We recently connected with Michelle Sadowitz- Duncan and have shared our conversation below.

Michelle, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Was there a moment in your career that meaningfully altered your trajectory? If so, we’d love to hear the backstory.

I had grown up always liking sports and physical activity, I was also a bit of a nerd and liked science and particularly enjoyed anatomy and physiology. Unfortunately, growing up I did struggle with an eating disorder, and had a skewed view of what health and fitness was. I grew up in Japan, and as an American girl living in a society where the beauty standard is to be stick thin, and constantly being aware that I looked different definitely played a role in my behaviors. I also wanted to play sports in high school and college and so from a young age I had the idea that I just needed to loose weight and be able to exercise a lot, the way I went about it was to starve myself and exercise 3-4 hours every single day and over time I had a lot of health issues and frequently got sick. At my lowest I was 17 years old, 5 foot 3 inches and 84 pounds which is very very thin.Fast forward a few years and I slowly was able to work past these issues and I ended up pursuing a degree in Athletic Training and as I learned more and more about the human body, nutrition, and exercise I started to have a mindset shift of what it truly meant to be healthy and fit. That transition that happened in my own life and the physical transformation I had really inspired me to pursue a career that I enjoy learning about constantly but also a career in which I can help people transform their lives through their health. Through Personal Training I have an opportunity to meet people where they are at, help encourage, educate, and motivate them to make changes that will impact their health for the better. Health is wealth and I truly believe that.

Michelle, 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?

The main goal that I have with my job is just to help people reach their health and fitness goals whatever that might be in a way that is fun but effective, challenging, and science backed way. There are a lot of exercises and fitness programs out their but many times people are doing things that are not the best fit for them or something that is not done in a smart way often leaving people unfulfilled, not meeting their training, performance or physique goals. Through my educational background in Athletic Training, Exercise Physiology, Clinical Nutrition I hope to provide a well rounded approach to every clients training and nutrition.

In my personal training business, I strive to create a strong, supportive community that makes each client feel valued and understood. I believe that real progress happens in a one-on-one setting, where clients can focus on their unique goals, challenges, and strengths. By taking the time to truly listen, I build relationships that go beyond fitness alone, showing each client that I genuinely care about their journey. My goal is to foster a positive environment where clients feel motivated and empowered, knowing they have a trainer who is fully invested in their success.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I started of working as a personal trainer fresh out of college and was just gaining more experience and studying a lot during that time. I never really had intentions of ever starting my own business but after several years of training, the opportunity presented itself for me to start my own business. I was a bit uncertain how I would get client’s but I took the leap and although owning a business has it’s own unique challenges, it has been so rewarding and I absolutely love who i get to work with.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

If you can’t manage a little, you can’t manage a lot. There are times when personal training is slow and you may not have very many clients and it can be a bit stressful but by focusing on delivering the best experience to the few you do have goals along way, and many of my clients have been referrals and through others sharing their experience. Whatever I do whether it is on a small scale or large scale needs to be done with equal care and effort and that is what i think has helped me to succeed and grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.meeshmovestraining.com/
• Instagram: meesh_moves
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCI0iLKeXyhszZ5fc36CEKTQ

Image Credits

photographer – David Jofre

https://www.instagram.com/davidmjofre/