Vincent Pedraza: From Royal Monceau to Premium 100% Online Coaching
Vincent Pedraza has been a fitness coach since 2011. And this guy did everything he could to get into the profession: after vocational diplomas in sales and commerce and a higher education year he dropped out of, he wrote somewhere between 80 and 97 letters to the minister of sport, the president of the Republic, regional authorities, all to find funding for his 7,000-euro coaching qualification. One person responded and backed him. He passed his diploma first time. In this episode, he shares how he went from local gyms in the Paris suburbs to luxury palace hotels, and then to 100% online coaching, working today with entrepreneurs, celebrities, and executives, with Gymkee as his daily management tool.
The thread running through Vincent's entire career is independence. He turned down a permanent contract from a gym after a year-long placement, and the very next week the Royal Monceau called him. He worked as a freelance coach for the Ritz, the Fouquet's, and La Montgolfière. He coached Calogero, Anelka, and Céline Lazorthes (founder of Litchi). But that 20% of "palace" clients mainly gave him a network and lasting credibility. The remaining 80% come straight from his website, which ranks well for "coach sportif Paris."
What sets Vincent apart is his expanded view of coaching: he doesn't just sell sport. He works across 3 dimensions, physical preparation, nutrition, and mental preparation (stress management, meditation, visualisation). That combination is what lets him justify his rates, work exclusively online, and attract entrepreneurs who are looking for way more than just a training program.
Key Takeaways
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80 to 97 letters to fund his qualification... and it worked
Vincent didn't come from a sports background. His careers counsellor told him his grades were too low for sport. He discovered the BPJEPS qualification anyway, and when he saw it cost 7,000 euros, he wrote to everyone he could think of. The ministry of sport, regional sports authorities, the president of the Republic, local councils. One person responded. He also got funding from the French employment service. And he passed his diploma at Nanterre on the first attempt. -
An Achilles tendon rupture that revealed the power of nutrition
While preparing for a second qualification, Vincent ruptured his Achilles tendon. His planned placement at a major Paris club fell through. But during recovery, he completely changed how he ate: less meat, more vegetables, better sleep. And the result is that he recovered in 4 months instead of the usual 5 to 6, and got back to full athletic ability in 8 months. That experience convinced him that nutrition isn't optional in coaching. It's at the core of results. -
From the Royal Monceau to the Fouquet's: freelancing in luxury establishments
Vincent got into palace hotels and premium clubs exclusively as a freelancer. He chose his schedule, his clients, his conditions. The Royal Monceau, the Ritz, the Fouquet's would reach out when they had clients available, and he'd say yes or no. He coached Calogero, Anelka, Farmer. Those experiences make up about 20% of his total clientele, but they gave him a network and credibility that lasted. -
Sport + mental + nutrition: a complete offer that justifies the price
Vincent does physical training, but also stress management, meditation, visualisation, and works with a dietitian-nutritionist. That full package is what lets him charge 80 euros an hour online and 120 euros an hour in person, and not compete directly with coaches who only do sport. He puts it plainly: "If I only did sport, I wouldn't have enough added value to work 100% online." -
Gymkee to manage clients and programs
Vincent mentions Gymkee in the episode as the tool he uses to run his client activity. The intake questionnaire, client data, follow-up, everything goes through Gymkee. He walks through his intake process: a questionnaire sent at first contact, a phone call to recap the client's needs, a paid trial session, then a contract put together by a lawyer with clear commitments (4, 8, or 12 months). -
Working only on contract, and turning away unmotivated clients
Every one of Vincent's clients signs a contract. Duration (4, 8, or 12 months), number of sessions, price, conditions, everything is documented. He won't push anyone into signing. If someone doesn't respond to his first 2 messages, he doesn't follow up. His philosophy is that a client you force to sign isn't motivated, won't do the work, won't get results, and will say it doesn't work. So working only with motivated people improves his results, his energy, and his reputation. -
Ranked for "coach sportif Paris" for over 10 years
Vincent hasn't built a big social media following. Instead, he's been working on his organic search ranking for over a decade. His site ranks for "coach sportif Paris" and even "coach sportif français." And the result is that 9 out of 10 clients come directly through the website. He doesn't need to go looking for clients. They come to him.
Resources Mentioned
- Gymkee :client management tool used by Vincent for intake questionnaires, follow-up, and programs
- BPJEPS :qualification obtained at Nanterre, funded through the French employment service and regional sports authority after 80-97 letters
- Royal Monceau, Ritz, Fouquet's, Montgolfière, Social Club 10e :luxury establishments where Vincent worked as a freelance coach
- Valérie Orsoni :fitness coaching figure who connected Vincent with Céline Lazorthes after a project in San Francisco
- Céline Lazorthes :founder of Litchi, a client of Vincent's since around 2018
"I sent around 80 to 97 letters to find funding, to the minister of sport, to the president of the Republic. And it turned out one person said: you seem really motivated, we'll back you. And they funded part of it."
"If you vibrate negativity, you're going to receive negativity. Success attracts success. At the start I had no clients at all... but I never told people that."
"I work on 3 dimensions: sport, the mental, and nutrition. The body is a working tool. And today entrepreneurs come to me naturally because that's exactly what they need."
