Trials, Triumphs, Toxic Environments: Unearthing Entrepreneurship

Syndi: I'm Syndi Nelson.

Noel: I'm Noel Trevino.

Syndi: And this is Help! I'm an Entrepreneur. A podcast for this who have taken on the challenge of entrepreneurship and who love tips and advice from successful entrepreneurs who have overcome tricky obstacles along the way. Today, I welcome back Noel Trevino, a fitness and nutrition coach who helps transform his clients into competitive athletes, fit moms, and everything in between, leading to healthier lifestyles and achieving their goals. Tell me a little bit about some of the challenges you've had in your first couple of years as you tried to build your business with the gym culture that existed.

Noel: Okay. Yeah. Really good question again. You know, I was so focused on the route and research-based approach. Or evidence-based. We'll use evidence-based because

Syndi: Yea, because you have the natural bodybuilding...

Noel: Yeah. So, like, there's natural bodybuilding, and then there's you know, kinda what I feel everyone sees. My niche isn't bodybuilding. It's more about building strength, but I I love that challenge of being a bodybuilder.

And I think, you know, just to touch on that a little bit, like, genetics plays a big role in being a bodybuilder. There's a lot that you can do if that's your passion. So just going back to the question, the gym culture man, coming from something that education-wise, there are a lot of people that know everything, especially with a lot of guys. And what I mean by that is when I started, I was a rookie. These people had businesses already. And the way I was doing things someone always had an issue, like, you shouldn't do it this way.

You shouldn't do it that way. You should do it this way. And being in a gym that's so saturated with personal trainers in the culture, I was there and they were, like, you know, I'm gonna use the name "Big Bad Billy" because it rhymes. Right? There's that trainer and it's, like, I was never in competition with anyone.

I would put my product out there and the bet better product would win. That's the competition that's gonna have. I'm not saying specifically any person. And, um, the gym culture was... I'm just gonna say savage. Like, it's just very, very Like I said, free for all. People don't care.

I would walk up to my clients and other trainers would be telling them about their product. And

Syndi: That's rough.

Noel: And yeah. And so I think, you know, the professional atmosphere I was looking for would be... there's not that involved.

Syndi: Yeah.

Noel: And so in gyms that you would see built up on their own based off of someone else's structure, they give you as much freedom as you want. And so the fight and the challenges in that were, hey, believe in me, and just listen to me as your trainer. I have the credentials. I have the degree, I have the people that I visit with, I go to seminars. I have that for you. And I hope that you could trust me and not the people you see around. Because at one point, at the gym, I was at, there were about thirty to forty trainers and...

Syndi: Oh, that's a lot to be competing with.

Noel: Yeah. Yeah. It was it was saturated and I was this little power lifter that was there. And in my mind, I was, like, That's not just me. Like, I do more than just that.

Like I just know you're not educated. That's why you say that. And so the mindset was just focus on the product, read the science, depend on Lane Norton, Ph. D. Nutritional Science, because it's not me doing the research.

It's him. Barbell Medicine, medical doctors that lift heavy, they're saying this. So if I could relay a message, hopefully, you would believe me that I'm taking the truth. Of these people. But you can listen to these guys that are doing drugs that do it this way and you should do it that way.

But I think that set me up to succeed because I was new. I was different. And there's a lot of when you're different. Different in a good way. But that culture was so toxic. And the challenge is just... you know, you've just gotta deal with people.

Syndi: Yeah. That sounds awful.

Noel: And it was a fight every day, but it made me tougher.

Syndi: Yeah. Sounds awful. Yea, it sounds like it made you tougher.

Noel: I knew when I started winning and I saw myself having many, many clients and I was getting stared at. I knew I was winning I knew I was doing something right, so I was there, right there.

Syndi: Because you got all that. I mean, because you were getting so much anger from everyone. So you must be some sort of competition.

Noel: Yeah. Some glares. Some, "Hey, He's he's not that good of a coach" or "My clients are stronger." Like, why compare if it's not anything, you know?

Syndi: That's right.

Noel: And so I was like, okay. Well, if they're stronger, mine's gonna be stronger than yours. Like, let's made a friendly competition, and let's see who is better because I have some hardcore evidence, an evidence-based approach that would help. And so there's power in something like that. You know? And so now that I look back, I'm like, that's the part I'm thankful for.

Syndi: Yep.

Noel: Whereas in a professional atmosphere, I believe it'll work too because a good product is gonna be a good product. You know? Yes. If you're not strong-minded, I grew up in competition. I played some baseball. I played some professional baseball. I knew how to lose seven times and win three and still be successful. So, if you don't have a mindset like that and you lose a lot, I believe a lot of people go under. And I saw a lot of trainers like, quit.

Syndi: Mind over matter. Right?

Noel: Yeah. You really have to have some belief in yourself and belief in the product, belief in the route that you're preaching out there. And if you have that, then the hard work's gonna pay off.

Syndi: Yeah.

Noel: Yeah. Serving people really giving your heart to the product to help people. And people saw that. So they chose me, you know, and not everyone in the gym, but enough! And so it got me here where I am today just really serving people, you know.

Syndi: Yeah. And you care!

Noel: Yeah. Yeah. I really do care! Like, there are a few things in life you can't buy, you can't buy your away to heaven, you can't buy more time, and you can't buy your health back when you're on your death bed. So I chose the health one, and, well I chose all three of them.

But I knew I could give that product to someone because it correlated with who I am. And I like I like health and fitness. It just went along with the challenge. I knew what the reward could be.

Syndi: Dealing with "Big Bad Billies" isn't uncommon in many industries, and with Noel, we learned that facing that with the gym culture he experienced was better faced when he had a truly great product with heart that helped people, by being different, and by being well educated in his space. Another great insight that I loved about this episode with Noel was losing seven times and winning three. Grit is one of the characteristics you'll see as a common trait of the guests in our podcasts to come.

In the next episode, we'll cover mentorship with Noel, and the importance of how that helped him work through challenges, not only with the growth of his gym, but with mental health as he went through the challenges of extreme stress of entrepreneurship.

You can find out more about Noel on Instagram. Check him out at fitnessinspiredbynoel and don't forget to subscribe to our podcast at helpimanentrepreneur.com, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify for the opportunity to get early access to episodes and to get answers to your entrepreneurial questions from our guests and more. See you next time!