We were lucky to catch up with Andria Van Mierlo recently and have shared our conversation below.

Andria, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?

I served as a St. Louis County Police Officer for 20 years. During my 20 year career as a police officer I worked under cover, intelligence, and special operations. I retired early in March of 2022 to pursue my fitness business full time. Fitness and training others was always something I did even while a police officer and it has always been my second career. I always managed to make my health and fitness a priority no matter what crazy shift I was working or what long detail I was assigned to.

Learning how to work around crazy work schedules and shifts is something that helps me today as a trainer with my clients. I know what it feels like to be sleep deprived and stressed out beyond belief. I know how I coped with those realities and today I help others do the same.

Additionally, it is important to note that I know how it feels to be so committed to a job or career that it completely consumes you making it hard to have time for anything else.

I was guilty of that as well. Police work was my life and I wanted to the be the best no matter what unit I was serving in. Having a job consume you like that takes it’s toll on a person especially when the reality sets in that in the end it is just a job. That was hard for me to accept,

Many times I feel like we are tied to a career or a job because that job is all we have to the point that it completely defines us and we feel like when it is no longer bringing us the joy it once did, we are stuck because that is all we know. We are miserable in a career we once loved, but are too scared to branch out and try something new or go all in on a new adventure.

The most important thing I learned from my amazing 20 year career as a cop is that it is ok to walk away and start over. It is necessary to take a risk to do something new. If you are willing to hustle and work hard and trust that God will take care of the rest you can start over and find the joy that you once lost. Walking away from a promising career was the hardest thing I have ever done, but the last few years being on my own running my own business and helping others daily has been absolutely worth the risk.

Andria, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

VM Fitline is the personal training/fitness business that I own with my husband Greg. We offer personal training, nutritional coaching, youth training, group fitness classes, and online training/nutritional counseling through our VM Fitline app.

We both have a fitness and a first responder background. Greg is still a full-time Police Sergeant./ Firefighter for the city of Des Peres and has been a first responder for over 20 years. I was a police officer for 20 years, and have been training others just as long.

Our business model and method of training is unique in that we have a broad background of experience. We are not your typical 20 something year old gym trainers. We are both in our upper 40s and have kept fitness a part of our lifestyle since we were 17 years old. We have a wide background of experience which allows us to help a wide range of clients with a variety of health and fitness goals.

We can help someone lose weight, put on muscle, train for a marathon, train for a body building show, run faster, prepare for a law enforcement or military academy and more because we ourselves have done these things time and time again.

Our clients range from ages 7-70. We have regular everyday soccer moms to clients with disabilities such as cerebral palsy. We have helped soldiers prepare for PFT exams and soon to be FBI agents pass their entry PT tests. We have helped hundreds of people become fitter and have taught them the skills they need to build healthy habits for a lifetime.

We love being able to say yes to anyone who wants help getting fitter, healthier, and ready for their goals.

We like that we can bring our own experiences to our clients. We have both done marathons, triathlons, ,and have passed a variety of PT tests for our first responder careers. We have both also competed in body building shows, and I am a nationally qualified Figure Competitor. We love that we have such a diverse fitness background because it has given us the knowledge and know how to help others accomplish these same goals.

We show our clients that anything is possible with the proper plan and execution. So many times we have worked with clients who said, “I can’t” and ended their journey with, “I did!” We want our clients to be successful and know they can be with the proper guidance, so we invest our time and energy into them because they deserve it!

Readers can learn about our story from our website vmfitline.com

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I made a a huge pivot in life about two years ago. I was a full time Sergeant in Special Operations on the police department and running my fitness business part time. I was out running and gunning during the day leading a team that went after some of the most violent offenders in the St. Louis area. During my off hours I was training clients . I was burning the candle at both ends.

Additionally, the department had undergone some major leadership changes. and I did not like where the department was headed. The mission of serving the people seemed to be getting lost and I was beginning to wonder if all the sacrifice was worth it. I had devoted my entire life to a career and was just now realizing that none of it mattered. I was miserable but scared to make a change.

I had been running my fitness business part time for about ten years. It was growing and going well and I had to decide if should go all in and leave police work behind once and for all. It was the hardest decision I ever made.

I had a promising career on the department, I was a supervisor in a highly regarded unit, but I was miserable. Leaving would mean no more steady pay check and a lot of unknowns. But I had to at least try. I knew I had never failed at anything I have tried to accomplish in the past, but this felt different. This would require my total trust in God.

It took many sleepless nights, many prayers to God, and a lot of support from my family. But finally in March of 2022 I decided I was done and left the PD to run my fitness company full time. It was a huge risk during a time when the economy was not the best. It was scary and hard but so worth it.

Almost two years in and I could not be happier. Yes it is a lot of work, but at the end of the day I am doing what I love and making a difference in many peoples lives. I am in control of the mission and the direction of the company. I am changing lives daily and I have never been happier.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

My business is completely run off of referrals. I don’t do any paid advertising. My reputation as a trainer and coach is what brings me clients. I think reputations are built over time and they are built 24/7. You can’t put on your business hat for 8 hours a day and go out and act like a fool the other 16 hours a day and expect to be respected and have a good reputation. Especially in the fitness industry.

As a female trainer and Figure competitor it would be easy to just do what others do and keep a steady stream of risque pics streaming on social media to build a “following”. But that is not how I wanted to do it and that is not the type of clientele I wanted. Having a huge following doesn’t mean you have a great reputation and the reputation piece is what is important to me.

I serve moms, dads, youth athletes, grandmas, and young adults who want to become cops and firemen and everything in between. Many time business owners forget who their ideal client is and then they forget that the ideal client is watching you 24/7.

They see how you carry yourself, what you post, how you interact with friends, neighbors, and family and they decide if you are right for them based on that whole big picture.

You can’t pretend to be someone your not for 8 hours of the day and expect your reputation to flourish in your industry.

That is something I understood from the beginning. You have to be real 100% of the time and you have to be relatable. I think the fact that I had a standard and kept it 100% of the time has helped me build my reputation.

People feel like they know me, and they are comfortable with that.

They know that the Andria on FB or Instagram is the same Andria they see in the gym, the same Andria that is teaching their kids how to run faster, the same Andria walking her dogs down the street.

I have integrity and I have lines that I won’t cross for “likes” or to simply build an online following. Sometimes people get too wrapped up on the online following and forget that what matters most is the people who are in front of you daily.

Contact Info:

• Website: vmfitline.com
• Instagram: @vm.fitline
• Facebook: Andria VM VM Fitline
• Youtube: VMFitline

Image Credits
stevensmithstudios graceandstrengthphotography LindsayReamsDesign