welcome to the society pod a podcast for
entrepreneurs marketers and leaders
here’s your host Jessica
yarmy hey there everybody and welcome to
episode two of the society pod I am out
here choosing my guests in a very
strategic and intentional order and you
probably tuned in to episode one with
Hensley and she’s amazing episode two
this guest is no different he has spent
his entire career in Fitness working on
household Brands like -hour Lifetime
Fitness Gold’s Gym and now Les Mills but
more importantly most extremely more
importantly he is my podcast Angel he
was sent from above to help me launch my
podcast so please welcome to the show
Ked El morazzi how are you good how are
you good good why don’t you kind of kick
things off and just I gave a very brief
bit of your bio but why don’t you give a
more thorough bio of your yourself well
first of all congratulations I know you
and I have been talking about launching
your podcast for a few months now so I’m
proud of you congratulations for doing
it episode number two of many to come
number two we’re out here doing it yes
yes so like Jessica said my background
uh in the health and fitness space for
about years I started as a a trainer
and then uh worked my way up to fitness
director Fitness manager some of the
bigger brands Fitness uh lifetime
Golds Gym and my last uh stent was three
years with a local brand here in Dallas
as a director of fitness and then uh as
of recent made the TR jump over to Les
Mills as a business development manager
with Les Mills we have so many different
things we could talk about and we’re
going to try to talk about about all of
them um but I want to start with your
podcast because obviously so you and I
met face to face the first time ever in
November and I I knew you had a podcast
and you started to call me out on the
fact that like I wanted to create a
podcast and hadn’t yet and I think what
you did to like help me get over the um
the podcast hump was was you made it
sound easy which it’s it’s it’s not um
but you made it sound like doable and
approachable and um and I also said I’m
not good at any of the technology and
any of the tools or anything like that
and you said I will help you and you get
to so many people in your career who say
I will help you and then when it comes
to actually helping they’re they’re
nowhere to be found and when I message
you a question you are like immediate
response back here’s what to do here’s
the platform so I feel like I owe you so
much of a I I’m in a podcast dead of
gratitude but but let’s start with your
podcast because anytime somebody does
something outside of their nine-to-five
to me it’s just amazing you know that
you care that much about it that you’re
putting in those extra hours so what is
your show what is it all about and and
maybe most importantly why are you
putting the hours into creating it yeah
um so the name it’s my show is called
rise up the show and it really I I took
a different approach right it’s it’s
it’s more of a I want to bring those on
who are successful have been successful
and act currently successful but I want
to tell their story and part of it was
just I think a lot of it with me going
through the industry and there was point
where I ran I had my own company I used
to put on Fitness conferences um in the
here California in Texas and and part of
that was always you you always see kind
of the end result right you see the
success and and the the money and the
look The call whatever the success I
wanted to find out more about the
journey and so rise up the show takes
that approach on look there was little I
call them we call them rise up moments
that you took along the way to get you
to where you are today and part of that
is just what what were those moments
because if you went a different
direction you wouldn’t be Jessica who
you are today but because you took those
moments and you went in and took the
risk you are who you are today and I
want so the whole point the whole
premise of the show is highlighting
those moments and telling that
entrepreneur journey and I think it
feeds into my curiosity U I wasn’t born
in the United States I was born in
Beirut Lebanon and so moved to the
United States when I was five and so
curiosity for me is part of who I am
it’s part of my Essence and so it also
feeds into my curiosity of just wanting
to get to know people and find out more
about what makes you who you are when
you and I did the podcast together you
warned me you said I do so much research
on all of my people and we’re going to
go way back we start we were talking
about things from the age of of eight on
so we’ll link that episode into the show
notes and and you know you’ll be able to
do all of that backstory on on ked’s
side but of the people you’ve
interviewed besides me who’s your
favorite who’s the favorite person that
you’ve ever interviewed and why that’s a
good one man so my favorite he’s he’s
one of my best friends the name’s
Anthony trucks I think it was the SEC my
second or third episode and his story is
amazing uh former NFL player now
motivational speaker U but came up
through the Foster system foster kids
care system and just his journey and
just trials and tribulations and being
abused as a as a child and going from
foster home to foster home but then
being able to come out of that a
professional athlete and now coming back
and sharing that story um you got to
check out Anthony trucks he’s he’s
actually that was probably one of my
favorite uh besides yours that’s one of
my other favorite episode that makes
sense we’ll we’ll link his also in the
show notes you get you can listen to
those top two of ked’s podcast mine and
then his and then his second guest
perfect um who is on your list of your
dream podcast guest because I’m creating
mine right now and it’s very exciting to
Think Through who I would love to get to
talk to someday oh yeah so you see the
shirt AR taste indicate so I know you
and I both follow Andy fil and Ed myet
so those are my top those are my top two
but I also know you need to be North I
know for Andy friscilla to be even for
him to think about coming on your show
you need to be at episodes because
he wants to see that you’ve done the
