Entrepreneur and fitness trainer decided to gain 75lbs to understand his clients

Photo credit: svu.edu.

This article is part of Tech in Asia’s partnership with The Jay Kim Show where we publish the revised transcripts from the show’s podcast interviews with top entrepreneurs. This is heavily revised from the original show transcripts. For the full interview, go here.

Drew Manning is a personal trainer, entrepreneur, marketing guru, and New York Times bestselling author. But before becoming successful, he realized that, as a personal trainer, he didn’t understand his clients.

Manning came up with an idea on how to relate better with them. He made a commitment to stop exercising for six months and follow a restriction-free American diet. He gained 75 pounds in the process.

After six months, he eventually began getting fit again. During that time, he learned the entire process and struggles of what his clients normally go through.

Here, he shares with us the importance of listening to your clients and crafting a program fit for their needs.

Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

“I grew up my entire life in shape and in a family of 11 brothers and sisters. I played football and I wrestled. [As a trainer], I had this crazy idea to better relate to my clients. I decided to let myself go for six months. I stopped exercising, ate typical American food, gained 75 pounds in six months, and I documented this on my YouTube channel and my website. It went viral and got picked up by the media.

“I went on TV shows like ‘Dr. Oz,’ ‘Dr. Drew,’ ‘Good Morning America,’ and ‘Jay Leno.’

“[But before that, after I graduated college], I went in all different directions. Basically, I got a job before I even graduated college, working for Chrysler as a financial analyst back in 2008. In 2009, I was in the finance industry and then worked there for three years. From there, the auto industry took a crash in the economy in general and I had to do 180 degrees—I went to the medical field.

“[It was] completely all over the place, but I just had a connection and was working as a neuro-monitoring technician. I did personal training on the side because during that transition of the finance industry to the medical field, there was about eight months where I couldn’t find a job.

“I got certified as a personal trainer because that’s always been my passion (health and fitness). That’s when the idea happened for Fit to Fat to Fit, and I ran with that idea until I had to make a decision between those two things.

“I decided to leave my job in the medical field […].”

What was your trigger for the idea of Fit to Fat to Fit?

“One of my clients was my brother-in-law at the time and he was overweight. Here I was, a trainer, and I was like, ‘Yeah, for sure man. I’ll train you.’

“The problem with me is that growing up with sports and the culture I grew up in, I had a very black and white mentality. Either you do or you do not. There’s no try, right? I would get frustrated when we would be at a family event and he would be eating the cake, nachos, and pizza, and I’m like, ‘Dude, I’m your trainer. I’m watching you eating those food. You know those aren’t on the meal plan.’ He’s like, ‘Oh, it’s a party.’ I’m like, ‘I know, but you have goals right?’

Was there criticism?

You’ve made this experiment into a business, but were you getting an income early on?

Did you have savings since you quit your job?

How do you feel differently now about your clients?

Do you have tricks to help you as an entrepreneur?