Train Heroic and Being Your Best

This week, I sat down with Josh Sutchar, Co-founder + Director of Sales at TrainHeroic. Josh is a father of 2 (3rd coming in August), an average athlete who was lucky enough to play college football for Jim Harbaugh, cofounded TrainHeroic alongside Ben Crookston in 2012, and is 14 years into his journey at TrainHeroic with the mission to empower coaches with the (tech) tools to help their athletes be their best.

Josh Sutchar's journey from living in a laundry room to building Train Heroic—a platform serving thousands of coaches worldwide—offers a masterclass in strategic business development within our industry. His evolution from scrappy startup founder to established business leader provides invaluable insights for coaches ready to scale beyond individual training sessions.

This conversation reveals the systematic thinking, relationship-building strategies, and growth principles that separate coaches who remain perpetually busy from those who build sustainable, impactful businesses. These aren't theoretical concepts—they're battle-tested strategies from someone who solved the exact challenges most strength coaches face daily.

10 Essential Takeaways from Train Heroic and Being Your Best

Define Your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) with Surgical Precision

Josh emphasizes that Train Heroic's breakthrough came when they identified their exact target: "coaches who are getting ready, not getting sweaty" - performance-focused, commercially incentivized coaches who prioritize remote training. This clarity eliminated decision paralysis and focused all efforts on serving a specific segment exceptionally well rather than serving everyone adequately.

Master the Art of Strategic "No" - Protect Your Mission

When asked about product development decisions, Josh revealed their filtering system: "Does this serve the bullseye customer perfectly?" Everything else becomes a "not right now." This principle prevents the entrepreneurial trap of chasing every opportunity and diluting focus from core objectives.

Implement Systematic Feedback Collection - Your Clients Are Your R&D Department

Train Heroic's pivotal pivot away from in-facility training came from Net Promoter Score data showing remote clients were significantly happier. Josh notes: "People will give us feedback whether we're asking for it or not." The key lies in systematically collecting, analyzing, and acting on this intelligence rather than treating client feedback as isolated incidents.

Build Authentic Relationships - Genuine Interest Trumps Transactional Networking

I specifically noted Josh's ability to immediately create connection through authentic curiosity. Josh's response: "I actually give a shit, and I don't know if everybody always does." This authenticity creates lasting professional relationships that generate referrals, partnerships, and opportunities that purely transactional networking never achieves.

Prepare for Growth-Induced Breaking Points - Each Level Requires New Systems

Josh acknowledges that "every level has different challenges" and identifies internal communication as their current growth constraint with 100+ team members. Business growth follows predictable patterns where existing systems break at specific thresholds, requiring proactive system upgrades rather than reactive problem-solving.

Develop Compartmentalization Skills - Presence Over Perfection

Despite running a complex business, Josh maintains family priorities through intentional presence: "When I'm here, I'm here. When I'm home, I'm with Nico and Mateo and Silvana." This compartmentalization skill prevents the entrepreneurial burnout that destroys both business performance and personal relationships.

Embrace Technology as an Enhancement Tool, Not a Replacement

Josh's nuanced view: "Tech can represent chaos in team environments, but in the private world, the opportunity is to turn that distraction into a tool." Technology should amplify coaching effectiveness and expand reach without replacing the fundamental human connection that defines exceptional coaching.

Build Towards Business Independence - Create Systems That Work Without You

Josh's confidence that "Train Heroic doesn't need Josh Sutchar" represents the ultimate business success - creating something that serves clients excellently, whether you're present or not. This independence provides personal freedom while dramatically increasing business value and sustainability.

Prioritize Team Hiring as Your Ultimate Force Multiplier

Josh's mentor advised: "A great employee should make your job easier." His hiring philosophy focuses on finding people who reduce friction rather than create it. Quality hiring decisions compound exponentially, while poor hires create ongoing management overhead that limits growth potential.

Maintain Beginner's Mind - Stay Connected to Your Why

Throughout 14 years of growth, Josh maintains excitement about the mission: "I'm having fun... if this whole building burned down and technology didn't exist tomorrow, I'd be like, yo, that was fun." This sustained enthusiasm fuels long-term success and prevents the cynicism that destroys entrepreneurial effectiveness.

The strength and conditioning field needs more coaches who think like entrepreneurs while maintaining the heart of educators. These principles represent the strategic framework that transforms passionate coaching into sustainable business impact. The coaches who implement these insights systematically will build enterprises that serve more athletes, generate greater impact, and create lasting professional fulfillment.

Find Josh

Website - www.trainheroic.com

IG - @trainheroicjosh

Find the podcast:

Listen on Spotify

Listen on Apple

Watch on YouTube