The Biggest Risk of My Career

Hi Team,

I’ve made a huge decision. One of the biggest of my career.

After four years as the Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach at the University of Warwick—and 17 years as an employed S&C coach—I’ve decided to step away. I’m leaving behind stability, a steady paycheck, and a role that has given me so much to fully commit to BCPerformance and Barbell Training Complex.

This decision wasn’t made lightly. In fact, it wasn’t fully made until this past weekend.

I was at a conference, surrounded by people pushing the boundaries of what they do. And it hit me—I’m not giving my businesses the time they need to grow. I’m spread too thin. I can’t build something great if I’m constantly dividing my attention.

And that’s when I realised… there was an even bigger risk in not taking this chance.

A Shift 17 Years in the Making

For 17 years, I’ve been an employed Strength & Conditioning Coach. My role was clear: coach athletes, help them perform, and do my job well. But now, I’m stepping into something entirely different.

I’m still a coach first and foremost, that will never change. But now, I’m also a:
✅ Businessman
✅ Manager and leader of people
✅ Salesman
✅ Marketer

I’m stepping into roles I’ve never had to take on before, and that’s both terrifying and exciting in equal measure.

Risk vs. Reward

When people talk about risk, they usually think about jumping into the unknown. But here’s what I realised:

The real risk was in staying put.

If I kept working 80-hour weeks, trying to juggle everything, never fully committing to my business, that was a risk too……
❌ A risk to my health
❌ A risk to my relationships
❌ A risk to my potential

The more I thought about it, the more I realised… the biggest danger wasn’t in leaving. It was in not giving my business everything. It was in playing it safe and never finding out what was possible.

Excited. Nervous. Petrified. Ready.

Right now, I feel everything at once.
Excited. Anxious. Nervous. Absolutely fucking petrified.

But more than anything, I feel ready.

This is what I want—to build BCPerformance, to push Barbell Training Complex to new levels, to put everything I have into something I truly believe in.

And if I don’t do it now… then when?

That’s all for this week!

But before I go…

I know I’m not the only one who’s been in this position—standing on the edge of a big decision, weighing up risk, wondering whether to take the leap.

If you’re in a similar boat, or if you’ve made a big shift like this before, I’d love to hear from you. What was your turning point? How did you navigate the fear, the excitement, the unknown?

Hit reply or drop me a message—I’d love to chat.

Catch you next week,

Blaine
Lead Coach and Founder of BCPerformance