Hello I’m Pearl, a Strategist by trade!
I’m a former Strategist at Meta turned Marketing entrepreneur. Apart from my daily grind of speaking to clients, hopping from meetings to meetings, and doing the work itself, I’ve always found time to reset through exercise. It’s a great break from staring at the screen for hours too.
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During the Covid lockdown, I spun that dull period into a high-energy intensive 2-month training. Each time, “Zoom-ing” friends to train together. They needed motivation, and I loved their virtual company.
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Towards the tail end of Covid, I decided to upskill and take my fitness more seriously. Getting Certified as a Trainer felt like a great addition to my current skillset. I also tinkered around the idea of being a Freelance Trainer. I use to gather my group of friends to train together at open spaces in Toa Payoh Central, and I loved it. So why not become a Certified Trainer to train others, and also earn some side party cash!
I spent a good 4 months researching who I should get certified with, I decided on NCSF Singapore for multiple reasons (good ones!). I remembered that the class I was in, everyone was laughing non-stop, it was edutaining. I also remembered an auntie in her 60’s joining us for the course. She was planning to learn the right techniques to share with her morning Tai Chi friends. So wholesome!
Our class photo at the end of the Practical Workshop - spot me!
I’m also a Certified Personal Trainer, globally!
I took on my first client within the first week of passing the exam. After the trial session, she signed a package with me, and we trained together once a week every Tuesday at 7pm. I planned our training in a way where we’ll do certain exercises together, so she follows a rhythm and pace, and I too get to squeeze in a little workout for myself. My client was a young mother, a busy superwoman, her main areas of focus was to keep in shape and get toned. With her I did a mix of Strength, Endurance, and Cardio workout that I planned from scratch.
One thing I planned for her was to improve her plank hold. She started off at 47 seconds, and after 1.5 months, she was doing over 3 minutes!
Today, with 2 clients on retainer, I spend only 3 hours a week on PT. After work on Tuesday and Friday. With this simple setup, I take home an extra $1,400 each month! For my line of work, making connections is also a good thing, so I love how all these areas in my life benefit each other.
Getting Certified was definitely a big milestone I achieved. It’s something that will follow me through my life. It has certainly improved my own personal fitness journey, and I’m excited to have extended this into a side hustle!
Low-key flex: Bolstered my Linkedin
One last thing, it’s a bit of a flex to add that into my profile across IG and Linkedin once I got certified. I felt like I was more than just my day job. It was also a good way to let employers know that you're invested in fitness and serious enough to get certified for it. If you can take good care of your body, you can take great care of the company!