This is the second in a series of 5 videos dedicated to help the founders of Fit Body Boot Camp fix their Broken Business Model… and of course anyone else that needs help. In this video I explain the importance of spending time on on listening to the very people you are serving.

Really understanding their fears and what you can do to alleviate those fears. Fit Body Boot Camp as a licensed model asks for you to join a $10,000 dollar Mastermind Group as well as cough up $400.00 a month in order to fly the Fit Body Boot Camp flag. The real problem with this is that you need to know that the “brand” you have attached yourself to will do all the work and help you make a minimum of at least 10 times the amount you have paid for the license.

So, if we do the easy math… that would be $10,000 plus 12 multiplied by $400 ($4800.00) which equals $14,800.00. That means that you need to know “beyond a shadow of a doubt” (obviously I’ve been in a courtroom… I mean, seen CSI… too many times) that you will make $148,000.00 in the next year to justify spending that money. I want to hear from everyone of the supposed 400 or so boot camp owners that have made $148,000.00 in the past year from being associated with Fit Body Boot Camp. Hey… I love being corrected when I’m wrong.

If you feel like you have not received the attention you believe you deserve from being an owner, then I recommend you make sure you voice is heard by leaving a comment and sharing this blog post with the rest of the world.

Change Your Credit Card Numbers Every 6 Months

Hey everybody Rocco Castellano here, I really want to talk to you about something that a lot of people just don’t even have on their radar.  And you know, with the internet now and with all the stuff that we do digitally and pay for things, most of us don’t carry money around.  I don’t.  I literally have $1 in my wallet.  And that $1 just happened to be change by accident.  Somebody messed up on my debit card and they had to give me a dollar.  It was a mistake… so now I have a dollar.

So, most of us don’t really carry cash around.  Or when we do, we still put the debit card in the ATM and we get the cash out.  One thing though… I’m a freak about security.  I really am.  If you guys know me, I’m always giving some type of safety tip.  Many of my safety tips revolve around finances or insurance.   I’m always looking at ways to make sure that you’re not vulnerable because your peace of mind can be totally disrupted when something goes wrong at the bank, with your debit card, with your credit card, or somebody stealing your identity.

Its’ really easy now to steal somebody’s identity.  I’m not going to go into it because I don’t want to teach people how to fuckin’ do it cause that would be wrong of me.  I want you to take your card and I want you to only use one card and I prefer it be a credit card.  Not a debit card. Debit Cards expose your bank account and cash too much. Watch this video at Super-Trainer.com

The one thing that I want you to be able to do is pay online with that same card.  If you have online payments, if you have subscriptions, if you have any recurring payments, always use the same card.  Only use one card for that, because if you use three different cards or more, it’s going to be very confusing for you… one card and done.

When you use one card, it’s going to make life for you a lot easier.  And then every 6 months, I want you to change your credit card number.  You see, if you only use one card online, you’ll only have to change that credit card number.  You won’t have to change your address, you don’t have to change all that stuff.  It’s only one card number.

Yeah, it’s kind of a pain in the ass if you have 10 recurring payments or 10 subscriptions  but the thing is…  if you change it, you get into that routine and you mark it on your calendar it becomes easier and easier.  Mark it on your calendar, every 6 months  on a Sunday or a Saturday and spend an hour.  It’s one hour’s time.

I do it every 6 months and all I do is call the bank.  I say listen, I want a new card.  I shred that one and they bring me a new one.  That’s all.

If you change your credit card number every 6 months – it’s very unlikely that you will ever have a problem with identity theft.

These are things that most people in the fitness industry don’t even think about.  They have no clue.  … I’m going to pay for gas, I’m going  here, go there.  And then all of a sudden their credit card numbers are stolen, their identities are stolen and then boom you’ve gotta deal with a problem – you’ve gotta spend a lot of time instead of working … you’re spending time on something that could have easily been taken care of in 1 hour.  Now you’re spending 2 days, 3 days, 7 hours at a bank.  You call on the phone, crying, bitchin’… boo fuckin’ hoo.  If you could just, every 6 months change your credit card number and only use one card, that’s all you have to do for a little peace of mind.

Use one credit card and preferably one with rewards.  So if you can get an American Express Card – Now, I’m not endorsing American Express, but it’s a charge card and you usually get triple rewards.   I’m going to talk about using your charge card as a business tool in a different blog post/video.

Once you learn how to use a financial institution’s tools to actually make money and save money, you will always going to be better off.

