We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brandi Ruffin a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Brandi thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

I created my fitness profile back in 2018 to hold myself accountable and track my progress. It was also an opportunity for me to join into the fitness world and meet others who enjoy doing the same thing ! For years I’ve been playing around with the idea of being a personal trainer I’ve even taken on a few clients in my own time just because they were looking for fitness help but I never really took it seriously. I was back and forth about pursing a career as a personal trainer because i was scared about losing my love for fitness by making it a job. But also because i was nervous about putting myself out there. I take pride in my knowledge and i wanted to learn as much as a could before hand. I decided to take the chance i applied to work for OneLife fitness did my two interviews and was hired to start once i passed my exam, i studied so hard and i scheduled my exam for 11/19 and i passed. The best advice i could give to anyone right now is the only person stopping you from your success is yourself. Never be afraid to put yourself out there.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started college in 2014 with no career in mind or even a plan for the future. I was hoping being apart of that community would help me find my way and it didn’t. I changed my major 3 times. The only thing I knew was that I wanted to help people but just wasn’t sure how. In 2018 I moved to Atlanta, GA with my now husband where I found my love and passion for health and fitness. I started my fitness Instagram as a recommendation from my best friend and the rest is history. I felt so empowered being apart of the fitness community and my love continued to blossom. I finished college in July 2021 with my degree in exercise science. Even though my path wasn’t straight forward I am so grateful it worked out the way it did. I never want to stop learning about how the body works and functions. I want to continue to impact the community and share my knowledge with others.

I am currently a personal trainer, who will be continuing my career and become an occupational therapist. I currently work in a physical therapy clinic where I’ve gained a lot of insight on people and how exercise can improve the quality of life. I am using the knowledge I accumulated in school and the clinic to create programs for my clients to help them reach their fitness goals effectively and safely.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If i could go back in time i definitely would have chosen the same profession ! If anything I would have picked it years sooner. My number one Goal since I was a kid was to find a job that didn’t feel like a job. Of course we all know work is work but to be able to go to work now and feel fulfilled in my everyday tasks is a feeling i never want to lose again.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

Besides training/knowledge it’s super important for trainers to have patience, compassion, and a love for the craft. Let’s be real, anyone can be a personal trainer if you read the book and pass the test but having a love for fitness shows in all of the work that you do. It shows in your programs is shows in your work ethic it shows when you are talking to your clients and giving them that knowledge and information. Training clients in general requires lots of patience. A good trainer will always prioritize safety before numbers ! I would not have a client go out into the weight room to lift 100 pounds with a barbell before they can even do a regular body weight squat with proper form ! Taking your time with you client and showing them the ropes of the basic movements before the heavy lifting is key. It’s important to be patient with them as they are learning

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Itsgoldennfitness

Image Credits
📸 @ jordanviision