Conversations with Shannon Schmidt

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Schmidt.

Hi Shannon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama, and moved to Kansas in 2008 to pursue my graduate degree in Sociology from Kansas State University. During my time at K-State, I was told by a doctor that I was unhealthy and needed to make a change. I promptly Googled “how to lose weight and be healthy,” learned the basics, changed many of my habits, and over the next year lost 70 pounds. Through this process, I realized that by pursuing a career in health and wellness, I would have the opportunity to connect with others and help them transform their lives, something I always wanted to do with my work but never knew how.

I then attended Wellspring School of Allied Health, receiving a program certificate in Personal Training, and through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, became a Certified Personal Trainer, a Certified Corrective Exercise Specialist, and a Certified Nutrition Coach. I’ve been a full-time personal trainer in Lawrence since 2014, have performed over 14,000 personal training sessions in my career, and have had the honor of working with hundreds of members of the community of all ages, ability levels, and cultural backgrounds.

Using my sociology education to understand more about others’ experiences and motivations, I have the unique opportunity to build relationships with my clients and connect with them on a personal level, building trust, and working together to formulate a plan for success, however, each individual defines it. These deep, personal connections are much easier to facilitate in our small, intimate space at Tallgrass Training and Wellness. The environment is comfortable and calm, allowing us to relax and dig a little deeper without the distractions of a typical gym space. I’m so proud of what we’ve built at Tallgrass and the community we have together.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Any big dream has its challenges, but I have tried my best from the very beginning to be as overly prepared as possible before opening the doors of Tallgrass. I worked with a business advisor at the Small Business Development Center and she helped me be as ready as I could be and plan for any potential roadblocks. I made sure that I would be able to carry the weight of the business singlehandedly if I had no other staff. I was, thankfully, able to be fully staffed after 3 months of being open, so that took a lot of the pressure off, but it felt good to know that the business could be sustainable even if I somehow lost my team. I have a lot of big goals and plans for the future but am taking baby steps to get there so we can continue to grow at a comfortable pace and try not to do too much too fast.

The overwhelming support of our clients and the community has helped us avoid many major challenges, and the small hiccups are easy to recover from when there’s a crowd of folks cheering us on.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Tallgrass offers holistic wellness. We work together as a team to help individuals reach optimal health and wellness in many aspects. We connect strength training, nutrition, yoga, stretching, massage, meditation, reiki, and mindset coaching to bring all of the elements of wellness together in one program. Each member of our staff brings something special to the table, and we collaborate to give each client an amazing, personalized experience. We work with people of all ages and ability levels and pride ourselves on listening first. We want to know what you’d like to change or improve and have no preconceived ideas about what your goals should be.

Whether you’re recovering from an injury, healing from emotional trauma, seeking to build strength, working on balance and stability, or looking for new ways to move and connect with your body, we will meet you where you are and empower you to take ownership of your own growth and change. Our clients are family to us, and I think it’s apparent when a new person walks in the door that this is a place that can feel like home. For someone who has tried other gyms or fitness programs and has never found something that felt right or comfortable, we can offer something different. Our space is small and we operate by appointment so that we can give you our undivided attention.

Without the distractions and intimidation factor that typically exist in a fitness facility, we can make it all about you and your goals and have a lot of fun along the way!

We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
The guiding principle that has continued to nudge me forward in this business is, “Do good and good will come to you.” To me, focusing on how I can make life better for others has proven to make life far better for me, too. Knowing we’re contributing something special to our community and seeing the pride in our clients’ eyes when they overcome an obstacle or do something they never thought they’d be able to do makes it all worth it.

My client’s success is my success. Their healing is my healing. Building them up builds me up. Similarly, watching my staff make these connections with our clients and use their skills to improve people’s quality of life is such a gift to me. I am so proud to be able to give them an environment to thrive and help their clients thrive through their work.

Contact Info:

• Website:www.tallgrasstrainingandwellness.com
• Instagram: @tallgrasstraining
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tallgrasstrainingandwellness/ 

Image Credits
Deep Wells Media