Our Newest Superstar Instructor: Nicole Picard

We noticed Nicole right away when she auditioned for us.  Her technique was fabulous, and she had a resumé that was spot-on.  But what really sold us was her sweetness, charisma, musicality – and ENERGY!  She’s the one jumping the highest in the room, and her movement style is funky, cool, and fun.

Nicole agreed to answer my questions for this interview.  Her answers give you some great insight into her background and what makes her such a great BoCo trainer.  Make sure you find her on the schedule, and run to her class.  You’ll have a blast!

~Mahri

*********************************************

NicoleHeadshot

Full name: Nicole Picard

Where were you born?  Hartford, CT

Where did you grow up?  Suffield, CT

What’s your biggest passion?  This one’s pretty obvious but… DANCING! It’s been a constant throughout my entire life, and for me, it’s the best shortcut to happiness. Whether it be dancing around in my tiny living room, or performing in front of thousands, I always feel like the best and truest version of myself when I’m dancing.

NicoleDanceJump

Tell me about your career. Have you changed directions? If so, why? Although my career is just in the beginning phases (I graduated from college just a year and half ago), I have shifted directions a little. After graduation, I decided I wanted to pursue dance professionally, and immediately landed a job dancing for the Brooklynettes, the dance team for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. I loved performing center court at the Barclays Center throughout the 2014-15 season home games and had a blast interacting with fans! When the season ended, I got involved working in fitness and found that the immediate positive feedback I received from clients was so rewarding. Although I had so much fun working in entertainment and am still dancing professionally on the side, my career has shifted more towards working in fitness because the feeling of helping others become healthier and happier is even more rewarding to me. I especially love working for Body Conceptions because I am able to combine my utmost passions of dancing, fitness, and helping others!

NicolePerforming

What do you wish you knew when you were younger?
I wish I knew to really trust the timing of my life. I have found that when one door closes, three more open, and life always hands you exactly what you are ready for.

What’s your fitness fashion style?  My fitness fashion style is all over the place. Similar to my every day style, I have LOTS of black but also have a million vibrant tank tops and sports bras!!! I prefer solid colors and don’t own too many patterned items, but I love cutouts, mesh and lots of straps.  My favorite brands are Beyond Yoga, Alo, and Lolë!

Nicole side look

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten?  The best piece of advice I’ve ever gotten was to find a balance that makes your body and soul happy. There are some days where going on a 10-mile run and drinking a green juice is exactly what I need, and others when resting my body and catching up with an old friend is more important. You look and feel your best when you listen to both your body and your soul equally.

Nicole handstand

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?  Chocolate. Every day. Honestly can’t remember the last day that passed when I didn’t have any!

What quality do you really cherish about yourself?  One of my most cherished qualities is that I love to learn and grow. The minute I feel too comfortable in anything, I always strive to find a way to push myself! I think it’s so important to keep moving forward and to constantly learn more about yourself and the people and places around you.

Nicole Leap

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)?  One of my first jobs was dancing in a magic show! I know how to levitate, disappear, and was even cut in half several times ;)

Anything else about you that I missed?  My junior year in college, I studied abroad in Australia and have been obsessed with everything (and everyone) Australian ever since! I still keep in touch with all of my friends over there and many have come to visit me in New York City.

Select photography by Kathleen O’Neill

Meet Our Fit For Fall Challenge Winner & The Instructor Who Motivated Her!

The Fit for Fall Challenge included six weeks of unlimited classes, weekly measurements, tons of wellness tips and fun prizes. Instructors worked very closely with the challengers and encouraged them to work hard and stay focused. Our 2015 Fit for Fall winner, Jackie, lost the highest percentage of total body inches – an impressive accomplishment! This was Jackie’s second challenge. Her team leader for the Spring Into Summer challenge just a few months before was Lauren Rodriquez. Lauren remained a huge motivator for her the second time around. Below, get both of their perspectives on how they faced this challenge and came out on top!

Headshots

*********************************************

Meet Challenge Winner, Jackie

Jackie grew up on Long Island and attended college in Boston. After graduating with a business degree in accounting and finance, she moved back home to New York. Now she lives in Manhattan and works at PwC, in the Real Estate advisory practice. She loves trying out new fitness classes, drinking red wine, eating ice cream, watching ridiculous reality TV shows and documentaries, and spending her summers in the Hamptons.

What is your fitness background?

I was an athletically challenged child who wasn’t great at team based sports, but I took ballet class through middle school and was a member of my high school dance team, which performed at the football and basketball games. During college, dance wasn’t a big part of my life, but since moving to the city, I’ve found that I gravitate towards dance-based fitness classes. To my family’s surprise, I have become a very fitness-focused person!

Arabesque

How did you find out about Body Conceptions and what is it about Lauren’s class that’s so fun?

I found BoCo through ClassPass while exploring different dance-based studios. I started going to more and more classes because of how intense the sculpting part of class is. I saw immediate changes in my legs and arms, which can get addicting! Furthermore, all of the instructors are amazing!!

Lauren and I started working together when I participated in the Spring into Summer Challenge in June and July. She was my team leader and helped me track my progress and stay focused over the eight weeks. I love taking her classes because of the great energy she brings, fun dance moves, and the killer burn in her Power Sculpt classes!

Plank

How do you make fitness a priority when you’re busy with your day job? Were there any moments where you wanted to give up?

Due to the nature of my job, I sit at a desk for the majority of my day, staring at a computer screen. I need an outlet to get up and move, so I always make fitness a priority! I’ll alternate working out before and after work. During crazier months at work, where days can be long, it’s definitely hard to find time for class. However, I’ve found that working out with coworkers is a great way to stay motivated!

Side Leg laugh

What piece of advice would you give to other young professionals trying to achieve their fitness goals while balancing a day job?

I like to plan out my workouts the week before. If I’m already signed up for a class, it’s less likely I’ll bail on it! In addition, it was important for me to communicate my fitness goals with my coworkers. They have been really supportive!

Favorite song to work out to?

I love my Kygo station on Pandora!

**************************************************

Team Leader, Lauren

Lauren is originally from Charlotte, NC and trained at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She has been teaching dance and fitness for 13 years and has been a Body Conceptions trainer for 2.5 years.

Band Arms

Were there any moments when you thought Jackie wanted to give up?

Similar to most of our challengers, Jackie started to struggle at the halfway point. The first couple of weeks were filled with excitement and adrenaline, but by week three everyone’s body started to feel a bit fatigued. I was able to encourage them to persevere by reminding them of the many improvements they had made thus far and how much stronger they had become in just a few short weeks.

You train countless clients on a daily basis. What makes Jackie special?

Jackie’s positive attitude allowed her to overcome obstacles with a smile and have fun while working out. It also helped that she had competed in previous BoCo challenges that gave her a strong technical foundation. This allowed instructors to give her more refined modifications and really push her to the next level of her fitness journey.

Standing Abs

What advice would you give to newer personal trainers about keeping clients motivated?

I think the best way to keep clients motivated is to give them a specific attainable goal. Whether it’s fitting into an old pair of jeans or something as simple as being able to hold a plank 5 seconds longer. Having small goals set on a monthly or even weekly basis really helps to keep them motivated and gives them a sense of accomplishment

What’s your favorite song to work out to?

There are so many choices! But right now I’m loving “How Deep Is Your Love” by Calvin Harris.

Interview and photography by Kathleen O’Neill

 

Our New Jersey Superstar, Kerry Clarke!

When we were looking for great instructors based in NJ, I never thought we would find someone as skilled, experienced, and PERFECT for BoCo as Kerry Clarke.  Having recently moved from NYC to NJ, Kerry has an extensive background in fitness in addition to her previous life as a dancer. And her workouts are amazing.  Dream come true!

Even more importantly, Kerry is a warm, cool person with tons of charisma. We love her sense of humor, and she also has such real and grounded energy.  We have asked her to talk a little bit about herself here, and you will learn some fun tidbits.  Thanks, Kerry, for a great interview – and welcome to Body Conceptions!

~Mahri

***************************************************

KerryHeadshot#1

Full Name:  Kerry Joyce Clarke

Where were you born, and where did you grow up?  Edison, New Jersey

What’s your biggest passion?  Probably traveling.  I feel most alive when I am out of my comfort zone and seeing/experiencing something new.  There’s nothing like a good trip to put your life into perspective and see things a bit clearer.

Tell me about your career.  Have you changed direction?  If so, why?   I was a dance major in college, and had intended to pursue dance for a living.  Life got in the way, and soon after graduation I sold my soul to corporate America.  After a few years, I really craved more creativity and movement in my life and I started teaching barre in my spare time as well as logging hours for my 200 RYT training.  I followed my heart, and with the support of my husband, started teaching fitness for a living.  It has been a really rewarding experience…it energizes me, keeps me in shape, and perhaps most important, has introduced me to some of my best friends.  It connected me with like-minded, strong people who cherish their health and love inspiring others to be the best versions of themselves.

JoyceYoung Dancer

What do you wish you knew when you were younger?  How precious free time and sleep is.  Now that I have NONE with two toddlers ruling my household, I miss those moments of downtime where it was just me and my thoughts.  Many nights when I’m tucking my kids into bed, I wish so badly that the roles were reversed and someone were tucking me in!

What’s your fitness fashion style?  To be honest, my fitness style is definitely a bit more bold and daring than my day to day style.  It also changes with the workout.  I wear totally different apparel for dance cardio, versus spinning or barre.  For a tough BoCo class, I tend to choose a layered look on top….usually a strappy and bright sports bra as the base…and baggier capris.

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten?  To “listen to your body!’  I know how many classes I can teach without crashing.  I know my breaking point.  I know when I need a great massage, a day to sleep in, more water in my system, etc.  I try to avoid burning out at all costs.  It’s important to stay healthy and stay energized.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)?  I have two fears….#1. the dentist and #2. flying (yes, which is challenging when you love to travel.  Picture the plane scene from bridesmaids)

What’s your guiltiest pleasure?  These days…..veggie straws.  I buy them “for my kids” and eat the bag!  Doh!

What quality do you really cherish about yourself?  I consider myself to be a pretty good “connector.”  I’m most definitely a people person and I really pride myself on keeping up my relationships.

Anything else about you that I missed?  I am a total unabashed snob when it comes to both coffee and chocolate.

DSC_0405SweatyKerryLaugh

Photo by Kathleen O’Neill