ABOUT ART ROTHAFEL

Art_GradBknd_150How to Contact Us:

Private Label Fitness
9342 Villa Vista Way
Villa Park, CA 92861
714-404-1800
email: privatelabelfitness@gmail.com

 

MY BACKGROUND:

My story is a little different than many entrepreneurs.

I didn’t grow up poor. I didn’t almost die of some dreaded disease. I didn’t fight my way up from death or despair.

ArtTo the contrary, I had an awesome middle-class upbringing in New England where my family lived an active outdoor lifestyle. I grew up a pretty “normal” kid… maybe just like you.

But, there was ONE THING….

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I was 12-years old when I mowed my first lawn and got paid for it. The homeowner was thrilled with the job I did and paid me a whopping three dollars! It was a game changer.

This was my first taste of entrepreneurship. I did a good job, made someone happy and got paid for it.

I loved that feeling!

Later, as a 21-year old musician in a 9-piece band, I played all kinds of venues where people ate, drank, danced and had fun. I was playing music, making people happy and getting paid for it.

There was that feeling again.

When I moved to Los Angeles in 1978 I got a job at:

Jack LaLanne’s European Health Spa

I was a trainer/janitor. (you know what I mean, right?)

J-BagIn just 2 months I was promoted to assistant manager where part of my responsibilities included selling memberships for commissions.

My first sale was a “lifetime membership” for a family of five. Wow… I closed the deal, helped an entire family make a great decision toward health and got paid for it.

There was that feeling again.

At this point, I began to crave that feeling like a drug. I loved the validation of doing a “good job.” I loved making people happy and I especially loved making money for things I would probably do for free.

It’s called PASSION!

I couldn’t get enough of it. So, I read every book I could find on salesmanship, entrepreneurship and personal development. I attended all kinds of sales training events and in 1982 I landed the perfect job where I could merge both my sales skills and love for music:

Guitar Center in Hollywood

VH_DaysOnce again, I rose through the ranks quickly and became Vice President of Marketing for the entire chain. At this level I honed my sales and marketing skills and learned the importance of systems, automation and scale.

During my tenure the company experienced significant growth opening multiple stores throughout the country. It was truly exciting to be a part of it.

But, with growth came all the negatives of working in a big company — and I began to lose that feeling.

So, in 1987, I left the “corporate world” to recapture my entrepreneurial spirit and regain my passion for doing great work, helping people and getting paid for it.

I became a:

Consultant

The 90’s were an exciting time as technology took hold. My marketing and sales experience allowed me to consult all kinds of companies from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies.

I was working for myself doing things I was passionate about. My clients were very happy. And, I was was getting paid for it.

There was that feeling again.

And, to top it off, during this same period, I got married (Gigi) and had two daughters (Chelsea & Roxanne).

I also founded:

Private Label Fitness

At the time, our company name was MediCorp. We were a Weight-Management, Nutrition and Lifestyle business in Newport Beach, CA. The company was specifically set-up for people truly interested in achieving their goals the “right way” — through proper nutrition, productive exercise and positive motivation.

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A TURNING POINT:

In the early days, as a weight-management, nutrition and lifestyle coaching business, PLF was a 3-person operation with 30 clients.

One of my biggest frustrations was the total lack of information, written in lay terms, available for our clients. I searched everywhere to no avail. So, out of necessity, I recruited the help of experts and eventually wrote our widely acclaimed Reference Manual – which is now the basis of our WMU-101 curriculum.

And then, using the same information, created the first version of “Finally… The Truth About Weight-Management.”

We held seminars and workshops everywhere including companies, hospitals, gated communities, apartment complexes, churches, school systems, business mixers — anywhere and for anyone who would have us.

As a result, we always had tons of new business.

But, here’s where things get very interesting:

One day, we received an invitation to compete for a corporate contract with Beckman Medical Instruments (3,000 employees) to administer their entire wellness program. But, there was a catch.

The contract would be awarded to the company that achieved the best results among the company’s test groups during a 12-week period. We would be competing against Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, NutriSystem and others.

I agreed to participate — under one condition. That the results be measured by body-composition and NOT pounds-on-the-scale. Surprisingly, they agreed.

And, yes… we won the contract!

With the stroke of a pen, my little 3-person company with 30 clients immediately grew to more than 800 clients — overnight!

There was that feeling again.

But, here’s the point.

We were only invited to participate because one of Beckman’s executives just happened to attend one of our seminars — and liked what she heard.

Now, that’s POWERFUL.

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THE NEW MISSION:

PLF has undergone many changes since those days. Most notably we morphed from retail to manufacturing when hundreds of health professionals requested our high-quality, peer reviewed components for use with their own clients, members and patients.

That shift coupled with industry demand for our motivational / educational tools and “real world” protocol inspired me toward a new mission.

For the last 20 years, I’ve dedicated myself and my company to helping serious, career-minded health professionals toward successful programming and marketing.

Click on the images below and check out the dates. You’ll get a sense of how long I’ve been on this mission!

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(for current testimonials CLICK HERE)

Today, PLF works with thousands of dedicated health professionals who place a huge value on their branding, marketing and programming.

I, personally, spend hours on the phone with entrepreneurs (I call them “health warriors”) who seek advice and knowledge from my many years of marketing experience.

So, I consider myself a lucky man — able to earn a living doing what I absolutely love.

There’s that feeling again!

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