I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Spencer Ingels through a mutual client and I was blown away by his in-depth knowledge of behavior modification techniques and lifestyle coaching. Spencer uses his expertise to encourage internal change with his clients while he trains them. Everything is possible when you are modifying behaviors. His clients truly believe they can succeed and reach their goals and they do with his amazing coaching! Read on to learn more how you can perform at Spencer’s level. – Sarah 

Sarah Koszyk, MS, RD: What attracted you to the field of health and wellness? Spencer Ingels, MA, CPT: The opportunity to make a difference and help improve clients health, wellness, fitness, and movement. I love to connect with my clients and help them achieve goals that may initially seem out of reach, as a trainer and coach I get to do that every day! It is awesome!

Your Job Title: Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Coach

Company you are with now: Self-employed & thriveSF Inc.

Website: spenceringels.com

Other Social Media: Twitter: @spenceringels

A typical (or not so typical) day-in-the-work-life for you? Every day starts on my meditation cushion, from there I then later train/coach clients in the morning, do a training ride (I cycle competitively in road racing), write/research (my thesis on the Hot Hand in basketball is currently being peer reviewed and I am working on a follow up study), and finally train/coach clients in the evening or volunteer at CollegeTrack, an organization focused on helping high school students whose parents did not attend college succeed in high school, prepare and apply to college, and finally support them in graduating from college.

How did you get your current job in health and wellness? I connected with Andrew Duffy at thriveSF last year through a job posting. My master’s degree in sport and exercise psychology, experience working with clients to lose weight and make lifestyle change, and my personality won him over. My independent clients have grown through my opportunities at the YMCA and other local gyms where I have worked with weight loss groups, run small group workshops and support groups, and given lectures.

What skills were you born with and what skills have you learned along the way? Born with: I have always been empathetic. I am able to get to know someone and put myself in their shoes, which allows me to better understand how they see the world. This allows me to tailor my training and coaching to their needs. I am also a good listener, passionate about what I do, I have a good sense of humor, and finally I am a positive and easy going guy.

Learned: when to push someone, functional movement and how to improve our overall movement patterns in addition to improving fitness, importance of accountability, how to build and maintain motivation, how to train your mind to perform under pressure.

What advice do you have for others wanting to be just as successful and fulfilled as you? Be patient. With consistent effort and persistence to a plan you can achieve what you want and at the same time guard against our natural tendency to want it now. The want it now mode can cause anxiety and discomfort, and does little help us achieve what we want. If we can practice being patient and staying focused to a plan, you can achieve what you want!

If you could be paid for your job with something other than a paycheck, what would it be? Smiles, appreciation, and a good meal :)

Sarah Koszyk, MA, RDN, is a Registered Dietitian and Sports Nutritionist specializing in Weight Management and Sports Nutrition for youth and adults. She writes articles for multiple publications, provides customized nutrition coaching, and is a brand spokesperson. She is founder of Family. Food. Fiesta.Connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, or LinkedIn.