David Reagan is a NASM Certified personal trainer who specializes in weight loss, personalized workout plans, bodybuilding, and nutrition. He caters to high-end clients and executives in Atlanta, Georgia, helping them achieve their fitness goals by accommodating their busy schedules.
Being a fitness trainer is an exciting job. However, it has its own challenges. Tell me about your best and worst days at work.
As a fitness trainer, there are so many factors that contribute to my day, especially during a pandemic. My job involves customer service, and when you are dealing with people, there are always unexpected issues that arise. As a result, I have learned how to deal with uncertainty, which is a helpful quality to have nowadays. My clients are busy executives, so I have to be flexible catering to their needs. The best days are when I get a positive review or feedback from one of my clients; it is always rewarding. The worst days are when one of my clients has an issue or has to cancel my service (which doesn’t happen that often). But I always have an exit interview with them to make sure the decision wasn’t made because of a lack of results.
Who are the clients/what are the projects that you most enjoy working on?
I enjoy working with people in general, but some of my clients make my day. We have a very tight-knitted community, many of my clients actually are connected in one way or another. We try to pump each other up and motivate each other to move forward. Most of my clients are going through tough times mentally, so they turn to fitness as a remedy. It’s very important to be flexible with my offerings to cater to their needs. The fitness industry is going through transformative times.
What was your biggest ‘a-ha’ moment?
My biggest “a-ha” moment in life happened when I realized I do not have to ask anyone’s permission to be who I am. It sounds strange but so many young adults look up to their friends and family to give them permission to either go to school or drop out of school because they do not enjoy it. It’s people peasing and it leads so many people to an existential crisis. So when I realized that I am in charge of myself and nobody else, and starter focusing on my own happiness, a lot has changed in my life for a better.
What has been the most important part of your professional journey?
Getting certified was the most crucial part of my professional journey. There is a difference between simply knowing how to stay healthy and lift weights and creating personalized workout and meal plans for clients. I feel so much more equipped with knowledge now. Certification also boosted my confidence to the next level.
What would you do with unlimited resources?
I would probably invest in some kind of AI to prevent future pandemics to happen. There should be ways to implement technology in airports to do rapid testing. I am very fascinated with the medical technology industry, and I think that’s where I would invest unlimited resources.
When was the last time you totally lost yourself in doing something?
I really enjoy creating custom plans for my clients based on their lifestyle and goals. I lose myself when I get to interview them and then strategize how we will get from point A to point B.
What do you do when you’re not at work?
Nowadays, I have more free time, so I do a lot of research on fitness and nutrition. I also enjoy hiking, biking, and working out at home.
How do you feel you make a difference in the world?
My motto is to make a difference in the world all it takes is to help at least one person – you’ve already succeeded. Incremental change is the most impactful.
