We were lucky to catch up with Vincent Alvarez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Vincent, thanks for joining us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

I launched my business in May of 2021, but my vision and model had definitely been brewing in my mind for years prior. I have always wanted to own my own business, and being from California I felt like it was just way too saturated of a market to begin an elite training business. So coming to Utah during the pandemic, I felt like it gave me plenty of time to develop the the early stages of my training model and I was able to implement my training style with many athletes in need. I have a heavy background in soccer specific sports performance and with soccer being such a big market out here in Salt Lake City, networking came easy to me. I started with minimal clients and honestly just gave them my all from the start. I think one of the challenges I faced early on was identifying who is the ideal client for my business and also sharing what I offer to those that may not be familiar with injury prevention training. One thing I would say to a younger entrepreneur trying to get established would be, just outwork everyone. I have spent endless hours working on my craft and perfecting my model, and now it just flows and clients respect the passion one shows for their business. Your business is a reflection of who you are.

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 was born and raised in Santa Barbara, CA. I am an ex-division 1 athlete who played soccer and graduated from UC Santa Barbara. It was a dream of mine to play collegiate soccer in my hometown in front of friends and family, where crowds of 7,000 people on average would attend our matches. I worked in athletics for years after graduating, but private training was always a natural thing that came to me that I enjoyed. Coaching, guiding, and sharing knowledge is what I believe is my gift and it comes very easy to me. After playing at such a high level of soccer and traveling the world, I missed training at a high level and wanted to also share what I had in my DNA with other aspiring athletes. I trained for 15 years at Peak Performance Project (P3) which is one of the best sports science facilities in the nation, if not the world. I believe they are a big part of my model, from the structure, to the demand they required from each athlete, that shows in my gym as well. Training with elite athletes with a certain type of mindset allowed me to see what I need to do to get to their level. That is what I show my athletes now. Either you are built for it, or you are not. The services I offer are influenced from all the necessary services the pros experience in all sports.

-Strength and Conditioning
-Injury Prevention
-Speed and Agility
-Recovery
-Video Analysis
-Injury Rehabilitation

The most rewarding things currently coming from my business is the relationships I create with my athletes and the mutual respect we have for one another. Also, the reward of seeing the results coming from my training, and seeing my athletes injury-free, bigger, faster, and stronger on the field.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I like to share with my followers is actually quite simple. You have to be a risk taker in this world. If you are doing the bare minimum to just get by and be comfortable, you will never stand out. The amount of uncomfortable feelings I had when starting my training business til now, is unmeasurable. I have failed and have been uncomfortable so many times that is has just become normal and I don’t worry about what judgement others may have of “my” vision. I had to unlearn that others input will not effect my output. It is part of the process to fail and learn from your mistakes. Success is not comfortable and it doesn’t get any easier, the more popular you become. So embrace all of the above.

Do you think you’d choose a different profession or specialty if you were starting now?

If I could go back, I would have pursued this profession earlier. It has been such a blessing to share this gift with my clients and see them flourish from my training and overall just my influence on their mindset toward sports. It means everything to me to see them progress and succeed with their aspirations.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bodybya2z.com
• Instagram: @a2z.training

Image Credits
Fateague Media