Six Weeks To Fitness

Meet Josef Gotsch, a World Champion handball player, born and raised in Bayside, Queens in New York City.  Josef started his athletic career at the early age of 4 years old.  During the interview, Josef will describe what it was like growing up in a loving, yet highly competitive and athletic family, where his father was a professional skier and rugby player from Austria, and his maternal grandfather was a professional bowler.  Josef will also share why he chose to pursue a professional career playing handball instead of the other traditional sports such as soccer, baseball, swimming, skiing, bowling, tennis, and basketball.  Josef is a firm believer in the importance of practice which he does almost every day (weather permitting).  He also believes in not only being in excellent physical shape in order to compete but mentally strong as well.  Also during the interview, Josef will share his exercise philosophy, which involves stretching, good nutrition and various other techniques. Josef has become an Ambassa

Meet Reggie Nance, Associate State Director for Multicultural Engagement for AARP New York, overseeing outreach to African-Americans, and Caribbean-Americans across the state.  I recently had a chance to interview Reggie on my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, where he discussed the many benefits AARP offers its members, which is 38 million strong in the United States and 2.6 million strong in New York State.  Did you know that AARP provides free financial advice for its members along with free movie tickets and discounted tickets to Broadway shows, or that people 50 years of age or older are one of the fastest-growing entrepreneurial groups in the country?  These facts and much more are shared in this very impactful interview with Reggie Nance. Reggie believes that age is just a number and that is why on December 14th, AARP will host a panel discussion called “Disrupt Aging in Sports” at the Clyde Frazier restaurant in New York City, from 12 to 2 p.m.  This event will bring out former professional athletes from

Meet Giovonni Thompson, a young, ambitious, entrepreneur, who happens to be the CEO of the Camden Monarchs, the new professional American Basketball Association (ABA) expansion team.  Not only is Giovonni the CEO of the Camden Monarchs, she is also the owner of GioGlobal Management and GioGlobal Sports Agency, which specializes in sports marketing, public relations, merchandising, and event production.  I had the pleasure of interviewing Giovonni on my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast.  During the interview, Giovonni shared how the opportunity to own the Camden Monarchs came about.  She also laid out her vision for the Camden Monarchs as well as her plans to use her platform to inspire and propel young girls to fearlessly go after their dreams, whether it be in entertainment and music (where Giovonni got her start) or in the sports marketing and management field.  Giovonni was born in France where her father played in the European basketball league.  Giovonni credits her parents for being a major inspiration in h

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Constance Jones, a San Diego native, philanthropist, author, and wife.  During her prime fertility years, Constance experienced not one, not two but 5 miscarriages.  During the interview, Constance will take us on a journey detailing her childhood growing up in San Diego as one of 9 children battling the three demons in her household: alcohol, abuse and absenteeism.  She survives the heartbreak of miscarriages, depression and bad relationships to become an influential philanthropist, advocate and loving wife.  As an author, she is releasing her inspirational book titled “Emerging Butterfly: a memoir by Constance Jones” in January, 2020 (www.theemergingbutterfly.com). This is an inspiring interview about an exceptional woman, who took the lemons she was dealt and turned them into lemonade and with the help of her husband, Claude co-founded Elevate Foundation.  The purpose of Elevate Foundation is to help rebuild communities, uplift individuals,

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Actor, Producer Jasper Cole (famously known as Hollywood’s Bad Guy).  Jasper is no stranger to my podcast, having been a guest back in 2014.  Since that time, Jasper has been extremely busy.  He was awarded “Best Screen Villain” by the International Nollywood Film Festival in 2019. He is a veteran character actor who now has over 112 TV and film credits under his belt, some of which include: The Purge: Anarchy; Training Day; ABC-TV series The Rookie; Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Friday the 13th Part VIII and that blockbuster film from back in the day, MacGruber.  Jasper is also the host of the nationally syndicated Radio/TV show....One On One With Jasper. During the interview, Jasper will provide us with an update on his latest TV and Film projects.  He will also discuss his healthy lifestyle and how he has been able to maintain his very lean, muscular physique through the years as a very successful actor in Hollywood. Jasper will also provide some kee

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by DominiQue Williams (famously known as G.I. Jane).  DominiQue is an army veteran, courageous cancer survivor and business woman. DominiQue is forging a major imprint in the industry of entertainment. In 2018, DominiQue was discovered by the legendary movie producer Will Packer, which led to her starring in the 2019 summer hit film "Shaft”, opposite Samuel L. Jackson. During the interview Dominique will take us on a journey from her home town of Cincinnati, Ohio to Atlanta, Georgia, where she got her big break in the film industry while working as a bartender.  When the opportunity came to audition for the role in Shaft, DominiQue came down with pneumonia and was told to stay in bed for another two weeks.  Instead of heeding her doctor’s advice, DominiQue took the leap of faith, got out of bed and created an audition tape, and got the part.  DominiQue will also share how being diagnosed with cancer at such an early age impacted her life and set

