When Emma Lockridge graduated with her undergraduate degree last year and moved back to the Seattle area, she thought she was set on going back to graduate school. However, for the time being, she was hoping to get certified and become a personal trainer. She had started going to the gym a few years prior, the first time after graduating high school, and was entirely self-taught. After moving across the country for school, the gym was able to keep her grounded in navigating a new school and a new state; she used the gym as an outlet and a way to feel secure. Her confidence built up over time as she improved her form and was able to find routines that worked for her. In December of 2019, she enrolled to become a certified personal trainer (CPT) and was planning on looking for part-time training jobs. But when the pandemic hit, she realized how much everything was up in the air and that maybe she did not want to pursue graduate school just yet. She received her certification in April, but with the pandemic and everything being closed, she wondered how she could make that work.
Traditionally, she says trainers start in-person to build up their community and find clients before taking their business to expand online. But, in spite of the pandemic, she decided to do the opposite. After working with some business coaches online during the summer, she realized that if she truly wanted to pursue this, she could create her own full-time business. Emma wanted to work with people and help them attain their goals and feel confident in themselves, just as she worked to achieve. To her, starting off was one of the hardest parts, even after going through training:
Lockridge said, “There’s so much you don’t learn until you’re thrown into it, I never studied business, but I wanted to keep working with what I love and had to learn to be flexible with myself.”
Starting off online during the pandemic has had its pros: she is able to reach out to more clients at one time and provide accountability through texts and zoom meetings, something that cannot be offered during in-person coaching. Her coaching focuses on training programs, nutrition, and most importantly, accountability. That was something she knows everyone can struggle with and one of the biggest things that can hold you back can be yourself—especially the fear of messing up. She too worries about facing judgment as a new coach, and that putting yourself out there online can be daunting. She also understands it can be difficult to approach the gym as a woman who wants to help empower others to own their strength. Emma hopes in the next year she is able to build a larger client base and expand her online community further to where her clients can also interact and support each other, on top of her coaching. If you are looking for one on one coaching, she is currently accepting clients, and if you are simply curious about everything she has to offer, check out her Instagram page!
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- @emlock.fit
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