From Gym Floor Cleaner to Head Coach: Eddie Geraghty's Journey Building Ireland's Premier Individual Design Practice
This episode of Back Room Talk explores the inspiring journey of Edward "Eddie" Geraghty, an Irish fitness coach whose path from gym cleaner to head coach and successful individual design practitioner demonstrates how dedication, proper education, and genuine care for clients can create extraordinary career growth. In just two years, Eddie grew from 10 clients to 65 while building Ireland's premier individual design coaching service and mentoring a new generation of professional coaches.
The Athletic Foundation: From Football to Fighting
Eddie's fitness journey began early, shaped by a family that prioritized movement and activity. "Fitness has always been part of my life. I have a twin and a little brother who's only two years younger than me. So I suppose for my family, save more than anything else as well, they had to try to keep us as active as possible."
This family culture led to an extensive sports background: "I played soccer pretty much from the minute I could start walking. My old lad loves the football so he pretty much kicked the ball to me and said right this is you all the way till you make your decision on what other sport you want to play."
Eddie's athletic journey evolved beyond football to include combat sports: "Pretty much when I was about 16 I started doing some combat sport. I did taekwondo for a couple of years." This diverse athletic background would prove invaluable in understanding movement and coaching different populations.
The University Years: Discovering Strength and Conditioning
Eddie's transition into formal fitness education came through his college studies: "When I joined college, went on to do a strength and conditioning and personal training in college. That pretty much led me into the CrossFit gym that I currently work in today."
However, his first experience with CrossFit was humbling: "I remember my first day walking into this gym going... yeah, I know exactly what's going on here. I've been in the gym a couple of times. You know yourself when you're like young lad, used to just go in and just bench and nothing else mattered."
The reality check was immediate: "I remember going to my first class and I couldn't do squats. Like I couldn't do anything. And I suppose that just kind of opened up my eyes a little bit to be like, there's just way more than you actually thought there was in fitness."
Starting from the Ground Up: The Cleaning Years
Rather than being discouraged by his initial CrossFit experience, Eddie saw an opportunity. He began working at the gym in the most humble role possible: "I actually started working in the gym as like an admin staff kind of person, just basically cleaning gym equipment, kind of clean the floors for Saturdays."
This period, lasting from 2018 to 2020, was crucial for his development: "And then I did that for about two years." Working on the gym floor, even in a cleaning capacity, allowed Eddie to observe coaching, understand gym operations, and immerse himself in the fitness culture.
The COVID Catalyst: Making the Commitment
The pandemic became a pivotal moment for Eddie's career decision: "COVID hit and kind of changed everything for me after that. I think after COVID, that was my decision to be like, right, do you want to make a career out of this? Cause you cannot half-arse this."
This moment of clarity led to a complete commitment: "After COVID, I remember sitting there and just thinking to myself, right, if you want to do this, you have to put everything into this. You have to put all the chips down. You have to fully immerse yourself. You have to live and learn and do as much as humanly possible."
The Growth Phase: Building a Client Base
Eddie's initial growth was steady but significant: "I think a year went by and I started growing. I got a few clients, some more personal training clients. I was doing more CrossFit classes, things like that."
However, he recognized that sustainable growth required professional education and systems: "A year went by after COVID. I decided if I was really going to make money at this, what is the best way to do it?"
The OPEX Discovery: Professional Education as Game Changer
Eddie's introduction to OPEX came through observing other coaches' educational choices: "At the time, a coach had previously looked into doing CCP with yourselves. He was the old gym owner. He didn't finish or anything like that, but I remember going, right. I think this might be it."
The decision to pursue CCP was based on understanding what separated professional coaches from others: "I remember jumping onto a call and was like, this is what we do. This is how we make professional coaches. This is how we can kind of give you a career."
Eddie completed CCP in 2023 under Carl Hardwick's instruction, finding particular value in the business education: "Carl at the end of the professional one. That's definitely my biggest mind blow in terms of... how to actually nearly run yourself as a business and being a coach, like understanding retention tools, understanding churning rates, understanding like just your value as a coach."
