IT Pro Trades Tech World For Mobile Personal Training Business

CAMPBELL, CA -- Call it the switch from the cerebral to the physical. Pounding away at a computer keyboard is something entrepreneur Doug Brown is familiar with but not meant to do for the rest of his life. He'd just as soon pound on the drums as a part-time musician.

The IT quality assurance professional traveled around handling problems in computer programs. The biggest problem was -- his happiness.

"I was burned out at work in the corporate world. I moved around from contract to contract job. I couldn't be happy," the Campbell resident said. "I always had a passion for fitness, along with music."

He is an accomplished percussionist as well -- in mainly the blues and classic rock disciplines. But albeit fun, many find it difficult to make a living as a musician, much less in the high-priced Silicon Valley.

Something had to change to embrace the work-life balance. At 59 years old, he still has a lot of time left to support himself and make his mark. His aha moment came when he decided to take his fitness to another level. He learned about GYMGUYZ, a Long Island-based franchise mobile personal training business so successful the founder had to scramble to get people to help handle the growing clientele.

Brown took six months to launch his business last year -- going official in June. Now he has 13 clients serviced by himself with four other trainers who come to work armed with duffel bags. One mobile van is split between the trainers, who go to the clients. The territory ranges from Campbell, Los Gatos and Saratoga to Cupertino, Sunnyvale and Milpitas.

The personal trainers essentially go to the clients, wherever they are within the company's range, instead of the customers wanting the secrets of getting and staying fit negotiating traffic to get to the gym.

"Personal training is not just running up and down hills and lifting weights," he said.

Sometimes, there are personal triumphs many take for granted.

"I thought I'd get people who just want to get in shape," he said, adding an assumption that a large number of clients would already be fit. What he has is a lot more rewarding.

His clients consist of several people with medical conditions such as those with special needs, physical disabilities and even ailments like Parkinson's disease.

GYMGUYZ is a home personal training business that provides convenient, customized, and creative workouts by bringing the workout to the clients -- one of the trends in the fitness world. Founded in 2008 by fitness specialist Josh York, the mobile brand began franchising in 2014 with a fleet of franchise vans that bring state-of-the-art fitness equipment and expert coaches to their customers’ doors.

Whether providing one-on-one training or inclusive group sessions, GYMGUYZ helps equip individuals with the resources to reach their fitness goals. Propelled by a unique take on an in-demand service and fueled by a passionate corporate team, the New York firm is pushing itself toward significant expansion through franchising.

Now with nearly 200 locations, GYMGUYZ is the fastest growing fitness concept in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.gymguyz.com/.

--Image courtesy of GYMGUYZ