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My name is Katrina McKenna and I am an ex-personal trainer. I love fitness but I wasn’t cut out to be a personal trainer. I’ve figured out, I am better at getting a computer do what I say than a client…I am a computer programmer now.
My journey started as a pre-med student at Columbia University. I first decided that I didn’t want to work 80 hours a week. I was practicing judo at the time decided it would be great to learn how to become a better athlete. Then as I got injured…I wanted to learn how best to keep myself healthy. I have had numerous certifications at one time or other…though not one client ever asked to see them.
After personal training for a few years, I realized I wasn’t making enough money to survive and I was working crazy hours…6 am clients…8 pm clients…wasn’t this what I wanted to avoid?
I had a friend/boss (did some part-time work to supplement the income) who thought I was pretty good at computers and suggested I look for work in that area.
This was 1997, perfect timing. The internet was just getting popular…and WinMill Software was a growing consulting company whose philosophy was hire smart people and train them. with little more experience than grade school Basic and High School Pascal, and currently reading a programming book, I was offered a job as an Apprentice (later renamed to Consultant I, hmm, did Trump have anything to do with that).
I learned a lot…love to get paid for learning. But I still had the yearning to work for myself. In 2004, I decided to try my hand at personal training again. I thought with all the new internet tools marketing should be easier…and I really do love fitness.
WinMill and the client I was working for were gracious enough to allow me to start working part-time to allow me to work on my personal training business in my spare time. This was the perfect setup…I had some stable income to pay bills and now I had a lot more time.
Now due to years of working at desk for 40+ hours a week and commuting and getting married…I gained weight (probably about 20 – 30 pounds). I no longer looked the part of personal trainer. I feared no one would take me seriously. Turned out most didn’t seem to mind.
I did in-home training and would drag a huge suitcase of equipment around. In 2005, I did an outdoor boot camp in a neighborhood park. I brought all the equipment (ok, really my husband did).
By 2007, the dragging the equipment and traveling all over New York City (by subway) just became too much and I gave up all my clients.
But I still love fitness…and I still have this website…and I’ve learned about creating online businesses.
I will share about my personal struggles with my weight…I have been up and down a lot over the years. My favorite fitness tools, my favorite trainers, etc.
Yours in health,
Katrina McKenna
The not-so-fit Ex-Personal Trainer
