IDEAfit PRO SHOW

What happens when a fitness professional becomes a millionaire mentor? Meet Loral Langemeier—money expert, best-selling author, and founder of Live Out Loud, Inc.—who started her career in exercise science and built a global financial empire. In this episode, Loral shares her journey from fitness entrepreneur to wealth-building powerhouse and reveals how fitness professionals can take…

What if the key to movement longevity and athletic performance isn’t in your muscles—but in your feet? Dr. Emily Splichal is here to revolutionize how you think about movement, balance, and injury prevention from the ground up. With over 24 years of experience as a functional podiatrist and human movement specialist, Dr. Emily Splichal brings…

Get an insider’s guide to the most anticipated fitness conference of the year! Matt Taylor, IDEA’s Director of Events, and Steffi Habermann, Event Coordinator, step out from behind the scenes to walk you through every detail of IDEA World 2025. Whether it’s your first time or your 15th, you’ll walk away with fresh tips on…

What if your next level wasn’t about doing more—but leading better? In this powerhouse episode, fitness icons Rob Glick and David Freeman share how purpose, innovation, and servant leadership are transforming the way Life Time empowers coaches, members, and the fitness industry at large. With a combined 55+ years in the industry, Rob Glick and…

What does it mean to truly trailblaze in fitness? For Ruben Pereyra, it means breaking barriers, building community, and creating inclusive programs that bring movement to every stage of life. In this episode, the 2024 IDEA World Trailblazer of the Year shares how he’s changing the way we serve aging populations—and why fitness is about…

What if the secret to longevity in the fitness industry isn’t just science, but soft skills? In this episode, Tyler Valencia shares how trust, adaptability, and mentorship are shaping the next generation of professionals—and why now is the time to elevate education for real-world success. Tyler Valencia, Ph.D.(c), has been on the front lines of…

What do you do when your format disappears overnight? If you’re Ellen de Werd, you build your own. In this vulnerable and motivating episode, Ellen shares how she turned a pivotal career moment into a thriving global fitness brand—and why authenticity, grit, and representation are at the core of her mission. With more than 25…

What happens when a fitness icon and a professional athlete join forces—onstage and off? In this heartwarming and high-impact conversation, Carolyn Erickson and her daughter Juliann Faucette reveal the power of multigenerational mentorship, mindset mastery, and motherhood in motion. This special Mother’s Day episode celebrates the powerful bond between a trailblazing mom and her elite…

What does it take to stay inspired, impactful, and relevant for over three decades in fitness? Jeff McMullen shares the real story behind his longevity—and why service, self-awareness, and joy are the keys to lasting success. With over 35 years of experience in fitness leadership, education, and performance, Jeff McMullen has done it all—from high-level…

In this episode, host Amy Boone Thompson welcomes Whitney Houlin—Director of Fitness at WeGym, content creator, and first-time IDEA World presenter—to share her refreshingly realistic approach to fitness. Whitney opens up about her unexpected journey from elementary school teacher to leading voice in the wellness space and how she’s redefining what success looks like in…

This week on the IDEAfit Pro Show, host Amy Boone Thompson is joined by international presenter and personal trainer Alessandro Pisanu. Known for his high-energy, music-driven approach to fitness, Alessandro brings his signature style to IDEA World 2025 with three dynamic sessions: Step Fusion, Functional Step, and Functional Bodyweight. In this episode, Amy and Alessandro…

Get ready for an insightful and inspiring conversation as host Amy Boone Thompson welcomes Dr. Jonathan Mike to the show. In this episode, we explore Dr. Mike’s approach to smarter strength coaching, progressive overload, and the science of eccentric training—all with a preview of what’s coming to his must-attend sessions at IDEA World 2025. As…

Welcome to the IDEAfit Pro Show Season 6! In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jan Schroeder. Jan is the event programmer for the 2025 IDEA World Fitness Convention and a professor of Kinesiology at Long Beach State University. Get an exclusive look at what’s in store for this year’s event, including top presenters,…

Welcome to Season 6 of the IDEAfit Pro Show! Host Amy Boone Thompson, CEO of IDEA Health and Fitness Association, shares some groundbreaking initiatives set to shape the future of the fitness industry. From the highly anticipated IDEA World 2025 in Sacramento to the launch of the IDEA Mentorship Network, which connects emerging fitness professionals…

Join Host Madeleine McCormick for the IDEAfit Pro Show #3! Catch the full podcast episode featuring IDEA’s Content & Education Manager, Vivian Griggs, and the Owner of Ageless Training Academy and Bender Ball, Leslee Bender. Find out how IDEA provides science-backed educational programs to cultivate educated, experienced, and empathetic coaches. Hear from Vivian Griggs about…

