In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Assata McKenzie

In my interview with Assata McKenzie, we discuss how she stays authentic while teaching virtually, how she’s overcome challenges with trolls, and how hopeful she is for the future. Listen to her powerful message on my below for tips on how to rise above the noise, nay-sayers, and old-habits. https://youtu.be/87mi5lEv5Gg

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I Fell Way Off Track Last Month…

I fell out of my routine in July, and I fell hard. I’ve been feeling the consequences; I’m having “cortisol wake-ups” around 3:30am, my food choices haven’t been good, I’ve struggled to get back to my regular workouts, and I haven’t been handling stressors very well. Have you had weeks like that? Sometimes the root cause is easy to identify and sometimes it’s a series of little crises that accumulate and wear down our resilience. July had two big life events for me: First, our sweet 12 years of dog Andy had a complete ACL tear and had been limping most

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How I Spent $0 on Tech to Teach Virtual Fitness

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of presenting at my first conference since March – virtually, of course. It was so fulfilling to reconnect with my SCW MANIA fitfam and e-meet new fit pros from across the US. Throughout the event and in my own « Yoga for Healthy Backs » session, 1 topic continued to come up again and again: providing fitness experiences on a virtual platform. Particularly, people wanted to know about the tech set-up required to make music sound great. I’ve also been asked similar questions by education providers, studio owners, and fellow group fitness instructors. They all want

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Is Virtual Fitness Here to Stay?

Yes, virtual fitness has become a permanent and significant fixture in our industry. I’ve heard my fair share of comments like “people are just fed up with Zoom” or “clients are SO happy to be back at the gym” and those are valid, but don’t negate the fact that online options for health and fitness are now part of our repertoire. Here’s why: 1. Habit-Forming Accessibility: in most of North America gyms will have been closed for more than 10 weeks which is long enough for our clients to form the habit of utilizing virtual fitness. It doesn’t mean they aren’t

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Beyond the Crisis and Chaos: Quebec’s New Coalition

Having had the honor of representing Fitness Industry Council of Canada’s Quebec Coalition of fitness clubs and studios through the COVID-19 crisis, here are a few remarkable insights gathered as we worked towards the reopening date of June 22nd. COALITION = COLLABORATION Close to 200 locations joined our Coalition to create a common voice to reassure both the government and public that fitness facilities were prepared to reopen safely. This included club chains, franchise studios, independent gyms, Yoga studios, etc. of all sizes and price ranges.  All of them have unique challenges and concerns, but they came together and contributed with

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Succeeding Online: Sometimes Just a Sliver Is All It Takes

Three weeks and 103 tests: that’s what it took for me to be able to fix the audio issues and teach a cardio class on virtual. I just could not get the sound right. Then this happened: have a look at the SLIVER of sound I managed to find between Mute and horrible; they described it as “perfect” and I crumbled to the floor in astonishment. Here’s what I learned from the trials and tribulations of teaching musically dependent group fitness classes on virtual: Different technology works for different situations: the common issue seems to be that Zoom is the best

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Amanda Grant

Many of us have pivoted to take our classes virtually and online. However, have you considered or struggled with being your authentic self while teaching these classes? In my newest vlog, Amanda Grant walks you through how she upgraded her technology, skills, and business to survive in this new normal while staying true to herself. https://youtu.be/nTFeRxzj5k0

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A Love Letter to Fitness Instructors

My dear colleagues, I know we’re feeling anxious and sad about the future of the careers we’ve dedicated ourselves too. I’ve had so many of you reach out to me asking if you should forget about teaching and look for something else. It’s heartbreaking and you’re entitled to grieve. I just finished teaching my virtual Yoga & Training class and felt compelled to share some thoughts. I’ve had days this week when I felt I had to rush to figure SOMETHING out to create revenue for myself this summer; yet I know that’ never going to be the mindset that will

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In Bed with Fitness Industry & Scott Wildeman

