For as long as I can remember, I’ve been drawn to the health, fitness, and wellness arenas. I was a massive fan of Jane Fonda’s Workout in the 80’s, decked out in striped leg warmers and hot pink leotards, “Sweated to the Oldies” with Richard Simmons, and juiced various combinations of fruits and vegetables as directed from fitness pioneer, Jack LaLanne. As a kid growing up on a small ranch in California’s Central Valley, there wasn’t much opportunity to do much more than follow the health advice of those pioneers who sold workout VHS tapes, catchy DVD’s, and obscenely large juice machines.
I followed them all and bought whatever they were selling hook, line, and sinker, and I must admit, I wasted a lot of money.
It’s no wonder the beauty/health/fitness industry is an ever-growing trillion-dollar industry. Most people, myself included, would spend their last penny if they were promised eternal youth or weight loss. Back in the day, there were so very few “gurus” who claimed to hold the keys to the anti-aging/health/fitness kingdom, follow is exactly what we did.
It was only after the development of the internet that the kingdom’s gates were flung wide open and anyone could start a blog or create a YouTube channel to begin sharing their knowledge in the field. Having a robust career in this burgeoning industry was easily achieved. As a 51-year-old, life-long, self-proclaimed guinea pig for this industry, I felt the need to join in.
These are the four steps which put me on the path of success as a healthy-aging expert in the blogging and YouTube world:
1. Find Your Audience.
I’m not the only middle-aged person who had been searching for relevant and age-appropriate voices on the internet. At this moment, America has its largest population of people over the age of 50, and the percentage of elderly is growing every year. Baby Boomers are now senior citizens, living longer than this generation did in the past, and desperate for guidance on how to look and feel their best in the process. In addition, 20-year-olds, obsessed with social media and Instagram-filtering-their-way to the perfect post, are also eager to hear what healthy-aging veterans have to say, in hopes of finding that fountain of youth. Finding your distinct audience is key.
2. Love What You Do.
Ever since my children were knee-high and old enough to tell me what they wanted to be when they grew up, I’ve encouraged them, “Find something you love. Something that doesn’t even feel like work, and then do it so well that the money follows.” I still believe that today. In a world where working for major corporations as our parents did is a less-traveled pathway, and where home businesses, small start-ups, blogs, and even YouTube channels are quickly becoming the monetized norm, loving what you do can be the first step toward creating a successful business. As a business owner, I know firsthand that the amount of time spent ensuring its success goes well beyond the traditional 40-hour-week. Having a healthy balance is one of the keys to avoiding getting sucked down the 24/7 rabbit hole that is quite common in operating a home business. Loving what I do, however, makes me willing and able to put in the hard work needed, without it feeling like “work.”
3. Be Authentic.
Your audience knows when you are disingenuous: be 100% honest with them. In the health and wellness field, this means to walk the walk. On the days when you can’t seem to put one foot in front of the other on that healthy-lifestyle-walk, let your audience know that, like them, you are human. People don’t connect with perfection. Vulnerability is relatability, and if viewers are going to stay engaged, they need to be able to relate to you. For example, fitness is a part of healthy aging, yet we all, both coach and client, sometimes find it challenging to make it to the gym. This is why I developed my 10-minute exercise series on my YouTube channel, Live Young Lifestyle. Debunking the myth that someone in this industry hit the gym five days a week without fail and never eat a piece of pizza helps people relate.
4. Develop Trust.
Very few products sell themselves. Having trust in the person doing the selling could not be more critical. In my industry, product development goes hand-in-hand with developing trust. When a client buys a “Live Young One-On-One” coaching package, they are doing so because they trust that I can help them reach their goals. When I sell a bottle of “Live Young Anti-Aging Vitamins,” it’s not because my packaging is attractive, it’s because my followers trust that I would not rip them off. Which is why I never have, nor will I ever, take payment for endorsing a skincare line, laser treatment, or anything else. The moment I go for the easy money of product ambassador is the moment that I lose the trust, it’s taken me three years to build. Receiving payment as a brand ambassador means I lose objectivity in testing out new products and services, and with that, I lose my most valuable asset: trust. Trust not only sells currently available Live Young products and programs but future ones as well.
Live Young Lifestyle is a growing brand maneuvering its way through an increasingly crowded field. It’s an industry that continues to grow, as does my love for what I do. With a little luck, I’m on my way to a Fonda/Simmons/LaLanne brand — without the leg warmers and the giant juicers.
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