My Coach Story

So what good is it to have a blog and talk about health, fitness, and motivation without knowing a little bit about me??

I wrote a short "about me" on my blog before, but it really didn't get to my WHY. Why coaching? Why Beachbody? Why now?

Well here it goes.... grab your popcorn and some Shakeology... you're in for a story!

Let's go way back shall we??
When I was in high school I was the type of person who trusted anyone. I had lots of friends, was involved in lots of activities, and just really enjoyed life. I had ZERO clue where I wanted to be, what I wanted to do, or what my future held... I just sort of went with the flow of life.

I became friends with a teacher who wanted to help me with athletics, and I was pretty set on going to a school that would have been a typical choice for me. I never though too far out of the mold, I just did what I was told or what I thought would make everyone proud.

That teacher ended up not being the person I thought he was, and before the end of my senior year, he took advantage of me. My world was crushed. I was only 18 and suddenly I had to grow up and be an adult. I didn't want to be an adult, and I certainly did NOT want this unfortunate event to define me for the rest of my life. I really kept it to myself, because I was afraid if people know what happened, I would be labeled as a certain type of girl. I just wanted to go to college and forget about everything.

Before the end of my senior year I went to check out my school, and my dad took me to see another school down the street. This school was an all women's college. Small. In the city. And really just not what I wanted. But it was pretty!
I got out of the car and instantly felt welcome. Have you ever stepped foot somewhere and instantly felt at home? Like a peace just overwhelms you and you know you are at the right place at the right time.
That day I decided to heck with that other school, I wanted to go here! So that is how I ended up at Chatham University.

I went to study English but somehow found myself in a few art classes and feminist theory classes, completely out of my comfort zone but they seemed "easy" enough to get my credit.
Those classrooms completely changed my life. I went from being the girl who pleased everyone and never had an original thought, to being someone who CARED about things and felt energized about learning. I really loved the atmosphere at school and how it taught me to be an empowered, thoughtful, intelligent woman. I made true friendships with other women and found my role models.

I left school not really knowing what to do but knowing that life was going to take me somewhere pretty amazing.

Fast forward a few years... and life taking me in a direction that I really did not see coming... enter the curve ball!

A few years after graduating, and after really enjoying my 20s, I met my husband. After we got engaged I got pregnant, so we really had to fast forward our plans to start our family. This was not a part of my plan... I wanted a career and to travel and learn more about myself. Instead I partied and made bad decisions, met my husband, got pregnant, and found myself fully submerged into mommyhood!

To help bounce back after having my first born, Kirsten, I started going to the gym. I got pretty good results but really barely used any equipment other than the cardio machines. One day while cruising Facebook I saw my friend Kati post about her P90X results. And they were awesome! I had to do what she was doing. So chatted for a bit, she convinced me to give Turbofire a shot and try Shakeology... and boom... my Beachbody journey officially began. I thought I was doing really well so I ordered P90X.... but it sat in my closet.

I got pregnant 2 years later with my second daughter Charlotte. This time around I was pretty determined to stay healthy, but as a lot of pregnancies go, I made excuses and still gained a lot of weight.

I was 150 lbs when I had Charlotte. A lot heavier than I was when I had my first child. But I knew in the back of my head that I had the tools to get back in shape waiting for me in my closet...

After I was released to workout I was so excited to start P90X, I knew it was going to be the answer to my big weight gain problems. The same day I signed up as a coach. I watched for a year as these other coaches formed bonds and moved their businesses forward. It was a like a club and I could not get in. I wanted to be a part of it and I wanted to really succeed at my goals.

As hard as it was to workout every day for over an hour with a toddler and an infant, I somehow made it work. I dedicated myself to the 90 days and promised that I would make it work. I knew that if I could make it through these days I could literally do anything. It's funny, because when you just had a baby and you are trying to please them and work on yourself, your mind starts to play funny tricks on you. You go from being really determined to hitting really bad lows. But I used my dvds as my therapy and finished! I was 45 pounds down and felt pretty amazing. I looked like my happy and healthy self again.... all because I stuck to the plan and never gave up.

I thought this was the momentum I needed in my Beachbody business, but found that because I was never really in touch with WHY I wanted to be a coach, I pretty much failed.

Fast forward to the following year. I saw all of these posts from people saying they were going to Summit, Beachbody's annual conference in Vegas. I had one of those moments, like deciding on college, and felt like I was in the right place and the right time again. I was determined to get to that event. I took out a credit card without telling anyone, and charged the whole trip. I knew what I was doing wasn't really great, but I had a one track mind.

I flew to Vegas by myself, with a dream to discover my WHY. I roomed with girls I never met but quickly became my best friends. I met people I only barely knew from Facebook and fell in love with their ability to accept someone no matter what. I was getting those feelings I had in college... female empowerment, amazing relationships, and feeling like I was somewhere that mattered.

During the opening event, I was about to hear the CEO of the company talk and the #1 coach in the entire company... when I got a text from my husband and it was pretty life changing. I knew deep down that this was a moment where I had to decide what to do. Even though I knew I had to talk to him, I also knew that I needed to be present in this moment. I put the phone away, and listened to the session. I learned so much from the people who spoke and suddenly, after hearing their WHYs, mine started to take shape.

Summit was truly a life changing experience for me. I met Tony Horton, the guy who kicked my butt and helped me lose 45 lbs... I got to be front and center at one of his workouts. I got to hear from top coaches and keynote speakers. I met and connected with amazing people. And I learned how to grow my business the right way. I left feeling very grateful that I was able to go, and fully understanding how to fix things at home.

The old me held information from people and only thought about herself. The new me puts others first, with me still in mind, and seeks the best solution to every problem. The old me judged others, and the new me sees the beauty in every person and situation.

My WHY that I discovered last summer was that through my life experiences, I was given the gift to help empower women and make them feel like they matter in the life they are in. To never settle for the ordinary, and always strive for that bit of extraordinary that lies within us all. And lastly, to have a voice. To be passionate about something and be unapologetic about it.

xoxoxo
Erika