Today we’d like to introduce you to Rod Stanley.
Hi Rod, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began my career in the fitness industry in 2002 after completing my service in the United States Marine Corps. What started as a passion for strength training and fitness quickly evolved into a much deeper calling: helping people improve their health, move better, and ultimately live better.
My career has taken me from California to Nevada and now Oregon, where I’ve had the opportunity to work with a wide range of individuals—from everyday people looking to improve their quality of life to athletes striving for peak performance, older adults working to prevent falls, and professionals seeking to optimize their health and longevity. Along the way, I’ve earned certifications through NASM, ISSA, NCSF, APEX, and Huntington College of Health Sciences, while continually expanding my knowledge in corrective exercise, nutrition, behavior change, and functional movement.
One of the most influential experiences in my career was partnering with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) on an evidence-based balance and gait program for older adults. Through that work, I received training in Motivational Interviewing, which fundamentally changed how I coach. It reinforced the idea that lasting transformation isn’t created by simply telling people what to do—it’s created by helping them discover their own reasons for change.
Over the years, I realized that exercise is only one piece of the puzzle. I became fascinated by the psychology of human transformation and spent years independently studying neuroscience, behavioral psychology, habit formation, leadership, and performance. That curiosity shaped the philosophy I use today: true health isn’t just physical—it’s mental, emotional, social, and environmental.
Today, my work is evolving beyond traditional personal training. While I still believe movement is one of the most powerful forms of medicine, my focus has expanded into corporate wellness, keynote speaking, leadership development, and helping organizations create healthier, higher-performing cultures. My mission remains the same as it was when I started over twenty years ago: to help people unlock their potential and create meaningful, lasting change through intentional daily rituals.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Like most entrepreneurs, my journey has been anything but a straight line.
Early in my career, I had the privilege of working with Cenegenics, one of the nation’s leading age-management and performance medicine organizations. It was an incredible learning experience, but when that chapter came to an end, I had to reinvent myself and rebuild from the ground up.
I’ve built my business in three different states—California, Nevada, and now Oregon. Every move meant starting over, building new relationships, earning trust in a new community, and proving myself all over again. That process taught me resilience and reminded me that success is built on consistency, not convenience.
Personally, I’ve also faced my share of health challenges. Over the years I’ve dealt with injuries, chronic pain, and periods where I wasn’t physically at my best. Those experiences gave me a new level of empathy for my clients because I wasn’t just teaching recovery and resilience—I was living it.
Then came COVID. My wife and I had recently relocated to Oregon, and like so many small business owners, I found myself trying to establish a business during one of the most uncertain periods in recent history. It forced me to rethink my approach, adapt to new ways of serving people, and focus on building something that was sustainable rather than simply surviving.
Looking back, I wouldn’t change any of those experiences. Every setback reinforced an important lesson: transformation isn’t about avoiding obstacles—it’s about learning to grow through them. That philosophy has become the foundation of both my life and my work today.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Ritual Health and Fitness, LLC?
At the heart of my business is a simple belief: health is the foundation of performance. Whether someone wants to be a better leader, a more engaged parent, a healthier employee, or simply enjoy a higher quality of life, it all begins with how they care for their mind and body.
For more than two decades, I’ve helped people improve their health through evidence-based fitness, nutrition, corrective exercise, and lifestyle coaching. Today, that mission has grown beyond personal training. My work now focuses on helping individuals, organizations, and communities create lasting behavior change through education, leadership, and intentional daily practices.
What sets me apart is that I don’t just coach workouts—I coach people. Exercise is only one part of the equation. Lasting transformation requires understanding movement, nutrition, mindset, habits, stress, sleep, relationships, and purpose. I enjoy connecting those pieces together so people can perform at their highest level in every area of life.
My business offers keynote presentations, corporate wellness programs, leadership and team development workshops, health coaching, and specialized fitness and movement programs. Whether I’m speaking to a room of executives, working with first responders, coaching older adults on fall prevention, or helping someone reclaim their health after years of struggle, the goal is always the same: create meaningful, sustainable change.
What I’m most proud of isn’t a certification or a title—it’s the trust people place in me. Many clients have been with me for years, and watching them regain confidence, overcome health challenges, and accomplish things they once believed were impossible has been the greatest reward of my career.
As my brand continues to evolve, I want people to know that I’m not simply in the fitness business—I’m in the human transformation business. My mission is to help people move better, think better, lead better, and ultimately live with greater purpose and vitality. Because when we intentionally care for ourselves, the ripple effect extends to our families, workplaces, and communities.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is helping people recognize that they are capable of far more than they realize. I believe every person is unique and has something meaningful to contribute to the world. Fitness wasn’t my destination—it was the path I chose to discover my own purpose. Today, I use health and wellness to help others discover theirs.
Over the course of my career, I’ve learned that true transformation isn’t just about improving your body—it’s about changing the way you think, the choices you make, and ultimately the life you create. When people become healthier, they become better leaders, spouses, parents, coworkers, and friends. That positive change creates a ripple effect that extends into families, workplaces, and entire communities. That’s the kind of impact I’m committed to making.
My greatest hope is that people remember me as someone who believed in them before they believed in themselves—someone who helped them become healthier, stronger, and more confident in every area of life. I also want my wife, Jamie, and my son, Jarod, to know that they inspired me to live with purpose, keep learning, and never stop growing. Family reminds me every day that the greatest legacy isn’t what we accomplish for ourselves, but what we invest in the people we love and the lives we have the privilege to influence.
I believe we’re all called to continue learning, growing, and serving others. Success isn’t measured only by titles, income, or achievements; it’s measured by the lives we influence and the legacy we leave behind. If I can leave the world healthier than I found it and help people discover the potential that already exists within them, then I’ll consider my life’s work a success.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.rodstanley.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rodstanley.li
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rod-stanley/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@rodstanleylive
