We had the good fortune of connecting with Marcus Kain and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Marcus, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
Some people might say it’s all about whether you really love something or not, though we know love isn’t the only ingredient we need, right? The business has to work. For myself, these are the questions I ask myself when deciding about the future of a business:

Do you enjoy the majority of the day to day tasks involved in what you’re doing? This is important to ask because torturing ourselves every day in the name of a result that exists somewhere in the vague future isn’t a good sign. If you don’t enjoy what it takes to get there, you probably won’t enjoy what it takes to stay there. Though if you can happily do most of the work involved in building your vision, you’re in a good place!

How many of the variables in your vision are within your control? Putting ourselves in a position where success falls too much on chance or the opinions and moods of other people isn’t a great place to be. Everything involves a bit of chance, but if a project is built on not much but hopes and prayers, it might be time to evaluate the situation.

Are you seeing progress? It’s so easy to get hopes up about seeing a lot of progress right away – money in the bank, social media blowing up, recognition etc – but usually those are the final things to arrive after years of work. Early on in the process progress might look like…

– Becoming more skilled and efficient with what’s involved in running your business day to day.
– Being able to network and generate interest in what you’re doing.
– Feeling confident explaining what you do and how you provide value.
– Finding out which practices get the most eyes on and interest in what you’re doing.
– Delivering value to just a few happy clients or customers who love your work.

If those things are happening, you enjoy most of the day to day work involved in what you’re doing, and you believe in what you’re delivering, those are very good signs that you’re on a great path.

However if the day to day feels like a grind, you’re constantly looking to other people to open the door to success for you, and your future is left to chance… that might be a cue to reconsider the way you’re approaching your vision.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
A lot of people are falling through the cracks when it comes to advice given by the commercial health and fitness industry. I help those people, and specialise in working with clients who struggle with disordered eating. Mainstream diet and fitness advice often overlooks things like the effect prolonged or intermittent anxiety has on the effectiveness of intense exercise. People with a history of things like disordered eating or complex post traumatic stress disorder often don’t get access to the kind of guidance that would allow them to have a constructive and fulfilling dynamic with food and training. This is the area I operate in.

It has not been easy getting my message out there! It’s very hard to fit what I do in a simple tag line. I’m guessing this is why to date the most success I’ve had has come from being a guest on podcasts and popular long form content, taking part in interviews and discussions about the relationship between disordered eating, the fitness industry, and mental health.

I’ve overcome the challenges that came with what I do by deciding what I stand for, staying consistent with my work, getting a handle on what I know works for my audience, and getting advice from trusted peers who are a few steps ahead of me rather than going to “business coaches”.

What I care about most is leaving this world in better shape than it was in when I found it. If I can provide a safe home for the people I love, and extend my skillset to help other people in a meaningful way, I’m happy.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d want to get my hands on a Dodge Challenger and drive down HWY 1 from Jupiter all the way to Key West. I love a road trip, and seeing Miami from behind the wheel on an American car would light me up. Being able to stop and see all the amazing beaches would be my style of trip, and I’d want to hear from friends in Miami which cocktail bars to visit!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My incredibly encouraging girlfriend, Marta, saw something in me when we met. She encouraged me to trust myself and my judgement, rather than constantly look to other people for approval when it came to my vision. I have Marta to thank for a lot.

Instagram: @mkaincoaching

Twitter: @mkaincoaching

Other: Podcast: The M. Kain Coaching Podcast

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutMiami is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.