The Empty Room That Changed Everything...

Author

pninsider
January 13, 2025

Get smarter every week with expert opinions, in-depth analysis, and real-world case studies to elevate your practice.

Expert Opinion - The Empty Room That Changed Everything

This Week's Expert: Dr. James Morehen reflects on his earliest business lesson

Key Insights: Fresh into his PhD, flush with confidence, Dr. Morehen decided to host his first nutrition workshop in Widnes.

Professor Graeme Close warned him: "Don't waste your time."

But sometimes the best lessons come from not listening.

Armed with flyers, shop visits, and a polished presentation, he set a £10 ticket price and dreamed of the profits that would surely follow.

On event night, he stood in an empty room. Not a single person showed up.

The next day, Prof Close simply said: "I could have told you that."

Looking back, Morehen laughs at his past self - young, fresh into Widnes Vikings Rugby, thinking being "the nutritionist" made him instantly credible.

The experience taught him priceless lessons about business:

  • Expertise alone doesn't fill rooms

  • Trust must be earned before asking for money

  • Sometimes mentors know better than your ego

Actionable Takeaway: Before asking your audience to pay, ask yourself: Have you earned the right to sell to them?

Remember: Every empty room is teaching you something about your next full one.

Get mentored by Dr. James via the Performance Nutrition Network. Save 25% off per month for life with code “pnnmember25”. LINK

Market Opportunity - The Rise of Padel

Top Pick:

Padel’s Popularity = New Clients for Nutrition Coaches

Our Take:

Padel, the fast-growing blend of tennis and squash, is attracting players worldwide—from casual enthusiasts to serious athletes. Its intense, fast-paced rallies demand agility, endurance, and quick recovery, making it the perfect niche for performance nutritionists.

How to Leverage This:

  • Padel-Specific Plans: Create fuelling plans specific to the demands of Padel.

  • Collaborate with Clubs: Partner with Padel clubs for workshops and assessments, positioning yourself as the go-to expert.

  • Share Tips Online: Publish Padel-focused nutrition advice on social media to build your reputation with this active community.

Padel’s growth offers a unique chance to expand your client base and establish authority in an emerging sport.

A curated list of helpful links, resources, or reads. Three amazing performance nutrition textbooks.

From the Partner Community

This Week’s Shoutout:

A member asked for recommendations on finding a collagen supplement in tablet form for a player recovering from injury.

Key Insights:

  • Use Informed Sport's certified supplement search to find collagen tablets that meet safety standards.

  • One member shared a direct link to streamline the search for tablet or capsule options.

  • Another suggestion was to check with supplement brands directly for white-label collagen tablets that might suit specific needs. You could start with someone like SiS who are known to make custom formulations due to their in-house manufacturing.

High Impact Job

Job Opportunity: Lead Academy Performance Nutritionist at Liverpool FC – A leading football team is looking for a performance nutritionist to design and implement comprehensive nutrition programs for academy players, with expertise in youth athlete development and individualised nutrition planning.

Competency Improvement:

  • Youth Athlete Education Resource: Check out these youth athlete nutrition blogs. LINK

  • Improvement Tip: This week, practice creating interactive nutrition lessons for different age groups (8-18). Focus on making complex concepts accessible and engaging for youth athletes while incorporating parent/guardian communication strategies.

Explore More Job Opportunities: Find more high-impact jobs here.

Challenge of the week:

"The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new." – Socrates

Reflect on a client’s nutrition habits that might be holding them back. This week, work with them to replace an outdated habit with a more positive one.

Pninsider Premium

Our collection of proven strategies, tools, and case studies to attract, convert, and retain athlete clients.

Premium Case Study: Dr. Laurent Bannock Sales Funnel

Are you struggling to monetise your sports science or nutrition degree?

Learn the secrets behind Dr. Bannock’s £350/hour consultancy through his simple yet powerful sales funnel.

In this article, we break down Dr. Bannock’s entire funnel, from the platforms he uses to the specific strategies that drive his success.

Plus, we’ll show you how to replicate it for your own business

With these insights, you can turn your content into a powerful sales engine. Let’s break down Dr. Bannock’s funnel step-by-step so you can start seeing results.

01. Platforms

Dr. Bannock’s choice of platforms is particularly strategic,

To continue reading, subscribe to pninsider premium - our collection of actionable guides to attract and sign athlete clients.

Land one client from our insights - the rest is profit. Upgrade now →

That’s all for this week.

See you next Monday.

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