There are moments in life when you just know that another job would suit you much better. In addition to knowledge, change requires hard work, courage and the ability to implement things. For me, Bardo Tschapke is one of the inspiring people who has these qualities, which is why his career change was a great success.

Happy reading!

 

Ghaya Hachani: Hello Bardo, thank you very much for taking the time for this interview. A few years ago you made an interesting career move from a sales representative in a suit to a personal trainer and business owner. Can you tell us what motivated you to make this change?

 

Bardo Tschapke: Hello Ghaya, with pleasure. Switching from sales to personal training was a logical development for me when it comes to following my strengths and interests. It’s not for nothing that they say: Do what you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life again. Of course it’s not quite like that, but there’s a big difference between working in the office as a sports enthusiast or turning your passion into a career.

My mother attached great importance to a balanced diet, so it was natural to eat natural foods. Beyond that, there was a lack of structure in my life. Later I integrated this into my life, primarily through wholesome eating habits and daily training.

During my studies, it happened that fellow students called me “bunny” when we were shopping together because the checkout counter was full of vegetables. Exercising before and after work and eating unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods three times a day was always a top priority. So at some point it occurred to me that I could help others implement this behavior into their stressful everyday working lives.

The change came about primarily because of my growing dissatisfaction. I am a person who does not develop ambitions through extrinsic motivators such as annual salary. I need intrinsic stimuli; I wanted to be good at what I do. In the end, all I did was swap the product or service I was selling. Only now I’m passionate about it!

From the outside, the beginning was a step backwards. I earned €400 plus state support per month. I think that’s the difference, the majority will approach the matter too intellectually. I followed my heart. Through my job I have a lot to do with people and their health and it’s enormous what muscle building/strength training, the right environment and a job that suits can create!

 

Ghaya Hachani: That sounds like an exciting change. How did you specifically approach this change?

 

Bardo Tschapke: At first I was brutally honest with myself and realized that an office job wasn’t right for me personally. First, I wrote a business plan. However, it was more there to sort out my thoughts and get to know the market.

Then I looked for suitable training to become a certified personal trainer. I wanted training that was long-term and full-time.

The employment office was supposed to take over the financing because I had no reserves. I didn’t want to do weekend training or something on the side. I wanted as much input as possible. So “all in”. From now on the focus was only on the personal trainer project. I am 100% committed.

This was an intensive time of learning and preparation. The next step was to build networks and acquire the first customers.

The Holmes Place Germany fitness studio was a suitable place for this, as you could gain your first experience as a freelance personal trainer and earn some money in the process.

From my time in sales, I knew how important it was to approach people. They don’t come to you. They need to know what you can offer them and you need to show them that. This is where I think I differed from other colleagues. Also that I wasn’t too good for anything. I had the worst shifts: I started early in the morning. I cleaned equipment and did member orientations. Still, I was happier than before.

 

Ghaya Hachani: What challenges did you face on your path to becoming a personal trainer and how did you overcome them?

 

Bardo Tschapke: One of the biggest challenges was certainly the transition from a more sales-oriented job to one that was heavily based on personal care and physical work. I had almost no competence here. Still, I had to be confident and provide value to the member. Ultimately, the hourly rate was around €80. By the way, the customer never paid me less than €80 an hour. Many colleagues offer personal training lessons for 20-30 euros per hour. Most people do it as a side income and secretly. That wasn’t the case for me.

If someone thought the price was too high, I was too bad. No compromise. It was important to build a reputation as a competent and trustworthy trainer. I focused on further training and continually collected feedback from my customers in order to continually improve.

 

Ghaya Hachani: How has your previous professional experience in sales helped you in your new role as a personal trainer?

 

Bardo Tschapke: Above all, my time in cold calling taught me how to sell someone something that they didn’t actually intend to buy. Customer loyalty actually works by itself in 1:1 coaching. I believe authenticity is the most important thing here. It was always clear to me that I didn’t know everything and that nothing was “black and white”. It was only important to me that I was able to justify all the training and nutrition content taught based on the current state of knowledge. I never wanted to know everything straight away. The customer noticed this and therefore trusted me. Authenticity also means that I fully support my service.

I think very highly of personal training and used to like investing in personal trainers myself, even though I couldn’t actually afford it. If you are enthusiastic about your product, then you can sell it too. Of course, understanding needs and the ability to offer tailored solutions are skills that are essential in sales as well as personal training. Through my business studies, I knew how important marketing is. From the beginning I had a homepage and posted on Instagram. I asked my customers to write reviews if they didn’t do it themselves.

 

Ghaya Hachani: What advice would you give to others considering a similar career change?

 

Bardo Tschapke: My first tip would be to really be clear about what drives and inspires you.

When you are passionate about something, it is much easier for you to invest the necessary energy and time. Then you should inform yourself well and acquire the necessary qualifications. It is also important to be patient and continually educate yourself.

The most important thing: be open and tolerant. Seek exchange. Try it out. “Stay hungry”.

This is also how networking in the industry works, which can be crucial. And finally, don’t be afraid of starting over – it can be incredibly rewarding, both personally and professionally.

 

Ghaya Hachani: Thank you, Bardo Tschapke! You have certainly inspired many people with your experience and made them think.