In this episode of my six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by mompreneur  Loena B. Rodgers, creator and owner of the Egg-cellent Breakfast company.  Loena combined her culinary and marketing expertise with a deep commitment to making meals more meaningful for children everywhere.  No stranger to the kitchen, Loena learned cooking at an early age from her great-aunt, and grew her passion for preparing quality and nutritious foods through hands-on, professional kitchen experiences with Tender Greens, Chipotle, and the Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel.  Today she balances business duties with her responsibilities as a mom to two boys who both attend private schools.  Loena knows all too well the great difficulty parents face in getting delicious and healthy breakfast meals to their kids.  She has a heart for helping people learn about food and be mindful about what we put in our bodies and our children’s bodies.  This dedication led her to help moms create breakfast meals that keep their kids focused and ener

In this very inspiring episode of our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Racquel Bailey, a wife, mother of two and an actress. Since she was a little girl, Racquel knew her calling was to be on the big screen. Having a love for the arts, her mother quickly put her in dance and acting classes so that she could hone in the talents that God had given her. In 2019, Racquel took the leap of faith with the urgings from her husband and purchased two billboards near Tyler Perry Studios in Atlanta, with the hopes that the award-winning director would cast her in one of his upcoming TV series…which he DID!  The New Jersey-based actress was inspired by a scene in the 1999 Halle Berry film, “Introducing Dorothy Dandridge.” In the movie, a casting director said Dandridge was irrelevant if he didn’t walk outside and see billboards of the actress around town. Later in the movie, he walked outside to see billboards of Dandridge plastered near his home. This is the second time Racquel purchased billboards to grab Pe

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Dr. Candice Jones, a board-certified physician practicing as a general pediatrician in the Pine Hills Community of Orlando, FL. She earned her Medical Doctorate at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA. She is also a Spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of its’ Council on Communications and Media.  During the interview, Dr. Candice will discuss the various causes of the childhood obesity epidemic plaguing our youth and the steps that parents can take to address this growing problem.  Dr. Candice is committed to the health and well-being of underserved children and adolescents in areas that are affected the greatest by health inequalities. If you are interested in raising healthy kids, and I believe you are, even with a limited budget, Dr. Candice has the answer.  This is one of the most informative interviews I’ve had to date on childhood obesity.  If you have an overweight child and don’t know what to do

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Dr. Dora Gray, an author and former New York City elementary/middle school teacher with a passion for the arts.  Along with teaching academics and music appreciation for grades K – 8 in both the public and private sectors, she was charged with initiating and conducting an after- school violin program.  Dora holds the conviction that music education is essential to enhance the academic ability of children.  During the interview, Dora will discuss her newly released book, “A Stringy Situation”, a fantasy tale where the main characters being string instruments come to life.  This book will pull at your heartstrings and take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride with the characters.  I enjoyed reading this book not once but twice and recommend it for young and adult readers alike. In addition, Dora will discuss her work as a Life Coach and her strong belief in taking control of your health.   Dora will also share how she successfully reversed dia

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Actor and Fitness Model, Adam Lindo, known to audiences from his appearances on Blindspot, The Blacklist, Power, and Deception.  During the interview, Adam will discuss his recurring role in multiple episodes of the upcoming seventh and final season of "Orange is the New Black," where he is being cast as Carlos Litvack.  The final season of Orange Is the New Black can be seen on Netflix starting on July 26th. Also during the interview, Adam will discuss what it was like being a police officer and working as a fitness model before the acting bug hit.  As a fitness model, he once weighed in at 260 pounds before changing his diet and becoming a vegetarian.  Adam will also discuss how he got into the acting business and what he believes it takes to succeed in the industry.  Adam has just finished wrapping up another movie, “Clifford the Big Red Dog” and is working on producing movies as well.  He is a rising star in the acting world but more impor

In this episode of our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Kristoffer Quiaoit and Victor Macias, founders and creators of Nui, a cookie brand on a mission to annihilate sugar addiction. During the interview, Kristoffer and Victor will discuss the impetus for creating a cookie based on the ketogenic diet and how that diet helped them to lose weight and increase mental clarity. Each decadent cookie has less than one gram of sugar, which is naturally found in nuts. You could eat a whole box of 16 Nui cookies and still consume less sugar than one traditional cookie. The cookies are low carb, gluten free, and keto friendly!  After baking Nui cookies in their home kitchen for themselves, friends and families, Quiaoit and Macias, created a website and posted about their cookies on Reddit which led to initial orders. The next step was two very successful Kickstarter campaigns that raised over $200,000.  They were recently featured on my favorite TV show, Shark Tank and offered investment deals by Sharks, Kev

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Jennifer Cohen, best-selling author, performance coach, fitness and wellness authority and entrepreneur.  During the interview, Jennifer will discuss her exercise philosophy, provide fitness tips during the holiday season and discuss her latest book, “Badass Body Goals” The Booty-Building & Waist Trimming Journal is a personal trainer in a book. It teaches you everything you need to know about booty-building, fat loss, and working out effectively to meet your goals, and then provides 10 weeks of complete, guided workouts you’ll use to make outrageously quick progress.  Each chapter comes with a video tutorial that readers can access through HabitNest.com so you can work out with Jennifer Cohen from anywhere. Early in her career, Jennifer emerged as an influential role model and game-changer for the fitness industry, best known for her savvy, straight-talking reputation and belief in a “no excuse” approach that forgoes the fitness fads and