Now I don’t want to be talking like the Frugal Gourmet or Sally coupon clipper, but I want you to be safe.  I want you to have peace of mind.  So every 6 months change your credit card number.  Call the bank.  Mark it on your calendar and change those numbers.  You’re going to be a lot healthier mentally because of it.

I knew this would happen… it always does. Emotions run wild and people start taking offense to words on a page or images in a video. It’s the way a “Blue Collar” or “Immigrant Mindset” processes thoughts.

Instead of basing anything on fact, people get angry… they want revenge, they want to “cut my balls off and shove them down my throat”! It’s amazing how some people took what I said in the other day’s observation of A BAD Boot Camp Business Model personally… no one should.

I received some hate mail as I knew I would… actually some emails were hilarious, threats against “cutting my balls off”, “Calling me a faggot… about fifty times”, Bedros was going to sue me for defamation”, all sorts of shit came my way. It’s fine and everyone is allowed to have an opinion.

Many of the people that wrote me obviously believe that I have something against Bedros Keullian and Steve Hochman and the Fit Body Boot Camp. I don’t… I really and truly don’t.

What I do have a serious problem with is the way that Fit Body Boot Camp is handled and the mess that is being left behind from Fit Body’s mismanagement.  I have several blog posts and Facebook Webinars that will be focused on “How to fix a Broken Business Model”… many of them that include video like the one below.

I have always believed that if you are serious about bringing change to an environment that you are not allowed to just bring attention to the problem but also offer “real” solutions. I have centered these videos around fixing the Fit Body Boot Camp business model but this can be applied to any “Broken Business Model”.

When you have 22 minutes do yourself a favor and click on the video below to learn “How to fix Your Broken Business Model.

Getting Some Negative Push-ups done at askROCCO Bootcamp

In 2009 at Pat Rigsby’s and Nick Berry’s Fast Track to Fitness Millions I was asked by several of the attendees what I thought about the future of the fitness boot camp as a business model. My answer to the crowd of people gathered was very succinct and to the point (…as I usually am); “In 18 months the boot camp model will become a commodity the minute the health clubs start using it” … and my prediction has come true… and disgustingly true, now that Groupon and Living Social has gotten into the picture.

During that same conversation I had mentioned that “only the boot camps with established and tested business models would survive”… and that establishing community trust would be crucial to any “real” business to sustain growth.  And that’s when I saw eyes glaze over and I knew there was going to be problems in the not so distant future.

Several problems happened at once, it was like a “perfect storm” of stupidity rocked the fitness world.

1) All the so called Fitness Gurus were touting the boot camp model in order to work less and get paid more.

2) Every “personal trainer” and people with a pulse, started a boot camp and boot camps sprung up every where with no real framework in place to guide these new businesses.

3) Most of these trainers never taught in a class environment so it was a bit awkward and dysfunctional from the start.

So enter some fitness business heavy weights into the boot camp arena… some taught boot camp business strategies… some developed music for boot camps… some created franchises.

All of this around a business model that was not going to last… trainers spent thousands upon thousands of dollars on the idea that they would be able to help a bunch of people at the same time and get paid a bunch of money for it. Everyone jumped in without even understanding what they were jumping into.

Two big boot camp franchises came out and told these fledgling first time business owners that if they joined up with them, their problems would be solved. These two boot camp franchises were Adventure Bootcamp and Fit Body Boot Camp.

I had come to know Adventure Boot Camp because Cincinnati Adventure Boot Camp had become my enemy. Although I liked Brian Caulkins and what he stood for I didn’t like that another boot camp model was encroaching on my territory. I wanted to know more about what my competition had to offer.

Click Image to watch Video of John and Kelli

The more I looked into Adventure Boot Camp ( because I always coach… know your enemy and know yourself) the more I realized that they weren’t fucking around. This was serious and they had their shit together… and John Spencer-Ellis and Kelli Calabrese was leading it up. They were both well respected fitness professionals and really knew programming. I was impressed to say the least.

The first thing I noticed was that… (and this is John’s M. O.) Education and not money was at the base of the operation. 13 CD’s ranging from Boot Camp business fundamentals to live boot camps, and everything in between. It was also a “licensed” product and not a franchised model… and you only paid a one time fee. $2900.00 (which included a certification) and you had to apply and be accepted… more people were rejected than accepted…

The more I researched the more interested I became. The list of credentials kept growing, like NESTA, a nationally accredited fitness certifying body fully backed the boot camp. All the people I talked to that owned an Adventure Boot Camp told me that if there were any questions Kelli or John were either a phone call or email away and always got back to them.

