We were lucky to catch up with Doug Murphy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Doug, appreciate you joining us today. Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

I’ve been fortunate to have had several amazing bosses!

Carol Eckhoff was the best boss I ever had. Smart, tough, no nonsense but with a great sense of humor, compassion and a real desire to help people.

It was my first job as a fitness instructor at a health club. I was very enthusiastic but also occasionally reckless. One day she yanked me into her office and gave me the *ss chewing of a lifetime, letting me know that if I ever did something that stupid again I would be out the door. Needless to say, the message got through! The experience taught me that I needed to be constantly learning and expanding my knowledge to be the best trainer I could possibly be, and to not be afraid to ask for help or advice if I didn’t know something.
Carol was also the toughest workout partner I ever had (1 minute dips and chin-ups)?? I’ll never forget a Sunday leg workout at the gym. I had been out late on Saturday night, and looked a bit worse for wear. She had no sympathy-I thought I would puke a couple times, but I made it through!

Michael Glenner owned Sound Body Wellness in Chicago, and I was a part-time trainer for him while I worked full time at Life Fitness. When I made the decision to leave Life Fitness and start my own company, I sat down and talked to him about it. He agreed to let me continue training clients for him while I built up my own client base. This enabled me to make a smooth transition to self-employment, and gave me a safety net while I established myself. This type of arrangement is very rare in the fitness world, and it speaks volumes about Michael’s character and generosity. He taught me so much in the time I worked for him, pushed me to teach my first group fitness classes, and set me up with some of the most fun clients I’ve ever worked with (Tony and John)! I was so blessed and fortunate to have such an amazing mentor.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

How did I get started in fitness?

I’d like to give a big thanks to a great friend that got me started on this career path, Richard Lindley. He saw a help wanted listing in the career center at our college, and told me he thought I would be perfect for the position. That ad let to my first job as a fitness instructor at Executive Hills Nautilus in Overland Park, KS. I didn’t know it at the time, but this would be the start of many things to come. Richard also gave me the nickname Doug Decathlon, which stuck for many years. He had several people convinced that was my real name, and loved to introduce me to people this way!

what type of products/services/creative works I provide?

I train clients all over the world using FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, and Messenger Video. I also do online wellness seminars for companies, where I take questions from the participants and tailor the information toward what they need and the problems they are experiencing. I enjoy giving people advice and simple tips they can put into action to live better.

what problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others?

My goal is to make training accessible for everyone- no matter where you live, your income, or current fitness level. I believe my biggest impact has been in helping people struggling with pain and muscle imbalance issues. The look on a client’s face when they tell my they no longer have lower back pain, a frozen shoulder, or knee issues is priceless. Helping a person in pain is the most rewarding part of my work. The absence of chronic pain enables them to lead a more active and joyful life.

I think what sets me apart from others is communication skills. I can’t tell you how many clients have come to me over the years after they felt their current trainer wasn’t getting results for them. I’ve found in most cases, the trainer may have been doing a good job, but they didn’t make their client aware of the progress they were making. Listening is key! Your
client will tell you everything you need to know if you just listen.

Proper communication is key to retaining clients as well. Your client may understand how to do an
exercise, but do they know why? Why is it important? How does it fit into their program? What benefit
will they get out of it?

I had a client show up depressed at a session one day. She felt like she wasn’t making any progress or
getting stronger. Luckily, I always do fitness testing and keep track of progress every session. I was able
to show her a major reduction in bodyfat, increases in strength, and exercises that she was able to do
now that had been impossible when she first started. She left that session on top of the world!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been counted out over the years. I once had a doctor tell me that I would never be able to lift weights or workout again (that was 1997). Obviously he was wrong!

I had to take time off for a microdiscectomy surgery in 2001 and foot surgery in 2017. These seemed like negative situations at the time, but I came back stronger and with new business opportunities. After the experience I had with excruciating back pain from a herniated disc, I made it a mission to help others in pain. It’s become one of the biggest parts of my business! The foot surgery in 2017 was the beginning of my online training business. I wasn’t able to drive for 8 weeks, so I started doing online sessions with my clients to keep them on track. I grew this to 50% of my business, and I was well prepared when the pandemic started. Today my business is almost 100% online!

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

I’ve had great word of mouth and referrals from my clients. I always remember the golden rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. I’m always on time, professional, and results driven. I have a passion and enthusiasm for what I do, and enjoy motivating and encouraging people to do their best. I think this is why I have one of the best client retention rates in the industry, and why former clients come back for more training.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://dsmfitness.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsmfitness/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSMFitnessLLC/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Doug-DSMFitness-OnlineTrainer/videos

Image Credits
Photos by Denis Largeron and Souleye Cisse Video Stills from Alejandro Rivera and Costa Rica Cinematography