Meet Peri Heft

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Peri Heft. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Peri, thank you so much for agreeing to open up about a sensitive and personal topic like being fired or laid-off. Unfortunately, there has been a rise in layoffs recently and so your insight and experience with overcoming being let go is relevant to so many in the community.
Oh boy… getting laid off/fired is never fun. I’ve been laid off twice in my life, but one of them sticks out more than the other, and is actually how my business as a whole was created and developed (what people refer to as the silver lining).

I had just moved to Denver, was living in an upscale high-rise building, was making great friends, and had a great remote-work job (and this was pre-COVID). Everything seemed to be going well, until it wasn’t.

One day out of the blue, my remote-work marketing job laid me off. My sole source of income was cut off, and with only 2 weeks of pay coming in, I had to figure something out.

I had other sources of income, like from teaching yoga and group fitness classes, but that wasn’t going to make me enough to pay my bills.

So I got creative:
– I picked up more weekly classes to teach so I could try and make ends meet
– I started watching/walking people’s dogs in my building (which actually made me enough to cover groceries all summer!)
– I picked up any odd jobs I could. One time, my friends paid me to organize their kitchen and closet after moving.

During that time, I was applying to jobs, but I knew I needed to do foster my passion in health and fitness too. I thought to myself: “If I’m sitting around applying to jobs, I might as well be working towards another certification that can set me up in the future too.”

And so, I started working towards my Nutrition Coach certification. My end plan was to put myself in a position where I could coach and train people form a 360-degree approach in Meals, Movement, and Mindset. Like a full-service coaching program that helped people with their nutrition and fitness goals.

During my 6 months of unemployment, I was able to not only earn another certification, but I also landed another full-time job that could help me make money while I built up my business.

4 years and 100s of clients later, I am well-known in the space and on Instagram for helping people with their fat loss and body recomposition goals. I’ve helped people lose hundreds of pounds and hundreds of inches over the past few years, and I’ve helped them regain confidence, build strength, and improve their relationship with food and movement.

And this all came out of being laid off…

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, and yoga and group fitness instructor, but I am most known for helping clients with their fat loss and body recomposition goals.

I have helped hundreds of clients lose weight, reshape their bodies, tone up, and improve their relationship with food and working out.

I absolutely love being a part of someone’s journey towards a healthier/happier version of themselves, and it’s a joy to see confidence soar and lives change (for the better).

I am most excited about the launch of my new app, PeriFitFoodie, which is a one-stop shop and tool we use for my Meals, Movement, and Mindset programs. This tool helps me and my clients track nutrition, facilitate training programs, track daily and weekly habits, and observe and analyze compliance throughout our 3 months together. It’s exclusively reserved for my private coaching clients (it’s not open to the public to download), and I’d be happy to have you join!

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?
Resilience: Continuing to work and push through even during lulls or lows.

Continued Learning and Education: It’s important to always work towards better skillsets or better version of yourself.

Networking: Meeting new people is priceless. The more people you know, the more your network grows. And the more your network grows, the more potential clients you have in your web.

Awesome, really appreciate you opening up with us today and before we close maybe you can share a book recommendation with us. Has there been a book that’s been impactful in your growth and development?
I remember reading the book “Choose Wonder Over Worry” by Amber Rae a few years ago and it completely changed my perspective on fear and just GOING FOR IT! It’s such a beautiful book as well, as the pages are designed with beautiful artwork and poetry.

Highly recommend it!

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