Monday Stats...

So if you read yesterdays blog you'd know this, but if you are new to the party, today I start the 365 day fit challenge! 

For those of you who have followed me for a while know I injured my hip about 9 months ago. Those several months were the most stressful part of my journey so far. Along with my husband deploying for almost 5 month I was a hot mess and dealing with lots of stress! 

So of course I turned to food to comfort me. I lost my weight by eating healthy AND exercising. So I felt like it was a packaged deal, I had to eat healthy and exercise to be successful. I couldn’t exercise, so I slowly stopped eating healthy and it lead to a 15 pound weight gain. 

Am I proud of that? No. But I’m so glad it happened. It was a huge lesson and stepping stone in my journey. I looked to the scale for approval. Eventually I stopped weighing which I thought was a good thing but it also left me in denial. 

For the first time, I weighed myself this weekend and truly didn’t let the number derail me. The negative thoughts that usually came, didn’t. I may have gained weight during the past 9 months but I spent a lot of time changing my thinking and started loving myself where I am, which is what truly matters and most people forget to focus on.

So taking on this challenge was important to me, I know when I exercise I want to eat healthier! I have no real rules for myself during this challenge except to be active every day. Weather that means 1 hour or 15 minutes! As long as I’m doing something that’s all that matters!

And because Mondays are dedicated days to update ya'll on my journey I wanted to update ya'll since I was suppose to start my fitness again last week. Well that was a total train wreck. 

Monday and Tuesday I did workout...YAY! I was battling sinus issues but I just dealt with it.

Tuesday evening I ended up with a high fever and down for the count. I was incredible sore all Tuesday but I thought it was just my bodies response to the first real workouts in 9 months. It was, but it was also due to the fever. I didn't workout. I tried but seriously felt like my legs were going to explode from the pain of soreness.

Wednesday I was sick and ridiculous sore so I just rested.

Thursday the fever was gone but still so sore walking was a challenge. The soreness was the worst I have felt in years. My legs were defiantly in shock from the workouts. 

Friday to Sunday I just gave up and rested. Just being honest. 

My sinuses are still a mess so I may need to call the dr and get an appointment. I'm still planning on working out today since today I start my 365 day challenge.

Monday February 26 Stats...

NO CHANGE FROM LAST WEEK!

Weight: 

175.2 lbs

Measurements:

Biceps - (R) 12" / (L) 12"

Forearms - (R) 9.5" / (L) 9.5"

Chest - 37"

Stomach (at hip bone) - 37"

Hips - 43"

Thigh - (R) 25" / (L) 25"

Calves - (R) 15.75" / (L) 15.75"

365 Active Challenge...

Over and over again you hear about 7, 10 and 24 day challenges. 

I'm a little late to the party but I've decided to take on a 365 day active challenge. 

Last April (2017), I injured my hip.  I was very limited on the amount of working out I could do so I basically quit all together or it at least felt like I gave up! I had become addicted to working out, I spent every spare moment trying to get a workout in, most day I averaged 2 workouts.

This is part of what caused me to get injured and knocked out for 9 months.

So why would I challenge myself to workout every day for a whole year?  

Sounds crazy right?

I have such an all or nothing personality. During the 9 months I was recovering, I focused on what I couldn’t do rather than what I could do so I did very little. 

So for the next whole year I commit to being active, every single day, with a minimum of 15 minutes a day. Almost everyone can spend an extra 15 minutes a day being active. It is an attainable goal. I need to change my mentality and I decided to make it a year of absolutely no excuses.

Everyone wants the results, but no one wants the work. 

I'm sure not every day will be easy. Life will always throw me curve balls. Buts its all on  how I react and handle them that matters. 

I urge you to join me on this 365 day active challenge and stop focusing on what you can’t do and instead focus on what you can do!

You can follow my The Unicorn Mom to follow along each day and see what exactly I have do every day. And of course keep checking back here EVERY Monday for a recap of each week! 

Word Vomit...

Ladies and Gents...CALLING ALL ENTREPRENEURS...Let’s stop the word vomit. Shall we?

As the owner of a business myself, and as a mentor to other entrepreneurs, girl bosses, and business owners.. I understand the temptation to word vomit.  I get it.. you want people to know how amazing and awesome your product or service is.

If you get nothing else out of this blog, please take this away…. 

People do not buy products and services from you because of your product or service. They buy your product or service because they know, like, and trust YOU. YOU ARE THE MAGIC.

