Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Danny Hirtler. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Danny, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’re complete cheeseballs and so we love asking folks to share the most heartwarming moment from their career – do you have a touching moment you can share with us?
Years ago, when I first started as a trainer in Nashville, I had a guy come in to work with me. He was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, but he was very much struggling with his weight. When we went to do an initial assessment the scale wouldn’t register him, so we were never quite sure where the starting point was but we knew it was high so we went to work. It was very slow at first but every little bit counts. At first we struggled with getting his eating habits in check, but after a while he realized that it just wouldn’t happen without so I set him up with a dietician. That’s when the pounds really began to come off. I distinctly remember the day he dropped below 300. We hugged and celebrated and then kept on working. Another big milestone was the day he did his first pushups. He didn’t think he could do it when I asked him to but he got down and to his surprise he was able to do ten without stopping. He jumped up, hugged me, and fist pumped.
After a few years of working together I moved to Atlanta and we said a very teary eyed goodbye. I will never forget the impact we had on each other’s lives. He went from someone who barely took a thousand steps a day to a guy who mountain bikes as a hobby.
Danny, 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?
I’m a personal trainer and group fitness instructor based here in Atlanta. I’m originally from Vienna, Austria but have been in the States since 2004. I got into the fitness industry after years of just aimlessly meandering from job to job, usually in sales, and hating all of them. In 2014 I was working on the road as a traveling salesman based out of Charlotte, NC and completely burnt out on it. I knew I had to make a change. After wracking my brain I realized that I love helping people as well as working out, so why not put the two things together and become a fitness professional? I quit my sales job, took a part time job delivering pizzas, signed up for my NASM (National Academy of Sport’s Medicine) course, and went to work. It wasn’t glamorous, but after months of studying I passed my exam and relocated to Nashville. I started working as a trainer right away at a small little 24 hour gym. The pay was miserable and the client load light, but it was a start. After a few months I was working at 5 different places, driving all over the city to piece my income together. Over the next few years I was able to grow my business and narrow the places I was working at down to 2, the city’s premiere boutique gym, and the Jewish community center. After 4 years in Nashville, I relocated to Atlanta to continue growing my business.
I provide my clients with a number of services, but the thing I like to stress the most is that I’m a Personal trainer, not someone who provides a one size fits all approach. I take the time to listen to my clients, what their goals are, what their limitations are, what their likes and dislikes are, and take it all into consideration when creating a training program that will get them to their goal safely and efficiently.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
I think the most important quality to have as a personal trainer is that you have to be a people person. You have to be love helping people and be genuinely interested in what they have to say. I like to say that you can be the most knowledgeable trainer in the world, but if people don’t want to spend time with you, you’re not going to have a business. I think what I bring to the table is empathy and genuine care for people.
Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?
I absolutely would choose the same profession over again. Being in the fitness profession feels like I finally found my calling. I get to help people live a better life, and even on my worst day of work I still get to show up in gym clothes.
Contact Info:
- Website: dannyhirtler.com
- Instagram: @dannyhirtler
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyhirtler/