Story written on 08/10/2023 (13-year anniversary of being in business)

 

Back in 2009 I was a fitness trainer at a big box gym…                                                                                         

            

Despite the advice of everyone around me, I decided to venture out on my own on August 10th, 2010. I was subleasing space at a big box gym, but a few months in, I got kicked out without any advance notice. It took me about a month to find a new place that would let me run my business inside of theirs. During that time, I lost almost all the clients that it took me over a year to gain because they wouldn’t wait for me. They either moved on with their fitness journey or thought that I was out. Except a handful (Alex, Chacho, Marcela, Rita... thank you for sticking with me then). I ended up subleasing at Melissa's Gym while I worked on getting my own gym up and running. (Thanks Melissa for letting me in!)

 

On May 11, 2011 I opened my first tiny gym, thinking I was about to “arrive.” Oh boy was I wrong. What I thought was me walking into a “dream”, turned out to be a long and painful nightmare. The reality was that I had my electricity and water turned off at my crappy apartment. The apartment where I only had a bed, a little table where I would eat (when I had food)… and a whiteboard where one day in my pain I wrote “I WILL NEVER BE BROKE AGAIN.”

 

I lost that little apartment a few months later and had to sleep on the floor of the gym, without a place to call home. Without a place to shower. Without a fridge with food. Alone because I had lost all my relationships at the time. 

 

I was a team of one working 22 hours a day, sleeping on the business floor, running a gym without a sound system or AC.  I was coaching every session of the day, yelling without a microphone, in a hot 100*F degree warehouse 🥵. Without gym flooring on 1/2 the gym because I couldn’t afford it. With insane stress and anxiety attacks because rent day was coming up and I didn’t have money. 

 

After a while of pouring my all into my clients, they started to bring their friends. My sessions started to get packed.

 

People started to say that I had a “successful business.” But my secret was that it was still burning more money than it was bringing in. Everybody thought I was crushing it. It looked successful on the outside because the gym was now packed, and I kept bringing superhuman energy. I would show a fun and enthusiastic attitude every day. I didn’t tell anybody my problems. I was there to help them solve THEIR problems.

 

But I was dying inside... Most times I didn’t even have money for food because I had to choose between keeping the lights on at the gym or eating. I lost 22 lbs in one month and lots of hair because of the stress, poor nutrition, all day grind and sleepless nights. At one point, I was sick every month, for 12 months straight. Not to mention the anxiety attacks that left me even more exhausted.

 

I will never forget that day when my body just gave in. I collapsed onto the floor and couldn’t get up. I was trapped by the agony of my lower back and my legs were not responding. It happened just moments before a packed 9 am training session, leaving me helpless, crying in pain, and unable to move my lower body. In that desperate moment, there was only one person present to fill the void – my girlfriend, Sofia. With no time for planning, preparation, or prior coaching experience, she fearlessly stepped up to the challenge. We simply could not afford to let our clients down, and the show had to go on. Despite her own nerves, Sofia rose to the occasion, saving the day like a true champion. Her resilience and determination became the guiding light that carried us through that trying time.

 

My business has given me my toughest times, times that have shaped me as a man. And I would not change them if I could. I started from zero - without money, help, partners, or anyone funding my business. Went through betrayals left and right. And nobody believed in me because I was a kid in my 20s.

 

Those were just the early days... The only person that believed in me then, and stuck with me through it all, was my then girlfriend Sofia. (Thank you "mamá raw"... She is now my wife🤩.)

 

Through the years I grew a team, which was a whole ordeal in itself HAHA. Just imagine... I was a kid in my early twenties leading (or attempting to lead) people in their 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. By 2014/2015 we were booming and had a waiting list. We outgrew our first gym and moved to our current Westside gym.  By 2017/2018 we had 6 locations and thousands of transformations. We won multiple awards for the Best Gym in the city. We created our own supplement line, Deurca Sports Nutrition.

 

I had gone from zero to hero, as people say.

 

Then in 2019, I heard the greatest news of my life, “You’re going to be a dad.” But a little later we had a miscarriage, which was devastating to my Wife and I. However, good news arrived right after and my wife was pregnant again... My princess was on the way!🎉

 

During early pregnancy, just a few months later in 2020, a pandemic hit and quickly ERASED a decade of work, sacrifices and savings. It took us way back to negative.

 

I basically missed my wife's pregnancy working around the clock. Trying to pivot our business and survive the “2 weeks to flatten the curve” (which its impact has lasted 3 years.)

 

I found myself facing the sad reality of losing everything we had built through blood sweat and tears, all while my daughter was on the way. It was a devastating blow, having to let go of cherished team members whom I desperately wanted to retain. The permanent closure of three out of our six gyms added to the mounting burden, as we now faced another challenge… giving thousands upon thousands of dollars in refunds of to clients of those 3 locations. 

 

The weight of this financial strain forced me into a realm of debt that surpassed even my wildest imaginings. As the walls closed in around me, I felt a profound sense of loss—not only of my business, but of my very identity. I had become a shadow of my former self, plagued by a deep-seated feeling of worthlessness and inadequacy. The inability to turn a profit had left me feeling completely useless, and I had already depleted my life savings in the process.

 

I vividly recall the heart-wrenching experience of having to fire-sell our Deurca Sports Nutrition supplements at a loss, all in a desperate attempt to bring in cash to meet payroll. The weight of desperation grew even heavier as a few months later, I found myself in tears at the El Paso Waste Disposal on Doniphan and Atlantic Rd, facing the painful reality of trashing over $100,000 worth of expired supplements that had become unsellable. It was a devastating moment, as I watched my long-time dream of a supplement line, Deurca Sports Nutrition, being tossed into the trash, seemingly shattered beyond repair.

 

During the toughest months, I secretly considered taking my life so my wife and daughter could live off of life insurance, but thank GOD I didn’t (I couldn't say good-bye to the 2 loves of my life, I will never leave them.) I hit the lowest of my lows, and it lasted for a couple years. Yet nobody knew this, because I had to keep showing up strong every day.

 

It’s been an interesting ride to say the least. Along the way, I’d been sued, stolen from, betrayed by some of the closest people to me. People have talked shit about me more times than I can count. I’ve fired my entire team and half my clientele one day to start all over. Etc, etc. 

 

But that’s the tough stuff.

 

Above everything, I’ve been so blessed. I’ve met the most amazing people in my life. I’ve met myself. I’ve met God over and over. I’ve had the best times of my life. I’ve learned. I’ve cried. I’ve laughed like crazy. I’ve had experiences I would never change. I’ve witnessed people live their best lives because of Raw’Fitness. I’ve seen people get rid of their medications, toxic relationships, depression, etc. I’ve had the fortune to employ and help develop amazing team members. Together we’ve been able to donate and raise a combined amount over $100,000 for charity. And the list goes on. 

 

Now, as I celebrate my 13-year anniversary of self-employment, I look back at everything we've been through and I can't help but feel proud. Raw'Fitness has become more than a gym and something way bigger than me - it's a community of like-minded individuals who help each other and are all striving to be better.

 

I'm grateful for everyone who's been a part of this journey - from the clients who stuck with us through thick and thin, to the loyal team who've worked tirelessly to help create this movement, to my wife Sofia who's been my rock through it all. And I'm excited for what the future holds. We may have been knocked down, but we're not out. Raw'Fitness will continue to rise, and we'll keep fighting to make it better. 

 

The best is yet to come... I don’t know how to quit.

 

- Octavio Urias