Deezer is very close to launching here in the USA. How close? Close enough to have changed their landing page from; coming soon… to offering you an opt-in form so you'll be notified as soon as they do 🙂
Streaming service Deezer closes Canadian office
Music streaming service Deezer has closed its Canadian office as part of a consolidation under its new North American headquarters in San Francisco, but says it will continue to operate a full service in the country.
A Deezer spokesperson said Deezer has laid off a small Toronto team that included managing director Justin Erdman but “Canada remains a very important focus.
“While our local management activities are moving, Deezer will continue to provide music editorial expertise on Canadian artists, reviewing established and emerging home-grown talent for music fans in Canada and the rest of the world.,” the spokesperson said.
At first glance, Deezer seems to be a carbon copy of Spotify; same monthly costs, similar device apps, similar catalogs, etc… I have been told that Deezer is going to update their app to include a cross-fade. IMO cross-fade is a must have!
But wait to see what happens next with Deezer. The industry experts I've talked to say Deezer is a more progressive company (read open-minded) which could/should lead to more third party software providers and App developers choosing to work with them. Just maybe we'll finally see an Instructor focused device applications like ClassBuilder or the Schwinn Class Tamer running Deezer music.
Here's an example of what I'm talking about. This iPad DJ mixing app called edjing runs Deezer, Soundcloud and your local iTunes MP3s. I'm dying to try it… but I can't right now because the app knows I'm in the USA.
Spotify plans Canadian launch The online music streaming service Spotify is hinting that it will be coming to Canada soon.
The online music streaming service Spotify is hinting that it will be coming to Canada soon.
The company, which was founded by Swedish entrepreneur Daniel Ek in 2006, pioneered the concept of granting Internet users access to a huge catalogue of music they could freely stream without having to purchase songs or albums a la carte.
Spotify had signalled in 2009 that it was looking to move into Canada within months but never did. But a number of competitors did launch in Canada in recent years, including Deezer, Rara, Rdio, Slacker, and most recently, Google Play Music.
No launch date for Spotify in Canada has been released but the company says users will start getting access to the service in the “coming months.” Canadians can register for early access at Spotify.ca
Let me know if you're in Canada and see that link not working – it's redirecting to the .com site so I'm not sure if I have it correct.Â
If Spotify follows their typical, controlled launch process – they will invite the early subscribers first. So sign up so you'll be notified.
As fitness professionals, many of us find it is exciting when a member asks us for fitness related advice… but are you making the proper recommendations?
Do you really understand what she/he is asking?
Do you have enough information to respond in a way that will be motivating?
Or do you have the tendency to just launch into a long response, hoping that some of it sticks?
As a long-time sales guy, I've tried to learn the importance of asking the right questions, before offering a solution. Actually it's often a series of questions, before I'll consider responding. Last fall I talked about a total fail I had early in my career, when I tried to empress a potential customer with all my product knowledge, in this post.
Now that I finally have a device (my new iPad) to download ebooks, I'm putting it to good use. My latest read is The Psychology Behind Fitness Motivation: A Revolutionary New Program to Lose Weight and Stay Fit for Life by Health Psychologist Dr. Kim Chronister. In the book Dr. Kim describes the concept of a Motivational Interview – which sounds exactly like what I suggest you use, whenever you've been asked for help or advice from a member.
Motivational Interviewing for Exercise Motivation
An optimal technique that is supported by the research for exercise motivation is motivational interviewing (MI). When you are seeking the motivation to gain results (for a better body, sharper mind, etc. from regular exercise) motivational interviewing falls into the “what you need” category to get you “what you want”…results.
MI has been shown to be enhanced when MI is combined with other effective treatment methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy (which was discussed in the previous chapter). The technique of motivational interviewing can be used to improve a person’s motivation to change and it can be effective in facilitating behavioral change.
In a clinical setting, motivational interviewing is used by a therapist or other mental health or medical professional to help promote positive change in a client’s behavior. MI exercises are designed to help people recognize the need for changes in their behavior. As a first exercise, let’s say a motivational interviewer (i.e. psychologists, nurses, social workers, medical practitioners, physiotherapists, and dietitians) is meeting with a client trying to lose weight to alleviate chronic health problems. The motivational interviewer would emphasize the importance of the change, current information about why the client should make the alteration in his/her lifestyle, including many benefits. The motivational interviewer would then provide the steps and action plan to make these lifestyle changes. At the end of this chapter, you will be given tools based on the technique of motivational interviewing to help you in your personal fitness goals.
Near the end of the interview, Dr. Kim and I discuss her thoughts about a question I had; should Instructors take an active role in sales and marketing, especially Instructors who teach at a small studio?
What do you think? Should (or would) you be willing to sell/market/promote your studio's services to your participants? I'm not referring to you simply reading a few announcements before the start of class here. I mean communicating with members with the purpose of building rapport, suggesting upgrades, encouraging purchases, recruiting new participants… you know, selling what your studio has to offer.
Would you do that if you were rewarded financially?
A very Happy 4th to everyone! John and I will be mastering the art of Paddle Boarding later today. I figured this was the best time to learn- the water is so high here in MN there is a ‘no wake' enforcement on the lakes :). If we can't learn in a no wake zone, we never will! I'm sure John will be posting some exceptionally flattering pictures of me.
Today's music selection is credited to Sara Spigler Pomish from the Facebook indoor cycling instructors group. I haven't been using much house music lately, so my class loved this. It starts out very ‘tribal' with percussion and then turns into a blistering climb at 65 bpm and the free download is 4:36.
Here is the English Electronic music group Fluke with ‘Zion':
With the battle raging in indoor cycling between scientifically proven training techniques and fun workouts, I believe there is a place for both.
The HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) portion of the class will be structured intervals while the Party on the Bike portion will be music mapping to some classic “Happy Hour” tunes. Both types of interval sets will be performed at a high intensity.
Coach Dennis Mellon is a Certified Personal Trainer/Performance Enhancement Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Certified New Leaf Metabolic Testing Specialist, as well as Certified Spinning, Schwinn Indoor Cycling, IndoRow and Energy Zone instructor.
Dennis was voted the Mountain West’s top Spin Instructor by Competitor Magazine in 2012. He has a Bachelors Degree in Physical Education and a Minor in Coaching from the State University of New York College at Cortland. Dennis has been working in the Fitness Industry since 1992 and has helped numerous clients and athletes of all abilities reach their fitness and racing goals.
Dennis has completed 8 ironman distance triathlons as well as ultra distance mountain bike events, marathons and shorter events like sprint triathlons and 5k’s. He's coached first timers to elite level endurance athletes. He is most proud of the fact that all but one ironman distance athlete he has coached has reached the finish line and many have set personal records.
Paul Swift from BikeFit sent out an infographic showing proper wrist alignment – their example is for a mountain bike, but the concept is identical no matter what you're riding. If you've been to WSSC, BikeFit is the company who provides the very popular bicycle shoe cleat alignment / adjustment service.
Complaints about hand numbness are typically the result of riding with hyper-extended wrists. We've explored the need for proper hand position in detail here at ICI/PRO in these posts:
