Today we’d like to introduce you to Wade Lewis.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I started Duel Fit with two medicine balls and a couple of rusty kettlebells I found in my mom’s garage.
I started this because I was frustrated with the structure large corporate gyms had set up for trainers. I’ve been working as a personal trainer since I was 18 years old. I’ve worked for large gyms, boutique gyms, and luxury health clubs.
Throughout every experience I’ve had, it felt almost impossible to build a stable career in the fitness industry. I know there are many other trainers out there who feel the same way. Living paycheck to paycheck, putting in countless hours of work trying to build a client book with low client retention, these aspects of the industry quickly shifted my focus from being able to provide quality services to my clients to just trying to make sales so I could hit my bonus each month in order to pay my rent. As health professionals, we should not be struggling like this.
When I created Duel, I was determined to provide stability in one of the most volatile and unstable industries to work in. I wanted to provide valuable health and wellness services for clients at their own homes and a way for trainers and wellness providers to build a stable career for themselves doing what they love.
When the pandemic hit, we basically saw the entire downfall of the fitness industry as well as the rise of two new sub-industries. The first one that the vast majority of the fitness industry focused on was virtual fitness. The second was In-person at-home personal training which was highly overlooked. That’s where I focused.
I knew based on my average retention rates over the last few years that what I’m creating was here to stay and would be a market disruptor to the traditional fitness approaches we’ve seen in the past. I knew that the massive spike of virtual training was only going to be a temporary spike in the industry but the need for at-home fitness solutions will be there for the long term.
Keeping these things in mind, despite the nay-sayers, I rode the wave out doing in-home one-on-one sessions. I built an effective model to scale and grow this business in Dallas, and now we are getting ready to implement and expand this model nationally.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Absolutely not. Entrepreneurship is not a profession, it’s a lifestyle and a mindset. It’s 24/7, every minute of every day, and accepting that you’re going to fail over and over again.
I’ve struggled and worked for every inch I’ve gained building this business. Doing the work, building teams, budgeting, and building processes to support the vision is the easy part. If I need to put in 100-120 hours of work to get something done I will.
The hard part is self-doubt, depression, anxiety, loneliness, uncertainty, frustration. If we’re being honest, I’ve cried countless times and have wanted to give up. People say they have ups and downs on a day-to-day basis, for me, it’s more like hour to hour of ups and downs sometimes even minute to minute. However. every time I pushed through, I got a little stronger, I felt like I could give one more month, and I felt like during those moments, my only choice was to lean in more and ask God to add more to my plate.
Fitness to me is everything. When I don’t know what else to do, when I’m feeling lost, I go work out. Working out allows me to tune out what has happened in the past, what may or may not happen in the future, and be present with myself in the moment right now.
DUEL is the battle between the mind and the body through exercise. When you put yourself in an uncomfortable situation and tell yourself you have no other choice but to get through it, your mind will have no other choice but to adapt to the struggles ahead of you.
So, have I struggled? Yes. However, the foundation of what I am building, the purpose of my life is to put myself in the most uncomfortable position so that I grow and become the best version of myself.
I just believe the journey to self-enlightenment and growth starts with exercise.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We supply Dallas with personal trainers, private chefs, custom meal prep+delivery, massage therapists, wellness coaches, dieticians, custom home gym design, and soon many other fitness and wellness services all within your own home.
I am most proud of my team. I have some great people working with me that have supported this vision from day one. Without them, this idea would not have become a reality.
What sets us apart from others is that we provide a full menu of services to clients in-home. We are the #1 name for at-home personal training and wellness in DFW. We service over 50 homes in park cities alone and are continuing to grow at a rapid rate throughout the metroplex.
What matters most to you?
God, My Health, and My family. When I’m focused on those 3 things, I feel I am the best version of myself. It’s easy to get off track but I know where my foundation lies and when I keep my focus on those 3 things, I feel unstoppable!
Contact Info:
- Email: wade@duelperformance.com
- Website: duelperformance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duel_fit/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=duel%20performance
