Brian,
A great question. Here’s my take on it, all I ssk is that you read this in its entirety.
We have a terrific law firm that deals with many of the issues a company like StrongFirst must negotiate as we grow and prosper. Several of the lawyers are Harvard educated, but I’ve never asked to see their law school transcripts, the quality of their education and experience shows in the work they produce for us.
I have associates who have attended prestigious medical schools and have done fellowships with top tier institutions. Their patients never ask to see the degrees, the time and talent these professionals have invested in learning quality patient care is reflected in the results these patients receive. When they refer a patient to me, the quality of their work acts as a confirmation in the patient’s mind that I am at the same level at my perspective game. The work required to attain and maintain my SFG Certification gave me the skill set to have those docs trust me with their patients.
I have, in addition to my SFG Certification, a number of certifications from NCAA sanctioned organizations. When I meet a new student or a referred patient, I never introduce myself as an SFG, NSCA, ACSM, or FMS ceritifed instructor, I introduce myself as Mark. The strength of my SFG title shows through even before they see my card that proudly displays my StrongFirst Certification.
What a StrongFirst Certification provides is the very best, and I mean the very best, instructor education to teach, use correctives, and progress a student toward his or her goals.
I love to use Jon Engum as an example. An Eighth Degree TKD Master, Jon has the experience and background that earns him respect. His skills and abilities as a teacher and martial artist may very well matter more to his students than the title he has worked so diligently to attain.
Geoff Neupert’s background in Division I powerlifting, Rif’s gymnastic training, Michael Hartle’s DC, the list goes on and on of the people who have put in the time to hone and perfect their craft as professionals. The certifications and accolades are the accompanying features of their work. The benefits are what they can do for the people with whom they come in contact. What’s more important is the value of their presence within the StrongFirst brotherhood and the strength they provide behind an SFG Certification.
But one has to put in the time.
Let’s get specific about an SFG Certification. There is no organization that has as complete a program to teach you to how to instruct kettlebells as StrongFirst, and the same goes for our Body Weight and Barbell Certifications. Come to a Level I SFG Certification and you’ll get a manual derived from years of experience from Pavel and the StrongFirst leadership. You’ll meet people at every level of this industry; experienced and successful business owners, clinicians and folks just starting out. Their collective life experience is yours to draw from, to learn from. You’ll meet peers who become friends, mentors and associates. Maybe like me, your certification could mark a turning point in your life, the finding of a new calling, a new chapter. Yes, there’s a certificate at the end, if you work hard enough and apply yourself, but the substance behind that certificate goes much deeper.
Attendees at the Level II met the head of R&D from one of the world’s largest nutritional manufacturers. They learned the importance of embracing and using an assessment not only to separate themselves from the pack, but to have a material impact on the lives of their students. Oh yeah, they worked themselves pretty hard to learn more advanced kettlebell drills, but they took away so much more…if they chose to do so.
There’s a saying that education is like a watch. You need only display it when someone asks you for the time, and so it is with any certification or degree. If your watch is of poor quality, the answer you give someone may be flawed. It’s important to have a quality timepiece.
StrongFirst is that quality timepiece, it is the starting point for the best information when a student needs direction and answers in reaching his or her athletic goals.
My SFG Certification is on my wall. Some students see it, others may not. What every one of them sees is the product of that certificate and my continued involvement with StrongFirst. More importantly, I see that certificate, and every time I do, I am reminded that every one of my actions reflect on each of the members of StrongFirst. It is a daily reminder of my responsibility to my Brothers and Sisters in Iron, my motivation to keep my standards high, my skill set honed.
I love the line from Men in Black when Will Smith’s character asks Tommy Lee Jones if becoming an MIB is worth it. His answer, “Oh yeah, it’s worth it…if you’re strong enough” says it all.