“I created a life I love, and now I’m sharing what I’ve learned, so you can do the same.”
I did what I was told to do & what I was supposed to do. I went to college and then got a job.
BUT, it wasn’t as easy as the American Pie dream plays out to be. Growing up the youngest of 4 girls to divorced parents, and living with my dad; blue collar and barely making enough to put any collar’s on us. Very strict, emotionally vacant, fend for yourself kinda home. My sister’s and I learned right from the beginning, that you have to get out there into the dirt and just work your butt off. That’s just what you do. That’s all we knew.
I chose Medical Radiography because it had year round housing. I had to move out of my father’s home at the start of my senior year of high school, and lived with my girlfriend’s parents. I needed a place to live when I graduated, and this college was year round. Having to pay for it all myself, I had to work a lot.
This is when I was first introduced to teaching group fitness when the campus activities building wanted someone to do it. I could only go to college for a couple years, as I had to start making money.
I worked in a level 1 trauma hospital for 4 long miserable years and finally ACE’d an interview for Applications Training for Digital X-ray Equipment Sales Company. Traveling the world was amazing at first but then it literally wears on you. I barely unpacked my suitcase because there was no point since I was traveling again the next week. The BEST part about this career though was working with my manager and what I now know is, my mentor. My first official mentor guiding me through presentations, trade shows, sales techniques, organization, goal setting, and more. Dennis and I connected even though were 20 years apart but had a lot of common interests and our faith. I looked up to him because he didn’t always do what the box told you to do and I could tell he saw my strong work ethic and that I always gave everything I had to the position and relationships. He left for a different start up company with brand new technology and X-ray system for Trauma centers that would take a full body X-ray scan in just 13 seconds! I was crushed when he left as I felt I was left with a bunch of people who didn’t match my vision or new my potential and all just tried to show each other up to the boss.
I thankfully was hired by Dennis to this new company and really dug into creating training systems, learning a lot about how to align people up with your vision and how change is going to actually benefit them, and so much more.
But even though I had a great new job and career away from my last miserable position, this too became exhausting and just a JOB. Seems that we always want to get out of our horrible situations and choose something that seems like it’s everything we ever wanted, but then that too becomes something we dislike.
I felt stuck. I felt this is just what I have to do. I felt like a fraud because I was suppose to work on sales and marketing, but was too scared to make the phone calls.
Throughout ALL of college, my X-ray Position, my Applications position with InfiMed, and my Sales/Applications position with Lodox, I continued to teach Group Fitness. That was a JOY for me! Impacting, inspiring, and Helping others to create a FIT Life!
In 2000 I took a SCARY step and applied to work for Chalene Johnson and her company Powder Blue Productions.I wanted to become “Fitness Famous” and I thought being a presenter for her would open those doors. Working for her I felt like a fraud. An outsider. Like I didn’t belong. A loner. Throughout all those years working in positions I didn’t like and with people who didn’t inspire me hardened me. I distanced myself and actually created a life of exclusion. Doing what I had to do in my X-ray jobs and having no real friendships. I didn’t know how to be a girl’s girl, to look at the positive side of situations, to help others succeed even if it would put me achieving at risk.
Starting working for her I was set to CRUSH IT! I was gonna prove to her that I was AMAZING! I proceeded to fail horribly, like a domino effect, so much so, I was put on 3 month’s probation and banned from doing anything further. I was pissed at her because I thought she just didn’t get how we do things in NY as she’s from CA.
Throughout this time passing, I actually calmed down to reflect, learn, and reveal that she WANTS me to become successful and is on my side. That if I open to her advice, direction, and constructive criticism I can do better. This was the time I started personal development. Anthony Robbins was my first. 😉
I grew a lot under Chalene’s mentorship and created some deep amazing friendships and relationships. I changed. A lot.
In 2004 I got married and I got offered a full time position with the company as the National Promotions Director. Taking this position would mean I’d have to take about a $30,000 pay cut from my medical career. I would lose all bonuses on those 1/2 million dollar X-Ray systems I sold, to which I did sell 1! =D But I looked at my life. I wanted kids. I wanted to do something I LOVED. I wanted to have more control over my time. I accepted.
