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RICH RIZO
FITNESS TRAINER
Rich Rizo is a fitness trainer who teaches strength and conditioning, boxing, muay thai, and weight loss. He has translated his lifelong commitment to fitness and martial arts into a thriving career. He loves getting to know his clients and seeing the difference fitness can make in their lives.
THE MUG 10
TEN QUESTIONS THAT UNLOCK REAL STORIES OF SUCCESS.
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AT A GLANCE
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I am able to make my patients feel comfortable and well cared for while using my analytical brain to give them the best dermatologic care possible.
Sharing my passion for fitness with my clients, whether they're in person or half a world away.
WHAT IS YOUR
UNIQUE GENIUS?
how did you become interested in this career?
TRAINING WITH MY FAMILY
I've been interested in fitness since I was a child. My dad was a third degree black belt in taekwondo and my mom loves to swim. I would watch my uncles work out as early as I can remember and try to pick up a few weights myself. That's where my love for fitness began. I was inspired by the Rocky movies to learn to box can became an amateur boxer.
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IN WHAT WAYS IS THIS JOB
A PERFECT FIT FOR YOU?
I'm an athlete.
I'm a business man.
I love changing lives.
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I can't sit still. I have to continuously move around. If I sat at an office desk, I probably wouldn't have any hair on my head.
WHAT SKILLS DOES IT TAKE TO BE SUCCESSFUL AT YOUR JOB?
MOTIVATING PEOPLE, SALES, EXERCISE SCIENCE
You need a tremendous amount of passion to be successful in the fitness field. You definitely need good sales skills, too, because we are selling a product, and you are the product. Other factors that come into play are being able to assess somebody if they have any injuries and how to correct them. We are dealing with people's lives, so we have to be very careful.
I am able to make my patients feel comfortable and well cared for while using my analytical brain to give them the best dermatologic care possible.
WHAT DO YOU WISH YOU KNEW WHEN YOU WERE YOUNGER?
DON'T LOSE FOCUS
Don't get distracted. I could have accomplished so much more in my mid to late twenties or even early thirties if I would have never let myself get distracted by partying and hanging out with my friends.
I am able to make my patients feel comfortable and well cared for while using my analytical brain to give them the best dermatologic care possible.
IN YOUR BODY OF WORK, WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?
LIVING OUT MULTIPLE PASSIONS
I'm also a musician. I'm a lead singer, I play piano, and I play a little bit of guitar. That's my other passion—it's how I wind down. Music and fitness intersect tremendously because everybody's working out to music. Some people like to work out to really heavy rock and metal. That's what I like to listen to while I work out. Some people like more mellow stuff to kind of help them focus, but music is a huge aspect of fitness.
WHAT'S THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB?
MAKING TIME FOR MYSELF
The most challenging part of my job is taking care of myself. I'm busy taking care of people the entire week, so I'm so hyper focused on making sure that everyone's happy and getting the best session possible. In that process, I tend to forget to eat, drink water, and work out.
WHAT'S 1 THING PEOPLE DON'T KNOW OR UNDERSTAND ABOUT YOUR JOB?
WE ARE WALL STREET PEOPLE IN PAJAMAS
People think they can easily train anybody, but it's not an easy job. It requires the ability to build rapport and sell yourself as a product. You have to put in the hours in order to be successful in this field.
WHAT WAS A DEFINING MOMENT OF YOUR LIFE?
FOUNDING MY OWN BUSINESS
Running my own business, Hades Strength and Conditioning. There's one employee and that is me, and I'm responsible for beating myself up if I don't have a good month, and I'm also responsible for celebrating me if I do have a good month.
INDUSTRY STATISTICS
FITNESS AND NUTRITION
PROJECTED GROWTH
Projected Growth: 11%
Projected Openings: 65,500
AVERAGE ANNUAL SALARY RANGE
$32,000 - $94,000
TOP SKILLS FOR THIS JOB
Instructing
Coaching
Active Listening
Relationship-Building
Critical Thinking
WORK ENVIRONMENT
Face-to-Face discussions
Responsible for others' health or safety
Physical stamina
TRAINING + DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
High school diploma or equivalent required. Post-secondary certificate required.