Today we’d like to introduce you to Maddy Lawrence.
Hi Maddy, 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?
Growing up in a small town just outside of Cleveland, my older sister was my built in best friend from birth. Well, ‘monkey see monkey do’ as the saying goes, and I quickly became both fascinated and inspired by seeing her perform. As a result, I began dancing at the age of three, soon growing to become a teacher of my own by age 15, all thanks to my second home (although I joke it’s really my first) Studio 82 in North Royalton. Fast forward three years, and I left Cleveland in order to study dance at Shenandoah University. Post-education and wild dreams brought me to the West Coast where I began taking roles in the professional industry. Upon moving to Los Angeles, I also earned my ACE fitness certification which thus propelled me to work for both 305 Fitness, and the Basement Personal Training Gym. Passionate about teaching the youth and beyond, I continue to instruct people of all ages, reciprocating the energy and inspiration that others had instilled within me at a young age.
This profound love I had for dance as I grew up is what pushed me to pursue fitness further. Essentially, it is what concretely stamped the value of movement into my brain and more importantly, my heart. Because I was sincerely driven and passionate early on in my life about a sport and art so active, it made me want to share it with others as best I could. After teaching dance for many years, I’ve gotten to see the rewards of working with people one on one, and it’s only ever made me want to touch the lives of as many people as possible. This translated directly into personal training, and I remember reflecting one evening on how I could best do just that. That is how MaddFit was born. I poured more effort into my online presence in order to reach people outside of just my hometown and Los Angeles. I am still putting the building blocks together as I create my business and tweak it as time goes, but I’ve trusted the process. That, by the way, has not been an easy feat. I say that for one reason and one reason only-becoming my own boss was different, and with anything new comes many challenges, and I mean MANY. No one tells you how difficult it is to sit in your home and be disciplined in your practice as your bed and the ice cream in the fridge just three feet away from you are calling your name. Somehow, my fire to be a proponent of others’ health was greater than that Ben and Jerry’s Milk&Cookies pint. Ironic, isn’t it?
After two years of working and reworking the way I build my programs and treat my clients, I can say one thing. Being able to see them live a more balanced and healthy lifestyle [simply because they chose to make efforts in their goals] is an indescribably elated feeling. It has always come back to my love of movement and appreciation for each human as an individual, which I can only attribute to the studio owner, Clare Gales. That is why I started, and I learned both things from her; it is important to treasure your craft, but much more important to cherish those around you. It’s funny to see how everything truly came full circle in order to help me grow MaddFit to where it is currently, and hopefully, I can only continue to make it better.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I branched off from being an employee in December of 2019 to transition to being my own employer. I teach group fitness classes, lead personal training sessions, and am a 1:1 online coach as well. I’m known for helping people create a balanced lifestyle that can be easily maintained. I make sure my programs inform my client so by the end of our time working together, they come out more knowledgeable and can consistently make life choices that are sustainable. I also specialize in muscle recovery, which definitely comes from two things: my dance background and my knowledge in kinesiology. If someone is signing up to lose weight or gain more muscle, no matter the case, they’re also signing up for more stretching to improve their range of motion. I believe it’s a vital key in recovery and growth as an athlete, because at the end of the day, I consider each and every person who trains with me to be just that-an athlete.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I’ve learned that each and every person is more resilient than they think. It was a difficult transition for everyone to go from being in the gym 5x a week, to no longer being able to hold that habit. As far as teaching is concerned, I knew I had to find fun and innovative ways to make working out at home bearable. I found that it all relied on community; putting people into zoom calls and holding socially distanced outdoor classes became the solid foundation on which I began to build MaddFit during this time. Because people felt they were a part of something, everyone came together in solidarity for that given hour of exercise. Whether it was to simply commiserate on current conditions or not, everybody got together to move their bodies and boost endorphins, which I will always argue was vital during the period of the pandemic where having contact with people was impossible.
Pricing:
- Consultation-Free!
- 8 week-$500
- 12 week-$700
- 8 week w/ nutrition-$750
- 12 week w/ nutrition-$1000
Contact Info:
- Email: mad.fit.24@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maddfit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maddy.lawrence.5
Image Credits
DM Media
Rittenhouse Photography
Erica Sisti
Kylie Estep
Katie Donenfeld