That same year, I was award the first ever Presenter of the Year Award from Powder Blue Productions. I poured everything I ever created for success into the presenters so they could supercede my success. Later Bret and Chalene created a new award since you could only achieve Presenter of the Year one time, and I was awarded Most Valuable Presenter for 2009 and then again in 2010.
My life changed because someone saw something in me.
My life changed because I started working on personal development.
My life changed because I aligned myself up with a circle of influence that lifted each other to higher levels.
I make systems and protocols. That’s what comes natural to me. I always see the problem, research it, create a system of implementation, and share it with others.
It never seemed like anything special to me, but I realized that I was good at identifying processes, then training other people how to implement them and duplicate success.
I was perfectly happy doing the job I was in and thought this is it! I finally made it! Someone shared with me the opportunity to become a Beachbody Coach. I was NOT interested! After getting burned in my 20’s and losing over $700 on the start up costs on what I believe was a pyramid scheme, I vowed NEVER to do a home network marketing business.
One year passed.
In 2008, my mentor Chalene called me and told me about the Coaching opportunity. She herself couldn’t become a Coach since she was a fitness celebrity for the company. But, she revealed to me that she had been researching the company, their direction, the legitimacy of network marketing for an entire year. She said, I really just wanted to make sure that Beachbody was ALL IN and not dabbling into something. She recommended to her friends, family, and employees to DO THIS. I never thought of it again when I was first presented with the opportunity, but now someone I trust and knows has my back is telling me I should do it.
I really didn’t understand network marketing and was scared I was going to have to stock a ton of product, beg friends and family to buy, as well as rope others into doing something. I was nervous about being that icky person.
I started researching it a ton! I even flew out to CA and had a meeting with corporate to discuss the opportunity. I didn’t like the term “Coach” and even asked if they’d consider changing it. I personally felt that the word “Coach” might mislead people into thinking you had to be a fitness professional, life coach, or that people would pose as a fitness & nutrition expert under that title. That was the name they were going with and had been already for 1.5 years.
They told me I would run Webinars and team meetings. I was stuck on the word “Webinar.” What is that?
I got home and continued to research. I was on board. I had no idea what I really was on board with other than just thinking, This is what I’m already doing and now I can really help support people in such a greater scale, why not?!
Ya see, I was constantly asked and bombarded for help, tips, advice on how to get into the fitness industry, how to start teaching fitness, how to become a presenter at conferences and also, how to lose the belly pooch, how can I exercise while on vacation, how do I lose the baby weight, and so much more.
My friends were bombarded with the same questions. I had a lot of contacts in the fitness industry across the northeast who were also in the same situation. I started sending emails and emails and emails and telling them, you gotta check this out.
I held a launch meeting in CA on May 31, 2008. We had over 200 people there. I had no clue what I was really going to talk about other than painting the vision that we can really impact other people’s lives outside of our small pond. You didn’t need to be a fitness professional or expert, but you just have to be on the journey and promote a healthy lifestyle which includes your body and your mind. It also includes surrounding yourself with people who are on the same journey and path. Chalene spoke and someone from Beachbody corporate spoke, and that was about it.
Team Platinum Presenters had launched. May 31, 2008. We had just over 200 people sign up that day. Now what?
I had no clue honestly.
I was stressed out and a lot freaked out. I felt a HUGE sense of responsibility to help these people create some success ASAP and know what to do! But, I had no clue. I’d never done network marketing before.
I spent everyday up late at night working up until 2-3am searching online for ANYTHING. I read the policy and procedures PDF over and over again. Beachbody didn’t have a Coach Training website, so I had no direction on what to do. Chalene had never done network marketing, so I couldn’t really ask her for advice.
I was REALLY stressed out. Oh, BTW, I was 5 months pregnant with my daughter and already had my son who was 1.5 years old. Getting this business started was really challenging due to my lack of experience, no training, no guidance, having a full time job still with Powder Blue Productions, having 3 part time jobs as a group fitness instructor, Area Promotions Director, and then Presenter. My husband had actually just got a job after being laid off and had to work 12 hours a day. He expressed he wanted nothing to do with this new business because he thought it was just another fitness job that I’d give so much of myself and get nothing in return.
