Despite Her Age, Shanna Missett Nelson is a Jazzercise Ambassador

Despite her age, Shanna Missett is the newest member of the Jazzercise family. She recently earned her certification and she’s already a fan of the popular exercise program. She grew up in a Jazzercise environment and she wanted to make sure that her daughter would have a positive experience with the exercise as well.

Judi Sheppard Missett was a rebel

Despite being the founder of the world’s largest dance fitness franchise, Judi Sheppard Missett has been a trailblazer in a field dominated by men. A fitness enthusiast since she was two, Judi has built her empire on the notion that women want to feel good, look good, and live well. She has been honored for her accomplishments by being a four-time inductee into the Women’s Health and Fitness Hall of Fame, a recipient of the Sports Entrepreneur of the Year award, and a recipient of the Presidential Commendation for Top Woman Entrepreneur.

One of the most significant achievements of Judi Sheppard Missett was the invention of Jazzercise, which has changed the face of fitness forever. This dance-based fitness regimen is credited with changing the face of music, the way people move, and the way they look. Since its inception, Jazzercise has spawned more than eight thousand franchises in 25 countries around the globe. It’s not surprising, then, that the company has raised more than $25 million in the last 20 years, making it the largest franchise company in the world.

Growing up in a Jazzercise environment

Whether you’re looking to become healthier, gain muscle, or just get in shape, Jazzercise can help. It’s a combination of strength training, dance, and Pilates, and it’s one of the longest-running fitness programs in history.

Jazzercise combines dance aerobics with strength training, yoga, kickboxing, and other forms of exercise. Classes feature contemporary music, like Ariana Grande and Ed Sheeran, and are taught by instructors with high ponytails and six-pack abs.

Jazzercise has a long history and has been around since 1969. The company’s founder, Judi Sheppard Missett, started the program as a way to help women get in shape. She was teaching dance classes for moms in Chicago. Missett eventually realized that her customers didn’t want to be trained like dancers, and so she simplified the routines.

The program gained national recognition in the 1980s. After seeing the growth of the program, Missett began teaching other women to teach the program. She also taught virtual classes.

Creating an app for people tied to their computers

Touted as the founder and sexiest CEO of the fabled and forbidding Carlsbad based health and fitness company, Missett has had her hands full for the better part of five decades. As such, she has seen it all, and all of it. Notably, the company boasts an all female staff of just under one hundred employees, a fraction of the male dominated past. The company’s eponymous diva, Missett has been at the helm for the past five decades, a feat that has been unmatched by her predecessors. For a company of its size, she has had to prove her mettle in every corner of the business.

Her daughter recently earned her Jazzercise certification at 18

During the weekend of March 25-30, Jazzercise celebrated its 50th anniversary. An interactive museum chronicled the company’s impact on the fitness industry. And Jazzercise instructor Kathi Nelson hosted a free Facebook Live class.

Nelson grew up in Oceanside, California. She decided to become a Jazzercise instructor while she was a sophomore at the University of Arizona in Tucson. She hasn’t looked back since earning her instructor certificate. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Arizona. She works as an international brand consultant for Jazzercise and has been the company’s president since 2010. She also helps guide the company’s strategic direction.

Jazzercise has been a part of Nelson’s life since she was a baby. She was born into a family that took dance classes. Her parents helped produce dance videos. And her mother offered costume-sewing services. She took her first dance class at age three.

After college, Missett moved to Oceanside. She started teaching dance in a studio. She also taught other women to teach Jazzercise. She eventually trained more than 30 instructors.