Mary L Kish, 10/25/2007
The Built 2 Win web site displays many success stories and testimonials from Popovics' clients.
"I've worked very hard in the trenches of building a business, gaining a wide range of experience, and it's a great feeling to see it surface as a success. Hopefully my story will inspire people to just 'go for it' -- to take risks and to follow your heart and your passion."
So says Justin Popovics '96, though his road to success has had a few twists and turns. After graduating with a degree in corporate communication (now called communication management and design), Popovics moved to New York City to pursue public relations. The first twist came when he ended up instead working as a full-time Starbucks barista before landing a position with Edelman Public Relations Worldwide as an account coordinator for Hershey's chocolate and Planters nut products.
After two years in agency PR, he turned to magazine publicity with Weider Publications, where he pitched stories, coordinated fitness apparel fashion shows for morning news programs, and promoted Weider magazines like SHAPE, Muscle & Fitness, and Men's Fitness. Joe Weider is the co-founder of the International Federation of BodyBuilders (IFBB) and creator of the Mr. Olympia contest.
His next hitch was with Town Sports International, the parent company for Boston, Washington, Philadelphia, and New York Sports Clubs, where he was hired to create an internal PR department. "It was a challenge," says Popovics, "but one met by using my previous experience working in public relations for both an agency and an in-house operation."
In conjunction with a lifelong interest in fitness, Popovics pursued certifications as both a personal trainer and a lifestyle and weight management consultant on his own time. He began to clear the path for his current business by offering fitness and nutrition advice to beauty pageant contestants on public message boards.
"I set up a catchy handle, Builtboy, and began fielding questions on e-mail. I received notes from pageant contestants asking for advice about how to correctly achieve a healthy appearance. It seemed as though the only resources available to contestants were 'trainers' who were neither properly educated, nor effectively able to address common issues and concerns regarding women's bodies. At the same time, I read about contestants being rushed to hospitals during events, suffering from dehydration and malnutrition. The wheels started turning -- I had found a gap in the fitness industry -- so I started my company, Built 2 Win, to fill that gap."
Now, just five years later, Popovics is a household name in the pageant business. He is the Official Fitness Trainer of several states, including Arizona, Utah, New York, Florida, New Hampshire, and Connecticut, for Donald Trump's Miss USA and Miss Teen USA pageants. He is also training the 2007 winner of United States Miss Earth as she moves into international competition, as well as numerous private celebrity clients.
Earlier this year, he was voted Best Fitness Trainer for 2006 as part of the Best of the Best Awards published by Turn for the Judges, an online trade publication for the beauty pageant business.
When asked about his fitness philosophy, Popovics replied, "I don't believe in instant fixes, contorted poses, clever camouflage jobs with clothing to create optical illusions of a tight frame, or crash dieting to 'look fit' just for a special event, whether that be a beauty pageant, wedding, or other monumental event in one's life. Bettering your body takes time and effort; it should be a way of life."
This brings the Popovics sojourn to a fork in the road -- competing in fitness competitions himself. Though he had previously competed in a few minor men's pageants to publicize and build the Built 2 Win brand, Popovics decided to enter the 2007 Fitness New York competition, where he surprised himself by taking home a trophy for first place in the Male Model Division.
"This was my first attempt in the fitness contest arena, so to win was a complete blessing and exciting point in my career as a fitness professional," says Popovics. "I plan on continuing my participation in these competitions as they have already proven to be fruitful for my work as a personal trainer, writer, and motivational speaker." Next stop: Hollywood, California, for the national competition in November.
A future route that Popovics hopes to take includes motivational speaking. "Ultimately, I want to host confidence workshops for women who must overcome various obstacles and struggles in their lives, such as eating disorders, diseases like breast and ovarian cancers, and even domestic abuse. The strength of a person's self-image and belief in self is critical not only to survive these situations, but to conquer them, becoming stronger as a result. Fitness and nutrition are a powerful combination that packs a one-two punch in getting women to that point in life."
Popovics also hopes to write features for women's fitness publications and eventually author a self-help book geared towards the general population which incorporates all of his unique experiences working with beauty queens and the true tales behind the tiaras. "I wouldn't decline the offer to further immerse myself in fitness modeling either," he says. "If the door opens, I'm sprinting through it!"
Careers in Communication Management and Design