Today we’d like to introduce you to Rick Chavez.
Hi Rick, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I have been a fitness trainer for 10+ years. I was always involved in fitness in some capacity, whether it was playing sports or just exercising to keep myself healthy. Around 2006, I began working as a sales rep at a gym and had a pretty knowledgeable group of trainers around me who piqued my interest in exploring personal training as a career. It would be a couple of years before I got certified and started by hosting small outdoor group fitness classes which to my surprise, did pretty well. At the time, I had moved on from the gym setting and was working in a management role for a big company. This left my personal training gig as my side job despite having an immense passion for it and a growing urge to do it full-time. The biggest hurdle? The security that came with the salary I had and knowing how much talent was already doing their thing down here in Miami. You could definitely say I began to suffer from imposter syndrome, thinking I wasn’t as good enough despite my work and clients speaking the opposite. I’m sure some of you can probably relate to this at some point in your life/career. I worked for several different gyms over the next decade while still doing privates. I worked for I AM Crossfit, Equinox, Trufusion, and Anatomy just to name a few. Each place provided me somewhere new to continue learning and evolving my craft. From the dynamic of different client demographics to workplace culture to having the opportunity to learn from a wide range of incredibly knowledgeable peers over the years. I got to see things that worked and things that didn’t. How to handle clients and how not to. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had as they allowed me to connect deeply with the Miami fitness community, both client and peer wise, and helped me see the value I could bring wherever my path would take me. I continue to look for ways to give back to the Miami fitness community and try to help new and upcoming trainers whenever I can, sharing my knowledge fitness, client relations, content creation, and/or creating outdoor events. I currently teach strength, cycle, and treadmill classes on the Echelon Fit connected fitness platform. The classes are available live and on-demand as well.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I wouldn’t say it was smooth at all. As I mentioned earlier, when I first broke into fitness, I looked around at all the amazing trainers in Miami and didn’t think I could ever be as good as others because I started too late. Impostor syndrome is a hell of a wall to crack if you don’t stop comparing yourself to others and don’t start believing in yourself. I worked at many places for much less than I should have because I just wanted an opportunity and the experience. I used to drive over an hour both ways to teach one class for $30. I was working from 5 am-9 pm five days a week driving from one studio or gym to another, from one client to another – all while attending FIU part-time for a bachelor’s degree. I just hit a point where I realized how hard I was working and it was starting to become easier because I started to believe in myself fully. My mindset remained focused and I looked at everything with a positive perspective even it was a setback – “What can I learn from this?” The internal dialogue was saying the right things. I was earning the respect of my peers, receiving great testimonials from clients, getting praise from my bosses – external things that let you know you are doing something right. I knew that in the long run, I would find success if I stuck with that mindset.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
While I am a personal trainer, I am most known for teaching group fitness classes. I specialize in strength, bootcamp, and HIIT. I am a kettlebell Master Coach, holding certifications from RKC, Onnit, StrongFirst, Living.Fit. I am also a Living.Fit Educator, leading their kettlebell fundamentals and advanced courses. I also have a lot of experience teaching groups in boxing and TRX. I’ve led several outdoor workouts that have attracted 100+ attendees around Miami both independently and with a local fitness lifestyle brand called StayFIT305. I appreciate that they like to highlight new talented trainers and locations. I also really enjoy working with them because they are all about fostering the growth of the health and fitness community in Miami and I feel that’s something that’s very important to me. That trait is one that I think helps me differentiate myself from a lot of other trainers. Whether it’s your first time coming to my class or event or your 20th, I want you to feel like you had an amazing experience and that I took the time to get to know you and actually coach you. It makes you feel like you matter and you are part of the community even if it’s your first time. In group fitness, you have the power to change someone’s day. It goes such a long way to be noticed in a group of 20,30,50+. You never know what someone is going through and what you are changing about their day by giving them some positive energy and attention. You might just be the best part of their day and not even know it.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Being as genuine as I can be. You either love me or you don’t. And that’s ok! We oftentimes get caught up in trying to please everyone that we forget that authenticity is one of the best traits you can have. People can tell when you are your genuine and authentic self. They can also tell when you are not. Just be you! Be yourself as hard as you can be. Own it.
Contact Info:
- Email: rickmia311@gmail.com
- Website: www.bredforgreatness.com
- Instagram: bredforgreatness
Image Credits
Steph Mas and James Woodley
