KIN 218 Gema Barrios

Summary

In this engaging discussion, Yama Barrios, a graduate in Exercise Science from Long Beach State and founder of The Movement Company, shares her career journey. Initially aiming to be a doctor, she pivoted to exercise science and later founded a management firm specializing in fitness and wellness services. Barrios emphasizes the importance of networking, internships, and maintaining connections with university professors for career guidance. She also highlights the value of documenting professional experiences and learning from various industries to excel in one's field.

Takeaways

• 🏫 Emma Barrios is a graduate of Long Beach State University with a degree in Exercise Science and the founder of The Movement Company, a fitness and club management firm.
• 👩‍🎓 Emma started her education at Mount San Antonio College (Mount SAC) and later transferred to Cal State Long Beach, initially as a biology major before switching to exercise science.
• 🏥 After volunteering at a hospital, Emma decided against pursuing a medical career, choosing instead to focus on exercise science, which allowed flexibility to pivot toward physical therapy or medical school if desired.
• 🏢 Emma's first corporate wellness job involved consulting for a fire department to help reduce injury-related costs by developing fitness programs tailored to firefighter needs.
• 💼 She managed a fitness center at Cal Poly Pomona and applied innovative marketing strategies inspired by companies like Nike to attract memberships and drive growth.
• 🛫 In 2012, Emma took a career break to travel in Europe and later returned to build fitness centers for Molina Healthcare, leading teams and managing operations across the country.
• 💡 Emma founded The Movement Company in 2018 after realizing her strengths in management and consulting and currently manages three clients, providing fitness and wellness services.
• 👩‍🏫 Emma frequently seeks mentorship and advice from her former professors, illustrating the importance of maintaining connections with educational institutions throughout her career.
• 📈 Emma emphasizes the importance of networking, being open to change, and continuously learning to advance one's career.
• 📖 She advises students to read widely, reflect on experiences, and maintain a professional journal to identify strengths, weaknesses, and growth opportunities.

Q & A

What educational background does Yama Barrios have?

Yama Barrios is a graduate from Long Beach State in Exercise Science.

What is the Movement Company and what services does it provide?

The Movement Company is a management firm that provides partners with customized fitness and club management and wellness services.

How did Yama Barrios transition from studying bio to exercise science?

Yama Barrios initially wanted to be a doctor and started as a bio major. However, after realizing the time and financial investment required, she switched to exercise science to still utilize her anatomy knowledge while having more career flexibility.

What was Yama's first job related to her exercise science degree?

Yama's first job related to her exercise science degree was with the fire department, where she helped streamline their fitness programming.

How did Yama Barrios get involved in corporate wellness?

Yama Barrios got involved in corporate wellness through a professor at Cal State Long Beach who directed her to the fire department's need for someone to help with their fitness programming.

What unique approach did Yama take to market the fitness center at Cal Poly Pomona?

Yama focused on marketing and introduced vibrant highlighter colors to the gym's marketing materials, which was a stark contrast to the typical black, blue, white, and gray colors of the time. She also partnered with other campus departments to drive membership.

How did Yama Barrios handle the recession in 2009?

During the recession in 2009, Yama focused on marketing and repositioning the fitness center to attract students, using innovative approaches such as adopting bold colors and collaborating with other campus departments.

What was Yama Barrios' role in building fitness centers for Molina Healthcare?

Yama Barrios was responsible for spearheading the program to build fitness centers for Molina Healthcare across the nation, helping to grow the team from six to almost 100 employees.

What motivated Yama Barrios to start her own company, the Movement Company?

Yama Barrios started her own company after receiving requests to consult on fitness centers and realizing her strengths in the field, particularly after her successful experience at Molina Healthcare.

How did Yama Barrios support Long Beach State's internship program during the pandemic?

During the pandemic, Yama Barrios supported Long Beach State's internship program by taking on their interns when the program had to move online, ensuring the students could still gain valuable experience.

What advice does Yama Barrios give to students regarding their career path?

Yama Barrios advises students to network, intern early to understand their likes and dislikes, keep a work journal to reflect on experiences, identify strengths and weaknesses, and read extensively about companies and industries they are interested in.