Making a career in fitness?

[Fiskevatten]

Need some help making a decision guys!

I'm currently unemployed living in Sweden, but I do get a lot of offers for various standard paid jobs.
Have one interview tomorrow working as a PT.

However, I've been saying no to work because I don't want them, but am now at the point that I NEED them economically.
I'm also not sure if I wanna stay here or not, just parents and sisters keeping me here.

I'm starting to dream myself away again and thinking about moving to Asia and starting a career in fitness there.
I do not have the body to compete pro, but I'm looking to promote myself as a model and/ or trainer, both in land and on the net.
Maybe even promote my own brand/ product.
I do have the personality that I think can take me where I wanna end up.

Do anyone having any experience leaving the day-to-day job and bring some kind of success/ money in fitness?

I feel that most good looking people with a great body that I've met or seen have made a name for themselves sooner or later.
Might be wrong there though.

Any advice or stories you guys can share?

[cousinmuscles]

There are many ways to make money but I can give you my opinion on this. No experience in the fitness industry.

Do you have any skills that people desire such that they will pay you for? Like expert dieting skills along with interpersonal intelligence and verbal skills, such that you can communicate your skills effectively and efficiently? Or lots of experience (not just yourself) in training for mass, strength, sport specific skills et.c.

If not any of the above, then it you wont have truly loyal customers, or to put it this way, I wouldn't pay you if you can't give me anything in exchange.

But others make it this way and end up having very large number of viewers on social media sites, there seems to be potential but I have no idea (and social media usually sickens me, I don't spend time there).

Leaving the day-to-day job sounds a little dreamy. Think of it this way, why do you deserve to not produce something in exchange for the goods and services you receive to live the life you want? Even if the possibility exists, do you want to be part of those who create this imbalance in the world?

[David LoPan]

I know GearHead owns a gym and does this for a living. Trainers are not cheap and if you are in good shape and know what you are doing then you can make some money in it if you work hard. It is just like anything else. I know a guy that does fitness modeling, meal prep and training and does well. Also know another guy from high school that has been doing it for 30 years. It has been hard on his relationships due to the women always hitting on him and he can't say no to them.

It is something that you can always do no matter where you live. You just need to build up a client base and look for ways to make money from it. I do not know if you can really make much on the social media due to so many people already doing it but you might get lucky. Also the more you can learn about AAS, peptides and meals the better more demand you will have for customers.

Wish you the best of luck. If you like being in a gym most of the time it is a great way to make extra cash or a steady income.

[Fiskevatten]

I agree with you both!

Cousin - True that I need something to offer. I do not have the professional skillset about dieting and training, especially with AAS. However, I do know how to train the avarage Joe, motivate and build a clientbase.
The truth is that the demands in e.g. Thailand/ Philippines/ China are extremely low compared to western countries, so it's a higher possibility I can offer something while I'm learning.
Most non-westerns I've met in Asia seem to drop the weights when they sweat, PT's mostly play with their phones with no intellect behind and they still believe blueberries will boost your anabolic rate tenfold.
It's all about a show there, which is something I want to change.

David - Thank you! I've been offered to be a model there before (not in fitness), but I've always felt "not worthy" or some sh*t like that. So instead of regret, I feel I gotta try it.
I have a feeling I might regret the opportunity, but starting something new takes years and that is why I feel insecure and in need of input.
Everyone back home push me towards the security route, do as you are told and be happy for what you get/ have...

I appreciate your answers!

[tarmyg]

David - Thank you! I've been offered to be a model there before (not in fitness), but I've always felt "not worthy" or some sh*t like that. So instead of regret, I feel I gotta try it.
I have a feeling I might regret the opportunity, but starting something new takes years and that is why I feel insecure and in need of input.
Everyone back home push me towards the security route, do as you are told and be happy for what you get/ have...

I model in India, not fitness related and so does my daughter. It is fairly easy to do those jobs around here simply because you are white and they need a lot of "International Models" for their western clothing lines. It would be better to go through an agency as they, generally speaking, will make you be better paid. I am currently being paid on Indian scale, in other words, not much but it is fun to do and it helps my other business so I keep at it.

