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

Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. Looking back, what’s an important lesson you learned at a prior job?

During the start up of my journey as a personal trainer I actively was pursuing a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University in supply chain management. Fast forward a few years after starting up powerlifting coaching and personal training, I got my first real world job at DHL Express as an operations supervisor. Very grateful for the opportunity, I made GREAT money out of college and was given an opportunity to grow as a leader and prove myself. I worked for just under a year at DHL before I decided to ultimately leave my job. I had a lot of people doubt my decision and for a decent amount of time afterwards, I doubted my decision too. The most important less I learned is the importance of taking action > everything. If it were not for the belief in myself to succeed no matter what I would have stayed at DHL and within the business world living with regret, living a life I was unhappy with. Because I decided to take action, instead of wait, to make an active effort to pursue purpose, I am in the situation I am in now, the most confident direction and sense of purpose I have ever felt: finishing my master’s at Michigan State University in rehabilitation counseling, heading to the University of Tennessee Knoxville in the fall to continue my graduate studies in sport’s psychology – all while actively growing and working as a business owner. None of this would have been a reality for me if I didn’t put the ball in my own court and take the actions I did to head in the direction I am heading. I didn’t sit around waiting for things to get better, I took things into my own hands, took action and increased my likelihood of success. If you have a vision, dream or something you want to accomplish, I urge you to take action. You never know the opportunities and doors you may open up by working hard and gaining new experiences and connections.

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 current powerlifting coach and personal trainer, graduate student at Michigan State University and student intern at Peckham, Inc. I am someone who has many passions, all with the same goal and purpose: to help people become the best versions of themselves and provide guidance and leadership to navigate through troubles and problems that arise within their lives. I got into the coaching and training realm through my times at multiple gyms and my background as an athlete my whole life. What really influenced my decision to pursue coaching/training was my time as a powerlifter. What sets me apart from others is my ability to find unique ways to connect with people. I have a very diverse background and a lot of life experiences for my age. Regardless of that, I am passionate about I am passionate about helping people in anyway I can, and building strong connections is the foundation to great relationships. I also believe I possess a lot of really greats tool and traits that make me someone fit to be in leadership roles and empathize and understand people. I am most proud of my acceptance to the University of Tennessee’s sport psychology program. I believe this opportunity will make grow as a leader and coach so, so much and help me find even more way’s to help and serve people I work with.

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

Building relationships and connections. Again they are the foundation of working with people, no matter field you are within or what service you may be providing. I believe people genuinely know I care and want to help. On top of this, doing things like checking-in, following up and trying to do the little things to go above and beyond. It is not the big thing, but the small things that people remember. Once the people you work with know and genuinely believe this, it is a matter of word of mouth and conversations between people with your industry that build that reputation.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Once you experience success, it gets easier and stays consistent. I started around some coaches/trainers that have had huge success within their careers. I always thought the hardest part was just starting off and once you get past the hump it gets easier. No, it is equally as hard. I was blind to the hard work and time these coaches/trainers put into their craft to sustain and continue their successes. Once you get a taste of success you have to work as hard, if not harder than you have done before to continue to build your brand and accomplish the goals you set out for your business.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @michaelbress @bressandbarbell
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbress/
• Youtube: @bressandbarbell

Image Credits

@pixelpalletemedia