Finding your way as a Personal Trainer

Enterprise Fitness is a Career Partner of AIF in Victoria; helping our graduates build a solid and successful career once they enter the industry.

The owner, Mark Ottobre is a wealth of knowledge on personal training and cultivating a successful career that is built to last. With 15 years of experience in the industry, Mark has so many tips to share with our students, and today he shares with us his thoughts on finding your way as a PT.

“This year marks the 15th year I’ve been a personal trainer. But it almost never happened….Our school’s career councillor told me to pursue graphic design instead of fitness.

A close friend told me, Personal Training is an over-saturated market and too competitive (this was in 2005). I told myself I would ruin my hobby and passion for training if I became a PT… but none of that happened. As it turns out:

• I ended up training the daughter of the career councillor who advised a different career.
• After five years as a PT, my friend contacted me, asking for me to train him. Ironically, I had to decline as I was completely booked.
• And pursuing personal training as a career only deepened my passion for training, health and fitness.

But starting out, it certainly wasn’t all sunshine and roses. I made all the mistakes and had a lot of hard lessons:

• 5am starts with 6am no shows

• Charging “session to session.” 

• Undervaluing my service

• Not asking for the sale and not learning sales

• Not supporting clients with proper programs

• Not knowing how to give proper nutritional guidance

• Not having a clue about business

• Insisting I knew what I was doing instead of seeking guidance

I started in 2006 as Fitness Instructor/PT at Genesis Ringwood. It’s funny how I made all the mistakes I see trainers today make. Back then, there was no Instagram; however, it didn’t stop me from going “online.”

12-months after becoming a PT, I launched my online program, The Alpha Body. I spent all my money trying to make ‘The Alpha Body’ work, but what I realised in the process, for it to work, I had to become less of a trainer and more of a digital marketer, and I didn’t become a PT for that. So just like that, I closed the site.

Mistakes in this industry are predictable, as are the solutions (hint, ask for help). I had many people contribute to my journey; but credit where credit is due. It was the $1000 dollar consult I did with the late, great Charles Poliquin that pointed me in the direction I needed to go… That was 10 years ago.

Today, my business, Enterprise Fitness has broken every record I set and smashed records others set for me, including Poliquin’s targets (which I initially thought impossible). I’ve helped hundreds of trainers be better coaches, get better results and build their careers.

If you are a PT, and your career is feeling stale, if you are wondering ‘what else is there, or if you’re beginning your journey, I’d love to help get you on the right path as Charles did for me all those years ago…

I have a 3-day Internship coming up very soon; this has been a turning point in many trainers’ careers and just might be the thing you’re looking for….

Click here to learn more!

• Bio

AIF

The Australian Institute of Fitness

The Australian Institute of Fitness (AIF) is the largest and longest established fitness training organisation in Australia, with dynamic training methods and expert course coaches nationwide - spanning fitness, massage and nutrition. The AIF qualifies more fitness professionals than any other provider in Australia, as well as offering a broad range of continuing education courses (CEC), upskilling resources and partnership programs for existing industry.