Meet the Wonderful Megan Beers!!

I first met Megan in one of my fitness Intensive programs.  I remember noticing her beautiful strength, control, and focus and wondering, “Who is this girl??”  I came to know Megan as an incredibly warm, knowledgeable and capable trainer.  She is one of my premiere prenatal fitness experts and also a popular Body Conceptions instructor at Rutgers University.

I feel lucky to know Megan, and I’m happy that you’ll get to know her a bit here, too!

~Mahri

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Where were you born?  Edison NJ

Where did you grow up?  Washington, NJ

What’s your biggest passion?  To Dance!  That’s why I love what I do so much. I get to dance and help others feel good about themselves.

Tell me about your career.  Have you changed direction?  If so, why?  Yes!  I was training to be a professional ballet dancer when I got a career-ending back injury during my senior year of high school.  All of that time spent trying to rehabilitate myself led me to decide to become a Pilates and fitness trainer.

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What do you wish you knew when you were younger?  Not to spend so much time worrying!  I think I wasted a lot of time in my head, and I’ve learned since to pay more attention to what’s in my heart.

What’s your fitness style? A combination of enthusiasm and focus.

What piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten?  Never stop dancing!  I was told this when I was going through my injury and I think the real message there was that no matter what happens, find a way to do what you love.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)?  I almost always wear socks. I have a bit of a foot phobia!

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? Watching every and any reality show!

What quality do you really cherish about yourself? I’m determined to keep learning and growing so I can become the best version of myself.

Anything else about you that I missed?  I’ve been very lucky to have really amazing parents who are responsible for me now being able to live a life filled with passion and joy.

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Fabulous Trainer (and recent performer!): Erin West

Many of the trainers who work for Body Conceptions are performers who can be seen on stages around the world  – and Erin is no exception.  We are excited to welcome her back after her amazing run as Maggie in an Indianapolis production of Lend Me a Tenor.  Anyone who trains with Erin knows how infectiously enthusiastic and hard-working she is.  She will make you laugh while simultaneously work you harder than ever in your life.  Erin will be teaching class again at Stepping Out Studios – so be sure to come check her out!!

~Mahri

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Full Name: Erin Phyllis West

Where were you born? I was born at Fitzsimmons Army Medical Hospital in Aurora, CO. My dad was in the Air Force at the time.

Where did you grow up? My Dad was transferred to the Little Rock Air Force Base when I was five and soon after retired. He decided we should stay in Arkansas, so I grew up there.

What’s your biggest passion? Oh that’s easy–Music. I grew up listening to my parents’ records, I made up dances in the living room to my favorite songs, I started singing and my heart just LOVED it. I got my degree in music from Oklahoma City University. But aside from all that, I just think that music has the power to evoke feeling from people in the most incredibly special way. I could go on and on about it, but it will suffice to say that music is my passion.

Tell me about your career.  Have you changed direction?  If so, why? Oh man, my career as a performer has brought some awesome opportunities. I have performed in Japan and China. I got to do the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. I have performed in shows around the U.S. with some really talented and wonderful peopleI’ve been very lucky! I think there comes a time in every performer’s life where they ask themselves, “What is next for me? What is the career that I can turn to when I’m not performing anymore?” I started asking myself that seriously about a year ago, which lead me to pursue fitness. I don’t consider it a change of direction, I consider it more of a logical transition. That’s not to say I’ve given up on performing, but I’ve just allowed myself another path to travel, and I’m loving it!

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What do you wish you knew when you were younger? I wish I had known that it doesn’t matter what other people say about you.

What’s your fitness style? Haha, well I think my clients and the people who take my class would say it’s BALLS TO THE WALL ENERGY. And, I think I’d probably agree. I can’t hide my excitement for exercise and I love that I get to work out along WITH my clients. It’s exhilarating! AND I pick music that gets me really excited

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten? Well, the dance program at my college  used to weigh us in every month and our weight would affect our grade. Later on, someone told me that it doesn’t matter what the numbers say–it matters how you FEEL. That, to me, was a much more positive notion. I think it’s easy to get caught up in the numbers instead of staying off the scale and listening to our bodies.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)? I don’t often tell people that I used to do pageants as a teenager. It was my idea (not my mom’s) and I did it mostly so I could perform. The highest I ever placed was first runner-up in the Miss Mount Nebo Chicken Fry pageant. (I’m not kidding about the title.) I quit pageants after that.