The quickest way to get people to know, like, and trust you, is by keeping it real, yo!  So let’s stop word vomiting all over people about how magical your product is, shall we?  NO ONE CARES.

Just be real, be honest, and care about them.

True story.  Not too long ago, I got a message from someone I hadn’t heard from in years.  When I saw their message in my inbox I was excited and curious to hear from them.  Turns out, this person had just started their very first new business.  Exciting right?!  Well, you’d think so.  But the message they sent me was four paragraphs long, ALL about them, ALL about their products, and they didn’t ask me ONE question about myself, how I was doing, or even tell me a little bit about why this would be something I would be interested in.  

AKA, utter and complete word vomit.  

As a business owner it made me sad for them because I knew it one day they had become “that person” to however many hundreds of people they had sent the same exact copy and past message to.

It all comes down to this – You want people to want to try your product or your service?  Then you have to know WHY they would even benefit from it first of all.  But you also have to care about them and you MUST keep it real!

Don’t drink the Kool Aid to your own product or service.

You have to know what YOUR truth is.

A great example of this is myself!  Before I started my business, I tried the product.  But we were broke, and at the time I did not understand the value of Ketones.  So, I was just going to try it and send it back for a refund after my 30 day trial.  

Soooo sketch and soooo lame.  

I, of course, DID NOT send it back because I fell head over heels in LOVE with my beloved Unicorn Moonshine. BUT, I make sure that I tell all of my clients that story, because it’s REAL, and because I want them to know that I understand!  I am a person too and I actually care about them.

When you’re having a conversation with a potential client or customer, when you are inviting them to try your product, to try your service, to work with you in some form or another… before you just go out and tell them all about your product or service, you first you have to know WHY what you offer would benefit them. Then, when you have a conversation with them, be more interested in them than you are desperate for them to be interested in you.

Being interested in someone else is the quickest way to make a friend, and at the end of the day, the most loyal customers and clients are the people who know that you actually care about them because you’ve taken the time to ask!

Once you have asked them about themselves and discovered a need you can help with, then you can say, 

“Hey! Have you ever hear of _____? I think you would really love it because of _______.”

Let them ask you! Just say, “Hey. I think that you would really like this. Have you ever considered trying this?” And see what they say. If they say, “Yes,” great! You can ask them if they want more information, or how you can help them. If they say, no they haven’t, then you can say, “Well, I think you would really love it. Do you want me to get you some more information on it? Or, do you have some questions that I can answer for you?”

It is so simple to build a relationship with someone. It takes virtually no time. But, word vomit is not the way to do it.  If you want to build a very successful business that lasts a long time, then dude, keep it simple.  All you need to do as a business owner is fill a need for someone else. That all starts with being more interested in them than you are desperate for them to be interested in you.  Find a need that they have, and fill it.

Here’s a little bonus tip for you. Any message that you send to someone about your product or service needs to be three or four sentences long, maximum. If someone sends me a message that’s more than five sentences, I am not answering it. I don’t have time for that.  I’m a busy and so is everyone else. Keep it simple. Less is more. Allow them to ask the questions and you will see the success you want as you gain more and more LOYAL clients and customers!

If you’re curious about how you can work with me and be a part of my Team. I’ll be in touch!

Patch+Pill+Shake=Weight Loss...Yep just another SCAM...

Okay so the time has came that I talk about the lovely new product by Le-Vel. 

I keep seeing this bullsh*t all over my FB & IG and I just roll my eyes every single time.Y'all must have all gotten together and drank the Le-Vel kool-aid and are now all sales person. 

One girl on my IG went out of her way to send me a link...

{Hold up...pause, I feel like its important to first say I NEVER ask this chick about Le-Vel or anything about weight loss. Shit I don't even follow her, she just thought I would "totally be interested" in it. Okay now back to what I was saying} 

... So she sent me to this terrifying thread where I watched people with no flipping clue about nutrition or performance babble on and on about this "amazing" product that only pros in-the-know use. 

There were claims of how ...

"we don't get enough vitamins in our modern depleted soil," 

"disease can't survive in an alkaline body," 

and the old trope of "flushing" and "detoxing."  

On top of all that usual garbage, it is an obvious sales scheme to prey on the weak who haven't been properly educated on how to lose weight, or those who are just too lazy to even try or those who want quick/easy fixes.

So how does it (allegedly) work? 

