Member Spotlight: Greg Justice
How long have you been an IDEA member? I have been a member for 40 years … I joined IDEA in 1984, while managing a workout center and serving as a Corporate & Community Wellness Supervisor at Johnson County Park & Recreation District (suburbs of Kansas City, MO).
Why did you join IDEA and what do you value about your membership? In 1984, there weren’t many options and I saw the value in networking with other industry professionals. I was managing a team of small group trainers and wanted to share experiences with others doing the same. Two of the most important influences on my early days in the industry were Jack LaLanne and IDEA!
Where are you from? My father was in the Air Force, so I grew up living all around the world. Since 1983, I’ve lived in Prairie Village, KS (suburb of Kansas City, MO).
What fitness certifications do you have? I’ve had several certifications during the past 40 years, and founded the National Corporate Fitness Institute, a certifying organization for corporate wellness).
What type of fitness do you teach and in what role(s) (group instructor, personal trainer, manager, etc.)? In 1986, I opened AYC Health & Fitness, Kansas City’s original personal training center. We specialize in personal and small group fitness.
Please share a little about your fitness career journey. After completing my undergraduate degree and all but one semester of my master’s degree (1984), I moved from Eastern Kentucky to Prairie Village, KS to get married (1985). I took a job managing a workout facility specializing in high intensity interval training for skiers. Six months after getting married, the club I was managing was sold. As soon as the new owners came in, they completely “cleaned house”. They fired the entire management team – which included me. Instead of reacting negatively, telling them that they didn’t know what they were doing, or venting my anger, I stayed calm, remained professional, and commanded the respect of the owners due to my reaction. Then, devastated, I went home to tell my new bride that I had been fired. This was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. Clearly, my personal situation and my communication with the new owners should not have – and did not – exhibit the same characteristics. Personal feelings should not impact your professional conduct with your employer, even if you are being terminated. Complete disassociation is, of course, impossible, but the greater the separation of the two, the more capable you will appear. Two days later, the new owner called to offer my job back, because several members complained that I was no longer there. Since I had already made plans to complete the final semester of my master’s degree out of state, I made him an offer … I said that I would come back to work there after completing my degree, upon the condition that he would allow me to start my new personal training business in his facility. He thought about it for a minute and said, “Sure, I’ll even be your first client”. Five months later, I started AYC Health & Fitness at the same facility that had fired me. Instead of burning bridges when being fired, I turned it into the beginning of a new business. And this was before personal training was an industry! In 2017, I was inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame.
What do you love about being a fit pro? I love being in the business of making dreams come true … When a client first comes in, they are more likely to express a goal to you. They are less likely to share a dream with you until they sense that you genuinely care about them. They will sense your care and support when you actively listen to them and are focused on their goals. For the 45 year old stay at home mom, the goal may be to lose 40 lbs., but the dream that spurs that goal is the little black dress in the back of the closet and the thought of dancing in the arms of her husband once again. For the 16 year old high school kid, the goal may be to get stronger and bulk up, but the dream may be to stand tall and get out from under that bully once and for all. I’M IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE!
What are your hobbies outside of fitness? I also own a publishing company (Scriptor Publishing Group) that helps self-published authors share their stories with the world. Another hobby I have pursued is American Ninja Warrior training. I competed on season 17 of the show that will air in June 2025 on NBC.
Could you please include a high-resolution photo of yourself in your submission? Attached
Do you have anything else you would like to add? After co-authoring the book, Pride & Discipline: The Legacy of Jack LaLanne with Elaine “LaLa” LaLanne, my mission is to spread Jack’s legacy to the world. Currently, Mark Wahlberg’s production company (Unrealistic Ideas) is working on a biography and feature film about Jack LaLanne with Mark playing the role of Jack (picture attached). I am currently co-authoring a book titled Vitality 60+ with Tony Horton (P90X) that will launch in the summer of 2025.
