Joan is Why I Work With Everyone
Every business guru says the same thing: “Define your niche.”
They’ll tell you:
“Don’t sell fitness coaching to everyone. Sell it to men over 40 with chronic injuries and high-stress jobs.”
The logic?
If you try to reach everyone, you’ll reach no one. But if you narrow your focus, you become the obvious choice for that specific group. I get it, I do! It makes sense on paper.
But I’ll never market that way. And Joan is exactly why.
Meet Joan
Joan is a retired nurse in her 60s who worked with me for about six months. In that time, she changed the entire trajectory of her health and life.
Here’s what she had to say:
My name is Joan. I am a retired nurse. I had to retire from nursing because of herniated discs in my back, neuromas in my feet, and arthritis nearly everywhere. Pain seemed to rule my world, and my weight was going in the wrong direction.
Earlier this year, I had an MRI that showed increased arthritis in my spine at the L4/L5 area, where the discs are herniated. I became very nervous that, without a lifestyle change that didn’t let pain be an excuse, I might be looking at a wheelchair down the road.
My son and daughter-in-law had previously worked with John and suggested he might be able to help me. My son was right.
John has changed everything pertaining to my physical well-being. The workouts he gave me addressed my specific problems and took a gradual and measured approach—while still encouraging me to push the limits.
That first walk, I was gasping with pain after a half mile and had to call my husband to come take me home.
Six months later, I walked nearly 5 miles... and then worked in my yard for another 6 hours.
Last summer, I went on a short hike to a waterfall in Yellowstone. My husband had to alternately push and pull me to the end of the trail. This year? We hiked to the same waterfall, and I scampered up and back—keeping up with my teenage grandsons.
John’s help has literally changed my life. To me, he has been one of God’s angels. Thanks, John.
That’s one of the kindest, most meaningful testimonials I’ve ever received—it completely made my week. (I actually wrote about Joan’s progress a few months back—you can read that here.)
But what Joan accomplished says less about my coaching than it does about her. Her grit. Her consistency. Her decision to take ownership of her future instead of accepting decline as inevitable.
That last part—that’s the why behind everything I do.
What Someone Gets When They Hire Me
They’re not buying a workout plan, a meal template, or access to an app.
They’re investing in a new version of themselves—one built through small, repeated actions that fundamentally reshape their health, confidence, and quality of life for years to come.
Joan could’ve taken the path most people do—choosing short-term comfort over long-term function, avoiding pain and effort now even if it meant sacrificing mobility, independence, and quality of life down the road. It would’ve been easy to justify—after all, she was dealing with real pain, real limitations, and a broken healthcare system.
But instead, she made the harder choice.
She leaned into discomfort. She showed up on the hard days. She committed to change, even when progress felt slow.
And because of that choice, everything—from her strength to her confidence to her daily life—looks completely different today.
Let’s Go, Joan!
And if I had limited my focus to “busy men in their 40s,” I never would’ve met Joan.
I would’ve missed the chance to help someone who needed help, who showed up, and who did the work—day after day—for six months straight. That’s why I don’t coach a demographic. I coach people. People with real goals, real limitations, and real reasons to change.
And if they’re willing to meet me halfway, I’ll go all in to help them get there.
Shout out to Joan for doing the hard, unglamorous work. For choosing progress over comfort. And for proving that it’s never too late to take your health back!
Best,
John
P.S. We’ve officially entered wedding season—four weddings in five weeks, all out of state. Last weekend we celebrated my cousin Andrew and his new wife Shannon. Incredible day, amazing couple, and so, so many scallops.
3 Steps You Can Take
Apply for coaching - If you’re ready to start, you can fill out a coaching application here (it takes 90 seconds or less). Best case, you change your life. Worst case, I’ll help you draw up a road map to get closer to your goals.
Sign up for my newsletter - If you’d like to hear more, sign up for my mailing list here.
Keep learning - You can check out my other articles here. Nobody asked me to, but I’ve spent a ton of time researching everything from artificial sweeteners to saturated fat to testosterone and more, so you don’t have to.
