“It’s got to be the emotional side first of all, because you get that pretty quick within the first week or two of doing something for someone, you can see it and feel it and they’ll say, “Oh, I feel so good.” And then, so I think the main benefit is the emotional one. Especially if you are someone who is sitting at home all day, or a lot of your day, you can easily fall into that lull of not moving, or not feeding your body the right stuff, or not thinking about how your stress levels are being managed, all of that because work’s always in your face. You guys, you’re busy people, you’ve got loads on your plate. Other people asking you to do things. If you allow them to take over and other people to take over, you lose sight of yourself and how you feel.

So, the main benefit I think is just regaining that, I suppose, self love a bit. A bit of passion for yourself and your body and yeah, that’s a real quick change that happens. You could just say this week, “I’m going to go out every lunch time, I’m going to walk 10 minutes,” and it will make a difference. So, this is the biggest. And of course, you get ripped shredded, like you Asif, you get great body, but that’s a byproduct.”

“That’s the gold question that we’re always trying to answer, but it has to start from in yourself. So, we always start, in my community anyway, we start at the why. So, you have to ask yourself why, and it might not come straight away, but I could sit here and say, “Go exercise every day.” But if you don’t really feel it inside yourself about why that’s going to improve your situation, you’re not going to get up tomorrow and do it when I’m not in your face. You’re not going to have that purpose built inside you.

If you can really get in tune with what it is in your life that could improve. And that could be personal, it could be work related. I operate so much better when I’m exercising every day. I force myself a little bit to exercise, even when I don’t want to, knowing that the other side of that exercise, I’m going to be able to push forward and do what I want to do with my business. Whatever the driver is, the why for you, you got to start there because if you haven’t got it, you just won’t do it.

Because it comes down to you at the end of the day, doesn’t it? It really does, it comes down to the person, the individual. I just think that’s the only thing that I’ve ever found that works for everybody. It’s that constant reminder to yourselves and I think what you do well, and that’s why you’ve got me onboard I guess, is you create an environment in which people can be accountable as well and feel like they’re around other people that are trying to better themselves.”

“Yeah, I mean it’s different except I feel like … I was talking about this yesterday actually with another trainer. I feel like it’s going to be a positive. I feel like it’s largely positive in terms of what can come positive out of a scenario that we’ve been through, in that people are more engaged like we said, in the mental health aspects and linking exercise to that. I do think that’s huge. So, our purpose as trainers is not just on the six packs and the weight loss, although we still provide services for that, of course, because people always need it.

I just feel the shift in our industry has certainly gone more towards the emotional, mental benefits. So, post-COVID and it’s happening right now, I just think the conversations are different.

I’ve actually gone opposite here, I’ve gone and taken on a facility. I’ve taken on some bricks and morter after the pandemic. Whereas it’s been such a tough time for people that had those already in terms of how we deliver it. I feel where I am down here in Surrey anyway, there is a real urge to have connection with other humans because it’s not as often now, certainly in our jobs, people are still doing hybrid working down here, as you guys are. Some people are just in the office. Some people are just at home, there’s a real mix now. Just feel like there’s a thirst to be around people who again, are in a positive mindset as you.”

“The community’s been the word, the big thing I’ve been using and I’ve put on my wall and I keep reminding myself every day and I’m trying to create community wherever I can and I’ll try and communicate that in any way I can. So, we’ve discussed social media’s a great way of connecting our community. And then I would, I guess from a marketing perspective, once you’ve got communities built and you have certain demographics and for me, it might be we have a group of women who are all on the same journey. We call them Team Fabulous. We met up at the weekend. We created a community for them to be surrounded by people that they feel like they fit in with, and I market and sell my products within that community, for that community, specific to them.

For me as well, it’s worked with setting up companies to create communities within companies, going into companies and asking them, “What is it you need? What is it that your people need to thrive?” And then making sure that my face and what I do is in and around that community as often as possible. So, then I can create products and services that suit that audience. So yeah, it starts with the community. And you just find, for me, different demographics that have similar missions.”

“Well, so my understanding is a lot of companies who pre-pandemic had a budget for wellbeing to help their employees, would give things like gym memberships, or I don’t know, maybe hand out Fitbits or whatever they were doing, and around their teams. Since the pandemic, since this shift, of where people are and how people are working, there’s a issue around not knowing how to help their employees best. And as a personal trainer, I understand people and what you need, and there’s lots of different things. I’ve been able to sit down and listen to companies and say, “What is it you want for your people?” And give them some sort of means in order to deliver that.

So, from my perspective, it is delivering things like an exercise class on Zoom or on Teams, virtually together, like we do. Talking about the importance of stretching and yoga, which we do on our CommsHero Week. Why should you do that? Why do I do that at lunchtime? What’s the point? Let’s go do it together. Let’s feel it, let’s do it together. And just being in and around, sharing articles and different things you think are appropriate to that company are what we do. And it’s not just one thing, it always starts with listening, listening to the person, what is it you need? What’s the problem? So you used to pay for gym memberships. That’s not working anymore, because people aren’t next to the gym necessarily as much now, lots of gyms have shut down, sadly, because they’ve struggled through this period. What can we do? And generally it comes down to creating a positive community environment within the workplace. I think with the technology we’ve got now, it’s very easy for us to do that via Zoom, Teams and these services.”

“Top three tips are, understand why. Start there, that’s number one. If you can sit down and do that and we make you do that with a written sheet, we love a sheet. Write it down, digitally or paper. Maybe we’re being more sustainable now, do it digitally. But sit with yourself, get that, get your why. And then you can move on to the next step.

Tip two is to make it very simple, very achievable to start with because you’ll see programs that are great. And you’ll see maybe the top celebrity in your eyes doing the most mega program there is, six days a week, four hours a day, whatever they’re doing, it’s unattainable and unachievable. So, make it really simple. If that’s doing 10 minutes at a lunch break, start there, that’s it.

And then tip three and you’ve already got this ticked I think, is be around people that are on a similar path to you. As much as you can, surround yourself with them, whether it’s virtually, in the office, wherever, down your neighbourhood, be around people that are trying to do the same as you, trying to better themselves with fitness and you are good to go. Honestly, I think once you’ve got those ticked, you’re off.”

“Yeah, I suppose I’ve got a very strange perspective on it because I’m not in that industry, but I feel like I’m part of it. You always say you don’t need to be in comms to be a CommsHero. I do genuinely feel like it. And I think that’s probably the biggest selling point, biggest USP. I don’t know if any other network like yours, that’s doing what you are doing and trying to create such a great community. So, why would I recommend it? It’s positive. It’s going to push you forward. It’s something different. To me, you seem like incredible people. I haven’t even met most of you. I don’t even know if we’ve ever met physically yet…we’ve never met, physically. We meant to, we meant to, it never happened, did it? So yeah, I mean, it’s aligned with how I view my industry. And like I said to you, tip three is being around people that are on a similar path. You seem to be very positive about what you’re doing as a community. You’re so active, engaging with each other, as I love to be in my communities. It just all ticks boxes. So yeah, if you feel like you’ve got a hole that needs filling, be a CommsHero.”