Today we’d like to introduce you to Phil Catudal.
Phil, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
‘Tis a story of love, life, death, struggle, gratitude, luck, and more. A riveting tale! Okay, but to be real, I–like anyone else–am a product of my environment+choices. I was born to a loving family in Montreal, Canada. Long story short… I had Cancer (Leukemia) from ages 3 to 8. My dad, my hero, died of a different Cancer when I was 12, and then later my big brother also battled–and won–against an even different Cancer 5 years later.
We already were a healthy family, but us four siblings and my mum all double down. We’ve traveled the world, learned, been to graduate school, started companies, and more, but we all have an inescapable calling to health. I am right there as well. I have been a personal trainer for 12 years, and no matter how many other things I have done/do, I just love it to much. I am an ENFP. A humanist. A hugger. A lover. A foodie. I believe in balanced and hard work. All that to say, I have chosen to spend my life and time helping people be physically and mentally healthy because it’s literally in the DNA of my life story. I know what frailty and death look like. I know what hard work is. I understand loss. Anxiety. Confusion. And yet I CHOOSE to be an optimist. A helper. A doer. I am far from perfect, but I love what I do, I am great at it, and I give it 100% THAT is how I got to where I am today, as a Celebrity Trainer and internationally published author. And you bet I am grateful for every piece of it, taking nothing for granted, even being alive itself. Life Is Beautiful (I have it tattooed on my back in French, La Vie Est Belle, being half French Canadian.)
Has it been a smooth road?
Career-wise… NOPE. I have always trained, but my location has been everywhere. I moved from Canada at age 18 and have lived in Utah, Texas, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, and California. I’ve also traveled to 10 countries in between getting my MBA and being married with three children. I’ve started two business, selling one and closing the other, and quit 2 “professional” business jobs. I’ve LOVED the ride, every second of it. Through it all, I was a trainer and nutritionist, be it in person or online, but sometimes as little as 5 hours a week. Five years ago, I made the decision to move my family to LA and become a celebrity trainer and author. I did it. It took focus, work, and some wiggly ups and down, but I KNEW what I wanted. I was clear. The struggles have been part of the fun, and my family and I are lucky to have had a fun ride. I can say that the most important part of anything is the vision–what you want. The day to day varies, and you need to make room for fun and spontaneity, but nothing can displace your vision if it’s strong and clear. In that sense, you already know it ends well, so you can help minimize the collateral damage of your struggles if you know they are only temporary.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a personal trainer if you give it one main label. But I specialize in humans. Am I a great trainer? Yes. Am I qualified? Highly. But what sets me apart with my Trained by Phil brand is my care and attention to detail. Whether in the gym or online, EVERY client has access to ME. Not just 1 hour in the gym. I’m known for grocery shopping and cooking meals both with and for my clients. Watching their babies as they workout with me. Showing up with food if they’re sick. Giving free birthday session. Going out to concerts or shows to celebrate weight gain or loss victories. I truly believe my success doesn’t come from my knowledge or social media, as present and existent as those are, but from the fact that people enjoy working with me because they know I care. I motivate with love. I teach. I encourage. I do not yell or punish. My book, Just Your Type, has the same tone. I am proud to be called “The Gentle Trainer” as KTLA referred to me, haha. An honor. And, oh, how Canadian of me!!
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I LOVE HOLLYWOOD. I LOVE CALIFORNIA. Goodness this place is beautiful. There is no better place in all the world for people like me: trainers, nutrition experts, yogis, health gurus, etc… Los Angeles reigns supreme. The rates are high, and the sky is the limit. That being said, competition is stuff. TONS of people work hard, look good, and are qualified. I would highly advise anyone looking at any personal or service-based industry like this to think what their unique personal edge will be. I’d also say to think of a way to scale. You can’t clone yourself, so how can you share your message on a big scale? I wrote a book. Some people do TV. Magazines. Instagram. Whatever it is, hone in on it and perfect your craft. LA itself has everything you need, you just need to find the right niche.
Pricing:
- VoyageLA Special Online Plan for $300 regular $400
- VoyageLA Special In-Person Training for $150 regular $200
Contact Info:
- Website: TrainedByPhil.com
- Phone: 8083821475
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Instagram.com/trainedbyphil
- Facebook: facebook.com/trainedbyphil
- Other: @TrainedByPhil on all media
Image Credit:
Francois Noah
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