I basically just looked at what do I know, and what can I do that everyone can do to get started? I knew how to get people together to do a challenge, a team event, or a mission. I basically turned to Turbo Jam and copied the 10 Day Slim Down Challenge.
I created a system for everyone to duplicate around having a house party launching a 10 day fitness challenge. Everyone had to purchase Turbo Jam and they were in! They’d follow the meal plan and do the workouts! After the 10 days, there would be a post challenge party showcasing everyone’s success and results!
These were a HIT!
People were inspired, changing their bodies, and actually excited to get involved as a Coach too so that THEY can replicate this exact same system to their contacts.
That could only last for so long before people would feel burned out and tapped out of contacts. I had to grow. I had to learn how to grow a team, and a team of leaders. I invested in hiring a network marketing expert. I hired him for an entire year to help us learn how to share the business, how to get people started, how to create leadership, what we should be doing every week, and so much more.
I flew him around the country to hold trainings and meetings with my top leaders who were rising up. I knew that the only way for our team to grow is to keep growing in knowledge.
A couple years later I hired a Social Media Marketing expert to help guide our team using Social Media to create a lot more attraction marketing techniques and to expand our network.
I was already using social media, but mostly for promotion of Powder Blue Productions and the workouts on MySpace and Youtube.
I dug in deep to Social Media even against the instruction and training the Beachbody was providing.
Beachbody had hired someone to create and train the coaching network on how to grow this business. BUT, I didn’t agree with his techniques. he heavily promoted that the only way to grow this kind of a business is face to face belly to belly, meaning only in person.
I didn’t agree.
I didn’t want to spend my nights sitting at someone’s house at the dinner table with a flip chart showcasing the business. I didn’t want to constantly put home parties on at my house. I didn’t want to run ads in coupon magazines. I didn’t want to host community meetings.
I was a mom. I had a baby and a toddler. I wanted to do this when I could at home, on the phone or computer. My top leaders felt the same way. We wanted to create a life where we had complete control over our time. We didn’t want to fly all over and be forced to follow what everyone has always done.
This was my business. I wanted to build it the way I wanted, with the people that I wanted, and with a system of duplication.
I was kinda floored when I was the first person in Team Beachbody to achieve the top rank level you can build for a business center, 15 Star Diamond. I honestly had no idea what that actually meant, but pushed for others to keep moving forward and achieve success. Because of that, it propelled my own.
Team Platinum Presenters was growing fast! Beachbody was trying to figure it out. Not until they focused their training efforts differently and opened up to Social Media connections is when they saw just how much impact you can have on helping others.
My team was on fire and actually helped me achieve 15 Star Diamond again in a 2nd business center. This again was never done before.
Over the years, this team has allowed me to have great success and achievements. Creating a Multi-Million dollar business, achieving many awards and titles, Having many of my team duplicate that same success, and so much more.
But this truly has allowed me to grow as a person. Realizing that my lack of having a perfect childhood, lack college education and degrees, Lack of having any real business knowledge, is not the foundation for success.
The foundation for success is always finding a way. Through every wall put up in front, for every ceiling over your head, for every hole you fall in, there’s ALWAYS a way to turn it around.
Your persistence in not letting your situation define who you are and your potential is the key to your success.
You believing you have the potential and opportunity to touch at least 1 person’s life and help them towards success, is the key to success.
You focusing on improving, learning, and being a better person than you were yesterday, is the key to success.
You never giving up on finding a way to do things differently so that it feels good for you and allows you to be that person that someone can trust.
Being a Beachbody Coach isn’t what has created my success. Being a Coach aligned up with the number 1 Health and Fitness company has giving me a platform and vehicle to support a greater amount of people. It gives me the opportunity to develop myself as an entrepreneur risk free and create a following, brand, and tribe of others just like me.
I’ve taken what I’ve learned throughout my journey, packaged it into a system, and share it freely to hundreds and thousands of people who can then replicate the same kind of success I’ve had.
I can help you do this too. Aligning up with me as your personal coach gives you my 1 on 1 direct guidance creating the life YOU want to create.
If you are positive, driven, independent, forward thinker, who knows it’s going to take some hard work, it’s going to be challenging in the beginning, it’s going to have a learning curve, but it’s all going to be worth it….. I’d love for you to join my team.
