness industry- you know who you are, thank you for your support, I am truly honoured) so it was an ideal opportunity to get some good mum-advice.  Naomi, one of the girls who had taken part and placed 2nd in Miss Monroe in June had very kindly suggested I borrow hers.  I had admired her dress but I was unsure of how I felt about wearing one which had already been on stage on someone else.  When my mum arrived it was the first one I tried on as I actually thought it wouldn’t fit and I could discard the idea….

Well, my goodness, the gasps from Mum, followed by ‘Oh Pete, come and see’ – it was quite clear that after trying on at least 25 dresses this was ‘The One’!!!  Emerald green sequins with spaghetti straps, very low cut back and a train!!  It fit like a dream!!!  When Naomi saw it on me, she got emotional, it was adorable.  She’d had a hard time recently and I could see the dress held a lot of meaning in her heart and I wanted to do well for her and for whatever miss Monroe meant to her.  This category really does have something special.  During registration earlier that day, each time someone asked me to confirm my category the response was always ‘Ooooh lovely!!’  Now I just needed to master picking up the train sexily and not tripping over the dress whilst walking!

The next day we all arrived at The Hawth in Crawley by 9am and it was a whirlwind of hair extensions, curlers, make up, lashes, glitter, panic and excitement and I loved every moment.  We had dress rehearsals (I say ‘dress’ rehearsals but we all wore a t shirt which corresponded with the colour of dress we would be wearing).  The choreographer had the difficult task of organising 120 girls snaking around each other in dress colour order, quite a feat but expertly done.  And then all too soon we were being called for the opening of the show.  120 girls in bikinis (or swimsuits for Monroes) all entering from the wings, posing on 4 different spots about the stage in perfect unison, crossing paths perfectly to the beat of the Black Eyed Peas “Tonight’s gonna be a good night..”  The air of excitement was actually all a bit too much and I filled up a little bit.  I do that, get choked up when watching things like X-Factor or Tumble/Strictly etc when I know how much hard work has gone into something and then we see the accumulation of weeks or months of work and these girls had really worked their asses off- literally, for this moment!

I, however had been really quite relaxed about the whole preparation thing – but as I said last week, for my testimony to carry any weight I really needed to just turn up and rock that stage!  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, confidence is a mind set, a choice, not dependant on circumstances.  Confidence is key to having people respond well to you.  I wasn’t the slimmest, I didn’t have the perkiest boobs, I didn’t have the longest legs and I certainly wasn’t the youngest!  I’m not even sure if I was the most confident but when I got up on that stage I certainly acted like I was, I owned the stage and flirted with the audience… I even did the ‘bend and snap’!!!  It was all a bit of a blur and I’ve had no feedback as of yet… but nevertheless, I WON I WON I WON!  Lol!

I’ve been asked if I will do it again in May.  As far as I am aware, once you win a category you can’t be in that category again, at least not the next time.  So the logical ‘progression’ would be to enter the ‘Beach Body’ category…. Hmm.  I don’t think I would because I’m so in love with the message of Miss Monroe that even if I lost weight and toned up (and you know what, I seem to be doing that without trying, probably due to not putting pressure on myself and being happy and secure in my own skin and just being active and kind to myself) I wouldn’t want to dilute the powerful statement I hope I have made – but never say never.

So, ladies, I hope I’m getting through to you – the size of various parts of your body are UNIMPORTANT.  The shape of your bits and pieces are UNIMPORTANT.  Please, please, please, stop worrying about your bodies.  We are not getting younger, we can only hold back the years for a certain amount of time, and then what…?  Will you remain unhappy, forever in a state of ‘when I lose weight I’ll be happy’?  Please try to be happy with what you see in the mirror, be nice to yourself and nourish it well, have good posture and stand tall… and BELIEVE that you’re hot no matter what.  The sooner we get to grips with our figure being far less important than our health, the sooner we can start enjoying our bodies and everything we can do with them.  And I HIGHLY recommend strutting around in your swimsuit and heels in front of hundreds of people for a wonderful confidence boost.

If you’re thinking of it, let me know!  Email me on dancingbabybear@hotmail.com.