work and been consistent so I’m halfway
there I’m almost at and then we got
another to go so Gary ve is another
one I’d love to get very I know you’re a
big Gary vanderchuck fan so I’d love to
get Gary ve um Nick Sabin I’m a huge
Nick Sabin fan I love his process
systems the way he leads so those are I
would say those are my top four that are
my kind of top top podcast all right
we’re GNA tag them also when we post
this to call people out and and get your
next
guests
um I know you gave me advice way back
when in November um but what advice
would you share with someone who’s
listening to this and is truly thinking
about starting their own podcast I think
part of it is
is it’s all don’t don’t
let don’t let who you’re not stop stop
you from becoming who you
are and because we we we weren’t all
podcast PE you know interviewers and and
we didn’t know how to how do I ask the
right question and and and who do I
bring on I think we just we we make it I
know I’m we make it a little we make it
way too complicated and and and so part
of that is is you’ve got to remember
you’re just talking to another human on
the other side of that screen who’s gone
through their own Journey and their own
challenges and you never know their
story might impact somebody that listens
to your podcast so don’t don’t let that
be the reason not to do a podcast yeah I
love that and and I think that’s
probably like a quotable element like
don’t let who you you’re not impact to
who you are and I think that’s
oftentimes what’s in our head of that
just impostor syndrome of of just
posting things that seem cringey but but
it’s part of the journey and and who we
are right now we’re getting better we’re
literally like improving every episode
or improving every day in our careers
like wherever wherever we’re at so I
know Ed milet is great about giving his
guests flowers and I’ll just give you
flowers the fact that you were willing
to help me number one but then followed
up on things and held me accountable and
I’ll have to check the date that you you
messaged me and said hey where are you
at with your podcast kind of kind of
calling me out like are we doing this
are we going to go for it and um and I
think it’s so important important to
have people like you in in your corner
as you’re trying to build things because
there are moments where you have that
that uncertainty like am I really am I
really good enough to do this can I
really get this done and and you were
out there kind of reminding me like you
said you wanted to do this let’s go so I
appreciate you for you know actions over
words you not only said the words but
then you also took the actions and and
really backed up what you what you
offered that day when you said you were
going to help me you’re very well look
you in the short of time in the short
amount of time you and I have known each
other you in in what you’ve done and in
the roles that you have and have held
and currently have especially being a
woman in those roles there’s power there
there’s there’s I promise you there’s a
little girl that’s going to hear a
podcast down the road and be like I want
to be like you and I why not the world
deserves to hear your story and what you
do as a leader being a woman and a
leader in a fitness industry that’s male
dominated here you are saying look I’m
here’s my flag in the sand and here’s
what I’m going to do and here’s what
I’ve done I the world needs to hear yeah
and and thank you for that and and I
love how you show up in the fitness
industry too and and that’s a great
segment to to where we’re going to go
and just I I think you’re a great leader
right now in the fitness industry but I
want to go backwards a little bit and
and go to to your starting point because
you’ve you’ve literally had a full
career in the fitness industry um and
most people kind of weave in and out and
you’ve really kind of been in Fitness
from day one so talk us through why did
you P choose to pursue a career in
Fitness so I I mean it goes back to high
school uh I think it was th grade
between th grade and actually no my
Junior and Senior year uh I ended up
getting a trainer to help me get ready
for football my senior year and that you
know over that summer we worked
oneon-one two three times a week and I I
came into that senior
year best fit ever in shaped strong fast
and that was kind of what started this
whole trajectory for me to like huh like
if this person like I know what I how I
felt before I started working with a
trainer and I knew how I felt once I
stopped working with this trainer and I
wanted to be able to do that with others
and then and part of it you know it led
to physical therapy uh I wanted to get
so I have a masters in Rehabilitation
because I wanted to be a physical
therapist and I wanted to help get
people out of pain I saw you know my dad
got hurt at work this was years ago um
and just the amount of pain he was in
from hurting his shoulder hurting his
back um I wanted to kind of start I
wanted to be work with people similarly
and um started that trajectory
unfortunately you know physical therapy
and insurance don’t see eye to eye and
they want you to they wanted you to go
get a PhD and I was like man I’m done
with school like I I don’t want to go to
any more school and uh sales for me I
think that Curiosity element for me came
through when I was a trainer and sales
came really easy to me and got promoted
a fitness manager and um but that’s
where it all started I I I saw the
impact of working with a trainer that it
had on me and I wanted to be able to
have that same level of impact on those
that I worked with I love that that’s
the start because you do have just this
true start in Fitness which is like on
the fitness side on the training side
but then you weave to sales and then you
weave to to operations and and then you
weave into like leadership focus and so
like talk to me about the evolution and
and were you plotting the evolution or
did it did it just kind of magically
happen it was both really um you know I
was I came through the PT side and
that’s kind of where I I earned my
stripes as a personal trainer to fit
Fitness manager but you’re so siloed
right so when I was interviewing for
positions above Fitness manager whether
