Balanced Bartender
Stay healthy, Bar Meisters
Amie Ward with Byron Nash
Amie Ward, with your Balanced Bartender Pep Talk!
Hello everyone, and welcome to April's Balanced Bartender Pep Talk! This month we travel to Steel City, the home of Heinz Ketchup, to catch up with Pittsburgh musician, wellness coach, and bartending vet Byron Nash. Byron details his journey through the music and hospitality industries and shares how he pushed his wellness business forward by carving out a niche for the bartending community. Enjoy!
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- Press Play ▶️ on the Interview! Get to know Byron!
- Scroll Down to Make & Indulge in Amie's Snacks & Sips.
- Check Out Amie's EXRX For Bartenders
Tell us how you got into the hospitality industry.
I was a single parent, and I worked at a music magazine as Managing Editor—which was the best job ever. Due to financial strains and print media taking a hit due to the Internet, we went out of business. A friend suggested I apply at Mad Mex— a well-known bar in Pittsburgh. I started as a busser, then server, and moved up to bartender in about a year's time. I felt like the music and service industry were very similar, so navigating both made sense. They worked well together.
What roles have music and working outplayed in your life?
Music has been my whole life. I'm an artist and guitarist, but I'm a fan of music first. I remember my life based on the music I listened to at the time. It is what I am most passionate about. I'm a guitar, instrument, and vinyl collector. I love documentaries, books, memorabilia —all of it. I'm music's biggest fan!
Working out came into my life much later. I was always energetic and active but wasn't really into gyms, working out, lifting, etc. I just liked being active through hiking, biking, playing frisbee, and activities with my son. I thought it was better to be the parent who climbed trees, jumped over benches, and ran around with the kid rather than sitting on the bench watching. I was a very interactive and ACTIVE parent.
Once I stumbled onto CrossFit, everything changed. I didn't start working out until I was 40 years old.
Tell us a little bit about DUYA Wellness and what drove you to start your business.
DUYA came out of desperation, a little bit of fear, and trying something new. Initially, I had friends over to work out but didn't consider myself skilled enough to coach or ask for payment.
In Spring of 2019, my CrossFit coach suggested that I get certified as a Level 1 CrossFit coach. I reluctantly agreed, took the course, and passed, but I wasn't training anyone. Then by the end of 2019, I had my first client, who I met while bartending. She asked if I was a personal trainer, and I just claimed it—even before I was genuinely doing so. Through her, the word spread, and before I knew it, I had more clients. Then the pandemic hit, and I lost my job and all of my clients. I had to start over from scratch, and that's when I got more serious about leaning into it and making it an official business. It was scary, but I took the jump.
DUYA stands for "Don't Underestimate Your Ability," and there's an added pressure to practice what I preach and believe in myself and my ability. It's sorta like fitness and life coaching combined. A lot of mindset work through challenging workouts. My son coined the name.
Tell us how you got into the hospitality industry.
I was a single parent, and I worked at a music magazine as Managing Editor—which was the best job ever. Due to financial strains and print media taking a hit due to the Internet, we went out of business. A friend suggested I apply at Mad Mex— a well-known bar in Pittsburgh. I started as a busser, then server, and moved up to bartender in about a year's time. I felt like the music and service industry were very similar, so navigating both made sense. They worked well together.
What roles have music and working outplayed in your life?
Music has been my whole life. I'm an artist and guitarist, but I'm a fan of music first. I remember my life based on the music I listened to at the time. It is what I am most passionate about. I'm a guitar, instrument, and vinyl collector. I love documentaries, books, memorabilia —all of it. I'm music's biggest fan!
Working out came into my life much later. I was always energetic and active but wasn't really into gyms, working out, lifting, etc. I just liked being active through hiking, biking, playing frisbee, and activities with my son. I thought it was better to be the parent who climbed trees, jumped over benches, and ran around with the kid rather than sitting on the bench watching. I was a very interactive and ACTIVE parent.
Once I stumbled onto CrossFit, everything changed. I didn't start working out until I was 40 years old.
Tell us a little bit about DUYA Wellness and what drove you to start your business.
DUYA came out of desperation, a little bit of fear, and trying something new. Initially, I had friends over to work out but didn't consider myself skilled enough to coach or ask for payment.
