Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and fitness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Kai Marshall, founder of Kai Marshall Personal Training, located in Forth Worth, TX, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
I'm a Fitness Coach, and my business is education. My customers are everyday individuals who want to get in shape but don't know where they should begin; this is where I come in. I believe that knowledge is power and when it comes to your fitness goals, having the proper knowledge is the true key to success. That's why my business is education; I educate my clients in all aspects of health and fitness so that they have the knowledge to reach their fitness goals. As a Fitness Coach, I can't physically do the exercises for my clients; I can't control what my clients eat or how much they sleep; the only thing I can do is motivate and educate. The motivation I provide can only go so far, but the knowledge I teach my clients is what leads them to success.
Tell us about yourself
I was overweight and unathletic for most of my young adult life. I was constantly being teased in school, and one day I just had enough. I started working out with a family friend who was a trainer; he helped me realize that the key to success in fitness is forcing yourself to be uncomfortable. Doing cardio, eating healthy, and lifting weights are all these things that are uncomfortable, but in the end, your body will adapt to the discomfort, and you will see results. After a few years of working out and eating healthy, I finally hit my fitness goal; I lost a ton of weight, my asthma was gone, my acne cleared up, and most of all, I had high self-esteem, something I never had my entire life.
The feeling you get when you accomplish a tough fitness goal is amazing, and I knew then this was something I wanted to share with other people. I decided to go to school and study Kinesiology and pursue a career in fitness where I could help people achieve the same feeling of success that I got from fitness.
What motivates me still to this day is the lesson my trainer taught me about how discomfort causes the body to adapt and improve. I believe that to be successful in life; you first need to experience a certain level of discomfort to improve. When I first started my first job as a personal trainer, my manager made me go and talk to every member in the gym. As an introvert, this was extremely uncomfortable. When I only had one client and had to ask other trainers for help, that was uncomfortable; when I decided to quit my job to start my own business with no money in the bank account, that was uncomfortable; when the pandemic shut down all gyms, and I had no income for three months that was uncomfortable. All these situations were extremely uncomfortable, but I never lost motivation because I knew the struggle would only make me and my business more successful in the long run as I learned to adapt and improve.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
One of my biggest accomplishments was taking a huge risk and quitting my job at a corporate gym to start my own fitness coaching business. When I quit my job, I only have 500 dollars in my name. It was a very risky decision, but if I had never taken that initial leap, I wouldn't have a successful business today.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing is giving up your free time. When you're starting a business, there's always work to be done, and it doesn't stop on the weekends. In my first year in business, I coached clients seven days a week, spent my time between clients working on marketing, improving my business plan, taking continuing education courses, and learning bookkeeping and taxes.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Ask experts for help. You don't need to do it alone, and asking for help from experts in your industry is one of the easiest ways to build a successful business.
- Make sure the business you want to start is something you truly love to do. If your goal is just to make money, you will never be successful.
- Always be learning, whether that's reading a new book, taking courses online, or finding a mentor. The best way to grow a business is to be ahead of the curve, and you can't get ahead if you're not learning new things.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.fortworthtrained.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortworthtrainer/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaimarshall/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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