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? I really love those little chocolate donuts that you can buy at the gas station in a six-pack. Oh man…. And put them in the refrigerator? Forget about it!

What quality do you really cherish about yourself? I think this is a tough question because it’s not something you get asked often…. Something I really cherish is the wonderful friends I have. Every one of them is just so kind and inspiring and smart and I feel so lucky to have such incredible people that care about me. So, whatever quality I have that makes them treasure me–that’s one that I cherish.

Anything else about you that I missed? Yes–you missed the time I introduced myself to L.L. Cool J on a flight from New York to Atlanta and then realized an hour later that my fly was completely open.

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Meet Trainer Extraordinaire:
Lauren Rodriguez

I am so happy to have such great people working for me. Lauren is such a creative and dedicated trainer. If you can, try one of her fantastic classes this month at Stepping Out Studios. You’ll have a blast!

~Mahri

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Full Name: Lauren Rodriguez Johnson

Where were you born? Naples, Florida

Where did you grow up?I spent half of my childhood in Naples and the rest in Charlotte, North Carolina.

What’s your biggest passion?  Dance, and pretty much anything that keeps me moving and lets me be a little bit of a ham

Tell me about your career. Have you changed direction? If so, why?  For me, fitness and performing have always gone hand in hand. I have always considered fitness to be a big part of my dance career because it keeps me active and feeling and looking great. Now I’m taking advantage of my knowledge and experience to help others find a way to a higher well being and better self image.

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What do you wish you knew when you were younger? That you can’t please everyone. I am still guilty of this from time to time, but I have learned that there comes a point that you need to be able to say “no” and put your own well being first.

What’s your fitness style? I am pretty disciplined and driven. I have always been self-motivated and goal oriented. That being said the free spirit in me has to love what I’m doing. If I don’t get enjoyment from it, I can’t stick to it.

What’s the best piece of health/wellness/dance advice you’ve ever gotten? To be a “smart” dancer. So many times in the dance world we push ourselves so hard to reach perfection that we don’t take the time to consider what it could do to our bodies in the long run. I have always known that I wanted dance to be a part of my life forever, so I strive to keep myself as educated as possible in the realm of anatomy and sports medicine because I truly believe that if you take care of your body, it will take care of you.

What’s something most people don’t know about you (that’s maybe a little funny or weird)? I fall asleep to I Love Lucy every night, and according to my husband, will often times sing along with the musical numbers in my sleep

What’s your guiltiest pleasure? Twizzlers, I can eat an entire bag at a time!

What quality do you really cherish about yourself? My wholeheartedness. Whether I’m teaching a class, performing or spending time with family and friends I try to put my whole heart into it and do everything with gusto. For me everyday is an opportunity to live life with unreserved enthusiasm.

Anything else about you that I missed? I am happily married to a wonderful guy who is a talented musician. We have a 13 year old dog named Humphrey who is the light of our lives. The “doing all things with gusto” sometimes backfires and makes me a bit of a klutz. I am half Cuban and half Italian. And I am convinced that I have the best family and friends a person could ask for and am extremely grateful to be surrounded by such wonderful people every day!

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Joanie – My Wonderful Instructor and Health Coach

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I knew as soon as I heard about Joanie that I wanted to include her in my business. Words like lovely, devoted, holistic, empathetic, hard-working, and knowledgeable were some of the qualities that were used to describe her. And not only did she have extensive experience in fitness, but she had her own health coaching business and a philosophy about wellness that closely matched my own.

I pursued Joanie for a while until I wore her down (ha!) – and I’m thrilled to have her now as the senior member of my team!

It’s so important to me that Body Conceptions represents more than just fitness. We promote health and happiness in all of our clients in all stages of their lives. We also believe that nutrition, exercise, lifestyle and emotional health are all too interconnected to address separately.