Explosive Growth: From 10 to 65 Clients
The results of Eddie's commitment to education and professional development were dramatic: "I suppose from there on out, it's just been an ongoing growth. Really. I think I went from after COVID starting with like 10 clients or something like that. Now I'm at 65 at the moment."
This growth occurred in just two years, representing a 550% increase in client base while maintaining high service quality and client satisfaction.
Leadership Recognition: Becoming Head Coach
Eddie's expertise and dedication didn't go unnoticed: "Only kind of last year, year and a half, I've been made head coach of my gym and everything like that as well."
This role expansion brought new challenges: "Now it's been... it's been experience trying to educate coaches as well. It's definitely something that I'm definitely challenging myself and trying to learn and get better at."
The Individual Design Service Model
Eddie's gym developed a comprehensive service offering that includes CrossFit classes, personal training, and individual design programming. The individual design component became Eddie's specialty and passion.
The Assessment Experience
Eddie's favorite part of the coaching process reveals his client-centered approach: "My favorite part is actually doing the first like move assessment with them. And like the first time they come into a gym and they're like, oh, there's no way I can do this. There's no way I'm going to be able to do half these things."
His approach focuses on creating a welcoming, educational experience: "You get them to settle down. You get them on the bike. You get started chatting to them. You understand a little bit more about them and then you just get them to move."
Transforming Expectations
The power of this approach becomes evident in client feedback: "My favorite part at the end of session is asking like, Well, how'd you find that? And they're like, it was amazing. I actually didn't think I could do half the things I did today... I imagined that you were going to come in like this military coach screaming, shouting at me, telling me to do as many burpees as possible."
Instead, clients experience: "This really nice entrance into the gym where we just got to know each other. We got to talk about your goals, where you want to go."
Long-Term Progress Tracking
Eddie's approach emphasizes long-term development: "At the end of the session, tying all the assessments back to their goals and showing them where they need to go... reviewing it, I suppose, a year later, and you're like, this is where you started... you did a 60 second forearm plank or a side plank, we'll say. Now you're able to do 90 seconds."
He shares a powerful example of transformation: "I've had her working with her for three years now. And I remember the first time we ever tried to hold onto a barbell on her back... she was like, I'm just not doing this today... only that we ended up doing back squats today... she was like, remember I used to be scared of this? I'm like, yeah, now there's 40 kilos on your back and you're squatting down and you couldn't even pick up the bar for the first time."
Team Development and Coaching Education
As head coach, Eddie oversees a diverse team of specialists:
Jim Leem (owner)
Vicky (pre and post natal specialist)
Debz (pelvic floor expert)
Connor (general manager)
Connor, Ben, Paul (coaching admin staff)
Katie Verba (newest coach)
Individualized Coach Development
Eddie's approach to coach education mirrors his client coaching philosophy: "I always start with is I bring the coaches in to have a one-on-one chat myself. We basically sit down and kind of talk about where they kind of want to go with terms of like clients they would like to train with."
He provides personalized development paths: "Say for example, Katie is wanting to work with like young youth programs... So she's actually going to do the brand X method at the moment. But on the side, she also wants to start taking weightlifting clients. So now at the moment, we're learning how to develop weightlifting programs."
Managing the Learning Curve
Eddie understands the challenges new coaches face: "When you're learning this stuff, it feels like you're coming up this mountain. You're like, wow, I feel like I've learned everything I need to know about fitness. And then it just starts going straight down this massive hill. You're like, shit. I know nothing and I have no idea."
His role includes managing this natural progression: "You nearly get that feeling of like imposter syndrome. You're like, there's no way I'm doing the wrong thing. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be coach. I'm like, no, it's fine. This is totally normal. This is what every coach goes through at the start."
Continuous Learning and Development
Eddie maintains his own learning through multiple channels: "I suppose I'm living on LearnRx. No, I do find the LearnRx tool fantastic for anything that I'm unsure of."
He also pursues external education: "I started reading again. Have you ever read Ben Bergeron's book, Chasing Excellence? So I just started rereading that again to see if I could pick up any cool little facts I can bring back to the coaches."
