The #1 Question I Hear: Did Chalene Leave Beachbody and the Fitness Industry?

The #1 question I still receive — especially from those who originally know me from fitness — is, “Chalene, did you leave Beachbody and the fitness industry?”

Well, it’s time to tell the story, set the record straight and put the rumors to rest.

Preamble: It’s important to note that I still do create workouts (for friends, family and myself) and fitness is still (and always will be) a big part of my life!

In fact, I currently have a fitness infomercial, PiYo, (Beachbody) that’s on TV helping millions of people.

But in order to understand why it is I’ve made the decision not to do any more consumer workout videos — at this time — it’s crucial to know how I got here in the first place.

My Backstory.

I grew up in Michigan. My dad, an entrepreneur, had many businesses over the years that seemed to go through a predictable cycle of:

Doing well and then failing, doing well and then failing.

Because I have built-in optimism and I rarely, if ever, worry, the failing aspect of my dad’s pursuits didn’t phase me.

I learned, through watching my dad and his experiences, that you become successful by doing and trying lots of different things. Also, the energy around this lifestyle always just felt cool, exciting and fun. To me, at least.

Not to mention, my parents instilled in me some really great money mindset lessons. For example, they would never say,

• “We can’t afford that!”
• “Nope, don’t have the money to do that!”
• “Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know!”

Instead, they would say something like,

“If that’s what you want to do, then you’ve got to figure out a way to pay for it.”

And, since I was a very young child, I would try to find creative ways to make (and save) money.

By the time I was 15 I had enough money saved up to buy a used car! I bought that vehicle with the intention of fixing it up and selling it so that I could make enough money to buy one that I actually wanted to drive. And that’s exactly what I did.

Then, I started really getting into cars.

I realized you can figure out:

• The value of a car
• How to fix it up cosmetically
• The benefits of selling it in another city

Long story short … how to make a profit.

Anyway, I got pretty good at the car-flipping thing. Eventually, by the time I graduated from high school, I had enough money to pay for my first year of college at Michigan State. For real.

My experience selling cars didn’t just teach me how to sell, it taught me pricing and how to market. And I loved it so much that I continued to create — through college and post-college — new little businesses. 

Fast forward: I graduated from Michigan State and moved to California, working:

• full-time as a paralegal
• part-time as a personal trainer (before and after work)
• at a gym teaching fitness classes

And on top of all that, I was developing a business to teach women business & marketing. However, after tons of expense and time, that biz turned out to be a complete disaster.

But I kept trying and trying — because that was the thing I was the most passionate about.

Sure, I liked personal training and teaching fitness classes, but it didn’t fuel my soul in the same way.

Can you see where this might be going?

Now, for the juicy part of the story, including:

• What a mentor said to me which, ultimately, changed the course of my life
• The success of my initial exercise programs
• When/why Beachbody came into my life
• Why I didn’t feel confident in the fitness industry
• What attributed to my failing (very dangerous) health
• How I feel I’m truly meant to serve

And let’s face it, the reason you’re probably here to begin with…

Why I did, in fact, leave Beachbody and the fitness industry…

Then, sit back, grab your favorite snack, and hit that play:

And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel and The Chalene Show podcast for weekly content dedicated to your overall wellbeing, good health, productivity and happiness!