[Fiskevatten]

I model in India, not fitness related and so does my daughter. It is fairly easy to do those jobs around here simply because you are white and they need a lot of "International Models" for their western clothing lines. It would be better to go through an agency as they, generally speaking, will make you be better paid. I am currently being paid on Indian scale, in other words, not much but it is fun to do and it helps my other business so I keep at it.

Happy to hear that, love that you can bring family in it as well!
I would love to try it, but it seems hard to go around the visa issue when modelling? Atleast in Thailand. Most agencies won't give you a visa, but need a visa to shoot you.
Any advice there?
I went to a creative hairdresser one time in Thailand, 2 years later my ex found my pic on various hairdresser around Bangkok.

[tarmyg]

Happy to hear that, love that you can bring family in it as well!
I would love to try it, but it seems hard to go around the visa issue when modelling? Atleast in Thailand. Most agencies won't give you a visa, but need a visa to shoot you.
Any advice there?
I went to a creative hairdresser one time in Thailand, 2 years later my ex found my pic on various hairdresser around Bangkok.

No advice around visa but I'm not technically allowed to work here as I am on my wife's visa. All transactions are cash based

[ScotchGuard02]

IMO, there's no real money in the fitness industry as a PT. I do side jobs for select clients for cash but I couldn't live the lifestyle I want with only that income. In Asia, Caucasians are still a novelty. In Korea they pay $60-$100 cash an hour to learn English. There are opportunities in Asia (Japan, Korea, China) to model and guest on T.V. shows. Do it when you're young. If you want to settle down and raise a family running around Asia might not be the most conducive to family life.

[GearHeaded]

its not all about the $ you make , yes you need to make a living and hopefully a good one, but its about loving what your doing and passionate about that matters.

I gave up a 200,000 $ a year career, sold everything I had (I owned cars that were over 6 figures). Sold my large executive dream home I owned on the golf course that I played on daily, and sold off all my other real estate investments. Now I live in a small rental home (I went from owning 5 homes and several million in real estate to now being a renter lol) , I have a basic car, and live a very low key simple and non luxury life

the thing is the $ was great , but I hated my job and my career and the stress that came with it.. I was doing personal training and online coaching for years as a side business, not for the $, god knows I had the money, but I did it cause I was passionate about it. my real job was actually getting in the way of me doing what I was passionate about. so I sold everything I had to start a gym and free me up to do what I was passionate about full time.

was it worth it to give up the solid career and all the possessions and now make a lot less money then I used to ? hell yes.
I'm a car guy, do I miss the 600hp luxury cars. yes, but guess what, people at my gym see me running the place and training people and they tell me "I'm living the dream" , I don't need that fancy car to be living the dream.

my gym now has over 700 members and is growing daily. I have tons of clients. I'm not making a killing by any means but I'm making a living and doing what I'm passionate about

[BG]

its not all about the $ you make , yes you need to make a living and hopefully a good one, but its about loving what your doing and passionate about that matters.

I gave up a 200,000 $ a year career, sold everything I had (I owned cars that were over 6 figures). Sold my large executive dream home I owned on the golf course that I played on daily, and sold off all my other real estate investments. Now I live in a small rental home (I went from owning 5 homes and several million in real estate to now being a renter lol) , I have a basic car, and live a very low key simple and non luxury life

the thing is the $ was great , but I hated my job and my career and the stress that came with it.. I was doing personal training and online coaching for years as a side business, not for the $, god knows I had the money, but I did it cause I was passionate about it. my real job was actually getting in the way of me doing what I was passionate about. so I sold everything I had to start a gym and free me up to do what I was passionate about full time.

was it worth it to give up the solid career and all the possessions and now make a lot less money then I used to ? hell yes.
I'm a car guy, do I miss the 600hp luxury cars. yes, but guess what, people at my gym see me running the place and training people and they tell me "I'm living the dream" , I don't need that fancy car to be living the dream.

my gym now has over 700 members and is growing daily. I have tons of clients. I'm not making a killing by any means but I'm making a living and doing what I'm passionate about

Just wondering how you owned all those things, liquidated them but dont own anything now? Am I missing something?

[GearHeaded]

Just wondering how you owned all those things, liquidated them but dont own anything now? Am I missing something?

ummm,, I own a gym. did you miss that part? its not cheap buying 100s of thousands of dollars in equipment, paying for a large facility, overhead, computer systems, contractors, etc etc.. money from all that I had went into paying for all the gym equipment and overhead.

plus I needed money in the bank to live off of for awhile. in the gym business you don't make money and go from the red to the black over night. you should have a couple hundred thousands dollars in your bank account to live off of.

