Thanks so much for coming to my blog! This is my first official blog post!  I figure I should start by telling you my story and letting you know where I come from…

My story… Ever since I was little, I was drawn to movement and music. I started taking dance lessons when I was 3 years old. I fell in love and continued dancing through high school. There was something so magical that happened when the music was playing, and I danced. It gave me the most amazing feeling of bliss, like I could do anything! As we grow older, it’s expected that life will become more complicated and stressful. In high school, when I hit a bump in the road, dancing was the one thing that took me away from all my problems.

I’m really not sure how it happened, but as my senior year came, so did a lot of issues. I had always been a happy-go-lucky girl that wanted to a part of everything and friends with everyone. In my senior year of high school, I had trouble focusing and took on too many activities and responsibilities with honors classes, extracurricular activities, clubs, etc. This combined with some thyroid issues had me very stressed out and sick. I ran myself into the ground. I was always a positive and happy person, but somehow, I found myself very depressed as I finished high school and moved on to college. Even when my medical issues were cleared up, I still did not feel like myself.

My love affair with dance had come to an end with graduation. It had been the one thing that took me away from it all and made me feel like myself again, but after high school, it was gone. In my first year of college, I had a hard time adjusting to everything and dealing with my depression in the mean time. I had also gone from my outgoing self to a very introverted, self conscious person. It wasn’t until my second year of college that a ray of light shined through it all, and I started my journey coming back to being me again.

My dad saw an infomercial for a workout program called “Turbo Jam.” It’s a workout that combines kickboxing and dance. He thought it would be something myself, my sister, and my mom would enjoy. He ordered it for us, not knowing it would change my life forever. I tried one of the videos. Chalene Johnson, the creator of the program, was so motivating, positive, and happy. It rubbed off on me! It brought back that good old feeling I got when I danced. My Turbo Jam workouts were the one thing I looked forward to every day.

After ordering all of the Turbo Jam videos and doing them so many times that I had each one memorized, I started a desperate quest for more of these workouts. Google brought me to Chalene Johnson’s business, Powder Blue Productions: a company that trains instructors to teach the live version of Turbo Jam (Turbo Kick) along with other workouts. I never had the intention of becoming an instructor, but I attended a training just to get more videos. The moment I walked in the door, I fell in love with the workout and the company. I knew this was something I wanted to be a bigger part of. When I got home, I practiced, started teaching, and enjoyed it more than anything!

I found that working to become a better instructor and pushing myself out of my comfort zone also pushed me to battle my depression and gain back my self confidence. I was motivated by the fact that I was helping others and didn’t realize that in the mean time, I was really helping myself, too. Powder Blue helped me turn my life back around, and I wanted to be a bigger part of it. I kept working on my instructor skills and applied to become an Area Promotions Director and Presenter for the company. I wanted to train instructors just as I had been trained and share this amazing feeling!

I flew out to Southern California and auditioned to be a representative for the company. While I wasn’t the best at public speaking and presenting initially, Powder Blue saw something in me and gave me a chance. They coached me in improving my presentation skills and portraying confidence. After a lot of hard work, I am now presenting trainings for their formats (Turbo Kick, PiYo, and Hip Hop Hustle) all over Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

Not only did Chalene and Powder Blue help me to be comfortable being myself again, but they also taught me about being confident and the importance of doing what I love and what makes me happy. I learned how crucial it is to set goals and make a strategic plan to achieve them. They also gave me the confidence and knowledge to work for myself doing something I’m passionate about. I now present their trainings, teach fitness classes, have a fitness business coaching others, and also have my own business in graphic/web design and marketing. I love what I do, I love life, and I finally believe in myself again!

I also must mention my family in all of this! I have the most amazing and supportive family, and I love them dearly. They stood by me throughout the entire journey and always encourage me to do what I love. I am so thankful for them, for my mentors, and for the opportunity to share with you the things that helped me on my journey. One of my mentors, Christine Dwyer, once said to me, “Don’t stick a fork in me, because I’m not done yet.” This is so true! I’m not done yet! I’m still working on becoming the best version of myself and living a “fit life.” I hope you’ll join me on this journey!