Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandee Miller.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mandee. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I have been an active person all of my life. Starting in theatre and sports at the elementary school-age, I feel I have always been called to express myself through movement. My natural tendency to help people and cultivate a positive and inclusive community, I believe is what continues to motivate me to stay in the fitness industry.
When I was spotted in a group fitness class by the instructor as someone who should also teach (this happened over a decade ago, here in lovely Los Angeles), I took her comments to heart and got certified within the next few weeks. Teaching group led me to go back to school for personal training when I moved to Chicago to support my stepdad after being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder shortly afterwards. Upon graduating through the accelerated course structure of the National Personal Training Institute, I opted to start my own personal training business in conjunction with teaching classes at the Chicago Athletic Clubs. I didn’t feel that training AND teaching at a health club would be good for me mentally and to this day, feel the same way.
Today, I train individual clients who prefer to workout in the comfort of their own space away from the gym setting where one can tend to feel like they’re being watched or judged. While I enjoy that one-on-one setting, I also read and write about fitness and wellness through various outlets and partnerships which makes me feel like I am helping spread the healthy word onto people I may never come into contact with face-to-face. My current endeavor I am in the midst of developing is making my social media presence streamlined and more robust.
Big things are coming down the pipeline with video production as I have most recently found a dedicated filming space to have some consistency with producing short workout videos; something many people have asked I do throughout my years as a trainer and instructor. What I love about this industry I am in is the many channels one can take and flourish in while helping people understand h0w to move smart AND see the results they want to in their personal fitness journey.
Has it been a smooth road?
Short answer = no. Moving back to the midwest to be closer to my ailing stepdad (who raised me and educated me as a real dad) was hard and it happened to be at the start of the recession in 2008. Getting a job and supporting myself in a city where I had to start completely over AND be in school full-time was without a doubt, challenging. Who doesn’t love a good challenge though? I think the struggles are what make us strong, independent, humble, and grateful human beings who have compassion for others. I worked my way to the top at my group fitness job in Chicago and became a manager of 2 locations, a mentor of multiple formats, produced a monthly wellness newsletter all on my own, taught 16 classes/week on the schedule, and still made dinner every night.
The discipline and sheer motivation to succeed drove me to keep striving for more. Being asked to be a part of the very first Nike Training Club team back in 2012 was one of the highlights of the fruits of my labor. I am proud of myself for carving out time to (mostly) do it all! I felt the real struggle set in when I decided to leave all that I built in Chicago with my humming personal training business and full list of dedicated clients, my role(s) at the Chicago Athletic Clubs I was deeply connected with, my Nike relationship and team, and the friends I’d made, not to mention the family I was geographically closer to, to move BACK to LA!
Mind you, I had NO clients lined up, not a single health club connection, and a mere handful of improv and restaurant friends from 8 years ago when I packed up my car and shipped all my belongings to Hollywood. I knew that it was time for a bigger challenge and with that a more substantial struggle to rebuild. Landing a group fitness instructor role at Equinox West Hollywood, gaining a partnership with Adidas, training a few “celebrity clients”, contributing to The Chicago Tribune “In Good Health” publication, being a fitness expert for Hungry Girl Magazine, and having the freedom to build my own schedule doing what I love to do has proved to be 100% worth the struggles I overcame to be where I am today.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Mandee Miller Personal Training story. Tell us more about the business.
I started personal training on my own directly out of school because I knew I didn’t want to roam the gym floor correcting members’ form or cold calling members for a session with me. Nor did I want to “sell” anything for a boxing gym or health club (such as supplements, gym gear, etc.) for points towards a system of ranking to earn more money.
When I found out just how much turnover gyms experience with personal trainers it was the nail in the proverbial coffin for that workspace. Hence, I began Mandee Miller Personal Training! I had a dedicated space in my Wicker Park apartment with tall ceilings transformed into a small studio to train private clientele and LOVED it. Setting my own rates, my own schedule, and having the ability to pick and choose clients who were suited to my training style is of THE most important and translates to an incredibly elevated work environment and experience for both myself and the client.
Now that I am out in Los Angeles, I am an in-home travel trainer and have select clients I see both online through FaceTime (even a few from Chicago that were sad to see me go!) and in person at their dedicated workout space. I love the fact that every day is different and I get to be a part of someone’s journey to being their best self. I am most proud of the fact that I am STILL in business and have never ended a tax year in the red. As an accountant’s step-daughter, I was taught well to balance a budget and be aware of how I spend (both personally and for the business).
Though small, this biz of mine is MIGHTY; I am the sole proprietor and employee and take great pride in my work ethic and continued education in my field. I am a uniquely well-rounded trainer and consider myself someone who specializes in helping someone discover their most direct path to being well as a lifestyle change. No amount of cardio, functional training, powerlifting, pilates, or time on the TRX will add up to the feeling of understanding your body to the root.
When it comes to personal fitness, we have to address it from the inside out: where we are currently (mentally, physically, and energetically), what we nourish our body with for sustenance, a tailored program to facilitate balance in the body, and executing that program to see the results or reach the goals you as the individual work towards achieving. Then rinse and repeat once that goal or result is reached!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see the fitness industry soaring to even greater heights as we approach the 20’s! Wow, I just said the 20’s as in 2020 and beyond; hard to believe it’s not too far off from now, but it is! Science is ever-evolving and with it trends in the industry. I am always ready to pivot and am always reading the latest publications in fitness and wellness as well as continuing to be a student of the mind and body.
I think it’s imperative to stay curious, be like water and adjust to these industry shifts while anchoring in what drives me to stay in this field. I think we will see more mind/body emphasis in gym-style workouts where you are more dialed into the WHY of doing something rather than just the mechanics of doing it. I also think the yoga boom is here to stay.
We may see more fusion formats such as boxing and pilates or TRX HIIT on the horizon. Moving towards more multi-planar, multi-joint complex exercise prescriptions is already on the rise and I couldn’t be more thrilled to move in that direction with my fellow fitness leaders.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mandeemiller.com
- Phone: 312-391-1551
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @mandeemillerfitness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MANDEEMILLERPERSONALTRAINERLLC
- Twitter: @mandeemiller
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/themandeemiller/videos
Image Credit:
One Down Dog, Justin Dennis Phot, Sarit Photo, Brody Hessin Photography, Melissa Gayle Photography
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