Today we’d like to introduce you to Victor Bernal
Hi Victor, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Victor Bernal, I am 35 years old, born in Chula Vista, raised in Tijuana, Mexico. I am an average person with above-average dreams.
After getting laid off in year 2014 from a factory job unloading appliances from semi trucks in Otay Mesa, out of desperation and anger of getting laid off for no reason, I decided to start training 2 clients at the park from a previous job as a trainer in a conventional gym, as well as my mother and my dog to have at least a group of 4 to make it seem it was less empty.
No equipment but a few resistance bands and agility cones I grew to 10-15 clients in a matter of 2-3 months. By the time winter and rainy season came back in year 2014, I decided to look for a place where someone can rent me 5-6 hrs. per week to train my clients.
Luckily an owner of a Karate studio in Beyer Blvd, San Ysidro let me use his facility to train those 10-15 clients; little did I know i was creating a program as I went without really actually creating a business plan, more just taking opportunity as it came. My program used to be called ” Victors Fitness.”
My group training client base grew to 25-30 in that same winter, and on year 2015, a 900 sq ft studio next door to the Karate dojo became available, and I leased my very first studio. Could only fit 5-8 clients per class since it’s all the space I had but was damn proud of my own little studio. Matter of months, next door became available and we throw down the wall that divided those two spaces, and now I was able to train 12-16 max at a time. I had no space for an office, so I removed the toilet seat of one of the bathrooms and created an office room to be able to sit down a client and sign them up.
In 2016 an opportunity to lease a 4,000 sq ft warehouse was available; with my current client base, I wouldn’t be able to pay the new warehouse rent or my first two trainer hires who would start helping me but decided to go all in on now my new group training program ” Flex Appeal. ”
As of July 2024, Flex Appeal clientele has grown to 400+ members with our main location in San Ysidro, CA and now opening a boutique women’s only fitness program “The Booty Factory by Flex Appeal” in Chula Vista Center Mall.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My Biggest Obstacles :
– Living Inside the warehouse for the first 8 months since I had no money to pay for an apt.
– In the process of building my business in 2020-2021, I forgot about my health and gained 100+ pounds, sick, obese , anxiety and insomia.
– During COVID i shut down for 4 months and lost all my clientele and income
– I ran out of cash flow in 2019-2020 and had to borrow money to pay my staff
-I lost 3 locations due to bad partnerships
All my struggles along the way to me were just learning experiences. It is definitely part of the process when you decide to go the entrepreneur journey, but it’s okay, or else there wouldn’t be a worthwhile story to be told.
I believe you will never arrive at your destination. It’s only a journey of personal development and team development that you must enjoy. Struggles and failures are part of life. If you don’t fail you don’t learn, and if you don’t learn you don’t change.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Flex Appeal is a group training method that helps people achieve their physical and mental transformation goals led by fitness instructors.
Flex Appeal has two official programs ; The Sweat Room & The Booty Factory
The Sweat Room is a specialized fitness program to lose unwanted pounds, burn fat, increase your fitness and burn up to 1,000 calories in 60 minutes; for men and women.
The Booty Factory is an exclusive women’s only fitness program , ideal for body shaping, specializing in increasing glutes, reducing waist and toning legs.
Flex Appeal is more than a gym, it’s a fitness community and movement.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
My first job at a conventional gym, they told me i should just stick to front desk because I did not have what it takes to be a fitness trainer or be on the sales department
Contact Info:
- Website: https://flexappealsd.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/flexappeal.us/
- Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/mr.flexboss/
