Tony Horton is an elite fitness trainer perhaps best known for his P90x, 1, 2 and 3 exercise videos— a series that have sold a combined total of 7 million copies and counting and have completely revolutionized the home workout. Tony trains everyone from celebrities to congressmen (Paul Ryan is a total Tony Horton fan boy). He’s also got a new line of self-care products on the market along with a new home workout!
“I have a heck of a team behind me. When I came out to LA in the 1980s I wanted to be an actor but now I know I’m helping people struggling with health and fitness.”
“Fear was a major factor for me as a kid. I had a speech impediment and lived through the bullying years. I was on the football team and was more a tackling dummy. Fitness was a hellscape for me.”
“At college I didn’t know anything about nutrition but I took a weightlifting class and started feeling better, my GPA went up, I was waking up early and feeling great.”
“I started training my boss at 20th Century Fox. Tom Petty was first celebrity client. He said, “Tony I’m fat I’m going on tour.” I got him on the bike and having him lift heavy weights. He went off and did his tour and then the phone didn’t stop ringing.”
“I was a mime at the pier on the weekends, waiting table, then all the sudden I’m training rock stars.”
“Stand up comedy toughens your skin.”
“7 million copies – it’s been an amazing ride.”
“The message and the messenger are critical.”
“When I had this teacher at URI he made working out fun. He told us to enjoy the journey. It was his encouragement and his humor that kept me coming back.”
“I don’t know how I got the title of America’s Fitness Clown. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing.”
“I try to create the same vibe in all of my programs. Humor was my strategy. If I can get them to laugh maybe they won’t beat me up so much.”
“A lot of people want to be in this industry so they use tricks to jump in the fray. To avoid boredom, injury and plateau I get people to always work on my weaknesses. Like cardio and yoga for a weight trainer. There’s nothing worse than getting bored to death and your knees are killing you. You have to open yourself up to other types of training.”
“I’m 59 years old and I got these kids running backwards behind me.”
“I know you hate yoga, if you just stay in the moment and stay present and do the best you can, the power of yoga alone can change you.”
“A purpose, a plan, and accountability – that’s what it takes to make fitness a lifestyle. People exercise for their ego and aesthetic change.”
“The past is a history, the future is a mystery.”
“The book Spark talks about the effects of fitness on all aspects of the body. Emotionally, physically, mentally.”
“Your purpose is I want to do better things in my life and feel better into your 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond.”
“A plan is simple. Write down what you’re going to do and when you’re going to do it.”
“I train with other people 6 days a weeks. Surround yourself with people who want to do it too.”
“Even professionals in the industry are still struggling with fitness.”
“In the past you buy a home workout, it’s all fitness models. I put in modifications and made pilates instructors do weight lifting and vice versa.”
“I do ski trips in Jackson Hole where there’s a lot of yoga and fitness.”
“I’ve got an apparel line and skin care line and a partner workout coming out November 1st.”
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In 2012, WNET celebrated the 50thAnniversary of THIRTEEN, New York’s flagship public media provider. WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to over 5 million viewers each week, producing and presenting such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, American Masters, and Charlie Rose. With a range of documentaries, children’s programs, and local news and cultural offerings available on air and online, WNET are pioneers in educational programming, and proud to be part of PBS, which recently won 12 awards—more than any other broadcast, cable and broadband entity—at this year’s News & Documentary Emmy Awards. With me today to discuss public broadcasting and the success of WNET is Chief Marketing and Engagement Officer, Kellie Castruita Specter. But first it’s time for like or dislike.
“I started my career in radio in NorCal at a rock station. I was there for 5 years and got hired away by a station in LA. Then I fell in love and moved to Chicago and worked for A&M Records. I went on the road with David Crosby. It was a great time to be in my 20s.”
“After some life changes I moved to New York City and a friend of a friend invited me to interview for a publicity job.”
“I got to WNET about two years into Barney. I don’t think anyone knew it was going to be the runaway hit it is.”
“The workforce is made up of human beings. To work with people and understand where they’re coming from is all about psychology.”
“We’re governed by a board of trustees. We’re a nonprofit.”
“There are about 400 people who work for WNET.”
“What keeps me up at night: There are a lot of balls in the air with my particular job + someone in the administration might not continue our funding.”
“They vote on our funding in December. If it doesn’t pass we won’t be funded past 2020.”
“We do something that no other broadcaster does, we bring free, educational programming to the masses. We bring arts and culture to the underserved, to those who can’t afford it.”
“Social media has changed everything. People are engaging with you right now on a different platform. We launched THIRTEEN Passport, if you go to Boston, you can join their Passport. For a $60 yearly donation you can get geo-located content where ever you go. It’s like Netflix but for PBS.”
“With the Nature series we partner with the BBC. We have many different partners but we do a lot of our own productions.”
“I love the sheer curiosity in broadcasting. Learning from everyone around you. Find a specific path. If you’re a digital marketer, broadcast is a great way to go.”
“I remember when Sirius launched I thought, “who would pay $9.99 for radio” and now look!”
“Emotional control is something I’ve practiced my entire life. My knee jerk reaction is not the reaction I want to put out there. I have to sit on myself. I try to listen.”
“Our culture is all instant now. You do this to me and I’ll do this to you.”
“Some of our programming is subtitled. The most successful program we have is an online show that teaches kids how to say things in Spanish.”
“Our Great Performances for the next seven weeks we have a different Broadway show each week. No commercial breaks.”
“We have Edgar Allan Poe coming up on American Masters.”
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