Meet Jennifer Dietrick

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Dietrick.

Hi Jennifer, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
It all started when I saw my sister’s friend do a flip in our yard and I thought it was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. I began teaching myself walkovers at home while continually asking my mother to join gymnastics. After a few months of pestering her, I started classes at the Pittston YMCA at the age of 12 and was on the team at 13. Any of the wins were a bonus, but the real enjoyment was practice with my team. That’s all I thought about the whole day in school, and I loved every minute of practice, both the work and the community. I was one of the few kids that enjoyed the strength work at the end of the class just as much as doing the fun flips. I would go home and do more strength work on my own. When high school ended, I felt lost without gymnastics.

I wanted to go to college for Exercise Science. When asking for advice from adults about my major, I was persuaded to choose otherwise. There wasn’t any work for it in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton area of PA at that time. I chose secondary education for my major since teachers were paid well in that area and had good hours. In the back of my mind, I thought I would pursue competitions and/or health and fitness interests during the summer and outside of work time. During college, I competed in a couple fitness competitions I discovered through fitness magazines. They were the closest sport to gymnastics available where I was able to compete as an adult.

When I moved out of my parents’ home, I was working full-time hours while going to college full-time. This schedule left little time for competing. I decided I wanted to move to a place with warm weather and more opportunities to eventually return to my passion for sports and health and fitness. After I graduated, I moved to CA and taught Biology and Anatomy and Physiology.

After getting settled in CA, I returned to fitness competitions while studying to get my personal trainer certification when I was working as a teacher. The competitions consisted of a routine round and a physique round including quarter turns. I was much more interested in the routine given my gymnastics background, but the physique was part of it, so I gave my all into building my body. As the years went by the fitness competitions lost popularity when figure competitions began, which were physique only. It was much more popular because you didn’t need to have a sports background. I switched to figure since there were more options to compete. The physiques also got bigger as the years went by as they often do in the bodybuilding world. Then they introduced the bikini division which was more suited for my size physique. It wasn’t a perfect fit for my personality, but this division would have more opportunities for me.

I was glad I switched to that division because one of my goals was to be able to get financial sponsorship and get paid to train and compete. In 2010 I turned Pro and at the same time received financial sponsorship through MyHMB. Other goals were to be on the cover of Oxygen magazine and switch careers. That same year I did switch careers and started my own personal training business where I trained clients in their homes or at a private gym. Now I was finally doing what I love. Two years later I was in Oxygen magazine for a MyHMB ad and another one sometime later. It wasn’t the cover, but I still felt thrilled to be in it…twice!

I was missing the skill-based training with the bikini competitions since the sole focus on your physique. I was used to training and competing for specific skills like gymnastics or fitness competitions. I found jiu jitsu in 2012 and started competing in that sport as well. I was 37 years old when I started jiu jitsu, so I looked at it as my retirement sport. I gave it all I could with the time I had outside of my business. I competed in both until about 2015 and then stayed with jiu jitsu only until 2023. That was a much better fit for me since it reminded me of gymnastics with being barefoot on the mats again and being able to train for a skill. I competed plenty and loved every minute of it.

Looking back, I am very grateful I did those fitness, figure, and bikini competitions to build my physique. The strength training has helped with injury prevention in jiu jitsu and overall health. Even though I don’t compete now, I regularly train jiu jitsu and strength train. I received my black belt in 2021 and I’m currently a first-degree black belt.

While competing, I discovered an idea for a book. Since high school, I have been fascinated with people’s view on their bodies and health and fitness. With dieting for competitions, I began to relate to many of these thoughts that are so common in society. I began writing my book in very small steps over the years. Between clients and competing, I had little extra time but tried the 15 minutes a day approach.

Since the pandemic, I now do only in home training. My client base are typically business professionals looking to be strong and healthy. I get just as excited about them reaching their goals as my own. I also offer online programs to those who cannot do training in person. After a long process, I self-published my book a few years ago. “Shape Your Mind Shape Your Body” is a guide to reshape your body and mind with practical health strategies that change the way you think about your health and wellness.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It was far from a smooth road but well worth it. There have been a lot of lessons learned with plenty of personal growth. Since I was familiar with being employed with a set schedule, it was extremely uncomfortable for me in the first few years of starting my business. Having a flexible schedule that is forever changing is something that is normal now. In addition to getting comfortable with my schedule, having trust in myself and my business took time. It took time to practice having faith that I would get more clients when business was slow. In the beginning, I panicked most of the time which never made things better. I also tutored on the side in the beginning to help supplement yet realized later it didn’t help as much as I thought it did. My focus was split between two and the financial gain from the tutoring was minimal. Emotionally it felt safer but financially it was barely helping. When I developed more faith in myself with the full focus on my business, the results were much more fruitful, financially and emotionally.

