Judy Sheppard Missett is the founder and CEO of Jazzercise, which has helped revolutionize fitness culture around the world. As of 2021, Judy Sheppard Missett's net worth is estimated to be around $100 million.
Full Name | Judi Sheppard Missett |
Birth Date | 1944 |
Birth Place | Red Oak, Iowa, United States |
Profession | Founder and CEO |
Relationship Status | Married |
Net Worth | $100 million |
Early Life
Judy grew up dancing as a hobby from a very young age and her mother also had a teacher for her. Judy herself attended Northwestern University, where she taught in the dance studio. The problem, however, was that while people were happy to take the course, many dropped out.
As she began to think about why this was happening, Judy realized that women want to look like dancers, but they don’t have to do the work that dancers do. Based on this idea, she began teaching fitness classes, which she called Jazzercise.
The idea was to create a fun workout with elements of jazz. The idea became a growing business when Judy earned her bachelor’s degree in Theater and Dance from Northwestern University.
Judy Sheppard Missett Net Worth and Career
Judy has increasingly tailored her lessons to the needs of her students. Over time, her classes began to evolve and her Judy developed new methods that were the most effective. To grow her business, Judy hired several of her students as teachers, which was a great strategy as it helped create the word of mouth related to Jazzercise. By 1981, Judy had over 1,000 teachers teaching jazz gymnastics across the country.
Judy had these trainers not as employees, but as franchisees. This idea was very new at the time, but Judy thought it was the most appropriate, as some instructors only used it as a part-time hobby, while others worked full time. The franchise model ensured that employees were paid based on work performed.
Jazzercises continued to grow as they were supposed to be part of the opening ceremony of the Olympics. This led to his team appearing in the NFL and NBA as well. However, the trip did not go well at all. The company fell out of favor during the 1991 recession when many franchisees began looking for new options like yoga and Pilates.
Since then, Judy’s business has been through several downturns and the pandemic has also become another big challenge for her. However, the key to her success was her ability to adapt to the situation and deliver appropriate fitness programs based on it.
Personal Life
Judy is married to Jack Missett, a former television journalist. Their relationship has been strong through the various ups and downs of life now that they have been together for 5 decades. Today they live in their home in California, which also has its own Olympic size pool.
Judy Sheppard Missett Net worth
As of 2021, Judy Sheppard Missett has an estimated net worth of $100 million. Judy pioneered physical activities that are now available to millions of people around the world. Her jazz gymnastics classes remain highly regarded and have spread throughout the United States. This has resulted in Judy amassing a large fortune over the years, and the company now has over 8,500 franchisees.