Amanda Kloots on the Importance of Being Your Most Authentic Self in Life

Welcome to Second Life, a podcast spotlighting successful women who've made major career changes—and fearlessly mastered the pivot. Hosted by Hillary Kerr, co-founder and chief content officer at Who What Wear, each episode gives you a direct line to women who are game changers in their fields. Subscribe to Second Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts to stay tuned.

Whether you know her as a celebrity fitness trainer or a beloved talk-show host, there's no denying that Amanda Kloots is an incredibly talented multi-hyphenate. She is the founder and creator of her global fitness brand AK! Fitness, where she teaches her signature method using jump ropes and dance choreography mixed with cross-training, all while maintaining her infectious smile. A renowned fitness method, AK! Fitness has garnered the attention of several notable celebrities such as Zendaya and Kate Walsh. Kloots also launched the apparel company Hooray For alongside her sister Anna, which celebrates positivity and gives back by donating proceeds to nonprofit organizations worldwide. In January, Kloots joined CBS's The Talk as a co-host with Elaine Welteroth, Sheryl Underwood, and Carrie Ann Inaba.

As of tomorrow, June 15, Kloots is the published author of her memoir, which she co-wrote with her sister. Last July, hearts around the world broke for the Kloots-Cordero family as their battle against COVID-19 began, and support soon began to flood in every day at 3:00 p.m. with the singing of Nick Cordero's song "Live Your Life." Kloots's memoir, Live Your Life: My Story of Loving and Losing Nick Cordero, shares her 95-day struggle and love story with her husband Nick, who tragically passed last July due to COVID-19. While Kloots's journey is one of the unimaginable, the memoir emerges as an uplifting message to all, ultimately reflecting Kloots's one-of-a-kind, inspiring character. 

Before Kloots evolved her career into multiple industries, she actually began a career she knew she was destined for: Broadway. Kloots was a Broadway dancer and Radio City Rockette and performed on a variety of stage, film, and TV productions. Kloots remained in Broadway for over 17 years, where she worked rigorous hours and learned life's invaluable lesson. "One of the biggest things I learned from being a dancer [and] Broadway performer in New York City is that you need to be you. No one else is you. No one else can be you," Kloots reveals to us. 

Tune in to the latest episode of Second Life to hear how Kloots's career in Broadway would lead her to start multiple businesses and, most importantly, teach her life's most important lessons. 

Up next, Meet the Women Who Changed the News Cycle: Carly Zakin and Danielle Weisberg.