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Daniel Rosenthal (@rosentrain) - Online fitness coach specializing in helping women over 40 lose weight sustainably. 100K+ Instagram following, father of two, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. OTM student for 3.5 years.
Timestamps:
0:00 - Hook: When the systems that got you here won't get you where you're going
1:00 - Daniel's background: Personal trainer to online coach journey
3:07 - Pre-OTM business: $7-10K months but no systems to scale
4:20 - Joining OTM in 2022: Wife wanted extended maternity leave
6:10 - The success period: Growing from 25 to 75 clients, $20-30K months
7:20 - September 2024: When growth suddenly stopped
8:30 - The complacency trap: No marketing systems, just organic applications
9:30 - From 250 applications to almost none - the warning signs
11:09 - What OTM helped with: Client service, sales skills, hiring coaches
13:32 - The decline: "My content from August 2024 was terrible"
15:15 - Taking ownership: No systems, got lazy, posted randomly
16:21 - September 2024 becomes the best month ever (spoiler alert)
17:07 - How to know: Slow month vs systemic problem
18:01 - The comparison that sparked action, not self-pity
18:48 - March-April 2024: The stress of realizing it's all on you
19:56 - First system implemented: DM strategy and hiring a setter
22:45 - The bottleneck revelation: You can be your own limitation
23:15 - Forcing himself to track data in Trello (despite hating spreadsheets)
24:29 - Content planning for someone with 100K followers (you need it too)
25:10 - August content strategy: Getting audience to know, like, trust
26:30 - Theme-based content: Monday through Sunday structure
27:47 - September theme: "Life ain't gonna slow down, so you may as well start"
29:16 - Best month ever after 18 months of struggle
30:30 - Balancing rebuild stress with family life (not perfectly)
31:52 - Non-negotiables: 5-8pm family time, blocked calendar
33:20 - The balance myth: Sometimes work has to be priority
36:12 - Phone on DND 24/7 except for wife
37:11 - One system every coach needs: DM conversations
38:37 - Avoiding complacency: Plan next month before celebrating this one
39:44 - October 1st action: 90 DMs sent to avoid empty calendar
42:58 - Stress management: Gratitude journaling, workouts, prioritizing self
46:08 - Rapid fire: Biggest mistakes, best investments, systems to never neglect
Key Takeaways:
Complacency kills growth faster than bad strategy
100K followers means nothing without a DM and content system
Taking ownership > blaming the algorithm every single time
"Trust the process" only works if you actually do the work
Content planning isn't optional - even with 100K followers
Track your data even if you hate spreadsheets (hire someone if needed)
Non-negotiables keep you sane during intense growth periods
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