Jan Tana
How Did You Get In The Bodybuilding Industry
Q. How did you get started in the bodybuilding and fitness industry?
A. I went to a bodybuilding contest in Virginia to see my employee Randy Rimbey compete. I commented to Randy that I thought the contest was poorly promoted and not run very well. Randy said, “Well, Jan, why don’t you promote a contest? You know a lot about marketing and promotions, and I know about the sport.” So with Randy’s encouragement, I promoted my first NPC Virginia States Competition in 1988. It turned out to be one of the most successful state competitions. I’ve had competitors tell me they were bitten by the “iron bug.” Well, after my first contest, I was bitten by the “promoter bug.” After promoting state competitions for several years, I decided I wanted a Jan Tana Classic. My comment was that if Arnold had the Arnold Classic, I should have my own Jan Tana Classic.