Well, what you're supposed to do is take two capsules of Thrive for Women or Men on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. 20-40 minutes after that, you are supposed to drink a Thrive Lifestyle Mix Shake and stick a Thrive DFT Patch on your skin, then go about your day. That's it! 

...Wait, what the fuck is a "DFT" patch? 

DFT stands for Derma (skin) Fusion (blend into) Technology (sticker). So it soaks into your skin through a sticker like a neon-colored quit-smoking patch or a birth control patch. 

I'm sure it looks real cool, tho. 

So what is all this mumbo-jumbo that I'm suppose to be swallowing and absorbing into my blood steam all day? Let's check...

B Vitamins, primarily. Let me break the "proprietary blend" down for you:

Guarana: stimulant, contains caffeine. Evidence does not support it does anything, other than contain caffeine. It can be used safely, but it's possibly unsafe if used in high doses and mixed with a lot of other stimulants.

Green Tea: Contains polyphenols, which may or may not be beneficial, another bit of caffeine. 

Glucosamine: Derived from shellfish (allergy alert!) Very little evidence to support it improving joint flexibility. There is some evidence it may provide relief from knee pain, specifically, in certain doses, when taken consistently for at least eight weeks. If that's your oddly specific issue.

White Willow: Anti-inflammatory. In layman's terms, it's aspirin. 

Glutamine: Amino acid that promotes muscle recovery. Evidence isn't what I'd call slam-dunk. And, besides, you need GRAMS of this stuff, not a sprinkle in a capsule. I cannot imagine this dose (whatever it could be) to be effective at all. 

Green Coffee Bean: Another stimulant. Caffeine. 

PEA: Phenylethylamine. A neurotransmitter that stimulates feelings of happiness and positivity, commonly found in chocolate. But it's metabolized too fast by the body to do anything. Useless in this form. 

Kelp: A blood thinner. Not to mention it can be unsafe. Too much iodine can whack out your thyroid, a lot of it contains arsenic because they're pulling it form contaminated waters to meet misguided consumer demand, and it's high potassium content can damage your kidneys.

Irvingia Extract: No evidence to support it's "fat burner" claims.  None.

BCAAs: Branched-chain amino acids, another recovery supplement for muscle repair and energy. The evidence is slightly better than the outright bullsh*t, but unless you are training really hard in the gym, you get these from your diet with no need for more.

Theobromine: A milder caffeine-like alkaloid found in chocolate. 

Ginger: My guess is to calm your stomach from having to digest all this garbage on an empty stomach. 

Synephrine: Another stimulant, because we clearly don't have enough already. On the "watched" substance list by the NCAA.

Aspartic Acid: Not sure if it's d-aspartic acid, considered a testosterone booster or Aspartic Acid which is some Aruvedic bullsh*t. (What's Aruvedic? Mystical/naturo/homeopathy of Indian origin.) 

L-Serine: Amino acid that helps your body perform the chain reaction to create serotonin and relieve stress and anxiety. I'm sure there is a bs claim as to why it is here and zero evidence to support it, especially in this dose and for what.

L-Arganine: Another amino acid used for nitric oxide boosting (it widens your blood vessels to improve blood flow), also stimulates growth hormone and insulin production. Mixed evidence as to whether it improves athletic performance or not. 

Grape Seed: Antioxidant bs.

CoQ10: Antioxidant bs.

White Tea: More antioxidant bs.

So far, we have stimulants for "ENERGY" and "FOCUS", blood thinners/anti-inflammatories to make your aches and pains go away.

A bunch of WOO WOO herbs that do nothing and amino acids that might do something but not at such a small dose. 

A cup of coffee and an aspirin might be cheaper, 

but whatever.

Let's "drink the kool-aid" and move on to the Lifestyle Mix Shake.

I see a weak vitamin profile. But, with pills, shakes and patches, you wouldn't want to overdo it. Let's look at the "Proprietary Blend": 

Garcinia Fruit Extract: Do you remember that time Dr. Oz was dragged before congress for being a lying, scamming, piece of shit con-artist, hawking weight-loss supplements that didn't work? Yeah, Garcinia Cambogia was that weight-loss supplement. 

Oat Fiber: To make you feel full, appetite suppressant. 

Black Tea: Surprise! More caffeine! 

Lactobacilius Acidophilus: Probiotic. 

Bromelian: Another anti-inflammatory.

Rice Bran: No evidence to support claims of enhancing athletic performance, supporting the immune system or being an antioxidant. But it has a lot of fiber, which might help you feel full. 