We may have thought the first stage of quarantine was tough, but most managers are finding this second wave of uncertainty is draining their team and clients. How can you keep your instructors, trainers and participants thinking positively about the upcoming additions, changes, and revamps of your business as you contemplate how you are going to open your doors? Listen to the advice of Scott Wilderman, the Senior VP of Fitness & Operations at GYMVMT, in this video. https://youtu.be/SBI7kzWs7Cw

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Soft Skills for Tough Times

You inspire me fitfam! I see you out there trying new things, reflecting on how you can best serve others, learning and growing. You’re working collaboratively and getting better each day and I’m incredibly proud of our industry. Please remember to make time to self-care and allow yourselves permission to have days when you are not “on”; it’s the only way you’ll stay in for the long road ahead as a lot is being asked of us as we strive to stay connected to our authentic selves and our clients. Here are some of the most common questions I have received

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Dan McDonogh

Dan McDonogh is known as one of the best educators and mentors of the fitness industry and I was able to chat with him for my In Bed with the Fitness Industry series a few weeks ago. Dan has a lot of advice to share about fitness professionals staying healthy during these difficult times and how our sleep is critical to self-care.

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Chad Benson

Are you using this time to focus on recovery? If you aren’t or don’t know where to start, take a few minutes to listen to this episode of In Bed with the Fitness Industry conversation with Chad Benson, the Director of Education at Innovative Fitness. https://youtu.be/TrsLKXHqeMc

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Top 3 Tips for Going Virtual

You may remember my last blog that stated, “You don’t HAVE to offer virtual workouts”. I still wholeheartedly believe that fact. You certainly can offer virtual workouts but you don’t have to offer any. For those of you who are choosing to do so, having mindfully reflected on the opportunity, I’m happy to provide you with the best key learnings and information I can source to help you quickly see the forest through the trees…and not lose your patience while on a live feed 😊. My dear friend and incredible resource Jessica Maurer has put together this fantastic “how to” for

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You Don’t Have to Offer Virtual Workouts

Today marks “day 8” of social distancing for me. I’ve spent a lot, likely way too much, time on social media. I’ve been both proud and inspired but also concerned about the amount of fitness professionals offering virtual workouts. You CAN absolutely do so, but please know that you don’t HAVE to offer virtual workouts! I know we all have ants in our pants and looking for a positive place to put our energy, however, I’m asking we take a moment to reflect instead of being reactive. Here are a few thoughts and suggestions that may come in handy over the

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In Bed with the Fitness Industry & Jessica Maurer

As you may have noticed, some of my previous Q&A sessions with fitness industry leaders have had to occur in a hotel room. So, I have renamed these chats « In Bed with the Fitness Industry. » Fun and fabulous, right? In this episode, I get to chat with my friend & collaborator, Jessica Maurer. Learn how she carved out her own path from leading a group fitness room to leading a Keynote presentation in my latest vlog. https://youtu.be/4b-3qD631Rs

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Safety to Try (Vlog)

Recruit and Retain the Right Talent for Your Team All fitness professionals are looking for growth opportunities from their employers. In this 4-week email & video series from me, you will learn the key components to growth and turn-key take-aways that will quickly create staff relationships that will benefit you, your teams, and your business. By signing up, you will receive 1 email per week for 4 weeks. Each email will contain a video from me, explaining the week’s lesson, as well as an actionable to-do list so you can easily implement the tasks no matter where you are on your

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From Purpose to Paycheck (Vlog)

Ready to Learn More? Whether you’re just starting out or are seeking concrete ways to get passed a career plateau, I’m here to help. I’ve created this emailed video series to identify the 4 Steps to Propel Your Fitness Career and provide you with actionable strategies to ensure your career success. Click here to get started today for FREE.

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January Stress: Our Own workOUTS and workINS

Less daylight, big credit card bills arriving, increased workload thanks to January fitness goals, etc. No wonder heading back to work after smoking cbd cigarettes, this December holiday season has us feeling stressed free! Close to 80% of workers in North America feel stress on the job, and nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress. Some of us tend to blow off some steam to benefit from a high-energy workOUT, while others prefer to decompress with a workIN. One thing most of us have in common is that we focus most of our time and energy

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2020 Fitness Trends Surveys: Was I Right?

