People/Profiles
Meet an IDEA Team Member: Kathleen Ferguson
It’s no surprise that Kathleen excels in her role as an IDEA brand activation strategist—she is living the dream through a lifestyle dedicated to holistic wellness and positivity. She genuinely gets excited about the products and services she helps IDEA clients bring to market, often using them herself or sharing them with friends and colleagues.
IDEA Member Spotlight: May 2019
Ray Boyd
Member Since 2015 • Stamford, Connecticut
Meet an IDEA Team Member: Matt Taylor
Imagine standing in line with hundreds of fitness pros to pick up your registration at the IDEA® World Convention and the internet fizzles out. Or envision walking into a session room where all you see are BOSU® Balance Trainers for a class you thought was about myofascial release. This is the stuff of pure panic for unseasoned trade show operations people, but not for Matt. He takes these moments in stride, solves the problem quickly and moves on without drama.
Fit for Change
CLIENT: Sam Garman
PERSONAL TRAINER: Kali Stewart, MS
LOCATION: Milagros Fitness/Online Coaching, San Diego
IDEA Member Spotlight: April 2019
Sarah Turkstra, MSc
Member Since 2017 • Guelph, Ontario
So many certifications! Trained in cycling to yoga (and a lot in between), Sarah Turkstra sees herself—not surprisingly—as a lifelong learner. But it’s how she’s used the lessons she’s learned that truly sets Sarah apart. “I struggled with an eating disorder from age 14 to 22, and weight lifting and exercise helped me overcome my fears around food and body image,” she says.
Meet an IDEA Team Member!
Kate Watson, Executive Managing Editor, Publications
Apart from the founders themselves, no one has worked for IDEA longer than Kate. She joined the company in 1991 and has been editing the publications ever since! Kate has always appreciated language: As a student, she learned French, German, Latin and a little Russian, and all that training (along with years of writing experience) laid the groundwork for a career spent shaping words.
Inspiring Functionality
CLIENT: Erika Miller
PERSONAL TRAINER: Michele DeJesus, MS (movement therapy), PhD (nutrition)
LOCATION: Lexington Athletic Club, Lexington, Kentucky
IDEA Member Spotlight
MELISSA LOWE, MS • Member Since 1987 • Columbus, Ohio
“I’ve had quite a journey in fitness,” says Melissa Lowe—from the days her mother would take her kids on long walks to teaching aerobics to put herself through nursing school to opening her own Pilates studio after a 36-year nursing career. She joined IDEA in 1987 and has attended IDEA World nearly every year since.
BlogHer: Through My Lens
Health. When you hear that word, what comes to mind? What about when someone says, “I’m living a healthy lifestyle?” What does that mean to you? What does it mean to the world? Today, when celery cleanses and keto diets are all the rage, it appears the meaning of health is directly related to one’s waistline. However, “health,” as defined by the World Health Organization, is “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” (WHO 2019).
Meet an IDEA Team Member!
INTERNET MARKETING DATA ANALYST MELPHIN JAMES
A man of many talents and interests, Melphin is something of a contemporary Renaissance guy. It’s not uncommon to find him lost in sketching, drawing or painting; playing hoops with the guys; or immersing himself in complicated data analysis for the IDEA Internet Marketing team—all in the same day.
Fast Facts
Team IDEA, At Your Service!
Suited Up and Ready for the 2019 Event Lineup!
From Baby Bump to Muscle Pump
CLIENT: Stephanie Park Wilson | PERSONAL TRAINER: Megan Johnson McCullough | LOCATION: Every BODY’s Fit, Oceanside, California
When an internet search led Stephanie Park Wilson to personal trainer and wellness coach Megan Johnson McCullough in January 2017, Stephanie was overdue for a fitness overhaul. The businesswoman-turned-stay-at-home-mom wanted to improve her health and confidence with the help of a pro, and she found the perfect fit with Johnson McCullough.
IDEA Member Spotlight
TISH ADAMSON • Member Since 2016 • Woods Cross, Utah
Meet an IDEA Team Member!
MAGALI SPARKS, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL PRODUCTS
Have you ever met someone whose last name fits them perfectly? Such is the case with IDEA’s educational products director, Magali Sparks, who can ignite an entire room with her warm smile, her kindness and her humility. Indeed, sparks fly when “Mags,” as many of us call her, gets on a creative streak with the impressive line of products she and her team develop and manage.
Wonder Women
CLIENT: Kim Emery | PERSONAL TRAINER: Tanya Roark | LOCATION: Balance Health + Fitness, Sarasota, Florida
“She’s the real Wonder Woman,” says Tanya Roark, an ACE-certified personal trainer, speaking of her client Kim Emery, “one of the most amazing women you could ever meet.”
Dig a little, and you’ll find there are really two superheroes in this story—a client overcoming seemingly insurmountable odds and a trainer willing to power through to help that client reach her goals.
Meet an IDEA Team Member!
INSPIRED SERVICE MANAGER MARCO VELASCO
Why Inspired Service matters, in Marco’s words: “One day I got a call from someone who had just lost her husband and was completely lost in life and looking to venture into a new career in fitness. Within a year she became an IDEA member, got NASM certified and attended the IDEA® World Convention. When I met her at World, she was glowing with happiness. Just seeing how we transformed her outlook on life was amazing!”
The Confidence-First Approach to Weight Loss
Benefiting from family ties. When 20-year-old Erick first met Ethan Kopsch, NASM-certified personal trainer and owner of Bird Rock Fit in La Jolla, California, Erick was less than eager to start a training program. Kopsch had been training Erick’s mom for some time, and she was so pleased with her progress that she encouraged Erick and her daughter, Michelle, to work with the trainer.
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IDEA Member Spotlight
SUE CONRAD • Member Since 2011 • Sitka, Alaska
Meet an IDEA Team Member!
GENERAL MANAGER KIM PAULSEN (AKA THE BOSS LADY!)
IDEA World Fitness Award Recipients
Experienced fitness professionals know that the exercise experience is not just a set program of squats, pushups and lunges. It’s key to consider each client as a unique person with unique needs. Fitness pros who truly listen and connect with their clients are better able to guide them toward a fit lifestyle.