What gives someone the right to consider themselves a successful fitness model or personality in the industry? Is it the amount of covers one can land because of their physique? Could it be how many sponsors they are able to grab to help support them? Or is it the amount of money one can make between different modeling/ fitness gigs?
Everyone will tell you something different, but if there is one thing that is hard to disagree with, it’s the ability to promote and market yourself to others. Social media has begun to play a huge role in self marketing as an athlete, competitor, fitness model or personality in the Industry. These days, you don't need a modeling agency to help promote you, or a company to take you on as a sponsored athlete in order for you to be seen in the industry.
Someone who once could have been just an average fit person now has the ability to transform themselves into a “Social Media Fitness Star!” If you put in the time, the effort, and truly have a passion for fitness, you can change yourself from just a face with a body, to a bona fide personality – someone able to inspire and motivate others on their own fitness journey!
Sam Shepherd, age 20, and hailing from New Martinsville, West Virginia, is proof that if you put in the time, effort, hard work in the gym AND the kitchen, and use social media as a tool to self-promote, you can turn your average health/fit lifestyle into a network that reaches out to endless amounts of people who want to take the time out to follow your journey.
Q: Tell me a
bout your competitive history.
A: 2013 NPC Collegiate Nationals; 1st in class, Overall winner.
2013 NPC North Americans; 2nd callout
Q: When did you get started on your fitness career/journey? What made you want to become more than just the average person living a healthy and fit lifestyle?
A: Around 8th grade I hit puberty and had a growth spurt. I went from 5’2” to 5’8” in a matter of a year. My dad had bought my brother some lifting equipment for our basement and I started lifting a little, too. I reported to football practice at 5’8” 125 lbs. my freshman year. My brother was a senior team captain, and made all-state. I remember looking up to him so much. He helped me in the weight room with what he knew and I worked so hard all year.
My sophomore year I reported to practice at 5’9” 145lbs. One day I got into a little fight with a teammate and I will always remember him saying, “You will never be anything close to what your brother was.” That statement basically propelled my high school career and put me on the path to where I am today. I worked harder than ever. I stayed after three-hour practices and lifted in the weight room. I discovered bodybuilding.com and learned how to really lift the right way. My junior and senior year I was 5’10” and 195 lbs. I ended up being a team captain, all-state, and winning state as a senior.
Sometimes it can be something as little as negative statements that can help you find the love of your life. Mine is bodybuilding. I remember seeing my first Ronnie Coleman video and being amazed. I became infatuated with muscle and aesthetics. I would sit in class and draw what I thought was the perfect body and dreamed about my work out after school.
Eventually I started reading the nutrition articles on bodybuilding.com and that was what really made the difference. I started to eat right for my body and the gains came flying in. That pretty much puts me where I am now. The thing that I love most about it is bettering myself every day. I want to be the best person I possibly can in every single way, this is one big part of it.
Q: Being that you have a loyal social media following, what is some advice that you would offer someone wanting to increase their popularity in the Fitness industry? What tip can you give someone to help them build their following as well?
A: I think a lot of it is being relatable to your followers. I think of myself as just a regular guy. I am a regular guy. When people meet me in person they always comment on how “chill and humble” I am. I always say, “What did you expect?” I am a young guy and come from a small town. I will always stay humble.
Also, I think it is really important to stay in touch with your followers. Posting frequently and responding to their comments lets them know that you appreciate their support. I don’t like calling them my “fans”. I don’t want to be someone who is worshiped. I want to be someone who is appreciated for the work I do and the inspiration I provide. In other words, I don’t want t
o just be liked because I am who I am. I want to be liked for what I provide.
Q: Do you consider this as your part/full time job or a hobby?
A: It’s definitely a hobby, but a very, very serious hobby. I like to think of myself as a master multi-tasker. I am a student at West Virginia University, which takes up the vast majority of my day. I train people online. I make sure I read at least a chapter of a book each day. I am currently learning another language (Spanish), both through school and I devote 45 minutes to Rosetta Stone every day (I hope to learn many more languages in my life). I love travelling and have been lucky enough to travel my entire life. I like to think I’m a master cook, but my skills are constantly improving. These are just to name a few.
I want to become the best and most well rounded person I can. My body and health are a huge part of that for me, but far from everything. I want to live life with passion and experience as much as I can. I want to experience a wide range of emotions, see many places, interact with different types of people, attain as much knowledge as possible in many different fields, etc. I could go on and on.
