Fitness Career Spotlight: David Delgado

Meet David Delgado from Core Performance who finds balance in training athletes to working behind the scenes in training staff and maintaining business operations.

What attracted you to the field of fitness and exercise?
I grew up playing sports and always had an interest on how the body worked. Ultimately, my youngest sister went into physical therapy, which was when I was exposed to the kinesiology field. I became interested in helping people at this time.

Your Job Title?
Operations specialist/ performance specialist

Company you are with now?
Core Performance
www.Coreperformance.com
www.coreperformancewellness.com
www.athletesperformance.com

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you.
Day to day it can change and depending on if I am at one of our sites.

At one of our sites:
Would check the workouts to make sure they are current, then clients would start arriving. From there I would coach these clients for several hours as they come in. Some items may include from training a group, training an individual, administering performance evaluations (include the Functional Movement Screen, and a sub v02), and goal setting.

A day at the office:
I support all of our locations from a maintenance and troubleshooting standpoint, I do all the purchasing of all of our equipment (soft goods), some weeks also consist of staff training and helping the new staff get acclimated with our methodology.

How did you get your current job in fitness and exercise?
I began as an intern with the company. From there as my internship came to an end, I was asked to work part time while I finished school. Upon finishing school, I then was offered a full time position. Have never looked back and it has been 4 years.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I have always had a passion for helping others. I also like detailed information which can  range from coaching to simple daily tasks.

The items I learned along the way are business related. Purchasing process, educating others (training).

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Everything you do will get noticed, so do as much as possible even if it is the littlest things.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be?
Shoes. I love shoes.

Fitness Career Spotlight: Teigh McDonough Gilson, Yoga Booty Goddess

Meet Teigh McDonough, happily dancing her way into fitness success.

What attracted you to the field of fitness and exercise?
I have always loved dance, yoga and fitness and it has always been a part of my life. I also LOVE teaching and have continued to do so for over 20 years!

Your Job Title?
Founder/Owner of SWERVE.

Website:
www.swervestudio.com

Company you are with now?
SWERVE/Goddess In Training

What is a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you?
Have a private training session with someone, teach a Yoga Booty Ballet class. Work on marketing for SWERVE, go to the park with my kids!

How did you get your current job in fitness and exercise?
Through a lot of sweat, hard work and a credit card to start the business.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I have always been an athlete but through practice and study I have learned specific areas I like to teach; yoga, dance, meditation.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Take risks, work hard and enjoy what you are doing!

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be?
A great meal and a massage!

Maintaining Professionalism: How To Stay Ahead Of The Game

Getting the job and the clientele is just the beginning. Once you get your name out there, you have to maintain that foot in the door. Here are some quick tips to keep your professionalism, keep your clients, and stay ahead of the game with your business.

Track Their Progress. People like to feel cared for. In our line of work, we are constantly motivating clients to push harder or try more. Showing our clients that their hard work is paying off is important. Once you get the clients, make sure to set up a system where you keep track of and monitor your clients’ successes. For example, you can take base measurements for weight, waist circumference, or stamina (i.e. # of pushups in 1 minute). Next, make sure to track those changes as time goes on so the client can see improvements achieved.

Maintain Your Professionalism. One of the biggest complaints I hear from clients is that they’ve had trainers who are flaky or cancel appointments last minute. Yet, the client always needs to give the trainer 24 hours notice when re-scheduling his/her appointment. This is the biggest mistake in the industry. Stop being a flake. The true super-star trainers, who have successful businesses and life-long clients, are those trainers who are always on time, do not cancel appointments, and give their clients enough lead time when a vacation will take place. Provide your clients with at least 2 weeks’ notice when needing to reschedule their set appointments (especially if you know a vacation is coming up).

Follow Up and Follow Through. We all know that we only get paid for the actual time spent working with our clients. However, there’s a lot of non-paid time spent on marketing. To keep that consistent flow of correspondence, allot at least 1 hour each day to respond to emails, voicemails, and all other social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, etc). This way, if a new client calls or sends an email, you respond within 24 hours and close that deal. I treat this daily marketing hour like an appointment in my calendar, so I know it happens. Responding to an email/voicemail within 24 hours is key to growing your business and not losing that client to someone else.

Remember: tracking, professionalism, and follow-through are three keys to your successful growth of your business.

Fitness Career Spotlight: Shelby Corkern Jacquez, Certified Personal Trainer

Finding passion in your profession is key to Shelby Corkern Jacquez’s success as a personal trainer. Read on to learn how to make a living doing what you love.

