Dec. 3 2020

December 2020 PFP Trainer of the Month

Butulis FUNctional with Grenz

Dr. Meredith Butulis is a Sports & Orthopedic Physical Therapist by day and a Professor, Author and Speaker by night. She is the owner of Meredith Butulis, LLC, a business created to make active lifestyles and sport performance with longevity accessible on a broad scale. She has drawn from the diversity of her background and new research to create an online certification for personal trainers: The Personal Trainer’s Comprehensive Guide to Rebuild Your Client’s Fitness, which launches December 25, 2020.

Certifications/qualifications:
Physical Therapy:
• Doctor of Physical Therapy
• Orthopedic Certified Specialist (American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties)
• Certified Integrated Manual Therapist (Great Lakes)
• Selective Functional Movement Assessment (Functional Movement Screens)

Fitness Certifications:
• Certified Exercise Physiologist (American College of Sports Medicine)
• Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (National Strength & Conditioning Association)
• Certified Personal Trainer (National Academy of Sports Medicine)
• Corrective Exercise Specialist (National Academy of Sports Medicine)
• Performance Enhancement Specialist (National Academy of Sports Medicine)
• Behavior Change Specialist (National Academy of Sports Medicine)
• Comprehensive Pilates (Balanced Body)
• Yoga (International Sports Sciences Association)
• Group Fitness (Athletics Fitness Association of America)
• Nutrition Coach (Precision Nutrition)

Website: MeredithButulis.com

What inspired you to start your business?
Meredith Butulis LLC was created to answer requests from patients and their friends. Being in a brick & mortar practice gated by medical necessity limited the spectrum of who and how I could help with holistic wellness. My patients wanted help with lifestyle, fitness program design, sport performance, mindset, and nutrition. Their friends wanted access to these services too, but were frustrated by the medical necessity access requirement. In answer to their call, I created my LLC to make active lifestyles and sport performance with longevity accessible on a broad scale through:
  • The Healthy Lifestyle for Busy People Podcast
  • Fitness Focus Fuel free Facebook Community
  • Mobility | Stability Equation Workbooks on Amazon
  • Online Elevate Your Energy Master class
  • Virtual and live workshops custom-crafted for each event
  • The Comprehensive Personal Trainer’s Guide to Rebuild Your Client’s Fitness (New December 2020 online certification)

What is one hard lesson you’ve learned in business you believe has been most valuable?
There are many lessons. Here are two:
1. Failure is the window to learning opportunities. I used to feel like people were rejecting me personally when they didn’t fully engage with offers to help with wellness, or we fell short of goal achievement. With one of my core values being life-long learning, I now see every failure as a chance to gain feedback in the never-ending process of becoming a better listener, coach, wellness educator, collaborator, and motivator.

2. It’s OK to not know answers, admit it, and help clients recruit a team to support their needs. The team approach creates synergy that can lead to total client wellness with greater impact and efficiency.

If I asked one of your clients why they choose you over other places/gyms/trainers, what would they likely say?
I’m the perfect blend of geek and cheerleader with unparalleled passion to help with wellness; I bring an unquenchable thirst for life-long learning, collaboration with clients on individual laser-focused plans, and uncanny ability to recognize every client’s daily wins along the journey.

Name one or two ways you are trying to raise the bar in the industry?
1. In the first half of 2020, people were disengaging with wellness at alarming rates. I quickly volunteered with numerous organizations to offer at least one free workout or education session every week. Initially, virtual sessions served to flatten the curve of deconditioning. As needs evolved, we created new virtual communities and helped organizations, like Sweat Minnesota, raise funds to rebuild communities that had been destroyed by rioting.

2. As people are returning to fitness, common re-conditioning injuries and healthy mindset challenges have become predictable. In effort to help guide safe and effective re-conditioning program design, nutrition, and mindset, I have drawn from the diversity of my background and new research to create an online certification for personal trainers; The Personal Trainer’s Comprehensive Guide to Rebuild Your Client’s Fitness launches December 25, 2020.