We recently connected with Danezion Mills and have shared our conversation below.

Danezion, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

I have been working as a personal trainer for 4 years. At first, I was at the mercy of a major gym where I was working all day training clients and only making $7.50 for every 30-min session. These sessions were never guaranteed, so while chasing down clients that belonged to the gym I would also end up driving for Lyft just to make rent. This left no time for me to pursue my own workouts to keep myself sane or set an example for my clients. It wasn’t until the pandemic that I realized I did not need a major gym to train my clients. It took some time, but after finding a way to load equipment into my car I was able to make over 4x’s as much as I did in the gym. It also helped keep my clients from feeling self conscious about training around so many people…especially during waves of heightened covid. I did not have to wait for other trainers to use certain equipment, I could meet my clients wherever/whenever they wanted, and make my own schedule. I felt in charge. It helped me to focus in on a smaller number of clients, while making more money, which left time for me to pursue my own fitness and other goals (for me, it’s acting). I could workout and train clients anywhere with just a foldable bench, adjustable dumbbells, resistance bans, and cardio equipment. But, my clients and I craved that heavy lifting and missed barbell workouts. So it got me thinking…

How can I create a way for other trainers to maximize THEIR sessions with their clients and get paid for it? How can I make it more CONVENIENT for them and their clients? How can I put the MONEY back into the trainer’s hands without having 70% of their revenue taken? Or their clients paying a membership fee plus their trainers rates? Lastly, how can I make it more convenient for people who crave a workout but can’t make it to the gym or hate being in crowded gyms or just enjoy working out near their home?

With so many pieces of home gym equipment coming out and the new wave of the sprinter van and me seeing a mobile barbershop a year prior…. I found the answer: I would create a way to have a full gym experience for trainers, their clients, and mobile members. So, I did my research to make sure no one had done this yet and I wasn’t stealing an idea. I found that the only place doing something similar was in the UK but with very minimal equipment. But they were franchising it to trainers. I would be renting it to trainers and providing a convenient way for gym goes to have access to a gym at all times, in all places. No one I found is doing it this way. Now, there can be no reason why you can’t peruse your health goals and fitness.

I’m excited about this because now trainers can have it all and so can gym goers, wherever/whenever you want with the Forever Movement Mobile Gym. From a foldable bench with squat racks to foldable cable machines, the gym is wherever want it to be. Mobile members can make an appointment at an hourly rate and the gym will be brought to their location with equipment needed ready to go. Trainers can rent the mobile gym at a daily rate and train however many clients they want wherever they want to train them.

Danezion, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hi, my name is Danezion Mills!

I am an Actor, Mental health coach, Personal Trainer and the Owner of ForeverMovement Mobile Gym! The mobile home gym that comes to you, wherever, whenever you need.

The gym for Personal trainers where they are in full control of their money, their sessions with their clients and most importantly….their time.

The Gym for Gym goers or people who want to workout but maybe intimidated by the gym, or have trouble going before or after work because no time or traffic (y’all know how it is in LA) or just downright tired. For a gym to meet them wherever they are, whenever they want. No more waiting for the bench and squat rack or other equipment. No more being hassled by gym employees to buy more than you need. You can have your own private gym, come to you…without it taking up space in your home.

I was a personal trainer at LA Fitness in Los Angeles where I worked sales first and then became a trainer. Talk about not knowing your worth. I was making $7.50 every 30min training the client while the gym made $55 every 30 min because they “provide the facility”. So as you can imagine, in LA…that was not enough to pay rent and bills….so I drove for Lyft and did other odd jobs, all while trying to be an actor. I never slept, couldn’t workout like I wanted and just overall over worked and underpaid.

So, to ensure and create a way trainers and gym goes to not deal with what I have or what I know other trainers and gym members are dealing with, I built a business plan to make a mobile gym. It took two years, a lot of research, a lot of patience, persistence and honestly…asking for help through Indiegogo. But I finally did it! Now with no hassle at all, trainers can rent the gym from me for just $15hr and do what they want with it! Even split the price with other trainers. And mobile members (gym goers) can reserve their hour gym delivery for $45 with discounts when you buy a subscription.

