Meet John Moljo, Team Moljo Strength and Conditioning
John Moljo is the owner of Team Moljo Strength and Conditioning, a private and semi-private training facility in New York.
The business works primarily with student athletes, from grade 5 through to college, alongside adults aged 45–65.
Before working with FBDA, John describes the business as being in a “transitionary phase.”
They would create a system, develop a plan and put it into action — only for circumstances to change six weeks later and force them to start again.
At the same time, the Group X model they were operating was no longer proving profitable.
They knew something needed to change.
The Challenge
John and his team needed to find a business model that could work for the future.
But profitability wasn’t the only challenge.
Sustainability had become a major concern too.
As the owner, John needed to balance showing up and coaching his clients with his responsibility to lead, develop and support his staff.
For the business to move forwards, the team needed structure, accountability and a clearer path of their own.
That was where working with FBDA began to make a difference.
A Different Approach to Business Coaching
One of the things John values most about working with FBDA is accessibility.
As a coach himself, John understands the value of regular touchpoints with clients. He believes that the more opportunities he has to support somebody, the better their chances of success.
He wanted the same from his own business coaching.
For John, that was something that differentiated FBDA from other coaching programmes.
Nicky was responsive and consistent with meetings, but importantly, the support didn’t stop with John.
He also made time to work with the leadership team, coaches and staff within Team Moljo.
Building a More Sustainable Team
One of the biggest areas John and FBDA worked on was creating greater structure around the team.
Together, they introduced:
- Clearer staffing procedures.
- Greater accountability within the team.
- Coaching and development for staff.
- Career templates to give team members a clearer long-term path.
- Greater support for John in his role as a leader.
- Education to help the team continue developing and moving forwards.
The aim was to create an environment where staff could see themselves being part of Team Moljo for the long term.
For John, that matters because developing the team ultimately helps move the wider business forwards too.
Learning From Problems That Have Already Been Solved
Another benefit for John has been having access to experience from across the fitness industry.
Nicky works with other high-performing fitness businesses, which means some of the challenges John encounters aren’t necessarily new ones.
Rather than having to work everything out from scratch, John can draw on that experience and look at what is already working within businesses operating a similar model.
For him, that can help accelerate the process of identifying and addressing problems.
It also means he has somebody outside the business who can help him think through the challenges that come with being both a coach and a business owner.
Supporting the Owner and the Team
One of John’s biggest challenges is balancing two important roles.
He wants to continue showing up and delivering for his clients.
But he also needs to show up for his staff as their leader.
Having support around the development and education of his team has helped John manage those competing responsibilities while keeping the wider business moving forwards.
Rather than business coaching being something that only involves the owner, John’s experience with FBDA has extended into the wider leadership and coaching team.
More Than Systems and Strategy
For John, the relationship behind the coaching matters too.
He describes developing a strong relationship with Nicky despite much of their work together taking place over Zoom.
“I genuinely feel like I have that with Nicky.”
That relationship creates accountability of its own.
John wants to turn up, be present and put the work in — and he feels that commitment is reciprocated.
It’s an approach that mirrors what John already understands from coaching his own clients: strong relationships can create better experiences.
What This Means for Other Fitness Business Owners
John’s experience highlights that building a sustainable fitness business isn’t only about finding the right systems.
Those systems also need to work for the business, the owner and the people responsible for delivering them.
Team Moljo had reached a stage where plans continually needed to change, its existing Group X model was no longer profitable and John was trying to balance coaching clients with leading his team.
Working with FBDA has helped introduce greater structure around staffing, accountability, team development and leadership — creating stronger foundations for the direction John wants to take the business.
And for another fitness professional considering whether business coaching is worth the investment, John turns the question back on them.
Think about the potential clients currently sitting on the fence about joining your own programme.
What advice would you give them?
“If you're not going to take your own advice, then why should they?”
Find Out More About FBDA
Experience a Complimentary FBDA Coaching Session. We don’t want to sell you into a coaching programme that isn’t right for you. Instead, we’d love you to experience how FBDA coaching actually works before you make any decisions.
We’ll take the time to understand your business, where you want to go, and what might be holding you back. You’ll experience real FBDA coaching, leave with greater clarity on your next steps, and get a feel for how we could help move your business forward.
Then we can both decide if working together feels like the right fit.
Experience FBDA Coaching On Us