training Archives - Michelle Rogers, Inc.

Speaking on “Small Steps for Big Changes” and workplace fitness

I was honored to be an invited speaker at a continuing education business event, on Sept. 29 in the Panthers Den at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

First of all, what a great location for a conference! The Den overlooks the football field, and as a Carolina Panthers fan it was certainly exciting to be there. I’ve been to many conferences in my career, and this was a nice change from the typical hotel venue. It definitely added a “fun” element to the day.

There were over 200 people in attendance for this 5th annual event, hosted by CliftonLarsonAllen’s Custom Accounting Solutions Team. The attendees were Certified Public Accountants there to receive continuing education credit hours.

The theme of the conference was “To Feed Your Soul and Re-energize Your Mind.” While many of the presentations were related to accounting, the agenda also included a personal development section and it was within this context that I presented. The organizers asked me to talk about fitness and nutrition to a group that is typically sedentary.

As someone who personally spent most of my career in sedentary office-based work, and lost weight and became healthy and fit while doing so, I am especially well-suited to speak on this subject and was happy to do it. In addition to my personal experience, the content I provided was sound advice informed by my professional fitness credentials.

My motivational presentation was entitled, “Small Steps for Big Changes: How to Succeed in Fitness and Weight Loss Even if You’ve Failed 100 Times Before.”

Areas covered included the eight major mindset changes that propelled me to success after years of failure, and specific strategies for healthier eating and sticking with exercise. And because this was a business group, I also included tips on how to move more at work and ways to fit exercise into the workday.

Then, I debuted my new 5-Minute Office Workout program and led the audience in doing the routine. It was a blast! They really enjoyed the interactivity of this part of the presentation and the opportunity to get up and actively stretch.

Leading the audience in my 5-Minute Office Workout stretching routine

Afterwards, there was time for a brief question-and-answer session with the audience.

Panthers Den at Bank of America Stadium — The Panther’s Den overlooks the field

I truly enjoy speaking and presenting workshops.

If your organization is in need of a presenter in the areas of healthy living or communications, please contact me — I’d love to talk with you.

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© Michelle Rogers, Inc.

Looking back and looking ahead

The past year was filled with a lot of work, and was particularly focused on expanding my knowledge in the health and fitness field. Here are a few highlights from 2015.

Becoming a Certified Fitness Professional. My biggest accomplishment last year was finishing the very challenging Certified Personal Trainer course I’d been working on for two years, and passing my exam. I’m now Michelle Rogers, CPT!

Rebranding. Last year I rebranded my blog, changing the name from Healthy Beauty to Michelle Rogers Healthy Living. I created a new website design and logo, and also updated my social media handles to reflect the new name. The new site not only looks great, on the back end it features the latest technology and is mobile responsive.

Continued social media growth. Last year I topped 40,000 followers on Twitter, and doubled the number of followers on Instagram. I also joined video-broadcasting platform Periscope soon after it launched, experiencing quick growth there to 1,200 followers.

Welcoming new clients. I worked with a professor from the University of Kentucky on a new website for her group’s research project, creating a user-friendly WordPress site that they are able to easily keep updated on their own.

Collaborating with brands. My healthy living blog regularly attracts brands interested in partnering with me on promotions such as reviews, giveaways and advertising. For example, last year I was invited by upscale weight loss resort Hilton Head Health to stay for a week to experience their program so I could feature it on my blog. I had a wonderful time that included gourmet food, workshops, yoga on the beach, stand up paddleboarding, and even a spa massage. It was definitely the highlight of my summer, and one of the most enjoyable stories I’ve written in my career. Read it here.

Presenting. I was asked again last year to be a guest lecturer in a master’s level nonprofit marketing class at UNC. I spoke on using social media and blogs strategically to promote your organization. I was also asked to present at the Charlotte Fitness and Health Expo in January ’15, where I spoke on, “Five Simple Secrets for Starting–and Sticking to–a Workout Program,” a very timely topic for those whose New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get in shape.

Radio interviews. I was a guest on two radio shows last year. First I did a recorded interview for It’s Your Health, a syndicated program carried on various stations nationwide, where we discussed how to reach your weight loss goals; and then a live interview on Naturally Savvy, a show on the RadioMD network. I’ve posted the audio here. The media training I’ve had with my communications and public relations background came in very handy for these experiences. I enjoy working with the media and would like to do more.

What’s to come in 2016?

This year I’ll be continuing my education in the health and fitness field. I am enrolled in Group Fitness Instructor Certification with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). I also plan to become certified as a Senior Fitness Specialist and to work with the Silver Sneakers program.

Also, I plan to do more videos and have invested in a new camera and lighting equipment. In addition to using this in my blog, I’m especially interested in incorporating video in my clients’ marketing and communications projects.

Speaking at the Charlotte Health & Fitness Expo

I was so honored to be asked to be a featured speaker at the Greater Charlotte Health & Fitness Expo this year!

This is a fantastic and well-attended annual event, now in its third year. It is two days packed with activities, including fitness classes, cooking demonstrations, seminars and aisles of vendor booths.

My presentation was at the Seminar Stage on Sunday afternoon. I spoke on, “Five Simple Secrets for Starting–and Sticking to–a Workout Program,” revealing the five things I did differently that enabled me to finally succeed in my own weight loss and fitness journey after decades of failure. After my talk, I enjoyed answering questions and chatting with the audience.

I had such a great time, and really look forward to the opportunity to do something like this again!

Five professional highlights from the past year

The past year was filled with behind-the-scenes hard work, expanding on my current knowledge and building my online brand. Here are a few highlights from 2014.

1. Attending two blogging conferences. In October, I was invited to Fitness Magazine’s Blogger Meet and Tweet in New York City, and in May I went to Fitbloggin ’14 in Savannah. Both of these events offered excellent opportunities to learn at breakout sessions, to network with bloggers from around the country, and to connect with brands in person.

2. Explosive social media growth. I worked every day to grow my presence on social media, and was especially active on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. As a result, my followers on Twitter nearly tripled this year, Facebook doubled and Instagram quadrupled.

3. Developing a media kit and working with brands. The growth of my healthy living blog now attracts brands interested in partnering with me on promotions such as reviews, giveaways and advertising. This year I really delved into that aspect of professional blogging, and have enjoyed the experience. I also created a media kit with information about me and the website, such as how much traffic the site receives and the services I offer. I send this to brands who request information, and to those I’m pitching. Please contact me if you’d like to receive it, and I’ll send you one with my latest stats.

4. Welcoming new clients. I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Jennifer Swanberg of the University of Maryland, and created an outstanding website promoting her research. She was so pleased with my work that she referred me to a colleague at the University of Kentucky, and I’m currently working on a new site for their research project.

5. Presenting. I was asked twice this year to be a guest lecturer in classes at UNC, one of them an undergraduate public relations class and the other a master’s level class. I spoke on using social media and blogs strategically to promote your organization. I was also thrilled and honored to be asked to present at the upcoming Charlotte Fitness and Health Expo in January. I’ll be speaking on, “Five Simple Secrets for Starting–and Sticking to–a Workout Program,” a very timely topic for those whose New Year’s resolution is to lose weight and get in shape. I’m busy working on that presentation now, and am so excited about this opportunity!

2015 will no doubt be another busy year, and I’m excited about the new adventures to come.

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