Co-hosts Amy Boone Thompson and Madeleine McCormick hosted the IDEAfit Pro Show LIVE #2! The full livestream is available on Instagram, YouTube, or Facebook and features IDEA’s Mentorship Program Administrators Debbie Bellenger and Dr. Erin Nitschke, IDEA’s VP of Operations Phil Malavenda, and IDEA’s Director of Events Matt Taylor, who revealed the dates and location…

Join IDEA CEO/Owner Amy Boone Thompson and the team for the IDEAfit Pro Show LIVE – back and better than ever! The full livestream is available on Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Facebook, featuring fitness industry leaders and exclusive insights from our partners: CoverMe Fitness, VAULT Strategies, and Lockton Professional Liability Insurance. We announced fresh career…

Today on the guest mic, we have the multi-talented Kia Williams–the 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year–hosting Cary Williams. Cary is the founder and CEO of Boxing & Barbells, which is a boxing education company offering her B&B Method certifications to trainers and licensing opportunities to gyms. She certifies trainers around the globe to…

Today on the guest mic, we have the multi-talented Kia Williams, the 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, hosting Kimberly Spreen-Glick. Kimberly has been a fitness industry leader for over 30 years, presenting workshops on fitness, yoga, wellness, leadership, and personal growth at conferences around the world.    She was the group fitness director for…

Today, IDEA Editor in Chief Sandy Webster hosts IDEA CEO Amy Boone Thompson and IDEA’s Event Programming Director Ryan Halvorson. We’ll be sharing news about some exciting 2023 planning we’re doing here at the mother ship in San Diego, and we’ll get an overview of our first 2023 event, IDEA Personal Trainer Institute upcoming March…

Guest hosting the show once again, the passionate and talented Kia Williams, the 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, interviews her long-time friend, colleague and fellow dance aficionado Ashley Carter. Hailing from the great state of Texas, Lady Carter is a dancer, dance instructor, model, coach and creator of CweensGuard Step and Dance, a…

Today on the guest mic, we have the fabulous Kia Williams, the 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, hosting Tanci Maree, CEO and Founder of Turn Up DaFitness, a program designed to motivate people to get active and dance their way to fitness. As Tanci describes it, the program mixes athleticism, dance, performance and—of…

We are once again lucky to have the multi-talented Kia Williams, the 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, as guest host for the podcast! Today, Kia talks with Chris Stevenson and Steven Trotter, two big picture thinkers and leaders in the fitness industry. They have a new book coming out that provides a step-by-step…

Today on the guest mic, we have the multi-talented Kia Williams, the 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, hosting Maricris Lapaix, who was a 2022 finalist for IDEA’s brand-new Emerging Trailblazer of the Year Award. Known globally as “The Traveling Trainer,” Maricris tapped into her dual loves of globetrotting and fitness to create a…

Today our sensational guest host Kia Williams, 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, has the mic again. In this episode, she welcomes Alessandro Pisanu, who was a 2022 finalist for IDEA’s brand-new Emerging Trailblazer of the Year award. This man’s journey to international recognition began in his college dorm room when COVID first broke…

Today, guest host Kia Williams, 2022 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year, has the mic. She welcomes Dr. Darian Parker, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, who earned his doctorate in sports education leadership with an emphasis on behavior modification from the University of Nevada–Las Vegas. In their conversation, Kia and Dr. D explore many topics important…

Welcome to Season 4, Episode 4 of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW! Today Sandy Todd Webster, IDEA’s editor in chief, welcomes 2022 IDEA Emerging Trailblazer of the Year, Lacee Green. Lacee, also known as “The Curvy Girl Trainer,” delivers high energy, a great career story and—I think you’ll agree—one of THE best feel-good laughs you’ll ever…

Today on the IDEAfit PRO SHOW Sandy Todd Webster, IDEA’s editor in chief, skips across the pond to the UK via Zoom to speak with fitness pro and international educator Joanne Groves.   Joanne has been in the industry for over 26 years. She built and runs Female Fitness Trainer, a membership group that features over…

Today on the IDEAfit PRO SHOW Sandy Todd Webster, IDEA’s editor in chief, welcomes her friend and colleague Anthony Carey, MA, CSCS, to the show.   Anthony holds a master’s degree in biomechanics and athletic training and is recognized internationally as a leading expert on biomechanics, corrective exercise, functional anatomy and motor control, and their relationships to…

Welcome to SEASON 4, episode #1 of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW! Today Sandy Todd Webster, IDEA’s editor in chief, welcomes 2022 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, Dr. Rick Richey. Rick has been in the fitness industry since 2002 in various roles, including certified personal trainer, training manager, educator, orthopedic massage therapist, college and university…

