His motivation was more than being active to keep up with his children. He wanted to be a healthy role model.
“I want to try to teach my kids that now so it can become part of their lifestyle,” Josh said. “When they get old, they won’t know any other way. They will always have someone in their life who is active or motivates them to be active.”
Josh was working for a local sheet metal company in Kansas City when he became a part-time personal trainer at the Rec Center in 2017. He took on a second job as a trainer – working evenings – to improve himself and the lives of his clients.
“Getting back into shape for my own health led me to discover this as a passion for fitness and sharing my story with people along the way,” said Josh. “It started with helping friends and then it turned into me wanting to explore this as a job.”
When Josh realized that fitness was becoming more than just a healthy lifestyle, he decided to make a healthy career out of it. He left the construction trade in 2020 when he was promoted to a full-time position with the city of Lenexa as a fitness supervisor.
“The desire to move into a full-time career in fitness came from the satisfaction I get from knowing I’ve helped make a difference in someone’s life,” he said. “When you can watch someone feel and move better – that’s priceless. I hear how much our members love our fitness classes and how it has impacted them. It makes me feel very proud of all the trainers and instructors we have who can also experience this satisfaction.”
No matter what stage of life you are in, Josh encourages everyone to be active.
“We only have one body and we have to take care of it,” he said. “Our bodies are resilient, so you can really start at any time. There’s never a wrong time to get active.”
But there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Fitness looks different for each person.
“Fitness doesn’t have to be in the gym,” he said. “He could be at home. Maybe outside. It could be in the park for all that matters. I’m just making sure you take some time for yourself to be healthy.”
The golden rule is to record your fitness activity.
“When I first started working out, I wrote down every workout in a notebook,” Josh said. “I would write down the exercise, the weight used, the sets/reps and how I felt the next day. It helped me figure out what worked and what didn’t. If you don’t have a plan, make one and write it all down because you’ll forget.”
More than training, Josh continues to find new ways to grow as a leader. This year, he participated in the Lenexa Leadership Foundations Academy, a partnership between the City of Lenexa Human Resources Department and Park University — Lenexa City Center Campus, where he and several other staff members from various city departments learn Lenexa-specific policies and practices and leadership soft skills over a period of six months.
“This opportunity gave me the opportunity to meet other people who work for Lenexa, who are leaders throughout the organization,” he said. “The topics we talked about and the books we were given helped us find our own way to be the best leaders we can be.”
In his current supervisory role, Josh strives to empower his team by providing them with the resources and tools they need to do their jobs effectively and efficiently.
“I try to really encourage them to take initiative to deal with situations that they need because they know that in any situation I’m going to support them, support them and help coach them along the way,” said he.
For those interested in a career in the fitness industry, Josh says you need to be motivated for the right reasons.
“You have to want to be there to help people make a difference and impact their lives,” he said. “You have to be adaptable and flexible to be able to change on the fly. You may have a class plan ready and ready to go, but you come in that day and that person, that small group, or a few people in the class aren’t able to do some of those things, so you have to come up with a new plan”.
Josh lives in Merriam, Kansas with his two sons, Xander and Jacoby. Outside of work, she enjoys visiting different parts of the Kansas City metro area, trying new restaurants, and going to concerts.
Are you ready for your next career move? In the City of Lenexa, you will be trained, supported and valued. Build your future with us and use your talents to grow and succeed as a member of our team. Learn about current job opportunities at Lenexa.com/Jobs.