Business Spotlight: Blake’s Health and Fitness Can’t Weight to Get You Into Shape!

Daniel Blake, who often goes by Danny, has started his own business at the young age of 29. Located in Hillsboro, Oregon, Danny has recently started his own personal training company called Blake’s Health and Fitness.

How He Got Started:

Daniel Blake started his fitness training journey while he served in the Marines. He was a certified HITT instructor, and he also PT’s his Marines. While he was enlisted, the idea of being a trainer came up and it grew on him the more he thought about it. His next job in the fitness industry was working for a gym, which was located out in Phoenix, AZ. Once he had the job as a trainer, he began to love it more and more. It really didn’t take Danny long to realize that personal training was a career he would love to do long term.

Schooling and Certification:

Before starting Blake’s Health and Fitness, Daniel had to figure out exactly what kind of business he wanted and how he wanted to run it, as well as how big or small he wanted to start, how he wanted to train others, etc. After deciding on his personal training business, he got certifications through USMC HITT and NCCP. He is currently attending Portland State University for applied health and fitness with a minor in business administration, and he has hundreds of OJT (on the job training) hours as a trainer. He has been certified through USMC HITT since 2015 and through NCCPT since 2018, meaning he has years of official experience.

How His Business Works:

Blake’s personal training isn’t just about lifting weights. He says that “there is much more to being fit and living a healthy lifestyle than just working with a trainer a few times a week.” Committing to real change means that you need to change all of your bad habits. You have to assess everything you put into your body as well as work hard- with or without your trainer present. Hiring a personal trainer is just a start, as you have to be willing to put in the hard work. Starting at a rate of $60 per hour, Daniel offers all of the following services: assessments, a personalized fitness plan, personal training, group sessions, and lots of motivation! He has also recently implemented an inexpensive motivational training program, in which he won’t train a person, but he checks in with them on assigned days to hold them accountable and make sure they are doing what they should be fitness wise.

Who He Trains:

Before accepting a client, each one is carefully and personally screened by Danny to ensure that they can safely and effectively exercise without causing harm to themselves or others. Questions are asked about everything from their lifestyle, health history, and general health and habits. He also asks about their goals and timeline to help build the best personal routine he can. Blake’s Health and Fitness takes people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds and fitness levels. He has plenty of experience with the average parent, college student, etc. He has also had some elderly clients struggling to climb stairs on a daily basis, and he was able to adapt to the needs of every client.

What Type of Workouts He Does:

Depending on the clients needs, you may work in a lifting style gym, a more open style gym, or just outside at a local park. Sessions will typically last around an hour, but the frequency varies depending on the client’s goals and needs. Depending on the needs of the client, some of them may be lifting heavy, some may be working mobility, some may be doing aggressive HITT. During a session, he will go over his client’s basic health to make sure they don’t have any injuries or health issues that will hinder them during a workout. The program is always tailored to each client, as nobody has the exact same goals, limitations, or abilities. For those who don’t like to work out alone, Blake also offers group fitness sessions. Though groups have to remain small as of now, due to COVID-19, they are still a great way to stay motivated and enjoy your workouts more!

When entering a session, clients should expect to work- and work hard! Daniel pushes his clients hard so that they can safely reach new peaks. It doesn’t matter how in or out of shape you are; his sessions will push you everytime, and quitting isn’t something you do at Blake’s Health and Fitness. Daniel cares deeply about each of his clients, and that’s why he will go to great lengths to help you reach your goals and feel good about the work you do.

What His Style Is Like:

Daniel’s style is all about balance. His logo is a modified Yin Yang symbol for that specific reason. In order to be happy and healthy, you need a balance between things like work and life, working out and eating, activity and sleeping, etc. Danny understands that it can be hard to keep balance between all of these things when we lead such busy lives, but it is possible. There is a perfect balance to be found, and his goal is to help you find it. Blake uses a strategic and aggressive fitness routine that will encourage positive change in all balances in one’s life.

Danny will be inspiring, but also works hard to push you. There are no excuses and there is no laziness. Clients should expect to put in 100% and sweat a ton. No matter what your limitations are, Blake will always find a way to work around them. He enjoys seeing his clients grow every session, as well as seeing them happy about new achievements and milestones. Not only does he push hard, but Daniel also brings loads of positivity and motivation to every session to help get his clients to these goals.

He also encourages all of his clients to record their progress- not only how they look, but

how they feel and what they can physically do. He will also be recording such progress on all clients as he meets with them each time. He uses this progress to keep clients moving forward during times when some may not feel like putting in the hard work. No matter what, hsi custom programs will be moving his clients towards their goals at all times.

How COVID-19 Has Had an Effect on His Business:

As a personal trainer, Daniel has lots of experience in health and fitness, but as the owner of his own small business, he also has to understand the business and marketing side of things. While starting your own company is already hard enough as is, Blake has had to deal with COVID-19 in addition to all the other struggles new businesses often face. “Starting out with no clients and slowly building that relationship, trust, and passion for changing one’s life” is much more difficult with COVID-19 standing in the way of more personal interactions, he says.

Blake’s Health and Fitness launched in February 2020, and quarantine went into effect in March. Because of this, it has been even more difficult than usual for Daniel to get the ball rolling. Even now that quarantine is starting to end, people are still worried about being in contact with others, especially in a fitness setting, so things are going to be challenging this year. He is for sure going to have to change the way he planned on doing business.

How He Has Adapted:

In such difficult times, Daniel Blake had to be smart about how he began his work and turned to social media. He is using facebook and instagram to connect with friends, potential clients and other professionals in the field to get the word out that Blake’s Health and Fitness is up and running. Many of his friends and clients help spread the word as well, both over social media and through word of mouth! He is very active on social media and there are also plans in the works for PR style events that will allow people to work with him and get a feel for how he does business at Blakes Health and Fitness.

His business is fairly new and still on the rise, but Daniel’s passion for fitness and helping others is sure to make his training very successful! Though he has many challenges to face with the current public health situation, Danny’s creativity has been utilized and I am confident that he will make things work out in the end. If you are looking for a great trainer who understands balance, hard work, and positive motivation, then give Blake’s Health and Fitness a call!

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are your qualifications?

I am certified through NCCPT and USMC HITT LV II, and I am certified in personal and group settings.

How quickly do clients generally see progress?

Clients always feel progress before it is seen, I have had those who push hard everyday in and out of the gym (including nutrition) and they see results in several weeks, others who only work hard when they work with me and maintain an unhealthy lifestyle, they may not notice any significant results.” It is important to remember that you will only get out what you put in!

What is your cancellation policy?

You can cancel for a full refund within 24 hours.

Do clients need any supplies?

You just need workout clothes, water, towel, and lots of motivation!

Contact Blake’s Health and Fitness:

Email- blakeshealthandfitness@gmail.com

Instagram- blakes_health_and_fitness

Facebook- blakeshealthandfitness

Phone- 503 409 6731

Like his balanced logo?

Check out his merchandise store! It includes: hats, shirts of all kinds and sizes, mugs, yoga pants, leggings, backpacks, stickers, etc.

Danny decided to sell his merchandise as a way to publicize his business as well as add to his revenue. So far, his online store has been very successful and there are many people enjoying his t-shirts!