Shaun T has jumped, kicked, and sweated his way to becoming a household name.

From his early days as a back-up dancer for Mariah Carey to his current status as DVD fitness icon, Shaun T owes his success to his hit fitness programs Hip Hop Abs and Insanity. He also recently launched a podcast series that aims to inspire and motivate his listeners.

Shaun T says the secret to motivating people to complete intense physical workouts like Insanity, is to fully resonate with your audience and find that connection.

“Am I talking to the person whose first day it is working out? Am I talking to the person who only has one pound to go? Am I talking to someone who just wants to dig deep? Or am I talking to someone who just wants Shaun T to give it to them? I think about so many different things when I’m teaching these workouts simply because there are so many different people in this world. Unique. You are unique,” says Shaun T in his podcast.

No piece of advice or opinion is universal. In order to inspire and motivate someone, whether it’s your peers, best friend or a family member, try and see the situation from their perspective and with an open mind. See if you can relate in any way, and then decide how you’re going to help them. As Shaun T explains in his podcast:

“Why am I unique as a fitness trainer? I take my individual emotion and individual experience and that’s how I’m able to motivate through the screen.”

To recognize that there is no universal solution to each person’s end goal will allow you to expand your own approach, so you can accommodate a wider audience and still be of value to each person. Finding that one thing in your own life that connects you to your audience will help you understand them better.

 

Image credit: wypr.org