What sets you apart and sets you apart in such a crowded market?
First, let’s talk about market saturation. When people complain about a saturated market, it’s usually the lazy ones who are afraid of competition. Saturation means there is demand, and if you can’t get to the top, maybe you shouldn’t be there. I laugh to myself every time I hear someone say the market is saturated.
Why should you listen to me? I don’t want to sound arrogant, but I am the only person in my country who has lived a life like me. I started in an industry that didn’t exist in Ireland — I was the first Irish fitness YouTuber. I saw people in America succeed with online coaching, building apps, selling e‑books, and living a life of freedom, and I wanted that life too.
In Ireland, with its small population, it is difficult to stand out from the crowd. If you do something different, you get a lot of hate. The UK is similar in this respect. When I dropped out of college and no longer had a job, I had to face a lot of criticism even from my parents. But it was the only thing I was passionate about, the only thing I was good at. I was the worst in my academic year and didn’t want to be tied to a 9‑to‑5 job.
I committed to this path because it was my only option, and now I stand out in this crowded market.
Do you remember your first YouTube video?
It’s been almost ten years since I started on YouTube — September 1, 2014 to be precise. Back then, I was focused on Facebook and writing articles and posts, but had no followers at all. It’s funny how people thought I had it all just because of my posh Dublin accent. They said things like, “Oh, you’re a daddy’s boy,” but in reality my mom gave me a little boost by lending me her old YouTube camera when I didn’t have any subscribers. Everyone starts from scratch.
I started by picking up the camera and figuring things out as I went along. I was also active on Facebook and maybe Twitter at the time. But the real impact comes from video content like this podcast. Reading articles or looking at pictures doesn’t provide the same depth — you miss out on hearing a person’s voice and seeing their body language.
When you made your first video, were you also working as a personal trainer? Did you have any income?
At that time I wasn’t yet working as a personal trainer. I was stuck in a 9‑to‑5 office job and also did retail work like folding clothes at Hollister and selling watches. I had no passion for these jobs and was often fired.
While I was working in the office for about six months, I built my YouTube channel on the side. I worked from 9am to 5pm, then trained from 8pm to 9pm, and spent my nights from 9:30pm to 2am working on my fitness business. Since I couldn’t afford much, I used an iPhone 5 to film and illegally downloaded editing software. My bank balance was always low, but I put my energy into creating content and growing my business.
How did you learn the basics? Did you read books, take courses, work with mentors, or did you mostly figure things out through trial and error?
To date, YouTube is the best learning resource. Whether you want to learn editing, photography or marketing, you’ll find it all there. You can watch content from Gary Vee, Grant Cardone or even Tony Robbins — which people pay tens of thousands to see in person. YouTube offers full HD lectures and is the most powerful search engine available.
When I was just starting out, I took a few courses and read a few books, but I found that I learn best by listening and watching. During my 9‑to‑5 job, I listened to podcasts or YouTube videos while driving or doing cardio at the gym. It became the soundtrack of my life.
Even now my girlfriend calls me “The Walking Podcast” because I constantly consume content. I refer to it as “brainwashing yourself” with positive affirmations and information. That’s how I learned the most.
For those of you who are building a YouTube channel or social media following and are frustrated with slow growth, how long did it take you to gain traction after your first video? And what steps have you taken to see results beyond just the time effect?
My channel will soon reach half a million subscribers. In the first year I gained 19,000 subscribers, which is great, but obviously just the beginning of the growth curve. YouTube is incredibly powerful because you can quit your job with just 10,000 subscribers. I know many fitness trainers around this number who make impressive incomes.
But are they making this money from YouTube ads alone? Or is the real value in having a loyal audience of 10,000 people that they then use to sell products or services?
It’s not the number of views that matters, it’s what you do with them. For example, with one million views on YouTube, you can earn about $2,000 from advertising. However, if you have an e‑book for 30 euros and sell 1,000 copies of that million views, you can expect to pay 30,000 euros instead of 2,000 euros. So the key is to use these views effectively.
