Meet Relentless Fitness (TT). A brand that represents a holistic approach to functional fitness (strength, conditioning, mobility, flexibility, movement) sound nutritional principles, and guidance, topped with a healthy serving of psychological wellness.
According to owner Kyle, “In short, Relentless aims to help clients achieve not just the physical and external benefits of exercise, but also the internal and the mental attributes that help to create balance. We also focus on the importance of recovery, both mentally, physically, and nutritionally, which plays a huge role in overall wellness and performance.
The slogan “Stay Relentless”was chosen to inspire each individual to always quest for perfection, never settle for “good enough” and always stay hungry. I always tell my clients, never forget that we are always students. Why? Because students never quit learning, and we are alwayshere to perfect our craft and unlock our deepest potential.”
When it comes to the name of his brand, Kyle says it dates back to his beginning years in training, circa 15/16 years old. “I was always competitive with myself and determined to push the envelope forward. Funnily enough, whenever I had reached a “failure” or “bonking” point in my workouts, I always muttered to myself “relentless, stay relentless” and just like that I would somehow find some way, to muster up enough energy to push harder, and accomplish more. Over time I started to communicate this not just with my clients but with colleagues. Anytime any one of them experienced difficulties, not just in training but in life, I would say, Stay Relentless! And somehow it kept them chugging. As such, it was a no-brainer when I was questing for a company name, we all have a choice when the going gets tough, do we quit or stay relentless!”
Does Kyle do this full time? “When I first started the business (over a year ago), I was still operating, as the market development manager at Kiss Baking Co. Ltd. It is a lovely company but believe me when I say it is a highly demanding one. It tests your mental, and for those that can survive the rigors, that company brings great joy and fulfilment. As the Market Development Manager, I oversaw 8 external territories, and my life was spent 2 to 3 weeks out of the month traveling and living in hotel rooms. So naturally, it was difficult to even scale the business, simply based off, in the fitness industry you need to have that contact, either physically or virtually.”
Sadly, his routine in the external territories was never regimented. Long trade visits in the field and impromptu dinners with suppliers made it difficult to have structure, which made coaching clients a challenge at times. Thankfully, Kyle had (and still have to this day) athletes who showcased the discipline and consistency to “stay relentless” and they were able to execute all the coaching in his absence, with each of them putting in the work and accomplishing their fitness goals despite changes in their training schedule.
“The beautiful thing about it was, that even though it may have been a “challenge” it was always fun cause it was something I was passionate about and loved doing. Today, after taking the leap to help others lead a sustainably healthy lifestyle as a full-time venture, my time is much more flexible. This allows me to work on other elements of the business apart from the coaching and mentoring such as working on building the RFTT website, setting up consultations, and hosting webinars and informative sessions related to various topics like nutrition and wellness for example.
I’m also now able to maintain a healthy work-life balance and dedicate time to hobbies, being in nature, expanding my knowledge, unwinding, and enjoying family time.”
So what inspired Kyle to start the business? “Many things inspired me to start the business, health and fitness being my passion is just one of them. Personally, after being around and in the industry as an “onlooker” and participant for so many years, I found that there was a distinct disconnect between knowledge and application. At times I saw so much commercialization occur within it. Meaning there was a clear direction to the physical visually (eye gazing) but a serious lack of knowledge building, proper programming, trainer certifications/credentials, and client care, especially client care. I would see clients engaged in a fitness program with a coach (sadly some holding certifications and some not) to only be given a fraction of attention or be left wanting where proper execution and direction is concerned. The individuals that truly needed the help (the overweight girl/boy, the newcomer, the socially inept) were sometimes shunned and left hopeless to either damage themselves or lose any small semblance of motivation to keep pursuing a better wellness lifestyle”
This was one of the governing principles that inspired Kyle to start. “I wanted to create a safe space, an ecosystem where people understood the beauty of what the human body can achieve, both on an individual and group level. To be able to tap into their psychological banks and withdraw the currency of awesomeness that we all have deposited there and see the true beauty of what the body and mind can achieve in unison. I want to try to educate others and share my knowledge to ultimately change the way we view health, nutrition, and fitness to not be seen as a fad, but as a way of life that doesn’t continue for 1, 5, or 10 years, but throughout your entire lifespan.”
And the best part is Kyle is building a community of people who share and appreciate this mindset and celebrate, encourage, and support each other with true friendship and kindness.
“My purpose in life has always been to bring out the best in others that they can’t see for themselves and it will continue to be, thankfully, I have found the vehicle and business that allows me to do such in a way I am truly passionate about.”
And when it comes to milestones, what has the brand achieved to date? “I would say that some of the major milestones we were able to achieve thus far since starting the business a year ago would be offering multiple platforms for clients and individuals to accomplish their fitness goals, through either in-person, pre-recorded, virtually live or consultations. Last month we launched our Relentless Fitness TT App, which is another tool that our clients can utilize to help accomplish their goals, and that can be downloaded on the Google Play store and Apple store. Currently, we have two in house specialists, Anastasia and myself who are aptly certified with specializations certified by ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association) in:
o Certified Personal Training
o Elite Level Certified Trainer
o Fitness Nutrition
o Sports Athletic Nutrition
o Exercise Corrective Therapy
o Exercise Recovery
o Group Exercise Instructor
o Online Coaching/Consultation
And currently boasting more than 1000+ hours of coaching experience. “We have been blessed to be able to work with a broad age demographic thus far, offering fitness options for kids, teens, adults, and the elderly. Ranging from ages 10 – 82 years old. These are the most notable milestones I can attest to currently, however; the business is still in its infancy stages and there is a lot planned for 2023 and beyond. Fun times are ahead.”