it be general manager or above that a
regional role it was always you you you
don’t have four wall
operation understanding right you just
have Fitness so I kept I felt like I was
just siloed in this in this one position
and I’m grateful because I got to work
and run multiple locations as a regional
director of Fitness but I wanted more
and so I ended up going into operations
um I don’t know if you know ingred Owen
uh I worked with her at and then we
just happened to she was the GM of a
club in Northern California I reached
out to her became her director of
operations and that just kind of gave me
I knew Fitness I knew sales and
membership and now working with her
helped me understand operations and I
and and that wheel that kind of
completed that wheelhouse of sales
membership operations so now when I
speak
to that next director a fitness role or
a general manager role I I know every
aspect of it was strategic and it just
the timing was perfect I know that
you’re also passionate about about the
leadership piece and either directly in
leadership roles or just being a mentor
within the fitness facility and I think
simultaneously there’s there’s a sense
that if you’re starting as a fitness
trainer you’re stuck or or there’s not
not that path to make a good living in
Fitness and and I’m obviously so
passionate about the fact that you can
make a career in the fitness industry
but how do you as someone who you know
might be coming into your your past
facility or even coming into your team
right now and they’re young and and
they’re they’re hungry on the fitness
side and they love Fitness how do you
kind of like advise them or coach them
as to how to set themselves up to have a
great career in Fitness for the
longevity yeah that’s a great question
uh I think one and and in my earlier
career I was bad at this is sitting down
with a trainer and really understanding
like financially what is it how much do
they need to be making in order to make
this work right because I think what and
like I said I did this too early in my
career it was all about what do you what
can you do for me and what can you do
for my club and what how can you help us
hit this number and not hey Pete
you what is it going to take and how
much you need to make per month and how
many clients is that going to take and
how many sessions per week is that going
to take in order you to get to that
number I I think if I now as you know
years later if I’m sitting down with a
trainer it’s all about all right what’s
that bottom line and what’s that number
look like and then let’s back into a
plan so that I know and they have full
autonomy right there’s no there’s no
more of well I didn’t know how much I
needed to make and I didn’t know how
here’s here’s the plan let’s go execute
and now it’s a followup how are we doing
on that execution and do we make pivots
and adjustments along the way but as a
PT you’ve got to know what you need to
make every month to be able to make this
work otherwise you’re just shooting in
the dark when you get that first
paycheck you got to understand as a
trainer there’s about a to day
ramp up before you’ve got a healthy book
of
business and and if you don’t if you
don’t know that and don’t plan out like
that you’re going to get stuck that
first paycheck you’re going to get
you’re you’re not going to expect it and
you’re going to be like man like I don’t
know if this is for me yeah I I think
turnover is a huge problem in Fitness
and maybe because of because of some of
the things that you’re talking about
just like setting up those
conversations very early on but but if
you had advice to give to a club owner
that’s listening or a boutique Studio
owner that’s listening and and they
can’t seem
to hire and retain their talent
what advice would you share for those
people from a club owner Club operator
and if we’re not there’s got to be a
reason why they’re not we can’t retain
them right because you got to understand
trainers don’t get into this to make
money per se right away it’s there’s a
there’s a passion there and so one how
are how’s the Mi are we tying the
mission of the company or the brand to
the purpose of the trainer what do the
Visions match does the purpose match
right does the culture match what
they’re looking for and then more
importantly in that interview process
are we setting up are we setting the
expectation right because I think for me
I know the mistake I made when I was
running clubs was I never set the
expectation at the beginning we hired we
just hired Trainers for the sake of
hiring a trainer and now you go back and
try to set the expectation it’s like
well hey that was never told as part of
the interview process so for me I think
now if I’m talking to a club owner an
operator set your expectations at the
very beginning put it all out on the
table during that interview to make sure
that under they understand what you’re
looking for and does it match what
they’re looking for and if it doesn’t
don’t pursue it otherwise it just
becomes a headache later on and now this
retention revolving door will keep
happening because we’re not setting the
expectation at the very beginning yeah
and I’m on the marketing side and so I
see it in the same but different lens
like like set the expectation of like
what’s happening but then also be clear
about who we are as a brand and what are
our values and what do we stand for and
make sure there’s that alignment so that
you’re all working toward the same thing
as opposed to just presenting it like
like it’s a job and and then you’re
disappointed when when there is that
that turnover or or when it’s treated
like it’s just a job like if you want
people to be be bought bought in with
you or be owners with you then you
really have to kind of be bought in with
them yeah and part of that is is
is what what’s important to I think it’s
also trying to understand what’s
important to them right what gets them
out of bed every morning or what gets
them you know what gets them excited to
come to work and and and and it can’t be
about the number because it’s not that
that’s important to you what you know
club owner Club operator yes I know when
I operated clubs that bottom line what
