I am always on the look out for opportunities to expand my fitness trainer horizons! I first saw the posting for Kickoff.com in the fall of 2021 on Indeed.com which is generally regarded as a reputable job website. Kickoff Personal Training is a California based company that used to go by the name Kudos.When I clicked on the Kickoff.com job description, what greeted me looked extremely promising.
- Kickoff.com needs fitness trainers or 'health coaches' to train clients remotely. That means that the trainer coaches the client over the internet using the Kickoff training app.
- Kickoff has their own Artificial Intelligence to set up training routines.
- The client provides their current fitness, goals, access to exercise equipment (if any), work out preferences, and any history of injuries or health concerns to the trainer.
- The Artificial Intelligence then determines a potential workout regime based on the information provided.
- The trainer texts the client daily for feedback and makes adjustments accordingly.
- Daily meal suggestions can also be incorporated using the Artificial Intelligence.
- The client pays $3.00 per day for a basic package or $90.00 per month.
- Since an actual in person fitness trainer can change from $30.00 to $75.00 plus for an hour session, the client can save significant money.
- The trainer and client are not limited by geographic location.
- There is also the option to sell or upgrade the client to live video training sessions.
- With live video training, the client would pay more and the Fitness Trainer would be paid more.
Job Type: Part Time - Salary: $3,000 to $5.000 per month
"Say what?" That is a significant amount for an extra income. My interest was definitely piqued. At the same time I had certain reservations about online Fitness Training.
- How do you perform a thorough physical assessment of a client without being physically present?
- Can the trainer ensure the safety of the client without actually being there?
- There could be potential liability issues if an online client is injured.
- The liability insurance that I have with the Canadian Society of Exercise Physiology provides coverage using their assessment protocol in which a fitness trainer is supposedly there in the flesh.
- Online training could make the liability insurance null and void!
"Congratulations! We’ve reviewed your application to coach on Kickoff and would like to invite you to do a trial with us. We think you’ll be a great addition to the team! As a Kickoff coach, you’ll have an opportunity to join a community of coaches who earn $2,500-$7,000/month. helping clients lead better, healthier lives. Our technology enables you to help 40-70 clients at a time in 15-25 hours per week, working when and where you want."
This was sounding better each time! The potential earning bracket was expanding. I was expected to attract the first client on my own by attaching my profile to their banner and posting ads on Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram, andTwitter. I could also rustle up former clients or contacts.
I inquired about the liability issues. Kickoff e-mailed a contract for me to sign and a copy that they give to the client.There was a strongly worded waiver for the client that looked legally sound.As long as I didn't deviate from the Artificial Intelligence assigned exercise, my butt should be protected from any lawsuits.
The e-mail from Kickoff also stated:
"We'll help you recruit 1 or more clients from your network and pay you a premium for doing so.This is the only client that that we'll ever require you to acquire." (Remember this line!) The Kickoff email continued with "After 7 days, the app will review your work and provide feedback. Once you pass and show us that you'll do a good job, we'll begin sending you clients that we recruit for you." (Remember this line as well.)
I pondered the offer for a few days. Finally I decided "Let's do it!" I signed their contract. I also completed a pictorial portfolio that I posted to various social media platforms. I had to get internet on my cell phone to download the Kickoff coaching app before I could transfer the app to my laptop computer. Now I just had to lure in a potential client.
After a week, I decided to tap into my contact list. I recruited an e-mail acquantaince who agreed to be my first client - after some gentle arm twisting and craft brew bribery. My client downloaded the app, signed up. paid for the month, and requested that I be his online coach.He did make it very clear that he would only participate for 2 months - no more.
I texted him his weekly workouts as suggested by the Kickoff Artificial Intelligenge system.I also added the Kickoff meal suggestions. It should be noted that I am a Fitness Trainer, not a Registered Dietician. It was up to the client to follow the Kickoff eating ideas. I also texted my client every day for feedback. I would scale back or eliminate any exercises that he found difficult or uncomfortable. Payments from my client were done efficiently. Payments to me were done in a timely manner. So far - so good. My client did complain that the workout app video did not always play properly and the meal choices were not always realistic.