Incredibly, we are just two weeks out from IDEA World Convention, our first in-person World event since 2019! Today, host Sandy Webster huddles with two of her teammates—IDEA’s new owner and CEO Amy Thompson, and Steve Roth, our veteran sales manager. They describe all of the exciting things that will be happening in the IDEA World…

On this episode of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW, host Sandy Webster has pleasure of catching up with Krista Popowych, a seasoned fitness leader who has inspired instructors, personal trainers and managers around the globe with her motivating sessions and unique perspective. She is the 2014 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year and a 3-time canfitpro…

On this episode of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW, guest host Kia Williams chats with two of our incredible fitness colleagues, Nikki Snow and Rachael Babiracki about what it means to PHIT in, detailing radical and unique self-acceptance in the fitness world. Listeners will also get a glimpse of what they’ll be presenting regarding truly inclusive…

On today’s episode, host Sandy Webster digs in with Greg Johnson, MS, CSCS, owner of Varimax Fitness in Sacramento, CA. His company’s client retention rate of 85-95% would be impressive during normal times, but during pandemic when so many pros have struggled with basic survival, it’s an incredibly significant stat. Today, we’ll find out how…

On this episode, guest host Kia Williams has an encouraging conversation with Fitness Class Director, Ingrid Knight-Cohee, MSc. Ingrid details her unique fitness career journey and her 2022 IDEA World session, “Format Formulas,” which is directed towards managers/programmers seeking that “special sauce” to bring people back to their services post shutdowns. Ingrid has over 25…

On this episode of the IDEA FitPro show podcast, guest host Kia Williams shares a conversation with the incomparable Sadie Nardini on her very unique and creative career journey, and her innovative business approach for maximizing her time and creating a subscription-based studio that not only rocks—but sells! Sadie spent 20 years in anatomy nerd…

In this episode, guest host Ryan Halvorson chats with Michelle Segar, who is an award-winning National Institute of Health-funded researcher at the University of Michigan. She has spent her nearly 30-year career studying how to create sustainable changes in healthy behaviors in ways that can survive the complexity and unpredictability of the real world. Her…

On this episode of the IDEA FitPro show podcast, guest host Kia Williams chats with Billy Polson on his forthcoming 2022 IDEA World presentation, “A Concierge Program to Beat All Sales Tactics.” It’s a genuine way to boost fitness business acquisition rates and outperform “greasy” sales tactics.     Billy Polson is an established performance coach and…

In this episode, host Sandy Webster chats with Kia Williams, who, among many roles in the industry, is the full-time studio manager for Life Time, Inc, in Chicago. Kia earned her master’s degree in Sports Management, and applies it across a wide variety of leadership roles in the industry, including as a global education presenter…

On this episode, Sandy Webster talks with IDEA’s GM & VP Amy Thompson and Event Programming Director Ryan Halvorson about the upcoming 2022 IDEA World Convention, July 20-24, in Las Vegas. They’ll share the inside track about what’s in store for the “Super Bowl” of fitness, the excitement of the Fitness and Nutrition Expo, and all…

Today on the podcast, host Sandy Webster visits with Maria Luque, PhD, who is a fitness expert, health science professor, self-proclaimed “menopause nerd,” and busy mother passionate about sharing knowledge and helping women lead healthier, happier lives. She’s the creator of Fitness in Menopause, a company dedicated to helping women navigate the challenges and rewards…

In this episode, host Sandy Webster chats with Tasha Edwards, whose 17 years as a certified personal trainer with two health coaching certifications and a Master’s degree in counseling have positively impacted the humans she works with every day. In addition to coaching clients toward meaningful change, she has several fitness certifications, including a 500-hour…

In this episode, host Sandy Webster chats with Dina Blair about the importance of being a well-rounded business person in the fitness industry. Dina is an experienced fitness business consultant with a proven track record of coaching and leading teams to exceed monthly sales initiatives and improve the overall client experience through high-touch service and comprehensive…

For those with autism, exercise goes beyond the health-related benefits. Today’s episode features David Geslak, a published author and subject matter expert who is passionate about educating fit pros about the benefits of exercise for people with autism. The expanding research reveals that exercise can increase attention span, reduce stress, enhance language development and reduce…

Feeling challenged as a fit pro in the evolving hybrid fitness model for which virtual engagement has become so key? In this episode host Sandy Webster speaks with Michelle Alencar, PhD, who is an associate professor in kinesiology at California State University – Long Beach, who also serves as co-founder and Chief Science Officer for…

