In the most recent episode of the Fit to Grit podcast, host Zach Coleman welcomed Paul Waters, a fitness industry veteran with nearly 25 years of experience. Their conversation revealed powerful insights about building a sustainable business based on personal values rather than conventional growth models.
Paul’s journey began as a low-paid gym instructor before being thrust into self-employment when his gym announced closure. This unexpected pivot led him to launch his first personal training business far earlier than anticipated. Despite initial uncertainty, Paul found tremendous success, quickly amassing over 100 clients and working 16-hour days during the week with additional hours on weekends. While financially rewarding, this schedule proved physically and mentally unsustainable, creating a cognitive dissonance between the healthy lifestyle he advocated for clients and his own burnout-inducing workload.
This realization planted the seed for a more holistic approach to fitness and wellbeing. Though Paul temporarily returned to employment – working in medical health screening, education, and eventually overseeing qualifications that reached thousands of fitness professionals annually – he found himself missing the independence and accountability of self-employment. As he described it, “I missed the fear. I like being scared going, ‘Oh God, I’ve got to pay some rent next week, I’ve got to pay some bills.'” This entrepreneurial spirit, combined with his evolving vision of wellness, eventually led him to launch “Balance” – a business reflecting his core values around health and wellbeing.
What distinguishes Paul’s approach from many industry counterparts is his definition of success. Rather than focusing on revenue growth or scaling to multiple locations, Paul and his partner measure success by how well their business aligns with their personal values: time, nature, family, people/social interaction, and health/wellbeing. This values-first framework guides all business decisions, from which services to offer to how they market themselves and which clients they choose to work with.
This philosophy became especially relevant during the pandemic when many fitness businesses rushed toward digital offerings. While initially following this trend, Paul discovered that online marketing and virtual training didn’t align with his values or strengths. Instead of forcing himself to conform to industry expectations, he pivoted back to what he loved most – human connection. This led to a hybrid business model where he and his partner offer flexible wellbeing services to local clients while maintaining a modest online presence.
Perhaps most compelling is Paul’s challenge to the assumption that business must continually grow to be successful. He questions why sustainability – a concept we readily apply to environmental concerns – isn’t equally valued in business contexts. This perspective offers a refreshing alternative to the “growth or death” mentality that dominates entrepreneurial discourse. As Paul notes, happiness isn’t about accumulating wealth past a certain threshold but about creating habits that support wellbeing and fulfillment.
For fitness professionals struggling with burnout or questioning their business direction, this episode offers valuable perspective. Success doesn’t necessarily mean working with hundreds of clients, generating seven-figure revenue, or building a franchise empire. It can be as simple as creating a business that supports the lifestyle you desire while making a meaningful impact on clients’ lives.
