Member Spotlight: Joanna Maisano

Erik Rokeach: Hey, it’s Erik Rokeach, and I’m here with Joanna Maisano, and she is another amazing, amazing client, and she has now been training, I guess by the time we’re talking, maybe what? Eight to nine months, somewhere in that range, and she’s here to talk about the results that she’s seen training there. But not only that, she’s here to talk about all the other details: her experience, what the atmosphere is like, to kind of just fill us in with the whole story and the whole vibe. So Joanna, thanks so much for taking the time to come on and talk with us today. I appreciate it.

Joanna Maisano: You’re welcome.

Erik Rokeach: Okay, so let’s find out, I’m always curious to know what it was that led you to start training at Fox Fitness, right? What was the big issue or the big struggle that you had that kind of sent you there?

Joanna Maisano: I felt like something was missing. I wasn’t happy, and I felt anxious a lot, and I was flipping through Facebook and I just saw, I think a video of Becky’s and it just stuck out to me, and I immediately messaged her and she called me right back. The first time I went in, it was just like I knew it was meant to be, but I felt like I wasn’t in a good place and I needed to do something to change.

Erik Rokeach: Was there a specific moment or something that triggered that, or was it just a build up to that point where you’re just like, “I’ve had enough.”

Joanna Maisano: A build up.

Erik Rokeach: Okay.

Joanna Maisano: Yeah.

Erik Rokeach: You said you were scrolling through Facebook and you’d seen a video or an ad or something of Becky’s and it stood out to you. Do you remember what that was that stood out, because there’s a lot of that stuff. What was it about that that just really popped?

Joanna Maisano: Yeah. Well, I heard her talking, and then I heard she had a video of the ladies working out and it looked fun to me. I don’t know, it just stuck out to me what they were doing in the background, so I was like, “Worth a try.”

Erik Rokeach: You went in, and were you nervous?

Joanna Maisano: Oh, yeah.

Erik Rokeach: When you got in there, when you met with Becky, I’m assuming you met with her originally?

Joanna Maisano: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Erik Rokeach: Okay. Did she do a great job of making you feel comfortable, alleviating those nerves that you had?

Joanna Maisano: Yes, and there was another trainer there as well. It was a very positive experience going in the first time.

Erik Rokeach: Okay, and like you said you knew it was meant to be.

Joanna Maisano: Yes.

Erik Rokeach: Okay, so you get in, you start training, you start going through the process. Obviously, right, you’re new, you’re adjusting through the whole thing, but as you’ve gone through all of this and you’ve been there now for months and months, kind of fill us in and share what the experience has been like for you, like what the atmosphere is like, what the training’s like, those types of things.

Joanna Maisano: Every time I go in I’m literally, truly excited about going. There’s never been a day where I wake up and I’m like, “Oh my god, I don’t want to go,” because every time I go, even if you’re tired, you leave feeling so much better about yourself and what you’ve done because the atmosphere there is just so positive from the trainers and the people around you, and there’s people there of all different ages and everything. You just feel welcome no matter. Every time you go, you feel welcome every single time, and it’s a great energy.

Erik Rokeach: Anybody can do it?

Joanna Maisano: Anybody can do it.

Erik Rokeach: Okay. You have this energy, you have this vibe. Things going on around there. Is there a social element to it?

Joanna Maisano: Oh, yeah. No matter who you’re with, either you have someone there pushing you or you’re pushing that person, and you laugh and you can curse if it’s hard. It’s just a great vibe, and you’re there for each other no matter what time you go or what class it is. Everyone’s always there for each other during the time that you’re working out.

Erik Rokeach: Is it like a family?

Joanna Maisano: It is a family. It’s my Fox Fitness family.

Erik Rokeach: Now before, did you expect to have this type of connection, this type of vibe before you’d walked in there?

Joanna Maisano: No.

Erik Rokeach: No.

Joanna Maisano: I never, ever thought I would find something like this, no.

Erik Rokeach: Have you tried other things in the past?

Joanna Maisano: I’ve tried working out at home and going to other big gyms, but it just never motivated me to keep going. I would do it for maybe a week or two, and it just never stuck with me like this has.

Erik Rokeach: What is it that, and you may have covered a little bit on it, but what is it that’s kept you there, that big thing that’s kept you going unlike all the other things you’ve tried?

Joanna Maisano: Well, number one how I feel after I leave. The people there, the trainers, and just the positive energy about it has kept me going.

Erik Rokeach: Now, let’s talk about, that’s a big element of it is the vibe, the energy, the people, the trainers, but obviously the other side of it is the results that you’ve seen and how you’re feeling through all of it, so kind of just break that down for us. Share some of the results that you’ve seen and how you’ve been feeling.

Joanna Maisano: I’m way stronger than I was before physically. There’s tone. I’m more toned. More energy, just all around feel much better physically and mentally.

Erik Rokeach: Were you tracking anything like clothing size, body fat percentage, anything along those lines?

Joanna Maisano: Yes. I didn’t start in on a challenge, but then I did a challenge and I lost, I think it was three or four percent body fat, because a lot of it, of course, has to do with food, so the more you track your food the better you’re going to eat. Then this summer, because I’m a teacher, so I had the summer off, so I went in way more than I did before and saw a lot of good results there too. Usually I gain a lot of weight in the summer. Not a lot, but more than I want to because I’m at home, not as active, and this summer I didn’t gain any weight, so that was a plus for me.

