Meet Casey Librizzi | Fitness Studio Owner and Instructor; Motivational Speaker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Casey Librizzi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Casey, how do you think about risk?
In the early part of my life risk taking was not my thing. As I got older, I realized that if I didn’t risk trading today for an uncertain future outcome then I would never know what fortune the future may hold. It’s about being completely open to opportunities, despite my fears. Yes, being vulnerable is hard. It’s difficult, it hurts and it’s uncomfortable. It is incredibly scary to do things that are uncomfortable. But being vulnerable also is incredibly brave. It means that I stop looking at what could go wrong and start thinking about what can go right. • Do I write that book?
• Do I start that business?
• Do I end that relationship?
• Do I apply for that promotion?
Bravery increases confidence and that confidence leads to strength. Every major decision I have made came with a risk. That’s why most people avoid making them. It’s too scary. But if I wanted to change my life for the better then I needed to be scared. I needed to take the road less traveled. I needed to stand out. Those who are different, those who are bold, those people are change makers. They see comfortable as overrated. If I stayed quiet I was staying comfortable. If I maintained the status quo I was staying comfortable. I needed to get uncomfortable because at the root of uncomfortable was my truth. For me, that is when my personal growth was at its highest. That is when my confidence blew through the roof. With personal growth came self-love and strength. Taking risks is one of the best things I have done for myself. It allowed me the opportunity to fail. With failure came learning and if I wasn’t learning, I wasn’t growing and if I wasn’t growing I would never be the best version of me and if I am was not the best version of me, I would never be truly happy and if was not truly happy, then what else was there?
Taking risks has transformed my professional and personal life. It was why I began to see opportunities arising in my life that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. I spent close to 20 years in the same role at the same place doing what I absolutely love to do. I was comfortable. So when I was faced with the opportunity to actually purchase the exact place I had been for so long my wife and I counted every penny we had, cleaned out all of our savings and took one of the biggest risks in our lives and bought Ultimate Workout. It has been just over three years, leaving my stable, comfortable role to become an independent business owner. I had no idea whether I would be good at it, whether it would succeed. But I am and it has. Even in the path of COVID-19. Since making that decision, I have been open to taking many more risks to design my dream life and carving out a path for myself, my wife and our two children. As I reflect, I feel proud of myself for taking certain risks, so that I could end up where I am and who I am in this moment.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Most people generally associate the term coaching with the world of sports. In the world of sports, coaching is very much a hands-on activity that involves giving feedback, suggestions and direction on how to best leverage one’s talent through regular and on-going physical training. On paper one may see me as a fitness instructor, a coach and a business owner. All pretty self explanatory. For me, it is so much more. Fitness is not just what I do, it is who I am. We all want to be healthier versions of ourselves and improve our overall wellbeing. Most of the time, we tend to concentrate only on the body, focusing on our physical health. While this is important, it’s not the only component of wellbeing we should be improving. To achieve lasting health, we need to understand the importance of the body, mind and soul and how they work together to build our overall wellbeing. We all know what we should be doing to look after our bodies – eat right and move more. A healthy body keeps you well and active. Focusing on nourishing the mind and our mental health can improve our focus, relationships, outlook and more. A healthy mind keeps you focused and engaged. Spiritual health identifies our purpose and direction and what brings us joy and understanding in our lives. A healthy soul keeps you fulfilled. I tap into the core of a person and get them to dig deep and push harder. I help them create a foundation of unwavering self love so that they are able to build resilience in the face of adversity, recover more quickly from trauma or illness and to better cope with failure. To cultivate a kinder feeling of wholeness.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Definitely the beach. Packing some great food and cold drinks to have a picnic on the sand. Going to the beach always leaves me feeling alive and cleansed – physically, emotionally and spiritually. The combination of sun, sea and sand is my most favorite form of physical, mental and emotional therapy.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
One of the most important sources of support that I have is my network of friends and family. As an entrepreneur and a small business owner I have not had to face the rigors of the business world alone. My family and friends as well as my dedicated staff have provided that support system that has helped me face stress, balance work and play, and generally keep a sense of perspective even amid the stress and responsibility of maintaining a successful business in what has been a unprecedented marketplace. I am inherently a self-starter and I have no problem making personal sacrifices on behalf of my business but my family, friends, staff and members are the core to my success. My family and friends are my lifeline when times get tough. My friend Beth Eiglarsh, has helped me to highlight my strengths and helped me become a better person. She has given me the tools to achieve my potential and pursue my goals in a positively charged environment. Our staff, especially our studio manager, Sue Sausmer, is my emotional support and comic relief. She keeps me laughing and at the same time understands that she is part of something bigger and looks to other areas of the business creating an incredibly positive impact on me and our members. Our members have actively supported me and our studio and have allowed me to maintain an incredibly strong relationship with them. They have enriched my life, served as my greatest inspiration and through their dedication and loyalty have helped me thrive. Whether or not we want to admit it, our success and outlook in life directly depends on the people you surround yourself with. Clearly that would also include who you marry. My wife Lisa Librizzi has greatly affected the decisions I make, ultimately contributing immensely to my success. Her encouragement and support has allowed me to keep my competitive edge and helped me grow my healthy mindset and generally become a happier person. She has helped me thrive by embracing life opportunities and has kept me sane, balanced and has been my rock always. We count on each other in so many ways every single day.

Website: https://www.ultimateworkout.us/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caseylibrizzi/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/casey.librizzi

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ultimate-workout-davie

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Casey+Librizzi

Other: TikTok – @theultimateworkout

Image Credits
Ryan Reiter (Waiting on the company name)