Problems and obstacles stop in their tracks at the sight of Wendy Ida. From her long list of personal accomplishments, it’s clear that Ida (pronounced Ee’da) is a woman who defies boundaries and expectations. Now in her 60s, she has the body and energy to rival women half her age. Today, Ida dedicates her life to helping others achieve their goals and live the life they’ve always dreamed of.
The widely known life coach and award-winning fitness guru has made many speeches and television appearances since she wrote her best-selling book, Take Back Your Life: My No Nonsense Approach to Health, Fitness and Looking Good Naked! Ida also counts two Guinness World Records among her accolades, both fitness-related.
But things weren’t always this way for Ida. For many years, she worked as a corporate accountant in New Jersey, and her life was far from satisfying. She hated her job and struggled with weight gain and a poor self-image. And as a survivor of domestic violence, Ida, at the time, was living in despair.
Things turned around when Ida decided to head west. In Los Angeles, she found guidance under mentors and coaches and began to remake herself, but it was hardly quick or easy. “I managed to reinvent my life when I reached my 40s, but it wasn’t an overnight success,” she admits. “Soon after that I realized I was on a mission to empower other people toward success [who were] going through the same things I had gone through later in life.”
Ida practices what she preaches, and her approach to life and her clients is holistic, involving mind, body and soul. She believes health is wealth—even terming it “your moneymaker,” since she believes well-being translates to the workplace. Ida has devised a four-pronged solution she shares with clients, including Google and NAACP.
“When you are healthy, you exude great energy and are more apt to come to work motivated and arrive more confident,” Ida says. “It not only affects corporate’s bottom line, but it affects your bottom line, too.”
Ida will be speaking at Smart Meeting New Orleans April 19–21 at the Le Meridien Hotel. To register, go to smartmeetings.com.