We often talk about having 10,000 subscribers or a million views, but isn’t it true that a large percentage of video views come from non-subscribers? For example, on my channel, about 99% of the views come from people who don’t have a subscription. So can you still reach tens of thousands of people even with a smaller number of subscribers?
On YouTube, titles and thumbnails are crucial. You can have a mediocre video with an excellent title and thumbnail and it could still go viral. I even have a full-time thumbnail editor who specializes in just this – it’s that important. Besides him, I also have an editor and a videographer. The emphasis on thumbnails, titles, and the first 15 seconds of a video (the hook) shows how important these elements are.
In my early videos it took me three minutes to get to the main content, but now I recommend getting straight to the point. A good tip for a hook is to immediately point out why viewers clicked on your video.
Start strong with a compelling opening, then expand the content in the middle to hook viewers. Save some details for the end to maximize watch time, and don’t reveal the answer too early so viewers stay until the end.
How do you find the right balance between creating valuable content, educating your audience, and selling so that you don’t overwhelm your viewers with constant sales pitches?
When you’re constantly selling, it’s easy to develop audience fatigue, just like viewers skipping commercials on TV. To avoid this, limit promotional content to a small portion of your overall output and make sure it feels natural. Often just focusing on producing great content is enough. Sometimes my coaching and app subscriptions work well even without active advertising — people find the links themselves if the content is compelling.
Are there videos in which you don’t sell anything at all, just pure content?
Absolutely. For big launches, for example when you’re launching a challenge or promoting a high-priced offer, you can go all out and make a strong push — for example, by offering the opportunity to train with you or introducing a new clothing line. These hard starts are effective at creating tension.
However, in most cases, you should focus on providing valuable content and writing occasional posts. When people are interested, they search for promotional materials themselves.
Can you explain how your online coaching business works? I can hardly imagine how it would harmonize with face-to-face training. Do you only offer online services or are there more expensive options for individual sessions?
When we talked about men’s fitness, I wanted to delve deeper into it, so I appreciate your interest. Fitness information is widely available, but personalized plans and accountability make all the difference.
When people sign up for my Game Plan app, they receive a customized plan and are required to take responsibility to see results. Even when I give free access to friends and family, few follow. Personal commitment is key.
My app, which costs €39 per month, is self-managing with a team of trainers to keep it accountable. We have over a thousand users and this system helps maintain ongoing sales and support.
You mentioned that your audience in their 20s has evolved from focusing on fitness to becoming increasingly interested in business and other areas. Can you explain this transition in more detail? Are your current clients still just focused on fitness or do your Marbella masterminds also cover lifestyle, entrepreneurship and business, including for aspiring trainers?
Definitely. In Dublin I ran a personal trainer school with a certified course and trained people to become trainers. Over the last year or two I’ve covered every fitness topic imaginable and my audience is very knowledgeable. Now I’ve noticed that my followers are in great shape, so it’s time to introduce more structured programs like mentoring or business courses, which I wanted when I first started.
Do you find that most of your followers who are interested in business want to become trainers themselves, or are they just interested in business more broadly? In today’s Instagram-driven world, fitness is often linked to business success, whether in fitness or other areas such as sales, marketing and motivation.
The fitness industry often attracts people who are passionate about training and nutrition, not just business opportunities. If you are not truly interested in the science of fitness and the joy of watching your clients achieve results, you may not succeed in this field. Personally, the satisfaction I get from helping others achieve their goals is immense and motivates me. If you lack that passion, this may not be the right path for you.
Do you see yourself still working in the fitness industry at age 42 or 62?
Absolutely. Many people may think that as we get older the physical side of fitness becomes less important, but I don’t see it that way. Look at the likes of Joe Rogan, Andrew Huberman, Gary Vee and Jordan Peterson — these guys are significantly older than me and still at the top of their field.
Rogan, for example, is a major fitness influencer at 55 years old and his influence on the industry is enormous. He is always in top form and discusses the latest trends. So yes, I plan to continue to be deeply involved in, talk about, and engage with fitness no matter how old I am.
