One Door Closes, Another Opens...Shine at Home Series Update and YouTube Annoucement

A couple of weeks ago, we attempted to launch a series called the Shine at Home Series, where we would give our account to female fitness personalities to do as they please. Two weeks ago, we were able to pull it off with IFBB Figure Pro Silvia Henry with great results. Last week, we tried to do it with NPC Nationally Qualified Figure Competitor Andrea Villalobos and things did NOT work out like we hoped. Too many technical issues on my end as far as Instagram goes. After thinking long and hard about this, I did not want to put anyone else through it so unfortunately I have decided to discontinue the Shine at Home Series on Instagram. But this did let me ponder on what I could do next. We are in crazy times right now, and I want to make FitGems Nation as active as I can during all of this.

For whatever reason, I remembered that in the very early days of FitGems Nation, I launched a Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/FitGemsNation). The channel only has four videos (a Skype interview I did with Diana Stanbeck and two mini-interviews I did with Nicole Duncan and Towanda Smith when I attended Wrestlemania 27) and I didn't fix it up in any way, shape, or form. I just posted the videos and went about my day. Remember..this was during the heydays of FitGems Nation.

A few days ago, I decided to fix it up and not let my channel look so plain. Not only did I updated the logo from the old school one to the current one, but I made playlists highlighting different aspects of the fitness world, including photoshoots, contests, interviews, and more, and of course made sure to have all the social media links on there. With that being said...I want to propose this to all of you: I want to make this channel a channel for YOU, as in I want to post YOUR content on here. If you have any videos you want on our channel (contest, photoshoots, behind-the-scenes, fun stuff, etc.) we will gladly host your material on our YouTube channel for free. I don't plan on monotenizeing it as I never created FitGems Nation for the money. This channel will be for exposure of your own brand.

If you would like to have your videos featured on our YouTube channel or have any questions about our channel and what we are doing, email us at fitgemsnation@gmail.com.

Brittany Beede: Fitness's Next Breakout Diva

Fitness industry...meet Brittany Beede!
Photo credit: WWE.com

A couple of weeks ago, Jamie Keyes was eliminated from WWE's show NXT. This week, she was given her pink slip from the entire company altogether. Needless to say, this struck a nerve with quite a few people, including yours truly. So what's a girl to do after seeing her dreams of becoming a WWE Diva crumble before her eyes? Simply...pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and go forward. Jamie is doing more than just going forward, folks. She's aiming to create a fitness empire!

Fresh off her WWE venture, she's hopping right into the fitness world full-steam with a campaign unlike anything I've seen from one individual. She's launched a Youtube channel, a Google profile page, and an official Facebook fan page, not to mentioning changing her Twitter name to better suit her current and future fans, and that's just within a mere few hours! Imagine how things are going to be for here when everything starts to take off! THIS is what is going to set her apart from many in the fitness industry. She's aiming to become someone in the industry, not just a name or a face in the crowd. It's pretty clear she doesn't need the WWE to succeed (Trust me, they need her a hell of a lot more than she needs them), but I wouldn't rule out a possible return somewhere down the line. But for now, look for Brittany to make an huge and lasting impact on the fitness industry. There's a possible chance that you might see her at the 2011 Arnold "hint..hint". Just like when FitGems Nation supported Brittany during her days as a WWE Diva, we will continue to support Brittany during her journey to becoming fitness's next breakout diva. Good luck, Brittany!! :)

Here are the links to follow Brittany on her quest to becoming the next fitness icon:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BrittanyBeede
Official Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brittany-Beede-Jamie-Keyes-WWE/151485664892299
Google profile page: http://www.google.com/profiles/britter1231
Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/britter1231
And of course, her fansite that was created prior to becoming a star in WWE: http://www.jamiekeyes.com

EDIT: For all fans of Brittany, I've created a fan page called the Brittany Brigade, to help keep up with all things Brittany, from the beginning of her career until now. You can join it by clicking here.

