Today we’d like to introduce you to Missy Bravo.
Hi Missy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
After about 18 years in the corporate world, I had the chance to leave (I asked and was granted to be laid off) and follow my passion: fitness. It was a big adjustment with a lot of sacrifices and compromises I had to make, especially financially as I was giving up a nice paycheck and benefits for the hustle of owning my own business.
I knew though the longer I was in my prior career, the more I felt trapped and overwhelmed. I started getting those common Sunday night stress and anxiety feelings knowing the next day I would be back to a career I felt unfulfilled in. I am lucky though that I formed so many strong working relationships that many of my clients at the beginning were my prior colleagues. They truly helped launch my career along with friends and neighbors that I was organically able to grow my Personal Training business.
It has been very up and down if I am being honest. many times I have considered finding a 9-5 kind of job again. It can be daunting constantly trying to attract more clients not to mention I have moved 3 times since beginning this journey and I essentially had to start over every time. I am back in my home state of New Jersey, building my PT business again out of my private gym in East Brunswick. I am hopeful my name gets out there and people find me thru Google and Social Media (I already have new clients just a few weeks in). I know what I have to offer clients. I know how I stand out in this business so it is just a matter of connecting with the right people that I can have the biggest impact on.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Oh if only it has been a smooth road! But just like working out, no pain no gain right? There have been so many struggles but here are a few that stand out to me.
From a business perspective, it always has been a balance of sticking to my policies so I am not compromising my livelihood with accomodating clients. This is not something unique to me, it happens to business all the time. Last minute cancellations. Clients not being able to stick to their scheduled slots. People wanting to negotiate the price of services. There is a mindset out there that small businesses can be negotiated with to the benefit of a client and detriment to the business.
Having my own business will always be a hustle. Even at the times when I had a full schedule, I know that it can change at any moment. PT is a luxury and I do not take that lightly. I appreciate anyone who can invest in me, in themselves but the reality is, not everyone can or will be able to sustain that long term. So the financial side of being a trainer is a struggle.
I recently was contracting at a gym in my most recent move as truthfully, when I got back to East Brunswick, I was burned out. I tried in Richmond where I was living prior to ignite my business, but I was in the wrong neighborhood to thrive. The idea of going somewhere where I did not have to find my own clients felt liberating. Initially. But the realization that I was maybe playing it safe in some ways (at the cost of earning my potential) ultimately lead me to take another leap of faith and go 100% into builiding my own client base at my very own private gym.
One last struggle is my love hate relationship with social media and creating content. To be honest, I do it sparingly these days. For one, I get tired of videoing myself and watching myself so why would I assume other people want to see me come up in their feeds? The other piece is most of my clients do not wish to be on social media and I respect that. So that leaves me without many opportunities to take short videos when I’m working with someone. Not to mention, I prefer being in the moment versus worrying about getting the right angles for a video. I save my content creating for my dogs and cats because that is effortless!
As you know, we’re big fans of Dig Your Deepest Fitness. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I am a Personal Trainer with my own private gym in the Apple Tree neighborhood of East Brunswick, New Jersey. I am known for listening to my clients goals, paying attention to their form and knowing how to push them safely to always do more than what they think they can. I am also known for having a lot of dogs and for those who love a canine distraction, they sometimes make appearances during client workouts (only with their permission of course).
I have trained both men and women of various ages across different levels, but if I had to say what my niche is, it is training women over 40 (probably because that is me and I can relate a lot to their goals and challenges). I specialize in strength training, conditioning and balance/core work, particularly with my favorite piece of equipment, StrongBoard Balance. If you are unfamiliar with what that is, then that just means you must come train with me!
I think what I am most proud of is quality over quantity. I am not one of those trainers that is trying to start a fitness revolution with a million followers. I pride myself on the clients I do have and showing them how capable they are. I love getting their feedback about how they are feeling and the changes they are experiencing. That is what drives me and that is my brand.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I can say this now because I never appreciated at it the time. I used to be a bit of a bad ass when it came to fitness. I’m a short girl and being able to lift 140 pounds over my head, deadlift almost 300 pounds and squat 215 pounds are some of my most proud moments (even if I am far from being able to do those things now. I hope to get back there or at least continue to work towards it). I look back at how hard I worked and how it paid off in my fitness abilities. I used to be able to string far more pull-ups or toes to bars than I can now, but I always tell myself, as long as I can still do any, I am ahead of the curve. My fitness has changed over the years due to many factors and believe me, I am no different than anyone else when it comes to feeling nostalgic for those fit days. But I as age, I appreciate my current abilities even more. Aging really isn’t about how old we are, but how independent and strong we are. So in that regard I like to think I am maybe 35. 39 tops.
Pricing:
- 5 Pack of PT for $400
- 10 Pack of PT for $750
- 20 Pack of PT for $1400
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.digyourdeepest.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/digyourdeepest/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@missyberkowitz1294
- Other: https://share.google/TvQDLaZ8zXWsrA8u3
