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

Jonathan, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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 always struggled with my weight as a child and young man. When I had my son, I found I had gained 60 lbs during the pregnancy and needed to change my life for the better t0 be a good example to my son. I worked with an older gentleman at the time named Richard Crater who was 52 and absolutely buff, super muscular and a charming guy! I wanted to be like this guy in a lot of ways and so he inspired me to begin my actual true journey to better myself. After 6 months I had lost all 60 lbs and was in the best shape of my life. When I had accomplished this, my friends asked me how I accomplished it and I loved to talk a bout it! It turns out I love to help others and when they would ask me advice I would happily hand over my super elementary food program I had developed and a workout program I had learned from reading Arnold Swarzenneger Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. I then just stayed in the gym and studied any information I could get, learned over years from some amazingly talented trainers, leaders and fitness professionals. Then I was confident enough to start personal training on the side while I continued my IT career which I did not love. As I got better at changing my clients’ lives, I wanted to do this on a grander scale, so I began to explore opening my own gym. It definitely is a problem our entire country has as we have become sedentary with Netflix and Instagram and Mcdonalds on every corner. It was one of the most exciting things I have done is open my gym and begin to help others on a grand scale!

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

I am a personal trainer now for 15 years. I began by just asking the right people for advice on how to become better at fitness and then wanted to learn how to teach fitness myself. I asked a friend who was a personal trainer if I could watch him train others so I can learn how to do it. Luckily his clients did not mind me standing there watching them workout and him teach them how to workout and me asking questions on why he does things the way he does. It was an outstanding education into fitness and leadership. I then was able to start telling my friends and coworkers if they wanted personal training I was now offering it, and so began my journey into helping others. Currently I own Ventura Fit Body Boot Camp where we give 30 minute workouts and nutrition guidance. We teach personal training in a group environment and also one on one nutrition coaching along with habit coaching. But more importantly, we give mentorship on habit changing and how to sustain your fitness journey forever and be successful. The difference between us is the coaching we offer, the mentorship, the community we have is very close and special and also the results we get are beyond any place around here! We are so very proud of the lives we have changed and I am so proud of the business I have built on helping others.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Definitely it is simple to say that what has brought me the success I have found so far is being generous with advice, time, energy and giving extra to each member. Knowing each member by name, knowing their injuries, their goals and pushing them towards their goals on an individual basis is definitely a reason why I think we have a good reputation. You have to show that you care for your clients, that your interaction is relational, not transactional.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

I have found through a previous employer who had a very successful operation: Use a servant leadership philosophy. Every business has tangible financial, tangible and human assets. The financial and the tangible assets do not matter without the human assets. You take care of the human assets, the rest will take care of itself. So I have learned that you should teach your team how to do their job so well, give them all the tools and education to kill it in their position and then let them run! Do not stand in their way and over manage them. Ask them what you can do for them t make their jobs better or easier, as this is how you foster leadership in your own team and OWNERSHIP.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fitbodyventura.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/venturafitbodybootcamp/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/venturafitbodybootcamp
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC93CEqjMledVbw9rLZDBbrg
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ventura-fit-body-boot-camp-ventura

Image Credits

FITZ ENTERTAINMENT