Meet Cheri Fogleman

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cheri Fogleman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Cheri, thank you for being such a positive, uplifting person. We’ve noticed that so many of the successful folks we’ve had the good fortune of connecting with have high levels of optimism and so we’d love to hear about your optimism and where you think it comes from.
To be honest, I think I was born with it! When I was a preschooler, I got a frowny face on my “report card,” for jumping rope. My mom asked me what I thought about it, and I replied that “a frown is just a smile turned upside down.” (laughs) I’ve always assumed the best in people, and in myself too. I know I’m always doing my best. The hard part has been staying optimistic when experiencing loss, pain, heartbreak, trauma, failure. I do know that I find it easier to be optimistic for others, so I try to put good out into the world, and it seems that when I’m a positive voice for students and clients (and friends) it helps remind me to be a positive voice for me too. I hope that makes sense. Also, this life is so short and precious, and I know that I don’t want to get to the end and regret that I festered and hated my life away. So, when I find myself spiraling with dark thoughts, I stop and think how I would lift up a friend or client in my shoes. What would I say?

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
Sure–I help folks who are new (or returning) to fitness ease into making movement a part of their daily life. I help people live longer, stronger, and more fulfilling lives. I help shift the mindset about fitness and how we think about our bodies. There are still lots of negative connotations surrounding exercise and physicality. It comes from lots of different sources. Competition in sports as children, body-shaming, and fitness as punishment come to mind.
Not everyone wants to compete, but in grade school, forty years ago, it was just those kids who competed that were physically active, and labeled “athletic.” As a result, so many generations of folks were told that they weren’t “athletic” because they didn’t fit that competitive sports mold. They were basically told not to bother being active if they liked to read or draw or play music.
Not everyone wants to change their body shape, but does that mean they shouldn’t be active? No! Fitness can be a celebration of our bodies. Being physically active can help our brain health, skin health, immune systems, cardiovascular health, so many things: range of motion, balance, endurance, strength, sleep, stress levels, mood. It really isn’t about weight loss.
And so many folks still associate exercise with punishment, often for what they’ve eaten, but even (again) what they learned in school (like “drop and give me 20!” or “take a lap!”). Why would they choose a punishment in their precious spare time?
So, I’m a certified, trauma-informed personal trainer, I’m a certified run coach, and I’m pre/post-natal certified. I teach group fitness classes and coach folks one on one. I’ve developed a class called Super Beginner–which is for those totally new to fitness. For those folks who have always been turned off by fitness! It’s gentle and simple and I explain it all. So, students know just what to expect. We start as a chair class and work on strength, range of motion, coordination, balance, endurance and we build in 30 minutes to a standing strength class. I offer it via Zoom, so folks can take class from home or work, with very little equipment. I also teach for a virtual platform called Good Vibes Wellness–the focus there is on daily motivation and tools to live a happier, healthier life.
And I wrote a book! For fitness beginners. It was inspired by repeated conversations that I had with different clients over the 22 years I’ve been a personal trainer. I spell out a lot of the basics and share stories and break down how to get started, information about the body, how to shift mindset and how to level up, when ready. It’s called My Trainer Says, and god-willing, it will be published this year.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Ooooo. Yeah. Off the top of my head: 1. Find your why. This helps get you out of bed and do it day after day. And stick with it when things get rough.
2. Be willing to adjust and get creative. It’s always about how can you make things work.
3. Seek help when you need it. For me, this came in the form of a business and marketing (for private personal trainers) coaching service last year.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes! I think it takes a village–and I don’t claim to know it all. And I love to keep learning! Last year I collaborated and offered package-deal one-on-one training, classes + wellness services with…a registered dietitian, an intuitive eating coach, a perimenopause health coach, and a doula. I’d love to meet new practitioners who would be excited about creating new workshops with me. Basically, I love to bring folks to the table that can help my clients, and it feels great to me to be able to offer this extra educational opportunity in addition to my fitness expertise. It’s also a great way for new folks to jump in and get a (gentle) crash course on fitness + something related to living a healthier lifestyle. Because I teach via Zoom to folks literally all over the world, it’s best to work with folks who are teaching a health/well-being workshop virtually, as opposed to in-person. Hit me up!

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Betting on the Brightside: Developing and Fostering Optimism

Optimism is like magic – it has the power to make the impossible a reality

Highlighter Series
What’s more important to you—intelligence, energy, or integrity?

There is no one path – to success or even to New York (or Kansas).

Leadership Development
Finding & Living with Purpose

Over the years we’ve had the good fortunate of speaking with thousands of successful entrepreneurs,