Cody Nickson shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Cody, so good to connect and we’re excited to share your story and insights with our audience. There’s a ton to learn from your story, but let’s start with a warm up before we get into the heart of the interview. What is a normal day like for you right now?
I have five daughters, 13, 6, 4, 3, and 1, and another on the way. All girls. What does that mean? I need to wake up really early.
I wake up at 4 AM so I can get 3–4 solid hours of uninterrupted work in before the kids are up. First thing I do is say my morning prayers, then I chug 32oz of water to start the day right.
I sold my last two businesses to focus on personal training full time. Over the past year, I’ve built one of the largest client bases in North Texas, thousands of people a year. Most mornings are spent reviewing programs, responding to clients, and managing ads, managing my team, working from a standing desk while walking on a treadmill.
Once the kids wake up, I pray with them, make breakfast (5-egg pancakes, protein shakes, and vitamins), and go over a quick Bible lesson. My wife gets them ready, hair done, and takes them to school.
After that, I knock out my own workout and get back to work. I pick the kids up from school, we eat dinner around 3, we will work on reading, math, and do more Bible lessons, then I take the girls to ice skating. After that, it’s wind down, bedtime, and we try to get to bed shortly after the kids so I can get in 8 hours of sleep. Its a good life.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Cody Nickson. I’m a Believer, husband, father of five daughters (with another on the way), Marine, and a full-time personal trainer based in North Texas. I’ve built one of the largest fitness coaching programs in the region, working with thousands of clients each year.
The official brand is Toned By Cody. I’ve been personal training for over 20 years, but never online clients until last year. When I took my personal training online, it exploded and I realized I had to put my complete focus into it. I have a training team, and am thinking about opening up a physical location soon. Thats a pretty huge committment and a lot of money to set up, so I’m still on the fence about it. We’ll see.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I grew up in a small town where there was a ceiling to what you could do and accomplish. For the entirety of my childhood, you are basically told to educate yourself so you can work for someone else. At no point was entrepreneurship taught, studied, encouraged, pushed… it was never even an option. I felt bigger than the opportunities a small town offers, so I joined the military. 10 years of service led me to realize I hate taking orders and never wanted to work for anyone ever again. Left the service, went the entrepreneur route, have started and sold 3 businesses, and am currently doing very well in my current one.
But I think a lot of kids feel like the world is training them towards working for someone else. They need to realize thats what the system is designed to do, and that they don’t need to adhere to that.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There are moments in business when things slow down, you start glancing at job boards, maybe even dust off your resume. I’ve talked to other entrepreneurs who’ve felt the same way. When the numbers drop, whether it’s your fault, the market, or something else, you think, “Well… might be time to get a job and pay the bills.”
But that feeling lasts about two seconds. Then you snap out of it, get back to work, and figure out how to create opportunity in the middle of the storm. The only way to fail in business is to stop moving, stop adapting, and stop building. Quitting is the only losing play. It helps having a wife who slaps you out of it too and motivates you to be the man you are.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
Yes. I love my wife, my kids, God, I love to help people lose weight, I love to tell the truth and be unapologetically myself. When you are authentic, when you are a truth teller, people will either love you or hate you, but its the right way to live.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
Life moves in chapters, and I believe each chapter comes with its own calling.
At 17, I felt called to serve, so I joined the military. At 28, starting over in the civilian world, I felt pulled toward entrepreneurship, so I built businesses from the ground up. Today, I feel called to help people lose fat and reclaim their health, and I’ve been fortunate to change lives through that work.
I married the love of my life, and we’re now raising a house full of young daughters. It’s a busy season, but one we’re soaking in and grateful for every day.
Recently, I entered the race for the Texas House of Representatives. I felt called to run to fight for something I believe in, ending property taxes in our state. Where that leads, we’ll see.
But through it all, my mindset stays the same, make the most of each chapter, do the work that’s in front of me, and follow where I believe God is leading. One day, I hope to fully dedicate myself to discipleship and bringing others to the Lord.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://tonedby.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/tonedby
Image Credits
All owned by me.