we got to the end of the month that was
important to me but that’s not important
to them and I think when you lose sight
of that and it becomes a job and it
becomes about a number and and a trainer
feels like they’re just a dollar sign in
the Pod they’re gonna they’re gonna
leave because it’s no longer Purpose
Driven it’s profit driven and so how do
you keep it Purpose Driven and how do
you keep it around aligning both values
the club and the trainer you do both I
mean sales will come organically because
they’re excited to show up to work every
day because what they value aligns with
the company values yeah I % agree and
and I’m just going to push on this
because I think it’s a Hot Topic in
Fitness right now and I just want you to
keep your Club operator hat on but if
you were sitting as a club operator
right now or you were a team leader and
you had some members of your team who
were Gen X some members of your team who
were Millennial some members of your
team who are gen Z are you aware of the
generation are you aware of people’s
like ages and are you as a leader
plugging in with them in different ways
or do you really approach your
leadership and management the same
regardless of who you’re connecting with
it’s you can’t I think you have to
approach each one uniquely um what you
know a gen Z Millennial you know we know
the world they grew up in was on was the
cell phone right that is the world they
live in that is the the tick talk the
Snapchat the Instagram you know so as an
operator and we did this I did this when
I ran clubs how do we maximize that
right maybe it’s helping them all right
how do I how do we help you build your
clients by using what you like to use
but make sure that it it sits un
underneath the brand standard and
expectations but yes an older member or
an older PT meaning my age you know
to
or a younger PT you can’t approach in
the same way you’ve got to you’ve got to
approach each one specifically cuz the
grind the hard work putting in the hours
may be how you speak to an older PT but
a younger PT what excites them is does
the vision of the company align with my
vision my core values and my bigger
purpose and if you can do that you’ll
get that member that younger demographic
and guess what they’re on social media
so they will hype up your club because
they were so excited to come to work
versus trying to motivate them the way
you motivate
an older PT old older team member I love
that you take the one-onone on oneon-one
approach just like a like a true
personal trainer would um so let’s
transition into what you’re doing right
now talk to us about your new role uh
what you’re doing when you started it
and and what you’re most excited about
yeah so about a month ago you know and
I’ll let me kind of back up so there’s
some context to this I in the role I had
director of Fitness that was my dream I
mean you’re talking about a dream role
in the fitness industry is having the
influence across multiple clubs right
multiple hundreds of pts Fitness
managers thousands of members and
clients that was my dream role but in
reality as I as I now turned here
about what three days ago I turned
for me Priority shift man like I just I
I think I got to the point where I still
wanted to be in Fitness but I was
getting to the point where I was like
you know what the D day today grind the
Closeouts the -hour days the always
being on call um just wasn’t aligning
with what I wanted to do in the next
chapter of colge and so you know I love
to travel and I want to travel and I
have two step kids that are gonna
graduate high school here soon in in the
next couple years and my wife and I are
gonna have an ability to go see the
world and I don’t want to be tied to
something where I can’t leave and and so
you know I started looking for another
opportunity and and luckily Mills had
that opportunity so now in my role uh I
mean in the fitness industry everyone’s
everyone’s heard about Les Mills or at
least body pump maybe you don’t know Les
Mills but you know Body Pump and then so
uh group X was a whole you talk about a
whole new world I came from the
oneon-one PT world so group X was always
siloed somewhere over there uh so the
running joke is now you got a director
of Fitness in a in a group X you know
with a group X brand um but man the one
thing I can tell you is I didn’t realize
how much
groupex played such a huge role in the
retention of members at a club like it
is a machine when you run it right and
and just the the the indepth work it
takes to run a true group training group
X Program um man it was eye opening and
so that got that gets me excited U I
think now it’s really trying to
understand this gen Z Millennial member
base uh I think that’s the one thing
right now I know Les Mills with some of
the programming that’s come out and
coming out it it it is Gen Z has genz in
mind um to where it’s a lot of the
strength and hit and some of the types
of training the genen Z Millennial
demographic likes to do to help get them
really from the because guess what you
go into your club now where’s everybody
at where is that younger member base at
well they’re on the strength floor and
now your studio is sitting empty so now
I get to still talk club Owners Club
operators but more around how do we
enhance group X or now Group Training
right how do we retain more members and
how do we get that gen Z Millennial
member base into the group training
Studio I just want to know if you showed
up to your first Body Pump class with
your lifting straps and your lifting
shoes lesson learned here here’s a
lesson for everybody put your ego aside
especially if you’re a guy listening to
this and show and do not think you’re
going to lift heavy weights out a Body
Pump class because you will be sore for
five days and personal that’s a personal
testimony to me taking body pump for the
first time there are man you talk about
how many reps you do in a Body Pump
class big mistake so now I go I go like
pounds pounds I’m good now yeah
it’s amazing how clubs batch together
Fitness to get and it and it really is a
whole different world or mentality to be
a one-on-one Fitness Arena versus a
group class setup and there is so much
of the community element that comes in
