Interview with Louise Skeen, professional mind, body, and health coach for women

Louise Skeen is a sought-after women’s health and fitness educator and public speaker, known for her passion to educate women in nutrition, fitness and hormone health.

Louise has been in the fitness industry for more than 30 years, and has successfully owned and operated health and fitness facilities in Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. She currently owns and operates Personal Fitness for Women, a boutique personal training studio located in her home town of Lake Macquarie.

She’s written a No.1 Amazon Bestselling book, Hot Flush to Hot Body in Just 6 Weeks: Lose Weight and Not Your Mind During Menopause and has launched her own brand this year called Louise Skeen™, Mind, Body, Health Coach.

The objective is to help women over 50 feel young, live young, and be young. She’s currently developing programmes to target women’s self-empowerment and wellness for longevity, including the 28 Day Mindset Reboot, 28 Day Body Fit Reset and 28 Day Food For Life.

What’s your career background?

It was a natural progression for me after learning to dance as a child, to get hooked on the aerobic boom of the 1980 and 1990’s.

Teaching classes at some of Australia’s largest gymnasiums and managing my home town’s largest health and sports club for over 10 years, then stepped me into opening my own personal training studio for women, where I remain today, eighteen years on, as the owner operator.

How did your career change after having children?

I have to say, my career improved significantly after having my son eighteen years ago. No longer did I feel I needed to work for someone else.

I believed then, and still do, that women have equal opportunities presented to them as men do, and choosing to open a female targeted health, fitness and wellness based business for women, from my home and with the flexibility I needed to raise my son, was both exciting and extremely rewarding.

Where did the idea for your business come from?

Back in the 1990’s I was teaching aerobics to many hundreds of women a week. Friendships and open communication grew, as did my observations and questioning of regular clientele, as to what they were looking for in regard to their health and fitness.

Women were aging, and the upbeat, high intensity exercise subscription that they once enjoyed and were able to keep up with, wasn’t servicing them so much anymore. I recognised that health wasn’t just fitness, it needed to be a complete package of nutrition, movement, habits, and mindset so, Personal Fitness For Women was opened to cater to this population.

How did you move from idea to actual business?

With me, the transition is always fairly quick!  I was confident I was able to service women with tailored exercise prescription immediately so, my husband had to say goodbye to his extra-large double garage which already was equipped with bathroom facilities, and I filled it with non-intimidating cardiovascular and strength equipment.

Once a regular clientele was established, I introduced plenty of health based information and tailor designed nutrition programs to offer women long term results. Today I have expanded to offering women, over the age of 50 years, tailored online information and programs.

Who’s your target audience?

Women of all ages visit the studio but my target audience are predominantly women between the ages of 50 to 80 years – able bodied or with a disability. I get great pleasure in working with women who have had to deal with different levels of adversity.

Working to help women get “unstuck” from beliefs or issues that have or do affect their health, fitness and overall wellbeing, is my greatest pleasure.

What’s the greatest achievement you have accomplished to date?

Writing my book, Hot Flush to Hot Body is my greatest achievement because I have something that not only is registered and housed within the National Library in Sydney, but the book also was awarded No.1 bestseller on Amazon.

What’s been the biggest obstacle you’ve had to overcome?

Personally, severe concussion three years ago. I slipped on a wet floor and hit the floor horizontally with great impact. My head received the worst injury. Unable to work for three months and forced to rest was a difficult thing to do.

Why is work so important to you?

I don’t see what I do as work. Helping women become the best version of themselves and knowing my face to face meet-ups, online programs, blogs, quotes, and daily electronic interaction with ladies changes lives, is a privilege and extremely motivating.

Who inspires you?

Many people inspire me from all walks of life. When I see and know that people are on a journey to improve themselves, so that they can lead a better life and be able to give back to others in some way, even if by being healthy and able to participate in things they didn’t think possible, then I get truly fired up.

How do you balance your business and career with your family?

Oh well now, balance is an interesting word (Just joking). I have a routine that suits my family and myself very well. Being an early riser, I exercise not long after waking. That sets me up for the day. The two men in my life, my husband and son, also have busy lives so routine is important for all.

From 6pm onwards on weekdays and Saturdays, we come together as a family. Sundays are our family day where we try do brunch with friends, or go on bushwalks, visit the beach,  or organise a family lunch.

How do you spread the word about what you do?

People who follow me face to face or on social media platforms know, I live by my message and follow a lifestyle – mentally, emotionally, and physically that supports myself and those around me that I love. When women align with my message and expertise, or undertake my program with results, then women join my community and share my teachings with others.

Any words you want to say to all women whose goal is to maintain their health physically, mentally and emotionally?

Yes, women are amazing. The things women over the age of 50 focus on as important for their health and wellbeing, becomes different to what was important to them in their twenties and thirties.

When hormones change and the physical, mental, and emotional wave takes hold, women need to not try and swim against the wave but rather, surf that wave comfortably to the shoreline. They need to understand that this is now their time to shine and to give themselves permission to “give back” and re-gain control of their health – physically, mentally and emotional. They deserve it.

What are your three top pieces of advice for someone wanting to do something similar?

Great question.

  1. Be very certain that what you are going into, holds true and stirs passion within you.
  2. If you’re planning a shop front, do your homework and test the market. Don’t assume you will build it and people will come, and please don’t let your excited energy sway you to overlook this important tip. If you’re building an online business, find one guru to mentor you and listen to one message only. The online world will tempt you with their messages and expertise, and all are promising to be able to help you – for a price. Settle with one provider only but again, do your homework first.
  3. Keep yourself educated. Never stop learning so you can give information and your expertise to others.

You can read more about Louise on Personal Fitness for Women.