Last spring, I wrote a blog series as a tool to help differentiate between quick burning fads and trends that have staying power.  I didn’t want you to spend a moment of your precious time or a dollar of your hard-earned money before reading and reflecting on The Next Big Things: Top 3 Trends for 2020!  The fitness education companies have now begun to release their findings for the biggest trends for our industry this year and I  was curious to see if my predictions matched the ones of fitness professionals and experts. As you read the survey findings and reports

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We’re Going to Soar in 2020, I Can Feel It!

Bonjour fitfam!   Are you feeling the momentum of a new decade that’s about to begin? I sure have! The end of 2019 for me has been filled with anticipation, and a little trepidation. Maybe you’ve been so focused on your clients’ goals that you haven’t fully flushed out yours; I understand, and I’ve got your back! I actual had an epiphany of the treadmill last week. I realized that moving back to Montreal meant: My 2019 was focused on family/social health and career/professional health, and My 2020 will be focused on physical health and financial health. I’ve taken all the

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3 Career Killers to Avoid in 2020

Career Killer #1: Agree to provide a service in which you don’t excel Fitness is a reputation-driven industry. That means that to the consumer’s eye we are only as good as our last session/class/workout. We therefore need strive towards excellence and continually sharpen our saw. This includes hard skills such program design, movement patterns, exercise science, equipment and modalities as well as soft skills such as communication, trustworthiness, and empathy.  Instead I know how tempting it can be to jump at a new opportunity presented, especially is the money is good. Before saying “yes!” I invite you to consider the following:

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Ready, Set, Launch!

Bonjour! I’ve been waiting for this moment for 9 months and I’m giddy with anticipation to finally bring into the world an opportunity to support my fellow health and fitness leaders more than ever before! If you’re craving phenomenal growth as a fitness leader thanks to a program full of optimism, trust, and solutions, then I’m excited to share the launch of my two programs: Catapult Your Career 1:1 mentoring for fitness professional looking to thrive in their careers!   Joie de Lead 1:1 coaching for leaders and managers looking to bring success and joy back to leadership!   Fitness Professionals

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Giving and Receiving Feedback like a Pro

We’ve all been there – someone comes up to us at the worst possible moment and asks “Can I give you some feedback?” with a tone of voice we know means trouble. We put ourselves on defense and prepare for the inevitable. Most of us haven’t learned how to give and receive feedback in a manner that leads to the result we’re hoping for, and this leads to really uncomfortable conversations for everyone involved. Remembering that we build empathy from a place of integrity, the fastest way to grow out of our current comfort zone is to get better at asking

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Does Education Always = Growth?

To answer the title question: No, it doesn’t. One fantastic and integral part of our industry is that fitness professionals and leaders are always hungry for education and learning. It’s probably what attracted us to the industry and only grew thanks to the Continuing Education Credit requirements of most foundational certifications. Our appetite for education being what it is and the plethora of learning options being what they are, it becomes challenging to ensure we spend our hard-earned time and money on the right education. Since we all want to grow from the education we invest in, here is the key

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The Next Big Things: 3 Top Trends for 2020 Part 3

I created this blog series as a tool to help differentiate between quick burning fads and trends that have staying power. Don’t spend a moment of your precious time or a dollar of your hard-earned money before reading and reflecting on The Next Big Things: Top 3 Trends for 2020!  Over the past few weeks, I have shared with you my third and second place winners. Did you agree with my choices? If you haven’t had a chance to check them out yet, click here. Today, I am sharing the first place winner of the top trend of 2020! First Place:  Active Recovery

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The Next Big Things: 3 Top Trends for 2020 Part 2

Rolling with the tide of trends is critical to our success in offering health and fitness as a service and we need to meet the wants of our customers. The trick is to identify how we can tweak our already established and available content, programs, and offers to connect with the consumer wants. This blog series is a tool to help differentiate between quick burning fads and trends that have staying power. Don’t spend a moment of your precious time or a dollar of your hard-earned money before reading and reflecting on The Next Big Things: Top 3 Trends for 2020!

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