We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Michelle Marshall a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear stories from your time in school/training/etc.

I graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Sports Management with an emphasis on exercise science. At that time my goal was to work in the sports management/business side and become the first female to run a professional football front office. Little did I know I would end up using my science classes such as biomechanics, exercise science, exercise physiology, and anatomy later in life. I worked for the Iowa State athletic office and 3 professional arena football teams in which I was surrounded by sports minded and motivated individuals day in and day out. This is ultimately what pushed me later in life to have the desire to help individuals push themselves to become the best version they can be. Being a four sport athlete in high school and two sport athlete in junior college has always assisted with my training experience along the way. I love to motivate and push my clients to be their best and this comes from myself always competing to be better. My first trainer that I worked under I learned a lot of resourceful information and from there I took my training into my own hands and studied the trends and I have continued to cultivate my strategies to allow my clients the best training experience they can receive in a positive and safe atmosphere.

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?

ABOUT MYSELF: I was born in Storm Lake, Iowa and graduated high school from Carroll High school in Carroll, Iowa. I attended Iowa Central Community college on an athletic scholarship where I played volleyball and basketball. Going to junior college for me was a great choice as I was to be honest a little immature to handle a bigger school and play athletics at the same time. I was able to play my two favorite sports and get my prerequisites out of the way. After graduating from Iowa Central I then transferred to Iowa State University and graduated with a Sports Management and Exercise Science degree. I worked in the Iowa State Athletic office for nearly three years and completed my internship at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in their athletic department. After college I worked for three professional arena football teams; Iowa Barnstomers, Chicago Rush and the Kansas City Brigade which ultimately landed me into being the General Manager with Ticketmaster overseeing the Kansas City market. During this time my office and myself were able to be a part of some amazing milestones with ticketing and sports in Kansas City. My staff and I assisted with the opening of the T-Mobile Center. My IT department did all the work for the ticketing scanners, we worked with promoters on their events and ticket royalties, we sold out 8 Garth Brook shows within minutes after he came out of retirement and of course the whole Miley Cyrus phenomenon. From these various positions I was alway surrounded by athletes, entertainers and people who are very motivated and disciplined to succeed. This is what ultimately led me to become a personal trainer and land in the fitness industry. I’m a very motivated and competitive person and I love to motivate individuals to push themselves and feel good about themselves each and every day. It’s my passion!

SERVICES I PROVIDE:

I coached big group classes for years and now I focus solely on individual and group training. This allows me to focus on the individuals more closely and assist with form and modifications. I specialize in strength training, High Intensity Interval Training along with nutrition.

WHAT SETS ME APART:

I’m very genuine. This industry can be a little tricky so being genuine and putting my clients first has always been a priority to me. I have been training clients for nearly 12 years and I’ve cultivated my strategies to not only provide the best results physically, but mentally as well. I coach both men and women along with all ages and fitness levels. I make everyone feel welcome whether they are 16 years old or 62, whether you can lift heavy or not, I welcome everyone. My training style has been consistent over the past 12 years. I don’t add in the new “sexy” movements. It’s the basics along with consistency that will get you the results you are seeking.

WHAT AM I MOST PROUD OF:

Being a mom of 3 boys and wife will always come first in my life. They are my everything. I’m proud that I have demonstrated the healthy and active lifestyle to my family, but also living life and finding balance and giving myself some grace. I’m also proud that I earned my pro card as a figure competitor and that my family was able to watch how intense I trained, but also the dedication with my nutrition. It’s intense and you have to be able to say no to a lot of things in life to succeed. Most people don’t realize how hard training for competitions is. I’ve had a lot of clients say they would like to train as if they were going to compete, but don’t want to step on stage and that’s not how it works that’s why it’s truly a small percentage of men and women that compete. It’s intense. You have to be ALL IN.

MAIN THING I WANT POTENTIAL CLIENTS/FOLLOWERS TO KNOW:

We all start as beginners. Don’t be intimidated and start NOW. It’s never too late. If you are unsure of what to do at the gym or where to start I’m here to tell you spending money on a personal trainer is the best investment you will make on yourself. Grab a friend and train together, you will be surprised how fun it can be and you will learn so much about yourself physically and mentally. I really want women over 30 to understand they need to focus on strength training (we all do) and not cardio. Cut back on the high intense workouts and slow things down with strength training. Think longevity, not in the moment. I’m always thinking about my body in the next 10-20 years. I want to stay strong and prevent osteoporosis. Lastly, don’t get caught up in how many calories you burn during a workout, how much you sweat or how sore you get after. That does not define a good workout and to remember your muscles grow while you’re sleeping and recovering outside of the gym while fueling them appropriately. You can’t out train a bad diet.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

In order to be successful in this industry you have to bring the total package. You need to be educated, genuine, motivating, dependable and dedicated to your clients by always putting them first. You have to be the total package so your clients can connect with you and have the utmost trust with your training and business. Stay ahead of the new trends, but cultivate your training to your style, don’t try to be someone else. I’m proud that I’ve kept my own training style and have never veered outside of what I believe in and coach to my clients.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Having gone through a major ownership change where I moved locations from a top-notch facility to a new location and that was challenging. Change can be hard. The layout of a gym and its flow can make or break a class in my opinion. Having a top-notch sound system, clean facility with working equipment is key to coincide with an excellent trainer who is knowledgeable, motivating, and fun. My clients have all been very patient and loyal to me and I appreciate that so much. The most challenging struggle to date has been covid. Once covid hit, clients ended up purchasing their own equipment and started working out from home and others have found different times that work into their schedules due to working from home. The last struggle which is something all small business owners will experience in this industry is competing with the big corporate gyms. I think it’s hard for people to understand that when trainers have their own fitness facility or lease space to run their business that we are also local small businesses trying to compete with the big gorillas out there, that this is our career and our life. Most trainers are not in the business to get rich but to instead change the lives of people and to me that’s priceless.

Contact Info:

• Website: marshall-fit.com
• Instagram: @marshall_fitkc
• Facebook: @MarshallFITKC
• Linkedin: Marshall FIT by Michelle Marshall
• Twitter: @MMarshallFIT