Fitness Celebrity Jillian Michaels: “Take Risks-Especially When You Are Young”

I had the pleasure to interview Jillian Michaels, health and wellness entrepreneur and creator of the Jillian Michaels App

What is your “backstory”?

My background is actually in fitness. Shocking I know. I got my start as a trainer when I was just 17 and training for my blackbelt. People would approach me in the gym regularly and ask me if I was training other people and one day I just figured — why not. Maybe I could make some money doing this. I got my certification and jumped right in. By the time I was 29 I had opened a sports medicine facility and by 30 I was on The Biggest Loser. The rest is “history” as they say. I did, however, have a 3 year stint where I worked at an entertainment agency from 24–26. I have never been so miserable. I got into the field because I started to get guilted by friends that I should get a “real job”. So I started in the mail room. Worked my way up to becoming a motion picture packaging agent. Then got fired for pretty much hating my boss. Bottom line, I should have stuck with my passion and followed my heart. Lesson one — the more security in life you seek the less you will have. The more you pursue your passion with patience, fortitude, and the ego strength to take responsibility for mistakes and learn from them the more affluence and…