Time Management and Business Structure
Eddie has developed a sophisticated approach to managing his multiple responsibilities:
Weekly Structure
Monday: Personal training sessions (morning and evening)
Tuesday-Thursday: Programming, coach development, administrative work
Wednesday afternoon: Away from gym for strategic work
Most mornings: Personal training (6:00-7:30 AM)
The Importance of Boundaries
Eddie learned the importance of setting clear boundaries: "I always found when I first started climbing up with all the growth of clients and everything like that, I was in at seven o'clock in the morning and I wasn't leaving until seven o'clock that evening... I just found myself burning out almost."
His solution involved creating structure: "I had to sit down and go right if you want to keep growing and getting more clients. You have to come up with a plan and a strategy and a timetable... I'm a terrible person for bending to suit people. So I need to just be like that's your time. That's it."
Remote Work Benefits
Working away from the gym environment proved beneficial for programming: "I found like I was definitely getting way better work done when I wasn't in the environment... being completely pulled away from the environment, I can nearly think outside the box again."
This distance prevents over-adjustment: "If I'm not there standing, I can trust the program way more. Cause I know it works, but I'm just like seeing someone do it. I'm like, well their knee is tracking a bit differently. Let me change up the entire program to suit that one issue."
Service Integration and Client Flow
Eddie's gym offers multiple pathways for clients to engage with fitness:
Personal Training as Onboarding
"We always like to think of it as like a more onboarding process... do two months of personal training, get really invested in the gym, get really tuned in how your body moves, how to understand how to read a program."
Flexible Progression
"From there, we can give you the opportunity to... go into the gym and try it without someone watching you 24 seven... We just kind of laid out that you can move whatever way you want, whatever you kind of need in the gym, we will get it done."
Sustainable Membership Models
"For most ID people, it's probably the most sustainable membership that we have in the gym, along with the CrossFit class as well."
Irish Fitness Culture and Market Trends
Eddie provides insights into the current Irish fitness landscape: "I think for Ireland at the moment, it's definitely going through more of like a running. I want to be a runner. I want to do as much endurance sport as possible."
The HiRox Phenomenon
"We've definitely seen a trend, especially for us in terms of people more brushing towards sports like HiRox, people brushing towards more running... I want to run a half marathon. I want to do a HiRox competition."
Eddie is personally experiencing this trend, training for HiRox with his father: "I'm doing it with my old lad, if you can believe it. He is turning 59 now in a couple months time. One of his goals actually on his coach as well is to do a HiRox competition."
Cultural Shift Observations
The endurance trend represents a significant cultural shift: "Because Ireland is cold at the moment... running at this weather is like unheard of so I suppose for us at the moment culture is very much endurance and running."
Technology Integration and Efficiency
Eddie leverages CoachRx extensively in his practice, finding particular value in several features:
Periodization Tools
"The biggest thing that changed me was the periodization section and being able to create a really fast long-term plan... You filter in the days, you add the exercise patterns that you want, and it's straight onto the program."
Streak Feature Impact
"The streak feature is like a game changer for me using CoachRx... I have a client who started with me. I think now he's on an 88 day streak and he's only missed one day in the gym so far."
The psychological impact is significant: "He's like, I just want to keep that streak going the entire time... as opposed to... it's hard for a client to think about it going, oh, a year, really? Like, that's such a long time... Instead, it's just like, oh, one more day to streak, oh, one more, one more, one more."
Tag System Organization
Eddie uses extensive tagging for client management, though he acknowledges: "If someone outside of like not knowing what's going on, they saw the amount of tags I have on clients... they'd be like, what the f*ck are you doing?"
Personal Development and Competitive Spirit
Eddie's competitive nature, fostered by growing up with twin and younger brothers, influences his coaching: "My mom used to tell me these stories about like, we'd run across the garden to see who could be faster. Like that was just the way it was. It was always like, who could step up who more and more."
While he participated in local CrossFit competitions, he didn't pursue the Open seriously: "I would just be more competitive with the people in the gym, around the local area, more than anything else."
Content Creation and Marketing Evolution
Eddie is developing his social media presence, though it remains challenging: "I've never been one for doing that kind of part of it... Like I've never done it... even when you said last week... your content's great. I'm like, yes, finally it's actually working."
Content Philosophy
His approach focuses on practical value: "I've always wanted to be my Instagram to be like tips and tricks almost and kind of show simpler side of fitness as opposed to being trying to be a really educational."
