Meet Brandon Taylor | Health and Human Performance Specialist & Fitness Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I first embarked on the idea of starting my own fitness business, I felt there was a need for a training company with the focus on the foundational skills of working out. There were many children who lacked the basic skills of fitness growing up. Many children begin lifting weights before they can even handle their own bodyweight or properly perform pushups or sit-ups. I felt like there was a need for that to change. I have had my setbacks overtime in developing a business which actively solves this issue. My life has met a few changes this year, and I have come to the conclusion to revisit the idea. I know it is going to take some hard work, but I am more than capable. One just has to take the first step to start. The problems that present themselves along the way confirms one is going in the right directions.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I have felt called into fitness almost my entire life, and sports made it a lot more desirable. The sport in particular would be football. I excelled on the field progressively throughout my junior high school and high schools years. I had natural talents, but the doing the work is what set me a part as an athlete. The work on the field as well as in the classroom is what awarded me an academic and football scholarship to Cumberland University.

Cumberland University matured me into a man over the 4 years of undergrad as an athlete and student. I had my challenges on and off the field. I had injuries, and I had minor issues in the classroom. The issues in the classroom were fixed with tutoring, the extra work required to succeed. The injuries on the field are what come with football. I did not have the career desired on the field at Cumberland, that I’d wished to have there. I still served a leadership role and fulfilled my purpose. I made great impressions on my teammates as well as the faculty a staff on campus with my natural ability to form friendships. I am an introvert at heart, but it is something about being around people who want better form themselves that gives me a positive burst of energy. I had an opportunity to do so through Herbalife Nutrition for 2-3 years as a trainer for the company.

This ability of mine led me to receiving Mr. Cumberland my senior year at the university along with a job in the Admissions department a month after graduation. After I was somewhat equipped and trained with what was needed to complete the job, I began to use my natural ability to help others to build professional relationships throughout the university as well as at other institutions. My title as an enrollment specialist required me to communicate with student to acquire the documents needed to the university along with traveling the road to college fairs to recruit said students. The skills learned through this process built stronger communication and hospitality skills which help as a fitness professional.

In the world of fitness, it is required for you to be an hospitable person willing to do what is need to help a client obtain his or her goals. I have helped a few clients over the years obtain their goals through these skills as well. It is not an easy task, but it can surely be done. My experience in enrollment will surely serve its purpose as I build 40undatinal Fitness to what I feel it will be in the future.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend were to visit the city of Lebanon, TN, we would attend quite a few places here in town to give an all around experience. On Monday, we would go for a bite to eat at Roasted Coconut just off the square, since she’s now a practicing vegan. The restaurant has a nice menu, and I have been there a few times to know their food is good. It is quite small on the inside, so we would get the food to go. We would then go to the Don Fox Community Park, assuming it’s warm out, to enjoy the acai bowls and/ smoothies purchased.

On Tuesday, we would go grab food from Panchos or El Sol, since it would be “Taco Tuuueessday”. We both enjoy an occasional drink, so why not do so on Taco Tuesday? I love hispanic culture, and I enjoy the cuisine. We would grab our meal of choice and have margaritas as we dine in at either restaurant. It would more than likely be Panchos due to the hospitable environment, and they also have a variety of drinks to choose from there. They show the games as well as have a whole bar.

On Wednesday, we would go to a new spot in town call the Tropical Breeze. It is a Caribbean restaurant with a southern vibe mixed into the environment. It is completely new to me, so it would be a first time experience for us both. We both would end choosing their veggie bowl, since we do not eat meat. After we enjoy the meal there, we would possibly go check out a movie or come to hangout to pass the time.

On Thursday, we would go to Tropical Smoothie Cafe to grab food to then head home to watch some Thursday night football, since I have Amazon Prime at home. We could go buy the pool earlier in the day as well, assuming it’s warm outside to get some sun before going to Tropical Smoothie. The night would surely end with Thursday night football with my brother and best friend since she enjoys our company.

On Friday, we would go by Kansha Japanese Express to grab their veggie hibachi entree along with some avocado rolls before we go to the bar or watch a movie, whichever is preferred to end the night.

This is all hypothetical obviously, but I feel this would be a nice way to spend time here in Lebanon.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is a plethora of people and/ things I can give a shoutout to when it comes to my fitness experience over the years. The first who comes to mind is my trainer in my early years of high school football, Marquis “Q” Tyus. He was a former athlete in my hometown who also went on to attend college. He owned the gym I attended regularly named Flex Fitness. He helped establish the basic needs required to be a physically and mentally fit individual. The workouts performed overtime gave me the mentorship needed to spark my interest in helping others achieve their fitness goals.

In my latter years in high school, we received a new head coach and assistant head coach by the names of Steveland Hookfin and Anthony “Boom” Sawyr. The workout administered by them opened a new lens of fitness the team had’t encountered before. It left the majority of the team wondering if we still desired to play football or not. As expected, we all showed up again the next day ready to endure it all again. It made us a better team as well as men. The workouts separated the pitbulls from the poodles. Coach Hookfin’s daily quote of “It’s a great day to be great!” inspired my want for daily greatness in the future. Coach Sawyr’s mentorship on and off the field strengthened my foundation in fitness like never before. He built a foundation of mental and physical discipline within myself as well as my younger brother that caused others to think he had given us some special drink or formula to turn us into the chiseled athletes we were at the time. Players would ask him to do to them what he did to us to help them become better players on the field. There was no exact special formula. We were just always up to do the work required to be the best we could be daily.

Coach Sawyr’s workouts helped me form the workouts I administer today and plan to produce in the future. They are a perfect foundation to building a complete athlete through full body workouts. I give him a major shoutout, because without him I would not have the mentally I have today.

Instagram: bgr8teen / 40undational Fitness

Linkedin: Brandon R. Taylor

Facebook: Brandon R. Taylor (BGreat)

Other: My link tree is in the link in my bio on my instagram account.