Amylase 5000, Cellulase 1000, Lipase 1000, Papain 6000, Protease 1000, Protease 5000: Enzymes used to help digestion, break down fat, usually used only when people are really sick with pancreatic cancer or things like that. Can cause nausea, cramps and diarrhea. 

Cardamom, Ginger, Cinnamon: Spices. They don't make you healthier, cure cancer or fight your diseases. 

Protein Blend: 15 grams of protein is weak. Not only that, but it is mostly cheap soy protein. With so many excellent proteins on the market, this is C-List shit. 

In conclusion, we have FIBER and ENZYMES that make you un-hungry and more stims!

Now, who wants to put on the patch?

ForsLean: Forskolin. Only one study has shown this supplement to increase lean body mass, and that one is from Sabsina, the same herbal supplement company that makes this stuff. Coincidence? 

Green Coffee Bean: Holy shit, how much caffeine have we taken so far?

Garcinia Cambogia: More Dr. Oz snake oil. (see above)

CoQ10: a coenzyme for boosting energy in muscles, little to no solid evidence that the supplement form works, but high doses cause insomnia. 

White Willow Bark: More Aspirin. Since all this other recovery shit doesn't work, we need to feel like we're not sore.

Cosmoperine: Piperdine. Black pepper, supposedly helps enhance absorption. Interestingly, I can only find one study from a Doctor in India that supports this claim. My guess is if I dug deeper, he probably works for Sabsina.  

What can we take away from all of this?

Stimulants, Appetite Suppressants, and Aspirn/Anti-Inflammatories.

Energetic?

Pain Free?

Not Hungry?

DUH!

You're basically drinking a few cups of coffee, taking some aspirin, and drinking a lump of fiber all for $100-300 a month. All the rest is nonsense.

Look, supplements are a totally unregulated industry. Questionable studies, conclusion jumping and over-hyping efficacy are standard practices in the quest to create the next big miracle. $$$$$! 

At best, you may get a decent product that doesn't do much for you.

At worst, you could get hurt. 

Makes you re-think having who-knows-what seeping into your skin all day. 

(Or at least I hope it does.) 

Do you want to know the BIGGEST SECRET in the industry?

Fitness model bodies are unattainable without years of hard work, micromanaging your diet, and having special enhancements. Whether they be surgical, hormonal or simply good ol'photoshop.

I personally lost 85 lbs by working out at home, and filling my body with SUPERFOODS/Clean foods. No supplements. No magic. No wraps. No patches.

There is no wrap, no pill, no magic ANYTHING to make it easy. Be the best you, first. Don't try to be some magazine body type. 

Later on, if you decide you want to get serious about your training, or be an athlete, there are supplements that do help promote lean body mass, aid recovery, and boost short-term energy. 

But, until then, a shot of Beachbodys all natural Energize, perhaps a a daily dose of Superfood Shakeology for variety is all you really need. 

The only thing you don't get is the way cool stickers and the placebo effect that the $100-$300 buys. But then again, you still have your $100-$300. 

Don't fall victim to this stuff, guys. Just don't.

And if you need help to start your journey or continue on your journey you can always email me direct. I'm always here to help. {MandyIrizarry@gmail.com}

Let go of “fine” and embrace what could be...

The transformation story…

I didn’t realize how badly my body had slipped away from me during my 4th pregnancy.  I hardly had time to eat, let alone shower between everything we had going on.  Then few months (6 weeks to be exact) after Rowans birth, I was using the medicine cabinet mirror to put my make up on.  I had just gotten out of what probably was my only shower in three days, and I caught a glimpse of myself in medicine cabinet mirror.  I cringed.  And then I cried.  What happened to me?

I’m pretty sure that up until that point, I had managed to fool myself into thinking I could eat whatever I wanted, and still look and feel just “fine” to others and even myself, hiding in loose-fitting clothes.  My tears revealed the truth.  I wasn’t “fine.”  I didn’t feel comfortable in my skin and I wanted to be as beautiful on the outside as I felt on the inside.  

So… after a good cry in my underwear, I decided to take some full body pictures of myself.  I was adamant that this was the last time I would be “fine”.  I didn’t want to be fine, I wanted to LOOK and FEEL GREAT.  I wanted more energy.  I wanted to make it through to the end of the day without a melt down.  In my new world of motherhood and doing everything and anything for everybody else, I wanted something for MYSELF.

