Noob School - Episode 80: Coaching Your Career with Lids Lidlow

Episode Date: June 21, 2023

On today's episode of Noob School, John is joined by Lids Lidlow, Orangetheory fitness coach and sales noob that is on track to success. She and John discuss the importance of entering a career that you are passionate about, give an overview of what Orangetheory is all about, and look back on some advice that John has given her about progressing in her career. Check out what Noob School has to offer here: https://www.schoolfornoobs.com/ I'm going to be sharing my secrets on all my social channels, but if you want them all at your fingertips, start with my book, Sales for Noobs: https://amzn.to/3tiaxsL Subscribe to our newsletter today: https://bit.ly/3Ned5kL #noobschool #salestraining #sales #training #entrepreneur #salestips #salesadvice

New School Welcome back to Noob School. John Sterling here. Today I've got a good friend of mine, Lids, Lidlow. You go by Lids? Lids, yep. Not Lorry. Nope.

No one calls you Lorry? Only my immediate family. Okay. They refuse to call you Lids. I think it's weird for them to call me Lids. Okay. Was that like a basketball nickname? Yep, I got it in college.

Okay, okay. And that just came from the front of your last name? Yeah. Not like you put a lid on the basket or something. No. Okay. Well, Lids has become a good friend. Lids played, well, grew up in New Jersey, right?

Playing hoops. Yep. How was your high school team? We were really good in my freshman in sophomore year, and then we graduated some players, and then it was just me. Just you? Yeah. Bringing the ball down the court, trying to find an open spot to shoot from.

Yes, trying to do all the things. I got you. I gotcha. And then where's you playing college? I started at Lebanon Valley College out near Hershey, and then I transferred to DeSales University, which is near Allentown or Lehigh, and I finished my career there. Okay. Now was that team? That was the best team I've ever played for.

Okay. Yeah. And how well did y'all do? We made it to the first round of the end, CILLEA tournament, both my junior and my senior year. Wow. Yeah. The big dance. Yep.

Now, was that at one place or did they roll up from a division or something? So we won our conference and then we got put in the regional bracket, which just happened to be in New York both years. So my junior year, we were at a SUNY school and same for the second year, but they were like far away. SUNY Cortland was the second one and the first one was Ithaca. Okay, Ithaca. Good for you. Got to the big dance. Yeah.

Were they close games? No. My senior year was not. My senior year, we weren't ready. We came in and they smacked us. But my junior year, we won the first one, and then we got beat pretty bad the second game. Well, congratulations for getting there. Thanks.

Now, you graduated, and what was your degree in? Sport management. Sports management. Okay, so now we have somebody clearly a sports person with a degree in sports management, and what was your first job? I actually went to graduate school after that and then got my master's in sport management. Okay, I got a master's in sports management. Now, were those different courses than undergrad?

Slightly different. They had more of a focus on facilities management and a little bit more background into sports law. It was more in depth. And then a couple of the other classes were more towards like the marketing aspect and sales sides of sales. Of sports. Okay. How were those classes? Those classes were good.

The sales ones were a little different because you're talking about like the big four with the NFL and things like that. And then marketing pretty similar. So it was talking about the bigger teams and how they get out, what demographics are they looking at and all those things. So nothing about sales or marketing for a sport, like a fitness chain? No, not ever fitness. It was really more focused on just the big four. The big four. Okay. I got it. I got it. And so you got your master's degree, and then what happened? Then I was kind of stuck in between what I wanted to do, because my original idea was I would get my master's degree and go into college athletics.

So I started as an assistant at a division to school in New Jersey. So I was the assistant coach for a women's basketball team there for a year. and while simultaneously getting my certification to be a personal trainer, thinking it would make me more marketable as a coach. Yeah. And then also studying to become a basketball official all at the same time. Yes, there's a lot going on. That's a lot.

