Meet Liz Law | Personal Trainer & Group Fitness Instructor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Liz Law and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Liz, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I was really fortunate in that my training business unfolded pretty organically. Before I was a trainer, I was juggling a jewelry design business and two young children. (I should mention that I did have a history of being a lifelong fitness enthusiast and college tennis player.) I started to realize that- once I dropped my youngest off at preschool- I no longer enjoyed sitting alone inside in my design studio. I felt called to be outside, be connecting with other people, and most of all be ACTIVE. The only answer- in my mind at the time- was to become a group fitness instructor! I had no idea where to begin, but I was determined to move quickly and not fall into analysis paralysis. I had a friend who had been a successful group fitness instructor for 30 years, so I took her advice and signed up for the same training certification program she had used. While studying for my exam, I mentored under a fantastic instructor and was fortunate to learn on the job by co-leading some bootcamp style group classes. Throughout all this, the honest answer is that I had no clear vision of how my business was going to look. My guiding motivation was to learn more about fitness, the body, and coaching. I tend to closely follow my curiosity and interests and go where they lead me. My superpower is that I can really take a deep dive into something I am interested in.  I passed my group as well as personal training certifications, and 1 client quickly lead to more through word of mouth and good old social media. I had clients wanting to train before I even had a proper gym set up! Though it was February, I have the luxury of living in Southern California and I figured I’d use my backyard. I began just with dumbbells, resistance bands, a barbell, and bench. I attracted a lot of women who may not have felt totally comfortable in a typical gym setting. I realized I could provide a valuable service to my peer group, simply by being myself and sharing what I love. At the beginning of all of this, I never envisioned myself setting up an outdoor home gym and training clients out of it. My thought process was only, “How can I immerse myself in fitness, stay active, and help the world by making it healthier?” I followed my interest and was led down a beautiful and rewarding path lined with fitness and new friendships.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I think I offer a unique experience in that my environment feels different than a typical gym. A gym weight room can be an intimidating place! I am able to offer my clients- mostly women who don’t have or want a gym membership- training in an outdoor, private setting. Additionally, a lot of my clients like set up their sessions to train with a partner. This cuts their fee in half and also provides them the accountability, support, and fun of training alongside a friend. I also like to see myself as trainer who takes an interest in the whole person. I realize that my clients are people with full lives beyond the weight room. I like to set them up for long-term physical as well as emotional success. I value the relationships that I have with all of my clients, as well as the relationships they develop with one another. Because I teach partner sessions and small group classes in addition to privates, a lot of my clients get to workout with one another and really get to know each other. I like to create an environment where friendships can blossom and people can continue to show up week after week not only for a workout, but for their friends and good vibes all around. 🙂

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Oh boy! Well I would probably outsource this job to someone else- all my good friends know that weeklong itineraries are not my strong suit! That being said, I’d take her to the beach- probably Zuma, and then we’d hit up Kristy’s Village Cafe in Malibu and eat outside on the grass. If money is no object we might as well eat at Moonshadows while we’re up in Malibu too. 🙂 We’d have to spend a day in Santa Barbara. (I live just outside of LA in Thousand Oaks, so these spots are relatively close to me.) I’d show her the fabulous giant fig tree by the old train station and we’d walk around, hitting up the occasional wine bar. One of my other favorite local towns is Venice Beach. I LOVE the vibrant energy here. I used to live in Playa del Rey, and my husband and I would bike around Venice and Santa Monica all the time. While biking through Santa Monica, we’d have to eat at Urth Cafe on the patio. For me, flexibility is key; I just love to be moving outside in the sunshine and see where the day takes me.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have so many people to credit! My tennis friend Wendy gave me the inspiration and advice to become a fitness instructor, my now good friend Jennie (who I didn’t really know very well at the time!) first asked me to run her through a workout, which she put on Instagram and instantly got me my first client (her and her friend, go Jennie!), John and Carol were the incredible trainer mentors who lead the way and showed me how it’s all done, Nate took me under his wing and taught me certain lifting techniques and philosophies as well as gave me a homey hookup on his used workout equipment that I used to create my own gym. My path to my training business is full of people willing to help me in some way or another. I couldn’t have done any of this on my own. I stayed open, stayed curious, asked questions, and was always willing to learn. I am so grateful to all these people- and many more!

Website: https://www.lizgitfit.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lizgitfit/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LizGitFit

Image Credits
The first photo in the red shirt is by Carissa Narciso All other photos are by Emily Elizabeth Photography