We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Simone Mack-Orr. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Simone below.
Hi Simone, thanks for joining us today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on? (Please note this response is for education/entertainment purposes only and shouldn’t be construed as advice for the reader)
As a fitness coach and trainer I have the opportunity to work with so many different people and personalities. When I meet with a new client I’m always interested in what led them to me and why they want to train. Once I find out their WHY, I remind them to always lead with that in mind. The best advice I continue to give is to make sure that when you’re hiring and trainer or a coach make sure that it’s the right fit. If the workout is not something that you don’t like to do, then the effort won’t be there either. Find something that you like doing and feel confident that you could successfully do it 3-4 times a week. You also want to make sure that the coaching that you are receiving is unique to your needs; that’s why it’s called personal training.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Sure! I’m am retired IFBB Figure Pro athlete that stumbled into my fitness career at 21 as a step instructor and my love for fitness and community just continued to grow. I am a certified personal trainer, health/nutrition coach and group fitness instructor; teaching anything from kickboxing to pilates. I offer small group training, semi-private training, one on one private sessions and corporate wellness along with workshops on multiple topics. I offer a safe space for my clients and I meet them exactly where they are. I’m most proud of the wonderful community that I’ve built made up of people with a variety of fitness backgrounds. Many of my clients have “body goals” but at the core of it they all just want to feel good, they want to be able to go through their day with energy and without pain and make decisions that are within their goals.
My first goal is always to get to know the person and their why and find the best way to go about easing them into a routine that is not so drastic that they rebound or back slide.
I LOVE what I do, who I impact and how they respond to the changes that they make daily to be at their best.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
SO I LOVE people and finding new ways to connect with them through fitness. I have always been a fan of small wellness initiatives within my community. In 2011 I was a part of a grant funded fitness initiative called “Fit is In’. The Spartanburg County Library received funding that allowed me to offer Zumba classes to the community for free. This program took off and soon I was offered 2 classes per day. This program allowed me to connect and grow with people that I might not ordinarily connect with. This was a stepping stone the me launching classes at other facilities and connecting with more people.
I believe having good rapport with people and building relationships has helped me to build my reputation as a trainer, coach and motivator that can relate to moms, parents, and people looking to make the most of their daily moments by getting in some resistance training on a regular basis.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
This last phase of my life has definitely been a journey. Six months prior to this I have spent the last 5 years running a fitness franchise that belonged to someone else. Needless to say covid 19 changed the way that facilities could function. I was pregnant with my 2nd child and running a franchise with 10 participant per class vs the regular 30 plus that the space could. Thinking outside of the box I began to offer virtual classes just to keep people moving and energized and continue to help them keep their mental health in check. For many people fitness is their outlet for releasing any negativity or stress. After having my son and getting the studio back up and running I recognized the need for folks wanting to train outside or in their personal space and it made total sense to me. My clientele started to grow faster than what I expected and I decided to take the leap and leave the franchise and just work for myself. Fitness is like home for me. The people the energy, the diversity the goals, the emotions and the transparency are all needed to really connect and stay strong in this industry. Being able to check in with people daily that want more for themselves is an amazing feeling and an honor.
Contact Info:
- Website: smack-fitness.com
- Instagram: @smackfitness
- Facebook: Smack Fitness
- Youtube: https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCEfg8BRtdt0WIKzE16tuO3Q
Image Credits
Ben Robinson Photography ( jumping with ball overhead) Robin Davenport (close up shot of me teaching)