And for a chance to WIN a weekend for 2 at the prestigious Ragdale Hall Health Hydro and Thermal Spa worth £900 – yes you read that correctly (travel not included) just email me with your full name and say why you deserve to go – I think we all deserve to go, but I have to pick only one entry!  Meh!

I’ll be picking the winning entry early in 2015 but get your answers back to me ASAP!
And add yourself to my mailing list here… https://www.facebook.com/ZoeMcNultyPresenter/app_100265896690345

Looking forward to hearing from you all!!!   Stay sexy!!!

Trick or Treat? Saint or Sinner? Who Gives A Fawkes….Guy…!!?

By Andrew Crawford

It was Halloween last week…Trick or Treat…now Guy Fawkes Night…Remember Remember…!!

So last week our little Dharlings were dressed up in skulls, bones, witches masks and allsorts walking the streets, knocking on doors for………Treats…!!

They didn’t want tricks…!!  So many sweets and chocolates….It’s a Sin..!!

Last night our little Dharlings were dressed in scarfs, hats and gloves surrounding a big fat fire accompanied by a firework display and sparklers in hand..!!

Where was Guy??

Buckingham Palace actually….causing caos to riot police.

“The Revolution Shall Not Be Televised”……..It is Live..!!

In my days street corners would be filled with stuffed dummies in a pram and kids shouting …”Penny for the Guy”…!! Remember??

Later that night, after collecting their dosh, the little Saints would place the dummy on top of the raging bonfire…. Fawkes, the sinner, would be consumed by fire………..!!

Were any of you Fit Pros Saints and give fruit to your night knockers? If you did, I’m sure you saw the Demon in them come out….aaarrggghhh…!!

Saturday night was full of dress up parties….How do I know??? I went to one. Blood, Gore and more…..we love it Guys…..dressing up..Zombified….Whoooooo

In another camp….

“……..The Catholic Church has called for Halloween to be scrapped and replaced with ‘Holyween’ – a night in which children would attend prayer vigils and dress up as saints……..”
?
So Andrew…..

What the devil has Halloween, Trick or Treat, Saints or Sinner and who gives a Fawkes got to do with Accountancy or the demon Tax?

You’re in for a Treat today….

I didn’t want to frighten you but…

The 31st October at midnight was the last day for your paper Tax Returns to be in.

This is when the Taxman, Saint or Sinner, will calculate your tax for you..!!

The point is….Would you want them to??

The Saint or Sinner part depends on which side of the argument you are on, the taxpayer or the HMRC.

The Sin is that their job is to MAXIMISE the tax going into their coffers…The Saint in tax advice is to MINIMISE the tax you pay….

Scary Tricks the HMRC play – Sinner

Disallowing most expenditure (if they don’t understand it)

Where there’s an issue as to whether something is allowable or disallowable AND you have bought this item ‘wholly and exclusively’ for the purpose of your business… then take 50%

Mystery Shopping

It is known…or it should be known that the HMRC sets up email accounts and purchase goods from ebay. This could be YOU and your online business.

They also visit your business   or take part in it and pay CASH on various occasions…..they will come back later and ask to see your records….

Oh….I feel like a Devil telling you all this….

Just be careful out there…the HMRC are using underground tactics to uncover what they might suspect as being tax avoidance.

Some Treats You Can Use – Saint

If a partner is going with you on a long haul trip, either pay them or put them on a separate ticket (technically, you cannot claim for them, however, ensure that the expenditure was incurred for the purpose of your business so pay them and claim the full costs…let them invoice you  if necessary).

If you are attending a seminar/masterclass, have a copy of the brochure or timetable to show which classes you attended.

If you were invited abroad and you were not paid for your time… have a flier which clearly shows your name and picture as one of the speakers, then claim your travel and hotel costs.

If you are on a research trip….. have a diary and brochures of where and who you visited.

All above scenarios are claimable ……..What a treat..!!

Finally

I feel sorry for NASA as last week their rocket blew up whilst taking off…Now that’s some scary stuff..!!!

Week 5 and our cute little North East Fitness Entrepreneur Katie Bulmer-Cooke is still on the winning team…Hope she enjoyed her little abseiling treat …!!

One word………Tesco………Sinners..!!

Andrew James Crawford