A millionaire PT whose mum died when he was a child has revealed how he dug himself out of the grief – sharing his story in the hopes that it will inspire others who are struggling.
Eric Janicki, from Los Angeles, US, cashed in on the fitness bug during the pandemic, which has since seen him raking in $200,000 USD a year with 761,000 followers on Instagram (@ericjanickifitness).
But the personal trainer’s life wasn’t always so glossy.
When he was 11 years old, Eric suffered immense tragedy as his mum, Kristin, 40, committed suicide.
At the time, Eric was living with his dad and had just started fifth grade.
The grief and loss threw him into a dark place and if it wasn’t for fitness, he says he would never have pulled himself back out again.
“Fitness completely changed me and helped me through the worst period of my life,” Eric told Jam Press.
“Now I’m able to use that to help others, including people who have lost loved ones during the pandemic.
“In the lead up to my mum’s death she was a shadow of herself.
“Before, she was a commander of a room and had a large presence. She was a big role model to me and I always wanted to be like her.
“When she died it was a very, very hard time in my life – her death made me a shell of myself. I was very angry.
“At the time, I was also struggling with my confidence.
“I was the smallest kid in class and it made me feel insecure. I felt like I didn’t fit in.
“Noticing that I was in a dark place, my friend’s older brother – he’s a big guy – brought me to the gym to get my anger and frustration out.
“And that was it, something just clicked.
“I started to bulk out and I started growing taller. All of a sudden I was the guy commanding a room.
“It helped me channel my grief into something positive.
“I fell in love with it.”
Eric would hit the gym daily and soon the 5ft 7in teenager started bulking out, growing into a 6ft 1in ripped college student.
He kept up his fitness routine throughout university, all the while studying for a finance degree, which he started in 2009.
After graduating in 2013, Eric landed a job as a financial analyst but after a year had an epiphany and quit.
He said: “I remember being at my desk from 7am to 7pm and thought to myself what am I doing?
“I would wake up at 4.45am to squeeze in a workout but I had friends who would wake up later, train leisurely throughout the day and still get home before me.
“Once I got the idea about becoming a PT, I was hell-bent on getting my certificate.
“You only live once. I figured that if it didn’t work out and I had to circle back, then at least I had my fitness qualifications.
“I just knew I needed to make the leap”.
Living in West Hollywood, Eric realised he had a potential pool of rich and glamorous clients on his doorstep.
Quitting ended up being the “best thing” he’d ever done.
The PT slowly began to make a name for himself but his career didn’t take off properly until 2020.
After a month of lockdown with his girlfriend, Alina Astilean, 32, also a PT with a background in finance, the duo decided to get off the couch and do something productive.
They wanted to help others who might be stuck at home, climbing the walls or suffering with bad mental health due to social restrictions.
Eric and Alina launched a virtual workout programme and at $3,000-$5,000 per client, they began raking in the cash – making their first million 10 months into the business.
Eric said: “Sitting around just wasn’t us. So one day Alina turned around to me and said ‘we need to do something’.
“The pandemic gave us the push.
“It’s a doubled-edge sword because there has been a lot of suffering, but it’s been incredible to help people by keeping their minds and bodies busy.”
In January 2021, Eric took things a step further by launching a consultancy business teaching other personal trainers to build seven-figure empires.
He also trains A-listers – whom he can’t name due to NDAs – and is now living the high life.
The savvy entrepreneur said: “I’ve built a business where I don’t even need to be physically present.
“I’m making money while I sleep.
“I remember watching Top Gear as a kid and always had my dream car: C63 AMG’ Mercedes. I bought it last month.
“Alina and I are a great team and we balance each other out.
“It’s really rewarding to work with the person you care about the most, and who has the same passion as you do.
Despite buying his dream car, house and on track to becoming a multi-millionaire, Eric’s priority is to have a family — something he was robbed off as a child.
Eric said: “I am successful but I want to enjoy the process.
“There’s more to life. More than anything I want to be comfortable and to have a family.
“What happened with my mum definitely drives what I do.
“Being able to channel that grief has led to what I’ve achieved.”
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