Body Soiree

  "You get in life what you have the courage to ask for." Ms. Winfrey I was frustrated.  I was burned out.  It was time to wipe the slate clean. I was scared.  As any entrepreneur knows and understands unless we have clients we don't eat.  Well, I think all business owners know this!  But what if you start to lose the joy you once had?  What if you just aren't attracting the type of clients that actually want change?  It is time to have a sit-down with yourself. Go over what you deem as important to your career. What will make you happy? And what is it that you want exactly?  "Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." Dr. King This is where things get scary.  I sat down with myself after a very disappointing Personal Training session. The questions I asked myself were not easy: 1. Do you still love what you do? 2. If you do, then why are you attracting people that don...

 When I became a Personal Trainer, I did not know what that entailed.   I understood my role as a Fitness Coach: 1. Assess 2. Set goals. 3. Write Program Designs, etc.  That I got! It might sound weird, but I didn't know about the emotional side of Personal Training?  Well, call me weird. Because I was very naive.  There is something about exercising that brings out all of the emotional baggage.  Personal trainers are a "safe space" for a lot of people. Who knew? I didn't! Then I started to remember moments from my own fitness journey. Way before I knew anything about Personal trainers or personal training.  I did it on my own. I also remember sometimes crying while working out.  Feeling frustrated, with myself or with life in general.  The highs that I felt when I reached a new goal. The fear I felt when I thought I couldn't reach a goal! I am sure a few people on the walking trail thought I was a bit crazy... yeah, I woul...

  "It's not about the weight... I said this to a client once and got cursed out.  Now mind you, I don't usually take it personally when people go off on me. Not that it happens often. (Thank goodness!)  But I know, for the most part, it has nothing to do with me. They are venting, so vent.  But weight, like religion and politics, is a very personal conversation. Most people avoid talking about it. Most people also don't want to hear your opinion.  Talking about weight and weight management is my business. You might be asking yourself "Why would someone hire a Personal Trainer and then curse them out for talking about weight -loss?" Make it make sense. I will! I know what it feels like to be overweight. Society is not kind to overweight people. Be it, family or strangers, folks feel they have the right to give unsolicited "advice" or say the cruelest things to overweight people. I have, throughout my lifetime, experienced both.  So by the...

 "In learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn." Phil Collins It's wonderful doing what you love to do for a living. It is exciting and fulfilling. You know what's even better? Knowing that you don't know everything and being willing to ask for guidance. This is what we call "Emotional maturity." I can't express how much confidence you will gain, in any profession, when you ask for help from someone you feel is top tier in your field. None of us knows it all and asking for help doesn't mean you don't know anything, it means that you are willing to learn. I speak from experience and ditches stepped over because I listened. Let me explain.  "You cannot teach a man anything. You can only help him discover it within himself." Galileo Galilei I knew nothing about Personal Training.  All I knew was that I loved to exercise and I was great at sweating. But man! I loved it! I was one of three Registrars at the lo...

  "Sometimes I can't figure out if I'm in preschool or high school. Oh, wait...I'm at work."  Unknown When it gets this bad on the job, it's time to reassess. I am not talking about walking out. I am talking about what you are allowing yourself to get involved in. I have had many jobs. Some I really liked and others I stayed because I had mouths to feed. When I became a Personal Trainer, I knew it was what I was meant to do. Personal Training brings me joy and satisfaction at the end of my day. I loved working in different gyms with all of these various personalities...so I dropped my "Beware of gossip and mess" radar! You would think that people would be too busy sweating. But what I have learned about Human Beings is that we seem to always have time to gossip. Go figure? Here is where I made my mistake: I listened.  "Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see." Unknown My first big gig as a Personal Traine...

"There is no easy fix...But it also isn't Rocket Science." Dawn Ellen  It's that time of year again people! The New Years Resolution, I'm going to start on Monday, I just need a Personal Trainer for 2 weeks to get me going and I am going to buy every exercise gadget and pill they show me on t.v, time of year. Those of you who read my Blogs, watch my podcast or know me personally, know my weight-loss story. So I am not some rando Woman who has been thin her whole life talking about weight-loss. I have lived it. And what I am telling you is this(and it might make some angry)stop making this harder and more expensive than it has to be! I am not trying to throw salt on anyone's game: the selling of supplements, diet drinks, shake mixes, blah, blah, and more blah. I used to be that person! I not only sold all of those mentioned above, but I also took my own product, that is, shakes and supplements (all legal!). Then I had to stop, reassess and go back to the beg...

I heard a story the other day that made my hair stand on end(that says a lot seeing that my hair stands on end anyway!) My hair on end and anger growing, I listened to this story told to me from a young lady that I have known for some time regarding how she was hurt by a Personal Trainer. Hurt how? I asked.  She responded by telling me this Trainer's training style: If you say the exercise is hurting you, they respond by saying "PUSH THROUGH!" You say it is really hurting your back, they say "NO PAIN! NO GAIN!" Really? She told me a few more things that were upsetting and I apologized to her for all of us Trainers that try and leave our ego's at the door. Here is the deal everyone, and I need you to remember this: Exercise, though sometimes difficult to get through, is done to make you feel better! Hiring a Personal Trainer is a smart and honest move for people that understand they aren't going to go the distance on their own. So I wonder: Why hire some...

I say something to my Personal Training clients that I always said to myself and still do: "Don't make this whole weight loss thing bigger than what it is(excuse the pun). In fact, don't make most things going on in your life bigger than you! Put everything that is going on in your life in the correct place and order; from the issues that are out of your control to what can be done right now to make your life better. No one can tell you what is the most important issue, because what might be a problem for me, might seem like a non-issue to you, and this is why you have to sit quietly and go over your priority list. I try not to say write a "Problem List" I use the word priority instead; it is way more positive and why turn it negative if we don't have to? So, sit and write your priority list, once you have finished, look and see what is number 1, is it your health?  9 out of 10 times, for most of us, it isn't. The list usually goes like this: 1. Pay car/h...

As a Personal Trainer you will have all types of clients and hopefully you will at least like most of them. But there are those clients that stand out and insert themselves into your heart without you looking, Patrick is one of those clients for me. Patrick is a tall, gangling young man who happens to be Autistic. His observations on Life and weight loss are simple and direct. I call them: The Patrick Rules- Eating too much candy will Kill you, especially chocolate. Now mind you, Patrick loves chocolate. Rated R movies shouldn't be watched, because you never know what you are going to get. His words exactly. Don't be mean or grouchy, it will steal smiles. Patrick works hard and he is steadfast. He never complains! And I love how he will say to me, when something is new for him and a little bit difficult " Dawn, this is challenging, but I have faith in Me, I can do it." Wow. Patrick is also his own "hype man" whenever he does well, he will say to himself, ...