In Spring of 2019, my CrossFit coach suggested that I get certified as a Level 1 CrossFit coach. I reluctantly agreed, took the course, and passed, but I wasn't training anyone. Then by the end of 2019, I had my first client, who I met while bartending. She asked if I was a personal trainer, and I just claimed it—even before I was genuinely doing so. Through her, the word spread, and before I knew it, I had more clients. Then the pandemic hit, and I lost my job and all of my clients. I had to start over from scratch, and that's when I got more serious about leaning into it and making it an official business. It was scary, but I took the jump.
DUYA stands for "Don't Underestimate Your Ability," and there's an added pressure to practice what I preach and believe in myself and my ability. It's sorta like fitness and life coaching combined. A lot of mindset work through challenging workouts. My son coined the name.
What impact has DUYA had on the Pittsburgh hospitality community?
I knew that there were people in the community struggling with health stuff. Let's face it, it can be a grind, and if you aren't actively taking care of yourself—it can beat you down. I also knew that the shutdown and 2020, in general, had a heavy effect on industry folks mentally.
We lost our jobs or many establishments and social elements. It's one of the few industries in your work and social life that are blurred into one thing. I knew that was taking a toll on people. So, I reached out to key players in the industry, offering a "Service Industry" discount if they joined in early 2021. From there, it was word of mouth that grew it. I also wanted health to become more prominent in their minds and lives. We had people pass away, which sent a shockwave through the community. It made me want to lean into it even more. I want to help people become the best version of themselves.
Would you be so kind as to give us a wellness challenge for April?
Take 5 minutes a day (35 minutes a week) to tell yourself in a quiet, meditative state five things that are amazing about you. This is a practice of fighting any negative self-talk internally. This isn’t an ego exercise; it’s self-care.
Thank you, Byron!
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author.
Byron Nash is a charismatic, tenacious, and well-known personal trainer, life coach, and musician with a reputation for his relentless work ethic.
While Byron has made a name for himself as a sort of “Modern Day Renaissance Man” capable of many things, his journey to get here has been anything but smooth sailing. Byron was raised by a single mother with two siblings.
While he admired his mother’s work ethic, intelligence style, and charisma, he was also forced to grow up faster than most kids due to his mother’s substance use disorder. Enduring eviction, poverty-stricken circumstances, and instability took an enormous toll on Byron’s emotional and mental state. Over time, Byron’s grades declined, and at 17, he dropped out of high school, and by 18, he became a single parent. While adoption was considered, he made the decision to raise his son on his own. His life was out of control and messy, but he used his challenges and newfound fatherhood to motivate him and drive him towards success.
Through these difficult circumstances, Byron has evolved into the man he is today. Through the years of single parenting and constant hustling, Byron has developed a reputation as a high-achieving, a goal-oriented individual determined to succeed in any realm he focuses on with endless energy and a contagiously positive attitude.
For 20+ years, Byron worked hard, created heavily, and paid his dues coming up in the music and service industry. He cleverly tied the two industries together. Through his savvy networking skills, in time, he became almost Omnipresent—becoming a face everyone knew and wanted to work with.
As an experienced bartender, Byron cultivated his unique ability to connect with people from all walks of life. Even though his popularity, skills, and wallet grew, he was beginning to become unfulfilled inside. He wanted something more, something deeper. Byron was forced to pivot through the pandemic, trading in his bar life for barbells.
An unexpected fire at Byron’s place of work left him unemployed, stressed out, and depressed. He was still working out and going to the gym regularly, but his personal life was in shambles. At his lowest point, his CrossFit coach suggested the idea that Byron’s tenacity and ability to motivate others would make him an incredible coach and a powerful asset to the community.
Byron jumped in with both feet. As a testament to his perseverance, Byron started training others while juggling six jobs at the same time, creating a steady roster of fitness clients. When the pandemic hit, most of the industries Byron was involved with came to a screeching halt.
Instead of crumbling, Byron redirected his entire life, educating himself on topics ranging from finance to music production through books, classes, podcasts, and more. During this time, Byron decided to pursue fitness and health full time, and DUYA (Don’t Underestimate Your Ability) Wellness was born.
Now Byron is not only training individuals and corporate clients but sharing his story to help motivate others. While a waiting list to work with Byron is forming, he is just getting started.
IG: @duya_wellness
Website: Duya Wellness



Amie Ward is a Veteran Bartender, exercise physiologist and has been outspoken on her fellow service industry members' health and wellness. When she is not pulling trucks and training for Strongwoman competitions, you can find Amie appreciating the finer things in life like Jägermeister.
IG: @thehealthtender
Website: The Healthtender
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