What attracted you to the field of fitness and exercise?
Someone once told me that I should not make my passion my profession… I thought about that advice for one small second and I did the opposite. I followed my heart and turned my passion into my profession.  I am happy to say that 11 professional years later, health, fitness and holistic living are the cornerstones of my vitality.
 
My attraction with fitness started at the age of 15. When I was 13, I auditioned for a competitive dance company. At 14 I received a full tuition scholarship. At 15 I nearly lost my scholarship because I was put on a 5 lb weight probation. The weight probation was a real mind (you know what), but it turned out to be very positive experience for me. The probation sparked me to hire Mr. Jim Ptack, my very 1st personal trainer. My experience with Jim was absolutely AWESOME! So at the age of 15, I fell in love with health and fitness, and at 33 the love affair is still going strong.

Your Job Title:
Personal Trainer

What company you are with now?
Independent contractor at Diakadi Body

Website:
www.diakadibody.com

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you.
- 5:30 wake up call
- 6:35 ride my bike to work
- 6:50 arrive to work
- 1st client at 7:00
- 2nd client at 8:00
- 9:30 ride my bike to dance
- 10:00-11:15 dance at O.D.C.
- 11:20 ride my bike to work
- 11:30 take a shower
- 11:50 eat
- 3rd client at 12:00
- 4th client at 1:00
- 2:00 – 5:00 Long break
* During break I may workout, go to pilates, and for sure EAT
- 5th client at 5:00
- 6th client at 6:00
- 6:05 ride my bike home
- 7:20 at home with my loving husband
- Phew

How did you get your current job in fitness and exercise?
I got a lucky break from an independent gym owner named Phil Chen. Phil was the owner of APEX health and fitness. APEX was a small one on one personal training studio in San Francisco. Phil hired me to be his personal assistant. He paid me next to nothing in return I was allowed to shadow him training each and everyone of his clients. After 4 months of taking notes and paying close attention, he gave me my very 1st client. Again I was very lucky to find Phil, he gave me a very rare opportunity. Thank you Phil!

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I suppose I was born with the skill of movement. I dance effortlessly, I have rhythm and hear music quite well! I was also born with a strong work ethic, Along the way I trained myself to became psychically strong. Snowboarding, running, kick boxing, swimming, biking, yoga and Pilates are all art forms in which I have learned to achieve and excel.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
I guess for me I would say “make your passion your profession”.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be?
Dance Classes and Winter lift tickets 100%

Fitness Career Spotlight: Nate Miyaki, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Specialist in Fitness Nutrition

As a personal trainer, fitness writer, and fitness app designer, Nate Miyaki masters the diverse field of health and fitness by successfully optimizing all his endeavors.

What attracted you to the field of fitness and exercise?
The spandex, the women, the fortune, the fame etc… .

I guess it was that I have been some kind of an athlete for most of my life: football, track, martial arts, pro wrestling and stunts (what, you’ve never heard of the Kamikaze Kid?), and natural bodybuilding (I don’t know if I would call that an athletic endeavor, more like a male beauty pageant, but nonetheless…)

I have had the fortunate opportunity to work under and learn from a variety of top-notch coaches. I experienced firsthand what type of an impact a good coach can have, not only on an athlete’s training and nutrition program, but their life in general.

I felt I had the right combination of science and practical experience to successfully transition into being one of those types of coaches. It seemed like a very rewarding career.

Plus: (1) I’m good at, but get bored with, crunching numbers and tasks of such nature. (2) White Goodman (Ben Stiller) from Dodgeball is my idol.

What is your Job Title?
True to the stereotypes of my heritage (Japanese and Irish) I am a workaholic and have 3 jobs in the industry:

1. I have my private training and nutrition consulting business.
2. I am a freelance fitness writer.
3. I am a consultant with a fitness start-up company — GainFitness — that has a fitness app and specializes in mobile workouts and program design (sort of like a digital personal trainer).

What company you are with now?
Nate Miyaki LLC (pretty cool huh?) http://natemiyaki.com/
GainFitness

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you.
Depends on the day, I really have two types of days.

On my in-gym days, I usually arrive at Diakadi Body Personal Training Studio (SF’s #1 training studio, gotta’ give love to the peeps who helped me along the way) at 6:30am. I train clients from 7-11am, workout myself around lunch, eat, check emails, get back going again around 3pm, and train clients until 6 or 7pm.

On days outside the studio, I usually work on content for my blog, an article for the magazine column I write for, or on whatever other project I’m pursuing (I finished my ebook, so right now I am currently working on formalizing my training and nutrition philosophies into a complete system).