and the vibe and the energy that that
impacts group X that that you can’t
replicate in in one-onone and I think
when so many clubs are trying to get to
community or maybe they’re using the
word Community yeah in their Marketing
Group X to me is something that actually
legitimately speaks to community really
directly and like brings people together
do you see that do you see it in that
same way yeah because I mean you got I
mean we’re we’re it’s the one place
where you are in there amongst the
masses right and then and you’ve got
others with you in the room where yeah a
lot of those and you come to the
consistent class Monday Wednesday Friday
and it’s the consistent instructor and
they’re hanging out after uh they’re you
know after the class they all get coffee
or go somewhere so yeah I mean I think I
I don’t think you you have Community
without group X and Group Training I
think the challenge now is that
Community where it’s it’s almost it’s
it’s kind of gone really some especially
those clubs that haven’t really
identified hey I have this gen Z member
base they’re on the strength floor but
my studio is sitting empty how do we get
them into the studio um I think those
are some of the things now that with
less Mills that are coming out and some
of the programs designed specifically
for that because we know % of your
member basee right now is Gen ZZ
Millennial and they’re on the strength
floor how do we get them in the group
training studio and because what’s going
to happen is you you don’t build that
Community they don’t have buy into the
brand they don’t love the brand what’s
going to happen in six months they’re
all going to leave and they leave as a
community they can’t they come in and
sign up five at a time guess what
they’re GNA leave five at a time and so
what does that do to retention well now
you’re going to be there’s this
revolving door where you’re going to
have to acquire so many more members
when we can just figure out how do we
keep them in the club and keep them
involved in some of the things
especially Group Training that a club
has to offer and on a scale of to
how do you think the how important do
you think the instructor is to that
equation oh it’s hu I mean it’s it’s
it’s it’s a like I think what I’ve
learned now is it is huge because if
you’ve got a rockstar instructor who
knows how to communicate knows the
choreography has the energy and knows
how to connect not just communicate but
connect with the member base they will
stay three four times longer because
they love the member they love the
instructor and and then those
instructors guess what they refer people
the people that attend their class refer
people and now you talk acquisition and
retention I mean I think as an operator
that’s your goal M how do I get more
members how do I keep them longer and
how do we get them involved in some
ancillary pro programs like PT but in
the middle at the heart of that sits
group training group and then as you’re
thinking about this new era that we’re
in with digital products out there
whether app based or you know TV screen
based or even in club based but it’s
digital
versus an inperson with instructor kind
of experience where do you land on how
those two things fit together you have
we call it an Omni Fitness approach to
training now right you’ve got the live
you’ve got the you’ve got the virtual
and you’ve got kind of the the on demand
I got access to an app on my own through
my through my phone right so as a club
yeah you got to think as a as a club
over if I’m looking at my club as an
owner operator how many hours a day does
that studio sit
empty probably you know a few four five
six hours a day so why not have a
virtual component to what you offer so
not only now as a member maybe I can
only get to the club at but you
don’t have any group training classes
but you have a virtual program where I
can go in pick the class I want or you
preset the classes and now I can
virtually take a Body Pump class just
following the instructor on the screen
and then so now I’m offering
more classes per week but the cool part
is your payroll doesn’t go up right
you’re not having to pay an instructor
but now you’re meeting the members where
there are and now offering them a
virtual on demand component and then
obviously the digital through an app we
know members are still working out at
home home right we know members are
still mixing up between live in the club
and at home so having a an app that you
can white label that offers and I’m G to
say less Mills less Mills program or any
programming U where now a member in your
Club can take and work out at home you
now have this Omni Fitness approach to
your health club that’s touching the
member in three different components I
totally agree and you mentioned your
experience with a personal trainer early
in your athletic career and one of my
most important relationships when I was
in my influential teen years was with a
personal trainer and when people ask me
about the digital space it’s really hard
for me to see a place where a %
digital world has the same impact as
that as that face-to-face component so
if I’m if I’m leaning one way or the
other I’m definitely leaning toward the
people side
but I think like you said we we do have
to look at it like an like an omni kind
of experience like what are they doing
when they’re not face- tof face with
someone like what tools are we offering
when they they can’t get booked into a
class or they don’t have you know the
same hours that a class is happening so
I think it is um I think there’s got to
be a mix of both I definitely like give
a higher percentage to the iners but
maybe that’s also because I’m old so uh
I think I think it’s going to change as
this next generation’s coming up I think
you know there’s still I don’t I I I
don’t see live going away right I I
think the CH because it’s where we need
just from who we are as humans we need
that face to face skin to skin we need
to be around other people we’re we’re
Community made just by our DNA so I
don’t think the live component goes away
but then but it can’t be all that you
have because you’ve got demographic this
to year old demographic that grew
up in a digital world they they go on
