Show Notes
My recent appearance with Eric Malzone on the Future of Fitness Podcast. You can subscribe to his show here https://futureoffitness.co/episodes ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Brian Keane has built a fitness empire that most coaches only dream about — four bestselling books, over 580 podcast episodes, a top 0.5% global podcast, and more than a thousand coaches trained through his mentorship programs. But before any of that, he was a primary school teacher who realized twenty minutes into his first day that he'd climbed the wrong ladder entirely. In this conversation, Brian breaks down exactly how fitness entrepreneurs, gym owners, and online coaches can stay relevant — and even thrive — as tools like ChatGPT and Claude start answering the same questions clients used to pay for. He walks through his SCALE framework for building an unshakeable personal brand, why chasing universal likability is killing more coaching businesses than AI ever will, and the wild story of how a plane ride home from an ayahuasca retreat turned into a 16-hour writing session that became his most recent book. Key Takeaways: 🪜 Why Brian walked away from a stable teaching career the moment he realized "the ladder was against the wrong wall" 🤖 The exact reason you can't out-compete ChatGPT or Claude on results — and what to sell instead 🎯 Brian's SCALE framework (Storytelling, Core Offer, Amplify, Leverage, Evolve) for building a business AI can't copy 🥃 Why being "someone's shot of whiskey" beats trying to be everyone's cup of tea in coaching and branding 📈 The real reason his Fitness Business Podcast pre-qualifies clients before they ever book a call 🔥 The Facebook post he almost didn't share — and why it became the most-quoted line in his bestselling book 🌿 How a 3-night ayahuasca retreat led to writing an entire book in a single 16-hour flow state 🤝 Why "authentic connection" — not AI — is what actually keeps Brian up at night in this industry 💡 The one question his mum asked him that changed the entire trajectory of his career
More from The Brian Keane Podcast
Download the full audiobook on Audible- Scaling Your Story, The 5 Step Framework for Fitness Entrepreneurs Who Want Income and Income. Download the free PDF of the book here.
Working hard on an online coaching business but still not seeing progress? In this Ask Brian episode, a personal trainer asks about burnout while juggling in-person sessions and a move online. Brian uses a marathon-training analogy to show how effort can be misdirected. He explains the importance of a specific audience and offer, talks through four levels of access in his business, and describes how he repurposes content for people who prefer to watch, listen or read. The second half looks at lead generation, delivery systems and the work a coach can delegate to create capacity. Chapters — draft elapsed times from the supplied SRT: 00:00 The trainer's question and the Ask Brian introduction 00:22 Frustration and burnout in an online business 01:06 The marathon analogy and activity versus progress 02:10 Finding the right business support 04:01 Defining the audience and its problem 04:49 Offers at different levels of access 06:58 Awareness and communication channels 08:06 Repurposing content and different audience preferences 08:42 Connecting podcast, Instagram, newsletter and YouTube 09:45 Leads versus delivery 10:17 A client example about systems and time 11:23 The problems change as the business grows 12:03 Desire zone, drudgery zone and delegation 13:21 Taking an outside view of the business Work with Brian and submit your question: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brian_keane_fitness/ The Circle: https://briankeane.com/mastermind/ 1:1 mentorship: https://briankeane.com/mentorship/ Business courses: https://briankeane.com/business-courses/ #AskBrian #BrianKeane #OnlineCoaching #PersonalTrainer #FitnessBusiness
Download the full audiobook on Audible- Scaling Your Story, The 5 Step Framework for Fitness Entrepreneurs Who Want Income and Income. Download the free PDF of the book here.
Nathalie Lennon is back with Brian Keane. She talks openly about eating disorder recovery, training for Chicago and Amsterdam in the same week, and the physical and emotional cost that followed. They explore menstrual health during marathon training, how she avoided getting caught up in food numbers, and why rest became part of the story. The conversation also covers acne and confidence, negative comments, choosing how much of your private life to share, building trust with brand partners, and the transition from The Dating Games to Nathalie's new show, Shake the Ground. Timestamps 00:00 Nathalie returns to the podcast 01:15 From a half marathon to Chicago and Amsterdam 04:27 Looking back at the bikini competition and eating disorder 06:02 Covid, stress and a setback in recovery 11:42 Getting her period back and rebuilding health 13:16 The emotional side of a recovery setback 16:48 Menstrual health and planning a marathon block 19:47 Fuel, data and avoiding fixation on numbers 22:39 The Chicago experience and two races a week apart 24:08 Amsterdam and how her body responded 27:19 Knee pain, rest and the time away from running 32:55 Sharing struggles after processing them 33:28 Negative comments and social media boundaries 36:22 Acne, confidence and treatment decisions 44:43 The pressure to look perfect online 48:24 Real-world community and privacy in relationships 51:24 Speaking more freely instead of posting for an algorithm 53:49 Brand partnerships and agency support 54:53 Would Nathalie recommend becoming a creator? 58:33 Trust, values and turning down the wrong campaign 61:10 Brian's Dating Games stories 66:45 Why The Dating Games ended 69:49 How Shake the Ground got its name 72:48 Taking the pressure off and finding her voice Find Nathalie and Shake the Ground Nathalie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nathalielennon / _ Nathalie on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@nathalielennon _ Nathalie Lennon Fitness: https://www.nlf.ie/ Polar (the athlete partner named in Nathalie's profile): https://www.instagram.com/polarglobal/ Shake the Ground on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shakethegroundpodcast/ Shake the Ground on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/221tK7vSC5bDqgXW4ItQw2 Shake the Ground on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/shake-the-ground-podcast/id1711099115 Shake the Ground on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@shakethegroundpodcast Episodes mentioned Brian and Nathalie, first interview — #187, Obsession Vs. Passion: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b4347534-e44e-4beb-b8f6-d0efac9b8578/episodes/5bfe0 bfc-6144-4567-aa44-27cd4529ed53/the-brian-keane-podcast-187-former-bikini-competitor-nath alie-lennon-on-obsession-vs-passion Brian and Nathalie, second interview — #349, Disordered Eating and Healing Your Food Relationship: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b4347534-e44e-4beb-b8f6-d0efac9b8578/episodes/2aaac 57e-5de8-44bf-90df-b03eaf5be344/the-brian-keane-podcast-349-nathalie-lennon-on-disordered -eating-how-to-stop-tracking-calories-and-healing-your-food-relationship Brian on The Dating Games — Overcoming Heartbreak: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-keane-on-overcoming-heartbreak/id1711099115?i= 1000659235134 Brian's Dating Games quickfire bonus — Worst First Date, Romantic Gestures, Soulmates and More: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/b4347534-e44e-4beb-b8f6-d0efac9b8578/episodes/ca814 756-5261-4656-bd0b-3bbbb4c49f2e/the-brian-keane-podcast-brian-keane---worst-first-date-rom antic-gestures-soulmates-chat-up-lines-sex-drive-and-more *Work with Brian* The Circle: https://briankeane.com/mastermind/ Business mentorship: https://briankeane.com/mentorship/ This conversation discusses personal experiences of disordered eating, menstrual health, acne treatment and mental health. For personal health decisions, consult an appropriately qualified professional.
Download the full audiobook on Audible- Scaling Your Story, The 5 Step Framework for Fitness Entrepreneurs Who Want Income and Income. Download the free PDF of the book here.