Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Lewis.
Hi Erin, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My journey in fitness started when I became a competitive swimmer at the age of 7. This is what created the foundation for what would become my interest in health and fitness – along with many other sports I played. I went on to earn an athletic and academic scholarships to an NCAA D1 school in North Carolina (Gardner-Webb University). When deciding on a degree, the field of kinesiology made the most sense to me – starting college having the goal of becoming a physical therapist. After graduating with honors at The University of Texas at Arlington (receiving a BS in Exercise Science), completing 24 hours of pre-physical therapy school courses, and over 500 hours working in various physical therapy and sports medicine clinics – I decided it just wasn’t for me. I wanted to be on the “front line’ of health and fitness – guiding people through preventative health measures, instead of waiting for them seek my help with these avoidable issues. I continued on to get my MS in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Sports Management at Texas Woman’s University – with the goal of owning my own gym one day.
During that time I worked as a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at a big box gym, then at a luxury fitness club in downtown Dallas. I also made time while getting my masters to attend the EMT program at Tarrant Country College and then Paramedic school at Brookhaven College – graduating at the top of my class. My goal was to become a firefighter and work towards owning my own gym. I was offered a job at my top choice fire department, but a severe leg injury requiring surgery forced me to relinquish my offer… Devastated, I slipped into depression for a short time before accepting an offer to become a contract trainer for an outdoor bootcamp company. I rose to the top 5% of the company as far as member count, revenue generated, recruiting of new trainers, and creation of corporate partnerships. It was during that time, after I healed and was also working part time as a medic again, that I decided fitness was my path – because, again, I found myself responding most often to medical issues that we’re preventable through fitness and nutritional interventions. I quit my part time job as a medic, turned down a new offer from the fire department, and was promoted by the bootcamp company to director over 2 cities – also traveling the country recruiting and helping build new markets. I also became a regular speaker at our biannual conferences and leadership retreats – having the opportunity to educate and share my experience with hundreds of other fitness professionals.
Finally, I was given the opportunity to start my own gym. I partnered with two peers from the bootcamp and we opened a facility together – The Trainer’s Gym. We moved 2 times over the next 2 years, doubling the size each time. The model was a rental space for independent trainers; we grew it to 15 trainers, seeing around 300 clients. I also started, grew, and ran my own training brand within the gym: Lewis Performance Training – which grew to around 80 members.
After 5 years of running the gym, I was given an offer to be an on-camera fitness instructor at OxeFit – my dream job. I sold my share to the final remaining partner of the gym, and converted Lewis Performance Training to an entirely online personal training business and supplement sales. I am now the #1 most viewed coach at OxeFit, and have since been promoted to their Director of Personal Training (OxeTrain) and Director of On-Camera Coaching and Performance Content – overseeing a team of world-class fitness coaches. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be in this position, and I appreciate every step of the journey to get here.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely not… Listen, I’ve been very lucky with the opportunities I’ve been given – so much “right place, right time” scenarios in my life. But the road has not been smooth the whole way – there have been heartbreaks, failures, and complete course changes along the way. My first “course change” was in college, when I decided to not go to physical therapy school. Not only had that that been my sole focus for 4 years, but I had also done lots extra work to make myself a competitive applicant. It was also hard to explain to people in my circle. Then, it was the knee injury costing me my chance to accept the offer from my top choice fire department. It was also a long road to recovery – taking me nearly 2 years to get back to “normal”. This injury also led to other significant injuries and surgeries. There have been years of setbacks and “restarts”.
Finally, I never got to realize my true vision for a gym. Sharing it with my partners was great and had so many advantages – plus I learned a lot. But, it never really felt like my vision. So, while it was successful in its own right, it felt like a partial failure to me. But, rather than letting these setbacks and failures weigh me down, I have tried to learn what I can from them and adapt. Regardless of how many changes you make, if you can keep your compass pointed towards the theme of what you want to do (in my case, helping people through health and fitness) then everything you do becomes relevant experience that will take you towards something you love. The pivot from physical therapy school allowed me to find my true passion. The first leg injury altered my course again to do the same thing. Even my long-term injuries have had a silver-lining – allowing me to be in the shoes of so many of my clients and patients, and to walk that road of frustration and recovery. It has made me more sympathetic and more knowledgeable in my field. Every obstacle can be an opportunity, if you choose.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am equally experienced at personal training and group exercise instruction. I have been a strength and conditioning coach for teams, and love to design structured periodization training for all of my clients – athletes, weekend warriors, and average Joes/Janes. In addition to having my BS in Exercise Science and MS in Kinesiology, I also carry high-level training certifications including: Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM), Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA), Corrective Exercises Specialist (NASM), Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM), USA Weight Lifting Coach (USAW), and Certified Nutritionist (Pn). I am also currently pursuing my MBA at The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – which I hope will give me better business acumen for any future endeavors I take on.
My favorite type of training to deliver is strength and power production (performance training), with a close second being corrective exercise – which is great for people experiencing joint pain or recently released from physical therapy. While I do general nutrition coaching, the exercise side is really my focus and passion. What sets me apart is how I try to educate my clients about their anatomy and physiology – I believe if we can better understand our body and our training, we will earn greater returns from our work. What I’m most proud of is earning the trust of so many people to help them with goals that are often very personal. I’ve been very lucky to be able to gather the community around me that I have.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I have learned something from every single person I have met in this industry. I am a firm believer that you can learn something from everyone… The list is far too long to mention names. But, in addition to all of the clients that have trusted me with their fitness journey – I would like to give credit the coaches and teachers I had in grade school, professors I had in college, the partners and trainers I had at the gym, and every trainer/coach and leadership figure I have worked with directly at the bootcamp company and OxeFit has been instrumental in shaping who I am.
But, most of all by far, I must thank my family and friends – who have been my rock and my greatest source of support and inspiration. My parents for instilling hard-work, discipline, humility, and kindness into my DNA, my sister for challenging me intellectually and being a close confidant my entire life, my close circle of friends who have always been supportive and inspirationally driven, my 3 amazing kids are what fills my cup and brings me joy, and my incredible wife who has been my biggest cheerleader, best friend, keeps me from feeling the “imposter syndrome” during challenging times, and works harder and has achieved more than I have – she keeps me going on the days its hard to find motivation… So I can’t thank them all enough.
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OxeFit
