Article of 2013 - Monday, April 1, 2013
featuring Owner Mike Ibasco
Fresh out of college with a degree in sports medicine after serving as an athletic trainer at San Jose State University, Mike Ibasco got a job as a personal trainer at an Andre Agassi 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport club in Las Vegas.
Ibasco spent more than four years working at 24 Hour. In one of those years, the company honored him with a client retention award. He says that although he learned a lot about how to be a trainer while there, he wanted more in his chosen profession.
“At 24, you can only go so far,” Ibasco says. “Under corporate, you can’t really utilize the skills and specialties that you originally have. I’m always about looking at how can I further my position and education. You kind of see the difference between corporate and doing things more in a specialty-type studio. If you do not produce a certain amount, you probably will find yourself being transferred to another club. It was a lot of sales, sales, sales. It definitely taught me how to become a better trainer.”
Ibasco left 24 Hour to become the director for a group of small physical therapy and fitness studios, but not long after, he went out on his own. In 2009, with the economy at its lowest, Ibasco opened his own training studio, The Fitness Source in Las Vegas.
So far, the move has paid off. After the first year, The Fitness Source revenues have grown each year. In 2010, the company doubled its revenue and doubled its size from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet, Ibasco says. The company increased its earnings by 50 percent in 2011 and by 75 percent last year.
Although employees, including trainers, leave their employers every day, Ibasco is part of what some in the industry see as a growing trend of personal trainers who are leaving big box clubs either for other professions or to open their own studios. More than one fitness industry executive acknowledged a high turnover of trainers in clubs. Jay Del Vecchio, president and CEO of certification company World Instructor Training Schools, Virginia Beach, VA, estimates the annual attrition rate of trainers is around 80 percent at some clubs and says he frequently receives calls from club operators asking him for leads on trainers. Many trainers who are leaving clubs either are starting their own studios or are getting out of personal training altogether because they did not produce enough business, Del Vecchio says.
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Article - Wednesday, August 17, 2011
How to achieve a goal? – Mike Ibasco
Problems arise daily, excuses come and go as we please, but our health stays the same unless you do something about it.
You are not the only one who faces these challenges. Everyone has challenges, but what can you do to overcome it? Educating, mental toughness and action is what it takes to fire up ones motivation to get something done.
1- Brainstorm on goals you have in mind and narrow it down to a couple. Make your goals realistic and reachable so you wont have difficulty staying on track.
2- Be familiar with your timeline, as it paves your journey to accomplish your goals.
3- Understand the challenges you will face as and be familiar with the tools you can use.
4- Be mentally tough to ward out all the excuses and distractions.
5- Mirages happen when your goal is close by, so dont give in.
6- When you reach your goal, REWARD yourself!
- … then repeat again:) (be hungry and keep setting goals)