Today we’d like to introduce you to Josh Houseman.
Hi Josh, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Growing up in Jackson, MO, sports played a big role in my childhood and adolescent years. After watching the Olympics in 96, I became really interested in gymnastics. Being the only male gymnast in my area made things difficult but taught me how to be self-reliant and provided the foundation for a strong work ethic. I eventually started training with the assistant coach of the Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) women’s team. By the time I was in high school, I decided to step out of gymnastics competitions and stepped into coaching at a local club, as well as assisting the SEMO women’s gymnastics team coach.
This was a transitionary time in my education and career. I was going to school to be an athletic trainer, working three jobs, and trying to pay for as much college as possible. After graduation, I moved to St. Louis for better career opportunities and reconnections with friends who had already made the move to the city. I started personal training at a local club gym and quickly learned that training was much different than the books and certifications made it seem; trainers and clients were both treated poorly. A specific incident involving a director’s mistreatment of a client served as my catalyst for change.
I quit that day and ordered as much equipment as I could afford in order to start training out of my garage. Three of my co-workers joined me on this mission and left the club as well. We helped renovate a 900sqft building in the Grove neighborhood and started our new personal training business, Defining Natural Ability (DNA). Our client base outgrew that space in just under six months, so we transitioned to a 3000sqft location in the Hill neighborhood. Within a year and a half, we took over the entire 6000sqft building to accommodate our growing client base.
Unfortunately, conflicts among business partners were growing in tandem with the business growth. As DNA separated, I embarked on an opportunity to grow my personal training brand at a new local club gym. Unlike the prior club gym chain, this gym was amazing and we focused on treating clients well. But it was vastly different than the personal training studio, which was still my end goal. When the opportunity arose to start my own personal training studio, I took it.
The new Relentless Fitness is a culmination of all the learnings over the years. We have a facility that is designed with personal trainer autonomy and success in mind. Equipment includes a mix of machines and cardio, a CrossFit style area, training “PODs”, and a lot of open space for dynamic training. The facility is a hybrid of the normal personal training studio and a club gym, which allows us to train a wide client base while supporting trainer freedom and creativity. Under this business model, trainers rent access to the facility and independently grow their own personal businesses and brands while also benefiting from facility marketing and branding. We are making personal training a lifelong career instead of just being dominated by the younger fitness crowd.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Honestly, it has rarely ever been smooth. The overnight transition from the original club job to my own facility was overwhelming at times. Scrambling to find a location and learning how to start and run a business on the fly was quite the challenge, to say the least. Our first location took many all-nighters to get the space ready as quick as possible. Once we moved, we faced that same issue again – building an office, building and installing equipment, fixing the gym after a flood, learning how to run and continue to grow the business, in addition to training clients.
Limited funding made acquiring equipment difficult. We often relied on used or homemade equipment at the start. Adjusting to business partners was also extremely difficult. You really learn about a person’s character once your back is against the wall. Deteriorating business partner relationships led to the split that took Relentless Fitness to the new start up local club gym. Once there, the club setting had its own unique set of issues with a new business model, equipment breaking, trainers, and facility owners.
Despite preferring our current business model, the transition happened as a result of being outbid for the position at the club gym. We had to once again start from scratch, find a location, and get it fully equipped, all while our trainers were out of a job but I now had years of experience and a plan. Getting funding remained one of the largest challenges. Not long after we opened, we were forced to close for three months due to COVID-19 safety precautions. We fought for a year to get the government funding designed to help keep workforces employed and businesses from shuttering their doors due to the pandemic.
The wisdom I gained from these struggles enabled me to create a better business model that continues to grow and provides unique opportunities for St. Louis area personal trainers and clients alike.
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?
Relentless Fitness is more than just a personal training business. We focus on helping our clients change their lives and become the best version of themselves, but we also focus on doing the same for our trainers. We have seen how often trainers are used and burned in this industry. They get little support and are not encouraged to be creative or provided the autonomy required to thrive in this industry. We focus on helping to educate and grow our trainers’ personal businesses and brands.
We are unique to St. Louis because our facility access rental model offers opportunities for full-time personal trainers to keep the money they make rather than giving a percentage of it to a parent company. They have full control over their own branding, scheduling, client load, and pricing. We have no membership fees for clients, an exceptionally large personal training studio, and a no-contract model that gives trainers full control over their future without the risk of being taken advantage of.
We always stick to our values of leadership, integrity, ownership, progress, and excellence. I am immensely proud of how much we have grown and what we have survived without compromising our vision and values. I look forward to seeing how much we can grow and continue changing the lives of clients and trainers in the St. Louis area.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
For personal trainers: The most important thing is to be patient, dedicate everything you can to becoming better every day, and get really comfortable being uncomfortable. Growing a client base and a brand takes a long time and can be disheartening. In my experience, if you are working hard to develop yourself, people will see your worth. Things will be uncomfortable when you first jump in. This isn’t your normal 9-5, but that’s what makes it great!
For individuals looking to get into health and fitness: Do your research on trainers and facilities. Shop around because this is a big and very important investment. Be patient for those results, and be consistent! If you can consistently work out and stick to an informed nutritional plan, you will be successful. It takes time, but that’s what creates long-lasting change.
Contact Info:
- Email: relentlessfitnessllc@gmail.com
- Website: www.relentlessfitnessstl.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/relentlessfitnessllc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/relentlessfitnessllc/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/FitRelentless
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpl4h-bQHRAL2KUIwZc8XLA
- Other: https://anchor.fm/relentless-fitness
Image Credits
Brandon Spaulding Lee Wallace
