“Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Mark Twain.
Is it truly possible to build a career by following your heart? SG Lifestyle’s Features writer, Angela May Tan, sat down for a tête-à-tête with Prescott Tsang; Founder, Owner and Trainer at CHIMPCHAMP Fitness, to find out more.
SGLS: You came from a corporate background. Where were you before you started CHIMPCHAMP Fitness? Why did you leave?
Prescott: I was fortunate to be blessed with a good career spanning strategy and marketing development in many countries. These countries include Argentina, Denmark, Belgium etc. My last assignment took me to Shanghai, China, where I stayed for five years, heading the regional marketing communications and distribution management role for a German Fortune 500.
To be brutally honest, the pull factor was tremendous, I had a high paying five figure job with a very fulfilling role overseeing millions of dollars in marketing budget across the Asia Pacific region. But I decided to drop everything I have built in my career over the past 18 years to live my aspiration and to make more direct social impact. I have seen how fitness can transform people’s lives both physically and mentally, and I made the executive decision to quit my corporate role and start a fitness business.
SGLS: How and why did you enter the fitness industry? Tell us about your journey.
Prescott: I was sickly as a child and was told by my teacher in secondary school that I should just forgo my physical education (PE) to focus on my studies. So when I started exercising in Junior College, I felt free and thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of PE and sports.
When I was posted to China, I became a freelance coach, and that was the turning point. I coached freestyle during that period and Les Mills Body Combat for a while. Freestyle coaching allowed me to help and enable people to get stronger and healthier with the correct posture, just like how I benefitted from this as a participant in group classes. That sense of satisfaction when members come up to you after class to tell you what a difference you have made in their lives was what prompted me to do more. And the rest, as they say, is history.
SGLS: Describe your day as a full time Gym Trainer / Owner.
Prescott: My day starts in the morning with a cup of coffee followed by some warm-up and stretching exercises on my own. I will then spend one minute deciding on the top three things that I absolutely want to focus on that day. Then it’s off to class.
I continue to helm the Full Body Shaper class (focused on core work and posture) at CHIMPCHAMP because it sits at the heart of CHIMPCHAMP’s suite of classes; the Full Body Shaper class equips new members with the right foundation to prevent injuries at the start of their fitness journeys.
Afternoons are spent on administration, replying emails and housekeeping.
SGLS: What were some of the challenges you faced at the start and how did you resolve them?
Prescott: One of the greatest challenges we faced at the start was communicating the real value of group workouts at CHIMPCHAMP.
The other challenge that hit us head-on was Covid, which struck two months after CHIMPCHAMP opened its doors. After six weeks of operations, we were forced to shut our doors due to the circuit breaker. We were so vulnerable then as we were just building our brand. Through perseverance, we survived and are now thriving, thanks to our supporters.
SGLS: Any “words of wisdom” for those who are looking to start a new business?
Prescott: Listen to your heart and trust your gut instinct. They are rarely wrong!
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Find out more at www.chimpchampfitness.com
Interview by Angela May Tan, Features Writer at SG Lifestyle.