“When one when door closes, another one opens…” -Alexander Graham Bell
It was 9:30 am and the text from my client said: “Hi. Hope all is well. I heard they closed NYsports. Are you available Monday?” While I assumed this was coming, (see: pending lawsuit and filing for bankruptcy) it still made me pause. I had to go see for myself.
When I got to the gym, the doors were closed. It was dark inside with a note - “temporarily closed.” But I knew this wasn’t temporary. I sent out a few texts to the other trainers; they hadn’t gotten any notice either.
It was definitely a bit surreal to see someplace I had called home for nearly a decade close so suddenly. And even if the club was to open again at some point, under a new owner or new name, it wouldn’t be the same. Not to mention the most important part - all the people at the gym that I would miss.
I had already been thinking about moving. In fact, I was heading towards Darien, CT to work at a prestigious club. My paperwork was complete, I had built and moved all my furniture into my new apartment and I was slated to start my new job. But Covid put an end to that. All the gyms were closed, so I stayed put.
As I stood there motionless in front of the door, the reality of what was happening began to sink in. After the initial shock faded I felt myself shifting into a slight state of euphoria; I could feel it throughout my body. It was official, I wasn’t going anywhere and I could go all in on starting my own fitness business. A dream I’ve been cultivating for years.
I’m now able to fully step into the next phase of my evolution as a coach. I can dig deeper into creating a life around something I truly believe in and have a deep passion for. But now I have full authority to do it my way.
I can go beyond the gym trainer model and be able to offer more to my clients through a holistic lens and add even more value to their journey towards becoming healthy versions of themselves. Exercise, fitness, health and wellness have all been such a staple part of my life and I’ve personally experienced so much positive change, both physically and mentally. I genuinely feel grateful that I get to share this with my clients and friends and impact them in such an authentic way.
Welcome to my journey, I hope you join me and stay a while.