Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ralph. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ralph, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.
When I decided to move out of my mother’s house and into a new neighborhood fully on my own, I ended up meeting one of my neighbors that really changed what it meant to be a trainer for me. I had been living there for about 8 months and I converted my garage into a private gym for my typical clients. My neighbor had just moved in and noticed that many individuals would come exercise with me. He was in a boating accident that left him with no lower extremity motor function and at first he just wanted to get stronger. It lead me to more extensive research and self-development. It really opened my eyes further to serving others with the gifts and skills that I had as a trainer. It inspired me to be more willing and more selfless in my approach to working with individuals. Through working with him, getting him to work on standing, being able to do pull ups, and bench pressing his own body weight. His progress has echoed to others in similar circumstances. Through that word of mouth, individuals now can have a trainer in me who is willing to work with them and not be afraid of limitations. Fast forward to today, I’m serving individuals of all bodies in ways I’ve never imagined. With a skill set that has been refined through interactions and experiences. The lesson in this for me is that you can never know the entire trajectory of what your career may look like and sometimes you need to be thrusted in an opportunity that may only present itself to you once you acquired the heart for it.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Ralph Nazaire and I’m from New York but now live in South Florida. When I graduated high school I stopped playing organized sports but really wanted to help others in finding their footing with a regular routine of exercise. Most of that stemmed from being around a culture that struggles with diabetes, cholesterol, and heart disease. I wanted to play a positive role by impacting people who dealt with conditions directly affected by physical activity.
My job is to serve individuals of all walks and body types to improve all aspects of what defines fitness for them. And how I do that is by meeting them right where they are. I think there’s nothing like actually serving someone and no just doing it because it is your obligation. Sometimes impacting an individual can look like simplifying the process of having to make their own workout everyday. I have an app where I personalize workouts, create and provide habits for an individual to follow along daily to help eliminate the hassle of having to know what to do for your wellness and when you step into the gym.
I also host small group workouts to help individuals find community and camaraderie in accomplishing hard tasks together.
I also work with corporate companies to promote productivity, improve health, morale, workplace efficiency, and many more benefits with team fitness exercise.
One thing I am most proud of is seeing my own growth as a trainer. Being able to see myself work with professional athletes at the highest level to working with adolescence, individuals with disabilities, the elderly population, all within the same room at the same time. Creating an environment that can support everyone.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Just about three years ago I tore my Achilles and as a trainer that might actually be an “Achilles Heel” if you don’t have the proper tools to persevere. I always say that if you were playing a game of dominoes at the table and you were dealt a “bad hand”. Would you still play or would you just call it quits. I’ve felt that I would always play with whatever hand that I was given because truthfully I’m still in the game, so why not. The Achilles tear was just another obstacle. Although yes, it was really hard to deal with, from being immobile and having to wait for the body to heal, knowing that you currently cannot physically do the things you once could as an athlete. I thank God for the lesson in that time because it pushed me to look inward at my value to serving people and allowed me to find a position to pivot. It gave me a moment to really develop a digital approach to providing my clients with efficient workouts. I knew that the sun would shine again and there would be an opportunity for me to run again even if it would take time. It definitely taught me to take my time and self-reflect, develop.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
I believe that building trust and relationships is probably the most important thing in any field but for sure as a trainer. There’s nothing like having a clientele base that trusts you to lead them on a journey to their goals. This makes it easier for them to stay consistent because you are able to have clear communication. They lean on you and are able to commit to your program which makes everything worthwhile. I believe that it also forces you to set a standard and having integrity. Really holding yourself accountable.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: E.zaire_
