We were lucky to catch up with Kurt Leal recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kurt, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
My fitness journey began when I was an overweight high school student searching for balance, confidence, and direction. Growing up in a broken home and having no healthy outlets. Fitness slowly became my outlet for self-regulation and emotional stability. I started by running late at night, often five or more miles at a time. Which helped build both my confidence and discipline. Eventually, I stepped into a gym and fell in love with the environment, the community, and the process of growth.
As my passion grew, I naturally began helping friends and family improve not just their physical fitness, but their mindset as well. It wasn’t until years later that I realized what truly motivated me: witnessing the emotional and physical breakthroughs of others. Their wins became my fuel.
When COVID forced gyms to shut down, I adapted by creating effective home-based workouts. That shift led to a powerful realization. Fitness didn’t have to be confined to a brick-and-mortar facility. Bringing training into people’s homes removed barriers like body anxiety, time constraints, and childcare challenges. Families could train together, and kids were welcomed into the process, creating a supportive and empowering environment for everyone involved. This is where my mission truly began to take form. I found my calling!
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
As a devoted husband and father, I spent years doing whatever it took to support my family. I balanced one to two warehouse jobs. Roles that offered little long-term fulfillment, in support of my wife so she could pursue her master’s degree in social work, while we raised our four beautiful children, all under the age of ten. During that season of life, I carried many responsibilities and often found myself going through the motions, working hard but still searching for a deeper sense of purpose.
Through it all, my wife’s unwavering support became the foundation that allowed me to reflect on my own dreams. I often told myself, and her, “One day, when I retire, I’ll open my own gym and do what I truly love.” For years, that dream felt distant, something reserved for the end of my career rather than the present.
Eventually, I had a realization that changed everything: why postpone purpose until retirement, when I could begin building it now? I wanted a life with intention—one that allowed me to be more present with my wife and children while doing meaningful work. That moment marked the beginning of my journey into entrepreneurship and serving others through fitness.
I transitioned from clocking in and out of warehouse shifts to slowly building a local client base as a trainer. The start was humbling. Progress was slow, and opportunities were limited. For a short time, I worked as a trainer in a gym, but I quickly learned it wasn’t where I thrived. I didn’t believe in interrupting workouts, pulling out earbuds, or pitching services to people who weren’t ready.
What I did believe in was meeting people where they were—at their doorsteps, in their homes, and within their comfort zones. I knew there were individuals who wanted help but felt intimidated by the gym or overwhelmed by busy schedules. That realization pushed me back to the drawing board, where I refined my skills and built a model centered on accessibility, empathy, and genuine connection.
That decision brought me closer to my true calling: helping people improve their lives through fitness in a way that feels supportive, personal, and sustainable.
As a father of four living in a rural community, this mission became even more personal. My son developed a love for soccer, but year after year, despite new volunteers stepping in, he struggled to progress beyond the basics. With some hesitation and a lot of determination, I decided to step in myself, utilizing my experience to motivate, inspire, and elevate young athletes beyond foundational skills.
That decision sparked my next chapter as a Youth Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and it deepened my passion more than I could have imagined. In 2025, everything truly aligned. I found my purpose, hit my stride, and committed fully to helping athletes and families unlock their potential, both on and off the field, and inside and outside of gyms.
Through my brand, growth has been both rapid and humbling. Opportunities for investment and potential facility locations have begun to present themselves, with several becoming tangible possibilities in the near future. While the business continues to expand, my focus remains rooted in service and community impact.
I am currently providing training services free of charge to support and accelerate the development of local high school athletic programs. Alongside this, I am actively hosting my own group training camps, expanding into online coaching, and preparing to bring training opportunities to nearby cities. Each step forward is intentional, driven not only by growth but by a commitment to accessibility, athlete development, and long-term impact for everyone.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Being neurodivergent and having an addictive personality, I have faced my challenges, this has shaped much of my journey. Learning to channel my focus into healthy, purposeful outlets became essential in keeping me grounded, motivated, and aligned with the best parts of myself. While navigating challenges with short-term memory has not always been easy, I’ve learned that true passion has a way of cutting through the noise. When something genuinely calls to you, it becomes an anchor. The struggle is real at times, but adapting is key, and through activity and nutrition, this has become easier.
Self-growth and self-care are foundational for anyone striving to better themselves, but they are especially vital for those who feel anxious about change or hesitant to put themselves out into the world. For me, three guiding principles have shaped my path: optimism, grit, and curiosity—intentionally in that order.
Optimism has always been my starting point. I have an innate ability to pivot when faced with setbacks, to reframe difficult news, and to search for meaning and possibility even in uncertainty. My wife would be the first to smile and confirm this. That optimism allows me to approach life with empathy, understanding, and an unwavering belief that challenges are not roadblocks, but redirections. I truly believe we are all meant to walk a unique path. While it’s easy to wish we had started sooner, life unfolds as a journey of branching trails, each one eventually reconnecting us to our purpose, fulfillment, and success.
Grit has been equally transformative. As entrepreneurs, self-doubt and imposter syndrome are inevitable. There are moments when leads go quiet, momentum slows, and you question whether you’re still on the right path. In those moments, my advice is simple: do not falter. If you believe deeply in what you’re building, keep going. I experienced months without leads while supporting a family of six, and still chose optimism and perseverance. During hardship, I focused on growth—refining my skills, strengthening my foundation, and continuing to move forward, one intentional step at a time. Progress doesn’t require giant leaps; it requires consistency and resilience.
Curiosity became the final piece, and the one that allowed everything else to evolve. Embracing curiosity shifted my mindset and opened the door to adaptability in an ever-changing world. What once was a rigid approach to fitness expanded into a deep, well-rounded understanding of health and wellness. That pursuit of knowledge has not only strengthened my ability to serve clients, but more importantly, to support my family—my wife and children, through informed, intentional living. Growth is a lifelong practice. Read the book. Listen to the podcast. Stay open to learning. Become a wellspring of knowledge for yourself and for those you’re called to serve.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal clients are the busy moms and dads doing their best to juggle family, work, and everything in between. They’re the young athletes eager to develop their skills, the gamers who spend long hours at a desk or on the couch, and the individuals who feel unseen—stuck in the cycle of work, home life, and the quiet procrastination of change.
You don’t have to be a “gym bro” to care about your health. Fitness doesn’t follow one path, and there is no single mold you need to fit into. I know this because not long ago, I was exactly where many of you are now. I grew up as a hardcore gamer, from childhood into adulthood, balancing fitness just enough to get by while putting off deeper, long-term change. I loved fitness—but I also loved games, manga, anime, and sports. For a long time, I avoided social situations, convinced they would play out negatively before they ever began. That mindset led me to close myself off and retreat into comfort zones shaped partly by my childhood experiences.
If you feel uncomfortable in a gym setting, struggle with body anxiety, were bullied or shamed for your interests, or simply feel closed off from the world around you—please know you are not alone. Appearances can be deceiving, and there are far more people just like you than you may realize.
Growth doesn’t start with perfection; it starts with one small step. Sometimes that means putting the phone down, introducing yourself with a handshake, or simply allowing yourself to try something new. True change comes from stepping slightly outside your comfort zone, paired with the optimism that things just might turn out better than you expect.
If this resonates with you, I invite you to reach out. Take the chance. Let’s walk this journey together—toward confidence, long-term success, and a healthier, happier life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alt-fitness.com
- Instagram: @father_figure_1027
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575580576338
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kurt-leal-213287158/
- Youtube: @All_Levels_Training
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