We recently connected with Desiree Bartlett and have shared our conversation below.

Desiree, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you share an important lesson you learned in a prior job that’s helped you in your career afterwards?

Several years ago I worked at a very well known yoga media and product company. I was originally contracted to do a yoga video series with them as on camera talent. During talks about the video series, we started talking about the presentation and production for the series and it was clear that they were excited about my new, fresh ideas. The following week, they offered me a job as an executive, and my video series was shelved as they thought that I would not be able to be both an executive, and on camera talent. I enjoyed working as an executive and learned a tremendous amount about yoga and fitness products and video production. Throughout my time at the company, a little voice in my heart kept telling me that I needed to get back to my dream of creating videos as talent. After a year, I knew it was time to leave and create my vision, and I was able to pursue my dreams with valuable experience behind the camera as well. The lessons from this experience were powerful and the two huge lessons that I learned were: 1.) Stay true to your dreams 2.) Leave room for learning and expanding your dreams

Desiree, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am originally from Chicago and studied ballet throughout my childhood. In a ballet class my freshman year of college, I hurt my knee and went to the campus doctor. The doctor let me know that my knee was OK, and that I needed to strengthen my quads. At that point I asked, “what’s a quad?” My doctor suggested that I check out the campus rec center. As fate would have it, that night I met 2nd place Ms. Olympia, Jackie Paisley. Jackie was an amazing bodybuilder that happened to have also studied ballet and she let me know that she could work with me as my personal trainer. My joke is that once I went into the gym, I never left. I changed my major from broadcasting to kinesiology (the study of movement), and then went on to get my master’s degree in corporate fitness. The pursuit of knowledge sparked a lifelong love of study and I went on to complete certifications in group fitness, advanced yoga, pre and post natal yoga and fitness, you name it! I now certify other instructors and I guest teach at the university level. One thing that sets me apart from others is that after 25 years of being out of school, I went back and I am now pursuing my doctoral degree in exercise science. I am passionate about applying my knowledge and sharing it with others, so that they can also experience the joy of movement in their own body. As a woman and a Mom, I am especially happy to teach movement that empowers women through all phases of life including the fertility journey, pregnancy, new motherhood, perimenopause, and menopause. To that end, I have starred in 10 DVD’s, I’m on camera talent for iFit, and have written 2 books, “Your Strong Sexy Pregnancy: a Yoga and Fitness Guide,” and “Total Body Beautiful: Secrets to Looking and Feeling Your Best After Age 35.”

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the emotional pattern of people pleasing, both in business and in my personal life. In my 20’s I twisted and turned myself inside out to try to be whomever the person that I was dating wanted me to be. In my 30’s I realized that was not healthy and stopped that pattern in my personal life, but it took much more growth and reflection to recognize that I had brought that same pattern into my business life. Once I finally identified my mission statement, it made making “no,” an act of self-love. I don’t know the exact percentage of folks born to families with addiction, but I would imagine that the number would be higher than any reported numbers anyway. People pleasing can be a remnant of that pattern and it can show up in the business arena. Recognizing the pattern and being honest about it can help to dissolve it one strong, “no thank you,” at a time.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

Other than extensive training, something that is extremely important for success in fitness & Yoga, is a heart for service. Creating safe space for people to experience movement often brings up a lot of emotions. Emotion is energy in motion and it is interesting to see, hear, and experience what tends to come up in different modalities. When teaching yoga, it is normal for a practitioner to have a deep emotional release, especially in hip openers (which is where we tend to store anger). During fitness sessions, I usually see/hear more processing work, meaning that it is normal for a client to process an entire life situation over the course of the hour, while moving. In meditation, I have held space for giggles, tears, and deep connection to all that is. This path is a gift and it is my privilege to hold space for others.

Contact Info:

• Website: desibartlett.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/mothersintolivingfit
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DesiBodyMind/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desi-bartlett-ms-cpt-eryt-a4457b6/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/desibartlett
• Youtube: youtube.com/desibartlett

Image Credits
The yoga pose laying down on the gold mat is by Mark Takamura The family photo is by Mark Takamura The picture of me seated in the black unitard is by Natiya Guin The 2 book covers are by Natiya Guin