I became a coach somewhat by accident.
When I was in high school (actually, pretty much my entire life), my father gave me the world’s most amazing deal (which, true to high schooler form, I failed to recognize the amazingness in its entirety until much later): I could go to college anywhere I wanted, but, after 4 years, I was off the payroll. Read carefully – not after my degree, but 4 years. So, I took that as a challenge to see exactly how much I could squeeze out of that deal (typical) and double majored and studied abroad in 4 years.
I graduated from Wake Forest University in 2010 – a pretty big recession year – and had no job. No plan. Nothing. Except, of course, moving in with my dad and figuring it out.
Well.
He showed up on graduation day, his smile beaming, more than a few kind words to say, and… a manila envelope. I asked him what it was, and he told me it was, basically, my severance package. Yep, you guessed it – phone bill, car insurance, social security card – everything you need to begin a life on your own. Except a few tissues.
Now, I will fully admit I had it better than most people in this world (like, seriously, talk about first world problems), but, still, I was SO unprepared. After he asked if I remembered the deal (you remember, the way your parents used to “remind you” of something they KNEW you knew and were hoping they forgot, which, is more a gentle reminder that they, in fact, did not), I met him with a bunch of, “yes but…” statements about the recession and no one having jobs and I’m 8 hours away from him and what did he expect?
Let me interrupt this story by telling you, my father is the world’s most amazing man. In my old(er) age, I look back on that and see that, if it were really a problem, I would have had a place to stay. But, like most of our loved ones do, my dad knows me better than I know myself. He knows that I will rise to meet any challenge presented to me as best I can – that I thrive on competition and living into the goals I set for myself, and sometimes I need a gentle nudge (or the ground pulled out from under me) to really shine.
So, after sleeping off my post-grad hangover for a day, I looked around at my fancy Health & Exercise Science/Spanish degree, moved in with my friend who was a year behind me and guaranteed not to leave for at least the summer, and figured out what to do. I called around a few places, thinking my primary interest was in nutrition, and quickly realized most places didn’t really have need of a casual consultant with a tangential qualification (“Should I go back to grad school for to become a dietician? No, because then I’ll have to ask my dad for help, and we all know I’m not doing THAT.” The wisdom of our 22-year-old selves. Cue eye roll.). I applied online to a few places, and quickly learned that most open posts had 321397 applicants for every one position, and I was both over- and under-qualified at the same time (“How am I supposed to GET experience if no one will HIRE me??” Still wondering that one.). As a last ditch effort before I lost my mind, I went in person to a gym and asked if they needed anyone…for anything. Literally. I handed them my resume and went home to go on a jog, not expecting anything. My phone rang the next day, and, a series of interviews and certifications later, I was hired as a personal trainer at a big-box commercial gym.
There were a few (…or a lot) of hiccups over the years, ranging from who-even-has-this-obscure-chronic-condition-I-read-about-in-my-A&P-textbook clients to…interesting business practices of employers to switching to corporate wellness. After a major transition with that (a story for another day, friends), I took a somewhat-forced-upon-me period of serious evaluation of myself as a person and as a wellness student.
It dawned on me that I actually *was* a fitness professional, not just the girl that, almost 5 years previously, walked into a gym willing to clean the floor because I wanted to be in the atmosphere. I realized how much I loved building relationships to partner with each client as a whole person, not just a workout on a page handed to me by a supervisor and forgotten about an hour after I met them until their next session three days later.
Getting to know the ins and outs of someone’s daily routine turned them from ‘my 6am’ to Liz. From ‘this lady with rotator cuff issues’ to BJ. From ‘a mother of an autistic son that wants to lose weight but keep her booty’ to Debi. From ‘some dude who’s never worked out before’ to James. So many clients had experienced huge degrees of success, learning that PRs don’t just happen in pounds lost or in adding more weight to the bar, but also in ease of movement, strength of mind, and peace of diet. And I KNEW I wanted to keep doing that, because I feel that we are ALL at our best when we are of service.
If my strength in life is to form relationships and use the knowledge in my brain to help someone look and feel better or more like themselves, then I had to stay, despite the negative voices of shame or bad associations with used car salesmen in the industry.
I believe that we are creation of the Creator, and more than a workout solution on a piece of paper; we should, therefore, move and eat and love ourselves as such. This includes making choices in service to our higher selves – nutritionally, physically, and emotionally. We have more talent and power than we are taught to realize, particularly as women. We are all able to move past our stories into a place of healing and strength.
In April 2015, I took a leap and made the decision to start my own business with these tenets in mind.
I’ve never looked back.
I choose to help people find and own their power.
I create the life I want to live.
I have created a strong and powerful body and mind, and I am constantly evolving to get better and stronger.
I have the privilege of partnering with scads of people on the path to better – whatever that means for them – and it is my goal to get to know gobs more of you and be of service on your journey.
I am here to share my story in hopes that you are inspired, motivated, and empowered. The goal is to provide information on a wide range of topics, including fitness, nutrition, and mindset, to strengthen every area of your life.
I’d LOVE to hear from you – whether as a comment or reply to my email directly – on your goals, what drew you here, or how I could be of service to you. It is an honor and a privilege to get to know you.
Thank you for joining the community!