IDEAfit Pro Show

We are once again lucky to have the multi-talented Kia Williams, the 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, as guest host for the podcast! Today, Kia talks with Chris Stevenson and Steven Trotter, two big picture thinkers and leaders in the fitness industry. They have a new book coming out that provides a step-by-step roadmap on how to launch, operate and be a successful fitness business owner....

Today on the guest mic, we have the multi-talented Kia Williams, the 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, hosting Maricris Lapaix, who was a 2022 finalist for IDEA’s brand-new Emerging Trailblazer of the Year Award. Known globally as “The Traveling Trainer,” Maricris tapped into her dual loves of globetrotting and fitness to create a business model that reflects ALL the possibilities fit pros...

Today our sensational guest host Kia Williams, 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, has the mic again. In this episode, she welcomes Alessandro Pisanu, who was a 2022 finalist for IDEA’s brand-new Emerging Trailblazer of the Year award. This man’s journey to international recognition began in his college dorm room when COVID first broke out in Italy—and he’s been a star on the rise ever since...

Today, guest host Kia Williams, 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, has the mic. She welcomes Dr. Darian Parker, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, who earned his doctorate in sports education leadership with an emphasis on behavior modification from the University of Nevada–Las Vegas. In their conversation, Kia and Dr. D explore many topics important to contemporary fitness pros as viewed...

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 4 of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW! Today IDEA welcomes 2022 IDEA Emerging Trailblazer of the Year, Lacee Green. Lacee, also known as “The Curvy Girl Trainer,” delivers high energy, a great career story and—I think you’ll agree—one of THE best feel-good laughs you’ll ever hear!   Though she has been making impact in the fitness industry for some time, her star truly b...

Today on the IDEAfit PRO SHOW we skip across the pond to the UK via Zoom to speak with fitness pro and international educator Joanne Groves.      Joanne has been in the industry for over 26 years. She built and runs Female Fitness Trainer, a membership group that features over a 100 hours of workshops, interviews, podcasts, with a thriving supportive community of nearly 4,000 trainers, all pr...

Today on the IDEAfit PRO SHOW we welcome Anthony Carey, MA, CSCS, to the show.   Anthony holds a master’s degree in biomechanics and athletic training and is recognized internationally as a leading expert on biomechanics, corrective exercise, functional anatomy and motor control, and their relationships to musculoskeletal pain and function.    Founded in 1994, his company...

Welcome to SEASON 4, episode #1 of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW! Today we welcome 2022 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, Dr. Rick Richey. Rick has been in the fitness industry since 2002 in various roles, including certified personal trainer, training manager, educator, orthopedic massage therapist, college and university professor, industry presenter, as well as a subject matter expert and talent for fi...

Incredibly, we are just two weeks out from IDEA World Convention, our first in-person World event since 2019! Today, we huddle with two of her teammates—IDEA’s new owner and CEO Amy Thompson, and Steve Roth, our veteran sales manager. They describe all of the exciting things that will be happening in the IDEA World Fitness & Nutrition Expo on July 29-30 in Las Vegas. The Expo gives fitnes...

On this episode of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW, we have the pleasure of catching up with Krista Popowych, a seasoned fitness leader who has inspired instructors, personal trainers and managers around the globe with her motivating sessions and unique perspective. She is the 2014 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year and a 3-time canfitpro Canadian Fitness Presenter of the year. Krista is Keiser’s global dir...

On this episode of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW, guest host Kia Williams chats with two of our incredible fitness colleagues, Nikki Snow and Rachael Babiracki about what it means to PHIT in, detailing radical and unique self-acceptance in the fitness world. Listeners will also get a glimpse of what they’ll be presenting regarding truly inclusive fitness at the upcoming IDEA World Convention, July 20-24 in...

On today’s episode, the IDEAfit Pro Show digs in with Greg Johnson, MS, CSCS, owner of Varimax Fitness in Sacramento, CA. His company's client retention rate of 85-95% would be impressive during normal times, but during pandemic when so many pros have struggled with basic survival, it’s an incredibly significant stat. Today, we’ll find out how he does it and also learn more about his upcoming IDEA...

On this episode, guest host Kia Williams has an encouraging conversation with Fitness Class Director, Ingrid Knight-Cohee, MSc. Ingrid details her unique fitness career journey and her 2022 IDEA World session, “Format Formulas," which is directed towards managers/programmers seeking that "special sauce" to bring people back to their services post shutdowns.   Ingrid has over 25 years of...

