As FitBloggin & FitSocial takes its final shape in preparation for Indy this year, we proudly announce our keynote speaker, Lisa Delaney, Senior VP and Chief Content Officer at AMG/Parade, publisher of Parade magazine, the most widely read magazine in the U.S., reaching 22 million households each week.
During her 30-plus years as a journalist, Lisa has written for and edited fitness, health and nutrition publications such as Health magazine, Cooking Light and Prevention. She is the founding editor of Spry Living magazine, distributed via newspapers to 9 million households each week. Lisa is also the author of Secrets of a Former Fat Girl: How to Drop Two, Four — or More! —Dress Sizes and Find Yourself Along the Way, her memoir chronicling her own fitness and health journey. In her keynote, she’ll share her advice on breaking through in publishing, creative new ways of reaching readers, and how your fitness journey can fuel your professional career.
We chatted with Lisa to find out more about her connection to Fitness and Health bloggers and
FitBloggin: Why are you excited to speak at FitBloggin & FitSocial?
Lisa: I love meeting new people and learning from them–it’s a great way to discover trends and stay on the pulse of the fitness and health world. For me, it’s not as much about speaking as listening and connecting!
FitBloggin: Tell us a little more about your weight loss journey and why you decided to publish your own story?
Lisa: Growing up, I was very insecure about my weight and appearance. I allowed my “fat girl” feelings to hold me back–from making friends, from trying new things, from being the person I knew I was inside. Once I took charge of my fitness and health, my whole life became energized in the process. I saw that I could set goals and achieve them, and—even more importantly, when I didn’t reach my goal, I learned to be OK with myself. It wasn’t so much about the weight as about embracing, even seeking, change. I discovered the power of taking risks and stepping outside of my comfort zone, both in my personal life and my career. I realized that I had been labeling myself as a “fat girl,” and that only I could change that. During my journey (which, frankly, I’m still on!), I saw other women struggling with their self-worth and personal power, and I wanted to help them tap into that through the lessons I’d learned.
FitBloggin: As an accomplished author, what advice would you give to the social and blogging community attending FitBloggin (without giving away your whole keynote presentation)
Lisa: First, people respond to authentic voices, to writers who aren’t afraid to get personal. Second, you have very little time to capture readers’ attention, so you have to grab them–with your language, with your overall concept, with your visuals, with the entire package. Third, when you are having fun doing what you’re doing, readers will want to be a part of it.
FitBloggin: Why do you feel it’s important to nurture the social sharing and blogging community?
Lisa: The social/blogging community has such a great opportunity to influence the behavior of their audience. I am not just a health/fitness journalist, I am a health/fitness advocate, so helping others make positive changes in others’ lives has always been a major part of why I do what I do. The social/blogging community is comprised of powerful, personal voices that can really motivate people to get fit, healthy and happy. I’m happy to be a part of the effort in any way that I can.
FitBloggin: What was the biggest hurdle you had to overcome in writing about your personal journey?
Lisa: Two things: “Corralling” all of the ideas in my head into a format that made sense–that made the writing so much easier. And being careful to emphasize the message that it’s really about the process, not about how much weight you lose, that will bring you all kinds of benefits.
FitBloggin: You are an avid runner and now an accomplished rower. What keeps you motivated everyday?
Lisa: I don’t always love working out, but I love how I feel after I’ve worked out. Each session is a mini-goal, and I get so much juice out of making it through, even if it’s a leisurely run. With rowing, the feeling of being on the water is so rejuvenating, as well as working with a team. I find so many parallels between rowing and running and the challenges I face in my life—both sports inform me and help guide me in so many ways.
FitBloggin: In the interest of true investigative journalism, what is one healthy food choice you make daily and what is your indulgence (cheat) food?
Lisa: I choose to eat a healthy breakfast everyday–either oatmeal with almond milk and cinnamon or eggs with spinach and sriracha. And, I have to say, I think indulging IS a healthy thing to do … and when I do it, I either have dark chocolate or a glass of wine (sometimes both)!
We are are excited for Lisa’s keynote presentation and you should be too! Why you ask? Because the first 120 bloggers/writes/social journal will be getting a copy of her book, Secrets of a Former Fat Girl.
Find out more about Lisa
Register for FitBloggin & FitSocial
I can’t wait!