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IG: Coach.madds Become a personal trainer and get certified for life SUF-CPT

Ever wondered what it takes to open your own gym at just 23 years old? Coach Mads shares her extraordinary journey from battling anorexia as a teenager to becoming a successful gym owner with a thriving boutique fitness business.

The path wasn't straightforward. After getting her ISSA certification during COVID when gyms were shuttered, Mads discovered the stark gap between textbook knowledge and real-world application. "You get into the real-life gym and you're like, what the heck am I doing? I don't know how to apply this at all," she reveals with refreshing honesty. This experience shaped her determination to create something better.

Moving 2,000 miles from Canada to Washington, Mads worked briefly at the YMCA before taking a leap that most trainers wait years to attempt – opening her own facility. Her 2,000-square-foot private boutique gym now serves a clientele that's 90% women, providing a safe haven from the judgment often felt in traditional gym environments. "We're trying to break that stigma with our gym," she explains, describing how every potential member must meet her personally before joining.

What makes Mads' approach particularly savvy is her focus on multiple revenue streams – independent trainers paying rent, personal training services, memberships, and potential future additions like supplements and merchandise. This diversification strategy provides crucial stability in an industry where 81% of gyms fail within five years.

The challenges of solopreneurship weigh heavily at times. "Being a solopreneur is one of the hardest parts because I do everything myself," Mads admits. Yet she's tackling this by building a reliable team and creating systems that don't require her constant presence, with plans to expand into a collaborative wellness space including other health professionals.

Perhaps most inspiring is her mindset toward entrepreneurial risk: "I don't give myself a Plan B because that means you have to make Plan A work." This unwavering commitment exemplifies why she's succeeding where many others falter.

Are you ready to take control of your fitness career? Subscribe now and learn how determination, strategic thinking, and refusing to accept failure can transform your entrepreneurial dreams into reality.

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