When I used to work in Finance, my Asset Management Firm would release our Annual Report for our mutual funds for the fiscal year.

After six years of working at the Firm, and 8 years in the Financial field, this must have sunk in to my sub-conscious, because for the past few weeks I've been mentally writing up my own Annual Report for FitVista, for the calendar year 2016.

Some habits never die!

I promise you, this one will NOT be 140 pages long and filled to the brim with financial statements.

Many of you have been asking me gently ... kindly ... and ever-so-curiously ... so what is it that you actually do?

I'd love to share and I'll keep it short!

My business has evolved a lot since I left Finance in 2014, became a personal trainer, graduated from nutrition school and started FitVista.

I'm updating you on:

The Balance Sheet: How I'm Spending My Work Hours Now
The Cash Flow Statement: How Things Have Evolved
The Income Statement: Finances and the Bottom Line and,
Outlook for 2017: What You Can Look Forward To!
Flashback: Some 2016 Press Highlights

1) The Balance Sheet: How I'm Spending My Work Hours Now

My main role with FitVista today is as a private Nutrition Health Coach. This occupies the majority of my time, effort and client-load. This is my #1 Focus.

Nutrition Health Coach: I coach high-achieving individuals who want to optimize their nutrition and fitness, reduce stress, increase happiness and their overall level of satisfaction in their lives. I tend to attract clients who value education and are fed-up with coming up against the same roadblocks time and time again. I'm the detective and we pair together over my six month program to tweak their lifestyles, make smart changes to their diet and get the most out of efficient workouts. I only accept 8-10 clients at a time, for a personalized six month program. This equals 15-20 clients a year and allows me to really get to know my clients, provide unlimited support, accountability and education.

I work with all my clients remotely. We meet every two weeks for a 45 minute session via video call or phone call. Here are a ton of recent success stories! My clients are the best! I cherish the work we do together - it's truly life-changing.

Running Coach: I see two running clients a week and I love it. It's so much fun to get paid to run, talk with these dear folks and train outside!

Blogging: I'm half trying! Serious bloggers stick to a blogging calendar, have paid advertising, a mailing list, the works. I love writing, but I'm not mentally ready to commit to the bi-weekly posts. Be assured that when I do write and post, it's something I'm very excited about sharing and I love hearing your kind feedback!

Instagram: ... does Instagram count as a job? Because I'm addicted. Check out inspiration, quick healthy habits education and pictures of beautiful views here at @michellefitvista.

In 2016, I modified my schedule to allow time and energy for fun partnerships and collaborations.

Group Programs via SimplyFit: In March 2016, I paired with the famous food blogger and recipe creator, Alyssa Rimmer from SimplyQuinoa, to develop a comprehensive 28-Day Wellness Program. Our members receive lifetime access to a 28-Day Plant-Powered Meal Plan, Strength Training Video Workouts lead by yours truly, a PDF Guide on Healthy Habits and weekly Group Coaching Videos. We're running our next 28-Day Wellness Program in April 2017.

Foam rolling and teaching my clients how to optimize their workout schedule.

2) The Cash Flow Statement: How Things Have Evolved

Personal Training: I scaled back on my personal training significantly after I left Equinox in March of 2016. I found that jumping on the subway and meeting clients around the city was tiring for me personally and my introverted self need more time at home and a more consistent routine and hours. I now see one rockstar client 3-4 times a week on the Upper East Side or via video for virtual training sessions.

If you're looking to train privately in NYC, I know a ton of superstar trainers in various areas around the city and I'd love to connect the dots for you.

I love talking fitness (!) and find that most of my expertise is now available to my nutrition health coaching clients: providing them with workout plans, knowledge on exercise science and tailoring their movement to their specific goals.

Precision Running Treadmill Coach: At the beginning of 2016, I was teaching four treadmill running classes a week: two at Bryant Park Equinox and two at Flatiron Equinox. My role was to teach a pre-prepared high intensity interval running training class, that lasted for 50 minutes each. I'd walk in front of the treadmills, with a microphone hooked up and stopwatch time the class on various intervals and coach them through the endurance, sprinting and hill runs. I love this approach and smart format (and am quite skilled at inspiring my clients to run hard on a treadmill!).

However, due to the energy demands of teaching a class of 15-20 individuals, cost analysis and making room for other projects, I dropped two classes in June and officially retired as a Precision Running Coach on November 28, 2016. I will miss you all!

FYI, Treadmill Interval Training = SUPER AWESOME WORKOUT! I recommend people fit it in 1-2 times a week.

3) The Income Statement: Finances and Bottom Line

How many of you scrolled down to this segment first?! You snoopy finance nerds, you!

I'm happy to say I'm making just about as much money - maybe a bit more - in my business as I did during my first year as a financial analyst in New York City in 2008.

My view of success today comes in non-monetary terms: people helped, client success, personal time and business flexibility.

