Meet the Fitness Entrepreneur Who Established a Self-Improvement Brand in his 20s
Omar Malik
01/04/24
(Image Credit: Omar Malik)
Transforming your passion project into a lasting, self-made business venture can take decades to perfect.
But after carving his own niche, personal trainer Conor Malone established a successful self-improvement brand - and he’s only 25-years-old!
Blether spoke to Malone to discover exactly how he propelled his fitness brand - as well as hear the business owner's top tips for budding entrepreneurs.
(Video Credit: Omar Malik)
Uncertain Beginnings
The Lanark-based business owner started out as a children's sports coach and lifeguard - discovering his passion for fitness while still in his teens.
“When I coached kids and worked as a lifeguard, I gained so much experience in learning how to work with people - especially as it's a lot harder to work with children than adults,” Malone told Blether.
But deciding upon his eventual career path wasn't plain sailing: “When I left school I basically had nothing that I wanted to do; but I loved learning about fitness in terms of philosophy, anatomy and physiology. So then I studied it at college and this led to coaching.”
“I never intended to coach people - I wanted to learn more about the human body. Then I realised that everything I had taught myself was something I could coach others on - it’s all about self-improvement. I found that I was good at it, being a people person,” Malone continued.
Malone revealed to Blether that after undertaking his own dedicated fitness journey, he noticed a vast improvement in both his physical and mental health: “I used to expect things to be handed to me, and had self-pity when things went wrong. But the biggest thing I’ve done, and that I believe anyone can do for self-improvement, is to change your perspective of the world. Change how you face challenges and how you respond to things in life.”
Defining His Niche
(Image Credit: Conor Malone)
Realising the abundance of personal trainers in today’s society, Malone decided to narrow down rather than generalise his reach: “I looked at the client results that I had, and realised that it tends to be younger guys. Yes, I helped women lose weight - but young guys responded better to me, and I found myself communicating better with them.”
Malone continued: “I understand their problems as I’ve experienced them. I know what it feels like to be unconfident in the way you look; feeling intimidated by the guys who are stronger and more trained in the gym. So that became my niche - the self-improvement of young men who I can relate to, rather than relying on universal appeal.”
Based on his own experiences - as well as client journeys - Malone found that bad habits were the main factor prohibiting self-improvement: “With alcohol, a lot of guys just drink for the sake of it - and it controls them, pulling them out of their habits and making them skip the things that they should be doing. It’s the same with all addictions. Removing that canvas opens the door to self-improvement.”
Gradually, Malone found that a particular formula when coaching would register most efficiently with clients: “The first thing I do is ask them what the things are that are holding them back, as well as what is stopping them from moving forward. Again, it’s always bad habits and addictions that cause this cycle.”
“Young guys tend to be rebellious, but if you educate them and make them feel like they’re making the choice, then they’re more likely to stick to it. They want to improve - but want to create their own path for themselves,” Malone continued.
Brand Expansion
(The Pursuit of Constant Improvement Podcast. Image Credit: Conor Malone)
Wishing to expand his brand’s recognition, Malone released a clothing brand, Adenozine, which he ensured would reflect his ethos: “You can’t just put words on a t-shirt and expect people to wear it. They have to understand what it means and why they’re wearing it. That’s where the idea of pursuing constant improvement came from. Young guys always want to improve, and will wear a clothing brand if it reflects this.”
Last year, Malone’s business expanded once again, this time in the form of a multi-platform podcast. With podcasts gaining traction each year as one of the most listened-to platforms, many businesspeople have started their own to cater to these listeners.
Titled The Pursuit of Constant Improvement, Malone has found his podcast to be productive for numerous reasons: “More than just sharing content, the podcast has been ideal for self-learning. To best learn, you need to repeat things. Not only do I script parts of the episode to have a structure, but I then repeat this on camera; attaining greater knowledge.”
Malone On Diet Trends
From keto to carnivore, diet trends have certainly taken over social media feeds over the past few years. Malone has a more nuanced take on such diets: “I’ve not seen anybody on the ketogenic or carnivore diets who lasted more than six months. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, but it is bad when you determine one diet as ideal. We know all these diets can work, but it’s about finding what’s sustainable for you.”
When advising clients, Malone uses the following approach: “By setting weekly non-negotiables, my clients become the type of person they want to be. It shortens the things they have to focus on - which in turn will push them forward by reducing expectations and limiting their desires.”
Most Successful Client?
(Image Credit: Conor Malone)
Success is widely perceived as subjective when it comes to fitness, and Malone is no different in encouraging such a view: “I define success by doing what you’re going to do. This is about all aspects of your life being improved, not just the weight loss.”
But in terms of transformative life changes, Malone commends one client for achieving the most impressive self-improvement: “One of my clients lost over eight stone. It wasn’t necessarily the weight loss that was the big thing, but more the catalyst that changed everything in his life - opening the door to better health, confidence and relationships.”
“He went from somebody who didn’t really believe he could do it, to now embracing the hardships of training; knowing how beneficial it is. Like I did, he changed his perspective, not only on fitness, but also on the idea of improvement as a whole,” Malone continued.
Future Plans
From a busy schedule filled with clients eager to embark on their own self-improvement journey, to an expanding range of business endeavours - spanning podcasts and clothing brands - it is undeniable that Malone has made a name for himself as a personal trainer. But what does the future hold for the 25-year-old?
“A lot of coaches can help you lose weight and gain muscle, but can those coaches help you realise what it is in your life that’s holding you back? I want to be one of people’s top picks in the Glasgow area when they think of someone to help them with self improvement,” Malone told Blether.
Check out this link to discover more about Malone’s ventures.