I was lucky enough to be interviewed by CanvasRebel recently, and I wanted to share some highlights with you. Please check out the entire interview here.
Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Was there an experience or lesson you learned at a previous job that’s benefited your career afterwards?
When I was early in my career as a fitness professional, I taught close to 30 classes a week at three different facilities, had personal training clients, and owned, managed, and taught at a dance studio. I was overwhelmed, overworked, and over-injured, but this was the only way I could see making ends meet if I wanted to stay in fitness. I thought the only way to make an impact was to make the impact personally.
I realized that I needed to diversify, not in my class formats, but in how I thought about the fitness industry as a whole. I focused on what brought me joy and where my passion was the strongest- teaching people new skills. I needed to spend less time on sets and reps and more time helping other fitness professionals start their own careers. I started to see how a larger ripple effect could take place.
I started my own small group training business and hired additional trainers. I taught myself the systems, processes, and technology needed for the role of entrepreneur—like hiring practices, website building, retention strategies, and social media. I became a master trainer so I could teach others how to teach. Then, I began consulting other master trainers, educators, and entrepreneurs to show them how these processes could benefit their own businesses.
I went from being overwhelmed to being organized – then to sharing these skills with others. My career has flourished since then, and I have held roles such as Lead Master Trainer, Director of Education, and Vice President of Business.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
In the early stages of my career, I was taught to say yes to every opportunity in my inbox. A mentor told me that eventually, those chances would dry up, so enjoy them while they were arriving. I would say yes to every class, client, and project because I was petrified of the impending doom that my inbox would be empty one day. This left me injured, exhausted, and unhappy with my commitments.
As a recovering “yes” woman, I know how hard it can be to slow down, rest, recover, and take breaks when needed. In my experience, entrepreneurs think we must overwork, bend backward, and sacrifice our time to prove our worth. And frankly, that’s not true. When we constantly run from one mental gymnastics trick to the next, we experience the harsh reality of burnout.
Most of us do our best work when we are happiest. After years of working with entrepreneurs, I have found that we tend to be the most productive, joyful, and healthiest when we feel mentally rested and living with a sustainable working schedule.
Please check out the entire interview here.
