Hey I’m Erin!
Have you ever heard someone say “It’s never too late find your calling?” or “Take the risk?” Well, that is exactly what I did. In 2013, I graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Environmental Geoscience with a minor in Soil Science. Now you may be thinking Scientist well how did she get here? Let me tell ya!
I have been active my whole life whether it was playing basketball, soccer, or running cross country, to dancing for 13 years or performing in choir and musicals, or even competing in Miss American Organization Pageants while in my college years. But one thing that always stood out to people was how petite I was or how skinny I was. Now let me remind you, I am 5’1 and super active but just remained slender. So, while in my last year of college I was working a part-time job at an LA Fitness location near home being the front desk girl and met these two male bodybuilders who were members. These men were identical twins, cops, and had been doing fitness competitions for many years. They said to me one day, “Erin you should compete in an NPC Bikini competition.” Now, I thought to myself well I work at a gym currently, I no longer participate in pageants or sports, so maybe this could be my new adventure and that is exactly what I did. In 2013 I competed in my first ever fitness competition and instantly was hooked! Going through high and college I was on the team but was never the best or they played me a lot but I knew these sports weren’t my calling but for some reason when I competed in my first show I just had a good feeling about it. Since then I have competed in a total of 15 shows and am a nationally qualified competitor.
So, that is how my fitness adventure began, but now you may be thinking ok she is a competitor but how did she become a certified personal trainer, nutrition coach, posing coach, and business owner? Well let me tell you how this all came to be. During the first year or so of competing many people started seeing my transformation going from super skinny and scrawny to still petite but looking healthier and gaining more muscle tone. With the transformation came inquiries of individuals asking me how I am doing it or if I can train them to get results as well but at this time, I was a full-time Environmental Geologist with no training certification. I then started getting asked so much on social media or at the gym that I decided to go and get my personal training certification. Once I completed that, I then began to take on clients. I started by training client outside at parks or in their homes in the evenings and weekends since I was still working full-time. One of the clients that I began with, her husband owned a medical building in my city and he gave the idea of maybe opening my own studio for people to come to instead of me driving to everyone in one of the suites of the medical building. This is where that “take the risk” came into play, I actually did it!
For about a full year and a half, I was working my normal 8-5 job but then would train clients in the evenings and weekends at my new studio location. It wasn’t a large space with a ton of equipment, but it was a start and I was so proud of myself that I bought all the equipment on my own. Toward the end of the year and a half, I was starting to get worn out and really needed to figure out my future. I would sit and think what truly makes me the happiest, what job actually makes me feel like I am not even working because I love what I do so much, or what would I wake up happier doing, and that answer was being a personal trainer and helping individuals better their lives. So, after working for my company for 3 years I gave my 2 weeks’ notice and switched careers completely. Heck yes I was nervous but I knew it would be worth it and now 7 years later here I am.
My current studio is about 4 times the size of my first space, I have trained hundreds of clients over the years, I have a ton more equipment, I have educated myself even more through the years to offer even more services to my clients, I have been Ranked One of The Top 13 Trainers in the Southeast Michigan Area by Metro Parent, and just overall truly love what I do day in and day out. I do not regret taking the risk and finally finding my calling after so many years of being in something that was not it. I am here now ever day to not just be a trainer, competitor, or nutrition coach, but a friend and someone my clients can truly rely on. I want nothing but the best for all of them and am here every moment trying to prove to them their true potential. This is my calling and passion and would not change it for the world.
