Today, we’d like to introduce you to Ciara Castagno.
Hi Ciara, we’re so excited to have you on the platform. Before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
After working for almost 12 years in the health and fitness industry, in 2017, I began the entrepreneurial adventure with my husband, Ret.
Army Captain Christopher Castagno – STAG Human Performance. I began my career in fitness and health from the get-go, entering college. Both Chris and I were dedicated to college sports (track/football).
When we both met in 2017, that continued passion developed into STAG Human Performance, a multifaceted performance-based company that strives for client results along with sports science research and trainer education. Our specialties include personal training (in-person & online), peer-reviewed research/medical industry consulting & our competitor’s division of sponsored athletes.
In 2019, we ventured through my husband’s medical training through Texas Tech Medical School and have now moved on in that venture to his residency at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. We navigated boot camps and training through COVID and have now been building back our system to help train as many people as we call.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I would say that the struggles are just part of what makes this special. We have managed my husband returning to medical school to become an ortho and also navigating the COVID terrain with such an in-person business model.
Managing that while also establishing a support system for him through Medical school was quite the journey. We have trainers in multiple cities, so interviewing and making sure that our clientele has the utmost professional trainers is always a task. It hasn’t always been a smooth road, but we managed to figure it out!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
STAG Human Performance is a multifaceted performance based company that strives for client results along with sport science research and trainer education. Our specialties include personal training (in-person & online), peer-reviewed research/medical industry consulting & our competitors division of sponsored athletes.
Not only are we trainers, but we also contribute yearly to the research conducted within the exercise science field and within medicine. That is an ultra-niche area, too, and it helps with the credibility needed to help our clientele reach their goals safely and efficiently. I’m exceptionally proud of this because it elevates the specialty of being a personal trainer.
There is more here than just exercise and nutrition. That also helps us with our partners in nutrition and external services that we can offer to our clients. The relationships we are able to leverage to assist in helping any client’s goals – are extensive. More so than the average gym or trainer.
Before we let you go, we have to ask if you have any advice for those just starting out.
To be successful, one literally has to eat, sleep, and breathe the passion they have for that business. This point is overlooked and usually not fully executed by many who venture into business ownership. Being a fitness leader begins with removing – “I.”
Any portion of my resume or information included in this testament can be applied as an example of leadership. The action of opening up those connections and sharing my testaments with other professionals is what real leadership is. I value the opportunities to connect and build with other people. You must have compassion for those you are working to help. Learn to see things from the client’s perspective and be empathetic to their situations. You are helping them mentally as well as physically.
Success is not a straight shot! Building a clientele and reputation within the fitness industry will take years. You will need to pay your dues and rough it for a while before you reach a successful level. Don’t expose yourself to just one type of training – learn new methods and ways of helping people.
Put effort into learning the business and sales side of the fitness industry. Don’t just rely on the science to get you to the level you want.
Remember to take care of yourself as well. Your physical shape and mental well-being are just as important (if not more) than the work you put into your clients. You can’t help others if you are not first in control of yourself!
Pricing:
- 4 Week Online Personal Training $100
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ttuhscepmagazine.com/
- Instagram: @stagtrainer
- Facebook: @STAGHP
Image Credits
Jill Zogg & @ellerileyphoto
