The weight loss arena is a huge money maker, this goes without saying. There are so many fads and 'diets' out there all boasting grand results and weight loss before you can blink an eye. My next featured Women in Business is Carolina Belmeras, certified Personal Trainer, certified Zumba Instructor, and the only
fitness professional in the Barrie area certified in Sports Nutrition by
Precision Nutrition.
Born in Mexico and with a passion for fitness, dance, and all things
health, she has found joy in sharing her knowledge of exercise and
nutrition as key aspects to wellness. Having finished her
very own one-year body transformation, Carolina understands that there
is no better way to coach than by example.
Here is her story:
Looking back on my childhood I should have anticipated a life dedicated to fitness. In hindsight, not
only my love for sports and movement offered a good clue, but also my inability to focus on numerical tasks, frustration with long lectures, and disinterest of all things history may have been a hint. As you can imagine, I was one of those fidgety kids!
Through motion is how I learn and find my peace.
However, it took me several years to come to this realization. For some time in my early and mid-20’s I belonged to the club of what is popularly known in the industry as the “skinny-fat.” That is to say, my body kept slender (even after the birth of my first daughter) without much effort from my part... but my physical condition was quite lacking. Yes, I was one of those who could eat whatever and not gain weight. But looks can be deceiving.
I had no endurance or flexibility. Any attempt to run or move even remotely fast left me winded and
short of breath almost immediately. I had no muscle tone, and even though my frame looked petite I
could begin noticing a softness and (for lack of a better word) flabbiness that wasn’t there before.
Several years ago a local personal trainer - whose Zumba class I was attending - suggested I consider working in fitness: he needed an assistant trainer for his studio and he wished to hire someone who wasn’t already polluted by all the incorrect information and techniques in the fitness industry, someone he could train himself and trust with his own clients.
And thus began my life in fitness. I learned a lot from working for someone else in the beginning,
including what I would and wouldn’t do with clients of my own. I did many things wrong and many
others right, and I learned from all. In this time I discovered I really like lifting weights and how doing so gives me a sense of challenge and accomplishment like nothing else. At the same time I began exploring with other areas of the health and wellness industry, trying to find my true calling. I gave mountain biking a fair try (not for me), I gave swimming a shot (just... no.), I tried endurance running (never again), all while wondering what was my thing? What was I going to specialize in and focus on in such a vast industry? What if I never found one topic I love and end up just one more anonymous trainer with no specialty to call their own? It was a long process but through lots of exploration and patience, through understanding that I don’t have to be an expert at everything or love every fitness practice, and by keeping an open mind it was that I eventually landed on what became my thing: Sports nutrition.
I can tell you one thing-- the sun shines bright when you find your place.
So if I can give you one piece of advice today it is this: Play. Explore. Go out with the goal of making a fool of yourself and revel in the joy of laughing at your own expense, because in pushing the boundaries of responsibility and composure a wonderful world awaits you; one in which you can find the things that make your heart sing.
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to often I am around a gaggle of friends or in a group amongst women
and hear an amazing amount of creativity. They are batting around
ideas, knowledge and expertise in a multitude of areas and they do it
without breaking a sweat. I listen and think that idea / topic / skill
would be the start of a great business.
Something
strange happens though, when you suggest they pursue this idea further.
It's like watching a balloon deflate; like the world has just come in
on itself.
I'm met with many of these reasons, in no particular order...
- I'm not good enough at ______________ to be able to sell
- I wouldn't know how to get started
- I really don't have time
- I have no clue what I'm doing
- What I know people don't need
- No, no this is just my hobby
- I have to put my family first so can't
- I'm not organized enough to try
- I've never been good at following through so it would likely flop
- I'm so scared at the very thought I would rather bungee jump from a low hanging bridge
I was able to rhyme these off without batting an eyelash and
that's because sadly I hear it all too often. I feel strongly that for
many women who work from the home, and care for children and family, don't see their potential to take a piece of the pie in the business
world.
What I would love to see is more YES.
- YES. My idea has value and can make a difference
- YES. I can make the time to build something that is just for me,
even if it's during my children's nap time and I don't get the laundry
done
- YES. I can make a future for myself that involves me being financially independent
- YES. I can learn how to get things started, because I'm all kinds of brilliant
- YES. I have ENOUGH skills to make my idea a success.
Ladies of the world: Say YES! To your ideas, your dreams, YOUR SUCCESS, and to YOU!
"According to all known laws of aviation, there's no way a bee should be able to fly. It's wings are too small to lift its fat little body off the ground. The bee of course flies anyway - because bees don't care what humans think is impossible". ~ The Bee Movie
How many time have you told yourself you won't be able to do ABC? ABC being the plethora of new ideas you have for yourself or business. How many times have you been told an idea you've had for a new hobby or business was not likely to 'work' due to some kind of garbage input?
If the bee listened to any of our 'scientific' findings it would certainly take a hell of a lot longer for them to pollinate our crops and make our gardens lovely year after year. Not to mention HONEY! Not having that lovely bi-product of all their buzzing around would make my tea lifeless and boring.
So what ideas have you for a new business that you talk yourself out of? What new paths for your existing business are you shutting down because of this very same thinking? Do you realize by saying NO or being told no to these ideas that you are depriving a person of their honey?
Take Walt Disney for example he was fired by a newspaper editor because he "lacked imagination". Well we all know what he did with that input. Vera Wang is another interesting story, she failed to make the U.S. Skating Team so became an editor at Vogue but was passed over the Editor-In-Chief position. Having been passed over enough she started designing wedding dresses and has now amassed a business which boasts over 1 billion in earnings.
What business processes are not working for you but you're too scared to change them up? Perhaps you have an idea to increase profits by taking your business options online and into the hands of your customers. Are you overworked and in need of software for your business that would make your life easier? Whatever the scenario all of these ideas have value.
So be like a bee my friend; ignore the voices and FLY!
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Listen, very rarely will people be so willing to separate from their cash as they will this time of year. Nothing is higher on peoples list than making those people they love happy. It's a need that drives people to scour the internet looking for YOU. Last year in just the U.S. there was an estimated 191.1 million online shoppers, by 2018 they are projecting that number to be 215.1 million (http://www.statista.com/statistics/183755/number-of-us-internet-shoppers-since-2009/). Can your company afford to miss the opportunity of this growth? 
