Christina Frei
I get a newsletter from Spectrum Fitness, where I go for personal training. Spectrum, based in Beverly, MA, has been in business for 13 years and is expanding into Bedford, MA. The owner, Mike Stare, trains physical therapists and personal trainers nationwide on therapeutic exercise for older adults, and much of his work comes out of a physical therapy background.
When I first received the newsletter, I wasn’t really looking for the information. To my surprise, I found myself reading it regularly. Addressing topics like veteran mobility and golf training, Mike writes with calm authority, caring, and clarity about important topics.
Based on the rich data he offers and his kind-yet-steady tone, I have determined Mike is a Steady Presence. Steady Presence is an Innate Marketing Genius type that lets people come to them. They offer deep expertise, resources, and network to help you through anything. They are pillars in their community.
Spectrum Fitness is not trying to be like their competitors. They are not trying to innovate with hip technology, like Orange Theory. They are not trying to motivate you to “go for it,” like Crossfit, they are not making you feel comfy cozy, like yoga studios, and they are not trying to tell you that fitness is fun, like many Zumba instructors. Mike Stare looked me in the eyes and said, “Fitness in not fun. I can think of 50 things that are more fun that fitness.” He tells it straight, which is how he runs Spectrum.
As a Steady Presence, Spectrum’s entire focus is on research and what works. There is a sturdiness to their approach. They meet people exactly where they are and give them a 35-40 minute routine they can do anywhere that achieves their goals, all based on the latest fitness and therapy science.
When I started going to Spectrum, I knew deeply this was the right thing to do, even though it wasn’t cutting edge, there was no hoopla, and there weren’t big promises. They simply met me where I was and showed me what to do. As an aside, I have lost 16 lbs, 2.5 inches off my waist, and 2 dress sizes in 5 months and feel stronger than I ever have. So there’s that.
When I talked to Mike, he affirmed the engine that drives everything: research. Mike subscribes to at least 6 medical journals, follows health-focused curators on social media, and has read at least 18 books this year in his field.
When Mike reflected on his writing style, he admitted it took 13 years of writing to evolve to where he is now. At first, he wanted to show how he knew more than Dr. Oz (apparently, not that difficult a task). But the competitiveness grew old, and eventually he let the research speak for itself. Now he’ll come up with an idea and then have his team review it and bounce it around. He also does the Personal Letter technique that I have written about – writing a personal letter directly to someone. This makes it a direct, human piece of content. It is noticeable every time I read it.
Mike embodies the Steady Presence genius by relying on solid research for everything he puts out, marketing-wise and in his client work. It’s clearly working. Steady Presence folks can write longer, more in-depth pieces and people will stay interested. We always want to hear more expertise from a Steady Presence.
You’ve got a marketing voice, just like Mike. Let’s have a low-key conversation about it. Just fill this out, and we’ll connect soon.