Yes. And so I'm guessing you got your physical trainer certification. Yes. Did you get your referee certification? Yep. I started reffing little kids. games and high school games. And then I chose to not pursue being an assistant coach anymore because I didn't, the problem

with the assistant basketball coach was you were recruiting kids and they were coming to your school and you couldn't control how they changed once they got to your school. Maybe some of their work ethic changed or they felt like the grind was too much. And I didn't want a career that was dependent on 18 to 21 year old. Kids. So you would recruit someone at the school, and then you were pretty much just back on the road recruiting the next people. Yeah. And who knows what happened.

Yeah, you never know what you're going to get when they actually get there. Yeah. Huh. Interesting. I do think a lot of people use sports as a way to get into a school or to get some money from a school. Yeah. A lot more than they used to. Yeah, that seems to be more of the focus.

The love or the passion for the game has kind of gone away. and it's kind of like what can my sport get me financially. Right, yeah. And then if you, like I know a lot of people that got into better schools, like even some Ivy League schools, and they got in and like, how was playing there? Like, well, I only played half my freshman season and, you know, but now you're in. Yep.

So, that's so interesting. So, okay, so you made that decision. And did, is refereeing, is that something that you just messed around with a little bit? Yes. When I was officiating, I had, you know, gotten into it partly because I missed the game and it was some easy money on the side. And then the more I did it, the more I was like, well, I'm actually kind of good at this because I had played. And then I thought, well, maybe I can make this a career and move forward because those Division I officials make a really nice living and they work a short amount of time. So I was like, well, maybe I'd be able to, my dream was always,

is to be able to go on the court and shake Gino Aramma's hand as the official and do that. The problem for me ran into, I was such a fan still of the game. And as an official, you really have to stop. You have to stop being a fan. And you have to just focus on the game and that's it. Interesting. And you were unable to do that? No.

I didn't like not being able to root for the teams that I wanted to. And then the other aspect. of it, like you put on that shirt and you are automatically hated before anything happens. Yeah. Enemy number one. Yeah. Yeah. Well, that's a good point.

Well, you have, I like the fact that you have, you've certainly picked an area and you've gotten very qualified at it between your own activities and your education. And you've tried a couple of things that you just didn't like yet. Yes. I think that's good. It's very good. I mean, what if you were, what if you just kept doing one of them, like, you know, basketball coaching, but you hated it.

Yeah. You know, all of a sudden, you're, you know, 50 years old. You're like, here comes another season, you know, but I can't leave because I'm, you know, whatever. So I think it's great that you're able to try things and just disqualify them. Thanks. That's cool. Yeah. So now, was the next thing, Orange Theory?

Personal training had started first. Okay, okay. Group fitness was never something I thought I would ever do. I didn't think I would like being on the mic and managing a big group of people. But once I discovered Orange Theory, took the class myself, and realized, like, this is kind of pretty similar to being involved in a sports team. Yeah. It's just slightly different. Right.

I mean, essentially, the workouts are like game plans. Right. And the members are kind of like athletes. Well, they're not kind of are. They are athletes. Right. Some better than others. Yes.

And you just have to figure out how you can motivate them and get them through a workout, just like you would, a game or a practice. Right. Interesting. How long ago did you start with Orange Theory? It's three years I've been with Orange Theory. Okay. So for those that don't know, Orange Theory is a group class with one instructor who's got a microphone on and telling each group, there's like three groups per class what to do.

and when to speed up, when to slow down. Maybe you can explain it better than me. Yeah. So total body group fitness, led by a certified trainer, and it's backed by science. That's our big thing. Backed by science with the heart rate monitors, which is how we take you in and out of intervals on the tread to achieve a certain heart rate zone and then come back out of it. And then you mix in the weight floor and the rowing, all those aspects so that you're able

to get the best one hour work. out. Right. Yeah, it's great. Of course, I'm a customer and a big fan. I've been doing it, I think, about two years now. And I tried, I guess the last thing I did was CrossFit, which I liked, but, you know, I would eventually like ding something or hurt something a little bit, and this is much more of my pace.

It's more go at your own pace than CrossFit is. Right, right. That's good. So you started doing Orange Theory up in New Jersey. Orange Theory up in New Jersey. Yes. And they moved you down here? No, I was moving.

