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

Hi Maricris, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?

Getting into the fitness industry came as a natural transition as an athlete. Volleyball was my main sport that I continued on to play collegiately. It was during my collegiate years that social media began to rise in popularity, and I had shared a lot of my collegiate experiences. I found that by organically sharing my athletic experiences my friends and family began to identify as someone with fitness expertise. They began to ask me questions on how I could help them with their fitness journey. This planted a seed in my head that this may be a future opportunity for me. Years after I graduated with my bachelors and masters in Communications, I decided to pursue a personal training certificate. I felt that I couldn’t accept any other job until I gave it a shot to see if I enjoyed this field. After my first mock training session, I realized I loved the potential work I could do with future clients. I fell in love with the idea of being able to transform someone’s life in such a healthy way.

The path to working for myself took many twists and turns. I want to preface that when you’re first starting out, it can feel all over the place, but as I look back on all my experiences I recognize how those experiences allow me to make a unique mark within the fitness industry. I got my start as a trainer working at the Disney lot in Burbank, while working as a bartender part-time. I then became an opening trainer at Crunch Fitness. Full transparency, there was a point where I was making below what I used to at Crunch Fitness that I decided if I left and charged a minimum to build up clients I’d be in the same position financially, but now I’d be able to work for myself.

This was a turning point for me. It was recognizing what I really wanted to do. You can look at situations with various perspectives. You can look at it as a struggle and complain, or you can recognize you’re struggling, but also surviving, so why not take another leap. My leap was to leave, and I started my own business with 3 clients who wanted to stay with me. I had this new fire to make this work so I did everything I could to promote myself. I also reached out to friends and family and offered free sessions. I had a few of them jump on as clients.

The next goal was to be able to leave my job working part-time as a bartender, and then solely focus on personal training. I created a Yelp page and asked clients for reviews. I put out ads for cheaper sessions, and as I built up clientele, I slowly raised my prices. It was a steady journey, but I promised myself once I reached a certain amount of clients I would leave bartending. It was an exhilarating, and scary feeling to realize it was all on me to bring in income, but I remembered I could always find ways to make extra money if needed. It’s now been over 6 years and I haven’t looked back.

It was a very humble start, and it still remains that today, but there’s no better feeling than working towards your dreams than someone else’s. It’s learning how to be resourceful. It’s about learning when to ask fo help. It’s about discipline when you’re not feeling motivated. Most importantly, it’s about remembering that anything is possible with a plan, but also knowing when to take messy action. Never forget that every successful person has a Day 1, and while it may have been better to start something years ago, the next best time to start is TODAY…don’t overthink it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am a NASM Certified Personal Trainer with a diverse background as a corporate worker, athlete, and model. All of these experiences, in addition to me recognizing the true day-to-day realities of my clients has also shifted me into the role of a wellness coach. My mission is to inspire you to MOVE to be STRONG IN LIFE! I’m here to remind you what fitness journey represents. It’s not about aesthetics, but the truly valuable gifts of health and wellness.

It’s about enjoying life to the fullest. Get out there and experience life! Go travel!

It’s about spending time with your loved ones to create memories that last a lifetime. Tomorrow isn’t promised.

It’s about never having to hold back because you don’t feel at your best. Being able to move and play like you did as a kid.

It’s the freedom to enjoy life on your terms!

Remember, it’s not about perfection, it’s about progression. Be kind to yourself. Love yourself. Always seek growth and to keep a healthy mindset. Life ebbs and flows, and so do you and your goals. There is no better time than now to prioritize YOU. Don’t let change and being uncomfortable scare you. It’s just one step at a time. The best things are on the other side of consistent effort. You got this! I believe in you.

My passion for movement and traveling has inspired my brand Move with Maricris, where I share online workouts at beautiful destinations, as well as in-person pop-up workout events in international destinations.

In addition to my own brand work, I have collaborated with brands such as NASM, Nike Training Club, Re-Spin by Halle Berry, Adidas, Reebok, and Oxygen, and Beachbody.

My most recent fitness venture is with Chris Hemsworth‘s training app – Centr.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Taking time to do things that you love and connecting with people. When you’re in these environments that inspire you, you’d be surprised where inspiration hits. It can be easy to get caught up in business strategy, for example, but sometimes your key to success can come from a real conversation of someone experiencing your service. It’s not always as complicated as it seems.

If you could go back, would you choose the same profession, specialty, etc.?

I definitely think I would choose the same profession based on my educational journey. The ironic thing is I started as a Kinesiology major, and ended up switching to Communications. While it would’ve been nice to have that knowledge coming out of school, I’ve been able to gain that knowledge over the years through continuing education. I don’t regret my path because my communications education has helped me significantly with creating my business, and understanding marketing, and more. This is why I can’t stress embracing all of your experiences. Nothing is ever wasted. Sometimes that experience that seems like a “waste” is what will make you uniquely qualified for something in the future.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.maricrislapaix.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maricrislapaix/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MaricrisLapaix/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maricrislapaix/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/maricrislapaix?lang=en
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-e4tM2LZWXZPnbC_ADO89w
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/maricris-lapaix-personal-training-fort-lauderdale-2

Image Credits
Ric Tapia Nikki Dalonzo