Whether it’s an exhaustive (yet dubiously fact-checked) list of Abraham Lincoln’s failures before becoming President of the United States or a cheesy internet meme featuring a famous quote—“Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure,” by George E. Woodberry and “Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success,” by Dale Carnegie are two mainstays—we’ve all been told countless times what we’re supposed to do when confronted with an obstacle or facing down failure. Try and try again. Get back on the horse. But as is the case with eating right and exercising, it’s not a matter of knowing what we’re supposed to do, but how. 

What does it really require to “develop success from failures” or summon the gumption to try harder and harder despite repeated setbacks? Does it take a special type of person, or are there skills and tools that all of us can learn? The truth is, nearly every successful person in the fitness industry (or in any other industry, for that matter) had to overcome some obstacle to get where they are today. We asked some industry veterans to share their stories and the lessons learned.

Serious Injury

Major setbacks in the fitness industry typically fall into two categories: personal injury and business deals gone wrong. For Todd Durkin, owner of Fitness Quest 10 and author of The IMPACT! Body Plan, it was an on-field back injury that derailed his dreams of an NFL career, but catalyzed a newly discovered passion outside football. During the rehabilitation process, Durkin found that he was fascinated by the role that fitness played in his healing and uncovered his new purpose in life—to change lives through fitness. For Durkin, the obstacle in one arena became the opportunity in another. 

But for Larry Indiviglia, ACE Certified Personal Trainer and executive director of the Todd Durkin Mastermind Institute, a severe injury threatened an already promising fitness career. Indiviglia blames exhaustion for the fall that left him with two fractured vertebrae. He typically worked very long days and had fallen asleep in his home office. He awoke in the middle of the night knowing that he had scheduled a 4 a.m. training session the next morning, and simply passed out at the top of the stairs. The lessons to be learned here are twofold: avoid allowing yourself to become so run down that exhaustion is inevitable and how to remain successful in the fitness industry despite an injury that severely limits your ability to work with clients.

Indiviglia had become ensnared in a trap that catches many young fitness professionals, what Durkin calls “trading hours for dollars.” As Indiviglia reflects on his nearly 20 years of training before the injury, he realizes that his entire income was dependent on him completing individual training sessions. His workload had steadily grown from 30 sessions a week to 40, then 48, and eventually up to 55 sessions some weeks—a completely unsustainable business model. To remain in the industry after his injury, Indiviglia had to redefine himself and discover new revenue streams. In addition to drastically reducing the number of training sessions he offers, he now coaches fitness professionals on the business side of the industry and conducts online coaching for clients. His advice to all young professionals: “Recognize exceptional people in your journey, follow their careers and try to establish a connection. Continually educate yourself and seize new opportunities. And do not allow yourself to get caught up in driving revenue and meeting demand solely through training.”

Failed Business Venture

For Vito La Fata, creator of Fitness Profit Systems and Fitness Evolution, his early career setback came not in the form of a sudden fall or a linebacker’s hit on the football field, but as a bad business decision. La Fata opened a training studio with a partner who was a great trainer and, just as importantly, “had cash.” Of course, neither of them had any business acumen. He ended up doing all of the business-related work, learning on the fly, which slowly tore the partnership apart. After incurring tremendous debt and selling his house to buy out his partner, La Fata had to then learn the business side of the fitness business and start from scratch.

La Fata and his partner fell into a common trap: assuming that fitness knowledge is all that is needed to succeed in this industry. “Being a good technician and being a good business owner require completely different skill sets,” says La Fata. He recommends that young trainers research business systems, customer service tools and marketing strategies. “The business must be able to operate without you. A business built around one or two people has no real value or sustainability.” The success of a fitness business comes not only from having a quality facility and great training programs, but also from having systems in place to communicate those things to your potential customer base.

La Fata points out that there are many opportunities for fitness professionals to diversify their revenue streams, from various forms of personal training—one-on-one, semi-private and small-group training—to online coaching and serving as a mentor or master trainer for others in the industry. To perpetuate his business, La Fata has taught other trainers how to implement his training systems, allowing the business to function in his absence and, more importantly, “making a bigger impact on the world.”  

A Crisis of Confidence

Jonathan Ross, author of Abs Revealed and ACE spokesperson, faced a seemingly more pedestrian obstacle early in his career: a lack of confidence. Ross describes watching other trainers attract a lot of clients and being confused about why his training model wasn’t doing the same. The key to overcoming those early feelings of doubt was staying true to his personal vision and his commitment to quality. Ross, who now offers one-on-one mentoring to fitness professionals through his business, Aion Fitness, warns newcomers to “never let negativity erode your confidence.”

Ross also advises that, to make fitness a career, you need to make your message—not just your actual training time—revenue-generating through books, video, seminars or whatever means best suits you. Do you think you have a unique approach to helping clients? Formalize your vision, and then hire contractors or employees to teach your message. The key, he says, is to maintain periodic contact with all clients, whether through one-on-one meetings or tandem training sessions with your employees, to ensure that your message remains intact.  

One Final Tip

For most young fitness professionals, the driving force behind the quest to increase their income is the attainment of additional clients—the more you train, the more you earn. As our industry veterans’ stories illustrate, this is an unsustainable model, but an almost inevitable reality early in your career. Todd Durkin recommends a “strategic slowdown” to systematically cut back on your training hours in a way that will allow you to avoid getting burned out while still making money. Diversify your income and build a lasting business that meets the goals of your long-term personal vision.