We recently connected with Michael Otule and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Michael, thanks for joining us today. Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?
I knew I wanted to start a Podcast or start a YouTube channel. I just didn’t know how I wanted to go about it. I could have easily gone the “video record myself in the gym’ way. Or “video record my daily vlogs’ way, but I wanted to do something different. I followed a lot of excellent athletes that were at the top of their game when it came to making relatable content for everyone. Now, I know what you are going to say. “It doesn’t matter what others are doing, as long as you are doing honest work, people will follow” Or, my favorite, “you most likely will reach people these top athletes aren’t.” Sure! I hear you, but that wasn’t flying with me. I also thought to myself, yes I love going to the gym and competing in bodybuilding shows, however, I can do so much more than just that, I didn’t want to be placed in just one box. Sounds inspiration, right? Now, add on my anxiety, shyness, and my constent effort to not be seen, you can rule out doing YouTube videos. So, how can I showcase my multiple talents while not being seen, Podcasting was the next best thing. Now that I have what I wanted to do, what am I going to talk about? Again, I didn’t want to be just another fitness podcast, so I had to think of a way to get people intrigued, and display my multiple talents, all while being true to myself. Recently, I became an advocate for Mental Health, especially among African American men. I thought to myself we don’t see a lot of men coming on air and just being honest. Doing away with hyper-masculinity thoughts. Doing away with what people may think of me. Even doing away with the thought of vulnerability being a weakness. I knew I wanted to see that change, so why not be that change, That’s how Renaissance-Bodybuilder was born!
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
My story starts out after I graduated college. I was very skinny and I wanted to put on some size. So, I did what any normal person would do, hit the weights. Once I found a coach that was tough enough on me and would teach me the trick of the trade, it was game time. After a couple of years, I started to put on muscle mass pretty fast, which lead people to ask If I ever considered competing in bodybuilding competitions. I told my coach at the time and we went to our first show. I feel like that’s when things changed for me. I saw how confident it made everyone feel whether on stage or in person. I saw how open and willing everyone was with tips and tricks on the competition lifestyle. I saw how comfortable everyone was knowing that they are in a place of like-minded people. It was a beautiful community that I couldn’t wait to be a part of.
From there, I went on to win a couple of competitions awarding me the prestigious award of an IFBB Pro Card. This award usually comes with sponsorships, a wider audience, and a chance to compete at Olympia. (the Olympics of bodybuilding) During my journey, I wanted to make sure I was open about my ups and downs and began putting them on social media, which helped me gain a loyal audience that continues to grow today.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
First of all, knowing that multiple goals/missions can drive a single creative journey is a goal/mission. It’s your journey, so it can look like whatever you want. For me: 1. Being honest with myself
2. If I touch one person, then my goal is met for this week.
3. Letting my topics be as real as possible. Showing my supporters not only the good, but the bad sides of me, which in turn should encourage them to be honest and open themselves.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is knowing that others vibe with your work. When I have people come up to me and say “I loved when you mentioned this” or “I felt when you said that” is such a new and rewarding experience to me. In a way, it lets me know I’m doing good work.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Otulefitness
- Facebook: MIke Otule
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelotule/
- Twitter: @motule
- Other: Website coming soon.