Fitness trainer Brandon Marsan’s backstory is one of perseverance, tenacity, and redemption. After surviving a major depression, spending time in prison as a teenager, and nearly dying in a solo accident after driving recklessly one night, Marsan realized that he could either continue on the self-destructive path he had embarked on or risk he was given to turn his life around. Now it’s his mission to use the skills he’s learned to make a positive impact on the world around him.

For Marsan, the gym had been a sanctuary all his life. When he first got into trouble at age 16, his parole officer got him a gym membership. As he struggled for the next five years, the only constant in his life was training. Marsan spent 5 months recovering from a serious car accident in which he was hospitalized with a head split to the skull, broken ribs and a collapsed lung. He says it was at that moment that he decided he had to make the most of a second chance that people rarely get.

After jumping from dead end job to dead end job, Marsan started his career working in sales at LA Fitness. While he enjoyed helping people start their fitness journey, that alone wasn’t enough. “I had no direct influence on the people I sold memberships to,” Marsan said. “I wanted to be more involved in the progress and success of these customers. After spending much time studying, Marsan was certified by the National Academy of Sports Medicine and accepted his first personal training position at the New York Sport’s Club. According to Marsan, it took more than dedication to building his brand to sustain himself. “I didn’t make enough money as a coach to make ends meet on the east coast,” Marsan said. “I was delivering pizzas at night so I could afford to make ends meet.” Humble beginnings and extra effort were nothing new for Marsan, who worked part-time jobs from an early age to make ends meet…