Our Spotlight member this month is Vanessa! In her interview, she shares about the value of investing in yourself, and the positive benefits of community. Vanessa always shows up ready to bring her best, and is one of the most fun and inspiring training partners you could ask for!
Breakthrough: Thank you, Vanessa, for chatting with me today. We are so excited to have you as our next Spotlight member. It’s been a little over a year since you’ve been training with us.
Vanessa: Yes.
Breakthrough: I’d like to first hear about what was going on before you joined. How were you feeling? What made you feel like this was something you wanted to start?
Vanessa: Okay, so I’ve always loved going to the gym. I’ve always worked out. I’ve always been sporty and then Covid hit. I had all my kids at home, and I couldn’t go to the gym anymore. I bought myself an elliptical, and I thought I would work out on the elliptical. But I am not self-motivated.
Breakthrough: Ha, ha!
Vanessa: I need to know that I have somewhere to be on a specific day at a specific time. So, I literally stopped working out for like three years.
Breakthrough: Ok.
Vanessa: I gained weight and just felt blah, and just felt very unhealthy. So I belong to the Maiden Community on Facebook…
Breakthrough: Yeah.
Vanessa: And I saw your posts on there where people were working out, and it took me a couple of months to work up my courage because I felt like I wasn’t in good enough shape…
Breakthrough: Ha, ha…
Vanessa: To go in the gym!
Breakthrough: Isn’t that the craziest thing?
Vanessa: Right? Like cleaning your house before the housekeeper comes.
Breakthrough: Exactly!
Vanessa: So, I felt I wasn’t in good enough shape to go to the gym but eventually I plucked up the courage to get my bum inside and here I am!
Breakthrough: Yay! Well, we are so very glad that you did!
Vanessa: I am too!
Breakthrough: It’s just been so nice to have you over this past year and see all the stuff you have accomplished. So how are you feeling now that it has been a year?
Vanessa: It’s been a blessing. I am incredibly grateful that I put my foot in here and found support and a community. I don’t feel that I am out of place…
Breakthrough: No, not at all!
Vanessa: …because there are people who are younger than me and older than me, bigger than me, smaller than me and it doesn’t matter. It’s just about me. And that is how I feel when I come in here. That it is my own personal journey.
Breakthrough: Nice! Are there things that you’ve noticed that are feeling different in terms of how you move, and how you do things inside the gym and outside the gym?
Vanessa: I mean obviously, I definitely feel stronger. I’ve always been strong, but I feel stronger and have more energy, and I just feel that I am capable of more now. I had back surgery thirteen years ago, and I have issues with my right leg and my right foot. I know that it is important for me to watch my core and strengthen my core. What I like about being here is that it makes me more aware of what I am doing to make sure that I don’t re-injure myself.
Breakthrough: Yeah, so even the stuff you are doing outside the gym, you are more aware.
Vanessa: Exactly. If that makes sense.
Breakthrough: That’s totally makes sense! And that is exactly what it should do! Now, I’d also love to know, what is your why. What’s the thing that keeps you motivated to keep showing up for yourself like this?
Vanessa: Like I said, I like having the commitment. It’s on my calendar, twice a week, I know I have to be there, I am showing up. I’m paying…
Breakthrough: Ha, ha!
Vanessa: It’s on my credit card every month. It’s an investment – an investment in myself. And as long as I know that I have somewhere to be, I will be there.
Breakthrough: Sometimes that’s just the most important “why” there is – investing in you.
Vanessa: Yes, this is an investment in me! I am not a self-motivated “worker outer!” So the why is it’s on my calendar and I need to be here.
Breakthrough: I think a lot of people can relate to that. We all have things that we are motivated to do on our own and other things that we need a like-minded group of people to do it with to make it worthwhile.
Vanessa: And I show up every week and it is the same group of people. And you become invested in them as well. Like we all support each other, and we also show up for each other.
Breakthrough: Absolutely! And when you aren’t here, people ask, where is Vanessa? Is she traveling this week? What’s going on?
Vanessa: It makes you feel nice because you are part of the community…
Breakthrough: Because you are!
Vanessa: …and they’ve all got your back, too, which I like. It’s not just you and a trainer. Which I have never liked. I like being here where there are other people.
Breakthrough: That is partially why we do things the way we do. We want you guys to have individualized results. You get your own program. But we also know that there is such a benefit that comes from having that community, so it’s a win-win. You get the personal training side of things, plus you get the community side of things!
Vanessa: Exactly.
Breakthrough: I am so glad that is how you are feeling. That is exactly the experience that we want it to be.
Vanessa: And that’s why I am here.
Breakthrough: Yay! Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing all this. We appreciate you, Vanessa.
Vanessa: You are welcome! I appreciate you, too!