How We Helped PTDC Go From Flatlined to $2M Profit in Under 12 Months

June 2, 2025

, by

Louis Grenier

Top 3 Results

$2 Million Profit Milestone: Less than 12 months after our first workshop, PTDC obliterated its post-COVID plateau faster than you can say "influencer marketing is dead." Nearly $2 million in profits on the strength of a unique positioning and zero marketing BS.
2× Social Engagement in 30 Days: Jon's new POV sliced through the fitness industry's noise like a Laguiole steak knife through butter.
Community Rally in 4 Weeks: From scattered "let's try TikTok dances" tactics to one clear message that made 250k trainers stop scrolling and start paying attention. Record webinar attendance because, shocker, people show up when you actually have something to say.

Meet the "Jacked Nerds"

Jon Goodman's PTDC wasn't your typical fitness bro empire. This was a passion project that grew into a 250k-strong community of trainers who actually gave a shit about their clients. Eleven books, 1,500+ blog articles, and a mission to help fitness pros build businesses that don't make them hate their lives.

Pre-COVID, they were unstoppable. Post-COVID? They hit a wall harder than a CrossFitter dropping a barbell.

The Problem: Death by a Thousand Tactics

Picture this: a smart, successful team suddenly acting like marketing magpies… chasing every shiny tactic that landed in their inbox. Social media challenges! Quick-fix funnels!!! Growth hacks that definitely weren't hacks!!!!!! More exclamation points!!!!!!!!!!!

Sound familiar?

Their revenue flatlined because they were speaking in marketing gibberish instead of human. Trainers visited their site and left confused, thinking "What the f*ck do these people actually do?"

Jon knew something had to change.

The STFO Intervention: Insight Foraging Like Our Lives Depended On It

Our first workshop was basically group therapy for a brand having an identity crisis. We built what I call a "foraging basket," a simple spreadsheet that became our truth repository. No fancy tools, no 78-tag Notion templates. Just raw customer reality.

We systematically answered the six core insight questions that most companies are too chicken-shit scared to ask:

Job: What do these trainers actually want? Not "get more clients" or other surface-level BS. The real answer? "Live a rich life." They wanted sustainable businesses that didn't require selling their souls or their abs on Instagram.
Alternatives: Their current "solutions" were either grinding themselves into dust with more hustle, or compromising their values by becoming half-naked influencers. Both paths led to burnout.
Struggles: These trainers battled imposter syndrome\. "We don't feel like a 'real' business" was the refrain. They were super experienced fitness trainers, but struggled to market themselves.
Segment: We labeled them "jacked nerds." They are the trainers who valued substance over selfies. The ones playing the long game while everyone else chased likes.
Category: Online fitness training (revolutionary, I know).
Triggers: Life changes that forced trainers to reassess everything. Such as: A key client moving cities, personal injury, hitting 30, or realizing the Instagram game wasn't sustainable.

With those insights, we crafted PTDC’s positioning statement:

“Unlike just working more or selling out for quick cash, PTDC is the only online fitness training program that helps you overcome self-doubt and build a real business you love as a jacked nerd.”

This was an internal north star, aligning every piece of messaging and decision around a clear promise.

Finding Their Voice: The Cliché Method in Action

Next, we deployed what I call the "cliché method." Jon asked his Facebook audience what they hated most about the fitness industry. The responses were f*cking brutal and pure gold.

The biggest theme? Disgust with ego-driven "fake gurus" flaunting bodies without substance. Perfect. We turned this insight into a point of view (POV) that would become Jon's signature opinion:

Common belief: “You have to flaunt your physique online to be taken seriously.”
Happen: Trainers obsess over images, losing sight of their expertise.
Impact: They’re seen as entertainers, not professionals.
Proof: “Since 2012, I’ve seen the trainers who succeed prioritize ethics over flash.”
Solution: “Forget the flash—focus on fundamentals and lifelong client success.”

Jon then became the living embodiment of that brand: posting raw, unfiltered takes on these clichés multiple times a day, rebuilding trust and authenticity with his 200,000-strong following.

The Results: When Authenticity Actually Works

Within weeks, PTDC's messaging became much clearer. Within a month, Jon's confidence returned, and he re-emerged as the company's voice. The community suddenly rallied around a clear promise. Podcast appearances multiplied. Email open rates soared. Cohort enrollments hit records.

Less than a year later? Nearly $2 million in profits and a community that actually stood for something.

This turnaround story is exactly why the STFO methodology exists. Smart, capable teams get trapped in "marketing BS" quicksand, thinking the next tactic will save them.

The real solution? Clarity. Confidence. The courage to stand for something specific, even if it means some people won't like you. PTDC stopped trying to be everything to everyone and started being something specific to someone.