Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Pfister.
Hi Sam, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Please share your full name, along with your title and business.
Sam Pfister, Owner and Head Coach of Rise Strength and Performance
What does a typical day look like for you right now?
Currently, I have two typical days. One in which I am at the gym at 4:50 a.m. to coach classes and one in which I stay home but get work done in the morning and help my wife with our baby boy who was born in September 2025.
When I am up and at em early, I help lead our 5 and 6 a.m. sessions – our busiest of our 4 morning classes. From there, I will take my gym pup Rudy for a walk to Slow Hand Bake Shop, get him some treats and me a coffee. Then I work on Big Block items for Rise: first and foremost are client needs – checking in with folks from their sessions, sending encouraging messages, or following up with different items we talked about, whether that’s a stretch to help a tight neck or sending them a business book to help them get to the next level. Next, I am focused on the staff – making sure they have the resources they need to be successful and take care of our clients, whether that is tutorials on exercises or developing their leadership abilities to help them be better not only at Rise, but in their life. Finally, I am working on implementing our brand strategy of helping people achieve their fitness goals regardless of their starting level – this can be organizing an event on Menopause or creating engaging and approachable content that helps people break through their own negative self-talk and decide to do something about their health. After I’ve worked on the Big Blocks, I get my own workout in and then have some personal training clients in the afternoon and then wrap up with checking in on our evening classes and home by 630 or so. Not quite done yet!! When I get home, my son is anxious for my attention (and I, his) and my wife is ready for a break, so I will play with him while mommy catches her breath or gets dinner ready. After that, they are off to bed and I’m usually decompressing by reading a history book (I’m truly a history nerd).
My coaching days are long and I miss my wife and son a bunch, so the days when I don’t have to coach early, I really relish being home in the mornings to play with my son, have breakfast with my wife, and taking care of our chickens (we have 12 and they keep us well stocked with fresh eggs and protein!!). I will sometimes work from home or head into the gym during the day to work on my Big Blocks.
When did you found Rise Strength and Performance, and what inspired you to start it?
I opened Rise in May of 2022, but the brain child of it was born probably a decade before that. After college, I worked in Washington DC for ten years, starting out on Capitol Hill as a legislative aide, then at a think tank, and wrapping up with the Illinois Governor. When he lost his re-election in 2018, I had had enough of politics and DC and was ready to pursue what I felt was my gifting and calling – Coaching Weight Training.
My life has been shaped by fitness – from a massive back injury that took me out of HS football for an entire year, to battling eating disorders and body dysmorphia. I always had the hankering of opening a gym. I loved what the gym did for people – it helped them have a “haven” from the craziness of life, it helped them reduce anxiety or depression (something I’ve long battled), and is a place to have community where everyone is equal, everyone is working their hardest to be better – whether you’re one of my 16 year old HS athletes or an 80 year old great-grandmother! But, I pushed the thought aside as “childish” and “not a real job” and pursued politics instead. Turns out, I had it backwards!
After I got out, I realized I had the vision but not the complete skillset to coach people, so I took an internship with George Washington University’s Strength and Conditioning Department assisting Division One athletics. I learned a ton and absolutely loved it. From there I got a job at a local strength and conditioning gym – the owners, staff, and adjoining businesses were a huge resource in helping me learn how to coach.
During that time, I was working about 5 different side hustles to make ends meet (driving for Lyft, delivering donuts, handyman work, and a couple restaurant jobs), but had made a lot of progress in coaching and was about to go full time coaching with no other jobs, then Covid hit. I went from 6 jobs, to basically no jobs. But I kept on coaching – friends in my garage, clients in parks, outdoor track workouts and even took a solo road trip from DC to Telluride Colorado for funsies.
I moved to Nashville in December of 2020 with some very basic equipment and began coaching out of a garage as well as mobile training. One of my clients I picked up was the Tennessee Heat homeschool basketball team based in Lebanon.
As my book of clients in Nashville got busy, some of the Homeschool parents told me about a retail space available in Lebanon. I went to look at it, prayed on it overnight, and signed the lease the next day. I gifted my book of clients to a trainer friend in Nashville and moved to a new city to open a new business in which I knew virtually no one.
