Today we’d like to introduce you to Martin Gelbspan and Kait Marshall.
Hi Martin and Kait, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
K: Through multiple series of seemingly unfortunate events, I moved from Oklahoma to LA and then eventually ended up in Miami. Nursing school was the plan back home, but life happened and when everything fell apart, I hit the road. I was mostly searching for direction… or to follow anything that made sense. All the while, I had a vision to be a part of something bigger; a higher purpose. I just couldn’t quite pinpoint exactly what that was supposed to be.
I had been modeling and acting since I was 18, so my income was based off of how many gigs I could get. After getting to Miami, I soon took a social media management job just to pay the bills.
I feel like I’ve always had drive, but drive has to be aligned with vision if you’re interested in anything coming to fruition. And how could I pick one single thing to focus on if I feel like there’s so many avenues I still need to explore. I had a ton of interests and I am such a passionate person, the way I saw it is I could be good at anything if I just decided to be. I had dabbled in YouTube before but never followed through with being consistent due to feeling like I lacked the proper tools to be successful. I had a passion for traveling, cooking, dancing, writing, photography/videography, working out and above all else I definitely knew I wanted to help people. I just didn’t know where to start, but I figured I’d keep going until I ran into it.
M: Love was never clear before meeting Kait, however I was fortunate enough to have found my passion and a deeper understanding for my purpose here on earth before we met. My family moved to the US from Argentina when I was 9 to pursue the American dream, and it helped me create a solid foundation of compassion and hard work. I made sure to place the utmost importance on being able to connect with people and help them become better versions of themselves. For as long as I can remember, setting an example to others has been a priority of mine. This is a role I decided to take on due to how I was raised and what I experienced growing up.
When I was 19 years old, I began working in the fitness industry. The journey started by working with NFL, NBA and MLB athletes on the strength and conditioning aspect of training. I then moved on to a physical therapy clinic and eventually went out of my own to train clients individually.
Through opportunities that presented themselves and a false sense of judgment, I decided to put my dreams of becoming a renowned leader in the fitness industry on hold. I can now confidently say I gave real estate a try for all the wrong reasons, seeing as my main goal was strictly chasing money.
Needless to say, Real Estate was not for me and it seemed to create a snowball effect of moments and decisions that did not bring me happiness. From not achieving financial goals to a failed relationship to a motorcycle accident, I quickly realized that internal alignment could only be achieved by following my dreams and focusing on my higher purpose.
Fast forward to 2020, I hit a wall and realized something had to change. That was when I finally got back to the fitness industry, broke off my previous relationship and changed my perspective on life.
When I took action and made the decision to put myself and my dreams above all else, I was finally able to achieve happiness, financial freedom and truly found alignment in my life on a day to day basis. It’s funny how when you’re exactly where you need to be, everything else starts to fall perfectly into place.
For a year and a half, I lived in a perpetual state of gratefulness and exuberant happiness with amazing people in my corner, focused primarily on growing my business and bettering my health. However, I did feel like something was missing and often wondered how long this never ending feeling of bliss could go on. Que Kait.
K: Living in my new city was so exciting, but wandering is no fun alone. After months of intense self-reflection and healing, I got on Bumble to find some friends.
But no, actually, I just wanted friends. I consider myself a very empathetic person and I am very expressive with my emotions. But for about two years, I felt incapable of feeling a connection to anyone on an intimate level. Que Martin.
We matched and after recognizing the good energy on both ends, he gave me his number. A month or two went by and I finally txted him to meet and hang out. BUT during the time we didn’t speak after initially connecting, he got approached to go on a very popular dating show. When we finally met, we instantly connected but kept it on a friend basis so that he could see out this opportunity. I wanted him to go on the show, he deserved to be seen. I had a huge crush on him but kept it to myself, I never wanted to stand in the way of what he had going.
The couple of months before he had to leave to go film, our friendship only grew stronger. I was there for every step and also agreed to manage his social media and help with his brand while he was away.
M: One thing’s for sure, going on the show was an experience of a lifetime, but some may agree that the show itself did not end on a positive note. However, I’m a firm believer in divine timing and I know it happened exactly as it was supposed to. I ended up learning a lot of valuable life lessons from it and it showed me who was really there for me from the start.
When I got back home, it was clear to me that the love of my life had been disguised as my best friend the entire time. We realized we were perfect for each other and began to spend every day together. In an instant, I finally recognized that I had a partner I could build an empire with.
