Smittyville Launches as a New Podcast Focused on the Realities of Personal Training Careers

A new podcast focused on the realities of building long term careers in personal training has officially launched.

Smittyville is a podcast created specifically for personal trainers, designed to address the questions that arise beyond programming. Career progression. Leadership. Confidence. Financial sustainability. The practical skills required to succeed inside the gym and beyond it.

The show is hosted by Chris Smith, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fitness World, where he leads a 17 club operation, and Chief Executive Officer of the British Columbia Personal Training Institute. Smith brings more than 25 years of experience across nearly every role in the fitness industry, from personal trainer to executive leadership, with a focus on both operating clubs at scale and developing the next generation of trainers.

Smith says the idea for the podcast came directly from conversations with his team.

“I get asked many of the same questions by trainers across our organization. Over time, it became clear there was an opportunity to create a space where those conversations could live, openly and honestly.”

Smith previously served as Chair of the Health and Fitness Association and has spent more than two decades working across every level of the fitness industry, giving him a firsthand view of the challenges trainers face throughout their careers.

Each episode of Smittyville centers on real questions trainers encounter, including navigating client relationships, building professional credibility, developing leadership skills, and creating sustainable careers in a demanding industry.

Smith is joined by Krissy Vann, a fitness business journalist and media producer who covers the business of fitness and wellness at the enterprise level. Together, they bring both operational experience and industry perspective to conversations trainers rarely get to have openly.

While many fitness podcasts focus on workouts or motivation, Smittyville positions itself as a practical resource for trainers seeking long term professional growth. The concept is framed as the smartest small town in fitness, a place where direct advice, experience based insight, and candid discussion are prioritized.

The podcast is produced by All Things Fitness and Wellness (ATFW), a fitness media platform known for executive interviews and industry reporting. Smittyville expands that work by focusing specifically on frontline professionals within the fitness ecosystem. New episodes are released biweekly.

The first episode of Smittyville is now live and available across major podcast platforms.