Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elis Bradshaw. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Elis, thanks for joining us today. How’s you first get into your field – what was your first job in this field?

I came to the fitness industry via the back roads. I was not active as child or teen (I played in jazz band and edited my high school literary magazine), and it never crossed my mind that I would do anything physical as either a job or a hobby. Then, during my second year of college, I started dating a cyclist. They borrowed a friend’s bike and took me out for a ride; it was terrible! I was beyond out of shape, had to stop several times, and walked my bike up all the hills. At the end of the ride, I cried.

I wasn’t a natural cyclist, but I’ve always been determined, and there was no way I was going to let that awful ride win. So I kept going out for rides, and I did get better. I really enjoyed twisty descents, so I had to get better at climbing hills. Two years later, I entered my first race, and the year after that I joined my first cycling team. One of my teammates ran a racing series for beginner women, and I took over as series director when she wanted to move on. That led to being offered a role mentoring beginner women’s fields by riding with them during their races and coaching before, during, and after. I now think of that mentor role as my first coaching job.

After I retired from bike racing, I took up Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing). Once again, I soon took on a mentoring role with new students and held classes when the lead instructor was out of town. My Muay Thai teacher, Kewesi Simon, was and is my primary mentor, and he’s the person who made me realize that I kept finding mentorship and coaching roles not because I was lucky, but because I was a good coach.

After mentoring and coaching in those roles for almost ten years, I finally took my NASM test to officially become a personal trainer. I passed my test in the middle of a cross-country move, and I was hired for my first official job as a personal trainer at the YMCA in my new city, Minneapolis. I knew that I preferred to work in environments that felt like everyone was part of a community, and the Y was a great fit for that. My colleagues were absolutely the best, and I learned a lot about working in a true gym environment from all of them. I really can’t think of a better first official training job!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Ultimately I wanted to coach people because I spent a long time feeling like physical activity was something for everyone else, not me, and I thought I could help folks who felt the same way to feel more welcome. My elevator intro is that I’m here to help people who have been under-served by a sometimes-toxic fitness industry.

To do that, I’ve done my best to be client-centered, stay up on inclusive training practices (trauma-informed training, HAES principles, learning from folks who are knowledgeable about challenges like hypermobility & PCOS, etc.). I love how much folks are sharing their experiences so that we as an industry can do better!

Since 2020 I’ve been working with individuals and pairs, virtually and in-person in a private gym space. Having strong relationships with my clients is really important to me, and having a private space really helps build trust and rapport. I occasionally teach self-defense seminars for smaller groups, too. Ultimately I’m most proud of the way that my clients see our work move beyond the gym and into their lives. They get physically stronger, of course, but they also get more confident, more kind to themselves, and more able to participate in their lives (in a whole lot of ways). It’s pretty great to be a part of changes like that.

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

Empathy. First and foremost, you have to understand that you’re there to serve the people you are working with. The most perfectly planned workout won’t do any good if you haven’t listened to your client about what they need, what they enjoy doing, and how they are feeling that day.

It’s easy to get caught up in the details of the workout, and forget about the person who will be doing the workout. But it’s the person that matters most.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Honestly, I think that not trying to fit into a “personal trainer” mold has been one of my biggest strengths. I don’t look like I spend all my time working out (because I don’t!). I don’t assume that I know what’s best for anyone, or that I know why people want to work out.

I ask questions and make recommendations based on a combination of exercise science and my clients’ answers to those questions. I really think that meeting people as person first and a trainer second makes a huge difference.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.elisbradshaw.com
• Instagram: @just_elis
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/elisbradshaw

Image Credits
Danae Hudson (photos) & M.S. Harkness (comics)