FitGems Nation on YouTube

I'm very aware of how much time all you ladies put into this sport, but sometimes it doesn't leave too much time to expand your name besides competing. Being on magazines, paysites, etc. is what separates a star from a competitor. With that being said, I've decided to create a Youtube channel for FitGems Nation.

I created the YouTube channel to host FitGems-created content, such as interviews, site news, and (hopefully) contest footage and candid stuff from the members. Recently, I did my first audio interview, with IFBB Pro Diana Stanback. Minus a few technical issues, I say the interview turned out alright. :)

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3FQW_bCsB4

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c9r0YuRZ0U

In addition to hosting FitGems-created material, this channel will be used to host any videos of competitors that want to get their name out there, showcase their training routines, answer questions from fans, etc. This is a great opportunity for those that want to make a name for themselves besides JUST competing. All competitors have to do is send me your video(s) to me at admin@fitgemsnation.net and I'll take care of the rest. This is a FREE service I'm offering to every female competitor out there, regardless of division, regardless of federation.

If you're a fan and want to contribute a video from a competitor, you may do so as well...as long as the competitor you film or have a video by is okay with it. I will NOT accept any video that is from another site and you don't have permission to post it. That's pirating and is illegal. While most people will watch and not think about the consequences, you're doing more harm than good when you post a copyrighted video on YouTube. Piracy=less money for the competitor/site. Less money=less opportunities and exposure in the long run.



This is a chance for free marketing in this industry, and I encourage you all to take advantage of this opportunity. If you have any questions, please email me at admin@fitgemsnation.net, and I will try to answer them to the best of my ability.

Bookmark the official FitGems Nation Youtube channel:
http://www.youtube.com/FitGemsNation

The Fit Bod Talk Show, with your hosts, Jack and Ann Titone!

If you've been following the NPC Figure scene for a while, and are just now following IFBB Figure, chances are you've heard of Ann Titone. Ann and her hubby Jack are among the coolest fit couple you'll ever met. They run a business together (Fitness America -Midwest), help sponsor Siouxcountry, and in 2009, Ann realized her dream of becoming an IFBB Figure Pro.

Now the Titones are venturing into the Youtube world, as they have a new talk show called The Fit-Bod Talk Show. It's a talk show where the Titones talk to members of the fitness industry. Here's the first episode below, with IFBB Pro Dena Westerfield, who will be competing in the Phoenix Pro and Ms. International (this is part one of a two-part interview).






It's a down-to-earth type of interview. I think this is how the entire show will be, which is a plus.The internet really is the place to go for new content on whatever you need, and with sites like Youtube, it's free publicity. I would bookmark this page and YouTube channel. Definitely worth your time to view and check out.

BodySportTV: Open for Business!

The great folks of BodySport (Terry Goodlad and Ana Tigre) have launched their own version of YouTube, but it's more tailored to the fitness community. The video sharing service is called BodySportTV.

According to Ana Tigre on Siouxcountry, you can register for free and upload your own videos of training, interviews, photoshoots, or anything else you would like to share. For those that want to make a name for themselves, I would definitely recommend checking out BodySportTV. I mean, YouTube has launched the carrers of many people in entertainment, imagine what BodySportTV can do for the fitness industry.

Check out BodySportTV at http://www.bodysporttv.com.

Top Five Female Muscle Community Sites (Just My Opinion)

Issac Hinds wrote an awesome post on his blog Hardbody News (http://www.hardbody.com/news) about why competitor need to use YouTube as a promoting tool for themselves. I encourage you all to read this in your spare time (http://www.hardbody.com/news/2008/11/19/hardbody-marketing-getting-noticed-on-youtube)

I took his advice and made a quick YouTube video highlighting the top five community sites that I personally think are the ones that each female competitor needs to check out at some point in time. I also plugged in my sites as well.

Over the course of the weekend, there have been (as of this posting) over 900 views. Personally, I consider that an accomplishment.