09/01/2024
Being a small business owner in the fitness industry I have a love hate relationship with social media. It can be very positive if navigated carefully but it can also sadly sometimes be extremely triggering and toxic.
Today I was tagged in a post on a local community board where someone was searching for local Pilates class recommendations and it really got me thinking…
This particular post sparked quite a big response which is fantastic as there are lots of great instructors out there but I noticed a lot of comments along the lines of “go to X, they really are the best around”, “X is the only person you should go to” etc
Now I appreciate this comes from a good place and it is showing support but please do remember that there will be an instructor out there who suffers with low self esteem who might not have received a recommendation in the comments. This could be for any number of reasons, perhaps because none of their clients have seen it, or their clients don’t actively participate in community board pages or the instructor is new to the industry, but that doesn’t mean to say they aren’t really great instructors! To read comments such as “there is no one else you should go to” could be really damaging. It’s also ridiculous as unless the person commenting has tried out every single instructor in the area, then how can they possibly say?
Coming from someone who has been through periods of really struggling with social media, if you are going to recommend your instructor, which you absolutely should might I add as it will make their day, then please do choose your words wisely…”X is fab! Their classes are full of energy”, I love X’s teaching style”, “I’ve been attending X’s classes for a long time and I feel fantastic!”.
So I leave this with you, if you are on the search for a new class, go and try a few! We are all different, we have different teaching styles, personalities and offerings. It’s about finding a class and an instructor which works for you and most importantly, you enjoy!
So let’s look out for each other and most importantly, be kind 🙏🏼
If you agree, please share and help spread a positive word 🙏🏼