When I grow up…
What did you want to do when you were a kid?
a lawyer?
a doctor?
a teacher?
a professional athlete?
an astronaut?
When you were a kid, you had a dream, and then you let being an adult get in the way, so you stopped dreaming, and listened to everyone else tell you that you need to be “realistic” – those bastards 
When I was 13 all I could think of was working out.
When I was 15 or 16 I a sooooo freakin’ enthralled in working out that I knew I wanted to own a gym.
My Dad would take me to gyms around NJ just so I could check them out, and he would even look through business classifieds and we found pro bodybuilder, Rich Gaspari, selling his gym!
Then, I remember a gym in the area and it was old school, hard core and nice and small. The owner was burning out and man I wanted to buy that bad boy. Not long after, it burned down…no accident my friends
Today, I’m livin’ my dream, and leaving my full time job.
I never saw a kid say he wanted to own a gym or be a strength coach, but man, those kids don’t know what they’re missing
I’m still a kid, and livin’ the dream baby!
what about you, %$firstname$%?
Kill it!
–Coach Z–
PS – Let me hear your comments on this, I’ll be there answering your questions below
PPS – by the way, a few spots left for the November1st and 2nd Underground Strength Coach Certification. Live the dream here:
==> http://zacheven-esh.com/coaching.php
10 Responses to “When I grow up…”
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I would love to own my own gym and train every day and help other people train to. Unfortunatly I am not in a position to do that right now. I hope to someday get my underground strength coach cert. and build from there. I love lifting, training, working out. Anything to do with getting stronger, I want to be a part of. I will follow my dream someday, I am just glad that Zach is there to help push people to their goals. You are a real inspiration to me.
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Amen brotha!
Just the dream of making a living just for being healthy and helping others do the same is enough.
Hey Zach,
I’m livin my dream too, baby! Got a basement gym and some gear in my garage where I train my clients old-school ‘true-functional’ training style… hope to follow in your tracks one day and lease a larger garage space for a full gym.
Thanks for the inspiration! I can totally identify with your story… For too many years I struggled trying to balance my personal training business and “real jobs” for b/c I was brain-washed into thinking that being a coach or trainer wasn’t legit or secure. I had my Kin Degree, but I believed that I needed to work for someone else to “make a living”. I wasted so much of my life juggling “work” vs. my passion, until I started listening to guys like you Zach, as well as Diesel Crew, DeFranco, and others, and decided to invest myself full time into my training business. It was scary at first, but wow, it started to take off! If I had only had the balls to take charge of my life earlier, I can only imagine how much more I would have achieved by now.
I’m just started to get to the level I want to be at, and will have my first DVD and ebook ready this year, and will take it from there.
I want to thank you once again, Zach. Just wanted you to know that your quick little email messages are making a difference out there.
Keep on killin’ it!
Josh Hewett
Yes Zach,
Your words and especially your actions are most inspiring! At age 28 with a family (girl friend and 2 year old son) I’ve been using them as an excuse as to why I’m not fulfilling my potential and my dreams. I’ve realised that:
“EXCUSES make you feel like a victim, and victims have NO POWER!”
Through receiving your emails, I’m getting my POWER back. Im no longer dreaming of owning my own gym. I’m too busy trying to make it a reality!
Many Thanks,
Aaron Harris
Great post Zach! I knew I wanted to be a Strength Coach back when I was 13 yrs. old also.
Funny… back then a bunch of kids from my high school would come over to my house and I would teach them how to squat, press and pull – all of us crammed down into my parents basement with nothing but a barbell and a few weight plates. – Sweaty and STANK!
This is not what I do – its WHO I AM!
You and I were born of the same cloth. I’m a few years older then you and wished that this type of training was known to me at the time. My strength gains have sky rocketed in the past few years after I discovered kettlebells and the Underground Strength training philosophy. Keep killn it!!!
Halen, a gym isn’t necessary brother. For years I used playgrounds, parks, parking lots, backyards, basements and garages.
You can make it happen my friend!
Zach, this is soooo true what you said: “When you were a kid, you had a dream, and then you let being an adult get in the way, so you stopped dreaming, and listened to everyone else tell you that you need to be “realistic” – those bastards
”
He he he – I wanted to become a missionary – never happened (many reasons).
At age 38 – after taking ‘ages’ to qualify as Attorney and leaving that because it ‘was not me’ and then qualifying as a CFP (Certified Financial Planner) I new I had come to a cross road in my Life – one of my colleagues asked me the following question:
“If you were to be paid, $1 million, a month for the rest of your Life – but – you have to work everyday, 7 days a week, with zero holidays, till the day you die, WHAT would you do?”
I answered immediately “I will coach!!!”
“Coach what?” he asked.
“Coach anything – running, cycling, canoeing, rugby – anything!” I answered.
He asked: “Why?”
And then the BIG answer from me.
“I AM a coach!!!” Tell you it did not feel or sound as if I was saying it – I looked up and around and felt very dizzy. He even inquired to my state, because according to him I went ash-white.
There in that definitive moment in my Life. I knew what I had to do the rest of my Life, I also realised why I soooo wanted to become a missionary – to realise other people’s potential.
So today I am a coach, realising potential.
The real question – why we should revisit our childhood dreams is not necessary to do now, what we dreamed to do ‘one day’ when we were children
but
to reconnect with what – drove – us to want to do that.
What was the driver motivation – therein lies gold my friend – because way back then, your motivational drives were not contaminated by adult bullshit !!!
It was purely who you are at your BEST !!!
I value what you are doing as a business – including your email listings and video’s and this blog – you are awakening the ‘fire-inside’ of people all over the world again – everyday in some small way. I know you do for me at a daily basis.
Kill it !!!
My your work expand and be profitable beyond your dreams.
Brand
I know exactly what you mean my story was a little different as I started lifting at 15 then go lost in the wrong things drugs and all that then thank god I found fitness again and knew it was what I wanted to do. It is the best thing to tell people I have my own business doing what I love and I can not wait to open up my own place. Just having my garage gym is bad ass I can not even begin to think of how bad ass a bigger gym would be like. Your the shit zach see you soon!