I opened Rise in May of 2022 and it’s been one heck of a ride ever since! We are celebrating four years and I feel like I’ve had four different versions of life and business since then – me running everything to having employees; me single, to married, to now having a kid. It’s been a wild run.
Why did you choose the name “Rise”?
Everything happened so fast in opening the business, that I just made an LLC real fast – Inner Strength Performance Training – so I could get bank accounts set up, etc. Only after I did that, that I Googled it and found there’s another trainer with that business name in Hermitage! I was like, daggumit!! So I was pondering and thinking real hard and the Lord put on my heart “Rise.” And of course it was perfect because everything about the gym and life really, is about Rise. You have to Rise above your circumstance, Rise above challenges, Rise to meet the day. Everybody is taking on something in which they have to Rise to meet the challenge. We Rise by lifting others up. So I thought it was perfect.
What has helped you get back up after setbacks, and how do you aim to inspire that same mindset in others?
I love this question because there are all sorts of setbacks that happen – in life and in business. Setbacks happen FOR ME, not TO ME. I can either grow or groan. When they happen, I take responsibility with two goals in mind: one, apologize to someone if need be or forgive myself (after several days of kicking myself); two, figure out how/why it happened to prevent it from happening again. Often, it’s that I’ve spread myself too thin and need to delegate to my team better or be realistic with my expectations for reaching certain goals (this is particularly true after I had my son!)
A lot of my time in DC was self-made setbacks – was a selfish, entitled jerk. But one night I prayed a simple prayer for Jesus to help change me. And boy did He. I’ve been through lots of prayer & Bible study, 12 Step programs, and lots of therapy and counseling to help straighten me out.
The Lord knew I had to be broken down, face my own demons, before I could ever help others face theirs. I know what it’s like to have body dysmorphia, to have a debilitating injury, to have anxiety, to have crippling depression, to be riddled with shame, to mask pain through alcohol, porn, and work. That helps me stay grounded and have empathy with my clients’ struggles.
What helps me get back on track when I’m feeling down or facing struggles (which is often) is knowing God has put me here to help people through my gift of coaching and my life experiences.
And that’s what I preach to my clients – especially ladies who put enormous pressure on themselves to look and appear a certain way. “You didn’t follow the meal plan and had a bunch of cake this weekend? First of all, don’t sweat it – I had cake this weekend too; you can get right back on track. And! We learned something! How were your stress levels? How was sleep? How’s work? Can we do XYZ to help prevent you from reaching the breaking point again?”
Have there been any mentors who have shaped your journey? How have they impacted your path?
This might sound weird, but Jesus has been a huge mentor. Getting my life together would not have been possible without Him. He helps guide me everyday. Praying, reading the Bible, and listening to worship music is when some of the best ideas for the business come about.
And I’ve had lots of mentors and heroes I’ve looked up to over the years. Dan Donahue owned a Farmer’s Market produce stand I worked at; he was a master at marketing and making customers feel special. The owners of Bodymass, the gym I worked at in DC, were amazing coaches and people that taught me a ton. Working in Congress, I learned how not to treat employees and about message discipline as well as leading a team.
I have had several business coaches and they’ve all helped me grow in certain ways (and I’ve fired several as well). Which, for me, is integrity. If I am such a huge advocate of coaching changing someone’s life, yet I walk around thinking I’ve got it all together and don’t need coaching, then I’m not living out what I am asking of my clients.
What would you say to someone who feels intimidated about starting or restarting their fitness journey?
If you are ready to start the journey, go get help – whether that’s a gal pal to lift with or hiring a coach. Having a coach to guide you and a gym squad in your corner will make the experience that much more fun and life-giving. Start where you can, acknowledge that there will be challenging times, but sticking with it will change your identity. Consistent action and not giving up will change your identity, ie, your perception of yourself, from “not an in-shape person” to “a healthy person”. That’s how it truly sticks! Keep at it! You got this!!
What sets Rise apart from other gym, fitness, and training experiences?