I’m no fitness supermodel.  I wasn’t a college athlete.  I’m just a mom that wanted to regain her identity.  I wasn’t born with the “skinny gene.”  Obesity runs in my family lines.  However, I was born with the “try hard” gene and I strive for personal growth.

Lipstick & Lunges is bringing you the “5 Steps to the Best Shape of My Life” series.  Regardless of where you are on your journey for personal health and fitness, I hope that you’ll take a look at what I believe are the KEY factors for success in our own lives.  Let today be the day you decide to change your mindset.  Let go of “fine” and embrace what could be. Join a community of women who are striving to be the very best version of themselves.

Follow us Instagram@Lipstick.Lunges  and on my personal Facebook where I love getting personal.  You can also subscribe to Lipstick & Lunges blog for healthy recipes, workouts, and most of  all inspiration and encouragement!

Check back tomorrow for Step 1 in the 5 Steps to the Best Shape of My Life series.

You can do this and we are here to support you along the way!  We can’t wait to see you shine!

"Dieting" is a made up concept...

  

Diet: the kinds of food that a person, animal, 

or community habitually eats.

Everyone has this misconception that a diet is a restriction or limitation of foods.

A deficit of calories or cutting out food groups.
                                                         

No. No. No!

My diet is my lifestyle. I choose to eat healthy, but it’s a maintainable consistent diet. 

I don’t deprive myself of calories, I don’t miss out on social gatherings 

because I’m “dieting” and I definitely don’t cut out food groups!

Additionally, I don’t go more than 3 hours without eating.  This is especially important if you are trying to lose weight, and feel free to disagree with me on this.

​When you go hours without eating, to the point where your stomach is aching, maybe you have a headache or your energy levels are low, your body is in catabolic status. Meaning it thinks it’s in starvation mode. If you are in this status once every day, or more than once a day your body starts to store all the fat it can, making it impossible for weight loss! If you’re familiar with this, you may even be having a hard time building muscle. Yes, this is because your body is utilizing the proteins as an energy source because that’s its last option!

Eating every hour and half, allows my metabolism to be turned on all the time. I’m burning the energy I’m eating and constantly keeping my system active.

So if you’re someone whose been trying to lose weight, going to the gym every day, maybe twice a day, and eating 1000-1200 calories but not seeing any weight loss, maybe even weight gain, that’s because you’re not eating enough! If you’re on a workout routine and you’re highly active, eat AT LEAST every two hours.

FUEL YOUR BODY!

Its F**king Life Changing...

SO what exactly do you do?

Simply put, I'm an online health and fitness coach, so that means I chat with people about their health and fitness goals, set them up with all the tools they need to CRUSH them, and keep them accountable while mentoring them along the way. I have built a fitness brand for myself through social media and continue to grow my audience with the intention of reaching more people who need my help and share with them what I have to offer. The mission of this business is to share the tools we are confident will aid in decreasing the obesity epidemic in the US and Canada.

How do you get paid?

I get paid in lives changed. We measure our success by the number of people we help each month. Every person that we get set up with a program and help see the duration of that program through is where my paycheck comes from. It's fulfilling in more ways than just money in my bank; although that is helpful too. 

To be frank: we receive a commission from each life we help change. If we continue to help individuals along on their journey we get a residual income each month. Lastly, when we get to the point where we need help with the influx of clients, we grow a team of leaders we train to help change lives too. 

Why did you decide to start this coaching thing?

Oh so many reasons! Coaching honestly kept me accountable on my own health and fitness journey. I'm achieving my dream body and doing the programs we offer. I was always into fitness and the gym but these programs took it to an entirely new level. So, of course, you don’t have to be perfectly fit to become a coach.

Secondly, coaching aligned all my passions. I love caring for, helping and motivating others, and I love fitness and nutrition. You don't have to have a degree to do what I do, it's helpful, but I started this because I knew all the tools would be provided to me, all the training would be at my disposal, and there's no way I could fail with the support of my team. 

Thirdly, A HUGE reason I started was because I could be home and available to our kids. My husband is an active duty military firefighter, he works LONG hours, and is gone often. We wanted our kids to have at least one parent who was always there for them.

So you do this full time now?

Yes, I am a full time health and fitness coach, working from home, making my own hours and bossing myself around. Some coaches work their businesses along with another full time job, some are stay at home moms who work full time around their kids schedules, some have no kids and have built their businesses up so they can work from home making their own hours.

