Today we’d like to introduce you to Isabelle Libmann.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Isabelle. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve had the absolute privilege of having a few different careers already and they really did all lead me to owning my own personal training company and, as of 2016, my own studio. My first job out of college (I was a theatre major at Northwestern) was one of those “I have to take it to make money” situations; I was launching a web site for a company based in Europe which involved me working in my apartment all day and night. I decided to use some of my new-found money on a personal trainer so they could teach me how to exercise since I was basically living in a seated position. What I wasn’t expecting was for the hours spent with my trainer to become a form of stress release.
I kept up with training even after I started a new careers in events and public relations in the music industry. Now, to be clear, I LOVED my job, I had an amazing boss and great co-workers and working in the music industry can be really exciting.
Something was still missing, though, and I figured it out during a training session: Working out with my personal trainer was the best hour of my day. It helped me feel strong and confident and energized. It was an hour that I got to spend quality time with another person without needing to do something for someone else. In that A-HA moment I realized I wanted to be in my trainer’s shoes.
I had the chance to quit my job in 2011 and go back to school to become a trainer and, thanks to a few good mentors and help from my family, I started IzzyFit Personal Training and then, 4 years later, I got to buy the studio I’d been working out of all that time!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Being a small business owner definitely has its challenges and there are moments that I wonder if working for someone else wouldn’t just be easier (we all have those days, right?). I’ve had one major hiccup: I started IzzyFit in the Seattle area and very suddenly had to move back to Chicago after a breakup. And, you know, when you’re in that kind of situation you question everything and feel super vulnerable. I wondered if it would make more sense for me to go back to my old job in music or if I should be a trainer at a big gym like Equinox. Ultimately, and with the support of my loved ones, I chose to re-launch IzzyFit in the Chicago area and it’s a thriving business today! I hustled my butt off so it’s not like it’s been all roses but it worked out and I’m so grateful it did.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the TruFit Personal Training Studios & IzzyFit Personal Training story. Tell us more about the business.
My own training business, IzzyFit Personal Training, focuses on empowering clients (mostly women) to reclaim ownership of their bodies through better exercise, nutrition and lifestyle habits. I work mostly with individuals who have either never really worked out or have had bad experiences at the gym and are brave enough to try again. What sets IzzyFit apart from other training companies and programs is that I came to exercise in my 20s as someone who never played sports and never really spent time in the gym. I am a normal woman who loves food and wine. So I feel like I’m able to meet my clients where they are and celebrate the progress they make in their time.
My other company, TruFit Personal Training Studios, is a private training facility where trainers can come and run their own businesses under the TruFit roof. This means we have almost 20 trainers who have their own specialties and strengths, who get to work with a variety of clients with all sorts of goals. It’s the coolest thing because now I get to help so many other people by connecting them with other trainers. And, although we all work separately, we work hard to make TruFit a community that feels safe, approachable and really fun.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I mean, I feel like the most luck I’ve had was being born to two people who love and support me unconditionally. Beyond that I feel that I’ve worked really hard for what I have, I’ve made the best choices I could and when things don’t go the way I think they will, I figure out a plan to either right the ship or create a new course.
Pricing:
- IzzyFit Personal Training sessions cost $79/hour (sessions are billed monthly in a six-month agreement)
- TruFit Personal Training trainer rates range from $65-$85/hour depending on the trainer.
Contact Info:
- Address: 610 Davis St., Second Floor
Evanston, IL 60201 - Website: http://trufitpersonaltraining.com
- Phone: 312-497-8999
- Email: izzy@trufitpersonaltraining.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/trufitevanston
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/TruFitEvanston
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/izzyfit-personal-training-evanston-4
- Other: http://izzyfit.com
Image Credit:
Christine Jeffers
Betsy Drach
Ben Elsass
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