The NASM-CPT Podcast With Rick Richey ·Oct 6, 2026 ·25 min

How personal trainers can create their own career opportunities

Evaluation and Summary

3.8/10

Rick Richey hosts a 25-minute episode aimed at fitness professionals seeking to advance their careers through recognizing and creating professional opportunities. The episode is structured around a personal anecdote—Richey's own experience with unexpected outreach from a reputable fitness company—which serves as a springboard for broader career advice. The core message emphasizes staying open-minded, saying yes to meetings, and viewing every interaction as a learning or networking opportunity. The chapter breakdown reveals the episode covers ten key themes: the importance of accepting meetings, overcoming self-doubt that prevents people from pursuing opportunities, the distinction between waiting for opportunities versus actively creating them, 'swinging for the fences' with ambitious goals, using interviews as skill-building practice, proactive opportunity creation, growing into desired roles, bringing others along on your journey, balancing success and failure, managing career momentum during slow periods, maintaining industry relationships, reaching out to people and causes of interest, and cultivating a mindset of deservingness. The episode concludes with ten actionable takeaways on leveraging opportunities in fitness. The content is positioned as educational and motivational rather than technical or clinical, with no guest experts mentioned—only the host sharing personal insights and universal lessons. A standard disclaimer notes the content is for educational and entertainment purposes and not a substitute for professional medical advice. The episode also includes a promotional segment for NASM One, a membership service offering continuing education and coaching tools.

Verdict: A motivational career-advice episode that delivers on its title with practical networking themes, but lacks expert credentials, research grounding, and substantial depth for a health & fitness podcast.

Health & Fitness rubric

Evidence-based claims 1/5 25%

Episode is motivational and anecdotal, based on host's personal experience rather than research, studies, or clinical evidence.
Expert credentials n/a

No information provided about Rick Richey's qualifications, certifications, or background beyond being a podcast host.
Safe and practical advice 3/5 19%

Advice to network, say yes to meetings, and maintain relationships is sensible and low-risk; however, 'swinging for the fences' language could encourage overreach without guardrails.
Substance 2/5 19%

Ten chapter topics suggest breadth but 25 minutes is tight for meaningful depth; likely relies on motivational framing and repetition of core themes rather than dense content.
Delivers on its title 4/5 19%

Title promises strategies to create career opportunities; episode covers networking, proactive outreach, and mindset shifts, though depth is limited by runtime.
Value for time 3/5 19%

25 minutes is reasonable for a motivational episode; ten topics in that span suggests some pacing pressure, but format appears intentional for quick consumption.

How we score Health & Fitness

Worth it if you're a fitness professional early in your career seeking mindset shifts and networking strategies, but not if you want evidence-based or expert-led guidance.

Content flags

Sponsored Episode includes a promotional segment for NASM One membership service, positioning the podcast as part of NASM's marketing ecosystem.

#career development #fitness industry #networking #personal training #motivation

Based on the episode description. AI-generated; it can be wrong.

Show notes

The best way to handle professional opportunities in fitness is to stay open-minded, say yes to potential meetings, and view every opportunity as a chance to learn or connect. In this “NASM CPT Podcast,” listeners will learn practical strategies to recognize, create, and seize opportunities in their careers, whether those chances are offered by others or need to be sought out proactively. Host Rick Richey shares insights drawn from his personal experience with unexpected outreach from a reputable fitness company and discusses universal lessons relevant to the entire NASM community. By the end of the episode, listeners will understand ten actionable ways to approach new opportunities, how to network within the fitness industry, and why it is important to see yourself as someone who great things can happen to. Whether you are just starting in the industry or looking to grow into new roles, you will discover how to use tools like networking, continuous learning, and proactive outreach to advance your career and help more clients with NASM. Chapters: 00:00 What is the main lesson about handling and creating professional opportunities? 01:00 How can saying yes to meetings lead to greater reach and impact?03:21 Why do people talk themselves out of new opportunities in fitness?06:27 Are opportunities always given, or can they be created—and how?08:14 What does it mean to "swing for the fences" with big opportunities?09:47 How can viewing interviews as practice improve your skills? 11:07 How can fitness professionals create their own opportunities? 12:53 What does it take to grow into your desired role or status? 15:01 Why is bringing others with you important for professional growth?16:04 How do successes and failures combine on the path to professional growth? 17:48 How do you handle overwhelming versus slow seasons in your career?19:06 Why does staying in touch with industry friends matter for future opportunities? 20:36 How and why should you reach out to people or causes that interest you? 22:13 Why is it important to see yourself as someone who can achieve great things? 23:05 What are the ten key takeaways on leveraging opportunities in fitness? If you like what you just consumed, leave us a 5-star review, and share this episode with a friend to help grow our NASM health and wellness community! The content shared in this podcast is solely for educational and entertainment purposes. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek out the guidance of your healthcare provider or other qualified professional. Any opinions expressed by guests and hosts are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of NASM. Introducing NASM One, the membership for trainers and coaches. For just $35/mo., get unlimited access to over 300 continuing education courses, 50% off additional certifications and specializations, EDGE Trainer Pro all-in-one coaching app to grow your business, unlimited exam attempts and select waived fees. Stay on top of your game and ahead of the curve as a fitness professional with NASM One. Click here to learn more. https://bit.ly/4ddsgrm