‘THE REWARDS ARE WORTH EVERY PENNY’
Anne Iarchy, 50, from north London, left the corporate world to become a personal trainer.
Up until 2010, I’d followed a very rigid career path. I graduated in Business Studies in 1997, then moved my way up the job ladder at several large IT companies, before becoming a sales director in 2006. I worked hard, and at first I enjoyed the lifestyle that came with the six-figure salary I earnt – the foreign holidays, dinners at fancy restaurants and a wardrobe full of expensive clothes.
But as the years passed, I started to feel there must be more to life than just working. I was 38 years old, and the thought of spending my 40s slogging away for someone else made me feel depressed.
So I decided to follow my dream of becoming a personal trainer.
I’d always enjoyed keeping fit, and I’d done a personal trainer level-three course in 2007, but afterwards I’d been too busy to think about what to do with it.
It was now or never, so in January 2010 I handed in my notice and got a job as a self-employed personal trainer at my local gym, where I was earning just £1,000 a month.
It was a shock to have my monthly pay slashed, but I cut back on all of the luxuries I’d become used to. No more fancy meals out, no more holidays, and I had to rely on my savings to pay the bills some months.
But as I got more clients and increased my skill set, things got easier. I did a course in nutrition and began offering that on top of the training.
Seeing my clients’ lives improving was hugely satisfying. But it also improved my own. I lost weight, dropping two and a half stone in 18 months, and I felt in control of my own life.
Now, I’ve written my own book,
5 Simple Steps to Releasing the Real You (£14.99, Book Brilliance), and am happier than ever.
✱ anneiarchy.com
‘Now, I’m happier than ever’