Spotlight on Inspiration - Kevin Richardson, Founder of Naturally Intense Personal Training

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Kevin Richardson
Founder and Owner
Naturally Intense Personal Training
krichardson@naturallyintense.net
https://www.naturallyintense.net/
646-694-9979

How did you get to be in the job you have now?

I started personal training in 1991 and have been doing it ever since, building my business over time to where I am today.

What career did you think you would have when you were in high school?

Ironically either a priest or a Navy SEAL, quite a conflicted time!

What was the best advice you ever received?

Don't ask yourself how can I make money, instead ask how can I make my community better.

What piece of advice would you give to college seniors?

Practice being patient, as everything that will be worth achieving will take time, often far longer than you think and so you have to be prepared to hang in there.

Do you have a particular charity you support? And why?

Several, over the years we have done pro bono work for the amazing staff working at UNICEF and we have an ongoing scholarship program that provides free training services to those in need. The charitable aspect is an important part of our mission as it's about helping our community and since what we do can be life-changing and life-saving, not being able to afford our services should not make it impossible to access them.

Do you have a personal goal for 2023?

I don't really have goals based on years, more like goals based on trying to be better at everything I do and better at being the person who I want to become by focusing on working more on the processes that will get me there. Rather than having my sights set on a particular benchmark.

Do you feel you have a good work/life balance? If so, why or how did you achieve that?

I do, I only work with clients directly four days out of the week, with one day for administrative work and nothing on weekends during the day. It took well over twenty years to get there, but I kept doing the work I needed to do in order to get there as I knew that when I got to that place where I "worked less" time-wise, that the extra time I would have for myself and my family would mean I would be more successful. And that's exactly what happened.

When you feel stuck, how do you recharge yourself or get inspired?

I don't let myself get stuck, I "change scenery" often enough and proactively to make sure that doesn't happen. My own training is a gateway to "resetting" as is my work as a photographer, my archery practice, which I do at least four times a week and time with my family. All activities bent on taking myself out of the idea of grind and instead focusing on being present. "Stuck" is a reference to where you stand in relation to something in the future and if you are completely in the present, anxiety about what could or should be happening next simply doesn't apply.

Do you have a hobby? If so, what is it and how did you get into it? (If not, what hobby would you like to take up?)

I have many, I am a competitive barebow archer which is new to me as I have been shooting compound bows and into bowhunting since 2003 but barebow archery is shooting without the benefit of sights or stabilizers and I was fascinated by the prospect of starting from scratch being a complete beginner. As I saw it as a chance to enjoy that amazing process of discovery. I am also a professional photographer and martial artist.

Do you have a habit you wish you could break?

I have made "friends" with my "bad habits" so they aren't as loud as they used to be and don't seem to feel the need to make their presence felt these days.

Name one thing you are working towards in 2023.

Trying to help and reach more people than I did in the year previous.

What one thing would you try (or do) if you weren’t afraid?

I've climbed without ropes both literally and figuratively for years, so there really isn't any time in my adult life where fear stopped me from doing something.

If money wasn’t a concern, what would you be doing right now?

Exactly what I am doing today, but I would no longer charge for it. If that's not the answer then I believe you should be doing something else.

Name one or two of your favorite movies.

Forest Gump and The Unforgiven

Name one or two of your favorite books? And why.

A House for Mr. Biswas by VS Naipaul and The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, the former is perhaps one of the best looks into life in my native Trinidad and Tobago in the early 20th Century and a literary masterpiece, the latter is one of the most influential graphic novels I have ever read, (I am a huge comic book fan and always have been).

What do you want your legacy to be? Or how do you want to be remembered?

That I was helpful, that you could rely on me and that I was kind.

Is there anything else you would like to share about your work or interests?

It's been truly a joy to be able to have helped so many people over the past thirty-three years and it's hard to put into words just how meaningful it is to see others realize their dreams. Truly grateful for the opportunity and looking forward to being able to keep on doing it for many more decades to come.