Meet Mark Goodwin | Personal Trainer and Lifestyle Medicine Coach

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

Hi Mark, what are you inspired by?
Everyday I get out of bed with a chance to impact someone life, how cool is that! I am a Personal Trainer, Lifestyle Medicine Coach, Trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and a retired Executive Chef and Navy Chief Petty Officer. I am also a 30 plus year recovering alcoholic, 3 heart stents and the past 3years fighting an autoimmune disease and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. I went from running a 50 mile ultra in 2015 to trying to walk around the block holding on to my wife’s shoulder using a cane feeling a fork coming out my right ear.

There are some days I can barely get out of bed with heavy brain fog but I know I have clients waiting for me who i can help make the day and life just a little bit better. Through my own morning routine of meditation, movement and motivation I am able to get to my “best self’ that day, sometimes not good, but much better.

I work with widows in their mid 80’s who live alone and are lonely. I work with Clients who have lost 50-100 pounds and are living a healthy active life they thought they would never have including missing the gym when they don’t go. I introduce meditation and mindfulness to stressed and anxious people getting the to S.T.O.P. running in automatic pilot and self defeating habits to the awareness of thinking, feeling and behavior in the present moment, from hearing in judgement to listening with perspective and compassion.

I truly loved what I do. My passion in the understanding that my own personal journey is I should have lost everything: jobs, my marriage and my life a few times. I am married 39 years, 4 kids and 6 grandkids. I live a life of amazing second chances. My purpose is using my story along with my multidisciplinary wellbeing approach to truly hear and connect with my clients and friends. Understanding what it is like to lose hope but still be able to discover how to live the highest quality life possible by doing the work we are ready to do, progressively making the changes we need to make and realizing at times are mind is lying to us about what really makes us happy.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I entered the Navy in 1979 and was married in 1980. Leaving the Navy I worked to Walt Disney World as a Cook and spent the next 30 years as a Sous Chef and then Certified Executive Chef finishing my carrier as Executive Chef and Wellness Coordinator at QVC Shopping Network. At one points as a Philadelphia hotel Executive Chef I fully burned out. 70 hour per week, nights and holidays, hardly ever seeing my family. At QVC, Monday through Friday, nine hour days, I discovered health and wellness as a personal trainer, wellness coach and doing health eating cooking demonstrations. November 12th, 2008 I was laid off a with 160 QVC employees and started All-N-Won Wellness business for the next 11 years. April 2019 we moved to Clearwater area of Florida and I went to work form Baycare Fitness Center as a personal trainer. What makes me different is my professional and personal background. I am able to understand as we say “What is needed now” for my clients in their current session to insure they feel their very best And hopefully have some tools to work with when they leave me that day.

I take my job very personally. No matter how bad you feel or how challenging one’s life is, you can always get to better, maybe not good, but better is ok.

Biggest lesson learned: 1. Never over commit and under deliver. 2. Understand if there is a difference between your career and calling. You might not love your career, I hated my job as a hotel Chef because of the time it took away from my family. Take the time and education to build your foundation to transition into your calling and able to make a living doing it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The Beaches of Clearwater Beach and Honeymoon Island. Frenchy’s restaurant for Cajun Grouper Sandwich and Smoked Chicken Wings. A visit to the Tampa Aquarium and Zoo along with some many of the fantastic restaurants through out the city. The fun a taking a Dolphin excursion boat or sunset cruise ride out of Clearwater beach. Taking a lazy Saturday afternoon in my home town of Safety Harbor to walk through the store, coffee shops and amazing Cheesecake store.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout to My wife Virginia Goodwin and all my kid and grandkids mentors and business partners Jen Croneberger and Bappa Choudhury.
Books-The Book of Joy , Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, written by Douglas Abrams
The How of Happiness , Sonia Lyubomirsky Atomic Habits James Clear

Website: www.allnwon.com