Meet the founder of Right Path Fitness
Hi Keith, can you tell me a little bit about the brains behind Right Path Fitness?
Well, I moved to London in 2010 to follow my passion for all things health and fitness. I’ve been involved in sports and training for over eighteen years so it was really a natural progression for me to start my own personal training company. I’ve always wanted to work for myself and build something inspiring that genuinely helps people.
My personal expertise lies in fat loss/lean muscle gain-a key goal for many, many people- and I have been using my knowledge and experience in this area to help my clients achieve this goal and others. I also have a team of seven working with me at Right Path Fitness and I have some very big plans indeed for the company over the next two years. Exciting times indeed!
You are a GB and England Freestyle Wrestling Championship winner. What was the transition like from wrestling champ to entrepreneur?
It’s probably not as big a transition as you might imagine! Certainly, some of the mental skills and attributes required are very much the same- both competing at a professional level and being an entrepreneur require focus, mental discipline and a real drive and determination to constantly progress and move things forward. As a wrestler I learnt not to quit and developed the kind of mentality that I think helps me today as I run Right Path Fitness.
What inspired you to launch Right Path Fitness?
My route to launching Right Path Fitness wasn’t a direct one as after I finished competing I worked in social care for some years whilst always maintaining that interest in the industry and keeping up with my own training. It was probably over a number of years that I began to get the idea for the type of company I wanted to run. Working with disadvantaged people in society, my time competing, it all combined and helped me see what I could achieve- something unique within the health and fitness industry. Being my own boss definitely appealed too!
You’re driven to help young people create a better life for themselves. Can you tell me a little bit about the work you’ve done so far?
At Right Path Fitness we have a scholarship program in place which offers a number of young people each year the opportunity to start a fantastic career within the health and fitness industry. This is my way of giving a little something back to the community by providing young people with the inspiration and mentoring to really make something of themselves and establish a successful career. Nothing beats the feeling when you see a young person who you have helped succeed and grow in this way - it’s amazing!
What are your non-work habits that help with your work-life balance?
Obviously keeping very fit and healthy by going to the gym and exercising is a key one for me, but also since things have really kicked off at Right Path Fitness my home life balance is extra important. I’m lucky enough to have a fantastic girlfriend and also a couple of very cute dogs who I love spending time with. They keep me grounded and are also the perfect release from the constant pressure and challenge of being an entrepreneur.
Exercise is very important, especially when running a growing business. What is your favourite workout combo and why?
I like to incorporate boxing into my regular training regime. It’s great for fitness, stress and of course burning calories, and as an added plus it’s also a brilliant skill to learn and one that I can pass onto my clients by teaching them the correct techniques. With the demands of the business, I need to be very efficient with my time, so I often do an upper/lower routine that is easier for me to fit in to my schedule than a standard body part split routine.
What advice would you give to young entrepreneurs wanting to get into the fitness industry?
Now is the perfect time as the industry has exploded and there’s such a buzz and positive vibe around the health and fitness sector. If you’ve got a love and passion for it, then you’ll get so much out of it. You can really see the difference in a fitness professional who is in it because they would rather do that than anything else, and someone who is just in it for the money or for want of something else to do!
How did you fund the business in the beginning?
Saving, and lots of it! Once I had the idea for Right Path Fitness I was determined to make it happen and saved every penny I could until I had the funds required to start up.
If you could travel back in time, to one specific moment in your business and you had 10 minutes to give yourself a message, that would save you time and a massive error. What would you tell yourself?
Thankfully major errors have been thin on the ground but what I would say is to think big from the start, putting plans and procedures in place that will set you in good stead as you grow. You might know fitness like the back of your hand, but the learning curve in actually running your own health and fitness business can be steep so invest in your own development in other areas too like finance, HR or marketing.
How do you measure success?
Financials are important of course but for me it’s a very emotive thing. We’re in the health and fitness industry and we’re dealing with the fundamentals of life- people’s wellbeing, how they feel about themselves, their ambitions and goals and I don’t think that can be underestimated.
So, it’s not all about the bottom line and the profit of the business. I measure success in the number of happy clients I have, the results me and the team are achieving for our clients and how good we feel being part of that team making it happen. I also consider our contribution to the industry overall, when we’re innovating and setting new standards and reaching out into our local community. That makes me feel that we’re doing something right.
How would you define being an entrepreneur?
Making brave and sometimes tough decisions and also having the drive, determination, courage and belief to really make things happen and take the lead in doing something exciting and inspiring. That’s what it’s all about for me - and why I do it.
What plans do you have for Right Path Fitness over the next 12 months?
Ha! Very, very big plans! I can’t reveal too much as it is under wraps right now but let’s just say it involves big growth and some real innovation and forward thinking! What I can reveal at this stage though is that we plan on opening a new studio within the next couple of months, and growing and expanding our team as our client base grows. For the rest - well watch this space as they say!
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