In the final PTMA episode of 2025, Ant, Nik and Sky wrap up the year with a very coach-specific reality check:

• Should you actually run a front-end offer in January – or is it just another 6-week shred you’ll regret?

• Why the classic SMART goals approach is “shit” for coaches and clients… and how PTMA rebuilt their entire goal-setting system using bridge models, GROW and wildly important goals.

• How to get the most out of January 2026 as a self-employed coach (instead of landing back on the gym floor on 2nd January with no plan and a head full of pressure).

• Personal + business highlights from 2025, what changed inside PTMA, and what the team are excited for in Q1 2026 – including Connected Coach and the new January programme.

  
  

  00:00 – 03:40 – Intro & Christmas Film Icebreaker
  End-of-year chaos, dodgy Wi-Fi, Christmas film choices, Lapland prices, and Ant’s Home Alone obsession.

  03:40 – 04:15 – From Banter to Business
  Quick pivot from festive chat into the real question coaches are asking about January.

  04:15 – 05:55 – “Is a Front-End Offer in January a Good Idea?”
  Sky throws the question in; Ant breaks down:

  • Why front-end offers in Jan can work really well

  • The importance of aligning them with your values and long-term process

  • How to position the “what happens next” so it’s not just a 6–8 week graveyard.

  05:55 – 08:10 – Values, Messaging & Next Steps After a Front-End
  How to think beyond the shred:

  • The real job of a front-end

  • Making sure it nudges people into meaningful action, not just a quick fix.

  08:10 – 08:23 – Quick Tech Question
  “What do you use to record the podcast?” → Riverside.

  08:23 – 11:36 – Why PTMA’s Goal Setting Is Different (and Why SMART Is Shit)
  Nik breaks down PTMA’s goal-setting framework:

  • Why SMART goals alone don’t build ownership or internal motivation

  • The Bridge Model – where you are, where you want to be, and how to cross the gap

  • Layering in GROW and Wildly Important Goals / OKRs

  • Breaking business goals into 12 / 90 / 30 / 7 milestones so coaches actually follow through.

  11:36 – 12:03 – Holding the Space for Coaches
  A bit of back-and-forth between the team on Nik’s answer and how the framework evolved.

  12:03 – 16:48 – How to Make the Most Out of January 2026 as a Self-Employed Coach
  Sky leads on:

  • Why you can’t wait until 2nd–3rd Jan to decide your plan

  • Getting clear now on:

    • What you’re offering in January

    • Whether it’s a front-end offer, lead magnet, or new service

    • When marketing starts and what channels you’re using

  • Running end-of-year review calls and Q1 goal-setting with current clients

  • Using feedback to protect retention so you don’t sleepwalk into a high-leaver January

  • Managing your own energy, boundaries and schedule in a grim, cold month.

  Ant then adds:

  • Why January success = December effort

  • Matching your plan to your target (e.g. 12 new clients by end of Jan)

  • Managing expectations and not kidding yourself with “wishful” plans.

  16:48 – 19:36 – Quick Reflections & Transition
  Short wrap on the January piece and a move into more reflective questions.

  17:28 – 21:00 – 2025 Business Highlights – Restructuring PTMA
  Nik & Ant on:

  • The conference as a consistent highlight

  • Completely restructuring and simplifying PTMA’s offers

  • Making it easier to get the best out of coaches with the right mix of directness and accountability

  • The messy middle of changing a business you’ve controlled for 8–10 years, and coming out the other side stronger.

  19:20 – 19:36 – Nik’s Personal Take

  19:41 – 22:49 – Ant’s Personal & Business Highlights

  22:49 – 25:15 – Sky’s Personal & Business Highlights

  25:15 – 26:07 – Grassroots Football GOAT

  26:07 – 28:18 – Looking Ahead to 2026 & Wrap-Up.

  28:15 – End – Merry Christmas & See You in 2026

This week we’re unpacking the biggest lessons from our Coaches Conference weekend – the stuff that shifted our coaches’ perspective on goals, content, confidence, coaching skills and running events that actually land.

