Today we’d like to introduce you to Joe Drake.
Joe, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I’ve been in the fitness industry for close to two decades now, but I didn’t grow up with some big master plan to run an academy for personal trainers. I was a kid who lived for sports and when that phase of my life ended realized I actually loved moving and training my body more than anything.
I started training people in college and pretty quickly realized two things: I genuinely loved helping people feel stronger and more confident, and I had no idea how to turn that into a real, sustainable career. From there I did what most trainers do in the beginning. I said yes to everything. Early mornings, late nights, sessions in big box gyms and private studios. I took on whatever I could, learned a lot the hard way, and slowly started to figure out who I was as a coach.
That eventually led to opening a gym in South Florida. I went from being just responsible for my own clients to running a facility, managing a team, paying rent, handling payroll, and trying to create a place where both clients and trainers could grow. It was an incredible experience and also a very humbling one. You learn very quickly that passion is important, but it’s not enough on its own to make a business work.
Throughout all of that, one theme kept showing up. I was always drawn to teaching. I found myself mentoring newer trainers, helping them with programming, cueing, session structure, and even how to talk to clients and price their services. That turned into presenting locally, then teaching at larger events, and eventually working with NASM as an educator and presenter. I wrote a book on landmine training. I’ve had the chance to coach in some pretty surreal places, including Necker Island with Richard Branson and his trainer.
The more I taught, the clearer it became that there is a big gap in our industry. People were passing certification exams but still didn’t feel confident walking onto the gym floor and taking a real person through a full session. I remember exactly what that felt like, and I wanted to build something that solved that problem.
That’s where Axiom Fitness Academy came from. Today, Axiom is an education company for personal trainers. We run live virtual NASM-CPT prep courses, hands-on workshops in South Florida, and mentorship programs that focus on real-world skills: coaching, communication, practical programming, and building a career you can actually live on.
I still train a small number of clients because that’s where everything started for me, and it keeps me grounded in the realities of coaching. But most of my energy now goes into helping aspiring and newer trainers go from “I hope I can do this” to “I know what I’m doing, and I know how to keep getting better.” Everything I’ve done as a trainer, gym owner, educator, and presenter ultimately feeds into that mission.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road. I don’t think it is for most people who try to build a career in fitness, and I’m no exception.
Early on, the struggle was simple: I loved training, but I didn’t know how to make it a real living. I was saying yes to every session at any time of day, bouncing between gyms, and trying to figure out what “success” as a trainer even meant. There were plenty of months where the schedule looked full but the bank account didn’t reflect that. Learning how to price my services, set boundaries, and see myself as a professional instead of “just a trainer” took time and a lot of mistakes.
Owning a gym took all of that and turned the pressure up. I went from worrying about my own sessions to worrying about rent, payroll, marketing, staff, and the experience of every client who walked in the door. There were periods of real stress and doubt. Times where I questioned whether I was cut out for it, or whether it would be easier to walk away and get a more predictable job. I had to learn the hard way that being good at training people is not the same as being good at running a business.
There’s also the internal side of it. Shifting from being “just” a coach on the floor to an educator and leader in the space brought a lot of imposter syndrome with it. Standing in front of a room of trainers, or teaching people who are older than you or have different backgrounds, forces you to confront every doubt you have about yourself. I had to learn to trust my experience, be honest about what I know and don’t know, and keep showing up anyway.
All of that said, the hard parts are exactly what shaped what I do now. Feeling lost as a new trainer, struggling as a business owner, dealing with burnout and doubt, those experiences are why I care so much about helping other trainers build real skills and sustainable careers. Axiom exists because the road wasn’t smooth.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Axiom Fitness Academy?
Axiom Fitness Academy is all about helping personal trainers bridge the gap between “I passed my exam” and “I know what I’m doing with real clients.” We’re based in South Florida but work with trainers all over through live virtual courses, mentorship, and in-person workshops.
On paper, we help people become certified trainers and then grow into confident professionals. In reality, what we do is teach trainers how to think, coach, and program in the real world. We specialize in NASM CPT prep with live virtual classrooms, hands-on programming and coaching workshops at our academy in South Florida, and ongoing mentorship for trainers in their first few years. A lot of our students are either brand new or coming into fitness as a second career, and they’re looking for more than a self-study textbook and a good luck email.
What we’re known for is making complex stuff simple and practical. We don’t just talk about anatomy and the OPT model in theory. We show you how to build a 60 minute session for a client with knee pain, a busy schedule, and a fear of hurting themselves. We walk through exercise progressions, cueing, how to coach small groups, how to structure programs over weeks and months, and how to have real conversations about goals, pricing, and consistency. It’s very “in the trenches,” not just slides and lectures.
What sets Axiom apart is that we live in that middle ground between certification and the gym floor. Most programs focus heavily on passing the test or, on the other end, high level business tactics. We focus on the part where most trainers struggle: turning knowledge into confident action. Our groups are small, our coaching is personal, and we actually get to know our students and follow their progress over time. There’s no guru vibe, no ego. Just honest education, clear systems, and a lot of reps working through real scenarios together.
Brand wise, I’m most proud that trainers trust us. People come to us after failing an exam, feeling burned out, or doubting whether they’re cut out for this career, and they leave with a plan, a community, and their confidence back. I’m proud that Axiom has become a place where trainers feel supported, not judged. It’s professional, but human. We care about science and we care just as much about the person trying to apply it at 6 a.m. with a nervous first-time client.
What I want readers to know is this: if you’ve ever thought about becoming a trainer or you’re already certified but you don’t feel fully ready, there is a path that doesn’t involve figuring it all out alone. Axiom offers live virtual CPT prep, short focused challenges, small group mentorship, and in-person practical workshops where you can actually get hands-on coaching reps. Our goal is simple. Help you become the kind of trainer clients trust, gyms value, and you’re proud to be.
Any big plans?
Looking ahead, I’m really focused on building out everything that happens beyond the cert. Getting certified is step one. What I’m seeing more and more is that trainers don’t just want a piece of paper, they want mentorship. They want someone in their corner helping them think through real clients, real programming, and real career decisions. A lot of newer trainers are hungry to be great at this, not just “get by,” and that’s where I see Axiom growing the most.
We’re expanding our mentorship and ongoing education so that trainers have support after they pass the exam: small group coaching, longer-term programs, and more specialized workshops that help them go deeper into things like programming, communication, and working with specific populations. I’m excited to build a clearer path from “aspiring trainer” to “confident, in-demand professional,” with guidance at every stage instead of just dropping people off once they pass the test.
I also think we’re going to see a continued rise in intimate educational experiences, especially in person. People are craving more than just online content. They want education, connection, and experiences they can feel. That’s a big part of our future plans at Axiom: more hands-on weekends, small-group practical intensives, and events where trainers can get on the floor, coach each other, get feedback, and build relationships. I want our South Florida location to feel like a hub where trainers can come, level up, and leave with both new skills and a stronger network.
There will always be an online component to what we do, because that lets us reach trainers all over, but I see the brand leaning even more into that blend of high-quality virtual education plus powerful, in-person experiences. Big picture, I’m looking forward to Axiom being known not just as “the place that helps you pass NASM,” but as the place you grow up in as a trainer.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://axiomfitnessacademy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachjoedrake/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joe.drake.fit
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/coachjoedrake/
- Twitter: https://x.com/CoachJoeDrake
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Axiomfitnessacademy
Image Credits
N/A I own them all