After a week of daily communication with my client, Kickoff sent me a message saying that I had passed the trial! This signalled to me that I should prepare for the potential clients that they will send me. This did not happen. Kickoff notified me that although I had passed the client audit, my profile audit 'needs review'. Say what? My coach profile contained: a headshot, an action shot and a 'humanizing picture. According to Kickoff, the headshot and the action shot were 'too grainy'.These were my first portfolio shots.
I thought this one showed youthful vigor and a full head of hair. Too 'grainy'they said.
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This more recent pic. The balding 'Man of a Thousand Wrinkles' when smiling. Accepted!
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Arguably, my best ever action shot. Too 'grainy' for them.
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They finally accepted this action shot for my coach profile
In between my first picture submissions and the final ones there were at least 20 rejected pictures. Meanwhile, time was being wasted! No clients or leads came my way even though I had passed the
Acquired Client Trial Audit. In fact, three months had passed. My acquired client had said that he would commit to only two months. By the third month, I was getting suggestions on my coaches app that trainers that get clients to re-sign get more leads. It is now six months since I passed the client audit and three months since getting my coach profile accepted. There are still no clients or leads being forwarded my way.
Remember an earlier section of this blog. ''This is the only client that that we'll ever require you to acquire." This was followed by the statement Once you pass and show us that you'll do a good job, we'll begin sending you clients that we recruit for you." Why has this not happened? I did everything that was asked of me and had good daily rapport with my acquired client. My client gave me good reviews. However, if you look at the above underlined section that may explain Kickoff's non action. Since my client did not continue after 2 months did that indicate that I did not do a good job? Maybe this was their out clause!
During this six month period, Kickoff held periodic webinars. At first they got me pumped up. Now I see a pattern. The Trainer Coaches always talked about the trainers attracting their own leads. One trainer said that she had family and friends afar wishing that she lived close by to train them. Her point was that, now with the Kickoff app, she could train them remotely. Little was mentioned about Kickoff.com actually attracting leads and then sending then to their remote trainers!
I also went back and reread the coach's contract that I had signed with Kickoff. Nowhere was it actually written that they would send clients or leads to me! The e-mails were obviously misleading but their inclusion of the words of 'show us that you'll do a good job' likely provides them protection legally. It seems as though they never intended to send me leads.Those trainers that pull in their own clients and continually re-sign then might be sent leads from Kickoff as a reward. Fair enough, but this fact was never explicitly stated during my recruitment process!
I tried to contact my Coach/Trainer but she was on maternity leave. When she returned, her response was to check out some other app that handles business queries.Once they start throwing more technical roadblocks in my way, I begin to lose interest. I eventually messaged the Kickoff CEO just to see if anything would happen. A week after that my Coach/Trainer messaged me about my Calendly (scheduling app) availablity. A few days later I was sent a lead with a consultation time.
The consultation time was booked during my free period for me and my wi-fi connection was temporarily giving me issues with video chats. I told Kickoff to transfer the lead to another trainer.It was just the wrong time after being eager to go for months. By this point I was ready to mentally move on from the Kickoff experience. The fact that it took a semi irate message to finally spur them to action was also a red flag! I am now on a Kickoff hiatus.
How would I summarize the Kickoff experience?
- They provide the Kickoff banner for someone to advertise their remote coaching services.
- If you draw clients this way, Kickoff takes a very minor percentage.
- A Fitness Trainer can just do this without Kickoff except that they would not have the brand recognition.
- Pulling fitness clients out of cyberspace is a longshot at the best of times.
- A trainer with an established clientele may find that they can reduce travel, time and cost by going the remote training route.
- They can always use their own online methods that may surpass the Kickoff app.
- The liklihood of earning $3,000 to $7,000 per month with Kickoff.com seems improbable.
I gave it a try. It just didn't pay off for me. The most successful Fitness Trainers are usually the ones that slowly and gradually build their own clientele through hard work, perseverence, self advertising, and referrals. They rarely rely on some magic third party that claims that they can access a multitude of the unfit masses looking for the right Personal Trainer................
**A final note on this matter. As of Sepember 12, I can no longer open my Kickoff coaching app. Maybe I really was Kicked off of Kickoff!**
Until Next Time, Keep Fit
Little Bobby Strong