In this episode host Sandy Webster speaks with mindful movement specialist and extraordinary human being, Lawrence Biscontini. As a fitness leader, Lawrence has won major awards across the global fitness industry from IDEA (2004 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year), ACE, Canfitpro and ECA. He travels the globe offering world-class secrets in mentoring, fitness and…

In this episode host Sandy Webster speaks with Mindbody CEO Josh McCarter. Josh joined the Mindbody team in 2018 following the company’s acquisition of Booker, which he co-founded, and was elevated from president to CEO of Mindbody in August 2020. In October 2021, Mindbody acquired ClassPass in a massive deal that brought together two of…

On today’s episode, host Sandy Todd Webster geeks out on research-based strength training methodologies and hypertrophy with the legendary Dr. Len Kravitz and Dr. Zachary Mang. These educators will give listeners a sneak peek into the most comprehensive package ever done in IDEA Fitness Journal on these subjects. It’s edgy, 100% research driven and has…

In this episode guest host Kia Williams, MS, speaks with Tatiana Kolovou, MBA, a 3-time trustees teaching award Senior Lecturer at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. She is also a fitness studio owner and a renowned fitness presenter. The two seasoned pros explore business strategies and tactics on everything from personal and professional branding to networking…

Today on the show host Sandy Todd Webster welcomes listeners back to Season 3, Episode 1 of the IDEAfit PRO SHOW! Today’s episode launches us into 2022 by talking to Marissa Piper, IDEA’s Director of Events, and Ryan Halvorson, IDEA’s Director of Event Programming. They’ll share news about what’s in store for IDEA events this…

Today IDEA’s editor in chief and podcast host Sandy Webster catches up with Amy Boone Thompson, IDEA’s general manager and vice president. They take a look in 2021’s rearview mirror to recap the many initiatives IDEA rolled out to serve pros during another challenging pandemic year. Don’t miss the list of resources outlining IDEA’s many business tools,…

Today host Sandy Webster digs into some deep and fascinating topics with Dr. Jessica Matthews, who has been at the forefront of integrative coaching and transformational behavior change from its very early days. Recently named a fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, Jessica developed and steers the Master of Kinesiology degree in Integrative…

Today IDEA’s editor in chief and podcast host Sandy Webster interviews Petra Kolber, a fitness professional and leader who has shined her luminous spirit on our industry and on fitness consumers from the day she started leading classes. Petra is an author, inspirational speaker, podcast host, world traveler and DJ–to name a few of her…

In this episode, IDEA’s Sandy Webster interviews Brian Nguyen, ATC, CSCS, whose storied career in fitness has included coaching stints with top U.S. athletes and sports teams such as Derek Fisher, Hardy Nickerson, Chase Utley, the LA Avengers and the Jacksonville Jaguars. He also has become the go-to trainer for some of Hollywood’s leading actors…

In this episode Sandy Webster literally talks turkey (and all things food and nutrition) with New York City chef and registered dietitian Abbie Gellman. Check out their conversation to get some tips on planning, prepping and enjoying your holiday meals while keeping stress low and the fun factor high. With 20+ years as a professional…

Today on podcast, Sandy Webster catches up with Sherri McMillan, a long-time industry professional and IDEA Member who has shared her strong spirit, creative energy and expertise for over 30 years. Sherri was IDEA’s first-ever Personal Trainer of the Year, as well as the co-recipient of the 2006 IDEA Program Director of the Year Award….

Today on the IDEAfit PRO SHOW, Sandy Webster hosts Dr. Cody Sipe, co-founder and vice president of the Functional Aging Institute. Dr. Sipe has an extensive background in the fitness industry with 20 years of experience as a personal trainer, fitness instructor, program director, exercise physiologist and club owner. He is currently an associate professor…

Sandy Webster hosts Stacy McCarthy, an all-around champion in the health, fitness and wellness arenas who recently was named the 2021 IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year. Stacy has been at the forefront of the yoga, fitness and health industries for more than 30 years. Through her business, Yoga Namastacy, she’s developed a collection of…

In this episode, host Sandy Webster catches up with Jan Schroeder, PhD, IDEA’s newly minted 2021 Fitness Leader of the Year. Dr. Schroeder is the chairperson of the Department of Kinesiology at California State University Long Beach. The Fitness Option at CSULB has gained international recognition for its unique curriculum, which Dr. Schroeder developed specifically…

In this episode, host Sandy Webster touches base with biomechanist Katy Bowman, a bestselling author, speaker, and a leader of the “Movement movement,” who is changing the way we move, and think about our need for movement. Her 9 books have been translated into more than a dozen languages worldwide. Katy, who has written for…