In 2017, I embarked on a life-changing challenge. After being a personal trainer for 5 years, I wanted to have a greater impact, so I opened my very own fitness studio. It was an exciting time! My goal was to create a fun, safe and welcoming place for all ages and fitness levels. Our gym family grew and it became like a second home to myself and so many others.
However, operating the gym required a lot of sacrifices and long hours away from my wife and newborn son. Helping people improve their lives through exercise was my passion, but my own health and happiness began to suffer. It was tough navigating through all of the challenges of being an inexperienced business owner by myself. And with the first Covid-19 outbreak of 2020, I was faced with one of my most difficult decisions; to close the gym doors permanently or to pivot the business. What ultimately led to my decision to close, was my sense of responsibility for the health and safety of my family and the gym’s members during these uncertain times.
It was sad to lose something that I worked so hard for and loved so much and to feel like I let everyone down. But I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to use my past experiences as lessons and adapt. Looking back, I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I am extremely grateful that the industry I’m so passionate about, fitness, has the potential to flourish online and allows me to exercise with you from home and connect with people across the globe.
Fitness and our online platform and community are more than just about workouts for me. It’s how I express my creativity and spread my love for helping people.
If you’re reading this and you were a member of that gym, I want to say thank you and I’ll never forget you! If you’re new to our community, I want to say thank you for joining. Your support truly means the world to me!
In 3 days I’ll be sharing an exciting new project that I’ve been working on. Stay tuned!
Phil