Today we’d like to introduce you to Brian del Castillo.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I spent 15 years in the I.T. industry here in Houston. It was a rewarding career and for many years I enjoyed it a great deal. However, I reached a point where I was enjoying that job less and less.
Contributing to that was the fact that I specialized in working for Oil & Gas companies and after the oil downturn in 2014-2015, I found myself laid off and looking for work. I was fortunate enough to catch on with great companies in the years that followed but found myself caught up in a torturous cycle of being hired to do a job only to be laid off again within a year each time. The lack of stability and the frustration that accompanied it led me to the realization that I needed to do something different.
Over the years, I had begun practicing the self-defense system Krav Maga. I loved its focus on fitness, the effectiveness of its principles and the physical and mental challenges it provided. The training changed the way I thought about the world and inspired my interest in progressing my own fitness. Once I became willing to leave I.T. and the corporate world behind, it became apparent to me that training and fitness was my calling.
It was definitely a terrifying prospect to be changing my career in my late 30’s, but my wife and I agreed that doing something that would make me happy was paramount. She works as well and supported and encouraged my transition into the fitness world. I don’t think I would have been able to make that change without her support on all levels.
I began to work as a Krav Maga apprentice. In other words, I was on a track to become an instructor, but not yet earning an income. That was fine with me because I loved Krav and I loved Level 6 Krav Maga in Houston, the school where I was learning, training, and practicing. The owners and instructors there took me in and made me feel like a part of their family. In fact, it was the lead instructor and Owner, Dan Sartain, who suggested I become a personal trainer. I did some research, found the organization I wanted to get certified with and got right to work. Within a few short months, I had acquired my Personal Trainingcertification from the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) with specializations in Fitness Nutrition and Performance Enhancement.
I quickly acquired a job as a group fitness trainer where I learned a great deal about how to write workouts, lead groups, and focus on individuals. Later, I moved on to work at the Jewish Community Center’s Fitness Department as a personal trainer and fitness class instructor. I remain there to this day and hope to remain a part of that organization even as my own business grows.
In the summer of 2019, I became a certified Krav Maga Alliance Instructor and began teaching combat cardio classes (StrikeFit) and Level 1 Krav Maga classes at Level 6. It was very gratifying to me and I was plenty happy with the way things were going at that point. However, as Level 6 moved into a new larger location, an opportunity presented itself for me to rent space from them and open my own private gym. This has enabled me more flexibility in working with personal clients. I liked the idea of being able to build my own gym from the ground up. No unnecessary equipment or even major luxuries. The equipment had to be good–that was the only “luxury.” I needed it to be sturdy industrial grade equipment, with redundancies. Kettle bells were my first purchase, two in every weight. My buddies laughed at me, but I love kettle bells and how functional they are. I got lost in the project at times, it was a blast. Now I have a custom gym that incorporates all of my favorite approaches, with a focus on strength and agility. My clients achieve their cardio and endurance largely through plyometrics and focus mitts. I am proud of the gym and have begun to rent the space out to other trainers who likewise want the flexibility of working independently without having to sacrifice access to high quality equipment. I call the gym (and my personal training services) Baby Bull Fitness.
The idea behind the name Baby Bull isthat, like a bull calf, we are all born with the potential to be strong. Unlike the bull, we human beings have to choose to tap into that potential. We get to make the decision every day to push ourselves and grow.
So, I am now a personal trainer, gym owner, and a Krav Maga Instructor. I am happy in my career again because every day I get to help people in their journey towards fitness and overall health. What’s not to love about that?
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Transitioning into the fitness world with limited background in that field was not easy. I had to learn a great deal about how to build workout plans for people of all ages and fitness levels. I also had to build the confidence in my abilities that I once had in my previous career. This took some time, but I was encouraged by many other trainers along the way. Like I.T., “mastery” of the fitness world is never fully attained. There is always something new to learn and to grow with. I learned that my continued education in this field would never really be complete. I would always have to be learning and applying new knowledge to my career. But, like fitness itself, the challenge and competition (especially internally, with oneself) is what makes it so much fun.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Baby Bull Fitness – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Baby Bull Fitness was created with the flexibility of clients and trainers alike in mind. If you go to the website, you’ll see references to all things fitness including weight training, plyometrics, cardio, nutrition, fighting, yoga, pilates, recovery, etc. I made it a point to have a “partners” page so that clients of Baby Bull would be able to have access to a network of specialists that I had used myself and could personally vouch for from my own experiences with them. The thought was that there was an easier way to deliver everything to the client, even if I wasn’t benefiting financially from every aspect of it. I know that’s what I wanted as a client. Now, as the provider, I am testing it out and hope to make things easier for everyone.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My plans for the future are to continue to work on myself. The more I grow and learn, the more I’ll be able to help my clients. I’d love to develop lasting partnerships with other trainers and service providers. Ultimately, I imagine expanding the gym to include not only training but also embedded recovery methods like deep stretch, and other lifestyle coaching like nutrition consultation. I want to use the space to help people transform in all directions.
Contact Info:
- Address: 5605 Suite B
Houston, TX 77081 - Website: babybullfitness.com
- Phone: 713-376-3077
- Email: brian@babybullfitness.com
- Instagram: @babybullfitnessllc
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