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

Mindy, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

I had just moved back to CA from NYC in the early 80’s. My career goal was to become an actress in NYC but that had turned out harder then I had thought. My family lived in CA so my plan was to come home to safety, regroup, and plan my future. I immediately got a part time gig at a local theater company and was acting which I loved but it wasn’t quite paying the bills. I was also an avid exerciser. Back then there was no formalized fitness classes as there are now so I ran and lifted weights at a local racquet ball court. I started following a women named jonie Greggins who was on early morning TV leading “aerobics” and fell in love. (a few years late I was actually on her show but that is a different story). I thought that teaching aerobics would be a great gig for me. I loved teaching in general and I loved exercising. But again there were no aerobic studios or gyms that had this new word “Aerobics” so I thought well I better educate the racquet ball court.
I walked into the gym armed with a boom box and sneakers and asked the front desk if they had “aerobics” . “What is aerobics” they replied. “Well give me a racquet ball court 4 times a day and I will show you. And that is how my fitness career started. The gym built me a small stage at one end of the racquet ball court and I filled that room at 6am, noon, five and six at night. I went on the win the most best fitness instructor in the San Francisco bay area and we but Aerobics on the map.

Mindy, 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?

My greatest quality is not following trends but creating them. After helping to launch the fitness industry in the SF bay area I went on to win the national and world aerobic championships. This opened the door to so much opportunity. I signed with a weighted jump rope company and created the first weighted jump rope program . Then came my Gliding Discs, followed by Tabata Bootcamp, and now MyFiit and SASS. I am not afraid to take risks and venture down uncharted paths. My husband quit his job to join me in business 20+ years ago and we created FitFlix productions because I was shooting fitness videos for with other production companies but I thought that I could do the same and actually better. Around 2010 Bruce (my husband) and I became very aware of the disconnect between wellness and the relationship to food so we redirected our career to focusing on nutrition and wellness as well as fitness. We moved into a 32 foot RV – the wellness wagon – and started the nonprofit One Day to Wellness. We toured all over the world lecturing on evidence based nutrition, fitness, and wellness. I wrote a book The Plant Powered Penis and we are now lecturing, teaching cooking classes, and creating

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

This is an easy one – Always stay one step ahead and don’t be afraid to think outside the box. And know that you will not be everyones cup of tea and that is okay. Also vanilla is not a standout flavor. Choose a standout flavor to have your personality shine through. Be that standout that people remember because you helped create positive change. Be that person who moved the dial. This is how I live everyday

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My current business partner is amazing at everything that i am not good at. We both shine a light on each others strengths and together we create magic. And we are in this business to first and foremost produce a fabulous product that will enrich the lives of others

Contact Info:

• Website: TheMoveMentors.com OneDaytoWellness.org
• Instagram: Themovementors MindyMylrea
• Facebook: Themovementors MindyMylrea
• Youtube: Mindy Mylrea