Today, we are interviewing Fernando, a fitness model and sponsored athlete.
Please tell us something about yourself.
Growing up, I always wanted to be someone people looked up to. My dream was to become big enough to help people all over the world understand their hidden potential. I never knew what that was until I started to workout and helped friends and family with their fitness goals. It felt natural, and I wanted to become very good at what I did.
How did you get into what you do right now? Please tell us more about your journey?
I went through a hard time with weight during my college days and right after High school. I had gained a lot of unwanted weight. My friends started to point out that I was now ordering large meals or extra food instead of small or medium, which was always what I used to do. At the time, I had a friend who was very big into working out, and he asked me to work out with him, and I told him at the time I was not interested because I was focusing on my career. My friend was persistent, so I decided to go with him. At the gym, I felt this rush, and it felt natural!
I decided that I was going to stick to it and started to count my calories. Several months later I had become so dedicated in, what I do that I started to market my boring Instagram page by word of mouth or just interacting with other people to grow my following.
Who are your role models?
My role models are my parents. Without them, I would not be where I am, and frankly, I would not even be here, in general, doing this Interview. My parents have always supported me even when the idea seemed crazy.
What inspires you?
That’s a good question, I would say what inspires me the most are my fans they have always been very supportive in either buying my products or giving me advice. Before I had my first 10k followers on social media, I had a mentor who showed me how to get to the next level. He is a Fitness model and personal trainer, Aaron Nimmo. He saw potential in me and how I was able to inspire a lot of people in my shoes. Without my fans, I would just be a boring social media enthusiast. I want to take the time and thank everyone who follows me. You are all the reason I have made it this far.
Please tell us about what you do.
I am currently a sponsored athlete for Revlabs. They have been fantastic to work with and have given me the best advice in growing further. I swear by their products not because I am sponsored by them but because they work. Everything I tell everyone to use is something that I am currently using and recommend everyone to use because it will help you get to that next level.
What’s your most memorable experience?
My most memorable experience is a photoshoot I had in Key West, where I met a lot of fitness models. I was with Shredz at that time, and they really liked how outgoing I was with my fans. So, they invited me to this huge event with big names. I had an amazing time, and I am so grateful for an opportunity like that.
Which social media channels work best for promoting your work? What exactly do you do on the social media channel that makes it work for you?
This is easy! Instagram is by far the best and most fun way to promote me as the limitations are set by yourself. If you want more fans, you engage with more people, and if you want more interactions on your videos, you post more videos. I have been on Instagram for a very long time and have always found it to be the easiest one to engage with your fans.
I love being able to go on their profile and like their pictures. It means a lot to them when they see someone they follow, interact with them like that.
What’s your greatest fear?
My greatest fear is not accomplishing all my goals before time runs out and its because of that I am so positive in life because good things happen to good people and everyone deserves to accomplish their dreams as long as they put the effort into it.
Looking back, what’s one thing you wish you understood better before you ever got started?
I really wish I understood how Google’s search engine optimization process worked. When I ran my first company, it was that lack of knowledge. When I first started, I used to feel stalled because the internet started to grow out of control.
What are the strategies that helped you become successful in your journey?
I would have to say engaging with my customers and fans and really making things fun for them. I used to do live Q/As and Giveaways, and they really enjoyed that. I even held a huge Spartan race team with a bunch of fans where we competed in the group for a prize. It was a lot of fun, and I feel it helped my customers stay loyal to the brand.
Any message for our readers.
Yes, I have one message for you, guys don’t you ever let anyone tell you that it is not possible or that you are not good enough. Trust the process, and when you feel like you are about to give up, I want you to remember that if it was easy, everyone would be doing it. It is not supposed to be easy, and that’s what drives us to push hard. Your limits are what you tell yourself they are. Do not stop because you fell, get up, and try again.
How can people connect with you?
You can follow my Instagram. It’s currently the only social media outlet that I am using.