We were lucky to catch up with Kerri Wilson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kerri, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your professional career?
I came into my first job after graduation as a part time fitness coordinator at our local senior center. When I walked in and saw a handful of people sitting in chairs doing arm circles, I realized that this wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. Within 2 weeks I had them standing, and more people started to come to classes out of curiosity from the extra noise. A new full-time position was created for me, and we soon outgrew that room. I created additional classes and petitioned to use the biggest space in the building for them. Soon, classes grew to over 40 active people over the age of 55, several times a day, Monday through Friday.
These seniors taught me SO much about life, joy, health, and the value of time. The director of the center and I were running the ship, doing it well. We were getting out in the community, showing them that life after retirement doesn’t have to be sitting in a chair waiting to die. I created an entire health and wellness program, rather than just a few fitness classes, that empowered these people to take their health into their own hands, that it was NOT too late, and that ultimately, what they did now would give them years later. Soon we even started seeing our seniors out in the wild, wearing brightly patterned leggings and coloring their hair with purple, blue, and pink! I would get excited on Sunday nights because I knew that the next morning I got to go to work and do it all over again.
When I met my now husband he joked that all my friends were 55 years and older. I truly loved what I was doing for and with them. Some of them did become friends (and still are). Some didn’t really appreciate my energy and changing things up, and that’s okay too. But they taught me so much about life, health, friendship, and the value of time.
When I was pregnant with my last baby, I taught classes right up to the point where my boss forced me to go into the doctor because she knew I was in labor (I was in denial). I came back from maternity leave and things were…different. I’ll spare the details, but essentially, I was pushed out of that job. After meeting with HR and realizing that things weren’t going to get better, I heartbreakingly began making my exit plan. It still stings a little when I think of what could have been, but I feel an enormous sense of pride seeing where the center has gone and knowing that I played a role in that…and it’s because the SENIORS saw the value in what I was promoting and demanded more for themselves.
What I learned was two major things: 1) You never know when your gig here on earth is up, so make the most of the time you have. Take care of your vessel so that you can enjoy as much as you can, but never live life so rigidly that you can’t experience the joy that life has to offer. and 2) Trusting that people see your vision and want you to succeed is okay, but know that at the end of the day, YOU are the one who will have to make things happen. Don’t be afraid to pivot, to change course, or even your dream. Reimagine your dream, play Tetris with it, and know that ultimately you are the puppet master.
Kerri, 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 grew up in an abusive household with very little examples of what a healthy lifestyle, relationship, or mindset looked like. After having my first two babies quite young, I had some pretty terrible habits. Soda was my main drink of choice after coffee with a LOT of creamer, lots of ultra processed foods, exercise was not in my vocabulary, and I was a smoker. At the age of 22 I had 2 young kids and with the second pregnancy I had developed gestational diabetes. I was my heaviest weight ever and diagnosed prediabetic. My doctor didn’t sugar coat anything and sent me to see a dietitian, again. After making a few very small changes, I saw the weight start to drop, my energy increased, and I got curious to learn more. In 2007/2008 I lost my job (like everyone else) and decided to enroll in school. 4 years later I earned my degree in exercise science.
Today I’m a mom of 6, YaYa of 3, wife, and business owner. I’ve worked with every age group, in group settings, individually, and in corporate wellness. I’ve chaired wellness committees, created and implemented wellness programs, With my personal history and education, I’ve landed on serving adults with chronic illness, helping them to manage their symptoms with realistic and sustainable lifestyle tweaks. Of course, I love helping people prevent chronic illness as well!
I feel protective of those of us in our industry who have done the work by getting intensive education and even more so of those of us who have a personal history of dis-ease. For me, that’s what sets me apart from the self-proclaimed health coaches. Knowing what life was like for three decades, plus the few years it took for me to earn my degree and how that affected my children, I am able to transfer that to my coaching practice with clients who have long histories of unhealthy lifestyle patterns without the fluff. Connecting with people on an authentic level, sitting on the bench beside them in empathy, and meeting them exactly where they are instead of putting together plans that are unrealistic, unsustainable, and disconnected is where I thrive.
Years ago I had a client who was elderly, living with congestive heart failure, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and generally sedentary. Their goal was to go on a bus trip to New York with their ten years younger spouse and be able to keep up. Working together we started with the tiniest of tweaks in their diet, eventually working up to more movement that they could tolerate, and with 80 pounds lost, they went on that trip and made memories that the spouse can now carry with them in their absence. These are the stories I love because there wasn’t a scale related goal; these are real life, meaningful goals that create a joyful experience on this earth.