I couldn't of done any of that without liquidating all my past possessions.. theres no purpose in driving around a 120K$ Mercedes when you have 100s of thousands of $ in gym equipment to buy.

I also did all of that WITHOUT getting a business loan. I built it from the ground up paying all cash. I didn't want that kinda of debt over my head

[BG]

ummm,, I own a gym. did you miss that part? its not cheap buying 100s of thousands of dollars in equipment, paying for a large facility, overhead, computer systems, contractors, etc etc.. money from all that I had went into paying for all the gym equipment and overhead.

plus I needed money in the bank to live off of for awhile. in the gym business you don't make money and go from the black to the red over night. you should have a couple hundred thousands dollars in your bank account to live off of.

I couldn't of done any of that without liquidating all my past possessions.. theres no purpose in driving around a 120K$ Mercedes when you have 100s of thousands of $ in gym equipment to buy.

I also did all of that WITHOUT getting a business loan. I built it from the ground up paying all cash. I didn't want that kinda of debt over my head

Yes I understand but you didnt keep a house? Or atleast use some for a down payment on one for tax reasons? What does renting a house accomplish?

[GearHeaded]

Yes I understand but you didnt keep a house? Or atleast use some for a down payment on one for tax reasons? What does renting a house accomplish?

The house I had in the town I live in and started the gym in was 7000 sq ft, 7 bed, 7 bath, luxury home on 2.5 acres.. going from the career I had to being a trainer I knew my income was going to go way down. there would be absolutely no reason for me to live in such an extravagant home considering my much lower annual income now.

the reason I'm renting is because I have 4 kids, and we needed to move out of that house and have it staged and ready to sell (hard to stage a luxury home with 4 kids running around making a mess).. We were not interested in trying to go buy another home at that time as we were busy building the gym. didn't want a new home purchase stresser on our plate. we found a little rental home thats just 4 minutes away from our gym. so we are just staying here for a couple years and see what the real estate market does before we buy again.

do I have down payment money for a home purchase in the bank.. sure. but my focus is on building the gym right now and I don't want to move again, let alone mess with real estate right now. I'll be content renting a home until I'm ready to buy again.
I was a real estate investor. so I have experience and know what I'm doing. if I thought I should buy right now then I would

[BG]

Gotcha. Good luck with those kids

[Fiskevatten]

its not all about the $ you make , yes you need to make a living and hopefully a good one, but its about loving what your doing and passionate about that matters.

I gave up a 200,000 $ a year career, sold everything I had (I owned cars that were over 6 figures). Sold my large executive dream home I owned on the golf course that I played on daily, and sold off all my other real estate investments. Now I live in a small rental home (I went from owning 5 homes and several million in real estate to now being a renter lol) , I have a basic car, and live a very low key simple and non luxury life

the thing is the $ was great , but I hated my job and my career and the stress that came with it.. I was doing personal training and online coaching for years as a side business, not for the $, god knows I had the money, but I did it cause I was passionate about it. my real job was actually getting in the way of me doing what I was passionate about. so I sold everything I had to start a gym and free me up to do what I was passionate about full time.

was it worth it to give up the solid career and all the possessions and now make a lot less money then I used to ? hell yes.
I'm a car guy, do I miss the 600hp luxury cars. yes, but guess what, people at my gym see me running the place and training people and they tell me "I'm living the dream" , I don't need that fancy car to be living the dream.

my gym now has over 700 members and is growing daily. I have tons of clients. I'm not making a killing by any means but I'm making a living and doing what I'm passionate about

Great story bro, thanks for sharing it!
What would you say your path would have been without all that cash?

Yeah, I'd love to do something similar and I feel I need to start know as "ScotchGuard" says, turning 30 now in a week.

I've decided to go in a month for 3 months just to get the feel for it and see openings. If I do see anything that catch my eye and I start to see an opening for growth, then I'll stay for another year.
My biggest fear is that I feel everything has to happen now, bcus later will be too late (want kids when I'm young, stuff like that).
Wierd and retarded feeling, but I've always been like that in good and in bad.
Any advice how to calm down in progress?