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

Julia , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned while working at a prior job?

When I completed college I headed out west to California to pursue my career as a dancer. In order to survive I of course needed a steady income to support myself. I obtained my first job as a personal trainer in which I was the only trainer in the facility at the time, the facility was called Gorgeous Women’s Fitness and it really threw me into the fire of how to train women. Not only one at a time but multiple women at once with individual workouts. I had to learn extremely quickly almost expedited learning. This way of getting to know this business really taught me how to think quick and on my toes while also perfecting the art of training different bodies. From there I was hired on at a gym named Atomic Boxing. Here is where I was able to learn martial arts in which I still practice and teach today. I was able to take it as far as fighting in Mexico. Learning martial arts was not the only benefit of this job position. I was hired on as the Manager and I was able to truly learn the art of sales and how to sell gym memberships. The owner of the facility taught me everything I needed to know about sales and how to truly sell health. I am forever grateful to both of these gyms as they really got me started in this industry and I am now able to apply all of this knowledge to my businesses. Knowing and mastering both your craft and how to sell your craft is essential in the business of health and wellness.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

From a very young age I was already into the art of concentration and discipline. I started as a dancer at the age of five but began dancing professionally at the age of fourteen. I graduated from the University of Iowa with my BFA in Dance and took my knowledge to California to pursue this field of art. There, I was able to perform in many venues as well as present my own choreographic work. I have always been about the process more than the product, so the development of each piece was more important to me than what landed on the stage. This rolls over into everything that I have done in that if a person cannot enjoy the process, they are missing the point. The joy is in the work in its totality. While in California and in my years in college I have also always been into the field of nutrition, sports nutrition, overall health and training the body. In college I started dabbling in personal training, but it was not until California that I pursued helping others maintain a healthy lifestyle in the arena of physical, mental, and spiritual. Dance in general has aided every facet of my life including personal training. To be able to watch movement on another person in such a way that benefits their overall life and wellbeing can uplift your whole existence and give you purpose to pursue more acts of aiding humanity. Once I was more developed in a career of personal training, I was able to venture out and seek more and more knowledge in this field of study. My life has long been about studying everything I possibly can to get the answers that most seek. I landed a position at a kickboxing facility, and I fell in love with the art and science of fighting. I am the type of person who goes all in, so I wanted to know everything about the martial arts including several forms of this discipline. I ultimately saw kickboxing as a form of aggressive dancing. Such a beautiful movement with so much grit. I have been and am still invested in kickboxing, boxing, and muay thai for over fifteen years. As with dancing, martial arts can train a person in discipline, concentration, persistence, and resiliency. A coach of mine always used to tell me “As in boxing, so is life”, he was completely correct in this. When one goes deep into the discipline of martial arts a spiritual experience starts to happen. This facility also taught me how to master the art of sales which benefits me to this day in my business. While in California and ultimately seeking my purpose, I got deeply intertwined into spiritual studies and understanding higher principles of life. I fully started to embrace meditation and the practice of asana or yoga. Yogasana was yet another form of movement that encouraged discipline and the mind and body connection. This practice is what led me to go back to school and get my masters in Ayurvedic Medicine. Understanding health is one thing, but understanding the bioenergetic field of each unique individual is on a whole other level. Ayurveda is a 5,000-year-old medicine with roots in discipline of lifestyle, dietary, herbals, yoga, pranayama (breath work), and aiding in disease pathology. Here again giving focus to a knowledge that teaches discipline and concentration. During the rest of my years in California I was able to teach this medicine through starting my own practice, The Practice: An Ayurvedic and Healing Company and continued to aid people in choosing healthier habits and moving their bodies in ways that will benefit them to their core both in a gym setting and in personal setting. My life took a shift when I met the love of my life, and I made a move to Las Vegas. Not much changed in my career pathway once I moved because once you have a true love and passion for something it just continues to flourish in you no matter where you are. While in Las Vegas I pursued my certification in Yoga and completed my 500-RYT training. I was also working on deeper studies of Ayurveda and completed a specialty in Ayurvedic Obstetrics and Gynecology. In Las Vegas I did teach in another martial arts studio, but I was also honored to teach the United States Airforce PJs or Pararescue Yoga. I also continued to manage my own Ayurvedic practice to which I transferred from LA and also trained