When I started Better Triathlete back in 2014, the idea was to create a blog-like platform where I could share interesting training insights and cool triathlon-related resources that I stumbled across.
I also thought it would be cool to build a section dedicated to triathlon coaching, where I could attract the interest of athletes looking for a coach. This was all driven by the idea that one day I might become a triathlon coach, and Better Triathlete would help me grow my coaching business.
Fast-forward to today and the coaching section of Better Triathlete has become quite a success. However, I never did follow through with becoming a triathlon coach. I suppose I lost interest in the pursuit of other cycling-related endeavors.
But, I had a fairly powerful system established of earning leads of athletes looking for coaching and I had a few connections with coaches with whom I would refer those athletes. The problem was that the coach match framework was disorganized and I struggled to make the time to turn it into something solid. I also struggled with the monetization side of it, so my motivation was lacking.
Partnering with a Passionate, Experience Triathlon Coach
Of those initial coaching partners from the early days was a coach by the name of Jeff Lukich. As part of his business Drive Multisport, Jeff had turned a couple of those athlete referrals into long-lasting coaching clients, and he saw the value in what I was doing.
In late 2022, he proposed the idea of taking over Better Triathlete’s coaching component and formulizing a triathlon coach match program. Jeff had experience with other similar programs, which were on the decline due to financial struggles and unhappy coaches getting too much of a cut taken from their monthly coaching income.
This was music to my ears because I too saw the potential in a coach match program. However, I lacked the ambition Jeff had in bringing it to life. So at the start of the new year, Jeff and I worked together to implement the systems and structure to make the coach match program more official.
A Win-Win for Both Triathlon Coaches and Athletes
Without going into detail about the system’s nuts and bolts, the idea was to onboard coaches more officially with the expectation that they would diligently follow up with athlete referrals in a timely manner, with good communication, and a willingness to nurture the lead.
This of course was contingent on us matching them with athletes who reflected their coaching specialty (e.g. an aspiring Ironman triathlete being matched with an Ironman coach, long-course training, and racing.)
As part of the plan, the coach would sign an agreement that included paying us, Better Triathlete, the first month of coaching fees for any athlete that signed up based on our coach match referral program.
Only a few weeks into the launching of the coach match program, and I am happy to say that it works. Not only do we have a solid roster of about 6-7 coaches in the network, but two of those coaches have already onboarded athletes from us, resulting in over $600 of revenue for Better Triathlete.
I am very excited to grow this program – both in terms of the coaches we work with and the volume of athletes who come to the site looking for a coach. I am confident we’ll be able to scale the network and truly grow Better Triathlete into the community I envisioned from day one when I launched the site.