Just the other day someone asked me, "Andrew, what's the story of PFP?"
Here is the condensed version...
Back in 2014 when we thought we were getting into the athletic development business, we were just like any other gym...
We thought that helping athletes to get bigger, stronger, and faster would actually help them reach their full potential.
It was not until one day when a concerned sports parent came to us that we realized student-athletes needed two things more than anything else in order to unlock their full potential.
We discovered that if athletes wanted to sustain high levels of performance over long periods of time and get better in life, they would need both.
Want to know what those two things were?
Number one, they needed coaching that transcended physical skill and speed development-- they needed mindset coaching.
They needed coaches to help them win the mental game, to help breakthrough barriers effecting their mental health.
- How to overcome fear because they were constantly hesitating and holding back
- How to manage pre-game anxiety because it was crippling them
- How to overcome fear of rejection because it was keeping them from taking risks
- How to be more disciplined and self motivated because they would be super inspired and then it would die off and procrastination would kick in
- How to get out of their head and refocus their energy on positive, productive, progress
Mindset was one of two things holding these kids back from their full potential. In hindsight, the fact that so many coaches and trainers believed that getting bigger, stronger, and faster alone was going to solve their biggest challenges was so silly...
But the second thing they needed was arguably more important: love-powered coaching.
They needed a coach who finally would do what was in their best interest, not merely what would lead to more "W's" and more praise and recognition for the coach.
Ouch. I know that hurts, but it is true.
We realized that while most coaches were "force motivating", manipulating, and pushing them all the time, these kids really needed coaches who would work passionately to inspire and pull the best out of them.
They needed coaches who were willing to challenge them and tell them the hard things from time to time, because at the end of the day, that is what love truly is.
But above all, in this pressure packed sports world, these kids needed some encouragement. They needed coaches who were self-sacrificing, servant-minded, and ready to do what was in the best interest of the young man or woman, even if it cost the coach something, even if it was inconvenient, because that's what love does.
So we began studying the most impactful, iconic coaches in the world. We learned the secrets of the great coaches who not only inspired their players, but also ended up with players who would say "Yep, that that coach changed my life. He's invited to my wedding."
Ironically, these coaches, like John Wooden, were winners on the court too. Wooden was one of the most notable love powered coaches of all time. These kids needed more coaches like him.
Fast forward from 2014 to present day, what do you see is needed? It is undeniable that student-athletes need these two things now more than ever.
And that's why, with humility, I would say that PFP has thrived. That's why student athletes (and the adults now as well), flock to PFP. They are getting better, they are becoming higher performers, and they are also healthy and happy. They feel equipped and empowered to do more and be more. And we know as an organization that the reason God has helped our business grow is because we are doing right by the kids. We are helping them becoming winners on and off the field.
Something else worth noting is that along the way, we also realized that customer service in the fitness industry (and in most service based businesses in general) was absolutely horrendous. Really, you can't smile and say "hi!" to someone as they walk in? What a chip shot!
An important part of the PFP story is that we doubled down on our customer service so that people felt loved and cared for and so that they could have an easy and enjoyable experience while "doing business with us". Your life is busy and stressful enough, you don't need to deal with difficult customer service on top of it.
So that's the PFP story, that's the PFP secret sauce. We believe we are just getting started and the story will only get better. Thanks for being part of it!
