They slammed the door in my face

Life opened a portal

I got certified to be a personal trainer because I wanted to coach at my beloved gym in Minneapolis.

They said, "yes, get certified, and you have a job here."

So I did.

Then when I said, "I am ready, I passed my test, when can I train in?" They said, "actually, you can't work here." I was given a bogus lie as the reason.

I was crushed.

That "no" broke my heart. It was unfair, I was lied to, I didn’t understand and it stole my joy of attending the gym I was so in love with.

I fought the urge to get bitter and attended anyway. I didn’t spread the story, I just took it. Soon, Covid shut down the gyms and it was a moot point.

I created my own workouts in my basement to keep busy. I wrote them down and started posting them to my social media. I had fun with it and worked hard to stay in shape during lockdown.

Soon, I got restless and bored of indoor workouts alone and wondered if there was anyone else in the neighborhood who felt that way. I made a post on a community app and offered to lead group workouts in the park, socially distanced, in the early mornings before work. I immediately had a big response.

I showed up with my workouts written on notecards, nervous but excited. I brought a yoga mat and a Bluetooth speaker, playing my favorite workout tunes to set the tone. Five ladies from the community showed up. They set up their mats in a wide circle in the park pavilion and I led my first workout. I was clumsy, I was nervous, but I was lit up and hooked on the experience. They loved it too.

I spent the next 4 months writing workouts and leading a growing number of attendees 4-5 days per week. Neighbors brought their friends, mothers brought their daughters, and everyone showed up before starting another day of lockdown, to prioritize their health and sanity during unprecedented times.

We outgrew the park pavilion and moved into the main parking lot. They each rolled their mats out in a separate parking space and I coached from the center. We sweated, laughed, fought off early morning swarms of gnats, got fitter, stronger and ultimately, became a community we called Destination Sweat. Workouts were offered free, suggesting a donation if desired, but I did it for the sheer joy and fun of it.

I learned how to explain movements, cue exercises, correct form, talk and workout at the same time, inspire, motivate, entertain and push for more. I learned how to choose good music to create high energy and how to craft a bell-curve workout. I learned how to create an experience. I learned how to lead.

Fall arrived and it got too cold to workout in the park. Gyms opened and life started to get back to normal. I left Minnesota for a warm winter in Miami Beach, Florida. We sadly parted ways at Destination Sweat, and I planned to come back in the spring and pick up where we left off.

Once I arrived on the beach in Miami, I saw there were no gyms nearby and wondered if anyone might want to work out with me here like they did in Minnesota.

They did. I never went back to Minnesota.

Miami Beach Fit Camp started in November of 2020 and over the next 3 years, grew into a thriving business. I currently employ three additional coaches, hold nine classes per week and generate a robust membership revenue stream. Our membership sits at 58 monthly members and 30 occasional attendees.

Joy, purpose, beauty, and friendship filled my mornings during lockdown in that Minnesota parking lot. Now, the same fill my days with this beach full of amazing people I get to immerse in.

Retired seniors have a place to be every morning on our beach, a place to move and stay healthy.

Busy parents have a place to come and fill their cup first, before giving their time and energy to their kids and jobs.

People who hate gyms and boring classes have a fun and energetic way to get fit without drudgery.

Kids come to the beach with their parents and see how fun it is to move for the sake of movement.

The sunrise greets every class, creating a spiritual time of reflection, dedication of the day, and beauty that fuels the energy of our workouts.

Miami Beach attracts snowbirds and transplants from around the world, people who need to plug in and find community. Here, they become a part of something. Here, they find a place where they are seen, they matter and they are missed if they’re not there.

The “no” that broke my heart made all of this possible for all of these people.

Had I been hired at that gym, I would have learned how to be a gym employee. I would have learned how to teach someone else’s workouts. I would never have left Minnesota.

We are told "no" so many times in life. We see doors slam in our faces and we face heartbreak when we don't get what we so badly want.

Life has proven to me that I don't really know what's best for me. The best for me is always far greater than I have the ability to imagine.

That big, painful "no" was the greatest gift to me. That “no”’ was a gift to the people who found community and their own power in that Minnesota parking lot and now on Miami Beach.

Embrace the “no” when it comes. Trust that you are part of a bigger plan that involves more than what you can picture.

Stay open, stay willing, and follow the path forward through the big portal that opens behind every door that a “no” slams shut.