Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathan Stowe.
Hi Nathan, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I grew up splitting time between a trailer park in Louisiana and a 4,000-acre cattle ranch in Texas. Summers were spent driving full-size tractors and working cattle from “can’t see to can’t see,” while the school year was about proving my parents right when they told me I could do anything. I graduated valedictorian, co-founded our school’s first student council, and earned a substantial academic scholarship to attend Trinity University in San Antonio.
I always wanted to be a teacher and a baseball coach. But growing up, I was told those careers wouldn’t pay the bills—I needed to be a doctor, lawyer, or banker. So I chose finance. By senior year of college, though, it was clear I wouldn’t be happy behind a desk. While my classmates were analyzing portfolios on Saturdays, I was lifting weights, eating enough chicken for two people, and reading Men’s Health over lunch. I didn’t know what I was going to do—but I knew it wasn’t that.
About a year out of college, still unsure what I was doing with my life, a friend casually mentioned something I’d never heard of: personal training. I laughed and said, “I didn’t even know you worked out.” But later that night, I started Googling—and went down a rabbit hole I never climbed out of.
Not everyone can say they started their business in a broom closet—but I can. I had to tiptoe just to get my butt past the desk.
I started with zero clients and built my business the way I learned to do everything: by showing up early, staying late, and putting in more reps than anyone else. Today, I run Stowe Training in Central Austin, helping people—especially those over 50—build real strength, live pain-free, and feel proud of what their bodies can do again. It’s not just a job. It’s what that 12-year-old version of me always wanted—just in a way I never could’ve predicted.
Best of all, I finish with clients by noon every day and no longer work weekends. That leaves me free to take my 2½-year-old daughter to the park and swimming as much as she wants—and to be fully present for my better half, Laura. It’s the kind of balance I used to only dream about.
2. Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Not even close. I’ve had a few “am I seriously doing this?” moments that could’ve knocked me out—but ended up shaping everything.
I majored in finance in college and figured I’d take the safe route—banking. But right before graduation, I realized I couldn’t picture myself staring at spreadsheets all day. I had no Plan B, so I started Googling places to start over—somewhere with energy, fitness, and fun. Austin checked all the boxes: great weather, great workouts, great nightlife… and at the time, it was actually affordable. I had one fraternity buddy moving there and we decided to split a house. I didn’t have a master plan—I just figured I’d enjoy being 21 in an awesome city, do the best I could at whatever job I landed, and figure out the rest along the way.
I figured I’d work car sales until something better came along—or worst case, get into banking. Then the 2008 financial crisis hit. The banks were getting bailed out. The car industry was getting bailed out. Everything I was doing—or had planned to do—was falling apart at the same time.
A year later, a friend mentioned personal training. I didn’t even know it was a real job, but once I looked into it, I knew I was in. Thanks to my sales background, I got off to a strong start… until a month in, when I tore my ACL playing basketball. Let’s just say it’s hard to sell someone on injury prevention when you’re limping around in a massive metal knee brace.
I burned through my tiny savings paying rent and started putting everything else on a credit card. I was brand new in the field, in debt, physically busted, and still trying to act like I had it together.
And then came COVID. In business, good or bad news is fine—you just want certainty. But during the shutdowns, we had none. No one could tell you if you needed one month of savings or 18. And while I couldn’t use my building, my landlord hit me with a surprise $5,000 tax adjustment on top of rent—with a $100-per-day penalty if I didn’t pay. Yowzers.
It’s never been smooth. But every one of those rough patches set me up to get better down the road. Not becoming a banker meant I had to develop real sales skills in a sink-or-swim environment—which helped me get more clients early on and accelerate my experience while I was deepening my knowledge of exercise science.
Tearing my ACL at 22 made me more relatable to the kinds of clients I now specialize in helping. I used that time to become a corrective exercise specialist and learned from the physical therapists while I rehabbed right alongside them.
And COVID? It nearly broke a lot of us—but it also forced me to refine my business model. For the first time ever, I wasn’t working. No cattle, no gym, no side hustle. Just time—and it gave me clarity I didn’t know I needed.
But not all hard things come with a silver lining. When our daughter Ella was born, Laura developed a serious blood clot. I was holding this brand-new baby in my arms while wondering if the love of my life was going to survive a terrifying emergency surgery. That’s not the kind of moment you turn into a lesson—it’s just something you get through, one breath at a time. And once you do, you come out the other side knowing exactly what matters, and exactly who you’re doing all this for.
3. Please tell us more about your business or organization…
I own and operate Stowe Training, a private personal training studio in Central Austin that sp
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Not even close. I’ve had a few “am I seriously doing this?” moments that could’ve knocked me out—but ended up shaping everything.