they have apps whether it’s Nike or you
know some of the newer the Apple app or
whatever app they have apps at the
exercise that they’re already using for
whatever strength or training or
exercise program they’re doing so to not
be thinking like that you’re almost
you’re almost doing yourself a
disservice because now those members
just coming to your Club isn’t going to
be enough why not offer a digital
component where you look it’s still
under the club’s brand but now it’s
something we offer our members as as
part of a membership so that they’re
still you’re still being able to
interact with them I can two-way message
you through an app but it’s and it’s
under that club but you’re meeting that
member where they’re at yeah we are
sitting here recording this about two
weeks out from from Ursa and and I would
imagine it’s going to be a Hot Topic at
at Ursa it’s just that handshake between
in person and and digital what do you I
guess if you had a a a magic ball and
could look into the future for the
fitness industry what are you what are
you most excited about and what do you
really hope that we collectively really
start to like lean into I think you know
the the exciting piece right now for me
is really I love now that we are not
only are we looking at our member base
completely different now right um we
know that if we as close owners and
operators don’t understand how to
interact and engage with this younger
member base that sign that’s signing up
um we’re g to be in about three four
years we’re going to be in a situation
where like man what happened right where
did they all go so it’s exciting for me
to be working with a brand like Les
Mills that’s actually thinking ahead and
understanding like hey we now have
programming that meets that member base
where they’re at and it’s strength based
it’s what they love to do it’s there’s
no choreography um which is what they
also love to do is so it it speaks to
that specific member base that’s
exciting the the recovery the wellness I
think we’re now taking a different
approach from Fitness it’s not just the
workout anymore it’s this Wellness
ecosystem and inside that sits Fitness
Nutrition mental health Stress
Management and I
think it’s exciting that we’re seeing
clubs build recovery components into
their health clubs into their actual
build out of a club now and it’s not
this afterthought thing um Texas Family
Fitness we they just open a brand new
club not too long ago and there’s a
whole recovery center that has cold the
the hydro massage the the the cold chair
the regular hydro massage we’ve got the
um the hyperize the the the guns so
there’s definitely this this
recovery and I and I don’t see it
changing I think if nothing else it’s
going to intensify and it’s going to
become you’re going to see more and more
clubs do it what’s scary and and I think
what’s something we’ve got to start
understand is the level of our our
trainers the education of our trainers
needs to
change I think now a PT to be Su
successful now has to understand Stress
Management has to understand mental
health has to understand nutrition
recovery um if not man you got to
understand if I if Jessica had had a
hard day and had meetings all day her
state of Readiness may not be ready to
do a heavy back squat workout but if
you’re not in tune with your PT client
and I put you under a heavy squat you’re
gonna get hurt and so I think the how we
educate how we certify our trainers
needs to change dig into that what’s the
next layer to that because I’m nasm
certified and that gives me the ability
to coach someone through a movement um
but what’s how would you add on to that
either through continuing certifications
or continuing credits or or is it a
whole different you know because right
now nutrition even as you mentioned it’s
a totally different path educationwise
and and and then mental health is a
totally different path educationwise so
if you were to draw it up for nasm or or
you know in your own school we’ll just
go Ked school right now like how would
you create the next uh the next school
for personal trainers right and I you
know it’s uh it definitely can’t be you
know you know nasm is nasm and nasm is
great at what it does around the opt
model the at squat program design but
nasm doesn’t understand mental health or
or know any CT really unless they’ve you
know now you see more they’re coming out
with certifications around Behavioral
Management behavioral coaching so
they’re starting to understand hey look
this is something that’s happening let’s
come up with a certification that uh
that helps the PT understand how to
speak to that situation with their
client I think part of it falls on the
trainer I I I you know I I really think
you know because you’re not going to
have a
company invest thousands upon thousands
of dollars into its trainers if they’re
not going to see an
Roi right so part of that also
understands as a PT if I want to get
paid more then I want to am educated
I know what I’m talking about I
understand Behavior I understand and I’m
not saying you have to be a mental
health specialist but you got to be able
to
understand hey how was your day stress
level one to five did you eat today
being able to ask some of those
questions but yes you’ve got to go
invest in your own education and then
there’s so many different wearables and
there’s so many different tools that our
members have access to and they’re not
all going to be using the tool that we
give them or recommend to them so do we
know enough about their whoops score you
know or whatever they’re wearing do we
know how to look at those numbers
through all the different tools to be
able to give the most effective workout
in the so it’s almost like we have so
much information and now it’s it’s like
arming the right people with the right
information to deliver a workout that
gets results for sure and I think I
think
yes it’s understanding what is the what
is the story the data is telling me and
now how can I how can I kind of break
down that story to understand what’s
going on with my client and then make
whatever adjustments I need to make from
there the thing with apps right now with
good is uh I don’t know I I I’m going
back and forth with apps and
