Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sharissa Reichert. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Sharissa, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?
Some people are born with an innate sense of empathy connection to with others. I am one of those people but this is also a skill that I have developed over the years like writing or anything else. This empathetic sense really started with me around age 13. I started reading the classic book ” Back to Eden’ by Jethro Kloss, and making my own concoctions from herbs in the backyard. I had very intense dreams during that that time seemed to come true the next day . I was at the beach one day and I felt a sensation on my leg , like a dull pain. I looked down and there was a crushed crab on the ground about 4 inches from my foot still alive. I picked it up with a stick and threw it in the ocean so it could die more peacefully.
After so many years of doing fitness assessments with my job as a personal trainer and successful aging coach, I have developed this sense of what other bodies need to heal.
My years of Buddhist Practice with the SGI USA have also helped me develop skills that connect me to others in a deep and personal way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have worked in the fitness industry since 2001. My specialty is Senior Population. I started my own company Bene-Fits PT in 2011 where I go from home to home working with mostly over age 65 people. My oldest client is 98 years old. This is the toughest most unglamorous part of the Fitness Industry , but it is the most gratifying if you ask me. To get phone calls saying ‘Thanks for being a part of my great recovery from my knee replacement surgery ‘ or ‘Hey i can play with my grandkids no problem’ is the best feeling ever. This type of work requires a lot of technical skill as a trainer and a ton of patience.
I have a full line of on-line courses https://bene-fits-p-t.heymarvelous.com/shop
A nice reputation on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/bestpersonaltrainerbk/reels/
I also teach Senior Population Specialty classes at several facilities in Brooklyn including Chelsea Piers, Bykln Studios and Alana Life and Fitness.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1) My sales skills, most people hate doing sales. I actually enjoy letting people know about an excellent product or service. If I did not sell Personal Training sessions during my early career my son and I did not eat, so I got really good at selling. I never push when I selling my services . I come from a place of sincerity and confidence when it comes to sales and promotion. It really works.
2) Client retention. My clients stay with me for 10 years or even longer. This is because I care, not just about getting paid, I care about my clients as a person and have really learned to tune in to them as an individual. This enables me to heal them in a more effective way. During the worst of covid, many of my senior clients were isolated for almost an entire year. My husband and I put on masks and visited them from a distance. This type of connection and deep caring has lead to financial benefits. When it comes to business don’t just think about quick cash, think long term business as well.. My philosophy is heal and the money will come.
3) patients . Canceled sessions, not wanting to purchase more sessions right away, putting your heart and soul into a first times session and not getting the client, not getting paid in between sessions at the gym are all part of the game. If you do not have the patience to deal with all of this you will not be successful. Stay focused and know that these challenges will go away if you stick with it!
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
When I first started in the Fitness Industry I thought that these spaces should be for healing not a place to be judged or to show off as is often the case. When rentering the fitness industry in the past year I found many unexpected positive changes. It was a big thing emotionally to go back to work for other people after 8 years of exclusively working for myself, but I got an interesting offer to to teach Senior classes at a high end Spin Studio called Bykln. I took this opportunity. The fitness industry is really different post Covid and all of the changes are for the better. It’s been really good for me to see these good changes and for people’s health in general.
Teaching classes and spending more time with other trainers has been keeping me up to date with the latest industry practices and knowledge.
I also got to hone in my class teaching skills. The best part about these classes is the social outlet aspect often much more difficult for people over age 65, One of my classes has become a little gang . This has been wonderful for my my client in their 90’s who often have no friends and partners left.
The past year has been hard but I feel like I am a better practitioner because of it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bene-fits-p-t.heymarvelous.com/shop
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bestpersonaltrainerbk/reels/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NY.BeneFitsPT
Image Credits
Sharissa Reichert
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