This Might Be Controversial, But It Has To Be Said

​Last week I sent an email out to my inner circle that had a “tell it like it is vibe” to it.  You know I’m a straight shooter when it comes to fitness. And while I usually wouldn’t share an inner circle email on my blog because they are my VIPs, I received so much feedback on it that I felt the urge to share it here.

Of course, if you were on my list, you would already know this. ;)

But before I get to the controversy I wanted to give you an update on what’s been going on with me.

​If you remember, last month I opened up about my struggle with stress. Needless to say, that led to a few weeks of feeling like I was depressed, always tired, and completely unmotivated to do anything.

Everything seemed like a mountain to climb. I mean I'm pretty sure this was me on a daily basis.

via GIPHY

A couple weeks ago I reached out to a naturopath and integrative physician based on a friend’s recommendation because I was tired of feeling like garbage. It was beginning to affect everyone in my family.

After our initial visit, she put me on various supplements (not prescriptions) to help restore gut function and rebalance my hormones. Did you know your gut is the second brain to your body? A lot of things go on in your gut that cause various health issues.

Lab work was done next and after those results came back, a few more things were added to my supplement regimen. Still no prescriptions.

The results so far?

It’s like 180 degree difference. I’m feeling better. My depression and fatigue symptoms are disappearing and my passion for working out is starting to return. That’s kind of a big deal since I haven’t “felt” like working out for quite some time now.

Going in, I knew this was not going to be cheap. If you didn’t know, most naturopath’s services are NOT covered by insurance. I won’t get into why that infuriates me. The very thought of spending all this money was stressing me out, but the only alternative was to stay miserable.

Yeah, I don’t think so.

Which brings me to this controversial topic...

Stop being cheap when it comes to your health!

Yep, I went there.

​​Everyone wants cheap, low cost or free and the fitness industry has plenty to offer you. Do a quick Google search and you will find plenty of free advice and $9-$29 coaching groups that promise results, that is…

...IF YOU DO THE WORK.

But will you? That’s the million dollar question.

You see when it came to my health issues, I could have easily went to my regular doctor, explained my symptoms, saved a lot of $$ and likely received a prescription to help me feel better.

And in all likelihood, he/she probably would never follow up with me unless I made the choice to schedule a follow up visit because, to him/her, I’m just another patient.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be just another patient. I want someone who is going to follow up with me. Check in to see how I’m doing. My health is too important to have the cheap mindset.

And it should be to you too.

You see when it comes to the group coaching model or free information, you have to rely on your own accountability even if there is a Facebook group that you belong to.

You are left to digest the information and take action.
You can disappear and no one will ever know.
And how could they know when these groups can grow into hundreds of members?

But Michelle, didn’t you offer a $29/month group?

Yes, I did...until now.

You see I've been a part of several different online coaching groups over the years, so I do have experience with being a member and a coach. And you know what?

They were all the same.

If I disappeared or didn't post, the coach never reached out.  Why would they? I'm paying a nominal fee each month.  Now I can't say I blame them or any coach that doesn't follow up with monthly group coaching clients.  When you have hundreds of clients (because low cost), it's nearly impossible to keep tabs on every single one.

Don't get me wrong, this low cost group coach approach may be perfectly fine for a lot of people. You know my mantra...find what works for you.

These folks don’t want people to bother them.
They don’t need accountability.
They like staying in the shadows.
They are self-motivated enough to do the work.

​But that’s not who I am as a coach and it’s not the type of environment I want to create. Over the years, I've noticed that these self-motivated and self-accountable clients are rare. The majority of us need someone long term to keep us moving in a forward direction towards our goals.

So I’ve spent the last few weeks really digging into this because I felt guilty for wanting to charge more but I couldn’t get over the fact that…

I don’t want you to disappear, get lost in the crowd or become just another number. I want to see you succeed.

That is my #1 goal, which means I need to have periodic check ins with you outside of a Facebook group and my new coaching packages now reflect this with varying accountability levels.

So what does this mean?

It definitely doesn't mean that I'll stop providing great information for you via email, blog and social media. In fact, I'm trying to give you more and even hopping on Facebook Live occasionally.

It does mean that as we move forward, I’ll be taking less clients because I want to be present for those I do work with. It also means that I will be selective about who I work with and because of this, I have implemented an application process for all of my coaching programs.

But the more exciting news is that I’ve also decided to hold a 6 week transformation challenge
3-4x/year for those that may just need a kickstart to get going and not high level coaching. It’s the
Get REAL Challenge and it’s coming next month. Stay tuned for more details on that.

But before I go, ask yourself these questions:

-How much is your health worth to you? Is it worth feeling miserable like I did?

-How many free or cheap programs have you purchased or belonged to that got you permanent results?

Our health is an investment and we should treat it as such.