Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Rebecca Rouse. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Rebecca, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?
When I was a sophomore in college, I enrolled in the ROTC program with aspirations to graduate and become a commissioned officer in the U.S. military. Unfortunately, those dreams were short-lived, because around that same time I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis – a type of inflammatory bowel disease. It’s a chronic, autoimmune disease that is incurable and disqualifying for all branches of service in the military. At the ripe age of 20, when I thought I had it all figured out, I was forced to pivot and set forth down a new path.
In addition to starting from ground zero on my career aspirations, I spent the remainder of my college years extremely sick, nearly having to drop out of school because my illness was controlling my life. It was one of the most challenging periods of my life, but also the one from which I learned the most. Among the many lessons learned, most notably was this: you could have 99 “problems” in life, but as soon as you have a health problem, you really only have one problem.
Fast forward to present day. I’m 10 years into my career as a fitness professional. I’ve helped hundreds of people improve their health and physical/mental strength through fitness and nutrition. I’m ranked among the top 10 in the nation for weightlifting. My ulcerative colitis has been in remission for four years now, and I’m off all prescription medications. And the best part? In my professional career, I now help active military personnel, veterans, and first responders improve their health and performance. Though I was unable to serve in the military myself, I’ve come full circle and now utilize the knowledge and experience I’ve gained over 10 years to serve those who do wear the uniform and serve our country and communities every single day.
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?
My passion for physical and mental strength began at age 3 when I got into the sport of gymnastics. My parents put me in kinder-gym classes because apparently I was bored doing ballet and wanted something more exciting. Little did we know that would spark a 12-year-long commitment to the sport. By age 7 I was competing. My schedule as an elementary and middle schooler entailed a full day of school, followed by 3.5 hours of practice, followed by dinner, homework, and bed. Rinse and repeat, all the way up until high school. I didn’t appreciate it until much later in life, but those 12 years of gymnastics in childhood really set the foundation for an adulthood in which I prioritize structure, discipline, resilience, and physical and mental strength. It also ingrained in me a deeply rooted drive for perfection, always striving for that ‘perfect 10’ in all aspects of life. That would turn out to be both a blessing and a curse later on.
After graduating college with high honors and a dual degree in public health and Spanish, I took the first step in my journey as a fitness professional by becoming a personal trainer at a commercial gym. I fell in love with helping my clients transform their bodies and minds through strength training, while simultaneously pursuing my own fitness and strength journey. Two years into my training career I applied to become the training manager, opening Pandora’s box and exposing me to a whole new set of challenges and lessons in the field of leadership and management. I gained tremendously valuable experience and skills during my years as a manager, which set me up to make the leap into entrepreneurship in 2020 when gyms shut down and I lost my job.
In September 2020, my husband (an active duty U.S. Marine) and I launched our company, Semper Stronger. We are a fully online fitness platform, providing 1-on-1 coaching, fitness programs, and membership options to clients all over the world. We empower people to build physical and mental strength and fitness so that they can overcome life’s challenges with confidence.
In 2023, we started our nonprofit, the Semper Stronger Foundation. Our objectives are twofold: 1) to support injured service members, combat veterans, and first responders injured in the line of duty on their journey towards better health and longevity; and 2) to provide military members and first responders who are currently serving with knowledge and practical tools they can implement to train/fuel/recover effectively, prevent injury, and maximize quality of life during and after time in service. One of the most impactful uses of the funds we’ve raised is our role in helping injured combat veterans and first responders heal from traumatic brain injury (TBI) at Resiliency Brain Health – a functional neurology clinic outside of Dallas, TX. We work in tandem with the neurologists, who treat the brain, by providing physical training centered around reintegration of the brain and body through functional movement, mobility, stability, and balance/coordination work.
In 2023 I also entered the world of public speaking. I’ve spoken to military units and at law enforcement conferences about the vital role of physical readiness, health, and performance for those serving in uniform.
Of the various roles I’ve had and jobs I’ve done since entering the workforce 10 years ago, what I’m most proud of is the positive impact I’ve been able to have on the lives of those who sacrifice on behalf of our country and communities. Military members and first responders play a critical role in our society, and the work they do takes a serious toll on their bodies and minds. Being able to help them optimize health and performance and/or heal from injury is a humbling honor.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
One thing that has helped me build my reputation within the market is leading with authenticity and integrity. The fitness industry is massive, and with the rise of social media there is no shortage of information available on every subject imaginable related to health and fitness. There are obvious benefits to this level of accessibility of information – the general population now has limitless resources available, thus are more empowered to make informed decisions about their health and wellness. Unfortunately, there are also cons associated with the expansion of the sea of information. It’s become more and more difficult to discern the true experts from those who pretend to be, and many people place more value on the size of a person’s social media following than on their actual data-driven knowledge and experience.
Many people are desperate for a quick fix that will magically open some hidden doorway to optimal health, fitness, performance, and body composition; and there is no shortage of “experts” doubling down on selling these false hopes to make a quick buck. The reality is that such a quick fix does not exist, at least not one that will prove sustainable beyond a few weeks or months. Sustained, lifelong health and wellness require sustained, lifelong effort and consistency. Industry professionals who understand this and are honest about it are fighting an uphill battle against the ones who sell the false promise of a hack or a shortcut.
Unfortunately for those so-called experts selling the trend du jour, fitness and nutrition trends inevitably come and go. Data eventually emerge that disprove their too-good-to-be-true claims, and the truth always wins in the end. The reality is that the basics applied consistently over time have always led to the most successful, sustained results. The basics (e.g. eating a diet low in processed foods and added sugars, hydrating adequately, exercising consistently with a combination of strength and cardiovascular training, sleeping 7-9 hours a night, etc.) aren’t flashy nor sexy nor trendy; but they have withstood the test of time. I have stood by these basic principles throughout my entire career, no matter my audience – an individual 1-on-1 coaching client, an audience of 500, or my social media followers. People are desperate for guidance, and I do my absolute best to provide information and solutions based on science, not emotions. Though it has not led to millions of dollars in my bank account, it does allow me to go to sleep each night knowing that I am leading and speaking with integrity, and not misguiding the already confused, overwhelmed majority of the population.
Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?
Other than training/knowledge, I think one key to succeeding in the fitness industry is maintaining an open mind and being willing to change one’s mind as new data emerges on a subject. As I mentioned previously, I strive to speak, lead, and educate on a foundation of scientific data. The nature of any science-backed industry, though, is that new studies are being conducted all the time, thus new data often emerges. Sometimes new data disproves old data and old ways of thinking about topics in the industry. When that happens, unfortunately some people have their heels dug in so deep that they are unwilling to acknowledge alternate perspectives. A good professional, in my opinion, is willing to change his or her mind and adopt a new perspective when science suggests the need to do so. Being successful in this field requires a continuous commitment to learning, as well as application of knowledge; in addition to the willingness to change one’s mind from time to time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://semperstronger.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebecca.rouse/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rebecca.rouse.5/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-rouse-329b26171/
- Twitter: https://x.com/_rebeccarouse
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@semperstronger
- Other: https://semperstrongerfoundation.org/ Semper Stronger Foundation (nonprofit)
Image Credits
AGL Cinema Joel Knoop Detroit Lifts Photography