Conversation: Nemiah Rutledge
Owner of Body Paradox Fitness LLC
Photo: Quintez Simmons, QDotProductions
As a Jacksonville native, where did you spend your childhood, who were your parents, and what influences were there in your life that led to your becoming the man you are today?
I was born September 29, 1987, and raised mostly on Jacksonville’s Northside. My parents were Nemiah Rutledge, Sr. and Linda Oliver Rutledge, both Bible-toting, scripture-quoting people so I learned early about God’s power in my life. I was about six and my sister, Shemiah, was five when our parents divorced. We lived with relatives and friends and went to public school in Brentwood. In 1997, Mom got us qualified for the first HabiJax home in New Town. She applied for scholarships at Holy Rosary Catholic School, and we were there through 8th grade. The year we moved into our HabiJax home was the year Shemiah and I started at The Bridge. Up to that time, the influences in my life had been pretty negative. I’d seen people doing the wrong things—making excuses with no expectations. I knew I didn’t want to be like my environment. I wanted to be different.
When you, your mother, and sister moved into the first HabiJax in New Town, how did it feel having a home of your own and how did it change your life?
I called it our “happy-Jax” home because of the cultural mispronunciation in that neighborhood and because it just seemed to fit. It was our own home—our place of peace and comfort. Between living in our home, attending private school, and The Bridge after school, I had a new sense of pride and self-esteem that I’d never had before. And talk about great outcomes—Mom still lives in that home and I’m now on the board of HabiJax!
Who were the special mentors that gave you the confidence you display on television and in your YouTube and Facebook segments?
I haven’t always been as confident as I am now. My wife, Keena, is the mentor for my confidence when I’m in front of a camera. She lifts me up every day and makes me feel like I can do anything! Other mentors: Dr. Davy Parrish started The Bridge. She was and is a mother-figure, mentor, and friend. She taught me about the importance of community and character. Miss Sabrina Stargill at The Bridge saw me sulking one day because I was smaller than the other kids playing flag football and they didn’t choose me for their teams. Miss Sabrina looked me in the eye and said, “You have a nice smile and you’re smart. Use what you’ve got.” I’ll never forget those words.
You are becoming known all over Jacksonville as the Fitness Guru. What prompted you to get into fitness and start your business, Body Paradox?
I’ve always loved to exercise. Dad taught me to exercise when I could barely walk, and we still exercise together. I met Earnest Maiden (owner of The Gibbs Group, Inc.) at a low point in my life. I’d been betrayed by my best friend, lost my job, lost my girlfriend, and didn’t know where to turn. Earnest saw that I was in pretty bad shape. He challenged me to become his personal trainer and further my education. That was in 2012. He launched me into my fitness career. I signed up at the Heritage Institute (now Keiser University) earning an associate’s degree in occupational sciences, and I researched on Facebook how to start a fitness business. A survey gave me the name Body Paradox. I incorporated in 2015 and now I have 10 trainers!
How and why did you get involved in Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida?
The late Bill Harrell was a big part of it. One day in 2016, I caught the wrong bus and ended up stranded in the pouring rain on Sunbeam Road with no money and no phone. I walked into the Harrell & Harrell law firm and asked if I could use the phone to call my mom to pick me up. Bill Harrell walked by, stopped, and looked at me. It was like a wet t-shirt contest! I was soaked to the skin. He said, “You look like you’re in great shape, young man. Come with me.” He took me to a room that had a punching bag, treadmill, and exercise machine. “What would you do with this room?” he asked. I told him I could design anything; I knew anatomy and what equipment was needed. He said, “You’re hired.” It was the first gym I ever designed, and I became his personal trainer. I still work with Harrell & Harrell—now training a client who is an amputee.
Patrick Kilbane, a wealth advisor and attorney, saw me working out at 5:00 a.m. at Bailey’s Gym and asked me to spot him in a bench press. We created a fitness group called the Six-pack Crew. At breakfast after our workout, Pat asked what I wanted to do with my life and I told him I wanted to meet with Florida Blue Darnell Smith to help change the health of the community. Pat introduced me and then invited me to join a breakfast group of leaders and for four years, I listened and learned. In 2021, during COVID, at Pat’s recommendation, I joined Leadership Jacksonville and Leadership Florida.
Now that you have a successful business and a stellar reputation as a fitness trainer, what are your goals for the future?
I am in the process of expanding my company name to Body Paradox Health, Corporate Wellness Resource and Gym Design, LLC. I want to hire a hundred trainers and provide financial stability, including health insurance and a 401K plan, and be the first billion dollar. black-owned fitness company! It’s about giving back to the people who gave to me. Service is the rent we pay for the time and space we take up on earth.
I am the personal trainer for a number of individuals including Darnell Smith, Nat Ford, Susan D. Brandenburg, Spence and Nancy Edwards, Tom Cohen, Hank Bonar, Peter and Jill Dame, Charlie and Kathy Cold, and Cinda Sherman. Body Paradox serves Florida Blue, VyStar, JTA, Harrell & Harrell, News for Jax (Channel 4), Daigle Creative, and others. To date, I have designed several large corporate and home luxury gyms. One more exciting innovation—on a 14-hour flight back from Japan, my muscles got tight, my joints stiff, and the circulation in my legs decreased. I started doing body stretches in my seat. The flight crew joined in, and Fly Fit was born! My friend Spence Edwards invited me to use one of his jets at Craig Field for a TV segment with Amanda DeVoe demonstrating the Fly Fit routine that I now offer to every major airline in the world!
What do you love most about Jacksonville?
It’s the mystery city—a swamp, a beach, the country, and the city. It is a place of optimal opportunity—my sister and I attended The Potter’s House Christian Academy through high school (again, with our mother’s help) and Shemiah is now a criminal defense attorney. What I know about Jacksonville is that anyone can be anything here. You can soar like an eagle!
