New Beginnings...How did I end up in the fitness & health industry?

I did not exactly take a straight trajectory into the fitness industry. Although, my guess is that very few people made a bee-line to their careers... I wonder how many people start pursuing the thing they think they want to do and then end up doing the complete opposite? That's what happened to me.

In middle school, I am pretty sure I wanted to be a neurosurgeon- because obviously at 14 it makes sense to pick the most difficult profession you can think of. Before that, I think I spent a while wanting to be a lawyer because my mom said I was so good at arguing- at 23 I now realize that's not what she really meant. In high school, I still wanted to pursue medicine in some form (I can't remember what) and even spent two years in a medical-related prep program. But by the time I got ready to apply to colleges, I had left that dream behind and somehow landed on wanting to study agriculture- I blame my brother. That may have been my longest lasting interest (I am indecisive and impulsive- great combo) because I made it through four years of school and two years working in the agriculture industry before changing my mind again. Fast forward to New Orleans in 2019...

And then, as if getting married wasn't a big enough life milestone for one year, I said "let's move across the country while I COMPLETELY redirect my career". Stephen (my hubby) was definitely onboard, but I am what I like to call "the pusher"- I push the wild and impulsive ideas into action.

I don't know about y'all, but I can't really think of two MORE opposite industries than agriculture and fitness training. For me, planning a spontaneous and kind of insane move (if you haven't heard we got rid of basically our entire material lives, including my sweet cat), helped me realize that life is too short to NOT pursue what you love, even if at first glance it doesn't seem like a practical career. If you asked me in high school if I wanted thought a career in health and fitness was a viable profession for me, I think I would have cringed and pictured a grueling rowing practice or a coaching yelling at me during a never-ending wall sit- that was my idea of working in fitness and being a coach. But like I said, life is too short to feel unfulfilled doing a "fine" job just for the money. Life is too short to "live for the weekend" or 5 o'clock to escape and office. It took me a few jobs to finally realize that, I NEEDED to love how I spent every day, not just how I spent my Saturday and Sunday, even if it required a pay cut.

So I took the long way around, through dreams of medical school and studies and jobs in agriculture, to (finally) find my true passion- fitness, health, and weight lifting- and figure out that my bucket is filled by serving others. I seek out opportunities to help others and when they win, I win. That's why personal training and nutrition coaching was finally the perfect fit. I'm sure what exactly training and coaching looks like will evolve over time and my delivery, methods, and practices will vary, AND I am excited for the ever-adapting fitness industry. I hope that whatever shape my coaching takes, I can help people be the best versions of themselves, love their lives and live them fully, and still put their pants on standing up when they're 75.