We were lucky to catch up with Nik Daniel recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Nik, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us about a time where you or your team really helped a customer get an amazing result?

One of the most rewarding aspects of being a fitness coach is seeing lives literally transformed, both physically AND mentally. Nothing beats seeing that confidence instilled in a person, that sometimes, they may have never even had. I recently had a client reach a massive milestone of a one hundred pound weightloss. They are in their mid forties but have not had this degree of physical health and fitness since they were in their teens. To be able to assist my clients in reclaiming their health and vitality is a gift not only to them, but also myself.
It may sound like a cliche, but being of service to others in some way, is the greatest career you can ever take on.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started Purely Driven Fitness around 3 years ago after a life long passion for health and fitness led me in this direction. I had previously spent decades in the hospitality industry, in bar and restaurant management, but had grown increasingly disconnected and complacent about pursuing a career in that field any further.
Where once upon a time I dreamed of having my own bar or restaurant, I had spent years seeing owners of different establishments work 80 hour weeks, dealing with a high stress and toxic environment, and as a result, putting high demand on their health, both physically and mentally. It simply reached a point where I struggled with the idea of working even ONE MORE DAY in that environment.
Coincidently, around the same time that I was dealing with these feelings, Covid hit and single handedly shut down the restaurant industry temporarily.
I had already made plans to pursue a career as a fitness coach, but this definitely lit a fire inside of me and gave me the incentive to immediately make this happen!
I had already began the process of becoming certified through the National Academy of Sports Medicine ( NASM ) but Covid accelerated this process considerably.
By the end of 2019 I was ready to launch my business.
I had toyed with the idea of working out of an established fitness center but something told me that I should launch my very own business and forgo the idea of working for someone else. I knew it was a risk, but after decades of managing other peoples’ dreams, it was time to focus on what I wanted to do.
Upon launching Purely Driven Fitness, things took off WAY faster than I expected. If there is one thing I would change about the way I did things, it would be to be more prepared! I was not anticipating such a huge response in such a short amount of time. By the end of the year I was at full capacity for in-person clients and have pretty much remained that way for the past 3 years.
Since I was only able to take on a limited amount of clients to train in-person, I set about launching an online training component, which has become my primary focus. This way I can take on almost an UNLIMITED amount of clients, plus I can work with anyone, no matter where they are in the world.
The great thing about being an online fitness coach is it allows me to reach more people. Not just due to no limits on proximity, but because I am able to offer much more affordable options. In the past, personal trainers were seen as a luxury, a service that only the wealthy could afford. With online coaching, trainers become accessible to just about anyone. And I love that.
As far as the future goes for my business, I hope to continue to expand my online services, and perhaps add other coaches to work under the Purely Driven Fitness banner. I don’t believe there is a ceiling to what I do and I really just want to be able to reach as many people as possible.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Honestly, the best source of new clients for personal trainers has, and always will be, referrals, recommendations and reviews. It’s so easy to get caught up in social media and thinking that ‘I MUST post new content or my business will go under! ” but really, a very small amount of clients come from social media. It’s definitely enough to not abandon it completely, but referrals from current clients always paves the way.
In addition, google and yelp reviews can help tremendously too.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

A reputation in the fitness industry is always going to come from the ability to get your clients the results they want, in a safe and sustainable way. If you can’t do that, things will go downhill very quickly. Especially since client referrals are a huge part of attracting new clientelle.
If you client’s friends, family and co-workers are seeing the changes, then that helps establish a good reputation.
Nashville is a growing city but it still feels relatively small, and when people talk ( both good AND bad ) word travels fast, and your reputation can definitely be impacted by what people are saying.
So I always try and deliver on my client’s expectations and make sure thay are progressing towards their goals. I always try to ensure the training sessions are an enjoyable experience and that they feel like their money is well spent. I create a safe and secure atmosphere where a client can put their 100% trust in me.
A good reputaion is HUGE and not something I take lightly.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.purelydrivenfitness.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/purelydrivenfitness/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/purelydrivenfitness/

Image Credits
Josh Bethea Tanner Gallagher