My 7-Year Journey from Corporate Trainer to Fitness Entrepreneur

I’ve been working out for 17 years, but my career as a trainer began seven years ago. When I started, I thought the path was straightforward: get certified, get a job at a gym, and train people. What I didn’t realize was that my journey would be a winding road of self-discovery, forcing me to define what integrity in fitness truly means to me. It’s a story about trading a corporate uniform for my own brand, and a high-pressure sales floor for a community built on genuine strength and confidence.

The Beginning: 8 Months in a Big Box World

My professional fitness story started at GoodLife Fitness. It was a classic big-box gym environment—massive, bustling, and full of energy. I was hired full-time, ready to change lives. However, I quickly learned that the primary focus wasn't on being a good trainer; it was on sales. The pressure was immense. My success was measured more by the packages I sold than by the progress of my clients.

The structure was rigid. Client sessions were locked into one-hour blocks, offering minimal flexibility to adapt to an individual’s needs on any given day. Creativity was stifled. I felt a constant tension between the company's way of doing things and my own developing training philosophy. The stress was overwhelming, and I lasted only eight months.

Despite the difficult environment, my time there wasn't a waste. I was surrounded by other great trainers and learned a tremendous amount about different training methods and client accountability. It was a crash course in the industry, and it taught me exactly what I didn't want my career to look like. The experience solidified a core value: my primary role was to serve the client, not just the bottom line.

The Hybrid Years: Finding Community and My Own Two Feet

After leaving GoodLife, I found a new home working part-time at an F45 studio. The contrast was immediate and refreshing. F45 was built around community, and I loved the dynamic atmosphere and the relationships I built with members and coworkers. Being part-time gave me the freedom I craved. For the first time, I was allowed to pursue my own one-on-one clients outside of my gym hours.

This was my hybrid phase. My time slowly became a 50/50 split between coaching energetic F45 classes and building my personal training business. Over time, my private client roster grew steadily. It was an exciting period, but also a challenging one. While I enjoyed the high-energy classes at F45, I recognized early on—within about six months—that its high-intensity interval training (HIIT) model wasn't a complete solution. I saw dedicated members work incredibly hard but eventually plateau or burn out. They needed other styles of training, particularly a focus on progressive strength.

I stayed at F45 for four and a half years, largely because of the community. However, a change in ownership brought a shift in priorities. The new management didn't seem to value the quality and experience I brought to the table. I saw a mentality where cutting costs—like letting a great trainer go to save $5 an hour, even if they provided 50% more value—was prioritized over member experience. This philosophy of prioritizing short-term profits over the long-term value of a client was something I couldn't align with. It was time for another change.

The Leap: Integrity, Strength, and True Ownership

My next move brought me to Templ, a boutique gym where I finally found the autonomy I had been searching for. Here, I have the freedom to run my own classes and design the programming from the ground up. This has been a game-changer. I no longer have to teach classes that I don’t fully believe in. My integrity is intact because I can create programs that are genuinely in the best interest of my members.

For example, while HIIT can be a great tool for short-term training, it's not a sustainable model for years on end. Fitness is a vast landscape, and fitting everyone into one box is a disservice to their potential. My classes are now designed to feel like personal training in a group setting. We focus on real strength development through progressive overload, not just cardio with weights.

The most rewarding part of this new chapter is seeing the tangible results in my members. Watching their strength and confidence soar confirms that I’m making a real impact. It’s a simple truth: all clients love to get strong.

My Philosophy Today: Simple, Sustainable, and Human

Throughout this seven-year transformation, my perspective on fitness has evolved dramatically. In the beginning, it was all about the physical. Now, my focus is equally on the mindset and psychology of training. It’s not just about kicking a client’s ass in the gym; it’s about building sustainable habits, fostering a positive relationship with exercise, and understanding the person behind the fitness goals.

I focus on keeping things simple. Progressive overload works. Consistency matters more than intensity. This philosophy extends beyond the gym floor. I've started blogging and podcasting to share insights with younger trainers and provide more value to clients. I create cooking videos because I know nutrition is a huge hurdle for many people.

One of my proudest creations has been a walking challenge. It’s my favorite challenge I’ve ever been a part of because it’s so simple, sustainable, and has an easy barrier to entry. It’s the opposite of the drastic, all-or-nothing models that often lead to failure. It promotes a healthier, more compassionate approach to fitness.

To me, integrity in this industry means removing your own self-interest and doing what is truly best for the client or member. In fact, a trainer's self-interest should be aligned with the client's best interest. It’s about being a reasonable, compassionate human who values the lifetime journey of a client over a short-term sale. My career has taught me that building a business on that foundation isn't just good ethics—it's the only way to build something that lasts.