Clay Metz

SER 427 01

Observation Assignment

29 September 2022

Observation of Owner of Fitness Facility

For my fourth Career Exploration experience I decided to observe Chris Rusnock, the

owner and manager of Rusnock Sports Performance and Fitness. Rusnock Sports Performance

and Fitness is a facility located in Greensburg that I actually used to attend for training. My end

goal in my career is to own a Physical Therapy clinic. Because of this ambition, I knew

shadowing Chris would give me an abundance of knowledge of what it takes to be successful in

owning a facility and running your own business. Although Chris and I have different career

paths, there are quite a few similarities in his facility and what I desire mine to be one day. His

facility is known and trusted to propel athletes towards their goals, and I hope to do that through

a Physical Therapy clinic as well.

I met with Chris on a Wednesday afternoon during a calm part of his schedule. Most

athletes have appointments in the mornings and evenings, so we were able to walk around the

facility and talk about what it is like to be a business owner in his field. As soon as I walked in

the door I instantly noticed he was on a timely and organized schedule. He finished his workout

as soon as I walked in and was immediately ready to start. The facility was well kept and very

clean, and due to this alone I could see how he has so much success. He showed me around more

of the area and the outdoor field that they had installed shortly after the last time I had been

there. I saw other additions including more weight racks and sleds just to name a few. The

growth that has taken place since I trained with Chris was incredible and really eye opening to
see. This is especially due to the fact that during the time that I was there, the facility was still

top notch. Chris showed me where he spends his time during the day, and how he runs the

business through his office inside the building. Everything is connected and convenient to ensure

he can complete all the tasks that need to be done in a timely manner without excess travel.

Although my observation of him was geared towards the ownership of a facility and business,

Chris is an extremely successful trainer, and his notoriety in that field propelled him to be able to

own such a thriving business. I hope to emulate this through my career in physical therapy and I

am more motivated than ever to be a business owner myself.

Clay Metz

SER 427 01

Interview Assignment

29 September 2022

Interview

After my observation of Chris and a tour of the facility, I asked Chris eight questions

pertaining to his everyday life as a personal trainer and the owner of his own facility. First, I

asked him to describe his typical day, in which he replied that it usually consists of arriving to

the facility at 5am. He then prepares the equipment and building as a whole for the day, and

begins to train his clients. During his breaks, he deals with the accounting and financial aspects

of the business, and in his own words spends a lot of his day “crunching numbers”. He spends

most of the day at the building, and travels to train clients on weekends. When asked what he

enjoys most and least about his job, his answer was rather simple. He stated that he loves

watching athletes improve through his business and see its purpose come to fruition. He simply

said the part of his job he likes the least is late cancellations or no-shows. I asked him about his

typical work hours next, and he explained that a normal weekday usually spans from 5 am to

about 7 pm. On weekends this can be different due to travel and other responsibilities. The

following question asked what an entry level employee can make in his field, to which he replied

that it varies depending on location. But in this area, the starting salary for a personal trainer is

about $30,000 to $35,000. This is just to start as a trainer, as you need a good bit of experience

before you can explore starting a business. I followed up with asking how one could grow in the

field or be promoted, and his answer was a bit different than what I expected. He detailed how at

his facility his employees or interns are all equal to him and are trusted to do a lot of the same
work he does. This segwayed into how one can rely on working with fellow employees, and just

obtaining more experience and knowledge, especially at his facility, as there is no hierarchy here

in his eyes. Following that I requested to hear about his educational background and what

certifications or degrees he has, or ones that professionals in his field would generally have. He

responded with explaining that it depends on your target market. Chris desired to work with both

athletes and the general population. He has a bachelor’s degree in physical education and athletic

training, with a minor in sports management. Chris also holds a Certified Strength and

Conditioning Specialist certification. He also explained how it is a much different landscape now

as exercise science was just emerging when he obtained his degrees. In terms of diversity in his

workplace, he works with all ages, genders, races, and sports. An example he gave was a 70 year

old man he trains currently. It was also stated that ages he works with can range from 5 to 80

years old and beyond. Being that I already asked Chris how one would be promoted and grow in

the field, I wanted to know how long it would take a sports performance facility owner to start

seeing consistent profit. He exclaimed how seven years is the typical baseline, as there’s a saying

that if you are around for seven years, you’re most likely doing pretty well. I am very grateful to

have been able to observe and interview Chris, and this has given me a lot more insight as to

what its like to be a successful business owner in an exercise science field.