Q: There are many people that motivate and are inspired by you. How does that make you feel knowing that there are people who take the time to see what you are doing day to day?
A: This is a large factor in what drives me to do what I do. As I stated before, it is beyond rewarding to know that I can help people. I want to be able to help people in every way. The thing that they don’t know is that the motivation I give them is nothing compared to the motivation I receive from their support.
Q: Is there anyone who has motivated or inspired you to become the person you are today?
A: Many people have. I am a true believer that we are not our own person at all, but a product of the people around us and our environment.
Everyone and everything you encounter has an impact on the person you become. Therefore, we do not decide who we are but the people and our environment do. However, the choices we make and the people we decide to spend our time with is our way of taking control of whom we are and guiding our life in the direction we want.
Personally, the people who have affected me most are, of course, my parents. From a young age they have shown me the value in working hard and treating people right. Those are the two biggest things to me, and they showed me their importance. In the fitness industry, I really looked up to Greg Plitt for a long time and more recently Matt Christianer for the help and constant advice he gives me.
I really appreciate people who are willing to help you even though they have nothing to gain by doing so. Dean Michael is an example of this. He brought me onto the 360CUT team and has been nothing but kind and helpful to me.
Q: How does your
family feel about your lifestyle? What would you say to someone whose family does not support their lifestyle?
A: I have been lucky enough to have a very supportive family, besides tempting me to eat bad from time to time. They get what I do and they understand my motivation. I believe they are happy that I have something that I work for constantly. In the end, if it makes me happy then it makes them happy.
For someone whose family doesn’t support their lifestyle that is a very difficult situation. I believe that as long as you aren’t hurting yourself physically, emotionally, or financially then they should support you. Hopefully, they could meet with their family and explain their passion and come to a compromise.
Q: Of all the social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.), what do you think is the most effective to use in order to market yourself in this industry?
A: I think that all social media can be useful to keep in touch with your supporters; however I choose to use Facebook and Instagram. I try to keep my twitter more personal but still connect with them there as well from time to time. My Facebook page has grown significantly to 218K, but Facebook is something you have to keep constantly engaged with to keep your page relevant. There are many techniques and algorithms that determine your engagement. If you do this though, it can be a very powerful tool for spreading your name. Instagram on the other hand has a gigantic fitness media and is also very convenient. I think they are both equally useful.
Q: What is your diet like? Do you eat clean all year round?
A: I follow the If It Fits Your Macros Diet (IIFYM). This diet in my opinion is a great way for people to make consistent progress and stick to a diet without going overboard, starving yourself, and developing an eating disorder
. Basically, for this diet you calculate what your daily macronutrients will be and eat what you want as long as in the end you hit your daily macros. That being said, for bodybuilding goals you are still going to have to eat clean, but it does allow you to have some leeway for a cheat here and there to keep your sanity.
Q: What is your favorite cheat meal? How do you control yourself from going overboard when you decide to treat yourself?
A: I believe I do a really good job of maintaining a social life in my lifestyle. One thing that social circles generally build around is food. Therefore, I typically save my cheat meals for social events, meals with friends, dinners with professors, etc. I absolutely LOVE trying new foods so it’s hard for me to resist trying something new even if its nutritional facts are horrible.
The ideal cheat meal for me is something that services all of my cravings. So a meal that is hearty, salty, fattening, and sweet. That’s a lot to service in one meal. An example of this is a meal I had at this amazing local gem I found while in Florida. The meal consisted of three cheese oysters, onion rings, mahi-mahi filet, alligator tail, and a cup of praline pecan ice cream for dessert.
Q: Do you take any supplements? What do you think is one of the most important supplements someone should take who is training constantly?
A: I recently was given the honor of being sponsored by 360CUT supplements. I am really happy to be with them because I believe in their products. Currently, I am cutting so I am using 360PRE, 360POST, and 360LEAN. For the serious lifter, I always recommend a protein supplement, a pre workout supplement, and vitamins.
Q: What’s your social media/contact information?
A: Facebook: www.facebook.com/SamShepherdFitness
Instagram: @samueltroyshepherd
Twitter: @yaboysamueltroy
Email: samshepherd02@yahoo.com
Q: Special thanks to:
A: My followers, my new sponsors 360CUT for their support, and Roxann “Roxstar” Rizzuto for hooking me up with this interview!
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