After building digital strategies for Fortune 500 companies on Madison Avenue, Kandace Dickson discovered that her true passion lay in applying her marketing expertise to the fitness industry. This transition was about aligning her professional skills with her personal values and lifestyle priorities.

Today, Kandace is the CMO for OPEX Fitness and CoachRx, where she combines decades of marketing experience with deep industry knowledge to help fitness professionals build sustainable businesses. Her approach to marketing in the fitness space reflects a sophisticated understanding of traditional marketing principles and the unique challenges facing coaches and trainers today.

Kandace Dickson: Marketing Strategist Turned Fitness Industry Advocate

Kandace’s marketing foundation was built during her decade-long tenure in New York’s advertising world, primarily at McCann Erickson, where she developed digital content practices long before social media marketing became standard practice. Her portfolio included launching the U.S. Army’s “Army Strong” campaign and managing major accounts like Intel, IBM, and General Mills. This experience gave her a holistic understanding of brand development, content strategy, and large-scale campaign execution.

The pivot to fitness began with a personal realization about health and wellness priorities. After years of intense corporate work, she rediscovered competitive fitness and recognized an opportunity to merge her marketing expertise with her passion for the industry. Her transition included a six-year stint as CMO at Bodybuilding.com, where she launched white-label supplement lines, developed the company’s first women’s wellness brand, and created their training app.

These experiences shaped her understanding of the fitness industry’s marketing challenges. Unlike traditional consumer brands, fitness businesses often struggle with the balance between authenticity and growth, personal relationships, and scalability. 

Kandace has developed strategies that address these specific pain points, helping fitness professionals build marketing systems that feel genuine while driving business results. She also runs a podcast called Marketing for Fitness Professionals, sharing her expertise with the masses. You can download a free one-page marketing plan to help guide your marketing strategy here.

OPEX Fitness: Elevating Coaching Through Education and Technology

OPEX Fitness builds on a foundational belief that effective coaching requires principled education and practical tools. Founded by James Fitzgerald, the inaugural CrossFit Games winner, the company emerged from a philosophy that fitness programming should be individualized rather than mass-marketed or cookie-cutter. 

The education component centers around the OPEX Coaching Certificate Program, a certification that teaches coaches to develop individualized programs based on assessment, consultation, and ongoing relationship management. This methodology contrasts with template-based approaches, emphasizing the craft of one-to-one coaching relationships. The education platform, LearnRx, offers over 105 courses covering everything from energy systems development to business management, providing ongoing professional development for coaches at all levels.

CoachRx is the software side of OPEX’s mission, designed specifically for coaches who prioritize individual client relationships and putting the “personal” in personal training. The platform includes program design tools, communication systems, business management features, and an AI coaching assistant built on OPEX’s educational principles. This technology enables coaches to effectively manage 60 to 110 clients while maintaining the high-touch service that defines quality coaching relationships.

Final Thoughts

Kandace’s story, which transitions from Madison Avenue to fitness marketing, illustrates how professional skills can be repurposed for more meaningful work. Similarly, OPEX’s approach shows that sustainable business growth stems from having the right suite of tools to help you stay organized, educated, and proactive. 

What emerges from this combination is a model for professional fulfillment that doesn’t require choosing between business success and personal values. The tools and education that help coaches build better businesses serve the end goal of helping more people achieve lasting health and fitness results.

About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.