Our product is the community.
I was recently reviewing a franchise agreement with a new WildStrong location and we were discussing the inadequacy of legalese to define what we’re trying to achieve at WildStrong. The contract lawyer had defined our ‘product’ as services: delivering classes, and possibly sale of WildStrong merchandise. The valuation of a franchise would be based on metrics like client lists and monthly income. I understand the need for a clear definition, but was dismissive of this summary. At Wildstrong, our aim is to build a healthy, supportive, sustainable community.
One of our main goals at WildStrong is to avoid the standard, top-down, pyramidal structures of other exercise groups. We emphasise that our coaches are facilitators, who provide the environment for other people to learn and grow. We want to avoid the cult of the ‘coach’ by building the knowledge and capabilities of our community members. Ultimately we hope that every WildStrong community can train other coaches from within and eventually shift to community-led classes, enabling the founding coaches to participate in classes as a member and not just think of their role in the community as another ‘job’.
One of the tenets of our system is that there should be elements of bi-directional learning. Coaches learn from clients, WildStrong HQ learns from the coaches, and we integrate those lessons into better systems and processes. This can’t happen overnight. A new WildStrong location may function much like a traditional, though more thoughtful bootcamp for the first few weeks. New clients won’t have developed a sense of autonomy or ownership yet. They might expect to have everything explained to them. The new coach may feel like a lot of pressure is riding on them to know everything. But over the next few months, through peer coaching, skill development, and commiseration, clients become contributing members.
You might find that some members naturally pick up movements faster than other members and their growing confidence inspires others to push themselves more. Some clients shine during peer coaching sessions, inventing new cues or developing a coach’s eye. Some clients thrive during social time and can entertain the whole group during question of the day. Some clients are quiet but dependable; they will show up to volunteer sessions and endure the wettest winter days.
As new locations develop and various strengths emerge, the founding coach should be comfortable utilising the skills and capacities of their clients. Remember that the R in the PERMA model refers to ‘relationships’. People thrive in an environment of generous reciprocity. We often get more satisfaction from doing things for other people than we do for ourselves. Our goal is to maximise interactions between members, the Wildstrong group and the larger community. The more cross connections, the more robust the community.
Since the first 6 months of a new group can be so intense for a founding coach, we want to ensure they start incorporating ‘uncoached sessions’ as soon as the group matures. An uncoached or ‘informal’ session is a much more casual affair than a general class. There’s fewer moving parts; generally just a warm up and conditioning portion. The peer coaching element is embedded in the structure of the class since all members are responsible for themselves and each other. There will be an accredited coach there, but they’ll be participating as a member. This is an opportunity for the founding coach to relax and get in a workout. Try to choose days when people are off work. Friday or Sunday mornings work well, depending on the community. Try to ascertain if any members would be interested in assistant coaching. One of your long term goals as a founding coach should be to develop assistant coaches who will eventually become certified. As part of this process, invite interested members to facilitate the uncoached sessions.
This will take more pressure off the founding coach and begin the process of increasing the autonomy of members. Over time, as you involve more and more clients in the monthly process of growing your community, their sense of ownership will increase and the pressure on you will dissipate. A mature group could offer 2-3+ uncoached sessions a week, providing plenty of opportunities for everyone to enjoy classes. As assistant coaches gain experience, they may consider earning their Level 1 certifications so that they can coach full sessions unassisted.
As every coach has their strengths and weaknesses, the more coaches you have, the more robust the community will be. Strong communities will expand what’s possible. Eventually, the community could start a gardening allotment, organise volunteer days with local organisations, or go on group adventures like camping, wildswimming, or obstacle races. This is the essence of Wildstrong: people working together to build a community around being outdoors with a shared purpose.