My family was relocating to the south. And I knew that I'd be able to do the same job since it's everywhere and it's the same. So I reached out to them first and asked if they had an opening. I tried Charlotte. Charlotte didn't have anything full time. And then I wound up in Greenville because the amount of studios in the area. So I reached out and they had asked me basically how quick can you be down here. Wow.

Wow. Wow. Well, they're lucky to have you. You do a great job in there. And the questions, the discussions we've had about your career, you know, not just what you've done so far, but what do you do next? It ranged from, you know, a logical career path that are in theory, perhaps, where you might do more there at some point, like some of the other people that have been there before you, they're gone now. There's somewhere else, you know, doing a region in Virginia or whatever. That's one. But other paths in fitness, I think all should be considered, right? And you might consider, since your family's here now, you might consider that it needs to be in a certain geography, needs to be a certain kind of company. I mean, I know you love baseball. I do love baseball.

So your ideal would be like working for the drive or something, right? Yeah, in some capacity, that would be awesome. Yeah. Huh. And what could that look like? I mean, you could really almost do anything for them, couldn't you? Yeah, I could. I would need a little bit of guidance for starting out.

But yeah, I could essentially feel a role as someone, as long as somebody was willing to help mentor me through it. I mean, because I have the educational background. Yeah. And I have the, you know, savvy of social media. And now that I'm down here, I know the area, I know the game. and so I think a combination of somebody just having the patients to help guide me, I think I could essentially do almost anything they asked. Yeah.

So your thing is to stick in this area and stick to fitness and just keep networking and trying to find your spot. Yes. It's good. You've got a good spot where you are. I love it here. There's a lot of opportunity and a lot of reach. Yeah. Who's your favorite client?

You. you go. And Dan's second, right? Dan would be second. I mean, he does yell go game cox every time I see him. So that is a little bit of a negative. But I mean, do you even pull for a football team? Not football. Well, I guess. There's no football teams in New Jersey, like Temple or something, right? There's not. If I were going to pull for someone down here, it'd be Clemson. Okay, okay. Oh my gosh. Okay. Do you have anything you want to talk about sales wise or any questions or anything? No, I mean, I think it's really interesting about sales is how it literally

is tied into almost everything or every profession you do. It just looks different. Yeah, yeah. You're right. Like getting a job at sales. Yes. And, you know, I mean, in our aspect of Orange jury, you get sales when you get a new member in. And it's like a teamwork between the coach and the person at the front desk to make sure the member has the, or the new person has the best experience and then you want them to sign up for a membership. Yeah. For another client. Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, that sales. And then I think a lot of what you do when you're coaching the clients is sales. You know, I mean, if you, if you're too brusk or too tough with people, they kind of, you know. But if you're just like, come on, John, you can, you know. That is also true. I mean, like, because you kind of, you have to sell the workout. Yeah.

I mean, it would be easy. to go in there and literally only give you the interval that you're supposed to do or the weight that you're supposed to do and leave it at that. But like you have to build some sort of trust. Right. So you're going to build trust, I have to make you believe that you can do it. And then you do it. And then there you go.

Let's get more trust. Yep. Yeah. Well, Lids, what's your favorite word? I would say it'd probably be hard work. Ah, yes, hard work. Yep. And I think it's hard work because coming from an athletic background, if you were willing to put in the hard work, you were always rewarded.

And I think it's that way in everything. Or that's what I was taught. You work hard. Good things come to you. Yes. Yeah. I think you're right. And you've worked hard to get many achievements and certifications in different parts of sports.

And I just encourage you to keep doing that, keep learning. and keep looking for additional opportunities in this area because we don't want you moving away. I don't want to move away. Okay. Now, if somebody wanted to contact you with the perfect sports-oriented offer, how would they do that? Well, I have a coach Instagram that is not private. It's linked to Arn-S-Herry, but it's Coach Lids underscore. Coach L-I-D-S-U-H-M-U-N-S-U-K.

Okay, good, got it. All right, well, thank you so much for being here. Yeah. I hope you'll take it easy on me tomorrow. I mean, we'll see. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Appreciate it.