Since Joanie’s business, Motivated Nutrition, represents one of the first wellness businesses we have welcomed as a partner, I thought it was important to include her here so that you can get to know her a little better. Plus, she’s just a really cool and fun person (even when she’s inflicting pain on you in your training sessions with her!).

~Mahri

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Health coaching is kind of a mysterious term. What does it actually entail? And how did you get into it?

I get this all the time!  “What the heck is a health coach?”

I like to describe myself as a life coach that specializes in fitness and nutrition.  I help my clients set sustainable wellness goals and then we work together to transform those goals into action.  I set them up for lifelong success as they learn to listen to their bodies, become informed consumers when navigating the “health world” and strive to live each day with optimal energy and positivity!

Do you have a general coaching “philosophy?” If so, what is it?

My philosophy is rooted in the concept of “bio-individuality”.   There’s no such thing as a cookie cutter solution to our health.  We all have different background, likes, passions and goals.  There’s no such thing as one diet or lifestyle works for everybody.

Do you work with different people differently?

The bio-individuality approach means that every client is a new challenge.  And I love a challenge!  I try to understand each client as a whole person.  What foods do you love?  How much time do you have?  What workouts excite you?  How well do you manage stress?  There are so many factors that go into figuring out what lifestyle changes are going to help you reach your goals!

What have been some of your biggest challenges as a health coach?

My biggest challenge is teaching clients not to blindly follow whatever the health “trend” of the moment is.  Don’t get me wrong, I love a mean, green juice, but the juicing fad at the moment is driving me bonkers!

You are a knowledgeable and talented trainer for Body Conceptions, and the results you have gotten with our clients have been nothing short of amazing. Without mentioning names, could you talk about some of the accomplishments you’ve seen?

Aside from loosing weight and gaining strength, the biggest accomplishment in my clients has been the transformation in the way they feel in their bodies and view themselves.  There is nothing more beautiful than a woman totally in love with the way she feels in her body.  All my clients are gorgeous that way!

Part of my own philosophy establishing Body Conceptions came out of my interest in helping people lead healthier and happier lives and also connecting them with a bigger wellness community in the city. What are your thoughts about combining health coaching with fitness training?

They are one in the same.  Being physically fit is essential to good health. You want to be able to run with your children, enjoy nature’s beauty on a long hike, and not have to worry about aches and pains when you are doing things you enjoy.   My tag line has become “The healthier we are, the happier we play.”  Health coaching isn’t just about food.  It’s about becoming healthy and happy enough to “play” through life!

Ok – now to the fun stuff. Do you have any vices? What are they?

A glass of red wine and semi-sweet chocolate chips before bed.  It’s my worst, and most cherished, bad habit.  I’ve tried to cut back to just once a week but after a long day of exercise, there’s really nothing better.

You like to work with children, right? What kind of work have you done with them?

Can you remember how boring health class was growing up?  With childhood obesity on the rise, we can’t continue to make children memorize the food pyramid and expect them to eat healthier because of it.  We’ve got to get them moving and make nutrition fun!  I’ve developed a creative movement program that builds confidence in children as movers, gets their heart rates up, enhances creativity and the end of the session they are telling me things like “Sugar is whack!”

I also have a family health-coaching program that helps families incorporate better nutrition, meal planning, exercise and wellness habits into their busy, everyday lives.

And what’s something fun about you that no one would ever guess?

I took 7 ½ months off and backpacked through Southeast Asia with my fiancé a few years ago.  We walked 6 miles of The Great Wall of China, climbed 3 volcano’s in Indonesia and nearly died in a sulfur mine at the bottom of one them (!), learned to drive Elephants in Laos, slept under a million stars in an Indian dessert after riding camels for 8 hrs, and hiked through a blizzard in the Himalayas in Nepal for 8 days…All while wearing the same 2 T-shirts and 3 pairs of underwear.   AND I made some pretty awesome travel videos along the way!  http://bucketbath.travellerspoint.com/