10/12/2022
My first job as a trainer and in less than 2 years, I climbed to the top.
Simple: The more certifications you had, the more you made per hour. After accumulating 2000 sessions with maxed out credentials, you became a "Master"
This was the peak of the Biggest Loser Show (before they got ousted for unrealistic treatment of contestants) and I started with zero clients.
I posted a before and after picture of myself, walked the gym floor every hour, got to know just about everyone that set foot in the doors of that gym.
Within a few months I was doing 30+ Sessions weekly. Within the first year, I had maxed out my credentials.. and while I was fast on my way to reaching my 2000 hours goal, I had already convinced the manager to give me a Master Trainer shirt and allow me to charge the higher rates.
At one point, I was forced to double down and service 2-3 clients per hour together to handle the demand. I set myself a schedule that I would train my 3/week clients on Mon/Wed/Fri and my 2x/clients on Tues/Thurs. Then on Saturday morning, ALL of my clients would show up to the gym to do a workout. I was there, just doing "office hours," but they all had something to do. I would walk into weight room floor watching over them.
One Saturday the sales manager saw my group and asked me what was going on. I told him, "these are all my people."
He replied, "I hate that. Wanna see my favorite people?"
He then took me into an office and opened a file cabinet. In there he pulled out a cardboard case with maybe 500 gym membership cards. "These are all people i sold prepaid 1-3 year memberships to. they never came to pick up their cards. Free Money."
I had already been planning my exit before that day, but after seeing this, I knew the corporate gym life wasn't for me.
I broke down a lot of walls in that gym.. both figuratively and literally (as shown by the broken med ball on my head)
And you know what? I a m glad I found out quickly that this wasnt a fit for me. I am glad I had the courage to risk leaving a secure environment to jump into my own self made career.
It worked out well!
I have always put the people who trust me first.
I always will.