K: From there, we started working on our Youtube. Creating content began to take up most of my day, so I took a leap of faith and quit my day job because it wasn’t bringing me happiness on a day to day basis. We started putting out a video every week for follow along workouts, educational/informational videos on wellness and general lifestyle content.
We had only been working on YouTube for a month when the Director of Partnerships for a popular fitness app reached out to us to get on the platform and come out with our own fitness app. For the first time ever, I felt like vision and drive had perfectly aligned. I knew what I wanted and now it was time to put in the work to get it.
As I put in the work, I realized that everything I had ever wanted to do before was coming together in the most beautiful way I could have never even imagined.
M: Now we are working full time on our fitness app, Kait&Martin, set to launch May 13th, 2022. Our Youtube Channel: Kait & Martin is in full swing, in which we upload new videos weekly. We started manufacturing and selling resistance bands with our logo to facilitate people’s ability to workout with minimal equipment, as well as for those looking to add new forms of resistance to their training. We also began teaching group classes for fitness and plan on traveling around the US to reach a bigger audience.
Last but not least, our main priority is to continue to build a community and space for people to better themselves physically, mentally and emotionally. All the while setting an example of love together and leading the way.
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?
K: Crazy life event that involved court & lawyers, a couple thousand in debt, dropping out of nursing school and moving around from place to place for two years.
M: Choosing the wrong career path for a few years and putting my dreams on hold.
We’ve been impressed with Gelbspan Method by Kait and Martin, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Gelbspan Method is a brand that focuses on aligning our client’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. We put out weekly videos on Youtube, are launching a fitness app soon, we manufacturer bands for our clients to use for the workouts we provide, and also teach group fitness classes.
Gelbspan Method Philosophy: With our personal training, we focus on what your body NEEDS. Whether that be body recomposition (putting on muscle and losing body fat), increased mobility, rehabilitation, flexibility, stability, all of the above or even just a boost in energy and endorphins. Every single exercise and movement is done with intention and to help you reach the best version of YOU. The objective with our training sessions is to bring you into a community that enables you to mindfully train anywhere and everywhere without being confined by the four walls of a gym. We will show you how to perform bodyweight and calisthenics exercises that incorporate the entire body, occasionally using tools like Kettlebells, bands, and gymnastics rings. We heavily emphasize the importance of not only a capable body but also a capable mind. Movement is medicine, and with that concept we can start to unlock anything and everything we are capable of as humans.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
K: One thing about me… I’m gonna send it, in every sense of the meaning. When I moved from Oklahoma to LA, I got in my car with no plan and $300 and was able to figure it out. When I left LA to come to Miami, it was the same thing. I didn’t know anyone and had no plan in motion. I just continued to trust fall into every season of my life.
When I started to work with martin, I quit my job without any backup plan. As soon as I quit, I started to book more modeling gigs and got connected with a manager to help facilitate brand deals for social media. Any worry I have about money or direction is always quieted because whenever I am in need is whenever things start to come in exactly how I need them to.
I stay in a perpetual state of knowing that it will all work out for me. Everything is an energy exchange. I know that any bad I endure is a lesson I need to learn and that the good things coming my way are inevitable because that’s the energy I make sure to consistently put out into the world. Taking risks aren’t scary for me, they are exciting. I believe in my heart that where I am at is exactly where I need to be. My timing is divine.
M: I’ve never been one to play it safe. Working for people has never really been an option for me, and that’s solely because I sincerely believe that I am fully capable of creating a legacy of my own. I have been working on my brand for over ten years now since I was 19 years old. Even when I decided to try out real estate, my main focus was on growing my business, Gelbspan Group.
Leaving real estate to transition back to fitness was a huge leap of faith. Deciding to raise my prices for training was a leap of faith, but each step was met with understanding and success. I am a firm believer in taking leaps of faith.
Pricing:
- Personal Training: $150 per session
- Fitness App: $14.99/mo OR $99/yr
- Group Classes: $20/person
- YouTube: FREE
- Gelbspan Equipment: Ranges from $4-25
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://gelbspan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gelbspan/ https://www.instagram.com/kaitmarsh_/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHj_IlZjp1XDjGiyXtaUfIQ
Image Credits
Guy Magzianov Phraa (most of our content is self shot)