If you didn’t make it, this is your snapshot: what worked, what didn’t, and the questions you should be asking yourself going into 2026.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Why this episode is different
  Ant hijacks the podcast, explains why there are no Q&A check-ins this week and sets the scene for the Coaches Conference recap.

• 02:00 – The real win from the weekend (hint: not more information)
  Nik breaks down why the biggest shift wasn’t “more tactics” – it was perspective, belief and starting with you as the coach.

• 05:25 – “Your business is a mirror of you”
  Sky pulls out Chris’ core line that kept echoing through the weekend: your business reflects you – your limits, your habits, your standards.

• 08:45 – Events that don’t go perfectly (and why we’re sharing that)
  Ant talks honestly about what he’d change from Saturday afternoon, why the last quarter of a day is always tough, and what coaches can learn if they’re running their own events.

• 14:00 – Goals, money and meaning: the morning spreadsheet session
  How we got coaches to stop winging it with revenue, tie their numbers back to what they actually want from life, and why clarity = confidence.

• 19:45 – Simon’s simple content framework for 1–2 weeks of posts
  The 4–5 step process Simon walked everyone through: pain point → outcome → format → delivery method → building out a week of content without overthinking.

• 23:40 – Limits, the “to-don’t list” and your bottlenecks
  What Chris covered on limits, self-awareness, why your strengths can get in your way, and why most coaches need a to-don’t list more than another to-do list.

• 28:50 – Ross on chasing zeros vs chasing alignment
  The reality behind rapid “success”: risk, money lost, and how he pulled himself back from chasing more, more, more to something aligned with his values.

• 34:40 – Katie’s story: building a packed gym in a saturated area
  Why her story hit so hard: no big following, loads of local competition, a family to support – and still building a thriving gym through paid ads, clear niche and relentless consistency.

• 39:50 – Coaching day: from rigid programming to real coaching
  What Craig, Sasha, and the coaching panels highlighted: presence, adapting to the human in front of you, and why a programme on paper isn’t the product.

• 46:30 – The final workshop: are you really doing enough for client results?
  Ant & Nik explain the final principles-based framework they walked coaches through to honestly answer: “Am I doing everything I can for this client?”

• 49:45 – Why in-person still beats another Zoom webinar
  Nik on why, even as an online business, nothing touches being in a room with other coaches for confidence, belief and perspective.

Timestamps

Feel free to tighten these when you see the final audio.

• 00:00 – 03:20
  Intro, weekend chat, Blue’s puppy scan, banter.

• 03:20 – 07:15
  Sky’s conference recap: GLP-1 “obesity management meds”, microplastics, waste, Tim Spector/Zoe rant, plug for PTMA conference.

• 07:15 – 13:40
  “Most annoying trait in academy members”

  • Time management & energy management struggles

  • Accountability vs handing over responsibility

  • Wanting results without sacrifice

  • Being hypocritical with their own adherence

  • Running the business from assumptions not data.

• 13:40 – 16:05
  Planning your first in-person educational client event: outcome, group dynamics, experience vs information dump.

• 16:05 – 20:11
  Balancing being busy vs feeling burnt out; prioritising non-negotiables, sleep, shutdown times, and why most coaches overuse the word “burnout”.

• 20:11 – 26:47
  2025/2026 for PTMA & advice for coaches next year

  • One-word summary: development

  • Hardest year so far, but a springboard

  • Four business pillars

  • “Go into next year knowing what you’re doing and aiming at.”

• 26:47 – 30:42
  End-of-year reviews, 2026 goal setting, and why January is a high-leaver month if you don’t future pace clients.

• 30:42 – 33:52
  Handling “go away and think about it” in sales conversations and how to actually lead the decision.

• 33:55 – 35:07
  Where to start if you’ve been slacking on tracking business metrics.

• 35:11 – 38:43
  Website/Wix upgrade question: “professional” look vs purpose and traffic; landing pages over pretty brochures.

