Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Nisanov.
Tamara, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I’ve always had a passion for helping others, and have utilized this passion throughout every career I’ve had. I came into the current world of fitness and wellness about five years ago after my mother passed away after fighting her battle with pancreatic cancer. During that time, I stopped taking care of myself because I knew I was losing my mom. I stopped exercising, only ate crackers and cheese and just binge watched Netflix. With the help and support of my husband, he gently convinced me to get back on track towards my healthy self by joining the gym. The routine of waking up at 5 am, going to the gym, working all day and then coming home to take care of my mom became what I needed to be a better caretaker for her because I was taking care of myself. After my mother passed away, I kept up with my routine and was so inspired by my fitness instructor, who I looked up to as a mentor, that I told him, “I want to do what you do, how do I do it?”. I knew how much he inspired me to be better during such a challenging time in my life and I wanted to do the same for others. It’s been such a joy to work with people daily and help them transform their lives for the better. I realize that helping others is my gift and currently movement is the tool I use. My craft continues to develop and I’m excited to expand my reach in uplifting and inspiring others to improve their lives using movement and strengthening their minds and bodies one step at a time.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road but as the saying goes, there are no straight lines in nature, so it’s not what I was expecting. I have a Master’s Degree in Mental Health and Psychological Counseling from Columbia University, in my hometown of NYC. I worked as a Mental Health and Career Counselor and then transitioned into being a Recruiter helping companies in North America find great talent. While working full time as a recruiter, I started teaching fitness classes in the evenings and on the weekends. I wanted to go beyond my National Group Fitness Instructor Certification and develop my skills so I studied for six months to become a Nationally Certified Personal Trainer. After becoming a Trainer I decided to move to Miami. The thought of losing a steady income and having to build everything back up from the beginning was scary so I didn’t jump into it right away and instead started in a new company as a Recruiter.
After six months, the owner closed the company and I was going to be left without a job. This was the pivotal moment to make the leap into full time fitness or continue to do it part time. I can’t tell you how happy I am for taking the plunge into a full time fitness career. Even though it may look glamorous, it’s hard work daily. Pay isn’t always predictable when you work with people their schedules or minds change, you may lose clients overnight or deal with unrealistic demands. Your income is mainly based on the effort you put in and a little bit of luck plays a role here too. Being adaptable, flexible and open to the ups and downs is a must in order to succeed in this industry. You have to continue to develop your skillset, increase your level of knowledge and never take your foot off the pedal or you lose your momentum. It’s very much a mental game of staying positive, no matter what challenges you have in your life. There are no sick days and travel is tough to fit into a fitness coach’s schedule but I continuously remind myself to take care of me, as that’s something that often gets away from me. And of course, I try to feed my love of travel whenever I get a chance as it’s a dream of mine to travel the world.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I have many jobs and I continue to keep myself busy both as a Personal Trainer at Equinox, with the Individual Clients that I train in Miami and Miami Beach, my Corporate Wellness Partnerships and the classes I teach around the city. There’s never a dull moment and I’m so grateful for doing what I love. I focus on strengthening the mind and body through movement. I blend my psychology and fitness background into the work I do with my individual personal training clients and tailor their fitness program specific to their wants, needs and overall goals. We focus on strength/resistance training and various fitness modalities including cardio, balance, mobility, flexibility, mindfulness and breath. When I teach classes and work with my corporate partners, it’s about bringing fun and enjoyment to people who sit at a desk all day and want to change habits by including exercise in their life.
My focus on mind and body sets me apart as I don’t just count reps and focus on the outside. It’s about improving the lifestyle of my clients and I tell them that the three hours a week we’re together (on average) should positively impact the other 165 hours they have that week. That means we have to be efficient with our time together and discuss how what we learn is applied to their everyday lives. I often say that exercise is a metaphor for life and my clients often hear my voice in their heads. That means so much to me. They’re learning, growing, improving and gaining confidence.
Considering my broad background in helping others, my clients range in their fitness levels and age, with my youngest client being 10 and oldest being 86. No matter who they are, we make sure to work hard but more importantly, have fun so that they can achieve their goals and enjoy themselves.
My specialty is tailoring programs to my clients’ needs and desires, and we often start with connecting body and breath, utilizing the metaphors of:
“Connect to your body”, with Body Weight movements, including Animal Flow, Yoga and mobility movements, closing their eyes, really looking in.
“Control the resistance, don’t let it control you” by moving with control in strength training rather than just going through the motions and ensuring the form is perfect or as close to perfect as possible, and making a mind body connection, and
“Find the balance”, by practicing single limb movements, balancing using various equipment and taking off shoes to connect to the ground beneath them.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success by achieving what you work hard for. If you earned it, even with help, as no one can do it alone, you’re successful. When I was younger I cared more about my grades, but as I’ve gotten older and gained more life experience, I realize that success is earned on the journey towards the goal. Saying you’re going to wake up at 5am to workout, staying disciplined with your food choices, saying no to that extra serving or dessert because you’re committed to yourself, and knowing that your hard work will pay off if you stay focused is all part of my criteria for success, for myself and my clients.
I work with so many people who tell me they’ve never been committed and I know I’ve gone through those experiences when the easier choice to not take action was chosen, yet when you begin to see results, your body shifting and changing because of the actions you take on a daily basis, it shows you that you can be successful daily.
I love helping people feel successful and people need to clarify what success is for them because it’s different for every person. I know that I’m successful when I can help others realize what success is for them and for them to appreciate the journey rather than the destination.
Success is also about continuous improvement and self-development, rather than just achieving one goal and stopping. It’s never-ending progress, learning and growth. That makes success much more enjoyable, fun and part of your everyday life.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1200 West Avenue
- Website: TamaraNisanov.com
- Phone: 917-370-7011
- Email: TamaraNisanov@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamaranisanov/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tamara.nisanov
- Other: https://tamara-nisanov-personal-trainer-fitness-and.business.site/
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