What is your job/role/title and what does that mean?
My jobs consist of working as a Full-Time Trainer, as well as a Certified Holistic Nutritionist.
How did your journey bring you to where you are now?
Being an athlete for the majority of my life, I was always interested in working out and being fit. This led me to being a tumbling and gymnastics coach for the majority of my late teens and early twenties. Looking for more, I ended up getting a full-time position at the gym I was currently working out at. The gym I work at is called Southside Knockout, where we specialize in HIIT workouts and group settings. It wasn’t until I worked here that I realized nutrition was the bigger shining star than exercising. Don’t get me wrong, they are both needed, but man, nutrition does amazing things. Once I got interested, I was hooked, and that’s when I decided I needed my nutrition certification. Now, I have worked with an abundance of clients from young to old and with all different health issues. It is an amazing feeling to be able to do what I love every day!
What does a typical day in the life look like for you?
I now have a running joke that I am a farmer, because I wake up at 4:23 a.m. Not 4:20 or 4:25, 4:23 (I’m weird, I know). I start work at 5:30, but I need to collect myself, so I allow about 45 minutes of grazing and getting the good old body working. From there, I work with a multitude of clients. I have regular classes, as well as 55 and older. I love those people. After I get out at 11, I come home and either start working on what post I am going to put up for my social media pages (Instagram: @paigej17 and Facebook page: @paigej17) or I research information for my nutrition clients. I then go back to the gym in the evening to work with more 55 and older, and regular clients. I get home around 6:45, and that’s when I watch a little bit of TV to decompress. It’s lights out for me around 8:30 p.m. (I know, I’m a grandma).
What do you like most about your job?
I absolutely love working with people and seeing their growth! It is an amazing feeling to watch your clients listen and learn from the guidance you are giving them, and transform it into their daily lives. You can see that they carry themselves with so much confidence—it’s awesome! Also, when they lose weight, it is great, but I really focus on teaching my clients that how they feel is more important than a number. Once they buy into that, the weight is just an effect from making changes in the kitchen.
What education or certifications do you have that help you in your role?
I think being an athlete, first and foremost, helped me with understanding the body and pushing it to different levels. As far as working at the gym, the trainers simply teach from doing it themselves. I am lucky enough to have the boss I do, because he hires from within, so all of the trainers are people who simply started working out there. When it comes to nutrition, I am certified through AFPA, and I have my Holistic Nutritionist Certification. It was an amazing program and super easy to follow. Trust me when I say that, too, because I am not that great of a student. When I had a question, they answered right away, and the communication was just amazing.
What advice would you give to others who are looking to get into the same field?
DO IT! Don’t talk about it or think about it—just do it! It is such a supportive and organized process, anyone can be successful. I am not a person who learns easily, so online had me nervous, but AFPA was seriously so helpful with any question I had.
Any final comments or closing thoughts?
I really am thankful that I decided to go through AFPA for this certification. AFPA gave me the tools to be extremely successful in this field, and I will never regret getting my certification. It’s a great feeling to do what you love for work.