specifically I’ve talked to a couple
people that have the aing and what’s
funny is it’s causing them to be more
stressed out about wearing the aura ring
to make sure they got the right level of
sleep and so they wake up already in an
unrested State and it’s like what’s the
point of the AA ring uh and that could
be any app I’m just those those are two
conversations that came to mind but that
the whole purpose of the app is to help
you with health and wellness not create
stress yeah yeah and you can get
obsessed as a as a consumer you can get
obsessed with data let alone as a
personal trainer that needs to be
looking at at all of the data and and I
think it’s it’s having awareness as a
personal trainer also am I working with
an obsessive kind of client and if so
maybe I don’t recommend the or ring or I
don’t recommend My Fitness Pal whereas
if you’re working with a hyper
competitive athlete maybe that’s exactly
what they need and and so it is so we
have all of the tools to be able to
prescribe the right things to the right
people but it’s just breaking down all
of the different things that’s that are
available and knowing that they’re all
owned by different people and and then
all the consumers have their own choices
to make of of what they’re GNA play in
so it’s really this fascinating time
well I think it is it’s exciting because
man there’s so much data now that I can
you can any know a PT can have about
their one client but is it spe is it
important what’s I think it you’ve got
to remember is it important for the
client like all that stuff is important
to me a PT it’s great to have all that
information does the client actually
care all right is it important to them
so yes it goes back to do you know the
personality type of your client and if
by doing so I know how to speak to that
client and so yeah maybe speaking about
the result if you’re a type D yeah I
want to know I want to know what’s going
on because that’s my personality um but
if I’m speaking to somebody else that’s
maybe an eye a little bit more conscious
do I really want to tell them hey you’re
stressed out today because that’s going
to throw off their entire day yeah yeah
and it’s just having having a aess
around that um I want to take a left
turn because we kind of started with
your podcast which is rise up the show
and and when I was talking to you we
talked a lot about about my rise up and
my comeback season but I want to kind of
put the spotlight on you and really dig
into your big comeback moments because
there’s there’s always a time when you
know you’re kind of like down and you’re
and you’re wondering like what am I
going to get out of this so take us to a
time when when you were low and and how
did you drive through that time and how
did you get yourself back up to you know
a a positive place so November so I
definitely I’ll never forget it so like
I said earlier I used to have my own
Fitness business conference um and we
when I moved to Dallas back in
uh we were starting to plan a
a Dallas Texas event and uh I got in a
little over my head right um you know we
we signed the the lease or the rent
agreement at a at a Marriott you know
there were sponsors um we had ticket
sales but it was about it things started
falling apart um you know it’s uh not
enough sponsors came in not enough
ticket sales were happening I ended up
owing about a hundred grand all in um to
to this hotel and some other things and
uh I ended up having a file for
bankruptcy um and and I remember that
day this was February February um
refunded what I what I could refund um
obviously I couldn’t refund everything
because I I did pay for some things and
uh you know it so come February I file
for chapter and I owe it Grand
and and and part of that you know why I
say November th is or November is
as that was happening my car was
breaking down my transmission was
starting to go out and I remember this
day where I was driving home and my car
kep going in and out in and out and I
pulled into a parking lot and I look up
and it’s a church parking
lot and I think that was the when you
talk about like God are you here God are
you listening God where are you it was
pretty much like slap in the face here I
am um and that’s what started it for me
I think that started the the the the
turnaround um it was a it wasn’t quick
you know I never been a Believer um but
it definitely started the conversations
of all right I need to start going to
church I need to get more around
understanding God and that relationship
with God um I think the event the lesson
in this thing is is my ego got the best
of me and the event became about colid
and and not what the purpose of the
event was but it also showed me who true
friend were and TR and who was truly
there because I’ll tell you what till
this
day I don’t talk to anybody that was a
part of that event and and it is what it
is you’ve learn real quick who’s in your
corner and who’s not um and and so that
started my turnaround moment and from
there um you know I got laser focused on
I wanted to be the best director of
Fitness that I could be I wanted to
learn I wanted to I wanted to grow in
the corporate world and that’s what I
did and but it was that February
to February that’s kind of the
window right there excuse me it’s it’s
um that’s three years ago uh what four
years ago I mean it’s crazy that
um that you were at that point
and and have like literally spent the
last three and a half four years like in
a comeback season and and I appreciate
you sharing that you were in that moment
and and I think sometimes maybe so
social media causes everyone to to glaze
over the fact that that bad stuff
happens and um when I was on your show
we were talking about you know within
the last months the things that that
I was working through and so I think I
think we need more transparency around
like here’s the wins but but there’s
also losses and you’re going to lose if
you’re doing big stuff like you were
trying to organize a fitness and you
know motivational event in parallel to
your full-time job and and then you feel
like down in the dumps because it
doesn’t work out meanwhile you know you
were really trying to do something
really really big and I think it’s
