Name: Joe Wicks

Written by: Lara Jones

The numbers: estimated net worth of £14.5m (and growing)

How did he do it? Joe Wicks, aka The Body Coach, is a mega-successful personal trainer and best-selling author with a series of recipe books, online fitness programmes and a massive social media presence. But it hasn’t always been this way – after graduating from university with a degree in Sports Science, Joe borrowed £2,000 from his parents to set up his own personal training business. He had only a handful of clients and would give away flyers outside train stations in Richmond, encouraging people to come to his classes.

It was when Joe discovered the power of social media that he was able to propel his business to success. He started out on Twitter posting simple motivational snippets, mostly fitness related, and then launched an account on Instagram, as well as a Facebook page.  People loved his 15-second healthy recipe videos, created for quick consumption on social media. He is a popular author too: from his Lean in 15 to Wean In 15 books, people just can’t get enough of his meal plans and workouts. In short, Joe became a content marketing machine, and has built a multi-million pound empire.

Lockdown hero: Joe Wicks was dubbed the nation’s PE teacher, thanks to his heroic efforts to keep children active during the lockdowns via his daily, live YouTube workouts for children unable to go to school because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Best quote: “You won’t win every day. Just don’t let a bad day become a bad week. Wake up, reset and go again.”

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