This was a solid business model… one that I was talking about when I was asked that question back in New Jersey (Fast Track to Fitness Millions… if you have short term memory loss from smoking too much pot). Although I was pretty secure that my Celebrity as a Fitness Personality in Cincinnati would carry my boot camp (… I had 150 people in one class at any given time) I knew that Adventure Boot Camp and Brian Caulkins would dominate without any doubt. My predictions were correct.

In 2008 after I won an Emmy for my participation in an MTV Show called MADE… my celebrity within the fitness industry actually took hold and many trainers wanted to know how I was able to land all the media I was on. My friend Pat Rigsby asked me to attend Fast Track… so I did… I didn’t realize how many trainers at this event wanted to know what I knew, and there began my Fitness Business Coaching career… unbelievable but true!

I took on two coaching clients that were Aussies turned Canadians and are still my favorite people to this day. As their coach they advised me that they were considering purchasing a franchise called Fit Body Boot Camp and they were going to open them in Toronto and Missisauga. I was a little surprised at this since Adventure Boot Camp was a solid business model, so I went to work doing research for them.

From the very first sentence I read after I Googled the founders, I was so fucking skeptical.  In all honesty I never heard of Bedros Keullian or Steve Hochman… ( I was mostly East Coast and Midwest) but with that being said, I am never a big fan of giving very valuable time, expertise and workouts away for free… especially to 20 people. I developed a system that I know people would pay for… so why should I give it away for free as “Human Billboards”. It didn’t make sense… if I wanted real customers why would I give something as valuable as getting into the best shape of your life for free. That I knew was a failed promotional model… my business “Spidey” sense was kicking in.

Click on Image to Watch Video

While I was pondering the “Human Billboards” promo thing, I also was amazed to see that every single boot camp listed on the “find a location link” looked exactly the same… with the same before and after photos as social proof.

Check these and compare: Fairbanks Alaska: http://www.fitbodybootcamp.com/site/fairbanks-fit-body-boot-camp and Miami, Florida: http://www.fitbodybootcamp.com/site/miami-fit-body-boot-camp

The one thing I really noticed right off the bat was one of the founders, Steve Hochman was on every site. The funny thing is no one in Alaska looks anything like Steve… no one.  So how could you really connect with people in your community like Fairbanks,  Alaska? Maybe the Eskimos want to look like Steve… ya never know.

The next was a  questionnaire if you were interested in a becoming a Fit Body Boot Camp Owner. After you filled in your name and all relevant contact information you were asked if you would be able to attend a 6 day course on how to run the boot camp and on the third line there is a question: Are you able to pay FBBC the Initial Franchise fee of $10,000? … 10,000 dollars! … and $400 a month there after. Get the fuck out of here! 

I wanted to know what exactly is someone getting for $10,000 up front and $4,800 more a year after that… and they were promoting you look for a gymnastics studio to share times with.  I can rent and build a small facility for that… with equipment!

I was starting to become annoyed now. The initial observations made me give my clients a recommendation to not join up. They wound up not listening to me and joined up any way… and they are no longer Fit Body Owners any more.

Eventually, I had 15 people come to me for counsel on how to break the agreement with Fit Body Boot Camp because they felt like Fit Body corporate wasn’t paying attention to them as their calls were never returned unless they threatened to leave… and Bedros or Steve would get on the line and talk them into staying with Fit Body. I advised them how to leave and watched the fall out.

In one of several conversations I listened in on I actually heard Bedros tell my client that leaving Fit Body would be the worst mistake he ever made… and that he would be sorry.  I was flabbergasted at the audacity and stupidity.  If I had or have someone that is unhappy with me or my brands the first thing I ask is “why” and I want to make it better for my client, customer or user.  If I have a broken system or model I want to fix it right away… not tell someone they are the problem and that if they just keep paying everything will be alright. I’m sorry that’s just bad business… no wonder why many of the “six figure” poster child’s for Fit Body have left… in droves.

I saw on the Fit Body website that a testimonial stated that an owner switched from Adventure Boot Camp to Fit Body Boot Camp and it was the best decision they ever made, so I wanted to investigate a little further.

From what I can gather, 10 people switched over to Fit Body Boot Camps from Adventure Boot Camps from that 10 only 1 is still a boot camp owner and 9 either went bankrupt, left the fitness industry in disgust or went back to Adventure Boot Camp.

I know what you all are probably saying to yourself… WTF, Rocco? Why are you beating up on Bedros and Steve… what an asshole! At first glance that might be your reaction but that’s actually not the case.

