Florin Cujba has been working as a Fitness Specialist and Master Trainer for 18 years, holding multiple studies and specializations in the field, complemented by additional studies in management and business. He is the creator of the “Eleven” and “Body Balance” methods and has developed a unique concept within his center—a well-structured and effective program that combines three essential aspects of a healthy body: medical recovery (kinesiotherapy, physiotherapy, osteopathy, Yumeiho therapy, electrotherapy), nutrition, and fitness. This concept is tailored for people of all ages and includes an initial assessment and specific procedures applied after physical activity.
C&B: What motivated you when you chose a career in fitness?
Florin Cujba: I started from a promise I made to myself to have the healthiest lifestyle possible. There’s nothing more important than health, and that’s why I chose this field, which I’ve been passionate about since school.
C&B: How did you transition from a personal trainer to entrepreneurship in the fitness and nutrition sector and the development of a fitness and nutrition center?
Florin Cujba: Initially, having my own business wasn’t in the plan, but in 2018, after a series of remarkable events, I decided it was time to open my own fitness-dedicated space. I wanted to do things the way I believed they should be done in this field. The transition was smooth, considering that I remained a personal trainer, even though the management responsibilities are quite demanding.
C&B: What does such a business mean, and how does it look in Romania?
Florin Cujba: The model I chose, although unique in Romania, is essentially what I believe should happen in any health center. Before engaging in physical activity, you should first work on posture, eliminate possible deficiencies that can lead to injuries, so that subsequent exercises are effective in the long run. Then you need to align nutrition and personalize it according to the person’s needs. Only after that should you move on to fitness efforts. This is the stage where the body needs to exert effort and support that effort. Without a balanced posture and proper nutrition, you can’t do fitness and automatically achieve the desired results.
C&B: What were the most challenging aspects for you on this journey, both in terms of general mentality and in developing a business in this health and prevention segment?
Florin Cujba: I wouldn’t say there were challenging aspects as long as you have the following three essential people by your side: a competent accountant, a general practitioner, and a lawyer. Like any entrepreneur, you need protection at the beginning of your journey. The accountant teaches you what a healthy company means, the lawyer protects and advises you on how to comply with legal rules, and a general practitioner constantly monitors you to avoid any health problems that may arise from stress and the fast pace of any business start. With such support, the journey is certainly more stable.
C&B: Just before the pandemic, you aimed to expand the fitness center. How did it affect you, especially as many activities were restricted?
Florin Cujba: I now consider that the pandemic was a unique opportunity for me to develop. We entered the corporate area, signed contracts for kinesiotherapy, fitness, and nutrition services, both individual and group, online. Corporations immediately understood that health is the most important aspect for employees and opened doors in this direction. Our advantage in tenders was and still is the unique concept of the stages mentioned in our approach and the results brought by our product. We’re proud of that!
C&B: How have these two years brought you opportunities for development?
Florin Cujba: The online area was not a product we were seriously considering. It was a pure coincidence that when the first lockdown occurred, we were preparing to launch the first professional streaming studio. At that moment, we were the only ones, and I believe we still are the only ones with two professional streaming studios equipped with high-performance equipment, professional cameras, special lights, and technical surveillance cameras to avoid any unpleasant issues. All these advantages, plus the quality of the specialist team, have allowed us to quickly establish significant partnerships in the corporate sector, partnerships that are still active today. Our partners already talk about the results of our programs, so I won’t go into those details. 😊
C&B: What have you learned from a business perspective in your career, both as a personal trainer and as an entrepreneur?
Florin Cujba: Business is an area that requires constant organization, perseverance, and adaptability. It’s a continuous movement in business, and you need to be extremely organized and persistent. Without such qualities, achieving things is challenging.
C&B: What are the most important business principles you apply in these two areas of activity?
Florin Cujba: The business principles I follow are: results, perseverance, stress resistance. They are deeply integrated into who I am, and I’ve transferred them to the business.
C&B: What are the three essential things your clients learn from you?
Florin Cujba: In the role of a client, you must be very determined when you use my services. This is an excellent start to our relationship. The ability to motivate yourself, according to my clients, is another essential aspect of collaboration. Planning things from the first session is the third important thing. My clients know from the first session what will happen in the next 12-18 weeks in their relationship with me. This way, we have a clear direction and intensity with which we do things, and that is very motivating for both parties.
C&B: What have you learned from working with people?
Florin Cujba: The most important thing is that there must be trust in each other. Where there is no trust, results are delayed or do not appear at all. Without sincerity, there is no trust, and without trust, there are no results.
C&B: Why would someone turn to the services of the center, and what are the specific benefits they find here?
Florin Cujba: Our solution is comprehensive. The journey to our center starts with the medical recovery and posturology department, then moves on to nutrition, and finally reaches fitness. We practically take you from where you are and personalize your entire journey. The Optimize Body Center only offers personalized services with top specialists in the represented fields, delivering individual services exclusively “one on one.” For each client, we have a specialist who will constantly oversee their journey.