• 38:43 – 42:07
  Best ways to use a 5-minute video testimonial (short-form clips, reaction videos, B-roll, emails).

• 42:07 – 43:36
  Leftover takeaway debate, conference week hype, random closing chat.

In this episode we answer real questions from coaches on low revenue, lead gen when your niche isn’t in the gym, knowing when you’re at capacity, and how to balance seasons of graft with the freedom you actually want from your business.

We also get into why 2026 will reward truly skilled coaches (not just marketers), how many platforms you should really be on, and what to do when life hits – like getting ill the week a new client starts.

If you’ve ever wondered “am I doing enough?” or “am I getting in my own way?”, this one will hit.

Timestamps

• 00:00–02:30 – Boxing, UFC and warm-up chat

• 02:31–06:10 – Low revenue even though you’re “doing everything right”

• 06:21–07:49 – Creating a client accountability challenge that actually lands

• 07:50–13:35 – Weekends, the Lakes and social media: love, hate and reality checks

• 13:54–19:01 – Gym floor lead gen when your niche “isn’t there”

• 19:02–22:15 – Knowing when you’re at capacity (time, energy, money)

• 22:34–26:00 – What changes in 2026: skills, AI and events

• 26:10–29:03 – If your business was a person, what is it trying to become?

• 29:04–37:58 – Balancing seasons of graft with the freedom you want

• 38:09–39:50 – How to prep for the PTMA conference + front-end offer timing

• 40:43–43:50 – How long it really took to build this level of output

• 43:51–47:21 – How many platforms should you be on? Does a podcast count?

• 47:22–50:34 – Getting ill, onboarding a new client and what systems you need

In this episode I sit down with Ant and Sky to talk directly to newly qualified personal trainers and coaches in their first six to twelve months. We go right into the reality of qualifying, why so many coaches feel like imposters, what actually causes most PTs to leave the industry early, and the practical foundations you need to get from 0–5 clients. We also break down the thinking behind our new PT Foundations programme and why we’ve brought it back now as a bridge between “just passed my course” and “ready for full mentorship”.

Message us FOUNDATION to be 1 of 10 coaches

Timestamps

00:00 – 02:10 — Why we recorded this episode
A surge of new PTs, lots of uncertainty, and why we wanted to speak directly to coaches in their first year.

02:10 – 04:38 — The shock of qualifying
Sky explains how it feels to pass your PT course but have no idea how to run a business.

04:38 – 08:30 — What new PTs think they need vs what they actually need
Social media following, being in shape, collecting courses, and the truth about what actually moves the needle.

08:30 – 11:13 — Why most PTs leave within 6–12 months
Commercial gym pressure, no lead-gen method, inconsistent marketing, low confidence.

11:13 – 16:00 — Two starting scenarios and why speed matters
Whether you are full-time or in a commercial gym, speed to early wins is essential.

16:00 – 20:24 — Front-end offers, graft and getting experience quickly
How to get in front of people, generate leads early, and build confidence.

20:24 – 28:25 — Niche and offer clarity
Why defining who you help and what you do changes your confidence and your marketing.

28:25 – 34:25 — Guessing vs having a plan
Warning signs you’re guessing your way through business: random offers, reactive marketing, no system.

34:25 – 40:49 — Case study: Stuart in JD Gym
A simple example of how structure, campaigns and consistency changed his income and confidence.

40:49 – 45:50 — Working on your business vs reacting to everything
How early knock-backs derail new coaches and why consistency matters.

45:50 – 51:40 — Introducing PT Foundations
Why we built an 8-week “bridge” programme for new PTs and how it works:

• Weeks 1–2: Clarity, niche, offer

• Weeks 3–6: Awareness, content, lead-gen

• Weeks 7–8: Conversion to first 5 clients

51:40 – End — The mission behind it
Why helping brand new PTs was the original reason PTMA existed and why we’re bringing this back now.