Rise is unique in that we offer hyper-individualized training in a small group setting. We aren’t Crossfit, we aren’t a big boot camp class, and we aren’t a big box gym where you’re just a number. Our members are like family to us and we help people move better, feel better, and live a more full life through strength training.
We have two typical clients: a middle aged grandma who has never lifted weights before, know she needs to, but isn’t sure where to start. Or a hyper successful professional who wants to workout but needs help prioritizing it in their schedule. The 55 year old lady who gets out of back pain. Likewise, the 40 year old business owner and dad who says “thanks I needed that” after a hard lift. Both of which are super fulfilling to help out.
We cap our classes at 6 people for one coach and each person in the session is on a program tailor built to their injury history, their abilities, and their goals. So if you are a D1 commit looking to get strong before going off to college, we can write and coach you through that program. Or if you are a 55 year old grandma who has never lifted weights before but feel the effects of age setting in, we will give you a program that will meet you where you are at and take you where you want to go. We also have nutrition programs that are incredibly easy to follow and get amazing results.
How do you hope to impact the lives of your clients, and what kinds of results do they typically experience?
I want Rise clients to not just feel supported in the gym, but I want them to be confident in their daily life. Everyone struggles with self-doubt. Doing something physically demanding helps quiet that negative voice in your head, which lets you live life more fully – ready to serve others with your gifts and talents.
In the gym, we have lots of fun through gym-wide challenges, trivia, Fitness BINGO cards, and social events. For lots of our clients, the Rise community is the top group of people they see outside of co-workers and family, so we want it to be a fulfilling, fun, and life-giving experience.
I also try to share my testimony through member emails and videos. Little things to improve their life – improving mental health through better music; increasing sleep quality through certain practices; how to better plan their day, month, and quarter for success.
How can people get involved with Rise?
Reach out to us via our website! Our onboarding process starts with learning about your WHY for working out – some is to lose 50 pounds, others is to play with their grandkids. We then have a one-on-one movement and nutrition meeting to help us write your custom program and deep dive on your custom meal plan. From the day you join, we want you to feel 100% supported and confident you will succeed.
Our most popular starter program is our Six Week Challenge which really rips the band-aid off for people’s fitness. They go from sitting on the couch and maxing out on Doritos, to working out 3-4 days a week and following a meal plan and meeting with me weekly to make sure they’re staying on track. This transformation program gets amazing results – one guy lost 34 pounds; one lady got off her diabetes medication and lost 10 pounds.
Looking ahead, where do you see your business in the next 10 years? How would you like to influence your local community?
In 10 years, I’d love to have hundreds of more members and lots of full-time coaches earning a living wage (most gyms just have part time coaches outside of the owners, but I want to have my client serviced by full-time professionals fully dedicated to the client’s success). I often get asked whether I want to have multiple locations. I’m torn, because I love Lebanon and our current clientele so much, the relational aspect of the gym would be hard to replicate. So, let’s just say I want to continue providing world class training with small town love for a long time!
What has this journey taught you about yourself?
Jeesh, that I still have a lot to work on! Owning a business is awesome because it constantly pushes me to be better. When I worked in politics, it was easy to coast and say “things were out of my hands.” But in ownership, it all falls on you and while my wife says it stresses me out, I love that it constantly pushes me to be more, to help more people.
Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
Jesus loves them and regardless of what they’ve done, it’s never too late. Likewise, regardless of how out of shape you may feel, you can make great changes and you are worthy of having a full life.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Owning a business has definitely not been a smooth road, but it is very rewarding. You must learn to be adaptable – to the market, to employees, to marketing. But what you must not adapt are your core principles, who you are, and what you believe is best for people.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
While in working as an underpaid staffer in Washington DC, I worked at stand on the weekends at a Farmer’s Market. We sold Amish produced goods such as butter, cheese, eggs, and tomatoes. That job was a ton of fun and I learned a lot about marketing and customer service!
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Seeing people succeed and reach their full potential makes me happy. Most people don’t succeed because they don’t have the proper guidance, know how, and support to make it — especially in fitness. Being able to break down those barriers and walk with people in their growth is super fulfilling.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.risestrengthperformance.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rise_strength/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RiseStrengthPerformance
