A couple of weeks ago a new client asked me if I did what I do for money or to help people. I answered him honestly – for both.
Money is a necessity of life. I have a mortgage to pay. Diabetes supplies and food require money. I am grateful to have a way to earn money that also lets me help people.
When my husband and I started Thrive Personal Fitness five years ago neither of us knew if it would make money. I kept my day job and trained evenings, Saturdays and even over my lunch hour. I wrote programs and blog posts when I could, never really taking a day off. I did this for almost 18 months before I could finally pay myself and take the leap of faith to training full time.
At the time even I wondered if I was crazy. Was I nuts to give up 4 weeks paid vacation? Was it wrong giving up a steady 8-5 schedule at the height of the Great Recession? What would happen to the retirement plan Brian and I had worked so hard to create? Would I regret this decision?
As we celebrate the five year anniversary of Thrive Personal Fitness this week, I can tell you emphatically NO. I wouldn’t change a thing about deciding to follow this path. Perhaps I might have made a few different decisions but maybe not. Our mistakes are how we learn. I still don’t make as much as I did at my bank job but the money isn’t what keeps me doing what I’m doing. I need to pay the bills like everyone else and we still have a retirement plan to fund. But Money isn’t what gets me out of bed in the morning.
What drives me is the moments of pride, strength and joy that I get to be a part of every day. I am excited about getting out of bed each day because I have a plan to make the world a better place – one person at a time. I am in charge of my own destiny each day and feel a great sense of purpose each day in sharing that with others. Even on days where I might be feeling a little less than motivated (yes, it happens) I have moments that I hold on to that help me remember WHY I do this.
I’m lucky to have more of these moments than will fit into a manageable blog post. I would like to share the ones that currently fill me with the most pride from my five year career of coaching and blogging.
My BetterU teams! I will not pick a favorite year because I can’t. Each team has been different but that’s what makes each one special. Watching each group of 10 women transform before my eyes every summer is an amazing experience. It’s hard to imagine I almost didn’t say yes.
Being nominated as one of the most Influential Women in Springfield. I wish I could thank the person who nominated me but I have no idea who they are. (If you’re reading – THANK YOU!) The fact that someone sees me as an INFLUENTIAL thrills me and lets me know that I am truly living my WHY.
Having a workout published in Oxygen Magazine. I have stacks of Oxygen in my office and Tosca Reno is one of my heroes. When I found out one of MY workouts was going to be published in the March 2013 issue I cried. Click here if you missed it.
Training THREE generations of women from one family. It started with one woman, Stephannie. Next thing you know I am working with her mom and her twin daughters. They even had grandma eating clean. That’s when it really hit me how much of an impact I could really make. When one woman gets it the way Stephannie did it spreads to the whole family, to friends and colleagues. It’s the beginning of a revolution.
Every THANK YOU. It could be from a client whose stress from a hard day melted away after her workout. It could be from someone who sees me at the farmers market and tells me about an especially helpful Fit Friday. It doesn’t’ matter because every thank you is like gold to me. I hold it close and save it for a rainy day.
Thank you so much for letting me do what I do. I could not do it and would not be here without you.
