Today we’d like to introduce you to Joshua Mishoe.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
It all started with A boy who worked out to escape being bullied and to build confidence in Himself that he lost during the rough challenges life presented early on. I just simply fell in love with working out and becoming better through that. This continued on into me finding CrossFit through one of my teachers.From that moment I was researching CrossFit every day until I eventually joined a CrossFit gym. I got lost in the world of CrossFit. I gave up my lunch period at school to go work out, then I worked out with the football players. I may finish my workout if I haven’t finished it, and then go to CrossFit after school. I didn’t realize the example I was setting, then I started hearing from people around me, especially people that I never thought I would hear from that I inspired them in some type of way through the hard work that I was putting in at the gym. That’s when I realized fitness was more than just bettering myself but it was also bettering others and I loved that. After high school, life will drastically change. Weeks before entering college I lost my mother, and A few weeks later lost one of my older brothers. I took a break and I went into a deep trance for a couple weeks. One of the biggest things that drug me out and help heal me was fitness. Fitness gave me a community to help support me during these tough times and fitness also gave me an outlet that I could let it all out when I felt like I held it all in too much. I must mention that my mom always saw my potential, especially when we talked on the phone about how she saw me as being her trainer and wanted me to train other people. At that time, I never acted on it or thought about being a trainer. Sometime in college, I ended up switching over to Olympic Weightlifting and During that time I made amazing connections, had incredible experiences, and it helped my love for fitness to further grow. Because of fitness throughout my time in college I stayed very disciplined to a routine.
Another thing I did while I was in college, I started a series called stay motivated which coined me the title today “Mr.staymotivated” it was my way to reach people on social media and around me through fitness videos and my experiences. Doing the stay motivated series was one of the many ways that I felt like I was making my mother proud and celebrating her. But I would also celebrate her by finally acting on becoming a trainer and writing that comic book I told her that I was going to write.
During my last year of college, I explored more into training and even getting an internship at a local gym. Once I graduated, I got my USAW certification which allowed me to be able to train people. and a
At the time I was using and no longer wanted to use the title “stay motivated” for the fitness side of things so after a lot of thinking I settled with the name “Phoenix Corp. fitness”.The Phoenix in the title represents the legendary creature who rises from the ashes powerful and new. That is how I wanted to make people feel by presenting them with a healthier lifestyle. I wanted to make them feel new and risen from a lower place. The corp. part is a simple play on from my nerd side, it’s a reference to the green lantern corps. The green lanterns have a huge community of powerful lanterns that they believed in and became powerful through each other’s battles and life experiences.
Right now, I do have clients but the big thing that I’m doing right now is trying to build a healthy lifestyle community in my hometown Bucksport, SC. I know one day my fitness journey will take me away from South Carolina but I refuse to leave my area without leaving it better than how I left it. So, I volunteer my time for the last month or so on Mondays and Fridays helping simplify and introducing a healthy lifestyle to people who may not get the same access that others get. I know what fitness has done for me and I love the feeling of seeing what it does for others.
Along with all of this I am also writing my own comic book called no retreat no surrender. I am of course the main character in a larger part of the story that reflects my life and the people that I’ve met in it mixed with an epic plot and antagonist that reflect our modern world and the challenges we face as a society.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. It’s been challenging but I wouldn’t change it for the world because those uncomfortable moments help shape, mold, and grow me into the person I will become.
One challenge, I remember towards the end of college everything that experience before came flooding back. I lacked allowing myself to heal and grieve from losing my mother and brother. I fell into a deep depression and I realized how bad my anxiety had become. Through this journey, I took a step back from Olympic weightlifting. I’ve been working on just falling back in love with fitness and the connections it brings. That’s when it started to hit me once I realized I needed to start celebrating my mother. A couple ways I would do that is by acting on the things we talked about me doing in the future. Another thing I did as a solution is as of today I finally attend therapy sessions. I want to understand my emotions to better myself but also show people around me, especially young black men that it is okay to seek therapy and care about your mental health.
Beginning personal training is another challenge I faced. The personal training field is not an easy field especially knowing that everyone’s trying to do it and depending on the area that you live in. Although where I start to find a lot of my comfort and confidence in training is realizing how much I did soak up through my years of mentors, training, and education in college.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
So, the business side of things I do coaching and personal training through my brand called the Phoenix Corp. fitness. On the creative and artistic side of things, I am creating my own comic book called “no retreat, no surrender”. With the personal training side of things, I do online coaching, workout plans, group training, and one-on-one training. I work with anyone who wants to achieve a healthier lifestyle no matter if you’re an athlete or someone who just wants to become healthier in your everyday life. Right now, my clientele consist of a lot of youth, a couple clients between 18 and 25, and adults ranging from 35 to 60.
I am most proud about the experiences that I can offer my clients and the pure joy that it brings them to see them accomplish things they never thought they would be able to accomplish or to reach goals that they have always wanted. As for my comic book, I’m most proud about being able to use my imagination and my story to paint a picture that will be able to relate to all different types of people in the next best up-and-coming story.
What sets me apart in the fitness field it’s something that I can’t always put in words but once you experience me or once you experience the passion I bring with my clients or with a workout you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.What sets me apart from other comic book creators is my vision and my own unique way of telling stories. I do my best to make my stories inclusive and relatable which yes is something that has been done before but you mix that in with my vision and the way I tell stories and I will give you a whole different feel.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Risk-taking is an art that I know the importance of but I have not yet mastered. I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere without taking risks, and I know I will not be able to go any further without doing the same. Risk-taking is about two things for me. One being confident enough in yourself to take that leap and know no matter where you land to be able to find a way. Two, that risk-taking is a part of the challenges that you face in life, challenges present trials and tribulations, and trials and tribulations are growing moments. I have experienced risk taking by investing in a comic book, art, and classes to build a vision that people have not seen yet and I don’t know how people will take to it. I have taken a risk by going through 4+ years of college, certification courses, and years of training myself as an athlete, all presenting risk after risk to help build a vision of service in fitness, yet again not knowing how people would take to me and my methods.I’m reminding myself all of this is necessary as I work towards my goals and dreams. These challenges are reminders I’m working in the right direction.
Contact Info:
- Email: Mishoejoshua@gmail.com
- Instagram: @phoenixcorpfitness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshua.mishoe
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCHxdlJm1OELgp46_51z5dxw
- Comic book page: @_noretreatnosurrender
- Main page: @joshuamishoe
Image Credits
@transstudioes
