Today we’d like to introduce you to Leticia Taylor.
Leticia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been an athlete and a competitor since I was a kid; my childhood dream was to go to the Olympics and be the next Wilma Rudolph or Florence Griffith Joyner (Flo-Jo). Growing up, I was teased heavily for having really long, skinny legs and arms; I was often called “chicken legs” and “spaghetti”; I also had a jerry curl, but that’s another story. It wasn’t until I was discovered by my school coaches to be quick, fast, could jump high, and awkwardly strong that my bullies became my cheerleaders.
I was a star athlete in high school competing on the varsity level 3 out of 4 years in basketball and track. My sophomore year, I became a mother. Determined not to be a statistic, I graduated high school on time and with honors. I attended Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State) from 1995-2000, and my son attended college with me. I was a member of the Track and Field team but was plagued with numerous injuries throughout my entire collegiate career so the dream of becoming an Olympic athlete seemed unreachable… impossible to say the least.
After graduating college, I joined a local track club in Dallas in 2001, and for two years I trained with other aspiring athletes and a few professional Olympic sprinters in hopes of competing on the track and field professional circuit. The summer of 2003, I found myself stronger and the fastest I’d EVER been. I entered a USATF Olympics Pre-Qualifiers meet at UT Arlington and competed in the 200m dash. It was during this final race that I would encounter a visit from an old “friend”– a pulled hamstring. I remember walking off the track saying out loud “I’m done!”. At that very moment, I accepted the Olympics, or even competing on a professional level, just wasn’t meant to be for me.
The summer of 2004, I was approached by a family friend that asked if I would be interested in helping start a summer youth track club in Little Elm. Without hesitation (or any coaching experience), I said, yes! I worked with kids aging from 6 to 18 years old. I taught them correct running form and mechanics, sprint drills, breathing techniques as well as enforced hard work ethics and discipline when needed. I loved seeing the kids hang on my every word and demonstration and immediately applying it. The growth and development of each kid were very humbling. It was at the end of that summer track season when it became clear to me: the dream of the Olympics wasn’t meant for me because I’m supposed to help someone else accomplish THEIR dreams and goals.
Once I became a certified trainer, I worked for private country clubs and fitness studios around the metroplex, all while working my full-time job. The company I worked for was very supportive of my “side hustle”; giving me the opportunity to orchestrate boot camps for co-workers and employees. I’m currently pursuing training full-time, conducting group fitness sessions, personal one-on-one training, and online training.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road hasn’t been smooth by any means. Working a full-time job in a demanding industry in addition to training clients after work and on weekends has been one of the main challenges I’ve had to face. For years, I’d be up at 4 am to work out for myself, get to my corporate job between 8:30/9 am, leave my corporate job by 5:45 pm, and race through rush hour traffic to get to my 6:30 pm training session. I would finish training sometimes as late as 8:30 pm, and then, later in the same night stay up until 11 pm either programming workouts for the next day, or addressing deadlines for my corporate job. I was operating on 4-5 hours of sleep at best, and I maintained this schedule well over 4 years.
Social media has been a challenge for me. We live in a world where EVERYTHING is digitized, instantaneous and conducted through social media platforms. The success and/or failure of your business can potentially be determined by the amount and quality of content you produce or the number of clicks, likes, followers, etc. By nature, I’m a very private person. Therefore, I didn’t always feel comfortable posting pictures or videos of myself or my training sessions. I’ve had to change my way of thinking, get comfortable with exposing myself (to some degree) and adapt to the culture, using social media as a free business tool that helps me solicit my capabilities as a trainer; ultimately resulting in more potential clients.
Please tell us about Taylor Made Fitness.
Taylor Made Fitness is a home-based personal training and group fitness service; my garage has literally been converted into a studio gym. With my track and field and basketball background, I incorporate agility, speed and mobility exercises into my training style. High-intensity interval training (HIIT), resistance and strength training, along with “stern” reinforcement are also part of the overall package and workout experience. Services include group fitness classes, one-on-one personal training, and if the location and class times aren’t doable for you, online training is also available.
Taylor Made Fitness is dedicated to helping you elevate your fitness, nutritional and overall health goals. My current clientele demographic includes the young working professional, women, and men between the ages of 20-55, and individuals 100 – 200 lbs overweight. I’ve been a single mother, student and a busy professional working woman all at the same time. I’ve been the athlete pursuing ambitious dreams. On some level, I’m able to relate to everyone that gives me the opportunity to work with them. So whether you aspire to be an elite athlete, need to lose weight, or just maintain your current fitness level, I have a workout “Taylored” for your specific needs.
Although small in number, what I’m most proud of is a large amount of success my clients have achieved in their fitness journeys. When I speak of success, I’m speaking to more than weight loss numbers. To have a client sit Indian style for the first time in over 10 years makes me proud. To have a client no longer have to take high blood pressure medication they’d been on for years makes me proud. To see the confidence level in all of my clients go from zero to 10 makes me beyond proud. I had a client who’d never worn shorts before, and after 10 months of training with me, I personally took her shopping and purchased her first pair of shorts… that’s one of my proudest moments.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I know it probably sounds a little cliché but honestly, I wouldn’t do anything differently. Every delay, setback, hesitation, expense… it’s all part of the process and plan I’m meant to go through and experience. Persevering through disappointments and failures only makes you stronger, wiser and ultimately victorious in the end. I’m determined to WIN.
The #1 lesson I’ve learned, however, is you HAVE to charge for your time and services; and the price of those services needs to reflect your worth. When you’re passionate about helping people it’s easy to feel compelled to overextend yourself for little to no money; I did this far too often and for too long. Know and be confident in your worth and capabilities and people WILL pay.
Pricing:
- Drop In Fee – $25
- Personal Training (One on One) – $65/per session; With the use of functional equipment, stern motivation and workouts customized for your specific needs, your body will be trained to be lean and strong in a one-on-one setting
- Group Fitness Classes – visit website or call for package pricing
- Online Training – $50/mo; Through an app-based platform, workouts accompanied by instructional videos, are at your disposal. you have the flexibility of attacking your workouts in the convenience of your own home, gym or personal space.
Contact Info:
- Website: tmadefit.com
- Phone: (469) 855-0460
- Email: tmadefit@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tmadefit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmadefit/
Image Credit:
Don Champlin, Shinobi Muhammad MKOVAH.com/Magazines
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