I’ve been a Beachbody customer since 2010 when I bought the original Power 90 program by Tony Horton. I never actually completed the program, but I did use the program on and off for almost four years.
Fast forward to 2014 when I was training for Tough Mudder. I was approached by a sorority sister – who is a Beachbody coach – and she suggested that I add some Beachbody programs into the mix. I bought Turbo Fire, and then a month later decided to invest in 21 Day Fix and Shakeology. Next thing you know, I signed up to be a Beachbody Coach.
After 13 months of being a coach, I finally decided to cancel my membership (along with my Shakeology home direct order). It took me a couple months, but I finally decided it was time. So, why did I cancel my Beachbody coaching account?
1. I hate the way Beachbody coaches bother people
I can’t send out a tweet or post a picture on Instagram about my workouts without a coach reaching out and asking me to join their challenge group. These coaches search specific hashtags and essentially poach customers. Not all coaches do it, but many do. As an inbound marketer, these tactics don’t help build relationships. They’re spammy, sales-y, and just plain annoying. I got tired of being associated with that kind of behavior on social media.
2. I couldn’t stand having to only push Beachbody products
Here’s the truth: Beachbody isn’t right for everybody. And neither is Shakeology. While I will fully agree that Shakeology is probably the most nutritionally dense meal replacement shake on the market, it doesn’t always work for people. There are claims that it reduces cravings, helps you lose weight, makes your nails/hair strong, gives you energy, etc. It didn’t do any of those things for me. In fact, it made my cravings worse. And to be honest, it’s really expensive – regardless of the nutritional benefits. I hate when coaches justify the cost with, “it’s only $4 a serving, which is the equivalent to a drink at Starbucks or a lunch at McDonald’s. If you stop eating out every day, you’ll be able to afford Shakeology.” Unless of course you don’t eat fast food every day or go to Starbucks on a regular basis.
3. I was tired of the “cookie cutter” social media posts
I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. They’re the posts that talk about how much they love being their own boss, the financial freedom they have, how choosing a program was the “best decision ever,” etc. As a coach, we’re told to post about certain things because they help form relationships and encourage people to buy from us or become a coach. It’s basically a formula – post 2-3 times per day, one of those posts should be about Beachbody, share your story, show the benefits of the lifestyle, etc. Unfortunately, after awhile it doesn’t seem genuine – especially when I see the same exact post from multiple people. And no matter how many times I drafted up those posts, I could never get myself to hit publish – because they’re just not me.
Although it may seem like it, I don’t have anything against Beachbody or their coaches. If you love coaching and it’s something that comes natural to you, by all means – you do you. However, it’s just not for me. I love their products, and I’m sure I’ll continue using them. But as for the coaching aspect – toodles.
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