Today we’d like to introduce you to Darren Stewart.
Hi Darren, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always had a passion for staying active ever since I was young. After college, I was actually still undecided about going back to grad school or starting towards a fitness career, and a good friend from college got me to try fitness training to better help me make a decision between the two. I fell in love with it; getting to do something for work that I feel so passionate about personally is so fulfilling. I only worked for a corporate gym for about 6 months before I realized that the private business route was the way I wanted to go. Growing a business and a brand takes time and consistency. I’ve been a fitness trainer for over 10 years now but it’s only in the last couple of years that I’ve truly hit my stride. I realized having a mentality for constant steady growth keeps me constantly moving forward. Too much and you burn out. Too little and you become stagnant, but a healthy approach to constantly bettering myself and improving my business that is sustainable.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
My business, Fitness by Darren, has definitely had its ups and downs since I started, but I would have to say COVID-19 was one of the largest struggles I’ve faced thus far. One month I’m having the best month I’ve ever had getting new clients, and my schedule is almost completely full, to having every gym shut down and temporarily being put out of business. A lot of my clients still wanted to stay active while staying safe, so as a trainer, I had to get very creative with ways to help my clients during this trying time. A couple of ways we accomplished this were with virtual workouts and social distance bootcamps in the park. It was awesome to see people stay committed to a health and wellness lifestyle even with everything going on with the pandemic; it truly was encouraging and inspiring!
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I train and work with clients of all ranges and fitness levels, from beginner fitness goers up to collegiate athlete. Weight loss is definitely the area I am most known for. I’ve had countless clients achieve incredible results. Some just looking to get off blood pressure medication and live a healthier lifestyle, some want to lose that pregnancy weight, to others training for fitness events or even some for fitness competitions!
My proudest moment in fitness was being named by Houston Chronicle as one of the Top Fitness Pros in 2020. Getting recognized at that level was quite an accomplishment and one I’m still very proud of.
I have a lot of facets to myself professionally that compose my business model, but I really think professionalism and organization are what set me apart from all the other fitness individuals I see. I know lots of great trainers who are incredibly fit and do an amazing job with their clients’ workouts and results but just lack structure. I’m constantly looking for ways to make my clients’ overall experience more professional. I have an online interactive scheduling platform my clients can use, text reminders for appointments, and digital logging for measurements and results tracking. Whatever it takes to give my clients the best experience.
What matters most to you?
I would have to say passion for what I do. I’m heading into my late 30s and I can honestly say I’m in the best shape of my life. I strive to be a great example of what a healthy lifestyle can give to all my clients. Sure I have my days where I’m busy, don’t have energy, or don’t sleep well, but I still find the time and motivation to get in the gym and put in the work. That’s what I love: trying to pass on that inspiration and motivate my clients to do the same!
Pricing:
- 30 Minute Session – $45
- 45 Minute Session – $60
- 1 Hour Session – $75
Contact Info:
- Website: www.fitnessbydarren.com
- Instagram: @fitness_by_darren
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FitnessByDarren/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiEA6ysbPpyAWcNj8gaG6EQ