Erik Rokeach: How about, you mentioned you were anxious originally before you’d gone in. Have you noticed a difference in that anxiousness and the stress levels now that you’re training there?

Joanna Maisano: Yes, I actually used to be on anxiety medication, and I decided to take it off to see if working out helped, and working out helps, and I haven’t taken it in probably six months, seven months.

Erik Rokeach: Wow.

Joanna Maisano: I haven’t felt anxious really at all.

Erik Rokeach: Now, how does that make you feel, and I don’t mean in terms of like, “I’m less anxious,” but how does it make you feel knowing you’ve gotten off the medications and you don’t have to worry about that?

Joanna Maisano: Oh, it’s great, because there’s side effects to any medication, and I feel so much better not being on it. It’s a good thing.

Erik Rokeach: Okay. That’s a huge thing, absolutely. I know we were talking before I recorded, and some of the notes that I received that I guess you’re doing a lot of things now that you couldn’t have done or you didn’t try or do before. Is that correct?

Joanna Maisano: Mm-hmm (affirmative).

Erik Rokeach: Okay. What are some of those things? Can you give us some examples of what you can do now that you couldn’t do before?

Joanna Maisano: Definitely a push up or push ups. I could never do them on my toes, always on my knees, and not even that many on my knees, but now I can do up to like 15 or 18 on my toes, which is a big deal. Burpees, the floppy burpees I can do more than I used to. Squatting, that’s all we do.

Erik Rokeach: Do you think too that in terms of strength levels, like in terms of your level of where you’re training at now, like if you were to say a scale of 1-10, like one being when you started and ten being the most amazing, where would you say you’re at in terms of being able to perform and do all the things that you’re asked to do.

Joanna Maisano: A 15. No. Probably like a, I don’t know. Seven? Eight? Lately they’ve been challenging more, so I’m happy with that, because I want to be more challenged. But a seven?

Erik Rokeach: Okay, so if you want to be more challenged, that means that what you are doing seems to have gotten pretty easy for you.

Joanna Maisano: Yes. Well, not all of it. Let’s not go there, but yes.

Erik Rokeach: Did you enjoy, because you’d done some things before, right? Big box gyms. You never stuck with it, but do you enjoy the working out aspect of it now?

Joanna Maisano: Every day, even at 5:30 in the morning. I actually enjoy going to work out.

Erik Rokeach: Did you ever think that you’d like working out?

Joanna Maisano: No, not at 5:30 in the morning either. Yeah.

Erik Rokeach: I’m curious too, because you’ve done this now for a little while, right? You’ve seen the results, you’ve gone through, you’ve experienced a lot of this, but have others noticed the changes?

Joanna Maisano: Yes. Yes. They have.

Erik Rokeach: Have they commented on it.

Joanna Maisano: Mm-hmm (affirmative). Yeah.

Erik Rokeach: What are some of the comments if you can remember that you’ve heard?

Joanna Maisano: Probably more, I mean, just more energy and, I mean they can tell the difference in my body. I don’t know, but yeah, they’ve made comments.
Erik Rokeach: Okay. Right. You’re doing all these things you couldn’t do before, you’ve seen, obviously, the physical changes. You’re off the medications now, the emotional side has shifted a lot of it. Would you go as far as to say that this has been life changing for you?

Joanna Maisano: Yes. I would say that, and I do tell people that, that it’s changed my life for the better.

Erik Rokeach: I’m guessing you didn’t expect anything like that to happen when you first hopped aboard.

Joanna Maisano: No, not when I was scrolling through the Facebook, no.

Erik Rokeach: All right. You’ve had a life changing experience. Others are commenting. You’ve gone through all of this. Let’s say there’s somebody who’s in a similar position to where you were before you hopped aboard. Let’s say, maybe a little anxious, they need a change, and they hear your story and they say, “You know what? This is actually sounds good,” but they’re still 50-50. What would you want to tell that person to maybe push them off the fence, let them know this is a good bet?

Joanna Maisano: I would tell them to definitely come in and try a class, and start from there. A lot of people, even just walking in the door is the hardest step for them, because they think all these things when you go to work out. People are judging, and it’s not like that at all. Everyone there is so positive. We all come from different backgrounds, different everything, and the hardest step is the first step of walking in, so just to come in and try it and see what you think, and I guarantee you, you’ll be happy.

Erik Rokeach: Now this has been life changing for you. Let’s say, at the time we’re talking right now, let’s say Becky is literally shutting the place down. She turned off the phone, her email, Facebook messenger, everything, and this is the last time that you could ever say anything to her. Knowing that it’s the last time, what would you want to say?

Joanna Maisano: That’s horrible. I would say thank you so much for such an amazing opportunity, and I would take what she’s taught us and try to put it in my new fitness life since I wouldn’t have a Fox Fitness life, which would make me very sad, but I would take everything she’s taught us, her motivational speeches, the workouts, the pushing of people to do better, and continue that in my life, but I would be very sad if that happened.

Erik Rokeach: Well, the good thing is that’s not happening.

Joanna Maisano: All right! I’m going to [inaudible 00:10:52].

Erik Rokeach: Well, I just wanted to thank you so much for taking the time to come on, talk about your story, share your experience, your results, and I just want to wish you the best of luck moving forward.

Joanna Maisano: Thank you.

Erik Rokeach: All right. You take care.

Joanna Maisano: Thank you. Bye!