And what are some of the lessons he’s learned as an entrepreneur so far. “There are many, many lessons I have learned thus far, but if I must narrow it down to just one, or I should say the one that is most important about me, was the ability to say “NO” and get comfortable utilizing it when necessary. As an entrepreneur, and particularly in the fitness industry, it is very easy for us to get caught up with people-pleasing. We don’t want to rock the boat and we don’t want the be “the bad guy/gal” in the eyes of others, especially if you are a people pleaser such as myself. As you are now starting your business, you have this illusion to want to be the best for every situation and individual (which you will not be) and one of the hardest things I had to learn to do (even after much trial and error) was the ability to stand my ground and say no. Saying no to things that didn’t align with my ethics, with situations that I know were going to put me too “far out”, risking the loss of business, risking impressions, unfair negotiations, and the list goes on and on. But the silver lining is it was single-handedly one of the best skills I could have learned to master and execute when necessary. Learning the ability and lesson of saying No when needed, saved me countless hours of (and not limited to) “bad relationships”, “mental pain and agony”, “running down loose ends” and in turn has allowed me to align myself with clients and individuals that reallly want the assistance and knowledge my business provides, as well as mutually respecting not just me and my business but my time.”
Kyle also has some advice for those out there who may want to begin their journey as an entrepreneur. “Firstly and most importantly is, don’t be afraid to start. It is very easy to get overwhelmed with analysis paralysis, and perfectionist ideologies of the product or service you wish to extend to the masses, but don’t be afraid to start. Take the leap! Firstly, the mental side is what I would want anyone to overcome. Secondly, I would advise, having a business plan. There is beauty to having a roadmap to where you wish to go and how you wish to get there (initially). I say initially cause the plan will change and will morph over the lifespan of the business, and that’s ok. But if you don’t have any idea of where you wish to go, you are simply a boat in the ocean with no course or landmark. Developing your business plan will also allow you the opportunity to really “role play” what will essentially be your role as a CEO/Owner, in this way you get a chance to see the business as a whole and understand all the working parts.”
Kyle continues, “A business goes way deeper than you initially think it will for example if I am offering a product. At first glance, I may notion that I want it to be the best product the country has ever seen, and I want to provide the best customer service, best price, best quality, and grow and capture sales on an exponential level. Great dream, however, have you as the CEO thought about all the other not so glorious tasks? The daily tasks such as, where am I sourcing my raw materials? How do I set up supply chain lines? What laws do I have to abide by to operate legally? How am I going to market my product? Did I complete a SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis? Who are my competitors? Both within my field of view and then the wider demographic (if expansion is your dream). How do I stay relevant? How’s the global market? (Is it up or down?). How do I deliver my product? Am I hiring staff? What am I providing to keep my employees happy and loyal to my company? And this is still all basic.”
“As any entrepreneur knows it goes much deeper than this, but that brings me to my third piece of advice which is to stay humble and hungry to learn. The best out there never stop learning, and I’m not just referring to book sense, but practical as well. Keep your nose to the ground and your eyes on the horizon. Never say as we like to say in our beautiful country of Trinidad & Tobago “We Reach”. Surround yourself with knowledgeable colleagues, learn from mentors, ask many questions, be willing to fall/fail forward, and always stay hungry! With hunger comes my motto that I will share with you, “DCP” Discipline, Consistency, Perseverance.”
Kyle has certainly put all this into practice in creating Relelntless. So what is his definition of a brand? “To me, a brand is an intangible asset that a company holds, that helps individuals identify with you or a product/service, as well as shape the mental perceptions of it. It can’t be touched but the minute you hear it you can easily recognize what it is, what it’s meant to do, and how important it is based on your perception of it. For example,if you think, of Ferrari, the perception is of high performance, quality, and race heritage, you say, Rolls Royce, Chopard, or Cartier (for the females), and it’s of luxury and high esteem. Take it locally and say Royal Castle, and most instantly think of the pepper, and the “local something that makes it all taste better”. A brand is something that people can connect with, and to, thus it should be treated with due respect as it represents who, and what your company stands for and ultimately defines your business in the minds of the masses.”
Kyle goes on to share his knowledge by defining the distinction between a business and a brand. “To me, the way I view it in simple terms is, that a business/company is the machine, and the brand is one or more products/SKU(s) produced from said machine. The machine is made up of many moving parts, gears, and cogs to help it operate efficiently and optimally. These moving parts (dependant on the size of the company) can be identified as marketing, supply chain, warehouse, sales and distribution, HR, IT, raw mat/packaging, etc. and the brand(s) are the product(s) produced and managed by the business. In other words, a business can produce many brands that appeal to various sectors of society or the population at large. You may know the brands, for example, Dove soap and Axe body spray, without realising that they belong to the same parent company.”
When it comes to his thoughts on the local brand community here in Trinidad and Tobago, Kyle says “I think it is picking up and heading in the right direction, to be honest. We are seeing a lot of new entrants into various fields and market spaces in the past couple of years and that is a lovely thing to witness when you look at local “trade shows” such as Upmarket, Rootsyard and night market, and even on Instagram, you are seeing a lot of new brands servicing various sectors popping up. So, I think that it is definitely in its growth cycle, and I think people are giving entrepreneurship a go, which is admirable and encouraging. It needs a bit more “mainstreaming” but every great story needs an intro and I think the local brand community is heading in the right direction. What I would love to see for the future where the local brand community is concerned is more collaboration and cross-pollination. It is easy to “operate in a silo”, but we thrive the best when we work together as a team.