I majored in finance in college and figured I’d take the safe route—banking. But right before graduation, I realized I couldn’t picture myself staring at spreadsheets all day. I had no Plan B, so I started Googling places to start over—somewhere with energy, fitness, and fun. Austin checked all the boxes: great weather, great workouts, great nightlife… and at the time, it was actually affordable. I had one fraternity buddy moving there and we decided to split a house. I didn’t have a master plan—I just figured I’d enjoy being 21 in an awesome city, do the best I could at whatever job I landed, and figure out the rest along the way.
I figured I’d work car sales until something better came along—or worst case, get into banking. Then the 2008 financial crisis hit. The banks were getting bailed out. The car industry was getting bailed out. Everything I was doing—or had planned to do—was falling apart at the same time.
A year later, a friend mentioned personal training. I didn’t even know it was a real job, but once I looked into it, I knew I was in. Thanks to my sales background, I got off to a strong start… until a month in, when I tore my ACL playing basketball. Let’s just say it’s hard to sell someone on injury prevention when you’re limping around in a massive metal knee brace.
I burned through my tiny savings paying rent and started putting everything else on a credit card. I was brand new in the field, in debt, physically busted, and still trying to act like I had it together.
And then came COVID. In business, good or bad news is fine—you just want certainty. But during the shutdowns, we had none. No one could tell you if you needed one month of savings or 18. And while I couldn’t use my building, my landlord hit me with a surprise $5,000 tax adjustment on top of rent—with a $100-per-day penalty if I didn’t pay. Yowzers.
It’s never been smooth. But every one of those rough patches set me up to get better down the road. Not becoming a banker meant I had to develop real sales skills in a sink-or-swim environment—which helped me get more clients early on and accelerate my experience while I was deepening my knowledge of exercise science.
Tearing my ACL at 22 made me more relatable to the kinds of clients I now specialize in helping. I used that time to become a corrective exercise specialist and learned from the physical therapists while I rehabbed right alongside them.
And COVID? It nearly broke a lot of us—but it also forced me to refine my business model. For the first time ever, I wasn’t working. No cattle, no gym, no side hustle. Just time—and it gave me clarity I didn’t know I needed.
But not all hard things come with a silver lining. When our daughter Ella was born, Laura developed a serious blood clot. I was holding this brand-new baby in my arms while wondering if the love of my life was going to survive a terrifying emergency surgery. That’s not the kind of moment you turn into a lesson—it’s just something you get through, one breath at a time. And once you do, you come out the other side knowing exactly what matters, and exactly who you’re doing all this for.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I own and operate Stowe Training, a private personal training studio in Central Austin that specializes in helping adults over 50 live longer and get stronger—without getting hurt. Most of my clients haven’t lifted weights in decades, if ever. I guide them step-by-step through smart, safe, joint-friendly strength training designed to build strength, reduce pain, and improve confidence in their bodies.
I do all the coaching myself. What sets me apart is simple: when you join, you get me. That’s pretty rare—kind of like going to KFC and having the Colonel himself fry your chicken. And it’s that way on purpose. I’ve managed a 30,000-square-foot gym with a dozen trainers reporting to me. I’ve hired coaches to work under me in my own business. But each time, I realized… that’s not the dream.
The dream has always been to coach. Not manage. Not scale. Coach. I love working directly with people—figuring out what’s holding them back and helping them fix it so they can feel strong, pain-free, and confident again. That’s the part I never get tired of.
I’m most proud of my clients and community every single day I step into my studio. Honestly, there are nights I have a hard time going to bed because I’m so excited to wake up and live the dream I created. I’m also proud that I’ve always stood behind what I offer: I provide a 100% money-back guarantee on everything we ever do together. Personal training is personal—so I don’t believe in holding anyone hostage with a contract. Either we’re both enjoying the process, the relationship, and the results… or we’re not. And if we’re not, no hard feelings—I’ll even give you your money back. I honestly can’t think of anything more fair than that.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Relationships. That’s all there is at the end of the day, I think.
The relationship I have with my wife and daughter is everything. I won’t be thinking about revenue goals on my last day—I’ll be thinking about my girls.
Funny enough, I think the same thing applies to my business. Personal training is personal. Every client puts their trust in me, and I don’t take that lightly. I don’t just count reps—I pay attention, I listen, I try to show up for people the way I’d want someone to show up for the people I love.
That’s the goal: to be the kind of person people are glad they let into their life. Whether that’s at home or in the gym.
It’s what people say about you when you’re not around—and what they say, well… when you’re not around forever.
Pricing:
- Visit StoweTraining.com for pricing
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.StoweTraining.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stowe_training_systems/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/StoweTraining
- Twitter: https://www.youtube.com/@StoweTrainingLLC
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/stowe-training-systems-austin
