When Joel’s father, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, was diagnosed with ALS in 2022, it shifted the teenager’s outlook on life and health.
“It taught me the importance of living life to the fullest and staying strong,” says Joel, 19, who lives in Minnesota. Though he’d been hitting the gym since playing football in elementary school, he began to see health and fitness not just as a hobby, but as a possible career path.
After high school, Joel took a part-time warehouse job and started coursework to become a certified personal trainer. But he wasn’t sure how to turn his passion into a profitable business.
“There’s only so much you can Google,” he says. “I needed to talk to people who had business experience.”
He found that guidance through Paralyzed Veterans of America’s 10-week Self Employment Program, which is open to PVA Members, spouses, and their adult children. His instructor – and the small group of classmates he met on the weekly Zoom calls – quickly became a trusted sounding board.
With their help, Joel developed a plan to launch a personal training business that focuses on both mind and body and emphasizes lasting results. He envisions offering one-on-one coaching, small group classes, online programs, nutrition guidance, and goal tracking. He aims to create a space, he says, “where people feel seen, challenged and empowered.”
Program participants have an opportunity to participate in a pitch night at the end of the course, where they present their ideas to private industry supporters of PVA, who review and rate pitches. Joel was one of two aspiring entrepreneurs who received a $2,500 startup grant from Wells Fargo after successfully pitching their plans.
With the funding boost and a clearer vision, Joel is now fine-tuning his business model, working on a website, and looking to attract clients through free trials and relationships with local gyms.
PVA’s program, he adds, gave him the jumpstart he needed.
“Before, I was just walking blind, hoping that what I was doing was right,” he says. “Now I feel more confident in what I’m doing. My steps feel more intentional.”
PVA’s Veterans Career Program is open to all Veterans, spouses, and adult children, regardless of disability status. If you or someone you know is interested in enrolling in PVA’s Veterans Career Program, please reach out to VeteransCareerProgram@pva.org.