We recently connected with Rebecca Voelpel and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Rebecca thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story behind how you got your first job in field that you currently practice in.

After dancing professionally and in college, I knew that post-grad dance or movement would be a part of my life – I just wasn’t sure what that looked like. During my senior year of college, I began taking Barre classes at a local studio and knew I found what my I was looking for and what my body needed. After graduation, I entered the workforce, and like most post-grad students, I thought…is this it? Wake up exhausted, work 8 hours, come home and repeat? It didn’t feel right. During those first few months of working, I took a few classes at a local studio called The Fitness Rave. The owner there, Lydia Haskell, knew me from my dance days growing up and approached me about becoming an instructor. Now, as someone who went into college with a communications major and quickly switched after my first speech class first semester, becoming an instructor and teaching on a stage wasn’t something I was particularly into. But, nonetheless, she pushed me to attend a training with a new Barre program in Baltimore, called SoulBody Fitness. I instantly fell in love with the Pilates and yoga principles, the dance-like flow of the class, and the athletic approach to Barre! Lydia coached me through the first few months of teaching – from going to only having 4 family members in my classes to packing a room and ultimately adding more classes to the schedule! As I taught and worked full-time, I finally got into a groove post-grad. Being able to help people live healthier lives and make an impact on their day to day was exactly what my life was missing. Without that first initial push to jump in, I wouldn’t be here seven years later.

Rebecca, 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?

Movement has been a core component of my life since age 4 in the dance studio. Now, it is a way to get out of my head and into my body. Fitness isn’t just something that helps me stay in shape and healthy but something that makes me feel happy and like my best self. That is what I want my clients and members to feel as well! As a group fitness instructor online and in person here in Baltimore, MD, and a virtual personal trainer, it is my goal for each individual to leave every class or session feeling confident, happy, and strong! I offer one on one sessions, small group training sessions, and live and on-demand classes through a subscription-based membership called The MVMT Society. The MVMT Society is an amazing community of women who are all working to be their best selves. I conduct fun fitness challenges to help motivate us when we feel like we are in a rut or just need an extra push and am always tweaking our programming to ensure it fits the lifestyle of the busy woman on the go. I am also a Program Director for a locally woman-owned and world-renowned brand, SoulBody Fitness. At SoulBody Fitness, we take our athletic approach to Barre and fitness and train other instructors on our proven method to bring this dynamic and elevated fitness experience into their communities. It is my hope that everyone can enjoy their fitness and workout routines, I am a firm believer that fitness should be fun! If you aren’t having fun – you haven’t found the right class/instructor/program for YOU!

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

I think COVID showed us all that we are resilient in ways that we weren’t even aware of! For me, when COVID hit, all of our group classes in-person shut down. This was devastating to me, as I am someone that adores the energy in the studio. There is nothing like seeing a person’s face light up when they accomplish a goal or the grateful ‘thank you’ post-class. I knew I couldn’t sit still though. So, like many other fitness professionals, I began teaching online and haven’t stopped since! There were many challenges that came with teaching online; too many folks on our WiFi at one time, the music cutting out in the middle of class, power cutting out during a thunderstorm, facing burnout because I just can’t get on another Zoom meeting, etc. But I adopted one of my favorite quotes from Marie Forleo – ‘everything is figureoutable’ – so I figured it out! I made sure the WiFi could withstand hundreds of people streaming on it at one time, what I would do when the music cut out, how I would handle the power going out, how I would manage my burnout to stay inspired, and so on and so forth. In my mind, that is true resilience – figuring it out to the best of your ability and staying the course despite the challenges that you’re faced with!

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

In this field, continuing education is so important, if you aren’t constantly learning, you won’t be relevant. But aside from that, I think the most helpful thing is having people you can lean on. Whether it’s a mentor, friend, family member, or a full team of individuals – having the person or persons who are your sounding board is so important! They keep you in check, remind you why you started, hold you accountable, and are your cheerleader! It is crucial to ensure that they are someone you trust!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mvmtbybecca.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/becvoelpel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MVMTbyBecca

Image Credits
Jess Lombardi Photography