This is probably not the most exciting topic, but it is one that I think we need to talk about. For me there were always a couple of non negotiable things: continuing education and whatever made me a better strength coach was included in the budget. Everything else was adjusted based on that. 

I know the feeling, should I or should I not go to a seminar? The cost of the seminar plus travel plus room and board can add up quickly. Seems like when you are trying to build up, the more things cost relatively speaking. It is amazing to me that some of the richest in any industry never pay for anything. But the cost of something is relative to the potential value it may have to you. 

Books are easy. Get them, and get all of them. Keep a wishlist on Amazon. Better yet, get an Amazon credit card and rack up Amazon points. Buy whatever book you want based on purchases. We will get into deductions here in the second, but this is literally free education if you play your cards right. 

Local conferences are next. Go to all of them. Do not say you would rather do something else. If you can drive there in a day, you have literally saved thousands of dollars towards continuing education. You should also see if you have a direct connection to a host, ask if you can help set up and break down,or ask if you can get people to sign up so you can get further discounts. Point is, hustle for what you think will make you better. 

Next is digital/online conferences. I have several online conferences available: 

• Practical Guide to Strength Deficit – $399
• Strength Deficit Exercises Methods & Protocols – $199
• How to Become a Strength Coach Course – $99

I am 100% sure that people are sharing logins for this. I am biased but these are some damn good courses, with a ton of information, that can help a lot of strength coaches out there. Would I love it if everyone paid the price to access the course? Absolutely. But the truth is that people are doing what they can. My only hope is that over time, people that access these courses without paying do right over time. When you get more money, buy something down the road, one of my books, another course, our certifications. Possibly split the cost with your staff and go through together. 

Anyone that puts an online course together, understands that strength coaches share logins. How many people are sharing a streaming service login with friends and family? To say that they cannot stop it, but understand that it can be leveraged down the road as a viewership for advertisement is the smartest way to protect yourself. The difference between a strength coach putting out content behind a paywall is that they more than likely had to front the time and money for that content. A little bit goes a long way to recoup that investment. This is another aspect of budgeting, but we’ll talk about that another time. 

Lastly is out of state conferences or seminars. There is a value to traveling and seeing the world. There is a value to meeting new people. There is a value of being pushed outside of your comfort zone. Out of state/country seminars are powerful influencers of our progress as coaches and human beings. They are well worth the investment. This is an investment that you can recoup by deducting as a professional expense. You can do this on turbotax, but it is better to work with an accountant. If you can, make a private business that you run. You could sell some online training or courses, and you can possibly expense it. Point being, this is not as big of a cost as you think. Plus there’s a lot of potential to help you earn a higher wage or income later. If you can use your Amazon credit card and get reimbursed, you get the points for free essentially. Put your flights, hotel and all other expenses on there as well. Rack em up for those points!

After that comes simple things like rent (⅓ of monthly income), food/supplements (squeeze whatever team you work for dry – try to spend zero on this), insurance/retirement (you’re young, but this matters – see Strength Coach Retirement Plan), and car/insurance/gas. Notice how I did not say anything about personal enjoyment/entertainment. If you are young, you do not have fun. We talk about this in our latest book How to Become a Strength Coach. When you are trying to build yourself up, you are solely focussed on being the best strength coach possible. Fun is not the goal, travel is not the goal, leisure or nice things are not the goal. Get an internship, get a job, make more money at the job, build up your skills and then you can have fun, whatever that means for you. 

Simplest way to put this, if it makes you a better strength coach – spend the money. If you need to do it or have it – spend the money. If you only want to do it or have it – don’t spend the money.