Today we’d like to introduce you to Mara Machado.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
From the time I was young, I always knew I wanted to do something that would help others. I wasn’t sure what my path would be, but I was always sure of my goal. I grew up in a very small town in Brazil. When I was young I developed a passion for fitness. I loved to exercise because I loved the way it made me feel, and from an early age, I knew I wanted to build a career in fitness. Ultimately that inspired my decision to move from the small town where I grew up to São Paulo. I took the first step on my journey by earning my Pilates certification and Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Training at City University.
After graduation, I was I ready to make a big change, so I made the difficult decision to leave home and move to Boston. It was not an easy move. I had to learn English, become comfortable with a new culture, find a place to live and build my career. I learned quickly that my extensive education was not enough to succeed in the U.S., so I pursued certification as a physical trainer by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
When I was working at a local gym, I met Evan Witt, one of the founders of the TrainWithMe app. Evan and his partner, Michael Bressler, developed the TrainWithMe app to enable personal trainers to develop professional online training relationships with clients. Using the app, trainers can send personalized video workouts, chat with clients and monitor their clients’ compliance to ensure accountability. I realized that taking my career online would open up a whole new world of opportunity, so as soon as I heard about TrainWithMe, I knew it was what I looking for.
My goal has always been to help people, and TrainWithMe gives me the ability to do that by allowing me to quickly and easily reach new clients. Since joining the TrainWithMe network, I am able to maintain my existing personal relationships with Boston clients, and I also have clients located around the world who I train daily via the app. I am inspired every day when I meet my neighborhood clients and use TrainWithMe to chat with clients who are feeling better and reaching their fitness goals as a result of my services.
I feel a great sense of accomplishment knowing that I can help so many people. Best of all, because TrainWithMe allows me to reach more clients than word of mouth and traditional gym affiliations, I have been able to attain greater financial success since joining the online training network. When I’m not working, I spend time doing different kinds of volunteer work.
About a year ago I started volunteering with ShapeUp Somerville to help educate the Portugese-speaking community about maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and now as a ShapeUp Somerville community researcher, I run focus groups designed to help improve food quality and promote healthy diets. I also volunteer with the Boston Celtics to help raise money charitable causes.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Language was a tremendous challenge when I first moved to Boston. Since I knew very little English, it was hard communicating with people as I settled into everyday life.
Professionally it was not easy to learn personal training terminology in English, but most of all, it was difficult to meet potential clients and demonstrate my expertise. As I became fluent, it was much easier to demonstrate that I could help potential clients achieve their fitness goals. I gained the confidence I needed to prove my expertise and build a career, and I developed a loyal client base, but it took a lot of time and dedication to get there. At times my cultural shift seemed impossible to overcome, but I knew what I wanted and I was determined to make it happen.
Looking back, I’m proud that I pushed through the challenge because the experience made me a much better personal trainer. I understand what it is like to face real challenges, and I can relate to my clients when they struggle to find the motivation to reach for their wellness goals. I am a better coach because of my experience, and although it was difficult, I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about TrainWithMe App – what should we know?
I am a NASM-certified personal trainer. I teach group exercise classes, offer one-on-one personal training to clients in Boston, and provide online training services via the TrainWithMe app. I am an expert in corrective exercise training, and many of my clients depend on me to help them alleviate pain that develops from injuries or aging. I work with clients who have health challenges like hypertension and diabetes, but I also help healthy people stay in shape so they can stay healthy and prevent injury.
I am most proud of my ability to help make personal training affordable and accessible using the TrainWithMe app. I started my career in personal training because it allowed me to combine my two passions: fitness and helping people. When I left my home in Brazil, it was hard, but I knew I needed a change and I knew I could do more if I left my comfort zone. I never expected that I would meet the developers of a cutting-edge app and that technology would play such a big role in my career, but now that I’m working with TrainWithMe, I feel like I can influence an unlimited audience that I never thought I would be able to reach. I feel like I’ve found my path and I’m on the way to achieving the big goals I’ve always dreamed of.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
First, I would like to thank my father for encouraging me to always follow my dreams and my entire family for supporting my journey and encouraging me to do what makes me happy. Thanks to Evan Witt for bringing me on board as a TrainWithMe trainer, which pivoted my career in a very exciting direction that I never expected.
Thanks to Colin Comee for helping me build my personal training business at Top Floor gym and for collaborating with me as a TrainWithMe personal trainer. And of course, I would not want to miss the opportunity to thank my loyal clients for helping me build my personal training business locally in Boston as well as worldwide via the TrainWithMe app. I could not be where I am today without their support!
Pricing:
- TrainWithMe personal training packages with Mara start at $100/month
Contact Info:
- Address: 2 Avenue de Layfaette Floor 4 Boston, MA 02111
- Website: www.TrainWithMeApp.com
- Email: info@trainwithmeapp.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trainwithmeapp/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Trainwithmeapp/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/TrainWithMeApp
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