Today we’d like to introduce you to Christopher Moser.
Christopher, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was a late bloomer when it came down to working out, in fact I did not actively begin working out until I was 22. During that time my eating habits were horrible, I was overweight, and very inactive. In a couple of practice runs I tried doing some pull-ups and at that point it was apparent that I had a bit of strength. Things took its course from there and I fell in love with everything fitness related. Fast forward to 2014 I became a fitness coach. Prior to that I was working in the hospitality industry as a chef and studying at The American Academy of Personal Training located in Boston to become certified. My first jobs were at a WOW in Waltham and a YMCA in Dorchester. Both jobs were very shaky and did not pay much initially. Eventually things opened up at the YMCA and I went from having no clients and 12 hours to having a dozen clients, teaching 3 classes, and being the lead trainer. Things eventually came to an end when faced with hour cutbacks I decided to go Independent. I left everything behind and had zero clients at that point. Starting over new, and not really understanding how to RUN a true business I managed to pick up an additional 8 clients in under 6 weeks. I created a website myself from scratch, paid out of pocket to lease space at a fitness facility in Hyde Park, and maintained/ran everything in a professional manner. During a disagreement with the gym owner that nearly got messy in front of clients as well as club members I once again was in a position where I had to pick up and go or tolerate things that I knew I was better than. During the months of April I bided my time while renovating a garage that an associate of mine allowed me to rent. My plans were to convert it to a gym and train there. The garage was in horrible shape, everything from a lack of insulation, to part of the roof missing, as well as it being an absolute mess. Not to mention I had no equipment, flooring, or anything. I managed to pull things together and get it up and running. Although I knew that it was temporary because the lack of insulation would not hold up in the winter. So for the spring, summer, and into the fall I trained dozens of individuals out of my location while working various part-time jobs, and still attending school for business (I switched majors from exercise and science). With the winter approaching I knew that I would either have to leave the location and open something up or work on getting the studio winter ready. At the moment the finances would not permit me opening my own location after a failed attempt at obtaining a business loan. So my last shot was to make more renovations. Once again as stated the garage was very shabby, so I took it upon myself to add all sorts of insulation in the attic, sealing up the doors with plastic, as well as spray foam. None of that did the trick, it helped but it was still frigid. A friend of mine jokingly suggested getting a pellet stove, and I was for it. I invested in a pellet stove, installed it, and things were warm (warm enough you could say). All good things come to an end and in all honesty I wanted more, a better area, in addition to that the owner was foreclosing so I was going to have to leave in a matter of months. I shut the garage gym down, picked up a job training at a gym in Allston, and continued to train a handful of clients on the side. Throughout all these years I was constantly revising my business plan as well as looking into ways to secure financing. I applied for a business loan again after having 3 years on the books filing taxes and two of them actually making a profit. Once again I was denied, so I went into a frenzy applying to ANY and EVERY lending organization known to man. A week later I got approved for a loan, and a couple weeks after that another. I was a late bloomer when it came down to working out, in fact I did not actively begin working out until I was 22. During that time my eating habits were horrible, I was overweight, and very inactive are now being used to kick start DreamFit Boston, an all-women’s fitness studio. DreamFit Boston is slated to open mid-late July 2018.
Has it been a smooth road?
A majority of the setbacks were listed in the previous summary, although there were many more lol.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
What I specialize in is Judgement free health and wellness. I want to help the little guy/gal who is intimidated, who is really out of shape, but who is hungry for a change. As a competitive bodybuilder I notice that in certain instances fitness coaches can be very out of touch and strictly about money as opposed to helping people. I like to move differently, I want to help people who are at risk, and the people who have anxiety due to their body image. Being that I recently lost my mother at the age of 61 to practically a vegetative from a severe stroke in 2015 my ambitions is to save lives. I watched my mother allow her health to decline by doing things that are deemed acceptable. To eat processed foods, take-out daily, and work long hours. None of her time was dedicated to fitness even with the fact that she had diabetes and hypertension. These are the types of people that need the most help. I feel that is what sets us apart. We are also very educated and professional with what it is that we do. We offer the perfect balance of being caring, attentiveness, innovation, patience, and flair when needed (because at the end of the day working out is a chore to most as it stands so the least we can do is make it fun!). I’m proud of the experience in between me and my peers that we offer, far too often in the industry the business tends to go to the ”Flashiest” individual who doesn’t care much to help. We may have abs, but that doesn’t define us, we may be super strong, but that also does not define us, we may eat clean for long periods of time, but once again that does not define us: What defines us is that we are Human.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Boston is an Amazing place for fitness. You would think that because it is really cold a portion of the year that most people would be out of shape due to not wanting to get out. I find that to be the contrary and we have some of the most educated and health conscious people in the world here. Unfortunately our city is behind in “independent fitness studios”. Therefore the options for people are extremely limited to the commercial gyms and some really great gyms that are outside of Boston. I have noticed a few cool places popping up, although nothing concrete and certainly nothing beyond the downtown area that is offering much variety but still providing that one on one touch.
Contact Info:
- Address: 246 Grove St.
- Website: www.dreamfitboston.com
- Phone: 6176372690
- Email: christophernjoku@dreamfitboston.com
- Instagram: trufitness617
- Facebook: itstrufitness
Image Credit:
Hollywood Sultan
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