Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Barnard.
Tina, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started To a Tfitness after years of being involved in fitness on my own in my personal life but never dove entirely into the field as a career. In high school, I took my first girls’ weights class and from that moment, I became hooked. It was so awesome witnessing my body change and getting toned but the best part was watching my body become stronger and beating old personal records each month.
Through college and after, I remained involved with fitness in my own way but still had not made a business out of it. I continued in the world of bartending and dabbled a little in veterinary assistance and event planning but still continued my own time in the gym.
After staying at the same bartending job for almost five years, I knew I needed a change but I so scared of it. I felt like I was spinning my wheels and not really challenging myself anymore. I was great at bartending I felt like I was in my prime, but I was looking to evolve yet again. I loved fitness but I did not know if I could actually make a living out of it. So, I decided to get a certification in personal training and go from there. I completed and passed the course and wondered what next… I soon realized between the bar hours and completely different lifestyles of work I had to move on from the bar. In order for me to take on this new opportunity, I had to dive COMPLETELY into fitness. I had to learn how to go from serving up a shot of tequila to serving up a killer workout, and hoping that I still kept my customer happy!
It was tough putting in my notice in, leaving steady pay, my friends and regulars, benefits, and so many other things, but my gut told me I was making the right choice.
I left the bar in August 2019 and have now been running To a Tfitness for nearly four months now. I am happy, healthy, and doing what I truly love each day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not always been a smooth road. Leaving steady pay and the security and benefits that come with a job scared the hell out of me.
I had never run my own business, and I did not know where to start and everything I figured out I had to figure out on my own. Let me tell you, there are a lot of things high school, university, and life NEVER taught me about running a business! So many stipulations, permits, licensing, fees, and things I couldn’t even pronounce that I needed to get before running a personal training business.
Everyone in my life has always been supportive, thankfully, but that did not come completely without words of advice and warnings that I may not be “ready” to run this business. That was a hard pill to swallow, the thoughts of failing kept me awake a lot for the first couple months and to be honest even now even though I am up and running!
My advice to women or anyone just starting their journey is to just keep pushing forward. It is wonderful to keep future goals and aspirations in mind, but take each challenge day by day and one step at a time. Obstacles are bound to happen, but if you take a deep breath and remember WHY you are doing this, your road will keep paving itself… even if you have to off-road for a moment or 2 or 60. And when you start getting down about yourself or business and that feeling of possible failure creeps in… remember that the feeling of regret hurts much worse than if you never tried. There is no failure, just feedback and learning. I would much rather be 90 years old in my rocking chair feeling thankful for all the things I tried and learned, rather than wondering “what if..” wouldn’t you?
Please tell us about To a Tfitness.
I am a certified personal trainer in San Diego, CA. I solely started, own and operate To a Tfitness. I host outdoor fitness classes in historic Pioneer Park and other various places throughout the city. They are circuit style classes that offer a little bit of everything. During a class, you will find a variety of exercises through strength training, cardio, weight lifting, and fun 5-minute burnouts that push you to your limits. I also do in-home personal training where I bring the equipment to you and we complete a workout in the privacy of your own home. The latest addition to To a Tfitness is online training which has been taking off like crazy! I have clients nationwide now and some of their transformations are so incredible, you would swear that they had been training with me in person!
I strive to give each client individual type attention during a class by keeping the group number small and offering encouragement while also showing them the correct form. It is important to me that a client may take what I show them, and use it at the gym or during home workouts and feel good about themselves and their form when I am not there.
To a Tfitness is unique because each class will be different and it is ALL about each person individually. We are never competing against anyone except ourselves. I push my clients to new limits each week and I KNOW for a fact they may hate me in certain moments (I am aware haha) When they are tired, sweating and running on fumes, I encourage them to finish strong, and they look at me like I am nuts. But after they complete what they thought was impossible, they find a feeling of accomplishment that is unlike any other. You really have to see it for yourself… the look on someone’s face who said “There is no way I can do that” and then they do it and crush it.. Inspiring is an understatement.
My classes are lighthearted, challenging and productive. My main goal each session is to include laughter and reach new fitness goals. If we are working out AND having fun then my class was a success in my eyes. To a Tfitness will remain welcoming, nonjudgemental, and most importantly you will leave feeling one step closer to your goals.
I bring my dog Lulu to every park session, along with my red wagon full of equipment. Lulu greets my clients, gets a few pets then looks for groundhogs and checks on us routinely throughout our session. Sometimes I really do believe my clients look forward to seeing Lulu more than me when they walk up to a session! A few times now, people have approached me asking “Are you the lady with the black dog and wagon that works out at the park?” And I am very okay with that association. 🙂
I am most proud of the transformations that I have helped make for my clients. From weekly, monthly or even momentarily, watching them transform into a more confident and happy version of themselves is awe-inspiring. When I receive a text from them and they tell me that they are down 20 pounds, fitting into old jeans, feeling good in their skin again, and loving their results, my heart feels like it is going to explode. That is the only way I can describe it, and I get teary-eyed and think about how far they have come. It is truly rewarding.
What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
As women, we have been gifted with beautiful minds that allow us to multitask the heck out of life and think about every single minute detail, but sometimes when it comes to a career or big decision this trait causes us to think a little too much and we end up talking ourselves out of it. We stand on the edge thinking, wondering, worrying about what may happen if we start a business or start a new career when we could just jump and take the leap! JUST DO IT. Don’t overthink it. Focus on your goal, remember WHY you are doing what you are doing, and know that obstacles WILL inevitably happen but persevere and remember the payoff. There is no such thing as failing, just feedback and learning.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (928) 707-1539
- Email: tbarnard274@gmail.com
- Instagram: @toatfitness @tinamariebarnard
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tina.marie.1671/about?section=overview&lst=1252903434%3A1252903434%3A1577589590
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