Today we’d like to introduce you to Tony Johnson.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tony. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up as a morbidly obese child. My parent’s divorce and a fairly turbulent childhood fueled two decades of sedentary living, addiction to food and substances, and re-occurring mood swings. On December 31st, 2009, as a twenty-two-year-old, I made a commitment to losing one hundred pounds in the calendar year of 2010.
I remember making the new decade resolution to change my lifestyle like it was yesterday. I was at a concert in San Francisco, CA called “Sea of Dreams” to ring in the new year. People were in extravagant costumes and kept walking up to me with giant smiles, grabbing me by my face and saying, “Happy Decade!” Their well-wishes encouraged me to pause, and really evaluate how monumental entering a new decade could be for my life.
At that moment, I made a commitment to fundamentally shift my pre-existing patterns of behavior toward optimal health and wellness. I said, “new decade, new Tony,” and stepped outside of the venue to order all the textbooks I could find on nutrition and human biomechanics. Over the next several weeks, I successfully constructed and began implementing my new meal and physical fitness plan.
In eight months I lost one hundred pounds, and in total, I lost one hundred and forty-five pounds in one year. In the process, I earned a certification as a Personal Trainer to formalize and hone my knowledge and skills. I did not plan to enter the fitness or health and wellness industries, as I was on my way toward earning an advanced degree and had already accepted a job as Professor of Speech Communication at a local community college.
After a few years in academia, I found myself burned out on teaching and in need of inspiration in the workplace. I began training a few clients on the side and found my true calling as a health and wellness coach. In my new field, I could utilize my talent, experience and story to inspire as many others to pursue the series of lifestyle changes I did.
In the process, I became fueled by passion and joy to put good into others and help them become the best versions of themselves. I worked as a Fitness Manager of a live-in fitness camp, where 1,000’s of people each year would come from across the world came to take back their health and wellness.
In 2017 I launched Mindful and Fit Coaching as my vehicle to fuse the best practices in positive psychology, human nutrition, and biomechanics to advance the human condition in areas of mind, body, and spirit. What started as a fitness, meditation, yoga, and nutritional blog quickly emerged as a one-stop wellness coaching practice that utilizes in-person and remote technologies to provide mindfulness, fitness, and behavioral coaching to twenty-five clients in nineteen states and three countries.
There are three prongs to Mindful and Fit Coaching Services:
1) Online/Remote Fitness and Mindfulness Coaching: Clients from across the world meet with me via facetime or google hangout to receive research-backed coaching in areas of mind, body, and/or spiritual wellness. This includes fitness routines, guided visualization(s) and/or meditation(s), meal plans, behavioral coaching to reduce stress, reduce/eliminate dependency on substances, and/or encourage healthier habits with regard to rest, recovery, sleep, etc.
2) In-Person Coaching:
a) One on One or Small Group Training – Mindfulness training geared toward teaching meditation, yoga, and neuro-linguistic programming – or changing thought patterns to encourage more empowered thinking and behavior.
Fitness training geared toward improving functional stability and mobility, physical strength and endurance, speed, agility, and balance.
b) Fitness Vacations – Mindful and Fit offers customized fitness vacations in Pacific Beach, CA. Clients from across the world come to enjoy forty-five hours of coached personal training and mindfulness coaching. Activities range from morning beach meditations to strength training, bike riding, kayaking, paddleboarding, dance classes, boxing classes, and more. Each client chooses their preferred modalities of exercise and Tony designs a custom schedule to help them get to their goals in the most expedited and enjoyable fashion possible.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
My personal weight loss journey was one of the toughest, but the most rewarding set of experiences I have ever endured. It taught me so much about commitment, tenacity, and perseverance. Most importantly, it taught me what I was capable of, and how to dedicate myself to process-oriented thinking.
As far as the business goes – I cannot be more blessed to live my passion as my chosen vocation. You know what they say “I’d rather work 80 to 100 hours a week for myself than 40 hours per week for someone else.” This is especially true, given that I absolutely exude enthusiasm for health and fitness, and helping others.
While it is true, Mindful and Fit Coaching takes considerable time and effort on my behalf, if we are to grow to our potential, I would argue I love what I do so much, that I only really have to “work” a little bit. The struggles along the way teach me lessons about life, business, and providing a top-notch service. Any challenges I have experienced only make me stronger.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Mindful and Fit Coaching emphasizes a holistic approach toward health and wellness.
Gyms and personal trainers are a dime a dozen, especially in San Diego, CA. What sets Mindful and Fit apart is the emphasis on behavior and thinking as a precondition to healthy movement and eating.
I teach clients a variety of strategies to enhance and improve both mental and physical fitness and endurance. I teach my clients how to identify their own negative, self-limiting beliefs and offer specific feedback in terms of how they can systematically reframe those into powerful and life-affirming beliefs.
The other variable that sets us apart is my story. Unlike most professionals in these industries, I have walked the walk. I drastically transformed my life by implementing the very same strategies I teach my clients. As I always say, “if I can do it… anyone can.”
What were you like growing up?
I have always been a smart and articulate person. As a kid, my parents would have to bribe me to stay quiet. I have always been outgoing, loud, and boisterous – though some of that was probably a coping mechanism to get kids to laugh with me, instead of at me. Though I have a lot more control, I am still loud and boisterous, but for happy and healthy reasons.
Pricing:
- Remote Accountability Coaching – $100 per week
- Personal Training or Mindfulness Coaching Session – $100 per hour
- Fitness Vacations – Starting at $1750 per week
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mindfulandfitcoaching.com
- Phone: 8018241925
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @mindfulandfitcoach`
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mindfulandfitcoaching/
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