Brian W. Woodford, Jr. 
Top dotFIT Certified Fitness Professional
Elite Trainer for The Edge Fitness Clubs, CT

Brian's story is unique, but it's also something we can all relate to. 

When The Edge Fitness brought in the dotFIT Program and products in early 2014, Brian didn't know anything about dotFIT. The only thing he knew early on was that The Edge was 100% committed to delivering this new program to every client and every member, which meant he was going to be responsible for fulfilling that commitment. 

Naturally, Brian was skeptical. But to his credit, he approached dotFIT in the same manner in which he explores all opportunities to better serve his clients: With an open mind, a passionate heart, commitment to exceed his clients' expectations, and an inner drive to be his best.

Brian rose to become the Top dotFIT Fitness Professional in the world in just 3 months time.

We asked Brian (who lives by his motto, "The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender"), to share his story. 

It's well worth the read.

Enter Brian:

To my fellow Fitness Professionals,

You and I have a lot in common. We both chose this industry because we have an intense desire - actually, an unwavering passion - to help people in a profound and measurable way.

I respect that. 

If you took the time to read this far, I respect you even more. It means you are the type of person who never settles for "good enough".

I appreciate that, as I am the same way.

Our friends at dotFIT asked me to share this story with you, which I am honored to do. I have learned so much from you, my fellow Fitness Professionals, and it is my hope that in sharing this with you, it might, in turn, spark something of even greater value for us all. 

After all, you and I are in this together. When one of us gets better, we all get better.

Let's get to it.

Having worked in the fitness industry since I graduated college in 2007, I have seen and heard many things. 

Every time I turn around people are trying to get me to take this supplement, or try this Beachbody program, or this multi-level marketing product, and on and on. As a result, when I was first introduced to dotFIT I was very reluctant and - to be honest - quite standoff-ish to incorporating this “play” (as my company called it) into my training regimen with my clients. 

I was comfortable with my current level of success. I had a good client base and a worked out a referral relationship with a local supplement shop that I got all of my personal supplements from. One thing I knew I lacked (but I didn't want anyone to know about) was my knowledge of supplements. It was very easy for me to refer the client to the supplement shop and allow the person behind the counter to do all the recommendations. That was easy. 

However, over time I began to notice that many of my clients were taking products that I would never in a million years tell them to take, yet were being recommended by the supplement shop. The store worker didn’t know that, for example, taking stimulant-based fat burners with a pre-existing heart condition is not a good idea and can put an individual (my client) at very high risk. As a result, I started to have issues with things that my clients were taking, but I was reluctant to take the step to further my knowledge of supplements and how to use them safely and effectively.

It was at this time that the dotFIT platform was introduced to my company. We all had to attend this mandatory introduction meeting to hear all about it. I knew nothing about dotFIT prior to this day, other than it was the former owner of Apex Fitness that ran this company. 

I went in with the mindset that I AM NOT DOING THIS and how can I avoid it? 

However, I remember thinking to myself, "well, since there's no avoiding this meeting, I might as well listen while I'm here."

During that meeting a seed was planted. The more I listened and paid attention, the more things started to make sense to me. I left that meeting thinking, “I have to look in to this a little more.” I am a big factual guy, and one of the most impactful things that stood out to me was the research that supported the dotFIT products. I couldn’t argue with that. Additionally, I learned that the products are 3rd-Party tested, and Certified by the NSF (which I never heard of prior to that meeting). These 2 things were the little seedlings I needed to give dotFIT a further look after I left that meeting.  

I went home that night and over the next week or so I explored the entire website. I read all of the articles and dove into the information on all the products. 

At the end of that week, I decided I would give these products a try for myself. I ordered $200 worth of product and gave it a whirl. I used myself as the guinea pig. I didn’t grow a third arm, or get sick to my stomach after taking the multi-vitamin, or feel like my skin was crawling when I took a pre-workout (all things that I usually experienced when I take mass market products that some kid behind a counter tells me is great).  

In fact, I started to notice my energy level was a little higher. I felt fresh. All signs pointed in the right direction, so I decided to open this to my clients.  

This was the beginning of something great.

I jumped in wholeheartedly. I took a leap of faith and knew that I was doing the right things and that I was going to be able to really make a bigger impact with all of my clients. I was no where near perfect in my knowledge of the entire platform (and I'm still learning) but I kept plugging away with confidence. If I came across a question that I didn’t know the answer to, I made it a point to learn. 

I wanted my clients to get results and I know that supplementing is an important part of their success. I thought of it this way: since I started working out at 15 years old, I have never NOT had a protein shake after my workout. I personally know how important it is to re-fuel the body, so it is imperative that my clients have that knowledge as well. But to do so, I can only recommend a product that is both SAFE and EFFECTIVE. Offering only dotFIT gives me that confidence.

At the end of the day, I feel good about what I am teaching my clients. Once I started to believe (through my own experience) the confidence continued to grow with it. I started to see people thriving from the results - they started really getting into workouts and changing their lifestyles so it became even more exciting for me to guide them.  

Confidence is a HUGE part of making solid recommendations to the clients. How does my confidence continue to grow? Through education and practice and attacking things with passion.  

I am constantly reading about the program and products and absorbing as much information I can: What a supplement is, what it does, how it works in the body, how it works within the context of the entire program, etc. 

This way I am well-versed and it is the only way I can be what a TRUE FITNESS PROFESSIONAL is supposed to be: Someone that people come to for GUIDANCE and EDUCATION when making a lifestyle change.     

The biggest thing I learned is not to give up. If clients say no, or say they know a better system, work with them and enlighten them through further education. "Bring them to the light", as I like to say. There are plenty of clients that are a bit standoffish at first (like I was), but I don’t give up, and you shouldn't either. Just keep reminding them of how much this program will help them and guide them the way that we know best. 

Keep plugging away. If you start to make a difference and believe in yourself, the rest of your fellow Fitness Professionals cannot ignore it. They will either jump on board with you and ride the tide, or they'll drown as it goes over them. Stay true to YOU but don’t be ignorant at the same time. Put ego aside, keep an open mind, and remember why you became a Fitness Professional in the first place. If there is something out there that can enhance your value as a Fitness Professional, then give it a shot. “You have nothing to lose and everything to gain”.

One last thing: Because of my sales success, I'm often asked how my sales ramped up so quickly. Here's the truth: I do not look at recommending these supplements to clients as “sales” or “selling them.” Sure there is a element of sales to it all, but the bottom line is this -- I know it works, I see the proof, and I believe in the program. I have seen it work so many times now so all I am doing is passing on the knowledge I have attained to another individual, offering them an opportunity to improve the quality of his or her life. I am just a catalyst to the success they are trying to attain and I do it to the best of my ability every day. With that success, I have been afforded many rewards - both personally and professionally. If we do good, we get good, so people like you and I are going to continue to do what we set out to do when we committed to giving our best to our clients and to our career.

We are blessed. We get to help people get to where they want to go. Our clients will never be able to say we gave up on them. Make a positive difference in someone’s life today and I guarantee you will have a better day than you would have if you don’t.

Best Regards,


Brian W. Woodford Jr.