How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Anything to do with the traditional world of get a degree, get a job as well as its alternatives
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Bankai
Posts: 986
Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2014 5:28 am

Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by Bankai »

+1 to a personal trainer route - you should be able to make $50k+ once you've built a client base. Do PTs really need a license though? I'd not worry about one unless law requires it.

Johnny
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2019 3:00 am

Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by Johnny »

ertyu wrote:
Thu Mar 26, 2020 7:51 pm
how easy is it to get a personal trainer license? I would check that out. You likely have the knowledge needed already.

re: 2d animation - I am told there is a thriving market for furry and other fetish anime porn online. draw weird shit for people who will pay.
I can easily get a personal trainers license. Pretty inexpensively too. Though would that be lucrative enough of a career in order to retire at any point in my life? The idea is that I like bodybuilding -- not necessarily training others. I'd definitely be willing to train others for an income, but what are my chances of making $50k a year or more through doing that?

Also the 2d animation porn route -- yes that's an option. But honestly not one I'm particularly comfortable with, and not one I'm sure my wife would ever share with any of our family that 'oh yeah he draws furries getting it on for a living'.

Bankai wrote:
Thu Mar 26, 2020 9:11 pm
+1 to a personal trainer route - you should be able to make $50k+ once you've built a client base. Do PTs really need a license though? I'd not worry about one unless law requires it.
License isn't difficult to get. Just not entirely sure I could get enough clients to ever really make $50k or more.

2Birds1Stone
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Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by 2Birds1Stone »

Not with that attitude/mindset.

ETA - NASM certified trainer, nutritionist (no longer practicing), and former competitive drug free bodybuilder here.
Last edited by 2Birds1Stone on Thu Mar 26, 2020 11:56 pm, edited 1 time in total.

MidsizeLebowski
Posts: 79
Joined: Tue Nov 06, 2018 12:58 pm

Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by MidsizeLebowski »

Personal trainer here, I made 71k last year and 63 the year before, 56 the year prior. COVID situation has me looking at ~25-35k this year if things continue :lol: . It can be a lucrative business when approached as one, you'll end up making the choice of becoming a high income (100-250k+) small business owner w/ the requisite lock in vs loosely coupled sole-proprietor early on in the path if the right steps are taken.

If you're looking to build clientele networking with chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, nutritionists worked well for me. Others have had success w/ traditional marketing approaches we've all seen ( 40 day weight loss challenges, etc.).

2B1S is correct.

Johnny
Posts: 21
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2019 3:00 am

Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by Johnny »

2Birds1Stone wrote:
Thu Mar 26, 2020 11:30 pm
Not with that attitude/mindset.

ETA - NASM certified trainer, nutritionist (no longer practicing), and former competitive drug free bodybuilder here.
Perhaps it is my mindset, though I also don't wish to be unrealistic. Statistically speaking, most personal trainers quit. Most have to work a separate part-time job and/or they can't make above minimum wage or get all that many hours. I would certainly like to make big bucks working hard as a trainer, and maybe it's just my mindset defeating me, but I'm just trying to be realistic.
MidsizeLebowski wrote:
Thu Mar 26, 2020 11:44 pm
Personal trainer here, I made 71k last year and 63 the year before, 56 the year prior. COVID situation has me looking at ~25-35k this year if things continue :lol: . It can be a lucrative business when approached as one, you'll end up making the choice of becoming a high income (100-250k+) small business owner w/ the requisite lock in vs loosely coupled sole-proprietor early on in the path if the right steps are taken.

If you're looking to build clientele networking with chiropractors, physical therapists, massage therapists, nutritionists worked well for me. Others have had success w/ traditional marketing approaches we've all seen ( 40 day weight loss challenges, etc.).

2B1S is correct.
You two are inspiring. I'd like to give it a shot. I'm just fearful I won't even get 40 hours a week and I'll barely make it along. Time is ticking in my life. I'm married now, we still have a roommate, I don't even own a vehicle (which I'm not too unhappy about, but she certainly seems like she'd like one for us for more convenient transport). I just want a sure-fire way to do better. Personal training seems like a large risk of failure; I won't know until I try I just don't want to invest a bundle of effort to only be disappointed with minimum wage or less when I'm really trying to get my shit together for myself and my wife.

BMF1102
Posts: 83
Joined: Sat Jan 13, 2018 5:26 pm

Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by BMF1102 »

Hey Johnny have you thought about joining a trade? I'd suggest going the union route if you do. Would probably need a vehicle though. The pay is decent to start but after a couple years you could easily be making your 50k target. Good luck!

plantingourpennies
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Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2012 12:11 am
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Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by plantingourpennies »

FBeyer wrote:
Sun Aug 04, 2019 12:14 pm
Damn. OP shut down his own topic before we even got to discuss starting in Sales.
There are money to be made and a shit tonne of stuff to learn absolutely free on the net. If you can sell and you can keep an appointment, it seems like you will never be without a job.
@johnny, you sound like me at 22. Sales is how I became wealthy, and I could go on about it all day.

Why Sales?
Income level comparable to or exceeding CS
Does not require a degree, only brains and hustle, the latter being more important
Skills you learn in sales will be necessary to make money from your passion


How?
Start with a sales role that has a low barrier to entry (cell phone kiosk, used car lot, phone based appointment setter)-learn as much as you can and try not to lose your sense of right and wrong. As soon as possible get into a white-collar environment like software sales. The pay will be higher, you'll have to lie far less often, and work will be more interesting. Depending on the office many of your colleagues will be new college graduates who don't understand what work looks like-you'll have an advantage here. If you're successful in software sales the world is your oyster-you can continue along the sales trajectory or move sideways into a cushier role inside a megacorp. Do that for 8-10 years and you're FI.

Your wandering work history show a lack of focus, but your bodybuilding means that you have the ability to do difficult things to achieve your goals. Sales has a particular ability to focus the mind on one thing-hitting your number, and the rest just falls away.

BFK
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon Oct 12, 2020 9:03 am

Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by BFK »

Good post by Plantingourpennies.

@MidsizeLebowski

I realize I’m 6 months late to this party but could you expand more on being a personal trainer and your business practices?

A $50-$71k salary in personal training is incredibly rare... I’m going to assume you are self employed. Working for a commercial gym doesn’t get you remotely close to a $50k salary, and that’s assuming no one cancels.

1) What kind of clients do you coach? Contest prep generally pays the best but there’s only so many clients you can take on before there’s not enough time in the day and you can’t earnestly tell your client you are rooting for them and they’re going to get top 4 when you have 4 other guys competing in the same class, same contest.

2) what do you generally charge for your services? Do you train clients online or in person? If in person, how? If it’s $50 ask me anything phone calls and $250 meal plans and routines, how do you find clients and how do you advertise? I don’t really see the connection from referrals from chiropractors/physical therapists/nutritionists, client pays $x per month, you make $56-$71k.

Not sure of what services do you provide? If I was injured in a car accident or even just slept wrong I would go to a chiropractor... if I fucked my shoulder up I’d Get an mri then see a physical therapist before doing exercises on my own at the gym, etc.

How do you get a recurring pool of clients that adds up to $50-$70k? I just don’t really see anyone who doesn’t want to be huge or acquire a fitness model physique consistently paying $250mo to have you tell them eat mostly the same thing and stick with the same routine that has been working.

Personal training is usually simply a “job” in your twenties. You can walk right up to the gym and ask for the job if you look the part and it’s a crap wage base pay so you have some chicken and rice money if every client cancels that day. You do some other things on the side like bouncing and make a few hundred bucks from photo shoots every once in a while too, but this isn’t a career path.

On the other hand, the people that I’ve seen make careers out of personal training (and seen some fail trying after a good 3-4 year run) generally own a gym, coach competitors and often times sell steroids. During tough times they pick up a more stable job like being a high school sports or weight lifting coach and pay a fit 18yr old $12/hr to not burn the gym down and sign people up while they’re away.

I say this as someone who’s 6’2, ~220lbs at 8%bf and has done personal training before.

I’m not trying to be a dick and I’m truly interested in how you make a respectable wage doing personal training and eventually $100-$250k per year. For me it was something enjoyable, but more suitable as something to come back to, and a reason to leave the house after retirement.

Papers of Indenture
Posts: 197
Joined: Sun Sep 01, 2013 11:40 am
Location: Baltimore, Maryland

Re: How to make more money without much of any schooling?

Post by Papers of Indenture »

BMF1102 wrote:
Fri Mar 27, 2020 7:12 am
Hey Johnny have you thought about joining a trade? I'd suggest going the union route if you do. Would probably need a vehicle though. The pay is decent to start but after a couple years you could easily be making your 50k target. Good luck!
I know he's in Canada so things might be different there. But if I were in the US, 22 years old, without a degree, and wanted to reach FI in 12 years without going back to college....no doubt i'd be at the Electrician's Local. Especially if you're near a major metro area.

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