Meet Kelly Etter | Certified Pilates Trainer & Lisa Nichols Certified Transformational Trainer

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

Hi Kelly, let’s talk legacy – what do you want yours to be?
It is important to me that I make a positive, healing, encouraging and empowering impact in the world, so I want my legacy to be one of extending kindness, and compassion. I want people to remember me as being of service to others- gathering a supportive community and facilitating transformation, healing, strength and resilience.

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.
I’m still blown away by the fact that I got to be a Rockette in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and had a 20 year professional dance and musical theater career because my journey began with a significant physical challenge—I was born extremely pigeon-toed. This required me to wear leg braces. Dance classes, combined with the braces, played a crucial role in retraining my muscles and aligning my legs properly. Initially we were turned away from several dance studios, but finally we found a teacher who let me join her class. Years of hard work, persistence and determination followed.

I firmly believe in the transformative power of movement- the sense of freedom I felt while dancing, the ability to express myself nonverbally, and the way it helped me process my emotions all fueled my passion. Dancing made me feel more attractive and confident, which was incredibly empowering. These experiences inspired me to push past my physical challenges and pursue a dance career.

After retiring to start a family, I found a new passion- I became a certified Pilates trainer. Over the last 24 years I’ve had the honor of helping hundreds of people break free from physical pain and the emotional pain of being unable to trust their body to support them in EVERYTHING they want to do.

Emotionally and mentally, movement has been my lifeline, especially during some of my darkest moments. After divorce, I fell into a deep pit of depression, anxiety, and panic attacks. There was a period when my face felt too heavy to smile, and I often found myself curled up on the floor, overwhelmed and unable to see a way out. I was gripped by a constant fear about my future, feeling like I was always in a state of fight or flight, as if a tiger was constantly chasing me. Each night, I would lie down next to my little boy, trying to help him fall asleep, and silently pray, “God, please don’t let him feel me shaking.”

Then one night, everything changed: I took my sleeping pill and then my bath. The next thing I remember is waking up to find my mom (who didn’t live with us) on the couch. She told me she had raced over and pulled me, unconscious, out of the tub. When I realized that my little boy had almost been left with the legacy of first having his family torn apart and then discovering his mom drowned in the bathtub, I knew things had to change. I realized that I could no longer allow my circumstances to define me.

I made a powerful decision to surround myself with compassionate, supportive people. I committed to becoming the best mom and Pilates trainer I could possibly be and returned to dancing, something I had set aside for far too long. These choices and actions completely transformed my life. And that is why I am passionate about helping others transform their lives.

Returning to dance and working with my Pilates students were essential parts of my healing process. Movement has been a crucial tool in my recovery from depression, anxiety, insomnia and panic attacks. It’s not just about the physical benefits; it’s about reclaiming joy, building confidence, and connecting with my true self again.

During the COVID-19 lockdown, doing continuing education, I learned that our nervous system is the basis for movement learning as well as for behavior change. Ever since then I’ve maintained a daily nervous system nurturing practice which is now part of all my programs. Learning the nervous system nurturing techniques supports my students in developing the healthy habits they want, because if their nervous system doesn’t feel safe, it doesn’t matter how much they want to make a behavior change, it is not likely to happen.

I want to encourage your readers to realize: even if you have had significant trauma, you can still come through it. You have a powerful spirit within you- you may just need a little help uncovering it- like a trainer or coach- to develop your resilience and transform your life.

Although if I’d heard this when I was in my deepest darkest place I might not have appreciated it, almost like weight training – tearing down/stressing the muscle helps lead to building its strength- so we can use traumas as strength and resilience building tools.

Throughout my journey, I’ve learned several valuable lessons:

– Perseverance is everything: Overcoming physical challenges and rejection taught me the power of never giving up on my dreams or myself.

– Movement heals: Movement is a powerful healer, not just physically, but emotionally and mentally as well.

– Service to others is fulfilling: There’s incredible joy in helping others achieve their goals and heal from pain.

– Adaptability is crucial: Transitioning from dance to Pilates and open to lockdown showed me the importance of being flexible and open to new opportunities.

– Community is key: we are created to be in community- it encourages, inspires and supports us as we navigate life.

I am always on a quest for growth and the ability to more effectively be of service to and in support of my clients. Now I am most excited about becoming a Lisa Nichols Certified Transformational Trainer so that I can more deeply support core transformation – body and soul.

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?
If I wanted to show my best friend the best time I would take her to the Greek, the Hollywood Bowl and Descanso Gardens. I would take her to Red Bird, Little Beast and Perch. We would also go to Catalina Island for a couple days: go kayaking, take the walking tasting tour around Avalon and zip line.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Wow- so many deserve credit and recognition in my story! First and foremost God. Also I am grateful for the encouragement and support of my family, friends and Christian Assembly church community. Finally, I am thankful for my mentors Carol Appel, Anne Bishop, Chantill Lopez, Lisa Nichols and Sean Smith…as well as my CTTP community.

Website: https://www.kellyetter.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelly-etter-62423633/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kelly.etterbeilfuss/

Yelp: https://biz.yelp.com/biz_info/VJmHmXLYJH9WKVQTSFZEWQ

Other: https://programs.kellyetter.com/

Image Credits
Rebecca Little Photography