Jazzercise founder Judi Sheppard Missett reflects on the company's longevity compared to other fitness brands established during the 1970s and 1980s.
Opinion
Missett: I pioneered the use of wearable microphones for fitness instructors
“And as I trained instructors, they all got microphones like that, so I really believe I was certainly the pioneer of all that.”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Missett: In the 1980s, the two biggest franchises were Jazzercise and Domino's
“And in fact, in the eighties, there were two big franchises. Us and Domino's Pizza.”
Disclosure
Sheppard Missett: Jazzercise stayed apolitical while empowering female business owners
“I have always tried to keep Jazzercise apolitical, areligious, you know, all of those things, but on my own, I was always vocal about women's rights, and I was always proud that I was helping Women become business people, and to build a business that they coul…”
Insight
Missett: Celebrity fitness trends relied on single personalities, lacking Jazzercise's scale
“It never really bothered me because I felt like the people who were celebrities, and of course we have Richard Simmons as well, you know, all getting into it just gave people more awareness, and then they could pick what they wanted to do, but I don't consider…”
Opinion
Missett: Early women's fitness programs discouraged sweating to maintain femininity
“Yeah, she was doing things for women, but it was kind of, I don't know, it was very feminine, and, you know, let's not sweat too much, that type of thing, whereas I, because I'm a dancer, I'm used to sweating all the time, so I was giving permission to these w…”
Assertion Not checkable as stated
Sheppard Missett: Dancers smoke under the false impression it controls weight
“Well, you know, dancers are notorious for being smokers, you know, because I, You know, they always had the false impression that smoking kept their weight down.”