On this episode of the IDEA FitPro show podcast, guest host Kia Williams shares a conversation with the incomparable Sadie Nardini on her very unique and creative career journey, and her innovative business approach for maximizing her time and creating a subscription-based studio that not only rocks—but sells!   Sadie spent 20 years in anatomy nerd land, so end users can get better, safer res...

In this episode, guest host Ryan Halvorson chats with Michelle Segar, who is an award-winning National Institute of Health-funded researcher at the University of Michigan. She has spent her nearly 30-year career studying how to create sustainable changes in healthy behaviors in ways that can survive the complexity and unpredictability of the real world. Her translational research is widely recogni...

On this episode of the IDEA FitPro show podcast, guest host Kia Williams chats with Billy Polson on his forthcoming 2022 IDEA World presentation, “A Concierge Program to Beat All Sales Tactics.” It’s a genuine way to boost fitness business acquisition rates and outperform “greasy” sales tactics.      Billy Polson is an established performance coach and fitness entrepreneur. He has a prov...

In this episode, the IDEAfit Pro Show chats with Kia Williams, who, among many roles in the industry, is the full-time studio manager for Life Time, Inc, in Chicago. Kia earned her master’s degree in Sports Management, and applies it across a wide variety of leadership roles in the industry, including as a global education presenter for Savvier Fitness, Barre Above, Balletone and Fluid Strength. S...

On this episode, the IDEAfit Pro Show talks with IDEA’s GM & VP Amy Thompson and Event Programming Director Ryan Halvorson about the upcoming 2022 IDEA World Convention, July 20-24, in Las Vegas. They’ll share the inside track about what’s in store for the “Super Bowl” of fitness, the excitement of the Fitness and Nutrition Expo, and all the special events planned to celebrate being back...

Today on the podcast, the IDEAfit Pro Show visits with Maria Luque, PhD, who is a fitness expert, health science professor, self-proclaimed “menopause nerd,” and busy mother passionate about sharing knowledge and helping women lead healthier, happier lives.  She’s the creator of Fitness in Menopause , a company dedicated to helping women navigate the challenges and rewards of menopause. She c...

In this episode, the IDEAfit Pro Show chats with Tasha Edwards, whose 17 years as a certified personal trainer with two health coaching certifications and a Master’s degree in counseling have positively impacted the humans she works with every day. In addition to coaching clients toward meaningful change, she has several fitness certifications, including a 500-hour Pilates cert, a 250-hour yoga ce...

In this episode, the IDEAfit Pro Show chats with Dina Blair about the importance of being a well-rounded business person in the fitness industry. Dina is an experienced fitness business consultant with a proven track record of coaching and leading teams to exceed monthly sales initiatives and improve the overall client experience through high-touch service and comprehensive programs. She is a...

For those with autism, exercise goes beyond the health-related benefits. Today’s episode features David Geslak, a published author and subject matter expert who is passionate about educating fit pros about the benefits of exercise for people with autism.  The expanding research reveals that exercise can increase attention span, reduce stress, enhance language development and reduce stereotypi...

Feeling challenged as a fit pro in the evolving hybrid fitness model for which virtual engagement has become so key? In this episode we speak with Michelle Alencar, PhD, who is an associate professor in kinesiology at California State University - Long Beach, who also serves as co-founder and Chief Science Officer for inHealth Lifestyle Therapeutics, Inc. She is a certified clinical nutritionist,...

In this episode the IDEAfit Pro Show speaks with mindful movement specialist and extraordinary human being, Lawrence Biscontini. As a fitness leader, Lawrence has won major awards across the global fitness industry from IDEA (2004 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year) , ACE, Canfitpro and ECA.  He travels the globe offering world-class secrets in mentoring, fitness and spa consulting, and pres...

In this episode, the IDEAfit Pro Show speaks with Mindbody CEO Josh McCarter. Josh joined the Mindbody team in 2018 following the company’s acquisition of Booker, which he co-founded, and was elevated from president to CEO of Mindbody in August 2020. In October 2021, Mindbody acquired ClassPass in a massive deal that brought together two of the sector’s most prominent leaders, creating a one-stop...