I’m so proud of where I’ve come from, as strange as that may sound. When I tell my stories I often get “I’m so sorry that happened to you” type of comments, and while I understand them, I ask them not to feel that way. I sincerely believe that if I had had a “normal” childhood, I would have found a much different path in life, and the people who I’ve worked with wouldn’t have found their paths, and so on.
Live More operates on 5 Pillars; knowing your core values, shaping up your beliefs, firming up your support system, living in alignment with these, and then actively eating, sleeping, moving, and healing your body with intention and purpose. Let’s face it; most people kind of know that if they eat more vegetables, move their bodies, and get some more sleep, that the healing of their symptoms will start to happen. Although most of us know this, we tend to not do it anyway. Why is this?
I offer many different tools to guide you through this process. My a la carte services work well for a lot of people, as they can pick and choose what they need in the moment. They include one-on-one coaching, full body health testing done with a hair and saliva sample, sound therapy, PEMF healing, discounted supplements, and assisted stretching and exercises.
My main program is called The Live More Method, where clients enjoy all of the services, plus a bi-weekly workbook to work through those former beliefs and habits that are no longer working for you, to help guide you through the 5 Pillars to Live More, and to help guide you toward the new and improved beliefs and habits you want to create! I’ve seen clients lose excess fat, gain strength and flexibility, improve their ability to perform daily tasks, find new friendships, end toxic relationships, build support systems that are genuine, and eliminate the symptoms that brought them to me in the first place.
Something that potential clients should know about me is that I absolutely do not judge. If you come to me and you’re afraid to cry, to get vulnerable, to be honest, I can smell that a mile away and will hold space for you until you’re ready to be real. I’ve been in that chair, and can completely related to how scary it feels to trust someone with your deepest, darkest insecurities. It isn’t my style to shame, and I’m definitely not the coach who will get in your face and yell at you to keep going. You’ll find me on the floor next to you, talking you through whatever it is that’s holding you back from continuing, and then encouraging you when I can see that you’re ready for the next step.
Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?
There are a few books that I’ve found much value in reading. “The Go-Giver” by Bob Burg and John David Mann shares how giving of yourself without expecting anything in return can actually help you be even more successful. I’ve read it a few times now and I take something new away from it. Giving without expectation is a difficult lesson for most of us to learn! I’ve just finished “Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy” by Greg Dinkin and Patrick Bet-David, and there is SO much to hear, both for entrepreneurs and anyone in leadership roles (of which I’ve held before and hope to again). Highly recommend!
Most importantly, I’ve been deeply touched by “Courage to Change: One Day at a Time”, an Al-Anon book. For decades I spent my time surrounded by addicts, as I too engaged in that lifestyle. As I started to back off on my substance abuse I realized that those relationships were getting harder and harder to live with. A kind woman I met in AA shared this book with me, and again, it was another hard pill to swallow. Learning how I was contributing to those toxic patterns was beyond beneficial in my personal life, but also my professional life. It allowed me to see what changes I needed to make for my own life, and I truly believe that if I had not taken those steps, I wouldn’t be here today.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
Look, I know I mentioned that I was proud of my education and training, but I sincerely believe that succeeding in this field requires some pretty thick skin. The health and wellness field can feel real slimy, pretty often. There is a ton of misinformation, shaming language, and generally toxic language that serves no one besides the one talking. I find that finding a nice balance of authenticity, education, personal connection, and knowing exactly who you are and what you stand for is what will get you where you want to go.
Personally, I’ve shifted my idea of success several times. There have been times where I would have measured with income and assets. I’ve measured success with social media likes and followers. But what feels best for me is seeing those lightbulb moments with clients, when something in them clicks and they start making those micro tweaks that add up to macro tweaks in the end. For instance, we work a LOT on language and the power of it. When a client comes to me they often use words like “good” and “bad” when talking about food and themselves. They’ll say something like, “I was really bad this weekend and ate XYZ.” Then a few sessions later they might start to say something similar, but they’ll catch themselves and raise their vibration with something like, “I had a piece of cake at my niece’s birthday party, but I also planned for it and let myself enjoy it.” THAT is success to me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://livemorewithkerri.com
- Instagram: @livemorewithkerri
- Facebook: Live More with Kerri
- Linkedin: Kerri Wilson
