We were lucky to catch up with Dominique Edomwande recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dominique, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. If you had a defining moment that you feel really changed the trajectory of your career, we’d love to hear the story and details.

Before I started working in the fitness industry, I worked as an Account Executive at Oracle. Fancy job title but I really did sales. I sold Database, Analytics, and Security in my Canadian territory. We were in the mist of Covid with a lot of my accounts filing for bankruptcy or even closing all together. Oracle did not care and started putting a lot of pressure on the sales team to get their numbers up. My manager at the time was no help and I felt the company wasn’t providing any support while we were working for home. My mental health started to get affected and I realized that working a job just for a paycheck wasn’t it. I hated working at Oracle and realized I needed a change. So I decided to search from within and see what I was passionate about. I didn’t just want a new job that was going to allow me to pay my bills but I wanted a job that I was going to wake up every morning excited about. I needed to find my passion. Then it came back full circle, sports & fitness is my passion. I grew up a basketball star and ran track. I was training people on the side when I was working at Oracle but I never thought it could be a career path. I decided after going through my hard time at Oracle during Covid that I was going to make a leap to leave Corporate America and go pursue my dreams of being a fitness trainer. Sometimes you just need to make that leap of faith. I told myself I would excel and make more money than I did at Oracle. It was this defining moment that allowed me to see that you shouldn’t just work a job for a paycheck but you should find a job that you are passionate about. A job that you will wake up and be excited about. Now after leaving Corporate American a year ago I can say I made the best decision of my life.

Dominique, 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?

My name is Dominique Edomwande I was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio. I have two older brothers so I was always playing sports and running around with them. Therefore, I grew up a tomboy. I learned my discipline and drive in sports from my oldest brother Humphrey. Him and I would shoot hoops at my neighbors house right next door. Those shots in their yard was the starting point of my career within sports. As I grew older I was always in the gym working on my game running through drills. One day a young dad saw me in the gym and asked me if I could run his young daughter through some drills and I did. From there, I would train little kids in basketball and even started taking summer jobs and internships as a sports coach. I worked for at sports camp for my school, YMCA, I9 Sports, etc, just teaching young kids how to play different sports. I attended The Ohio State University, GO BUCKEYES! When I got to college people would always comment on my body physique as I walked around campus and asked me did I do body building competition. I would always laugh and respond no cause it was a typical questions people would ask me. I told people I just love to workout and before you know it people started asking me to train them, so I did. I would train people in college and make meal plans for them for free. I just enjoyed helping people out. I always wanted a career that was going to give back to people and change lives. Upon graduating I started my corporate career at Oracle and was there for 4 years.Oracle is what brought me out to Austin, Texas. In my 2nd year at Oracle I decided to get my CPT (certified personal trainer) to train clients on the side when I wasn’t working at Oracle. I started studying for my CPT (certified personal trainer) and got my certification in January 2019 and launched B.L.U.E 21 Training in April of 2019. B.L.U.E stands for Believe and Love U Everyday. From there I hit the ground running and trained clients in the morning before work and after when I got off. Fast Forward a year later everything came full circle when we were in the mist of Covid and I was stressed tf out over my job, draining myself each and every week. I asked myself “what are you passionate about, what do you love to do?” I pondered on that question for a little bit then realized when I was 14 years old in the gym running some young little girl through basketball drills that I had the time of my life and then I thought about all my training and sports experience. Then lightbulb went off and I said ” Yup sports and fitness I love, that’s my passion.” So I decided that I will no long jeopardize my mental health for a job I hate just to get paid. So I waited 1 more year and left in June 2021 to pursue my dreams in the fitness and sports industry. Now its been a year in some change that I have been working Full-Time as a Personal Trainer and Sports Performance Coach and I couldn’t be happier. This has been the best year of my life and my mental health is A1 back on track! I work with general fitness clients and athletes. I help women cut fat and build lean muscle mass so tone and define their bodies. I get them back to loving the bodies that they are in. I strive to instill in my clients self-love and confidence. I help athletes become stronger, faster, and more explosive within their specific sport. I take my athletes to the next level and help them achieve college scholarships. 3 of my clients in the past year that I have been training full-time have achieved full ride scholarships to Universities. My specialty is basketball athletes but I train various sports: football, track, soccer, and volleyball athletes. I train online and in person. I have a location in Georgetown, Texas I train out of and another location in Plfugerville, which is my garage gym. What sets me apart from others is that I’m not just your trainer. So I don’t just run you through workouts. I’m your mentor, your friend, you venting buddy, your therapist if you need it lol. I’m everything in one. I love my clients we all have close relationships. I pour into them not just with training and nutrition but life in general. I make sure their mental health is good, their personal lives are running smoothly, I ask them about their jobs, school, etc. It’s not just a trainer and client relationship. It’s about building bonds and developing great friendships with people. I want them to trust in me not just as their trainer but someone they can come and talk to about anything. And boy do I tell you my athletes always got stories for me. They trust me a lot and its great to help guide them through life as a young kids trying to develop into their own individual. That’s what I am most proud of, helping impact lives and guide people as they try to navigate through life. I get to help people and change their lives. That what the Lord wants me to do and I am happy that I am in a position to do so. I am more than just a trainer.

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

If I could go back I absolutely would choose the same profession. I am working within my passion and when you find your passion you stick to it and enjoy the ride. I have been enjoying this ride and don’t plan to get off of it anytime soon.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Building good relationship with the clients you have. A lot of my clientele comes from referrals. If you can pour into your clients and build good relationships while providing them with the best service they will tell others about you, then they will tell others about you, and so on. So your business will keep growing on its own. Word of mouth is the best strategy for growing your clientele. That’s good word of mouth not bad lol.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.blue21trainings.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/blue21training?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BLUE21TRAINING
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominique-edomwande/

Image Credits
-Paul Scott