A little more than three years ago, a recent ex-girlfriend requested that I stop posting so many fitness-oriented pictures on my personal Instagram account and while I can’t remember the reasoning behind it, I chose to heed that call instead of telling her that the “Unfollow” button is far easier.
All the while, I noticed that those fitness-oriented pictures and posts had quite a bit of engagement compared to my normal fare and opened a new door for me into the world of fitness-oriented Instagram accounts. As I dug deeper into the #InstaFitFam, I decided it was somewhere that I would like to carve out my own little niche. It would not only push me physically – for obvious reasons – but it would also stoke my creative fire, which is definitely something I needed at that moment. Plus, social media is a big part of my current – and future – career path, so I might as well hone my skills, right?
Well, from all of this, @Tyler_Runs_Lifts was born!
I waffled between several other permutations of that handle, but once I saw that @TylerRuns, @Tyler_Runs, @TylerRunning, @RunningTyler & others were already taken, @Tyler_Runs_Lifts would be the next best option, since it culled together two of my favorite things – running and working out.
Truth be told, I didn’t know what to expect when I started it. I’d be lying to you if I didn’t have an outlandish goal of gaining 10,000 followers in my first year (That was a SERIOUS pipe dream). At the same time, if I got ONE follower, it would have meant the world to me, because someONE wanted to connect with me. Well, one follower turned into 10, which grew into 100 and then 500 and then 1000 and finally to 1074, where I am right now.