NASM surveyed 1,133 certified personal trainers to understand where the profession is heading, how trainers are earning, and what separates the industry’s highest performers from everyone else.

In this episode, Chris Smith breaks down the findings through an operator’s lens. The conversation covers trainer optimism, income growth, specialization, GLP-1s, burnout, the limits of one-on-one training, and why six-figure trainers are relying less on social media and more on referrals, local search, hybrid coaching and stronger business systems.

Chris also challenges parts of the report, including whether burnout is really the problem trainers think it is, and shares what he believes fitness professionals should focus on if they want to build a sustainable career rather than simply fill more hours on the gym floor.

This is a practical look at what the numbers reveal, where Chris disagrees, and what the future of personal training may actually demand.

Millions of women are entering perimenopause looking for answers, and many are turning to their personal trainer for guidance.

In this episode of Smittyville, Chris Smith explores the important role fitness professionals can play in supporting women through one of the biggest physiological transitions of their lives.

Rather than trying to become medical experts, Chris discusses why great coaches understand the value of empathy, education, and collaboration. From strength training and lifestyle habits to knowing when it's time to refer a client to a physician, this conversation focuses on how trainers can build trust while staying firmly within their scope of practice.

The discussion also explores why perimenopause represents one of the biggest opportunities for personal trainers to better serve an often-overlooked population through thoughtful coaching, ongoing education, and stronger relationships with healthcare professionals.
Whether you're a new trainer or an experienced coach, this episode offers practical guidance on navigating these conversations with confidence while putting your clients' long-term health first.
In this episode:

Why more women are seeking support during perimenopause
The role of strength training, sleep, nutrition, and movement
Why there's no one-size-fits-all approach
Staying within your scope of practice as a trainer
Building referral relationships with doctors and healthcare providers
How continuing education can help trainers better serve female clients
Why empathy may be your greatest coaching tool

Personal training has never been just about exercise.

Every day, coaches help people navigate stress, heartbreak, self doubt, major life changes, and the emotions that inevitably show up outside the gym.

In this episode of Smittyville, Chris Smith and Krissy Vann explore the human side of coaching. From crying at work and leading with empathy to navigating relationships and becoming a better communicator, this conversation is about the skills that separate good coaches from great ones.

Because the best coaches don't just change lives.

The work changes them, too.

In this episode:
• Is it okay to cry at work?
• How leaders should respond when emotions show up
• Why communication is one of a coach's greatest strengths
• Helping clients through difficult life events
• The connection between personal growth and professional success
• Why becoming a better human makes you a better coach

Welcome to Smittyville.

Building better coaches.
Building better careers.

GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are changing the fitness industry, but what does that mean for personal trainers?

In this episode of Smittyville, CEO of Fitness World Chris Smith breaks down one of the most talked-about topics in health and wellness today. They discuss where GLP-1s came from, why they've become so popular, the risks of muscle loss, and why strength training, nutrition, and coaching are more important than ever.

Most importantly, they explore why this isn't a threat to personal trainers. It may be one of the biggest opportunities the profession has seen in years.
If you're a trainer, coach, or fitness professional trying to understand how GLP-1s are impacting your clients and your business, this episode is for you.

Topics include:

• Ozempic, Wegovy and GLP-1 medications
• Muscle loss and strength training
• Protein and nutrition considerations
• The role of personal trainers
• The future of fitness and wellness
• Opportunities for coaches in the GLP-1 era

#personaltrainers #personaltraining #fitnesscareers #gymlife

What does it take to build a career that lasts in the fitness industry?
In the first-ever guest episode of Smittyville, Chris Smith sits down with longtime trainer and Gummy Gainz co-founder Ben Poss.

After more than two decades in the fitness industry, Ben still trains several of the same clients he started with over 20 years ago. In this conversation, he shares lessons on building relationships, creating opportunities, developing a strong work ethic, and why some trainers create lasting careers while others leave the industry.

Ben also shares how a simple conversation with a client led to the creation of Gummy Gainz and the entrepreneurial journey that followed.
Whether you're a new trainer, an experienced coach, or looking to grow your own business, this episode is packed with practical lessons from someone who has done it for more than two decades.

#personaltrainer #personaltraining #fitnesscareers

Most trainers think onboarding starts after the client signs up. CEO of Fitness World Chris Smith says it starts the second someone walks through the door.

Welcome back to Smittyville, the smartest small town in fitness.

In this episode, Chris and Krissy break down the infamous Pink Sheet process used at Fitness World and the psychology behind better personal training consultations. From handshakes and first impressions to active listening, rapport building, asking better questions, and creating professional recommendations, this episode covers the systems that help trainers move beyond "selling" and actually understand people.

Topics include:

• How to build trust in the first meeting
• Why people decide if they like you in seconds
• The Pink Sheet onboarding process
• Active listening and consultative sales
• Asking follow up questions that uncover goals and motivation
• Why permission to present matters
• How trainers can create stronger client buy in

If you're a personal trainer who wants better consultations, stronger retention, and more confidence onboarding new clients, this one is for you.

Become a citizen of Smittyville.

Success driven. Disciplined. Ambitious.
From the outside, high performers often look like they have it all together. But underneath the achievement can be a dangerous mindset: if I’m not winning, I’m nothing.

In this episode of Smittyville, Chris Smith breaks down the pressure many personal trainers, entrepreneurs, fitness leaders, and ambitious people quietly carry. The constant need to achieve. The fear of failure. The perfectionism trap. And why so many high performers tie their self worth to productivity, validation, and results.

The conversation explores burnout in the fitness industry, social media comparison, identity loss when progress stalls, and how personal trainers can build confidence and resilience without destroying themselves in the process.

If you’ve ever felt like your value disappears the second you stop performing, this episode is for you.

Topics include:
• Personal trainer burnout
• Perfectionism and performance pressure
• High performer mindset
• Fitness industry mental health
• Social media comparison
• Self worth and achievement
• Confidence for personal trainers
• Fear of failure
• Personal development for trainers
• Leadership and mindset in fitness

Smittyville is a podcast for personal trainers, fitness professionals, and leaders who want to build stronger careers, stronger businesses, and stronger lives.

Most personal training clients do not quit out of nowhere. It happens in small moments that trainers either recognize or miss completely.

In this episode, Chris Smith (CEO, Fitness World) breaks down the real situations that lead to client drop-off and exactly what to do when they happen. From missed sessions and motivation dips to pricing tension and stalled progress, this conversation focuses on the moments that actually determine whether a client stays or walks.

Chris and fitness journalist Krissy Vann cover the early warning signs clients are checking out, what clients are actually thinking when they pull back, and why client retention has less to do with programming and more to do with presence and trust.

If you are a personal trainer dealing with cancellations, clients fading out, or struggling to build a loyal book of business, this episode is for you.

Smittyville. Real talk for real personal trainers.