In this episode of my Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Jessica Smith and Wendy Bush, the founders and creators of the Kidpreneur Business Expo, an annual event that was created to highlight kids who own and operate a business with the support of their parents and other mentors.  This extraordinary event will take place on Saturday, November 24th (“Small Business Saturday”), from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the NJ Convention and Expo Center, located at 97 Sunfield Avenue in Edison, New Jersey.  During the interview, Wendy and Jessica discuss in detail, the importance of entrepreneurship for children and how the Kidpreneur Business Expo will not only showcase many businesses started by kids from all over the country, but will also inspire children attending the event to want to start their own businesses.  There will be entertainment, workshops, fashion show, fitness exhibitions, product giveaways (for the first 100 people) and much more.  Take a few minutes and listen to these powerful young women talk ab

In this Episode of our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Shanae Jones, affectionately known as the Hip Hop Herbalist and the owner of Ivy’s Tea Co., a pop culture and Hip-Hop inspired holistic health brand that provides herbal tea and herb-infused honey. She is a graduate of the Sky House Herbal School and The Black UpStart. Shanae became known as the Hip-Hop Herbalist after breaking stereotypes and bringing very traditional herbal remedies to millennials using the trendy and ever-evolving vehicle that is pop culture. Shanae hopes to change the way you see tea drinkers and introduce more African holistic health remedies into the holistic health industry.  During the interview, Shanae will share the many benefits you will receive from drinking her herbal teas, such as detoxification, boosts your immune system, improve gut health and much more.

 In this episode of our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I’m joined by Jacque Peppel, a native Floridian, born in Tampa, Florida, a month before Pearl Harbor.  Jacque’s passion is helping people to achieve abundant health.  She is trained as a Health and Wellness Coach, a Life Coach and Spiritual Counselor.    Most of Jacque’s life she suffered from respiratory and digestive disorders.  Fifteen years ago, she came down with an autoimmune disease which attacked her bones and muscles.  Her pain and suffering was so bad, she had to take sleeping pills to counter the effects of the other pills the doctors prescribed, which kept her awake.  During the interview, Jacque will share what steps she took to heal her body naturally of the disease.  Jacque is now in her 70s and proudly boasts about not being on any medications.  Jacque’s story is one of faith, inspiration and healthy living.  She is very involved with her church and credit’s her faith in God for bringing her this far. 

In this week’s episode of our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I’m joined by former Baltimore Raven, Matt Lawrence, a graduate of the University of Massachusetts-Amherst and Co-Founder of Lawrence International.  During the interview, Matt will share what it was like growing up in Hartford and Bloomfield Connecticut, two very different sides of the track and how that experience played a major part in shaping his young adult life.  Matt’s role models were his parents, who both have Masters degrees and stressed the importance of hard work and education.  While playing in the NFL, Matt was involved with the Presidential Council for Fitness and Nutrition where he volunteered his time to make a strong impact in the young lives who looked up to him. Wanting to make more of a global impact, Matt attended the Wharton school of business. While there, he was able to gain the critical information needed to build a sustainable business model that Lawrence International has today. Unfortunately shortly thereafter, Matt was s

In this week's episode of our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Pariis Garcia, a professional track & Field super star who runs for the Puerto Rican Athletics national team.  Pariis graduated with a Bachelors in Psychology and a Masters in Special Education from St. Johns University. Pariis is also the Brand Ambassador for iON Performance Care and is the creator of a fitness and nutrition blog called “Fit Curls”.  During the interview, Pariis will discuss how she was selected to run for the Puerto Rican Athletics team. She will also describe her rigorous training routine and visualization techniques before a race, and what motivates her to succeed.  Pariis is a strong believer in education and athletics but all of this is second to her love for family and faith in God, whom she credits for her success.  Pariis is young, and driven to succeed.  She is also committed to giving back to those less fortunate, which was evidenced by her support for the people in her homeland of Puerto Rico during the

In this week's episode of our Six Weeks to Fitness podcast, I am joined by Certified Group Fitness Instructors/Personal Trainers, Kristina Lewis-Rodriguez and Cassandra Phifer, co-directors of FITBK, a borough-wide health, fitness and wellness community-based initiative based in Brooklyn.  During the interview, Kristina and Cassandra will discuss their personal journeys into a healthy lifestyle.  They will also announce that on Saturday, September 22, FITBK will host their first ever FITBK Inaugural Awards Gala Celebration at KAI Studio in Brooklyn.  This event (the first of its kind), will honor  leaders and luminaries in the health and fitness industry including fitness advocates, enthusiasts, educators, local government officials, media personalities and local supporters in support of FITBK's mission to improve the health outcome of people of color within at-risk communities as well as immigrant communities in Brooklyn.  The event is hosted by Jennifer Bisram, Multi-Emmy Nominated Television Journalist/Rep