Today we’d like to introduce you to Seth Oliver.
Hi Seth, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My journey to becoming a personal trainer begins in early childhood, when I first started playing sports. I loved basketball, but decided to give football a try my sophomore year of high school. There was one problem: I was 135 pounds and pretty skinny. My parents told me I needed to start lifting weights to bulk up for the upcoming season. That summer was the first time I ever picked up a pair of weights. I mainly stuck to bicep curls back then, but I quickly realized I loved lifting and what it was doing for me.
After high school, I studied exercise science and business in college. I ended up leaving after two years to get my personal training certification and start working as soon as possible. I launched Seth Oliver Fitness in January 2021 and began traveling around Nashville, coaching clients through in-home personal training sessions.
The early days were humbling. I was essentially breaking even as a part-time trainer in the evenings after finishing my day job. My goal was to get my name out there and learn the craft as well as I could. I learned pretty quickly that balancing how to train someone and how to run a business is harder than it looks. But, I tried to stay as resilient as possible and not give in to the burnout I was feeling during certain periods. That resilience is probably what I’m most proud of, and thankfully, it’s carried me a long way in this journey.
At the time of this writing — five years into my career as a fitness trainer and consultant — I’m balancing several roles. My primary work is with Soho House, where I lead morning group classes and private sessions for their members. I also work with patients at MindStream Integrative Medicine, which is where I see my private clients as well. Once a week, I lead a group class for the residents of Clarendale West End. And I’m currently helping launch Lux Yoga & Co. in Ashland City, where I’ll serve as Director of Personal Training.
It’s safe to say my plate is pretty full, but I’m passionate about the work I do. Half the time, it doesn’t even feel like work. And I’m very thankful for that.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Haha. It hasn’t been the smoothest road, but I’m thankful for that. One of my mentors, David Thomas, co-authored a book called Capable (a parenting book with universal wisdom) where he writes that FAIL stands for “First Attempt In Learning.” I think that’s a great way to view challenges and mistakes. Take time to recognize what went wrong, assess how to improve, and try not to repeat the same mistakes when you’re faced with a similar situation down the road.
The biggest challenge early on was starting entirely from scratch. I didn’t have anyone close to me who was a trainer, so pretty much everything I did was self-taught and figured out on the fly. I was driving across Nashville in a Chevy Silverado — my gas bill was not pretty — training people in the evenings and on weekends, all while trying to figure out how to actually make money from this side hustle. There were definitely stretches where the money wasn’t there, but I had a strong belief that with time, things would fall into place.
I remember one stretch a few years ago where I decided to put my full trust in the business. I had been married for about a year, and my wife carried us for a few months while I was bringing in around $1,000 a month. I’ll always be grateful for her belief in me — that was one of the hardest seasons of my life, but I’m glad I pushed through.
What has kept me going is the drive to do work that matters. Personal training is an incredibly rewarding profession, and there are moments where you experience some real highs with clients. All of those harder seasons early on make every client win feel that much more worth it.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
At its core, my work is about helping busy people build a sustainable relationship with fitness. There’s so much noise around health and wellness right now, as social media has made everyone an expert and everything feel urgent. I try to be the filter to help busy people cut through the noise and focus on what will actually make a difference in their life.
I specialize in strength and hypertrophy training, and the clients I tend to work best with are professionals — usually in their 30s to 50s. A majority of folks I work with are high-achieving in most areas of life but haven’t quite figured out how to build a sustainable fitness routine.
I’m still building my social media presence, but if there’s anything I’m known for, it’s probably the people I’ve had the privilege of working with. I’ve been able to train prominent artists including Ben Rector and Lukas Nelson, as well as other influential figures and influencers in the Nashville music scene.
What I’m most proud of is being able to improve people’s quality of life. I won’t shy away from the fact that I get to benefit from that myself. I work in a luxury social club where the daily environment is pretty comfortable. But whether it was there or an old grimy gym, being able to make a noticeable difference in someone’s life can’t be beat. I’m beyond thankful that this is how I get to provide for my family. It’s a job with real purpose.
I’d say what sets me apart the most is probably my demeanor as a trainer. I’m not the guy who will yell in your face or bring high-energy intensity to every session. I’m not opposed to that style — some people respond well to it. But it’s not who I am, and I’d rather be authentic than overly performative. My approach is calm compared to most trainers, but I make sure the work gets done and my clients see results.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I like this question. I would say I believe in providence more than luck. My faith in something greater than me shapes how I see the world, and when I look back at the moments that changed the trajectory of my business and life, it’s hard for me to chalk them up to random chance.
With that said, I’m a huge believer in the idea that the best thing you can do is position yourself for good things to happen. Do great work, build genuine relationships, and stay consistent in that process. Then, be humble enough to acknowledge that you didn’t do it all on your own when it does.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/form/1Hg7S6xq7LaZTPAoj9Gw
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamsetholiver/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamsetholiver/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@iamsetholiver
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamsetholiver
