Aug 18 | The Monday Report

Sometimes, we overlook or undervalue the very things that help us most. What seems ordinary or unappreciated may be what truly supports our growth.

FITLETE Professional Updates

The Resource Nexus

— 🌶️The Business Dashboard is almost done! I’m just finalizing the layout and testing for any errors or connections that need improvement.

• In-Person Branch: Every in-person and virtual learning opportunity for personal trainers and coaches is available at your fingertips. Using our maps, search filters, and lists, it's easy to find high-quality events any time of year and near your home location.

  —Events in August:

• 1st—Body Positive Fitness Alliance: Inclusive Fitpro Summit

  1st—Fitcon: Annual Fitcon

  2nd—National Fitness Productions: TheFitExpo Anaheim

  6th—International Society of Behavioral Medicine: Annual Congress

  7th—Society For Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology: Annual Meeting

  8th— Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists: Annual Meeting

  9th— Fitness Conventions Inc: FitPro Fusion DC

  11th—Conference Design: 16th National Allied Health Conference

  18th—National Wellness Institute: Annual Wellness Summit

  20th—Sports Leaders Summits: Business of Sport Summit

  21st—SCW Fitness Education: SCW Dallas Mania

  26th—International Union Of Nutritional Sciences: International Congress of Nutrition

  26th—International Association For The Philosophy Of Sport: Annual Meeting

  26th—National Strength And Conditioning Association: Tactical Annual Training

  28th—Joan & Augustine Pro Academy: The Strength Summit

  28th—International Health, Racquet And Sportsclub Association: Fitness Brazil Latin American Conference & Trade Show.

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Online Course Branch: Finding the perfect online education course on one page. FITLETE makes it easy for you to find the right course for your specialty, gaps in your expertise, and within your budget.

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Business Growth Branch: Discover the perfect mentor that you can gel with or a business development program that fits the direction you want to grow your business.

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Career Branch: Train at brick-and-mortar facilities or find online coaching jobs. The only non-exclusive job board that doesn't group personal training and coaching jobs together with spa, beauty, and wellness jobs.

— 🌶️ Most likely about a week more working out the kinks, and this will be finalized.

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Equipment Branch: Your business is unique in how you want to run it and showcase it to the world. Find the right tools that offer what you need without overspending for features you don't need.

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FITLETE Radio

Listen Here: Apple | Spotify | Snipd | PocketCasts | YouTube | ListenNotes | OverCast

— 🌶️Episode 5! 25 episodes left for the season.

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FITLETE Nation Apparel

— 🌶️ The Collections are coming. I enjoy creating art on paper, and I have improved at transforming conceptual drawings into graphic design files; these files are getting ready to retake physical form in some apparel! Here is a written preview of what’s slowly coming.

The OG Collection- The original logo wordmark. Light grey is the base color with the original colorway.

Egyptian Revival Collection- Some Egyptian glyphs and art + Art Deco design motifs. Deep Navy base color & gold color design elements.

The Miami HQ Collection- An Art Deco heavy design style. Subtle all-over print patterns and pops of accent color designs.

The Nostalgia Collection- Some of my favorite things from growing up. Black base color

• If you’re asking, “Why are you doing this?” I can answer by saying that expressing my creativity through art is fun for me, and sometimes I limit doing art to do more FITLETE work, so this is a way for me to blend the two. Create original designs on paper and transform them into graphics, and show the graphics on stuff for business.

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Fantastic podcasts I heard last week:

1. Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates— #385 Emma Storey Gordon - Change Your Story, Change Your Lifestyle Behaviour

   1. Emma Storey Gordon stresses shifting mindset over strict dieting. She recommends boosting energy with basic habits—hydration, sleep, stress reduction—before focusing on fat loss, trusting it will follow naturally. She emphasizes clearing mental clutter by noting unresolved tasks (“open loops”) to reduce stress. She critiques societal pressures and myths about intuitive eating and supplements—calling out collagen and wellness marketing, including the “pink tax,” as misleading. She concludes that better energy and mindset are crucial for sustainable health.

2. a16z Podcast— AI Content and the War for Your Attention

   1. Chris Hayes and ad-tech veteran Antonio García Martínez join a16z’s Erik Torenberg to discuss the changing attention economy in AI era. They warn of “AI slop”—low-quality, overwhelming algorithmic content that reduces user engagement. They compare fleeting attention gains with long-term retention and note the rise of group chats as a response to mass culture. They explore how AI and algorithms are transforming digital attention, from ad tech failures to identity fragmentation.

3. The Coaches Corner University Podcast— Changing the Standard of Self - Esteban Cruz

   1. Esteban Cruz, a strength & conditioning coach and Head Coach at Doral Academy, describes his journey from a slender teen doing calisthenics to a competitive strength athlete and mentor. He emphasizes mentorship and accountability in shaping athletes and teaching beyond physical strength—focusing on personal growth, resilience, and positive weight-room culture. Cruz recalls an intense workout with 42 dips that caused a nosebleed the next day, showing the grit and transformative power of disciplined training.

4. Lift Free And Diet Hard with Andrew Coates— #386 Dr. Matthew Nagra - Debunking Myths About Plant Based Nutrition

   1. Dr. Matthew Nagra, a naturopathic doctor and plant-based nutrition educator, addresses common misconceptions about vegan and plant-based diets. He shares a personal experience—AI misused his voice and image to promote fraudulent health products—highlighting the spread of misinformation via technology. Nagra debunks myths about incomplete proteins, anti-nutrients, and plant protein's supposed inferiority. He discusses energy drinks' health effects and clarifies saturated fat confusion. He promotes a balanced, flexible, evidence-based approach to nutrition free from extremes.

5. RX'D RADIo— E607: When Your Business No Longer Fits Your Life: A Conversation with Sean Pastuch

   1. Sean Pastuch, founder of Active Life, shares his journey from supporting elite CrossFit athletes to creating a business aligned with his personal life. He discusses the tension between personal freedom and business ambition, and why brick-and-mortar gyms remain relevant in a digital world. Pastuch emphasizes the importance of real communication, the difference between genuine toughness and pushing through—true resilience involves knowing when to rest. He advocates for fair coaching pay, mentorship, leadership, and aligning work with life values when necessary.

Here’s a link to download Snipd, the podcast app I use to make a “notebook” of A.I. transcripts, bookmarks within episodes, and take notes on each podcast I hear! They have a free app you can use or, with this link, you get 1 month of their Premium version for free: 1 Free Month Of Premium Snipd.

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Personal Update

— My wife and I celebrated our 17th anniversary this past weekend. We walked to a rooftop restaurant, a rare find in Miami, which also had all-weather outdoor seating, allowing us to enjoy the sunset on a breezy evening. We're also planning to move apartments, and this weekend we sorted through some older belongings to lighten our load before packing. Going through these old papers, keepsakes, and souvenirs reminded us of how much we've both grown personally, in our relationship, and professionally over the years. When caught up in daily routines, I believe it’s vital to have moments, both scheduled and spontaneous, to step back and reflect on our achievements.

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