Najbfit: Selling Through Personality, Not Method
Najib, known online as Najbfit, is one of those rare coaches who built a loyal audience by doing the exact opposite of what business courses teach. No planning, no sales funnels, no tracking analytics. He grabs opportunities when they show up, goes all in, and lets his personality do the heavy lifting. In this episode, he shares with unusual honesty how he went from being an injured dancer in the States to running a fully online coaching business since the May 2020 lockdown.
Najib got his NASM certification in the USA, but it's not recognised in France. So he came back and passed his BPJEPS in 2017. The gym that hosted his placement paid for his qualification in exchange for a year of group classes. He did that, and never taught a group class again. On day one as a certified coach, he already had 15 to 20 people ready to work with him. Fully booked within 3 weeks, sometimes doing 10 hours of private coaching a day.
But here's what makes his story really interesting: the 2020 lockdown. Najib had been wanting to go fully online for 2 years. Perfectionism kept getting in the way. He was waiting for more followers, a better physique, the right moment. The lockdown wiped out every single excuse. Since May 2020, he's been 100% online. And he says it straight: the lockdown changed his life.
Key Takeaways
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The tablet as visual signature, a mistake that became a brand
When Najib first got on Instagram, he wanted to learn to make infographics like other coaches. While he was figuring out the tools, he grabbed a tablet and just wrote his content by hand. People loved it. It created a distinct, warm, personal visual identity. 2 years later, still the same tablet. What started as a temporary workaround became the most recognisable thing about his brand. -
Not trying to sell is the best way to sell
Najib has a YouTube video called "How to build your own training program." He gives everything away for free. His logic is straightforward: the more value you give without asking for anything, the more people trust you. And when they're ready to go further, you're the obvious choice. 99.99% of his followers will never buy anything from him, and that doesn't bother him one bit. -
Betting on TikTok before it was cool
When most coaches were looking at TikTok sideways, Najbfit was already there. His take: "TikTok in 2020 is Instagram in 2014." He doesn't pour tons of energy into it, but he keeps a consistent presence. If the platform blows up, he'll already know the rules and have a base audience. If it doesn't, he's lost nothing. -
Amine: the person behind all the content
Everything you see under the Najbfit brand, the videos, the photos, the travel content, it's all made with Amine. Najib gave him access to every account. He films, handles the technical side, and shows up in the vlogs. The audience has adopted him as a character in the Najbfit world. And that's intentional: Najib would rather have a tiny circle he trusts completely than a big network where trust is spread thin. -
Starting at 60 to 70 euros per session through smart positioning
When Najib started, he was in a gym in an affluent neighbourhood where clients were looking for quality. He was the only coach with a strength-oriented physique and the knowledge to back it up. He stood out immediately from the other coaches, priced accordingly, and filled his schedule in 3 weeks. Smart geographic and specialisation positioning meant he never had to compete on price. -
Automation that serves the client relationship
When a client pays on Najib's site, they automatically get the intake form. He doesn't touch anything at that stage. He also has a collaborator who handles technical stuff, subscription changes, admin, so he can stay focused on coaching and creating content. The goal is simple: don't be available 24/7, but still come across as super responsive. -
Zero forced retention: cancel with one message
Najib doesn't hold anyone back. You want to leave, one message is all it takes. No long notice periods, no pressure. He hates when brands do that to him, so he won't do it to his clients. And that's exactly why it works as a selling point: clients know they'll never be trapped.
Resources Mentioned
- NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) : international certification obtained in the USA, not recognised in France
- BPJEPS :French coaching qualification obtained in 2017, funded by a gym in exchange for one year of group classes
- TikTok :platform Najbfit bet on early for building visibility
- YouTube :channel with educational content and vlogs, including the collaboration with Amine
"One of the best ways to sell is to not try to sell. People get that you know what you're talking about, and that you're not just there for the money."
"The lockdown changed my life. It killed the excuse I'd been using for 2 years. Now you've got time... go do it."
"I'd rather have a small, solid circle than be friends with everyone and hand out my trust to just anyone. Experience taught me that."