⁠Message us FOUNDATION to be 1 of 10 coaches⁠

This week we tackle five coach-maker topics: how often to re-confirm Ts&Cs (and why retention cycles matter), the shift from “instructor” to “coach” to build truly self-sufficient clients, choosing the right paid-ad objective (awareness vs lead gen vs offer), the one move to get ahead of January (stacking high-volume lead magnets + nurturing), and what actually belongs on a simple, high-converting landing page. Expect straight talk, practical scripts, and a nudge to stop chasing vanity and start building pipeline.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Cold open, chaos & intros

• 01:04 Q1 — How often to re-iterate Ts&Cs? (tie it to average retention)

• 03:14 Q2 — Coaching for self-sufficiency (questions > instructions)

• 07:39 Q3 — Paid ads: awareness, lead magnet, or straight offer? (it depends on objective)

• 10:35 Q4 — One thing to get ahead of New Year (lead magnets + nurture + positioning)

• 13:38 Q5 — Client won’t train hard: bias, priorities & intensity coaching

• 17:27 Q6 — Do landing pages need loads of info? (the 5-block skeleton)

• 20:06 Wrap & conference one-day ticket £79 (Friday)

  
  

  
  

Key topics & takeaways

• Front-end offer pricing: Price by touch-points (hands-off vs semi-personalised vs personalised) and anchor near your core offer to reduce conversion friction.

• Cost control near VAT threshold: Audit fixed vs non-fixed costs; weigh each item’s ROI and time saved. Decide whether to absorb, pass on, or phase VAT via planned price lifts.

• Measuring social media: Prioritise conversations and intent signals (DMs, replies, saves, shares, profile taps) over vanity likes. Enjoyment matters for consistency.

• Lead magnet success: Two lenses—(1) metrics versus target (downloads, list growth, conversions) and (2) did it energise you? Usually it’s the positioning and volume of promo, not the asset, that needs work.

• What to make next: Don’t reinvent; productise what you already coach. Turn your last 5–7 client fixes into a checklist, 5-min video, or mini accountability plan.

• Posting twice a week: Favour reels for reach and connection; use Stories for context and personality. Add clear CTAs to longer-form value (email list, podcast, lead magnet).

  
  

  Timestamps;

• 00:01 Intro — “PTMA Radio Breakfast Show” vibes

• 00:45 Hyrox judging saga: the white line, the ankle grab, and penalties

• 02:13 Q1: How to price a front-end offer? (touch-points & anchoring to core offer)

• 04:06 Sky’s caution: don’t undervalue your core by over-delivering cheaply

• 04:45 Q2: Where to cut costs to improve profit / stay under VAT threshold?

• 05:27 Fixed vs non-fixed costs; ROI vs time trade-offs

• 07:52 VAT options: absorb, pass on, or phase price increases

• 09:28 Half-term chaos + travel chat: Australia, New Zealand, Japan

• 10:59 “When is Ant’s cookbook going live?” (pamphlets, Christmas tree campaigns)

• 12:24 Q3: How do you gauge social media success? (conversations > likes)

• 15:24 Sky: some “low-metric” posts start the best DMs; enjoyment matters

• 17:28 Q4: How to assess a lead magnet — tweak, repeat, or bin?

• 21:02 Nik: it’s usually the marketing, not the magnet

• 22:35 Ant’s example: move the CTA up, increase mentions → downloads double

• 23:40 Q5: What should my next lead magnet be? (mine your current coaching)

• 26:20 Q6: Two posts a week — reels or carousels? (reels, then Stories context)

• 29:44 Ant’s “14-page” content confession

• 30:42 Quick-fire: dream podcast guests (Ilona Maher, Ross Edgley)