always amazing like how do you how do
you come back out of those moments and
and do you play small in your comeback
or do you just kind of like get right
back out there and you’re like I’m G to
go and like play Big again yeah it’s
it’s it’s you know and do I look back I
I always look back back at it right
there was some really close at that time
I felt important relationships that um
in mind you there was some things that I
did that I wasn’t I’m not too happy
about that jeopardized some of those
relationships and it got the best of me
and and uh I think you know th those
times definitely test your character um
and my character was tested and
unfortunately at that time it wasn’t the
right character and I had to do some
work on me personally and that’s what
the last three years have been is trying
to Define who I am who I want to be um
you know and and understand that uh God
leads the way uh I you know humility
gratitude I think for me is are two my
biggest core values now that probably
weren’t there three years ago but I had
to go through that journey to be who I
am today I love that and and I think you
do learn so much about yourself when
you’re when you’re in the mud when
you’re in that in that comeback season
um
because you uh helped me so much um I’m
going to give you the floor and let you
either tell me or tell the people like
what help do you need right now I think
you know I I took some time away from
the podcast right as I was going through
this journey I just didn’t feel
comfortable doing the podcast and then
now I’m back doing it on a regular basis
so what I what really the biggest thing
for me is man there is and it’s even not
about me it’s there are people on that
show show who’ve gone through an amazing
journey on their own that I want to get
the word out and share their Journey
with the world and so the one ask I
would have is rise up the show we’ll
drop the link give us a follow listen to
these episodes reach I promise you reach
out to any of
these amazing people that are guests on
my show and that they will respond back
and help you out but I want to get their
word out I want their story to get to
get out because it’s not just my story
but if someone hears Jessica’s story
through rise up the show and they Chang
their life I want to know about that
Jessica wants to know about that so I
think that’s the ass
YouTube It’s you know at caller all the
videos of the show are there and then
we’ll post the the link to the show a
follow would be huge and then reach out
to these guests and and and get some
help if you need help get some help they
will help you out yeah I think that’s so
important with how you’ve approached
your podcast and how I aim to approach
mine is I’m talking to people who are in
the mud right now doing work in the
weeds still reachable so if there’s
something that’s said that you like or
that you want to dig into more just
reach out to the person and ask for more
insight and I don’t want it to be that
uh you know Ed mlet size or Gary V size
where you just you you wonder and you
can’t connect but you can definitely
connect at this size I respond to
everything on on LinkedIn you know that
um one one final Maybe open ended
question um is there anything that’s on
your mind that we haven’t talked about
anything that you’ve been um maybe
working through with mentees that you
work work with just anything that that
you want to say in your own story that
we haven’t had a chance to say I think
the the one thing I can definitely share
is is about three months ago I hired a
coach right and this goes back to the
importance of having a coach and a
mentor um so yes whether while I’ve
mentored others I have a coach that
mentors me and there was a point in the
last few months where you start you know
I was kind of losing my way and and
losing sight of who I am and and we did
this exercise and he calls it your your
essence finding your essence or your the
word your words of greatness and it’s a
huge it’s it was such a great exercise
to where know there’s a list of words
gratitude connector Communicator love
joy impact whatever it is and and the
exercise is on that list of words or on
that sheet Circle the words that
resonate with you whether are you a
connector are you a communicator do you
sit in gratitude are you a servant
leader
um the the the end result of that is now
I have my words of essence to where when
I show up to a podcast I read my five
words before I show up to the podcast
for me it’s it’s gratitude it’s
connector it’s Communicator it’s Serving
Leader um and it’s Joy right those are
my five words and so for
me it’s a state of being right so no
matter what I’m doing now am I being in
those words of essence and if not I take
a step back read those words and it puts
me back into who I am versus always
figuring out I’m trying to do this I’m
trying to do this I’m trying to do this
and so I think for for anyone listening
I would challenge you what are your five
words what is what are your words of
Essence no matter who whoever you are
you’ve got certain things that this is
no matter what you’re doing this is who
you’re being and as long as you remember
who you’re being the doing has meaning
to it and it reminds me of that quote
that you know the first step is to
understand what your gifts are or
understand what your five words are and
the second step is to give them away to
the world and I just want to thank you
for sharing your gifts with the world
and maybe more specifically sharing your
gifts with me because you definitely
have and I appreciate you for that so
these show notes are going to be legit
we’re going to put all the all the tools
into the show notes so you guys can
follow up on your own Essence words like
all of the things more podcast homework
for you but thank you so much for being
on the society pod with us today Ked we
really appreciate you I appreciate you
thank you for having me on like I said
I’m proud of you episode two we’ll have
to do another one episode episode
we’re going to we’re going to bring this
all back all right thank you guys so
much for tuning in to this episode of
the society pot we hope you enjoyed this
episode of the society
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