August 23, 2016

Meet Ventura county Nutritional Therapy Practitioner: David Proffer

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to David Proffer .

David , please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
When I was in my early twenties I decided to hire a personal trainer. I listened to everything he told me and took everything at face value. After all, the guy was in amazing shape and I wanted to look like him. The only problem was the dietary advice he gave me supported my short term goals, but not my long term health. Needless to say, after following this his advice, I started to develop digestive issues.

It wasn’t until I took an elective course in college that I was introduced to the importance of eating a healthy diet. From that point forward I began to feverishly study and read everything I could get my hands on related to nutrition. I realized my trainer gave me terrible advice. I also realized that much of what is considered healthy is just the opposite. I began to experiment on myself and manipulate my diet and I started to feel better. However, I still had a lot of healing to do and a lot more to learn.

After graduating college I didn’t have a clear career path and soon found myself working in the mortgage industry. Needless to say, I soon discovered I wanted more. I wanted a career where I had autonomy, mastery, and purpose. These are the things that Daniel Pink stated in his Ted Talk which are the driving factors behind motivated and happy employees. Seeing how I had a passion for nutrition, I knew I wanted to have a career working in the health and wellness industry. I ultimately decided to enroll in the Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA). The NTA was founded with the philosophy that the health problems of modern society are the result of poor nutritional foundations that are not supportive of good health. Upon completion of the NTP program, I graduated with a certification with the designation of a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner™ (NTP). An NTP does not diagnose or treat disease. An NTP makes nutritional recommendations for balancing the body and promoting optimal wellness.

I work with my clients both in and outside of the gym focusing on strength training and provide nutrition, supplement, and lifestyle recommendations. My chief aim is to help my clients to improve their mental clarity, boost their energy, and feel and look their best.

Has it been a smooth road?
When I decided to start my own business I knew it wouldn’t be easy and I knew there would be some growing pains. I tried to turn those negatives into positives, however. I viewed the problems as blessings because it gave me the opportunity to learn something new. For example, I never paid any attention to the idea of marketing or selling when I decided to start my own business. However, I soon realized that I needed to learn how to market and how to sell. This allowed me to develop more skills.

Who, or what, deserves a lot of credit for where you are today?
In the book “Choose Yourself” James Altucher stated “It’s one thing to know “The Secret” or take whatever life-affirming steps you’ve read about in order to bring positivity into your life, but it’s something altogether to actually create opportunities for yourself.” Creating opportunities were vitally important in my continual progression in my career. These opportunities were largely influenced by the people I can turn to when presented with a problem or temporary moment of insecurity.

I found being faced with a new problem to be a blessing in disguise. In a sense, problems are an indicator you are progressing. For example, I discovered that I needed to learn how to market myself and generate traffic to my website. These are just a couple examples of “problems” I had to overcome. I overcame these problems by turning to experts who could give me direction, which created opportunities.

What’s great about starting a business in today’s day and age is you have access to so many talented people. Believe it or not, I haven’t actually met a lot of the experts I turn to when I am faced with a problem. For example, when I realized I needed to learn sales I discovered Grant Cardone on YouTube. When I realized I needed to learn how to create a website and familiarize myself with social media, I took advantage of the numerous free webinars that are offered by the various educational institutions. Meeting with people face to face is also vitally important, however, and joining a meetup group through MeetUp.com has also introduced me to numerous people. Finally, creating a Mastermind Group has also been invaluable. Associating with your mastermind group is not meant as a means of lettering others do your thinking for you, rather it is to stimulate your own thinking through the association with other minds.

What type of clients or projects do you look forward to most?
When I work with a new client I always make sure we will be a good fit. First and foremost I determine if I will be able to help them and if they are ready to make the necessary changes. Granted, I always work at a pace that’s comfortable for them, but they have to be willing to take on my recommendations. When I work with a new client and they’re just as excited to work with me as I am to work with them, I know it will be a fun process watching them achieve their goals.

I love working with busy men who woman who are juggling work, family, while also trying to take care of themselves. More often than not, the latter is put on the back burner. I understand that training a client revolves around their lives, not the other way around. I know that it takes a lot of time and effort to show up and strength train 3 times per week at the gym. Not to mention having to consider the other lifestyle factors as well, which include diet, sleep, and managing chronic stress.

When my clients discover that they don’t have to spend countless hours in the gym, subsist off of low-fat cottage cheese and celery, or live with chronic pain, low energy, and poor mood, it is very rewarding.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, one thing I would have done differently is to find myself in more situations where I felt uncomfortable. I ran into a lot of what Steven Pressfield calls “resistance” in his book “The War of Art.” I would make up every excuse possible for why I can’t introduce myself someone or write a blog for example. After all, people might judge me and discover that I am a phony. In the same book, Steven Pressfield states “Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do.”

If I had to start over, I would have found myself in more uncomfortable situations. I would have ignored my fears and instead of making excuses I would have forged ahead.

Pricing:

If you suffer from digestive issues, feel tired, and low mood, then you should consider revamping your diet. With Nutritional Therapy, I will provide nutrition, supplement, and lifestyle recommendations. Studies show that if you do something for six months, it is likely to become a long-term habit. This is the reason I offer a 6-Month Nutritional Therapy Package. The total cost is $1.200.00 ($200.00 per month).
Personal Training – I focus on strength training and train my clients out of a gym located in Agoura Hills. I charge $65.00 per session.

Contact Info: