Your Fitness Business
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Fitness Career Spotlight: 'Marathon' Matt Forsman
By Sarah Koszyk, RD
October 2011
ExerciseJobs: What attracted you to the field of fitness and exercise?
Matt Forsman: I've always had a great passion for running. I was interested
in helping others derive joy and meaning from the act in the same way that I
did. It was a calling.
What is your Job Title?
CRW (Chief Run Whisperer)
What Company you are with now?
Marathon Matt-Personal Coaching for Runners
What's a typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you?
No day is the same. On a given day, I could meet with a man looking to qualify
for the Boston Marathon in the morning, an eight year old girl over lunch who
refuses to run a lap around the track, take a call with a remote client on the
East Coast in the afternoon, and round things out with a maintenance run with
100+ runners via my current training program.
In between the aforementioned, I might field inquiries about my training programs, personal coaching, pen an email newsletter or article for Active.com, and maybe get a few hours of sleep in if I'm lucky.
How did you get your current job in fitness and exercise?
I created it. I was unhappy with my existence in Corporate America and wanted
to find a way to parlay my passion for running into something that would sustain
me professionally. There was no way I could see of doing this effectively without
creating a business around it.
What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the
way?
I suppose I was "born to run". I was born with a certain amount of
creativity which has come in handy from a marketing/advertising/social media
perspective. The ability to connect with others is something that I was born
with to a certain extent, but it's something I've definitely honed (and continue
to hone) over the years. Advertising, marketing, social media, and the basic
accounting/financial knowledge required to run a business were largely things
I learned on the fly.
What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and
fulfilled as you?
As trite and cliche as it may sound, you've got to follow your passion. It doesn't
mean things will be easy, but it's the passion that will get you through the
inevitable bumps in the road of which there are many as a business owner. Passion
is ultimately what people will respond to most. Be opportunistic. I don't say
this in a Machiavellian sense, but recognize when a door has opened and don't
hesitate to walk through it. Be willing to evolve. Things change. What worked
last year may not be the answer this year.
If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck,
what would it be?
Hugs? Smiles? In all seriousness, I would say travel vouchers, timeshares, or
something along these lines that would enable me to travel for free.
Sarah Koszyk is a Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Coach at Eating Free, an online adult weight management program. She also provides in-person nutrition coaching at a private practice, MV Nutrition, in San Francisco, CA, where she specializes in sports nutrition and adult and pediatric weight management.