• 33:08 UFC chat: eye poke controversy, intent vs tactic

• 36:39 Boxing shout, “PTMA Fight Review” idea, playful outro

• 37:06 Sign-off

Nik, Ant and Sky dig into what to actually do in Q4: the small-group PT model Sky would run today (and realistic earnings), whether to end a front-end offer right before Christmas (yes), how to handle a management environment you’re starting to dislike, when “tough love” backfires and what to do instead, what to expect from your first paid ad (spoiler: creatives make or break it), how to start online from zero by building in public, practical retention plays heading into the holidays, plus a candid riff on the Enhanced Games and a PTMA Conference update ⁠Coaches Conference tickets here⁠

Timestamps;

• 00:00 – Cold open + chaos as usual

• 01:00 – Where PTMA’s headed (more coaching depth > agency model)

• 03:25 – If we went back to PT: Sky’s small-group model & £5–6k/month

• 06:00 – Disliking your environment? How to handle management like an adult

• 08:48 – Should a front-end offer finish right before Christmas? (Yes, and why)

• 11:00 – “Tough love” vs. communication breakdown: objective signs & boundaries

• 17:32 – Your first paid ad: expectations, creatives, and constant testing

• 21:06 – “Balanced lunches” → a smart way to use AI for client meal ideas

• 23:12 – Starting online with zero clients: build in public, test offers, lead magnets

• 26:29 – Retention & engagement through Nov–Dec: future-pacing & planning

• 30:07 – The Enhanced Games: performance, money, and messy incentives

• 38:05 – PTMA Conference update: one-day Friday ticket & bigger room

Ant and Sky are back (minus Nick… who still refuses to take a holiday).

This week, they tackle the questions every coach should be asking right now — from building a new audience to planning launches, avoiding complacency, and creating offers that actually convert.

They cover:
💡 How to transition from PT to nutrition coaching without losing your audience
🎯 The real difference between a lead magnet and a front-end offer (and which to use when)
🗓️ Why waiting for January is one of the biggest mistakes you can make
📈 How to track your metrics like a pro and find untapped growth opportunities
🤝 Turning “Can you write me a meal plan?” into a genuine coaching conversation
💌 Why your email list > Instagram followers
🚀 The easiest way to stay consistent with daily tasks and marketing
🧠 Why “done-with-you” systems beat “done-for-you” every time for long-term client retention

It’s equal parts strategy, mindset, and reality check — perfect for PTs and coaches who want to finish the year strong and start 2025 ahead of the pack.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Host Dynamics

00:54 Transitioning Focus: From Personal Training to Nutrition

07:03 Effective Lead Magnets: Strategies for Success

10:41 Timing Your Launch: November vs. January

12:48 Avoiding Complacency: Maintaining Momentum in Success

16:27 Responding to Nutrition Plan Requests: Building Relationships

21:45 Untapped Opportunities: Metrics and Marketing Strategies

25:42 Building Connections Beyond Social Media

26:38 The Importance of Landing Pages and Email Lists

28:33 Differentiating Coaching Services in a Crowded Market

30:21 Strategic Marketing Planning for Coaches

31:40 Daily Task Management for Coaches

35:32 Creating Effective Front-End Offers for Clients

40:52 The Value of Done-With-You Systems for Client Retention

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:43 Building a Structured Content Plan

08:09 Engaging Your Audience on Social Media

14:18 Compartmentalizing Client Issues

16:56 Learning from Mistakes

21:21 Marketing Multiple Services

24:56 The Role of AI in Coaching

31:55 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Second wave of early bird tickets for the Coaches Conference2025 tickets here!

Come spend two days with us learning, connecting, networking and upskilling yourself as a coach and business owner ... click here for more info

Timestamps;

00:00 Introduction and Morning Banter

01:21 Increasing Engagement on Social Media Stories

05:37 The Hustle: Does It Ever Stop?

06:43 Being Aggressive in Content Creation

09:12 Restarting Your Career: What Would You Change?

11:45 Anticipating New Speakers at Events

13:56 Life After Death: A Lighthearted Discussion

15:11 Best Online Purchase Hooks for Cold Leads

16:50 Underrated Benefits of Being a Coach

18:53 Rebranding Your Business: Key Focus Areas

20:33 Doubts About Niche and Market Fit