We were lucky to catch up with Jennifer Shaver recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, thanks for joining us today. One of our favorite things to hear about is stories around the nicest thing someone has done for someone else – what’s the nicest thing someone has ever done for you?

The kindest thing anyone can do for a small business is a referral. Whenever a client refers my program to someone that is a gift I am thankful for. It means they took the time and think highly enough about my work to tell their friends, family and associates. This is something that costs them nothing, but means the world to me. It is the highest form of compliment and is appreciated beyond measure. Simple things such as sharing my social media posts with friends to read is something else I appreciate greatly from those that might not be in the position to purchase from me now but are looking for ways to support me. I try to keep this in mind with other small businesses out there to support them.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a midlife women’s fitness coach. I am the creator of the Strong for Life at home strength training program for the time crunched woman. I am also the host of the Fit News podcast. I am a former middle school Spanish teacher who after 18 years of being a stay at home mom combined my love of teaching and love for health and wellness and married the two fields. I now spend my time helping the midlife woman learn how to create time to take care of herself so that she can age successfully. My at home program was developed to help busy ladies who have marked themselves of the to do list for so many years, put themselves back on the list so that she can continue to live her best life as she ages. My workouts are practical, efficient and effective without taking up too much time or crazy movements like burpees. I spent many years as a marathon runner who was always injured and always doing cardio. I was constantly skipping the strength training, because I thought it was boring or it wasn’t burning all the calories on the FitBit. When I finally made strength training a priority not only was I able to run faster as I grew older, I was able to run more consistently as I was preparing my body properly. You don’t have to be an endurance athlete to need strength training either. As we age we are losing muscle. Life itself is an endurance sport, if we fail to prepare our bodies for it we must be prepared to be frail. I have embraced all the positives that strength training has brought into my life such as more energy, decreased the perimenopause/ menopause symptoms and strength to do the things I enjoy along with life’s every day activities without pain. I have learned it doesn’t take hours in the gym it just takes consistency and this has helped me to feel so much better as I age. Aging in mandatory, frailty is not. I enjoy helping women learn that their best is yet to come as they prepare their bodies to age successfully by keeping them strong. My Strong for Life program has helped women realize that aging isn’t something to be feared or hated but rather embraced and conquered. The program has helped women get strong from the comfort of their homes on their time schedule so that they can feel their best daily.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

For 18 years I was a stay at home mom. I cherish my time I was able to have with my kids. I enjoyed many years of volunteering in their classrooms and countless field trips. In 2020 when the world shut down and kid sporting events came to a halt I knew it was my turn to start my next adventure. Without weekends and evenings at the track or soccer field I had time to focus on my next step as 2 of my kids were about to graduate in the next 2 years. I decided to take my love of fitness and combine it with my love of teaching as a former teacher. I went from teaching middle school students Spanish years ago to teaching midlife women how to take care of their health. I enjoy working with both groups as different as they are, but have found this next chapter very fulfilling. I have a background in education, not business so starting my own online fitness business has brought it’s own challenges. I have no degree in marketing or social media or accounting. I spent several months preparing for a NASM certification test along with various other certifications. I have learned many lessons along the way of things to do and not do. My brand continues evolve as I do. I am pursuing a Master’s degree in Health Education and Behavior through University of Florida. I believe in the importance of professional and personal growth no matter what age. I can say with certainty that this was a chapter of life I had not planned, but I am happy I took the leap of faith, followed my passion and started this next adventure.

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

I think it is important to make a personal connection with my clients. It is through these connections that I am able to gain greater insight into what keeps them moving towards their goals. While my program is not 1:1 personal training, I am always available to my clients to help guide and support them in their journey. I love hearing their stories, their why’s and what their goals are. While we are all from various backgrounds and have many differences, we also share so many of the same trials and tribulations with each other as midlife women. Being able to help other women through this time when our bodies are changing and what used to work isn’t working involves a sense of unity as we are all in this aging journey together.

Contact Info:

• Website: strongforlifefitness.com
• Instagram: Fitwithshaver
• Facebook: Fit With Shaver
• Linkedin: Jennifer (Fit with Shaver) Shaver
• Youtube: @fitwithshaver1974

Image Credits
photo 1,2,5 Sharon Lewis photo 3 Will Hawkins Photo 4,6 Snappy Goode