All the competing helped with my business, since it was a chance to be seen. I was a very shy kid and gymnastics helped me not be as shy. Most people thought I was comfortable with it because I competed so often. If they knew I was extremely nervous, they thought it was about the performance. The reality was I became more uncomfortable when I won. Obviously, I would want to win, but it was a contradictory feeling because more eyes were on me. I did love competing, but being in front of everyone was wildly uncomfortable, especially on stage with the bikini competitions. As the years went by it became increasingly comfortable. By the last time I competed, I felt like I was a “regular” nervous. I never would have originally sought out bikini competitions because they weren’t as interesting to me as other sports. I fell into it because of the fitness and figure competitions changing. I’m glad it wasn’t a smooth road though because those bikini competitions helped me be less introverted and led me to the other opportunities as well.

I’ve joked that writing my book was a painful experience. It was something I was passionate about and loved the idea. I also knew I have a very math/science brain and think in bullet points, not paragraphs. Writing did not come natural to me like math or science. I would choose to study and take 10 tests than write one short paper. With that said, I already was working on the book in very small increments while competing and growing my business. The important part is that it got done and I was very proud of that accomplishment because it was one of the most difficult.

At the start of my business, I was struggling financially but had a traumatic experience completely unrelated to changing careers. A guy broke into my place in the middle of the night when I was sleeping. Long story short, he was high on drugs and thought he was shot (which he wasn’t). Of course, I didn’t know that at the time he shattered the glass of my sliding glass doors crashing into my living room. Luckily, I was completely unharmed physically. I moved in with a roommate for a couple of years while I recovered financially and emotionally. The reason I am speaking about this struggle is because it reminds me how grateful I am for everything else and for moving forward despite what happened.

I like this question because the rough road is where the meaning is. I made a promise to myself to compete until I felt like I was a regular nervous. I finally felt that way at brown belt. I continued to compete, which felt like icing on the cake. Achieving that goal was far more important than any of the wins. I feel so grateful to do what I love that the rough road is well worth it. I enjoy working with my clients every day and to be able to pass along my love for health and fitness to them. Since starting my business, I felt the most alive and enjoyed life far more than before changing careers despite any of the difficult times.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am an in home personal trainer and my clientele are typically business professionals with goals of being healthy and strong. I focus on strength training, yet tailor my programs to my clients’ needs. For example, some have balance, flexibility work, and/or sports specific training incorporated. My strengths are attention to detail and reading my clients well to be able to adjust their training when needed. Having flexibility in their plans to adapt to any limitations they may have while still moving forward keeps them motivated. With my background as an Anatomy & Physiology teacher and numerous certifications, I can explain the reasoning for my methods. I feel proud every time a client tells me a story about how training has helped their lives. It feels very rewarding to help people keep themselves healthy and feeling good.

Along with in home training, my book “Shape Your Mind Shape Your Body” can be purchased through my website. The book will help you align your mind with your fitness goals. Also, if time and budget are a concern, I offer online programs or have clients who meet with me for one to three sessions to complete the program on their own.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
When I was younger, I was very risk-averse especially being surrounded by a community where most looked for a secure job (enjoying it didn’t seem important) and stayed in the area. I was doing the same at that time. I was originally going to be a teacher and live where I grew up. By the time I completed college, I realized I needed to move somewhere with warm weather. It wasn’t just moving 3000 miles away that was risky, but that I didn’t move with anyone, and I didn’t know anyone where I was moving to. I clearly remember the feeling of freedom and excitement making the drive to CA. My mother made the drive with me, and I’ll never forget the feeling when she left. Those few days after she left and before I started my first teaching job, I didn’t know a soul. It was a very strange feeling.

The move was my first major risk and starting my own business was my second. I was originally planning on working part-time teaching while building my clientele. Then the school overloaded me with so many students that year. I would have been teaching half the classes with the same number of overall students if I worked full-time. I quit the teaching job, took the leap of faith, and went all in with my business. I didn’t have any savings or anything permanent lined up but opportunities started coming at that moment.

My dear friend, Joy, reminded me of the quote, “With great risk comes great reward.” I also didn’t want to have any deathbed regrets. I began reading many books about spirituality and how your thinking affects your reality. They changed my thinking from when I was younger. Being in CA also helped since there were many more people chasing their dreams and doing what they love. Whenever I feel like I’m taking a risk or making any important decision, I ask myself what is the worst that will happen. If I can deal with the worst, then I’ll be fine. I also ask how important it is to me and if I’ll consider it a deathbed regret if I choose not to do it. The two risks I mentioned felt huge for me. With the move, I told myself I could move back after the school year was done if I hated it. I could last for a year. With my business, I thought I could always get a job if it didn’t work.

Moving and starting my business always felt the most meaningful to me because they were the most challenging and scariest yet the most rewarding. For me, risk means challenge and growth. Graduating college and earning my black belt were important to me but not as challenging and not risky. Working hard and being consistent comes easy to me. Any of my accomplishments didn’t feel nearly as big of an accomplishment as the move and changing careers. I’ve said the most important accomplishments don’t come with degrees or medals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jenniferdietrick.com
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/jennifer_dietrick
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.dietrick.5
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jennifer-dietrick-san-fernando-valley

Image Credits
Kem West Photography