Yes You Can

What do you do when your master plan falls apart on day ten? If you're Mon Marczuk, you stay anyway. You figure it out. You go from fired Emirates cabin crew in a city where you know absolutely nobody, to building a four-year career as one of Dubai's most respected cycling and strength coaches — and then you leave all of it behind to go nomadic, because something in you knows it's t...

What do you do when the career you want keeps saying not yet? If you're Alicia Portelli, you open your own studio, close it when the universe makes it clear it's time, pack up your life and move to Singapore, build something beautiful there too, and then — nine years after first watching a coach on Instagram and thinking I want to work with that person someday — you move to New York and...

What do you do when your dream studio says no?  If you're Holland Scattergood, you email back, ask what it would take, go get the experience, and come back six months later — and now you co-own one of Arizona's most beloved cycling studios with a second location opening this summer. The plot twist? One of her co-founders is the person who originally said no. In this episode, Holland and...

Hot take: There’s no real argument about using themes as a fitness instructor. Themes aren’t a personality trait or a crutch. They’re a tool. In this episode, I break down why they work from a psychological perspective for both you, as the coach, and the people in your room. We unpack the fake conflict around themes in fitness and get practical: when they work, why they fill rooms, and how they he...

In this episode, Hannah pulls back the curtain on one of the most overlooked skills in group fitness: how to coach different types of learners in the room. Drawing from her dual career as an indoor cycling coach and a college instructor, she explains why some cues land instantly—and why others don’t. You’ll learn: Why coaching is more than cueing choreography How different learners absorb effort,...

In this heartfelt episode, I open up about coming out publicly at age 36—and how it’s transformed my life. Along the way, I chat about why I unapologetically repost older content, the shame I carried with me from childhood, and how discovering love later in life felt like the easiest, most natural thing. Through stories from DJing at gay clubs to repressed emotions in relationships, I unpack: What...

Tired of spending too much time on playlist prep? In this episode, I’m sharing my go-to hacks and tools to help you build high-energy, seamless playlists faster —so you can focus on what matters most: coaching an unforgettable class! Here’s what we’ll cover: ✨ Best platforms for finding extended remixes and high-energy tracks (goodbye, awkward song fades!). ✨ How to transfer playlists between Sp...

Ever wonder what it takes to become a lead instructor? Or- if you're a studio owner- how to hire one? In this episode, we discuss leadership in boutique fitness studios, including what it takes to be a successful lead instructor and how studio owners can identify and develop team leaders. Key topics include: ✨ Mistakes to avoid when promoting instructors to leadership roles. ✨ The top quali...

BLACK FRIDAY SALE ON NOW : 25% OFF ALL PROGRAMS, INCLUDING INSTRUCTOR MAGIC. Use code BLACKFRIDAY at checkout!  Ever wondered how some fitness instructors manage to fill their classes every single time and create raving communities of fans?  There are 5 Keys to Fitness Instructor Mastery: musicality, marketing, motivation, coaching & cueing, and mindset.  Inside this audio replay of my masterc...

Navigating life's toughest moments and still finding the strength to move forward and show up —how do we do it?  On this heartfelt episode of the Yes You Can podcast, I open up about the profound challenges I've faced over the past seven months, including my horse Finn's traumatic surgery and the sudden loss of dear friends, family, and finally putting my dog Pinky to rest this week...

Zack Schares is a fitness consultant and trainer who just embarked on a 38-city road trip tour of North American indoor cycling studios.  He is sharing his findings *exclusively* with all of you Yes You Can listeners on the common themes he heard while delivering soul-shaking classes and conducting workshops for instructors. We talk about: When choreography becomes performative What communities *a...

* INSTRUCTOR MAGIC IS NOW OPEN - USE code YESYOUCAN to get $50 off and enroll today!*  This real-talk episode might just be the thing you need to: Quit looking to SoundCloud for the *perfect* playlist  Spending hours scouring through your daily mixes Wondering what it will take to create a passionate community and raving following Basically... if you're ready to transform your fitness classes...

