During our weekly interactions, I have gotten to know Michelle really well and understand that her drive is making women feel good about themselves. Please get to know this local mom a little better by reading her answers to our questions.
1. What is your MISSION? What do you want to accomplish?
My mission is to empower other women to achieve their fitness goals and to live a healthier lifestyle by providing in-home personal training and fitness nutrition guidance. By providing this service I hope to help every woman ultimately feel good about themselves and to feel comfortable in their own skin.
2. What inspired/encouraged you to start training moms?
I became inspired to start training moms after I became a mom and truly understood not only the difficulty in finding time for fitness, but also the necessity of finding time for fitness. Exercise for moms not only helps with the adjustment to the demands of motherhood and with the postpartum weight loss, but also serves as a way to do something for yourself, which I believe is crucial for balance.
3. Is there one specific moment when you knew this was what you wanted to do?
There were several moments along my journey to this job but ultimately once I realized my passion for fitness and decided to become a certified personal trainer, I knew instantly that I wanted to specialize in training women and to provide in-home training because I understood the demands on a mom's time.
4. How did your life before children influence the mom you are today? (Work, experiences) What part do your children play in your current mission?
My life before my children always included hobbies, great friendships, and time for myself, so I think that I knew it should be a priority to make time for myself. As much as I love being a mom, I am also a wife, a daughter, sister, friend, etc. and those relationships are just as important to cultivate. And I am also me! So I knew I needed to make time for things that I enjoy to help me to continually grow as a person. My children not only inspire me on my current mission, they are my biggest fans! They love hearing stories about how my work helps to change someone's life, and they constantly tell me how proud they are of me for using my passion to help others.
5. What lessons/values are you learning through this process? What lessons/values do you hope your kids are learning?
The biggest lesson I am learning through this process is that women are so much more alike than we think! Too often I think the media, and sometimes other women, try to pit us against each other. But truly we are all trying to do the best we can with what we have, and we all come equipped with our own self-doubts and insecurities, but also with an amazing array of strengths and talents! It has been amazing to connect with other women who are also pursuing their own passions.
6. What do you do to take care of yourself and how do you make time to do it?
I try to do something for myself daily, getting in some form of workout, reading a book or magazine, doing my nails, catching up with a friend, anything that gives me a little time for myself. I make time by making time! If something is a priority we find a way to make time, and it is so important to realize that it isn't selfish to care about ourselves!!
7. What can we do to support you in the community?
We can support each other by continually finding ways to build each other up, to help one another connect with services or people in our circle of family/friends, and by simply being positive uplifting people!
-----------------------------------
- HEATHER MONSON is on a mission to make sure children and families are mindful of others and compassionate to one another.
