Tiffany Nesfield is the owner of Nesfield Performance, a fitness and performance training company based in Chevy Chase.
What is My Optimal Wellness?
At Nesfield Performance, optimal wellness is centered around teaching clients to move more and to move better. Nesfield Performance offers highly individualized programs for athletes, weekend warriors, and people committed to remaining active as they age. We believe that in order to perform better in all areas of life, people must stay active and address their daily habits. We don’t harp on our clients’ bad habits; we encourage small wins through daily incremental improvements.
For those who have aggressive goals, we encourage them to ask themselves questions like “What is optimal wellness for me?” And “As I age, what can I do to sustain the lifestyle that I want?”
When we encounter clients willing to dive deeper into questions like this, we know these clients want a high-touch service, and NP specializes in high-touch and long-term lifestyle building with clients.
None of our programming is one size fits all. And one of our value-adds is that we have connections with other health professionals and can connect our clients to services we don’t provide directly, such as physical therapy and chiropractic services.
Our Services
Much of our programming is highly individualized. We typically start with an assessment covering a client’s nutritional habits, medical history, current lifestyle, sleep regimen, and mindfulness practices. We review their goals or help them create benchmarks and begin to set goals. Then we help them build towards reaching their optimal personal wellness.
We create customized virtual programming for those who are experienced or come to us knowing what they need – and we occasionally optimize this programming for them. So “high-touch service” comes in many forms from us.
The pandemic obviously impacted several industries, including personal training, but the upside is that we now have a robust curriculum of in-home services and virtual sessions. We also have hybrid programs for people who live far away but occasionally want to visit the studio.
Our most requested services are personal training, massage, and physical therapy, but the integrative approach keeps our clients coming back.
How I Built This
I am a local Prince George’s County resident, having attended CH Flowers High School, a Science & Technology-focused institution where I had the opportunity to help build the track & field program as a sprinter and hurdler.
To graduate, I had to do a research project, and my assignment was to intern at the physical therapy department at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Even at that age, I could see the impact of the disconnect between a patient’s various health professionals. It was plain to me why our siloed health systems often can’t provide the best service for patients. People would come in with different protocols from their doctors, physical therapists, and personal trainers – and no cohesive wellness plan.
So I wrote my first business plan in high school – and that plan outlined a practice that would include trainers, nutritionists, physical therapists, and more as necessary. So from the beginning, Nesfield Performance set about finding the right professionals to work together.
Physical therapy is the foundation of our approach – staying active and healthy, and we connect the others. We attract clients who want to focus on an optimal wellness lifestyle and we help them get there.
Finding County Support to Grow and Scale
I have had a few key encounters with small business development agencies in Montgomery County since moving here in 2017 from Prince George’s.
I was part of the Montgomery County Small Business Accelerator Program, a partnership with M&T Bank, and I loved it. They gave me a mentor, and that person has been helpful in looking for the new space. That was a massive bonus for me to get into that program.
I am also in the A.M.B.E.R. Program, an initiative of The Black Collective, in partnership with Montgomery County to help businesses that are scaling to strengthen their capacity.
We’re Running Out of Space!
Before the pandemic, we operated from a gym in Bethesda that was open to private trainers. I had a few team members working from that space. We also did in-house training. Covid changed all that.
As I developed my “pivot,” along with everyone else, a friend suggested I move the practice to my house. That made sense because I had the space. So, it has worked out well on many levels. However, by now, we have maximized that space, and we’ve got to move soon. We are actively looking for commercial space in the Bethesda-Chevy Chase area, where most of our clients are. It’s been much more challenging than I anticipated, but we’re getting close.
I’m ready to hire more people and need more space for them to work. We’re ready!
We’re Hiring!
We are currently hiring. I am always looking for talented team members, full-time employees, and people who want to grow in their profession. I’m trying to create a place of work that people love. Unlike most of the industry, my goal is to help my team members feel like they can have long-term careers in personal training and wellness. I am actively hiring a trainer and a massage therapist. When we finally get into the new space, be looking for more PT.
“Out & Active” In the County: Metro Move Fest
I started a 5K during Covid called Nesfield Performance 5K in 2021. We decided to raise money for a charity and chose Spirit Club Foundation. This organization offers fitness programs for people with disabilities. It was a hit, so we did it again the next year and used it as a fundraiser for two organizations: the Spirit Club Foundation and Metro Bethesda Rotary Foundation. The second event was even more prominent. We had it at Bethesda Chevy Chase High School. Again, it was great, and we began to form a bigger vision.
We loved the BCC space and wanted to get the community involved. So, now it’s evolved into the Metro Move Fest.
This year, the date is May 21, 2023. ($10 general admission, $5 before April 15 – 50% off!)
I have since formed the Nesfield Performance Foundation, and Metro Move Fest will be one of the main events we do every year. We’re starting with the 5K – and our partners at the Metro Bethesda Chamber have other fun events that we’ll collaborate on. It’s a chance to get people outside to run around, play, enjoy face painting for the kids, take yoga classes, and more!
