We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Tara Sullivan. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Tara below.

Alright, Tara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

I got my first training job pretty quickly. It was November or December 2015. I had just passed my CPT and started applying to jobs online. I got a call back from a gym near by that wanted to interview me. I was so nervous.

Despite having my degree in the field, and deep into my own fitness journey already I didn’t have many fitness friends yet.

I went to my interview, it was short and to the point. They called me before I left the parking lot and hired me. I worked there for a few months which allowed me to get my feet wet, build some confidence, and move to the next step of my career.

While I worked there I’d get up around 6am, pack a bag for the whole day-multiple meals, my workout clothes, work clothes, and anything else I needed that day. I’d take clients until about noon, workout, go back to work and then clients 3-7pm. They were long days but I remember enjoying them immensely. I was young and the fire in me was lit so bright.

Tara, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi! My names Tara, I’m a Holistic Health Coach and Certified Personal Trainer, owner of Desert Mountain Coaching Co.

Just before high school graduation a friend asked me to workout with her. Her gym had a promotion allowing members to ‘bring a friend’ for the day. I agreed.

I was 17, wrapping up competitive sports and terrified after hearing the rumors of the freshman fifteen.

That day my friend and I did an hour on the elliptical-immediately I was high on endorphins. I went home, begging my parents to sign me up. They agreed.

I quickly found the gym as my escape. I lived at home and went to community college for the first two years of school. Living at home can be hard for many, but I also dealt with living in a broken home while my parents were going through a divorce. I utilized the gym as my escape from it all.

There was not much information on how to eat properly to achieve the goals I had, or how to workout back then. Initially I absorbed a lot of ‘diet culture’ articles, which combined with everything else I had going on at home lead to binging and restricting. I scoured the internet and taught myself more than I ever imagined. I came across all kinds of information-a lot of holistic remedies, history of medicine, metabolic processes, food and farming politics, how to heal my own body, and so on. I used myself as a test dummy for anything I found interesting, which was a lot.

While the obstacles I’ve faced over the years were tough chapters in my life I’m grateful for them because it allows me to better help my clients. I’ve learned first-hand what many people may or may not experience in their fitness journey. I’m able to teach those from my mistakes in addition to my education.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

To be completely honest with you, when I got into this as a hobby, those closest to me didn’t understand it, and therefore did not support it. I moved deeper into my fitness journey anyway because I was so passionate about it. With my degree choice, getting my CPT, my first gym job and so on. When I made the decision to leave corporate gyms and work for myself I didn’t have a support system to cheer me on, or fall back on if things didn’t work out. That was the scariest moment, but I knew this is what I was meant to do.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

I don’t necessarily think you need a degree to be a coach but I am grateful for mine. I learned so much from college that a CPT does not offer.

Above all the degrees and certifications though is real life experience.

Working in gyms taught me how to work with a lot of different types of people, with different goals, allowing me to become strong with techniques and the small details.

Real experience combined with research is key. There is new information out there every day, and it takes months if not years to hit textbooks. In a quickly growing industry, being able to gather information, process it, form an educated opinion and apply it is necessary.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @tarasullivanfit
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/545610629/
• Other: Tiktok: @tarasullivanfit

Image Credits
Ben Pasquel, photographer