We were lucky to catch up with Amy Blackburn-Dreyer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Amy with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I don’t think there is one thing alone that I can attribute my work ethic to as it is a combination of things. First and foremost, my dad. He exemplified a strong willingness to do the work required of him. He felt a lot of responsibility raising a family on a single income. I never recall him ever complaining but rather got up early and stayed late as a way to keep working his way up in the company he stayed with for 30 years. Sure, I can say it was his work ethic, but, honestly, it was his purpose. His “why” factor that drove his work ethic. So, needless to say, he instilled that in all four of his children. We were taught at a young age that “money doesn’t grow on trees” so you must go earn it.
Secondly, I believe my father’s belief in a strong work ethic was fostered even more by my participation in competitive gymnastics. We were required to train 5 days a week for four hours. The daily grind of repeating the same kind of effort day in and day out in order to achieve your goal required a certain level of work ethic. If you did not have it, you likely did not stay in the sport. I was able to equate what I put into my training I got out of it.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I am a Certified Gut and Hormonal Health Coach who helps high achieving professionals heal their leaky gut as the first step toward overcoming burnout. I know exactly how it feels trying to keep up with a fast-paced career that demands results each and every day. As a former elite gymnastics coach, I hit stages of burnout a few times over the course of my former 25-year career. I was able to do the exceptional, detailed work on the job and get the results on the competition floor, but, as a result, I was exhausted and full of anxiety. Eventually it got so bad, I sought out help with acupuncture, yoga, and one extra day off of work each week. This helped yet it never resolved the constant on and off again burnout my body and nervous system experienced. UNTIL I discovered a leaky gut due to a gluten intolerance for decades! Once I took myself through a very thorough gut healing protocol, my own anxiety disappeared and my energy and focus stabilized and has continued to do so for 3 years. In a nutshell, I got my life back!
Now I have the honor of taking my own clients through the exact same protocol that I went through as a way to help them get their zest for life back as well. Once I healed my gut, I was able to finally feel healthy enough to go after this dream I had sat on for 10 years. I wanted to become my own boss and run a virtual health coaching business. This is why it excites me so much to help my clients as well. I want to help them feel healthy and courageous enough to go after their dreams! Life is too short to simply go through the motions. But your health is a non-negotiable in this equation. The path toward creating the life of your dreams is anything but a straight line. You must have a resilience in both body and mind that is strong enough to get you through the ups and downs that are part of the process. Now I can help people gain back their health as the first step! This provides exactly the meaningful, purpose driven work I desire and require! It’s beautiful.
Gut Thrive in 5 is my signature program. It is most definitely a result driven program. I feel everyone needs a true gut healing. But, that’s not always for everyone. So, I just launched an affordable membership plan that brings health coaching to the masses while providing people with the private coaching still just not as time consuming or costly. In the end both of my offers are for those high performing individuals seeking optimal wellness and optimal living, in general. When you have this thirst for life and reaching your potential as a person, you tend to be more excited about feeling healthy and strong. My services help people feel just that-healthy and strong!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
1. I believe my willingness to learn and to be coached myself. If I set out to accomplish something, I want mentorship. I want to learn from someone who has gone through the same trenches but now sits on top of the mountain willing to help others get there too! I want to be that person for someone.
2. My attention to detail and desire for excellence in my own work is what helps me be the best coach/mentor I can be for someone. I often was heard telling my gymnasts, “The day you see me sitting down being lazy is the day you can do the same” because they knew I “showed up” each and every day. That has carried over into my health coaching. In various interviews for PT work, I was often asked the classic question, “how do you handle a client who is not doing the work yet wants the results?” I was being very serious when I said I really have not come upon that yet. I feel that is because my clients feel my passion and standard somehow. I simply live it enough that it motivates them to do the same perhaps.
3. I think my ability to motivate a group of people or even a single individual in a speech is a skill or area of knowledge that separates me. My passion bleeds through during my talks. The whole mindset of if you want it, go do the work to get it!
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
For as much as I talk about confidence and if you want something go get it, I struggle in this area! Yes! I do. I believe my limiting beliefs have held me back the past two years, in particular. In gymnastics I had reached a point in which I knew my work separated me from the pack. I knew where I stood within that arena and gained quite a bit of confidence and capability over the years. But, when I decided to give my health coaching my full focus, I lost myself a bit. I questioned my place in the field and my voice in a new arena. Only recently have I come to the understanding that coaching is coaching. What makes me an excellent gymnastics coach will make me an excellent health coach. I need to trust and lean on my skills and talents as a coach. The material being taught may be different but the ability to communicate, inspire, and assist is exactly the same. This is why I am leaning more and more toward calling myself a high-performance coach. It’s a mindset and desire for excellence thing. That’s where my authentic voice will be heard. About their struggles while holding them accountable for their life and dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.amyblackburn.net
- Instagram: amy_blackburn_wellness
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wholehealthcoaching74
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lilames51/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdlHtpD6ubSS9yNwXMymUXw
Image Credits
Sarah Brooks Creative @sarahbrookscreative
