Robert “Pip” Piparo isn’t just fighting fires in the town of New Brunswick, New Jersey… he’s leading a movement. What started as a small Facebook page offering free workouts for first responders has grown into an avid social media following of more than 100,000 strong. Pip is relentlessly committed to decreasing the number of line of duty deaths (LODDs); he evolved 555 Fitness from simply a social platform to a Not-for-Profit organization that has donated over $20,000 in functional fitness equipment, provides free workouts on multiple platforms, and is bringing awareness of physical fitness to first responders from local communities to across the globe.
Here is how Robert “Pip” Piparo – with his notorious hairstyle – is sharing his powerful message…
My ideal client is a tactical athlete who is motivated, committed and passionate about making their personal fitness a priority in their life.
My message, like fitness, is constantly changing. However, its base and core stay the same. I look to inspire and motivate those who I come in contact with to make positive and healthy changes in their life. Not only in the emergency services community, but beyond.
If I had only one way to spread my message it would be through social media, no doubt. I feel as though we are constantly bombarded by negative messages and posts on social media. At times showing emergency services personnel in a very poor way. People are constantly looking for the positive and motivational posts, not just #flexfriday pics (although those are fun). I can share my message of motivation by showing people the highs and the lows, all by using different social media platforms.
People follow me because I have an awesome haircut. Well, that may play a small role in it, however I believe people follow me because I’m a fairly average guy who refuses to be average on all accounts. I’m constantly seeking to be “better than yesterday,” just like everyone else. At times, I feel like the people I am helping actually help me more than I am helping them. It makes it a very rewarding situation for all.
Successful messaging is all about positivity. You can even turn a negative into a positive with the appropriate message attached to it. Those messages are sometimes the most powerful. Showing our audience that we are in no way perfect, or experts. As a professional firefighter, I am sometimes referred to as a hero, which is very flattering. However, my chosen career does not change the fact that I still struggle with fitness just as much as others do.
