FITLETE Radio | A Personal Training News and Fitness Industry Q&A Show

FITLETE: It's for Independent Personal Trainers trying to level up their skills.

FILETE Radio is born out of George's desire to connect with like-minded professionals, ask valuable questions, share stories from current members of FITLETE nation, & create a dialogue around fitness industry cultures to bridge gaps within specialties. FITLETE Radio will consist of short episodes and streamlined Q&A interviews so you can access the content you want when you need it. Visit https://fitletes.com to learn how FITLETE helps you level up to skills and career. thisweek.fitletes.com

  1. May 22

    Coaches Spotlight: Meet David Skolnik | S3:ep2

    Dr. David Skolnik is a doctor of physical therapy, strength coach, and educator working at the intersection of rehab and performance for adults who have “been through some things” physically. He primarily coaches clients between 40 and 75 years old who show up with real injury histories, chronic pain, and the usual wear-and-tear that makes the average cookie-cutter program a non-starter. Through his company Stronger In Motion, David helps clients move from pain management and medical dependency toward confident, capable strength that shows up in day-to-day life, not just on a spreadsheet. On the education side, you’ll find David teaching coaches how to think, not just what to cue, so they can better serve the “in-between” clients who are too complex for standard PT discharge but not ready for high-intensity group fitness either. He also hosts the Smarter Strength podcast, where he digs into coaching, critical thinking, and the messy reality of helping humans get stronger, healthier, and more resilient. All links below are current and active within the last six months or represent David’s evergreen home bases. * Instagram – @dr.davidskolnik.dpt (online coach, educator, and host)https://www.instagram.com/dr.davidskolnik.dpt/ * Smarter Strength Podcast: https://smarterstrength.buzzsprout.com/ * Stronger In Motion – Coaching & Programshttps://www.strongerinmotion.com/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thisweek.fitletes.com

    17 min
  2. May 15

    Coaches Spotlight: Meet Ashley Beeman| S3:ep1

    Who is Ashley Beeman? Ashley is an online fitness and nutrition coach for women, a bikini athlete, wife, and mom of two teens. She shares her decade-long experience with yo‑yo dieting to inspire her coaching. Now, she helps women in their late 30s and 40s achieve strength, leanness, and confidence through macro-based nutrition and strength training tailored to real life. She also creates programs on Podia aimed at ending the yo‑yo diet cycle and fostering sustainable habits. As an NPC bikini athlete and content creator, she shares her prep, lifestyle, and business behind the scenes on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and her podcast. Ashley’s coaching lane and philosophy Ashley helps ambitious women ditch crash diets by using macros, strength training, and mindset work to build sustainable skills and habits. She aims for clients to become independent of coaches and rigid plans, boosting confidence and healthier habits. Her approach, inspired by her own yo-yo dieting, empowers women to feel powerful in their bodies and see strength as vital to an “unstoppable life.’ Her coaching philosophy was shaped by her yo-yo dieting and quick fixes. Now, she aims to help women feel powerful, not just smaller, viewing a strong body as the gateway to an “unstoppable life.” She uses mindset work, referencing her NLP and personal training background, to boost self-confidence, consistency, and food relationships. The moment that changed how she coaches Ashley recalls a client who lost 50 pounds. Beyond the impressive scale result, Ashley was inspired by the client’s mindset shift from seeking quick weight loss to embracing sustainable living. Months later, the client maintained the weight without struggle, which Ashley considers “the real win.” That experience reinforced for her that the outcome isn’t just the weight loss; it’s sustainable autonomy. Watching a client move from dependence on a coach or plan to genuine confidence in their own skills and habits has become one of the core metrics of success in her practice. It’s also why she structures her programs around education and self‑trust rather than rigid compliance. From “perfect plans” to real‑world behavior change Ashley, as a newer coach, believed giving a perfect plan would lead to results, thinking, “Here’s your macros, here’s your training, go be consistent.” When it didn’t work, she assumed the plan needed tweaking. Over time, she learned that the plan is rarely the main problem; instead, it’s whether the plan fits real life and if the client has the skills, support, and belief to follow it. She now emphasizes aligning coaching with a client’s real life, not an idealized one. Instead of fixing programs, she targets scheduling, stress, beliefs, and behaviors to help clients follow through. This shift from perfect programs to human behavior has made her more patient, collaborative, and focused on long-term transformation. What she wants newer coaches to remember Ashley emphasizes that no coach begins with a perfect system, and beliefs, methods, and approaches evolve over time. Many enter the industry with good intentions—wanting to help—and refine their craft with experience, education, and exposure to clients. She highlights that “no one’s perfect when we start” and stresses the importance of being open to learning and change. Her key lesson is that coaching involves meeting people where they are and building from there, not enforcing strict protocols. She urges coaches to see their growth as parallel to their clients': both are continuously evolving, becoming clearer, and more effective. Where to find more about Ashley Ashley runs her coaching offers and free experiences through her WEBSITE, where women can join programs focused on fit-freedom. She also hosts The Fit Freedom Podcast, where she shares mindset shifts, “real talk,” and no‑BS strategies for sustainable weight loss and strength. Across platforms like Instagram (@the.ashley.beeman), where she documents her life as an NPC bikini athlete and coach, mixing education with a very human, relatable lens. Key takeaways for listeners * “My job is to teach you the skills that build the habits so that the results are yours for life.” * “I yo‑yo dieted for over a decade… now I help ambitious women get shredded strong without giving up their entire lives to do it.” * “The 50 pounds, that’s amazing. But the fact that she kept it off without white‑knuckling her way through life—that is the real win.” Ashley’s story is a masterclass in evolving from a plan‑centric trainer to a behavior‑centric coach. She shows how lived experience with yo‑yo dieting can become an asset when used to build empathy, realistic structures, and a focus on autonomy for clients. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thisweek.fitletes.com

