FAQs
- How did you get started doing this type of work?
I became a personal trainer by happenstance. I moved to Washington, DC in 1993 to further my education in the Criminal Justice field. I was looking for a well paying job that I would enjoy and help pay for school. Being an athlete my whole life, I thought "personal trainer?' I can do that! And I knew they got paid well. I became nationally certified and starting taking clients in the spare room of my home in the posh Chevy Chase neighborhood of Washington, DC. I also starting doing some local advertising in the Washington Blade a LGBT newspaper and word of mouth got around that I knew what I was doing and business took off. I discovered this was my calling and my passion and I created Mind Your Own Body and never looked back at the criminal justice field.
- What types of customers have you worked with?
I design and implement individual and custom health, exercise and nutrition programs based on clients goals, needs, lifestyle and commitment level. Provide a continual thread of up-to-date health, fitness and wellness information geared towards each individual client through print, web site and social media channels. Offer one stop shopping for all clients health and fitness needs. Have a referral based business whereby I have resources to refer to for services that are not included in what I offer. Such as Massage, Chiropractic Care and Physical Therapy. Inspire,motivate and provoke clients to venture outside their comfort zone and push them beyond what they themselves thought they were capable of doing.
- What advice would you give a customer looking to hire a provider in your area of work?
Look thoroughly at qualifications and nationally recognized certifications, years in the industry and what type of well-rounded field experience they possess. Emphasize that the following character traits are possessed by top personal trainers and integral to the relationship: Integrity, engaging personality, sense of humor, professionalism, knowledge and application and confidentiality. Ask many questions and be sure you are at a solid comfort level with the personal trainer you hire. Your personal training relationship will become quite personal and intimate and you want someone you can trust.