SAMUEL TAN
Samuel Tan is the CEO of Move Private Fitness, the largest personal training network in Southeast Asia. He joined Move in 2024 as Head of Marketing when they had five studios. Mid-2025, the founders asked him to step into the CEO role. Since then, they have opened 16 new locations and continue to grow across the region.
Before Move, Sam spent 15 years as an entrepreneur, founding his own companies and working in his family's business. He calls it "reverse progression", going from business owner to working inside someone else's company. Move is the first time he's ever been employed in someone else’s company, and he says his stress has never been lower.
HOW HE OPERATES:
How Samuel manages his health and energy while scaling a company:
Consistent output over bursts
Doesn't do the "go hard, take a break" cycle that a lot of high performers swear by
Works out two to three times a week, every week, no time off
Same with work, he doesn't take holidays, not because he's grinding, but because letting work accumulate doesn't suit him
Prefers a steady rhythm over sprints and recovery
Has a coach for accountability, not intensity
Engaged a coach three years ago when he was doing too many sports and getting injured
The coach doesn't push him harder; he holds Sam accountable and reminds him that he's making progress
"I tend to get very critical of what I'm doing, but I never appreciate the work I do"
Having someone in his corner who can see the bigger picture has been one of his best investments
Learned happiness “scheduling”
Went through a rough patch about five years ago
The most powerful thing he learned: identify what brings you joy and fulfillment, and do it as consistently as possible
Doesn't literally schedule it, but treats it as a subconscious priority
For him, it's unstructured time with his wife: no plan, no agenda, just conversation
Lets the internal inform the external
Most people let their external experience (senses, environment, circumstances) shape how they feel internally, especially very busy people whose external lives are very full.
Sam flipped it: he invests in his internal experience and uses that to inform how he shows up in the world
“Worldview is self-view”
"You can experience the same thing, but how you view it and your perspective on it shapes how you experience it"
Had to reshape stories he told himself about his past, since he couldn't go back and change choices, but could change the context around them
Doesn't chase results
Used to be very outcome focused. Now he's process and people focused.
Results are just feedback and information about what led up to that point
This shift took years and came out of learning to let go of things he couldn't control
Expands the time horizon to stay present
Says a good life is just a series of good days, so when he has a bad day, he just tries to make the next day a good one.
If your horizon is two hours, everything matters and feels urgent
If your horizon is 20 years, missing a week of output doesn't matter at all
That expanded perspective actually makes him more present because he's not carrying the weight of every small decision
Stopped trying to be someone he wasn't
Grew up in a family with expectations around legacy and reputation
Spent most of his career trying to fit a mold that didn't feel right
The process: get to know yourself, decide if you like what you find, then learn to accept it
Treats himself like he'd treat a friend
Treat others how you would want to be treated has an inverse as well: treat yourself how you treat others
If a friend came to you about a bad decision, you wouldn't berate them. You'd tell them it's going to be all right.
Learning to stop punishing himself for past decisions took years of daily discipline
Keeps his hobbies narrow
Currently: jiu jitsu, painting Warhammer 40K models, and the gym
Used to spread across golf, rock climbing, Muay Thai, and more, but got injured from doing too much
Learned that three or four hobbies max is the sweet spot with his limited time
Leads through trust, not title
Was one of the newest team members when he was asked to be CEO
Told the founders he had no aspirations and wasn't worried about what the team thought of him
Believes leadership is influence, not position; the real leader is the person people listen to regardless of title
Invests heavily in relationships with his team: understanding how they function, what drives them, where their reactions come from
Doesn’t care what others think of him
Once he was happy with who he was, he stopped caring about the opinions of others.
Being nice can be selfish, since you’re doing it so the other person likes you, not because you care about them
I’s easier to make one person happy than try to please everyone
He shows up as the type of person he would like, not the type of person he thinks others would
“We are responsible and have the power to design the way we experience life”.
MY TAKEAWAY:
This was the most self-reflective interview I've done.
Sam’s mindset on letting go of control and thinking in the big picture is something common among those who have been exposed to high levels of stress. They know the little things don’t matter and not to waste their energy on it.
The "reverse progression" concept is funny to me. We're taught that the path goes: employee → entrepreneur → freedom. Sam did it backwards and is happier than he's ever been. It’s important to know yourself and not force yourself down a path that isn’t right for you. I think it takes a certain type of person to be each one.
Letting the internal shape the external is huge for how you go about life. It’s like the yellow car theory: when you start thinking about yellow cars, you notice them more. Whenever I’m in a positive frame of mind, more great things happen, and of course, the opposite is true, but it’s easier said than done to not let the stress get to you.
WHAT MOVES THE NEEDLE (From Samuel):
Learn to like yourself. Not the version your family or career told you to be. Get to know who you really are, accept it without judgement, and learn to like it. Everything else gets easier after that.
Sam mentioned how his mother is a naturopath, so he grew up eating well and staying physically healthy, so his baseline there was already in a good place, and the mental work is what really moved the needle for him.
STEAL THIS:
Actions you can take right now
Identify one thing that consistently makes you happy. Do it this week with no agenda attached.
Next time you catch yourself in negative self-talk, ask if you would say that to your best friend. If the answer is no, talk to yourself the way you would to them.
WHAT HE IS BUILDING:
MOVE PRIVATE FITNESS
Move is the largest personal training network in Southeast Asia, growing from 5 to 21 locations in under two years with plans to double again. In a world moving toward AI trainers, virtual workouts, and automated everything, Move is betting on the opposite: real human connection, manual coaching, no chatbots. Sam believes that as the world goes digital, the things that can't be replaced, like social interaction, become more valuable, not less.
CHECK OUT MOVE:
Thank you for reading!