I can’t believe I actually built this because I’ve never attempted something like this before but that’s what my brand is about! Forever Movement…no matter how fast or slow, just keep moving because you will get there no matter what if you keep grinding. I want to inspire clients and trainers to just keep moving forward. It doesn’t matter at what pace because forward movement is forward progress! This is the new wave of gym fitness. This movement is forever and we want to empower people to take back control of their movement and their life and time!

We have often been at the mercy of big business who see us as numbers and not as people! Who see us as a way for them to stay in power while they give us scraps when we are the ones doing the work! Thanks to companies like lyft and Airbnb, we now get to make money in our own time with our own resources…well I’m inspired to do the same!!

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

When I was in high school…my brother got involved in some activities that forced us to move to a different area. I was not happy because I had to leave my friends and start over. And because we moved so much to different schools in the area, I was finally going to play football with all my friends in one place.

So when we moved to a different school, I was upset. But intrigued. I went to a school where there were fights and gang activity every day….so walking into this new school that resembled high school musical, peaked my interest! Although i rebelled for a while…I saw something my family didn’t…I saw opportunity. I saw a way to go to college and actually graduate without looking over my shoulder every day. I was so close to joining a gangs at my old school just so I had protection. Now, my options were football and acting, a country dance team ect.

So when my family decided to move back to our old neighborhood…I stayed. I first lived with my step brother before he got evicted and then my cousin who grew up there. After that ended…I ran out of places to go….soooo I did what I had to do. I went back to stay with my family but commuted to school every day. 45 min on the train 45 min on the bus and on the football field by 7:30am (this was Texas by the way so you know 7:30am meant be there by 7am)…so I would wake up at 3am so my step dad would drop me off at the train and off I went! Football/ then school/ then I would go to work at whataburger, then back on the bus/train by 11 and do it all over again for two months.

Finally…a friend invited me to stay in his guest room and I jumped at the opportunity because I was burned out at this point. Then one night turned to two, two turned to three and next thing you know…I’m sharing a room with my buddy and his family took me in. As the year went on…I found my place even more! Found out I was a good actor and got scholarshiped by a collage audition coach. So as I’m auditioning for collage (kind of mind blown I would be the first in my family to go) another blow to my life happened. On Christmas Eve while visiting my family…my mom and step dad got caught transporting marijuana to Arizona and were sentenced two years in prison. Luckily I had a place to go but my brothers and sisters did not. So after finding a place for them (my youngest brother and sister) with my aunt….I was more motivated than ever to change the cycle.

So I auditioned as much as possible and I found my school! Texas State University. I was going to get into the acting program no matter what! And I did (barely) I didn’t have the grades and I was always behind in my classes because of where I transferred. But by the grace of God, they accepted me on a talents admission…now was the money. I had none and no way of getting it…always an obstacle right but my motto was always…”just keep moving”. So I did…so much so, the whole community heard my story. Who I was and what I had been doing the past two years. So one day, I show up in a house full of people with money and gifts to help me pay for college. They raised over $5000 to pay for my room and board all through college! I was so emotional and thankful that all the sleepless nights traveling the city of dallas just to maybe have the opportunity to go to college and change my family cycle, had finally paid off! Not only did I have one bed now, I had a community of them! Each having a guest room with my name on it and a place in their heart for a kid…just trying his best!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I for two years had no idea how I was going to fund the mobile gym. I had planned so much but did not have the funds. But I had a friend give me the idea of crowdfunding. I had my hesitations because I didn’t want to ask for money for a business from people. It felt weird. But…looking back at my past…we all just need a little help…that’s why we are here…to help each other! So…I created an Indiegogo this past year and was overwhelmed with how many people believed in my dream! I raised just enough to get a head start and I am so thankful to those people because now I am fully operational

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.forevermovementfitness.com/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/forevermovement_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Youtube: https://youtu.be/EV3BluqUKXQ
• Other: https://www.canva.com/design/DAE5Jcf3U3w/Y-yndOERGHplTFWfFvWPmg/view?utm_content=DAE5Jcf3U3w&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=viewer https://forevermovementfitness.square.site/

Image Credits
Kel Walker Deirdre McCourt Becca Boonthanakit Kaleigh Koenig Costantino Ciminiello Caitlin Curl Mary Ann Buckley Johnny O’Neil