Ever said, "My studio doesn't promote me," or... "My instructors don't promote my studio"? In this episode, I share my experience with leadership, HR, managing expectations and marketing to address some of those icky but honest truths about whose responsibility it REALLY is to promote and fill classes, and how to do it well. I also talk about the Fit Pro Pay Transpare...

Ever wonder what group fitness instructors get paid?  Or... if what you're getting paid is "industry standard?"  To my knowledge, there's little-to-no information widely available on the average pay scales for instructors, coaches, or the junior-to-lead instructor promotion. In this episode, I'm opening up the conversation about pay transparency in our industry and start t...

Ever felt the sting of being called 'the easy instructor'? Or, on the other hand, "the hard" instructor? Whatever the label, taking feedback from someone who doesn't exactly vibe with your class format can feel hard, and it's come up multiple times in my Instructor Magic community. In this episode, we talk about what to do when this happens, what it means, how to adju...

Welcome to a quick, strategy-packed episode where I coach fitpros LIVE on how to electrify their  fitness classes and build an unbreakable community through coaching techniques! I've packed this quick session with golden nuggets from my "Five Keys to Fitness Instructor Mastery" webinar, where I reveal my tried-and-tested strategies for empowering your class participants to fully exp...

"Did we just become best friends?" Alexa Cawley is one of my favourite voices in the fitness and wellness space, full-stop.  From her role opening up the flagship Lululemon in NYC to overseeing 26 studios with SoulCycle as their Regional Marketing Manager, Alexa shares her journey in falling in love with fitness and wellness (despite failing gym class in high school) and the power of com...

WHAT A YEAR. In 2023 - the podcast grew beyond my wildest dreams with some of the BEST and most amazing guests... and we had the most amount of downloads, listens, and episodes published. In this wrap-up, I review those guests and the takeaways, along with my top list of "ins and outs": a. list of trends I'd love to see grow in the next year, and also, a list of things I'm read...

Have you ever stared at the podium and wondered, 'Could that be me?' In this episode, I share a bit on my road to the podium (rejection, canceled training groups, injuries) before claiming my spot on the podium, and now as a trainer and coach for other instructors! If you've felt a desire to lead group fitness classes and wonder what it takes, here's a quick episode with five s...

Ever feel like you're filling the silences in class with unnecessary catchphrases? Feel awkward when there's no cheering, so you overuse the call for energy? Not sure how your idol instructors feel comfortable without talking or coaching? This special Instructor Magic Launch Q&A  Excerpt/Episode is for you! This quick Q&A is pulled directly from my first webinar of the R9 launch...

Buckle up for an inspiring and captivating episode with Courtlyn Fazakas, creator of the Life on the Court platform, Wheelhouse Cycle Club Motivator, and an Instructor at PSYCLE London. With a deep-seated love for dance and fitness,  Courtlyn enlightens us on how these passions have shaped her career and her life. She also shares about her groundbreaking Life On the Court App, which combines cycli...

Creative Copycats, Plagiarism, and Drawing the Line Between Inspiration and Imitation as a Coach and Creator Have you ever felt the sting of seeing your original work, choreography, social media post or ideas taken or copied... without being given credit? Flat out: it sucks, and it can feel like you've been robbed of something. And in the realm of social media and online communities where con...

If you're dragging yourself to the studio (or your workplace) and have a deep feeling that you might be "done" with teaching... This episode is for you. In this quick, straight-to-the-point chat I dive into the sensitive topic of recognizing when it's time to make a change in your life, whether you're an indoor cycling instructor or anyone facing burnout and challenges. I...

Join us for an unfiltered and insightful 90-minute guest interview with the one and only Zack Schares from ZaxFit: a Global Fitness Consultant, Lululemon Ambassador, Triathlete, and founder of ZaxFit Indoor Cycling Certifications.   Get ready for some serious truth-telling as we delve into the depths of the fitness industry. 🎙️ Episode Highlights: Breaking Ground in Mexico: Zack's journey inc...

My take on Community > Competition in the Fitness Industry? Sometimes, it's bullshit. Stay with me: I don't think it should be. In fact, I think Community Over Competition is the thing that makes group fitness magic. It's what quiets the ego, centers our clients/riders, and lifts everyone up. It moves our entire industry forward and therefore helps more people have the lifechangi...