Then, I might shoot into GainFitness to create content for their blog, work with their marketing team, or work on data analysis and crunching: i.e., working with their software team to transfer principles of physics, biomechanics, and exercise physiology into their computer algorithms. We’re nerds like that and geek out on that kind of stuff.

I think I have a slight case of A.D.D., and get bored easily, so this variety works well for me.

How did you get your current job in fitness and exercise?
Just like many Hollywood celebrities, I had to bribe people and sleep my way to the top. I’ll write a book about that some day. Nah…

Honestly, I’ve always just shared my passion for this game with everyone and anyone who was interested. And from there, I just took advantage of the opportunities that presented themselves along the way, at least the ones that felt right to me.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I was raised in the small beach town of Half Moon Bay, CA. I never surfed, but I certainly adopted the laid-back, beach bum, be flexible like water, don’t take life too seriously-mentality. I think that has helped me naturally deal with people, and with the stresses of career pursuits and life in general.

Other than that, I have no special skills. I truly believe that passion for something can make up for any genetically or socially inherited advantages or skill sets.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
I think one of the keys to being happy in both your life and your career is authenticity. You have to make choices based on what you feel is right for YOU, not based on what anyone else thinks, or society deems, is the Right Way. In other words, don’t just do what you are SUPPOSED to do. Do what you WANT to do. You’ll have better stories to tell.

But in general, I don’t think people should take life advice from me. I’m one, weird, mixed-up dude.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be?
I don’t know man? I’m a simple guy with simple pleasures. I’d certainly take a small, beachfront condo so I could live out the rest of my days with my beautiful, Hawaiian Queen.

Fitness Career Spotlight: Marjorie J. Albohm, MS, ATC President, National Athletic Trainers Asso.

From collegiate athlete to President of the National Athletic Trainers Association, Marjorie Albohm knows her field. Take a look at how this amazing woman helped pave the way for health care with female athletes.

Sarah Koszyk: What attracted you to the field of fitness and exercise?
Marjorie J. Albohm, MS, ATC President, National Athletic Trainers Association: As a collegiate athlete I experienced some routine injuries and no one was available to provide health care for the female athletes. There was an athletic trainer for the men’s teams but none for the women’s teams. I saw this as an unmet need and decided to pursue athletic training education to become a certified athletic trainer to fill this need.

Your Job Title:
President, National Athletic Trainers Association. That is a volunteer position. My full time job title is Director of Clinical Research and Fellowships for Ossur Americas.
www.nata.org

Company you are with now:
Ossur Americas

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you.
I travel to two or three different cities a week either speaking and representing the NATA or determining research sites and projects for prosthetic and bracing and support research for Ossur Americas.

How did you get your current job in fitness and exercise?
I believe each life and job experience builds to the next. My extensive experience in sports medicine and fitness enabled me to obtain my current positions. I have been involved in athletic training and the NATA for over 35 years and that experience enabled me to successfully be elected President.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
I believe skills are learned and developed. I believe my strengths are organizational skills and having the ability to develop a big picture view of things and vision. Leadership is extremely important in my opinion and I have studied various authors and experts on this topic. One of the skills I value the most is being a lifetime learner. I learn something new every day and that excites me!

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Have passion for what you’re doing. Be a listener – learning from others is so important. Be organized and have a strong work ethic. Go out and find out what excites you and truly follow that dream.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be?
I receive so much more than a paycheck in my current positions. Respect and honored and valued as a person and a professional.

Fitness Career Spotlight: Jim White RD, ACSM HFS, AND Spokesman

Interested in combining personal training and nutrition? Read on to find out how Jim White, RD, ACSM HFS, AND Spokesman, has successfully married the best of both worlds.

What attracted you to the field of fitness and exercise?
I love helping people and have a passion for fitness. Those two combined attracted me to the fitness and exercise field.

What’s your Job Title and Company?
Jim White Fitness & Nutrition Studios – Gym Owner, Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer
www.jimwhitefit.com

Describe a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you.
12 hour work day which includes personal training, nutrition consulting, managing 16 employees, business meetings, spokesman work, advertising etc.

How did you get your current job in fitness and exercise?
Created my business from the ground up with $400 to my name.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way?
Born with energy, motivation, vision, and skills picked up wisdom, multitasking, training.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you?
Establish your dream, formulate a vision on how that dream can become a reality, work hard, expect the unexpected, and never give up.

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be?
A thank you from a satisfied customer who has changed their life with my assistance.