Owner, Contra Costa Fitness
Brandon is a Personal Trainer who went into business for himself in 2018.
Always athletic, Brandon got into fitness and training to pursue those activities. With age, however, Brandon’s realization that the body is both extremely fragile and incredibly resilient led him to a more holistic view of health. That led him to get his degree in Physical Therapy (PT) and then work for the Veteran’s Administration (VA).
In time, Brandon had his own PT clinic as well as ran the only VA gym in the area. This is when he saw the gap between the two areas. Once they graduate from PT, many patients need to continue exercising and most gyms do not provide the programs or guidance they need. Frequently, gyms can scare PT clients away. Brandon saw this as a huge loss of potential.
For Brandon, a fitness/gym space should be a positive space that provides a community – supporting all the reasons people exercise. Initially, Contra Costa Fitness offered boot camp-style classes for the community and in-home personal training for supportive rehab work.
Then came COVID.
Like many, Brandon moved online. He also saw a new need. With shelter-in-place people were becoming isolated: good for not getting sick and bad for physicality and emotional endurance. This is when Brandon started to really focus on the coaching aspect of his business. Expanding from an, “OK, let’s exercise,” to a “Really, how are you?” approach.
Just as people were starting to venture out again, Brandon met a guy with a gym. A gym he wasn’t using and wanted to see it put to use by someone who was making a difference. And on September 5th, 2022, Brandon started holding classes in his own actual gym. His intention: to create a different kind of home for people to exercise.
Brandon sees his most important task as providing support – frequently emotional – and managing expectations. In terms of how he spends his time, he teaches classes, provides one-one training, prepares/plans for classes and training, and tracks client progress. He avoids many of the business owner-related tasks by having a business partner.
People regularly assume that Brandon must be a drill sergeant running either a meat market or a cross-fit. The truth is so different. He frequently has to “dial people back” from over-doing their workouts.
When Brandon opened the gym, he sort of just threw the doors open and watched to see what would happen. What happened was the creation of a community, with Brandon more a member than a leader. A community where people make progress on their health while joking, swearing, and encouraging others.