Oy. The real secret on how to get called out

"Ready for Bodyattaaaack!" The trainer yelled into the mic. “Any first-timers?”

Oh, yes, me. That’s what flashed through my mind. 

I was standing in the back row in a room stuffed with around 80 people in fitness outfits.

Maybe, probably, definitely I was searching for the right icon on my watch to start the workout.

When I looked up, the trainer yelled: “Great! New people! What’s your name?”

People looked around.

“What’s your name?” Trainer yelled. Pointing with her mic in my direction. Her eyes wide.

My immediate thought: “Oh, crap - me? - I don't know if she’s talking to me, or if she thinks I'm someone else, and why she's so aggressively excited to see me, did I raise my hand accidentally, and I don't want the awkwardness of getting too much attention, or admitting I’m the first time in this particular Monday evening course." 

I thought all those things in one split second. 

“You! What’s your name?” 

And then she jumped from her stage. 

Oh. She meant me.

Me: ”Heike.” 

For a millisecond I was fearing she’d hug me.

Some people in the room took a glance at their watches. Uncrossing and recrossing legs. Jiggling feet.

Trainer placed herself directly in front of me.

I don't want physical contact, still we have corona.

Into her mic: “Great, Heike! Yeah! Body Attack! So glad you’re here, Heike. There’s the chance it’ll be tough for you today. Since it’s your first time just skip a few exercises. If it’s too much for you, Heike. Heike, I’ll tell you what you can do instead when we come to those parts. Now have fun Heike and y’all.”

Trainer ran back to climb her stage.

Obviously, she liked using my name. Music played. People started moving. 

There’s a reason I picked the last row.

Trainer yelled: “Heike! Don’t give away all your power, we have fifty-five minutes left.”

Again, dozens of heads turned around. 

What the heck!

At exercise 5 in a perfect world, I could have silently left. I wanted to not be where I was to do Tuck Jumps. I could have gotten through the door next to me. Upstairs, I’d take a sauna.

But no.  

“Hey Heike! So this is for Heike and anybody else who wants to do this exercise with less intensity. Instead of Burpees you can do a Jumping Jack like this, Heike.”

She demonstrated what a Jumping Jack looks like. 

A guy next to me raised his eyebrows just enough to convey a "I feel you" shrug. 

My sister Karin said later:  "What? This repels people.”

I heard my name a few more times through the beats but chose not to notice.

For the rest of the training I simply continued, my muscles aching in my body, but generally fine.

Later under the shower next to me I saw the overly ambitious trainer, shampooing her head. I stopped the water, grabbed my towel and left. I wouldn’t give her the chance today to say my name once again. With or without a mic.

I was tired. But not so much that I forgot to tell my husband Jürgen till a full half-hour after I got home from the fitness club. 

I was preparing to give my training on Tutorial Tuesday that evening. 

So, you waiting for me to twist this story into a message about apparel export marketing or garment selling? I could. 

I could talk about “never let anyone know that you’re a newbie. It could be used heavily against you.” Ya-no, thank you.

Plus, I could talk about ”One simple way to get a garment buyer’s attention in less than 10 seconds” … and suggest to “start with a problem”, you’ll like this post.

Or how about this low hanging fruit:

If you want to get trained in a confidential, intimate, non-public, environment - treat yourself a Power Hour to nail a perfect company introduction.

How about putting more punch into your sales emails, hey, you need Follow-Up Formula.

You want your products to hit home and land lots of "Here're my orders"? Get into the Easy Enter Academy Course.

But today, I just felt like telling the story of when I got called out. 

Talk soon,

Best,

Heike