Our business education partner NPE has just released a new podcast called “Secrets To Their Fitness Business Success” featuring top entrepreneurs and leaders from around the world.

And canfitpro COO Mo Hagan has been featured on one of the first episodes titled “Stand in (and Find) Your Strength To Grow.”

Click here to listen to “Ep 5: Mo Hagan – Stand in (and Find) Your Strength To Grow”

For many years the fitness industry has been dominated by male leaders at the top. It has been a “boys club.” But Mo Hagan is one of a few key influential female leaders worldwide who has challenged that culture, broken through, and continues inspiring and developing female entrepreneurs and leaders across the globe.

From starting out as a physical education teacher in Canada, to taking a chance on following her heart to pursue an unconventional path centered around her passions of teaching and traveling to spread the word of fitness, Mo has truly created the life she’s always dreamed of for herself. She has several powerful messages to share around why it’s so important to get clear and understand your WHY, see obstacles as opportunities to push through and grow, find a mentor and don’t try to go it alone, and why you can’t sit behind your desk… you’ve got to get out there and attend events to learn and grow.

In this interview you’ll learn:

1. How Mo started as a physical education teacher and created her own career path to follow her passion of teaching and traveling the globe in the fitness industry.
2. How she continued applying for a job for 6 months, eventually offered to work for free, and finally got a breakthrough to begin her career teaching fitness with Goodlife.
3. How she took a job with no security, terrible pay, no job description, and followed her heart to begin her journey working for David ‘Patch’ Patchell-Evans – one of the most powerful entrepreneurs in the fitness industry.
4. How she and Patch started the largest fitness education show in the world 26 years ago while establishing a vision and planning around the Patch’s kitchen table.
5. How the canfitpro certification program was started to build the workforce and talent needed to grow the entire fitness industry in Canada (and now it sits at 21,000+ strong).
6. How they’ve had to take steps backward to progress several steps forward in finding the people and building the team (and company) needed to deliver the quality needed to grow.
7. Why Mo is so passionate about developing and empowering women leaders in the fitness industry and how she’s launched and grown “Women Who Influence” the largest women’s leadership event in the world.
8. How to stand in your strength (and find your strength) by surrounding yourself with others to grow.
9. Why it’s so important to do the work required to get clear and understand your way.
10. The key to seeing obstacles as opportunities to push through and grow.
11. Why you should find a mentor and don’t try to go it alone.
12. Why you must never stop learning and must continue evolving to stay relevant and ahead with your career and business.
13. And much more…

Click here to listen to “Ep 5: Mo Hagan – Stand in (and Find) Your Strength To Grow”

P.S. As part of the launch of the show, NPE is giving away over $25,000 in FREE prizes! Learn more (and register to win) at www.NPEFitness.com/podcast

Special Announcement From David Patchell-Evans, CEO & founder of canfitpro & GoodLife Fitness

As I reflect on our awesome 40-year milestone, I am so grateful for the incredible leaders that we have in our midst that represent the very best of the fitness industry internationally. Their knowledge, experience, passion and dedication is unparalleled. Our People are our greatest strength and it all starts with our Leaders.

I want to take the opportunity to tell you about two important changes that I believe are critical for our future success:

1. Maureen ‘Mo’ Hagan will be taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer of canfitpro.
2. Kim Lavender’s role is expanding to lead all things ‘Group’ at GoodLife. Kim will oversee Team Training, PEAK, all specialty group training, Group Fitness as well as all programming required for groups.

The Education and Development of Fitness Professionals

We know that our greatest strength is our People. Our Associates are the ones who connect with our Members and build communities of support, friendship and fun in our Clubs. Our knowledgeable and experienced fitness professionals are integral in changing the lives of so many Members that come through our doors each day.

The current reality in Canada is that there is a shortage of educated fitness professionals. For GoodLife to provide the greatest experience possible for our Members and play the most impactful role in helping them achieve their health and fitness goals, we need to ensure we have the best and brightest fitness professionals on our Team. A key way that we can do this is by continuing to help canfitpro grow and innovate. To support this goal, Maureen “Mo” Hagan, our current Vice President of Program Innovation & Fitness Development, will be taking on the role of Chief Operating Officer for canfitpro effective July 1, 2019. 

In her new role, Mo will be responsible for canfitpro’s operations, procedures and financial success through vision and leadership. Mo’s innovation and forward thinking will allow her to create and execute on directives and strategies that will help canfitpro transform, evolve and continue to thrive. One of the primary goals for canfitpro is to lead the way in positioning fitness as a fulfilling and life-long career path, and to demonstrate that the best way to get started, progress and stand-out in the fitness industry is through education opportunities at canfitpro.

Mo has been with GoodLife Fitness for 35 years! She is passionate, tenacious and ambitious. Mo is an incredibly knowledgeable and well-respected member of the fitness industry internationally and a fitness celebrity here in Canada and around the world. Her unwavering passion for program innovation and the development of fitness professionals make her a natural fit for this new challenge.

Although Mo’s focus will turn to canfitpro, she will continue to be a part of our GoodLife Family in many ways, including:

• Thought leadership and expertise for our Teams
• Contributing to our content channels for both Associates and Members
• Teaching Group Fitness and leading the charge with her very own NEWBODY Program
• Being a resource for our Group Fitness Instructors
• Retaining her office at our Proudfoot Home Office

In Mo’s new role leading canfitpro, she is leading the charge of taking canfitpro from the top fitness conference in the Americas to the top fitness conference in the world. The renewed investment in canfitpro from both a leadership and technology perspective will ensure that canfitpro-educated fitness professionals are the most knowledgeable and skilled fitness professionals in the world, making both canfitpro and GoodLife even stronger.

