Success in fitness rarely follows a straight line. What begins as one opportunity can evolve into a career — and eventually a business — that looks nothing like the original plan. For this Journey to Success, we talk with a longtime fitness professional and studio owner whose path began with plans to become a physical education teacher and an unexpected job offer at her local gym. More than a decade after taking the leap to open her own studio, she has learned firsthand the value of finding a niche, knowing which clients you serve best and creating an experience competitors can’t easily replicate.
Here, she shares the decisions, lessons and course corrections that helped her build a sustainable fitness business — and what other trainers can take from her journey.
Take us back to the beginning. How did you get started in fitness, and when did you realize this could become a career or business?
Becoming a fitness professional wasn’t my original plan. I wanted to be a Physical Education and Health teacher and earned my Master’s and California teaching credential to do so. However, with these areas of academics being considered “extracurricular,” the job market was scarce. As I waited for an opening, I did substitute teaching, and after school each day I went to the nearby gym to get my workout done. The manager approached me and said I looked like I knew what I was doing and they were hiring personal trainers. He said the NASM test was the best, but I’ll need to study for at least 6 months. Little did he know my education background. I asked my grandpa to cover the test fee, took it 2 weeks later, brought the exam results to the manager, and was hired on the spot.
Walk us through the major turning points in your career. What decisions or circumstances moved you from one stage to the next?
In 2012, after attending a yoga certification conference, I came to the realization on the 8-hour drive home that I would open my own fitness studio. Goodbye corporate America. The ladies at the training kept asking me why someone so qualified as myself was settling for minimum wage and inconsistent hours. I really didn’t know what was possible for myself and still had a hint of teaching school dreams in mind. The very next day I went online, found an old karate studio available for rent. I met the landlord and took the plunge, and now 14 years later I have upgraded to a beautiful location in downtown Oceanside, CA.
What did your business/career look like in the early days compared with today? How has your role, client base, business model, income mix or approach to training changed?
The early days were full of obsessive cleaning and patience to keep myself occupied with having clients walk through that door. I typically worked mornings and evenings and during the day went home for lunch and a nap. I also had cycle class, Zumba and other group class trends. Today, there are no free hours, group class training of my own style, and much more one-on-one training with dumbbells, barbells and machines versus having a row of 10 cycle bikes take up my space.
Tell us about a strategy, service, investment or business decision you thought would succeed but didn't. What did you change as a result?
I was originally paying for licenses from big brands to teach their group exercise classes at my studio. The problem is that big corporate gyms with lower cost memberships had them too. Cost for some people outshines value. Therefore, I needed to set myself apart and above what other local services were being offered. Now, I have my own style of small group and one-on-one training that is special to attending my studio and different every time you come. Privacy and personalized eyepiece are more desirable for the market who seeks my training.
How do you decide what opportunities to pursue and what to say no to? What protects you from spreading yourself too thin?
For me, younger clients who desire more bootcamp, CrossFit style training are not my best clients for retention. I like clients that are adhering to lifestyle changes and will be training with me for a minimum of 6 months. This helps me on the business end as well as establishing rapport and a program that is sustainable. I like slow twitch muscles fibers and in it for the long-haul clients.
What is one thing you would do differently if you were starting your fitness career today?
I have no regrets about the location I started at for 12 years before upgrading to downtown. At that time, rent cost was critical. The neighborhood wasn’t the best so maybe I could have relocated sooner. Maybe I could have grown quicker had I moved. Today, I think God put me where I’m supposed to be at the right time and I now own two businesses next door to each other. I purchased Mindful BODY’s Recovery in 2022 and so my initial thoughts of moving are squashed after landing where I am now.
What's the next challenge you're trying to solve? What are you working towards now?
I love what I do and plan to do it for as long as I can. I need an exit strategy once that day comes not just for work but also as a bodybuilder. How can a girl who can’t sit still ever retire? That has not been solved yet. More to come.
Finish this sentence: If another fitness professional did just ONE thing after reading my story, I would tell them to ________.
Find your niche then diversify. Just because I’m a professional natural bodybuilder doesn’t mean I can train bodybuilders as well as other clientele. My niche is senior and middle-aged adults who want lifestyle change, strength, functional fitness and accountability. Sure, I train bodybuilders but if I want to be successful and help people best, I have to cater to my marketing and availability to who is in greater demand for my specific services. Literally, play to your strengths.
