Life & Work with Joey Szolowicz

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey Szolowicz

Hi Joey, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
To get to today, I have to rewind about 8 years to the end of 2016. At that time, I had been running my first entrepreneurial venture in telecommunications for about five years. I had built that business with my brother from the ground up, but much to my chagrin, I realized, too late, that my focus needed to be deeper into operations and not business development. I was working 16 hours a day to keep the business running and was slowly deteriorating my body and my relationships. As a result, at the end of 2016, after five years of operations, my business unexpectedly imploded under its own weight. So, there I was, defined by a business and job title that no longer existed, 65 pounds overweight, out of shape, relationships with family and friends in the tanks, and frankly uncertain of what to do with myself.

Before that business, I had always considered myself a relatively in shape and healthy person, so when I was confronted in the mirror by a very unhealthy face looking back, I knew that I had to make a change. At the time, I was a member at a boutique boxing gym in Glendale, AZ. I decided to hire a personal boxing coach. This was a big step for me, as, at the time, I was not accustomed to asking for help. But this was one of the best decisions I could have made. Through hiring my coach and suffering through some of these workouts, I started to find my passion for taking care of myself again. Not only that, but I became more ingrained in the culture of that gym and realized the amount of access I had to professional and amateur athletes as a result. As this journey unfolded, I realized that while fitness is a huge part of leading a healthy life, a piece fascinated me even more: nutrition. It became apparent that the individuals and athletes getting the best outcomes were also the most mindful about their food choices.

I had tried many ‘diets’ in the past, but none had ever given me long-term results, and worse yet, most were so unsustainable that I’d eventually quit or fall off the diet wagon and end up feeling worse about myself than when I’d started. But this time, things were different. I wasn’t focused on ‘diet’ but on ‘habits.’ Good habits like eating a well-rounded breakfast or going to the farmer’s market to stock my fridge every week became ingrained in me. As time progressed, I discovered I had a huge passion for good nutrition and helping others implement sustainable nutrition habits into their lives. As this passion grew, I sought mentorship and education in all matters of nutrition and training. I eventually became a Master Nutrition Coach through Precision Nutrition, a Certified Nutrition Coach through the Nutritional Coaching Institute, and a Certified Personal Trainer through NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine).

Through these circles, I also met various individuals who became my mentors and helped me establish myself as a reputable coach. As these experiences started to pile one on top of the other, I realized that I felt a huge calling to help others in the same way all of these experiences had helped me. So I started marketing my services as an individual coach until, eventually, I was offered an opportunity to offer my services in partnership with another local company called Body Systems Coaching. Now, I have been coaching clients for approximately 9 years and have had the opportunity to help hundreds of people similar to me establish healthy behaviors that allow them to stay lean and healthy also!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’ve tried my hand at entrepreneurship a few times now, and I have learned that it is never smooth. One of my favorite cartoons features an entrepreneur throwing airplane parts off the cliff, jumping after them, and trying to assemble the plane before he hits the ground. I think this sums up starting a business quite well. I constantly feel like a dog chasing my tail, and I never know what to do once I catch it. For instance, when I decided to help others, I knew I needed to get certified. So I went and did that. My first thought after getting my Precision Nutrition Level 1 Cert was that the clients would start lining up outside my door to invest in my coaching services just by getting a certification. Sadly, this did not end up being the case. It quickly became apparent that I needed to learn to market my services, build trust in my community, be bold, and ask people to hire me.

In 8 years, I have tried so many different things. I went to work for a friend selling their product out of a pop-up tent at the farmers market to establish myself in the health and wellness community; I tried coaching on my own, I started a coaching company, I tried affiliate marketing online, I tried partnerships, I tried everything. Some things worked more than others. However, one thread that ran true through everything I tried was that I gained experience about what does and does not work when operating a small business, continually solidifying my passion for helping people live healthier lives.

I’ve noticed that establishing myself in this field is very similar to my health journey. What I mean by that is that as long as I’m willing to put one foot in front of the other and try to be 1% better today than yesterday, I really can’t fail. Some days are smooth sailing, and other days where I wonder why on earth I am putting myself through this, but at the end of each day, I know I am working to make the world a little healthier and a little happier, and I take great pride in that work.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I specialize in nutrition coaching and specifically helping busy families and professionals simplify their nutrition so that they can feed their families healthy meals and spend more time on the things that matter. I’ve been in coaching for about 8 years and work with a small client base of folks committed to living their happiest and most healthy lives. What I’m most proud of is the approach I take to good nutrition and training. I am known for not subscribing to a single diet culture or fitness paradigm. Instead, I help clients grow a passion for a healthy lifestyle by showing them how to weave it into their lives smoothly and unobtrusively.

Anyone can go online and find a variety of free nutrition plans (keto, paleo, vegan, carnivore, etc. The list honestly goes on and on). These plans all can work but frequently do not because they are very restrictive and focus on telling a client what they cannot do rather than focusing on what they can do.

I am known for never telling you that one nutrition plan is better than the other or what you ‘shouldn’t do,’ but rather for helping clients find systems and habits that work for them as individuals and then help the client implement sustainable habits over time to optimize their health and well-being. This, combined with the idea of trying to be 1% better and healthier every day, helps to get our clients high-level results that are sustainable for the long haul. Many people feel they have to do everything to get a result. I am known for helping people understand how to take their larger goal and break it down into the smallest possible constituent they can quickly complete today. Through this, my clients can see the power of compound interest on their tiniest behaviors over time. My motto is that no one should go on a diet to look good, but rather that looking good should be a by-product of a healthy and well-lived life.

What matters most to you? Why?
Community. I am a traveler by nature and have found myself living all over the globe through those travels. While my business and clients are predominately based in Arizona, I spend part of my year living in Arizona and another large part of it living overseas in Portugal (my kids are Portuguese/American).

I believe in the power of community to formulate our lives. I also believe in the risk of trying to do things on your own to lead you down a frustrating path.

No matter where I am in the world, I strive to build strong communities or insert myself into the communities I find that are aligned with my goals.

I am a boxer, so I will always work to find a community of fellow fighters anywhere I go.
I am a nutrition coach and believe in eating a diet that supports local farmers and vendors, so I will insert myself into the farmer’s market community anywhere I go.
I am a connector, meaning that one of my super-powers is bringing people together, so I will always look for the people who don’t have a place to go on a holiday and work to build a community around them as well.

My life is better when there is community around me. I do not lose sight of that regardless of where I am in the world.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bodysystems.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joeyszolowicz/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoachJoeySzolowicz
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/jszolowicz
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@coachjoeyszolowicz1818
• Other: https://mailchi.mp/39771abd639c/daily-unsolicited-advice

Image Credits
Filipe Paiva
Sara NP