Congratulations Mo—so well deserved!

 She was told; “don’t do it”, “it won’t work”, “You’ll waste the budget” 6 years later… it is the largest event of it’s kind. Mo Hagan, an iconic leader within the fitness industry, had a vision of an event that was in desperate need to help lift women in their careers. Feeling so pulled towards her calling, she had to convince her comity that this event would move the industry forward as at the time was so male dominate within senior roles. The push back she got just added more fuel to her fire. Making her more determined to launch the Women Who Influence event.

This year marks the sixth annual Canadian Fitness Industry Leadership Award. On March 14^th, 2019, this award was presented to a Fitness Industry Council of Canada member who has, throughout the years, proven to be an industry leader. This individual is passionate about the wellbeing and promotion of the fitness industry and has contributed significantly to its growth.

FITNESS INDUSTRY COUNCIL OF CANADA IS PROUD TO ANNOUNCE MAUREEN “MO” HAGAN AS THE 2019 RECIPIENT.

Maureen “Mo” Hagan has made a significant impact on the fitness industry, as an award-winning, innovative and passionate fitness expert and as a savvy business person. Mo has always been physically active. As a child, she gravitated to individual activities like running, climbing, hiking swimming. At age 13, she coached her first gymnastics class and learned about the potential and rewards of teaching physical activity to others.

While studying physical education and physiotherapy at the University of Western Ontario in the 1980s, Mo worked as a fitness instructor at #1 Nautilus, which later become the third GoodLife Fitness club in Canada. Inspired by the emerging aerobic dance exercise craze, Mo developed her own routines inspired by 20-minute workout, Jane Fonda and Kathy Smith videos. Not only did she teach aerobics, but she stayed late to train others to become fitness instructors.

Mo’s dedication was quickly realized by GoodLife Fitness founder and CEO David ‘Patch’ Patchell-Evans as he hired her as director of group fitness for his growing chain of fitness clubs. She has worked hard for more than 35 years to make GoodLife Fitness the premier destination for group fitness programming in Canada.

MO HAS ALWAYS BEEN PHYSICALLY ACTIVE. AS A CHILD, SHE GRAVITATED TO INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITIES LIKE RUNNING, CLIMBING, HIKING, SWIMMING.

She helped secure GoodLife’s Canadian exclusivity for Les Mills programs. Mo also introduced a comprehensive virtual fitness program that gives GoodLife members access to group fitness on their own schedule.

“It takes ingenuity to know the difference between a fad and a trend in this industry – Mo has that skill. She is one of the hardest working and most dedicated people I know. She’s an exceptional role model for women of all ages who want to make an impact and a difference, “said Patch, who also won the Canadian Fitness Industry Leadership award in 2016.

“IT TAKES INGENUITY TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FAD AND A TREND IN THIS INDUSTRY – MO HAS THAT SKILL. SHE IS ONE FO THE HARDEST WORKING AND MOST DEDICATED PEOPLE I KNOW. SHE’S AN EXCEPTIONAL ROLE MODEL FOR WOMEN OF ALL AGES WHO WANT TO MAKE AN IMPACT AND A DIFFERENCE.”
– DAVID PATCHEL-EVANS

Mo Hagan is now vice president of program innovation and fitness development for GoodLife, and canfitpro, the largest fitness education body in Canada. She has also maintained her qualifications as a licensed physiotherapist (BSc PT) and Physical Health Educator (BA PE) and holds multiple fitness certifications through ACE, canfitpro, LesMills, YogaFit, Flexi-Sport, and CALA.

Mo is well-known for creating NEWBODY, her own fitness class which combines the best of low impact cardio with functional strength conditional in an efficient workout for people of all levels. She has also authored two books based on the NewBody approach: NewBody Workout for Women – 6 Weeks to a Fit and Fabulous New You and 6 Weeks to a New Body.

Mo travels the world for speaking engagements to fulfill her passion to help move people forward in their fitness, health, and business in pursuit of helping people live a fit and healthy good life. Mo is a global ambassador for the benefits of exercise and healthy habits for all ages.

GoodLife Fitness president and COO Jan Ridell has worked with Mo since she joined the company. She admires Mo’s endless energy and enthusiasm and commends her on her tireless efforts to make fitness education affordable, accessible and applicable to everyone.

“Mo’s enthusiastic personality and passion for fitness make her one-of-a-kind. Not only is she knowledgeable about everything fitness-related, she genuinely cares about helping people live their best life. Mo has paved the way for many women in the fitness industry, as a role model, teacher, and champion.”

SHE ADMIRES MO’S ENDLESS ENERGY AND ENTHUSIASM AND COMMENDS HER ON HER TIRELESS EFFORTS TO MAKE FITNESS EDUCATION AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE AND APPLICABLE TO EVERYONE.

Mo has received international acclaim for her efforts and has won many awards including: IHRSA’s Woman Leader of the Year, Canada’s Top 100 Fitness Influencer, Canada’s 20 Most Influential Women in Sport and Physical Activity, BodyWise International Personal Achievement Award, BodyLIfe Educator of the Year and both IDEA Health & Fitness Association Fitness Instructor and Program Directory of the Year.

FIC is grateful for Maureen “Mo” Hagan’s continued contribution to the growth of our industry. It is an honour to present the 2019 Canadian Fitness Industry Leadership Award to Mo, a true inspiration to innovation and education.

35 Canadian Websites and Influencers

When people think about Canada, they think about cold weather, moose, and all the maple syrup in the world! What a lot of people don’t know is that Canada is also home to an abundance of fitness experts and resources. Everything from fitness programs to recipes, you can find them from these wonderful Canadians!