Finding Your Voice: When Motivation Feels Real (and When It Doesn’t)
We’ve all been there as instructors. You’re in the middle of class, heart racing, music pumping, and you shout out a motivational cue that you hope will spark energy in the room. Instead, it comes out flat. Or worse… fake. You know it the second the words leave your mouth. The energy drops instead of rising, and you think: “That didn’t land.”
The truth is, words matter. But just as important is the way you deliver them. Your voice can be the most powerful tool in the room — or it can become a blindspot that holds you back.
And let’s be honest — unless you’re Meryl Streep, you probably can’t deliver someone else’s script and make it sound like it’s your truth. Actors can take a line written for them and bring it to life. But you’re not on a movie set — you’re in front of real people who can smell “fake” from a mile away. Students don’t need a performance. They need you.
That’s why it’s so normal in the beginning to sound like a copycat. You hear another instructor shout something powerful, and you think, “I’m going to try that.” Sometimes it works, but often it doesn’t — because those aren’t your words. They don’t come from your WHY. And when the words don’t mean something to you, they’ll never truly land with your students either.
What does land is authenticity. Some instructors keep things light and playful, making students laugh while still pushing them to move. Others lean into inspiration, weaving in calm but powerful messages that leave people walking out taller than when they came in. Some thrive on technical clarity, making every cue precise so students feel safe and capable. And others shine at building community, turning the room into a place where everyone feels seen and supported.
None of these styles is “better” than another. What matters is discovering which one feels most natural to you — and then using it to shape the way you motivate. Because once you understand where your voice is strongest, your blindspots become clearer too. That awareness is where growth begins.
This is the starting point of what I call the V.O.I.C.E. Method — a framework designed to help instructors refine, balance, and expand their motivational voice. I won’t unpack the whole method here (that’s what my workshops are for), but here’s what I will say: your voice is more than just directions and counts. It’s how you connect, inspire, and create loyalty.
Because in the end, your students don’t just follow the workout. They follow you. And your voice might just be the most powerful part of your class.