Personal Growth Area
"I've never been one of those people that is super outspoken almost. I've never been one of those, let me just get my camera up and record a video of myself doing things. So it's definitely one of the biggest learning curves."
Business Success and Personal Milestones
Eddie's coaching success has enabled significant personal achievements: "Only about three to four months ago, me and my partner were able to actually build a house together. We were able to get a mortgage, we were able to actually do things that I didn't even think you could do as a coach."
This success influences his family: "I suppose it's kind of inspired my brother to be a coach and tried to do it as well... he looks at me and goes, oh no, can actually do this. You can actually be a professional coach."
Future Vision and Goals
Eddie's ambitions include expanding his remote coaching capabilities: "I would definitely love to tap into more of the remote client work... I have two remote clients, one's up in Dublin and one is actually in Malta at the moment."
Content Creation Goals
"I really want to get into more strategizing for like... social media more than anything else. That's my big emphasis this year... have a system in place similar to what I have for like my program design, my consultation meeting."
Philosophy and Core Values
Fitness for Life
Eddie's coaching philosophy centers on sustainability: "Fitness for life... being able to do this for as long as possible and like at a really sustainable level... There should be a never a time where you don't have fitness as part of your life."
This philosophy shapes his client relationships: "I always explain to them that this isn't just for now or like a little niche thing that you're going to do for a couple of weeks and call it quits. This is something that I'd love you to do for three years... or even build up enough autonomy that you actually don't even need me as a coach anymore."
Long-Term Relationship Building
Eddie's approach emphasizes genuine care and long-term thinking: "Most of them I still have today. I think now at the moment I have about 10 personal training clients still, but the rest of them are pretty much individualized program people."
Client retention speaks to his relationship-building skills, with some clients training with him for three years or more.
Advice for Aspiring Coaches
Total Commitment Required
"You have to put all in. Like there cannot be any sort of doubt that you want to do this. It's going to be a grind for a long time. Like there isn't an easy way to do this job."
Realistic Expectations
"You see on Instagram nowadays where Dubai influencers are like, oh, I make 80 grand a year or something like that. Like it doesn't start off like that... It is a hustle. It is a grind. There is going to be days that you are pulling your hair and thinking, no, this isn't it."
The Payoff
"But once you get past those early stages and start making it career, it's worth it. Like if you really invest yourself, it's so worth it."
In-Person Experience Value
"I am a firm believer putting yourself into the trenches... getting in, doing the early classes, doing the mid-morning classes, just getting to know and kind of talk to people."
Eddie emphasizes the importance of gym floor experience: "You need to get those social connections. You need to feel like being a part of it almost."
Trust the Process
Reflecting on what he'd tell his younger self: "I'd love to tell myself to take more leaps of faith... don't be afraid to believe in what you're doing... it works. Like it will work. You just have to give a faith and time... slow down and trust it."
The Ripple Effect of Professional Excellence
Eddie's journey from gym cleaner to head coach demonstrates how commitment to education, genuine client care, and systematic business development can create extraordinary career growth. His success has enabled personal milestones like homeownership while inspiring family members to pursue coaching careers.
More importantly, his approach to coaching development ensures that the high standards and client-centered philosophy he's developed will be passed on to the next generation of coaches in Ireland.
Eddie's story proves that with proper education, unwavering commitment, and genuine care for client success, coaches can build thriving practices that change lives while creating meaningful, sustainable careers. His journey from cleaning gym floors to leading Ireland's premier individual design practice illustrates that in fitness coaching, dedication and authenticity ultimately triumph over background or starting position.
Connect with Eddie
Those interested in learning from Eddie's approach can find him on Instagram, where he continues to develop his content creation skills while sharing insights into sustainable fitness and professional coaching practices.
Eddie's story demonstrates that the fitness industry rewards those who commit fully, invest in education, and genuinely care about client success over the long term.
Want to use the coaching platform trusted by Eddie and thousands of other professional coaches?
Next Steps
Want to use the coaching platform trusted by Eddie and thousands of other professional coaches? Experience the difference professional tools can make in your coaching practice with a 14-day free trial of CoachRx.