people privately out of my facility. For learning new knowledge in Las Vegas, I am one to always seek out more information. I had been in the field of personal training, holistics, and martial arts for some time and wanted to try something new. I decided to take my weightlifting to another level and compete in a bodybuilding competition. I ended up competing in Jay Cutler’s NPC Classic and did rather well. It was just a thrill to take a year out of my life and fully commit to training in a way that most would never even try. A big philosophy of mine is, if I am going to teach it to you, I better know it well myself. Practice what you preach. My husband and I were also able to travel to India and see the country of which Yoga and Ayurveda came from. It was a beautiful eye-opening experience. As of now my husband and I have since moved from Las Vegas to Missouri where we are finding a life of peace and quiet. Prior to leaving Las Vegas, I had one more thing that I truly wanted to do and that was get in a ring and fight. I had the honor to work with Librado Andrade who was a professional boxer and a master of his craft. He brought me to Tijuana, Mexico in which he allowed me to get in the ring. It was one of the most invigorating experiences of my life. What he taught me was priceless and I will always be in such gratitude to his teachings not only in boxing but spiritually. Here in Missouri, I have already started my footing here by competing in my second NPC bodybuilding competition and have opened my gym ‘W’holeistic Athletics of which I have made a private facility only offering personal training in bodybuilding, sports specific training, flexibility, balance, functional movement, boxing, kickboxing, yoga, and barre method work. I also have my own yoga studio on the property of which I give Satsang every Thursday evening. My business The Practice: An Ayurvedic and Healing Company is thriving here. I am currently in my studies for my Doctorate for Naturopathic Animal Science so that I may aid the farms for better production through the soil and through the overall well-being of the animals we raise. I only wish to take the knowledge I have acquire and aid as many as I possibly can. I am a lifelong learner and I take what I learn and pass it to anyone who is willing to listen. I believe life is all about growing and moving into a divine connection with the creator and the whole. There are no limits to what a person can accomplish. As long as one moves into deep concentration and sets their mind on what they want to accomplish without any need of attachment of the fruit, the discipline will develop to thrive in the process and ultimately obtain what is sought. Be humble in your pursuit.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resiliency has been a chosen word I have utilized often. In every area of my growing pathway I have always been met with challenges. When you are in the industry of sports there are always nay sayers and people that will never support you no matter how great or intelligent you become. It is too often that others will try and take you down before they are willing to build you up and cheer you on. I have learned as a coach that though I must be purposeful in training for my client, all people need to hear a compliment or a nudge of encouragement. It is a journey, not a competition. When you get knocked down though it is always important to stand back up and fight for what you want. You must be resilient in the pursuit of the mastering of your life. My life handed me many challenging situations from loss to abuse and each time I took from those situations lessons on how I wanted to be treated, how I wanted to live my life and how I wanted to treat others. No matter how challenging life can get, when one chooses to see the lesson and learn from it they will always rise. This takes grit, humility, determination, concentration, discipline and resiliency. In any form of challenge it is best to use that as fuel on the fire to work even harder towards the goals you’ve set. Taking note that nothing can knock you down.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

When running a gym and a holistic practice it is all about rapport and letting the client understand how much you care for them. This is quite easy for me as I love what I do, I practice what I preach, and I absolutely love to share wisdom. One of the most beautiful gifts you can share with another person is the gift of wisdom. When you invest time in learning and you share what you have learned and others enjoy what you have to offer then acquiring new clients becomes rather easy through word of mouth. The integrity you hold and standing firmly in your principles helps clients know that what you speak is truthful and honest to you and the best of your abilities. I also find social media to be a good avenue of clientele if your utilizing it as a platform for business. Ultimately in my industry you are selling yourself so holding true to your knowledge and commitment of lifestyle speaks volumes. Leading by example and allowing people to ask questions and engage is always helpful in engaging an audience for business. My clients have mainly come from referrals, I do not do much advertising other than giving knowledge on different principles in training, health, and all other modalities I have deep knowledge in. Invest in knowledge, share what you know, be inspired and enthusiastic about what you have to offer, and people will come.

Contact Info:

• Website: ThePract.com
• Instagram: @Thepractice_Ayurveda
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePract/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/julia-katcher-persike-68a26a161
• Twitter: @ThePractice_AYU
• Other: Instagram: @whole.istic_athletics Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whole.istic.athletics/