I respect both of them for what they have been able to accomplish in their respective fields… no questions asked, they are the 800 pound  gorilla. What I want to bring to attention is that if you are the 800 pound gorilla you have a responsibility to the industry you serve to be “of service” to that industry and the people who rely on you for guidance. If your business model is broken, don’t turn a blind eye to what everyone else notices… just fix it.  Don’t make enemies of the people who have left because of your mismanagement, listen to the critical opinions and see what can be done to make your product a better product or service.

It’s really not a hard concept to grasp.

Thank you… and have a nice day.

Web elements are essential in creating a celebrity brand!

No time before now has it been easier to create local, regional, national or international celebrity than with the internet.

Social Media such as Facebook, Linked In, You Tube, and Twitter has made it very easy to get your message out to the masses the way YOU want it to get out. If you are waiting for another wave of New Media to show up and give you your chance… you are a fuckin’ idiot! You are watching that train pass you by… so just wave and shut up.

askROCCO Media has been in the fore front of the Social Media train since 2004… as a matter of fact Rocco Castellano was the first personal trainer in the world to have a website. (hitfitness.com 1994)

As a media company askROCCO Media understands how new media will build your celebrity brand faster and more authentic than any other media. Let askROCCO media help you build your brand with potent web elements:

Facebook Fan Pages

Twitter Backgrounds

Here are 7 reasons you need a Facebook fan page now

Facebook fan pages aren’t  just for large corporations interested in getting involved in social media. Small businesses, entrepreneurs, freelancers and other professionals can benefit from having a fan page on Facebook.

Separate from your personal profile, a Facebook fan page is a public profile that lets you share your products, services and related information with other Facebook users. Here are some of the biggest reasons you should create a fan page today.

7 Reasons You Need a Facebook Fan Page

1. There isn’t a limit to the number of fans you can have. This makes fan pages especially valuable for Facebook users who reach, or are approaching, the 5,000 friend limit.
2. It gives you a way to talk to and get feedback from your target audience, because like a user profile, you can update your fans with statuses that will appear in the news feed.
3. It’s an SEO boost. Facebook is currently the second most popular site on the Web according to Alexa.
4. You can customize the design using FBML, Facebook’s version of HTML. Check out the Static FBML app for more.
5. You can easily promote it with tools provided by Facebook.
6. The Facebook Pages Insights analytics tool gives you useful information about your fans and their interactions.
7. You can build a community for your clients and prospects.

* Bonus Reason:

8. You can add unlimited photos and videos.

5 Easy Steps for Creating a Facebook Fan Page

Step 1: Go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/create.php

Step 2: Select a category and enter the name for your page (you can set your fan page to be private until you’re ready to go live).

Step 3: Add a picture and become a fan.

Step 4: Edit your page settings. This is where you customize your page, including country and age restrictions, wall settings, tabs, fan permissions, and applications.

Step 5: Publish and promote your page. You can promote with a fan box, a Facebook ad, by suggesting to friends, on your personal profile and in your other networks.

Bonus: Once you hit 25 fans, go to http://www.facebook.com/username/ to create a vanity URL for your page.

How have you used Facebook fan pages for promotion?

Posted on February 25, 2010 in Web Pro Business and tagged as: facebook, social media. The views and opinions in this blog post are those of its author.

For Rocco Castellano, over-the-top is his everyday language. As an internationally known and controversial fitness expert, author, fitness personality and business coach with a career spanning over 31 years, this East Coast Italian has an opinion on everything. This guy can raise your heart rate just by sitting next to you. His booming voice fills a room regardless of the size, and you really never know what will come out of that mouth when he opens it.

With a name like Rocco you just know he was bred on the streets of New York with attitude dripping from his veins. He loves controversy, embraces confrontation, and he’s even developed new uses for the word F*CK. (Believe me; Colin Farrell has nothing on this guy.) You can ask him about anything and he’ll respond with an answer that is filled with attitude. The funny thing is that once you start listening to him you’re forever hooked. It doesn’t matter if you hate him or love him, you will listen to what he has to say.

Rocco seems to surround himself with beautiful people. One has to wonder if he has had an effect on their lifestyles and their attitudes. Whether he is training celebrities or contestants for Miss USA, or just posing for photos at an upscale social event, Castellano is always in good company. Rocco Castellano is much more than simply a Trainer-to-the-Stars, he has perfected branding and business coaching for the Health/Fitness professional and wants to help you establish yourself as your area’s “Local Fitness Celebrity” If you have the desire to change your attitude, then Rocco wants to help change your life.