    10 min
  3. Jan 12

    Coach’s Spotlight: Meet Zachary Pello| S2:Ep29

    In this FITLETE Radio Trainer Spotlight, George chats with Zach Pello, owner and head coach of Pello Fitness, about coaching women in the “real world,” adapting training for injuries, navigating client misinformation, and using simple tech to keep people progressing for years. Zach has been training since his freshman year of college in 2003 and has spent most of his career as an independent contractor and small-group coach for women while continually leveling up his education through programs like Precision Nutrition. Outside the gym, he’s a lifelong gamer, mountain biker, camper, and dad who collects Pokémon cards and plays Magic with his kids. Key takeaways * Meet people where they are: regressions, substitutions, and listening to preferences beat forcing the “perfect” plan every time.​ * Separate outcome vs. process: track simple, frequent metrics and build habits like training 3x/week or food tracking blocks before obsessing over the final goal number.​ * Experience and mentorship > letters: hands-on coaching, long-term client results, and real-world reps matter more than a wall of certifications.​​ * Tech should make coaching easier, not fancier: a solid training platform plus email and clear systems can keep clients progressing for years without overwhelming you.​​ * Pello Fitness site: Pello Fitness – personal training and women’s fat loss coaching in Carmel, IN.​ * Instagram: @pellofitness – women’s fat loss, strength, and educational content from a 20+ year fitness pro. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thisweek.fitletes.com

    16 min
  4. 12/29/2025

    Coach’s Spotlight: Meet Brandon Schultze| S2:Ep27

    Episode overview In this Trainer Spotlight, Brandon Schultze breaks down how he uses first principles of biomechanics to solve pain, individualize training, and keep clients consistent for the long haul—whether they are day-one lifters or NFL/NHL vets. He shares how obsessive “hobby guy” energy turned a failed backcountry trip into a lesson in embracing messy first attempts, the path from box-gym trainer to international educator, and why simple exercises done well usually beat flashy Instagram drills. Listeners also get a peek behind the curtain at how Brandon uses tools like TrainHeroic and Squarespace to streamline client experience, communication, and business systems.​​ Key takeaways * Principles first, person always: Brandon repeatedly comes back to the idea that the principles of biomechanics are universal, but the expression must be tailored to the human in front of you—their training age, history, and current limitations.​ * Shoulder–hip–spine as anchors: When troubleshooting pain and “mystery” issues, he starts with the big three—shoulders, hips, and spine—then looks for where clients are overexposed or underexposed to specific positions and loads.​ * Train the root, not the symptom: Low back pain is often a hip, foot, or center-of-mass problem, so he prioritizes improving movement options instead of only hammering the painful area.​ * Simple beats flashy: Brandon encourages clients to send him social media exercises and then deconstructs them into primary, secondary, and tertiary benefits, usually swapping overly complex drills for simpler, better-fitting options.​ * Reframing goals to “move better”: When clients show up with a laundry list of goals—lose fat, gain muscle, get strong—he starts by getting them moving better so training is pain-free and sustainable enough for those outcomes to actually happen.​ * Consistency as the real stimulus: Across fat loss, hypertrophy, and performance, the through-line is consistency over time; his job is to remove roadblocks (pain, poor movement, confusing programs) that disrupt training streaks.​ * Experience > formal letters: Brandon’s path did not include a kinesiology degree; instead, he leaned on a two-year personal training program, 30–40 certifications, and big-box-gym reps to build pattern recognition with real people.​​ * Curiosity and mentorship: He emphasizes curiosity, doing continuing education, and seeking mentors as non-negotiables for coaches who want to provide a high level of service.​ * Tech as a force multiplier: Tools like TrainHeroic (for in-person and online programming) and Squarespace (for scheduling, payments, forms, and email) free up his time so he can coach more and admin less.​​ Connect with Brandon * Instagram: @brandon.schultze​ * Website: Atomic Performance / coaching info * His Podcast: This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thisweek.fitletes.com

    20 min

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About

FILETE Radio is born out of George's desire to connect with like-minded professionals, ask valuable questions, share stories from current members of FITLETE nation, & create a dialogue around fitness industry cultures to bridge gaps within specialties. FITLETE Radio will consist of short episodes and streamlined Q&A interviews so you can access the content you want when you need it. Visit https://fitletes.com to learn how FITLETE helps you level up to skills and career. thisweek.fitletes.com