Wearing a white mesh T-shirt, strutting the "Goddess walk" and full of motivating dialogue, The Fitness Marshall brings the energy to exercise. In his recent video dancing to Lizzo’s hit song “Rumors,” he motivates his audience through personality and confidence. With directions such as “Down your body, up your booty!” Marshall's workouts are upbeat and fun.
“Think of me as Richard Simmons meets Britney Spears,” Marshall said playfully.
Caleb Marshall, BA’15, better known as “The Fitness Marshall,” has given a new meaning to exercise through his online platform and fitness videos. Since graduating from IU with a degree in telecommunications, Marshall has grown to be one of the most popular fitness personalities on the internet.
His brand consists of YouTube videos, fitness concerts, live stream subscriptions and more to encourage people to move their body, no matter their dance background.
“Our main mission is that we are celebrating everyone no matter what shape, size, background, sexual orientation, gender identity,” he said. “And it's really a safe place for people to get into fitness who may not have felt comfortable before.”
Marshall’s journey started at IU’s Student Recreational Sports Center when he started taking fitness dance classes.
“When I went to the SRSC and started taking cardio hip hop, it was like this light bulb went off and I had an outlet for my passion … and (a way) to help me relieve my anxiety and my stress,” Marshall said.
What started as a free-time activity turned into a full-fledged career opportunity.
“I realized that the college experience for me was more about taking the skills I had acquired throughout college and really just applying them to what I love doing most, and kind of making a business out of that as opposed to graduating then going and looking for a job opportunity,” he said.
After graduating, Marshall began posting YouTube videos and crafting his online platform. Today his account has over 1 million subscribers, but the road to get there was not easy.
“What the internet gave me was the opportunity to just show people what I could do. From that, I had leverage and I was able to start building a business,” he said. “I realized very quickly that I needed people around me to help me do that.”
With the help of his fiance and others, The Fitness Marshall has developed into an evergreen brand consisting of endless opportunities. The central belief that fitness should be inclusive for all has led Marshall to not only continue making videos, but also launch an activewear collection that encompasses sizes from extra small to 5XL. Marshall said he next plans to venture into nutrition.
Approaching the seven-year anniversary of his YouTube channel, Marshall has come a long way from graduating in 2015. To his younger college self, and any college student today, he says, “Give yourself the time to explore and grow and change your mind. Because that's when I think you'll end up being really happy.”