hurdling with hannah lewin: founder of mind+motion, personal trainer + marketing director
on applying your skillset, jobs that pay the bills and the importance of good relationships
Hannah Lewin and I first met when I asked her to be my PT, on the basis that I was concerned that I was so unfit that I’d never be able to outrun a murderer. She taught me, after 26 years of believing that sport was simply not for me, how to exercise and most importantly, how to enjoy it.
Her career has seen her make many moves for many reasons – with many lessons learned along the way. From property sales to publishing, to personal training and indoor cycle coaching to creating her own eating disorder recovery programme – it’s safe to say that Hannah’s abundance of moves aren’t just featured in her personal training sessions.
Here, Hannah talks about applying your skillset, jobs that pay the bills and the importance of good relationships.
Q: When you were younger, what did you want to be when you ‘grew up’?
An actress! I used to make my siblings and family friends rehearse and then perform shows at home.
Q: Tell us about your first job.
I went to university, but I knew it wasn’t for me – I wanted to start working as soon as I could. When I left school, there were no other real options apart from university, beauty-based courses or mechanical-based courses. So, I ended up going to university to study Drama. I lasted 7 weeks!
I came home and got a job as a sales negotiator at an estate agents. It was long hours and a tough first job, but I learned so much. It taught me negotiation skills, people skills and also professional skills – like how to function in an office with different people, which isn’t something you’re taught at school!
The people skills I learned (like interacting with people from every possible demographic) were invaluable and they’re things that have served me so well when working the other roles I’ve had. Because I learned these skills so early on, I’m now able to communicate effectively and forge good relationships with most people I meet.
Q: Tell us about your worst job.
I’d been working in property for six years in sales, then marketing, and an opportunity came up for me to move to London. It was a job with a publishing company who produced special reports for The Times newspaper. I hated it.
I worked with a really snooty team and specifically, a really snooty manager – and the deadlines were relentless. I stuck at it for 18 months, but the relief I felt when I then got a marketing manager job back in the property world was massive! I stuck with it because I was determined that the next role I took would be a longer term one, and it took me a while to find a good fit.
Sticking with that awful job taught me resilience and that honestly, going to a top university absolutely does not automatically make you a good employee or a colleague. It finally made me realise that not finishing university was perfectly ok!
Q: What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made at work?
Probably rushing into taking the publishing job. I was so keen to get to London, I just didn’t think it through properly. When I left it, I went back to something I knew I could make a success out of – I learned to take time to consider things through first.
Q: You eventually became a personal trainer, working primarily with and for women. How did you make this career change?
I’d always been active and interested in fitness, and I decided to undertake my PT qualifications while I working full time. When I was 28, and on maternity leave after having my son, I had the option to explore this further. So I did.
At the time, I was in Bosnia, due to my son’s father’s work. I started working with some female clients, and I just knew that this was something I wanted to pursue as a career when I arrived back in the UK.
It was tough financially at first. I had to save to be able to go self-employed – which I often think is an important factor that isn’t talked about enough! I saved three months' salary (which in hindsight, probably wasn’t enough) and I was only able to save that amount by moving in with my mother for four months with my very young son. It was fully not ideal, but I was so grateful to have the option to do so!
Q: What’s the most satisfying kind of PT session you can have with a client?
There is always a moment when you see a client smile as they realise they’ve progressed physically. Maybe they’ve lifted a weight they weren’t able to lift before, or they now hold more power. I’ve been lucky enough to witness hundreds of those moments, and I still get emotional now thinking back to them! It was a true honour in my life and I still can’t believe I had 7 years of working with the best women I have ever met – many of whom I am now lucky enough to call friends.
Q: You’re now the Marketing Director at Keiser Fitness. What made you leave PT-ing behind?
The pandemic hit the fitness industry so dramatically, and overnight my job changed. It was a terrifying place to be, particularly with a child. I was lucky enough that I was able to pivot online immediately with my regular clients to keep some income coming in, but it was obviously less as I lowered my rates – I just didn't feel it was fair to keep the same rate when the experience wasn't the same, and also everyone was struggling financially too!
To build my own business, I had to create a brand, develop social media, and carry out marketing by myself. Luckily, this was an area I was experiences in, and I was able to do it successfully. As well as being a PT, I was also regularly coaching indoor cycle at Digme Fitness, and was introduced to Keiser (a fitness brand specialising in pneumatic training systems and indoor cycles) because I’d used their equipment for my coaching. I then started to do some consulting work with them and over a 6 month period, it turned into an offer for the Marketing Director role I now have.
The role is perfect for me, as it enables me to work in an industry I love, and apply the skillset I’ve built up over my hugely varied career!
Q: You’re also the founder of Mind+Motion. What made you want to develop this?
I had a lived experience of an eating disorder, and I’d worked on a 1-1 basis with clients with disordered relationships with exercise and food for many years. Having seen first-hand the positive impact that including movement can have on recovery and aware of the lack of available service provision, I wanted to create a recovery tool that was easily accessible – with the guidance of clinical professionals.
QUICKFIRE
Q: One work-related object you can’t live without?
My MacBook!
Q: Best advice you’ve ever been given?
“You know.”
Q: Worst advice you’ve ever been given?
“Don’t stick at a job you don’t love”. Having a job you don’t love but pays your bills is VERY ok!
Q: Your dream person to train with?
Literally any of my former PT clients – I can’t pick!
Q: The person you admire the most?
My fiancé Tom. I chat every single thing I do through with him. I value his advice so much.
Q: Ever faked being sick to get off work?
Yes! To attend the interview that got me out of that awful publishing role!
Q: Any last words?
I’m a huge believer in saying yes and working it out later. Obviously, there has to be a half plan in place. And don’t ever do anything that you cannot afford to financially recover from.
Hannah is the founder of Mind+Motion, an online programme that helps people to move toward their recovery from disordered relationships with exercise and food. You can find out more about the programme on their website: mindplusmotion.com.