Ryan,
Your story is similar to mine. I obtained my NCSF certification in June 2007 and started working in August for a gym chain (yeah, 24 Hour Fitness), meanwhile keeping my 8 to 5 job. My ambitious plan was to be able quit the other job by January (yeah, what happened to all those New Year's Resolutioner's anyway?) In my case, when I'm training my hourly pay is a couple of dollars more than my day job, so it seeemed completely doable. Ha! I'm not a salesperson, and at my gym it is pretty much sink or swim. I transferred to a gym closer to my home in March and in April was written up for having no sales for the month. I came through in May and if no sales in June I will be written up again. 3 strikes and your out. The one good thing that has come out of this is the experience I've gained while continuing to educate myself and the gym paid for my NASM CPT in February. I've been studying to take the NSCA CPT for a year and was hoping to take that this month (which will bring up my rate when I train), but finances are an issue.
I am really working on the sales aspect, but I figure my days are numbered. I so would like to do what you're doing. I know of several independent trainers who train as you do, but I don't know how do make that happen while working an 8-5 job. Do you have a flexible schedule with your other job that makes this feasible?
And to drew1980--try it part time and if you enjoy it and you're good at sales, you can do very well. With 3 outside certs here I will make around $20 for each session I train, but we also make 20% up front for each package we sell and 10% for selling supplements. We have a new trainer who is on fire selling close to $2,000 in supps/month (a lot of effort for only $200), but he's also selling a lot of training. The commissions can add up. I don't seem to have the knack. When somebody tells me "I'm unemployed" I don't push them to max out their credit card as I'm expected to do. I don't know what you're used to making...in my case, I support myself, pay for a house and car on the under $30,000 I make at my other job, so anything above that makes me happy.
Kathy
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