It's very important for me to be my own boss. If I want to workout at 11am, I usually can. If I want to take a nap instead of write a blog post one day, I can.

(But typically I have to remind myself to take breaks - I'm still working on my over-achiever attitude!)

I love my job. I love my clients.

My health comes first. To me, that's worth it's weight in gold.

I work hard. I work smart. I'm still building.

Big things are on the horizon as I continue to expand my client-base with high-end and efficient coaching programs and write my book.

4) Outlook for 2017: What you should look forward to!

I'm feeling very confident from a business and personal standpoint heading in to 2017.

My clients are spreading the word. I now work on a referral-only basis. What that means, is that I'm not courting strangers to work with me .... or trying to "sell" you!

My current or former clients have the capacity to gift a free 30 minute session to their friends, colleagues or family members that are interested in working with me directly via my portal. I love this network, because I get to meet folks who have already heard great things about my program AND are feeling curious and motivated themselves. It's win-win! I also take select inquiries from old friends and fellow Middlebury College graduates (Email = michelle@fitvista.com).

I work with driven, high-achieving individuals on optimizing wellness, with a focus on nutrition, gut health, fitness, and stress management. Is this you? That said, I only take on about 1-3 clients a month, and 8-10 clients max at a time, so consider yourself lucky if the timing works! I typically recommend people get on my radar early.

I'm writing a book!

The title is still somewhat of a secret. But I'll share the sub-title!

"100 Ways to Optimize Your Nutrition, Fitness and Wellness While Living in an Urban Environment."

I'm thrilled to write and share this with the world and I know it's needed. The response thus far has been phenomenal and I am on track to publish by summer 2017. Want to stay in touch on my journey to publish? Check out my Instagram here and pretty please email me if you'd like an early edition of the manuscript in exchange for editing sections and providing feedback.

Proud Middlebury graduate .... and this excited about 2017!

On a Personal Note:

I liken my FitVista experience in 2016 as learning how to drive a new business with one foot on the gas and one foot on the break.

In July 2015, I was diagnosed with Adrenal Fatigue and embarked on a 10 month holistic health journey to heal myself. I did it! I write more on that here [I had Adrenal Fatigue, Could You?].

In short, I've learned how to optimize my time, rest when needed and come back even stronger. My personal experience has also laid the groundwork for work I do with my clients, and group programs on stress and stress mitigation I will develop in future years.

In all walks of life: whether you're a business owner, corporate warrior or mom of the year, learning to take care of your own health as your biggest asset is life-changing.

It's hard to juggle, it's hard to balance. I get it.

But it's possible. It means saying no a lot.

It could mean less growth. But it could also mean smarter growth.

I had to give up a lot this year (personal training, treadmill running coaching, thinking I'd write a blog post twice a week). But this intentional pruning also allowed me to tap in to my deeper intuition and business sense. Not only did these changes allow me to take greater care of my health, but they've been smart steps in the the direction of my business from a growth, passion and financial standpoint.

I strive to be a role model to my clients: dealing with stress-relief in this high powered city. This is a theme I will continue to build upon. Stress holds us back from the living the life we want!

Curious to know more ASAP? Check out my FitVista Digital Bundle here for just $25, and get a treasure trove of information with actionable tips. This is a set of documents I use with all my new private clients, including a Stress 101 Guide and my Nutrition Philosophy Guide.

Digital Downloads is another theme for 2017!

I'm all about working smart and sharing all the knowledge and game-changing strategies I use with my paying clients and compiling them in to guides like these. It's a great way to get yourself started before you invest in private coaching.

Want to feel inspired?

Check out praise from some of my latest clients and the success they achieved in 2016. From losing 30 pounds .... to getting sustained energy as a high-stress, high-stakes political consultant ... to working out less and seeing MORE results .... to looking flipping gorgeous on her wedding day ... to being the skinniest they've been since high school ... to flooding their bodies with nutrients .... and one client feeling the best she's felt in 10 years.

These stories are all real from my dear clients and they make my heart burst with happiness.

Cheers to a beautiful 2017 to you and yours!

Thank you for reading and thank you ever-so-deeply for your support!

Peace, hugs and veggies,

Michelle

PS: Here are some Press HIGHLIGHTS + Blog highlights from 2016 in case you missed them!

Elite Daily Posts: Don't Worry, You Didn't Gain 3 Pounds in One Weekend, You're Just Bloated // Why Feeling Hungry Could Really Mean You're Just Cold // 4 Ways to Stick to Your Healthy Routine While Traveling

My Fave Personal Interviews: Nativa World // Kayla in the City // LizBarnet.Com, "from Finance to FitVista"

Most Popular FitVista Blogs: Personalized Nutrition // Self-Care Summer // Adrenal Fatigue Part 1 // Adrenal Fatigue Part 2.