The vital priorities of a coach could take as little as 30 minutes to an hour each day, so if you’re intentional about your time you can still be successful. Many of the most successful coaches worked a full time job while building their business and have kids. They were eventually able to quit their other job, so my point being you don’t have to have an abundance of free time to do what I do.

I am currently working 4-6 hour days when it feels like two.. because I love my job. I get my top priorities (the essentials) done in the first hour and everything else is extra work I put in to move my business along at a faster pace. I never would have imagined I’d find a job I’m excited to wake up and dedicate my entire day to. I never imagined something like this would create this drive in me.

What potential does this business have?

This business has as much potential as you are willing to give it. By this I mean, of the 450,000 coaches in the US & Canada today, it doesn’t work for everyone. WHY? Because many of these people aren’t patient, are not consistent, and are unwilling. Being patient means that you don’t expect to get rich quick. It means that you know it’s not always going to be easy but you keep the fire burning inside you to push through it. Being consistent means showing up every single day and being a motivator to your followers. I can’t disappear from my social media for days and expect my business to move forward. Consistently doing the vital priorities is bound to bring success. Unwilling, means they are not willing to put themselves out there on social media, they are not willing to invite and share about the opportunity their business has to offer, and they are not willing to make this a priority over other things in life.

The financial potential stems from being patient, consistent, and motivated. I see the potential this business has for my future. There are coaches that are my age and younger, have been running the business for 1.5-3 years and are making as much as $2,000-12,000+ PER WEEK, because they show up every day, because they are consistent, patient, and they are CHANGING LIVES. Coaches are bringing their husbands home from work by the age of 35, building their customized dream homes, traveling the world, growing a family. The potential I see in this business is providing more than a full time income so I can support my family, build a savings, travel, build an orphanage, provide for underserved communities, and so much more.

Did you have to invest in this business?

The investments into businesses whether it’s a small business or a franchise, is often millions of dollars that take years to earn back. I invested $140 into this business that I made back within 3 days… $140 provided me with a full fitness program including workouts, a nutrition guide, portion control containers, a nutrition shake, and new coach training. How many business investors can say they got products from the deal?

We invest in the programs because in order to be confident in sharing that these products are effective, we need to utilize them ourselves. Personally, I wasn’t great at sharing the products until after I was transformed by them. We are proof the products work, and therefore invest ONLY $140-200 into a program to start as a coach.

Is there a monthly fee? 

When you think of business owners and all that it entails, do you think about revenue, crunching the numbers and statistics, volume, shipping and handling? Do you think about taking inventory, customer service, hiring employees and renting a space? Well, in this business all of that and all the other business logistics I know nothing about is taken care of for me, for $15 per month. I never have to handle a customers products, get their address & ship it. I never have to worry about tracking the volume my team is generating or commissions.

Secondly, going along with being proof of the product, I have Shakeology on an automatic monthly shipment which is about $99 and is entirely paid for with my commissions. Many people may say Shakeology is expensive, I find the ones who perceive it this way, don’t realize what Shakeology actually is. I’ll save that explanation for another blog.

I drink Shakeology monthly for 3 reasons: The immense improvements I’ve seen in my health since I’ve begun drinking it, it’s the most delicious and healthiest thing in my meal plan, and it keeps me active as a coach. Being active as a coach means that I qualify for business building incentives and rewards such as free products, bonuses ($), paid vacations, exclusive trainings and more. 

What is your favorite part about coaching?

There are three TOP things I love most about coaching. The fact that I get to meet new people, get to know them well, and help them achieve their fitness goals, all from the comfort of my own home is amazing in more ways than one. I have met people that I would never have come across in my daily life. I am friends with people across the country whom I have never met in person.

I get messages regularly telling me how much I inspire, motivate and have helped change their life. The most rewarding aspect of this job are those messages that bring me to tears from being so proud of an individual I’ve never even met. Messages like “The dress fits!” Or “I did it! I lost 20 pounds!” “You inspired me and changed my life!” This is part of the job, how amazing is that?

My third favorite part of coaching is the community of Fitbosses that I have been so welcomed into. The support, friendships, and drive I have developed from this community is unlike anything I have ever known. Upon joining this TEAM, I found that there are women out there that are ambitious, driven, goal-oriented, passionate, and have everything it takes to be a #Girlboss. This community is the most caring, trusting, supportive and unexplainable thing I have ever been apart of.