Meet Currie Gossett

We recently connected with Currie Gossett and have shared our conversation below.

Currie, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

As a kid, I was always the tallest one in my class. Always at the back of the line on picture day, and always thought to be older than I really was. Because of that, I was thrown into leadership roles at a pretty young age. My teachers asked me to help in the classroom, I was encouraged to play sports and run for student council. I could have easily shrunk down to a smaller size, slumping to fit in with my peers, but the message that I continually received growing up was that tall is beautiful, and that I had won the genetic lottery. Thinking back, this was pivotal in my self confidence, and in how I viewed my worth and self-esteem. I had to quickly develop a thick skin around all the kids (and adults) who asked me “How’s the weather up there”, and “Do you play basketball?!” I learned to love my height and the fact that I stood out. I was treated older than I was, so I acted older than I was, usually rolling my eyes at all the dumb things my friends would do to get attention and “fit in.” I never felt like I had to fit into a certain mold because physically, I was already outside out it. To this day, I love my height, (except for when shopping for pants!,) and I truly believe it is the root of my self confidence.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am the owner and founder of C.O.R.E. grow strong, in Greenville, SC. We are a Comprehensive Pilates Studio, but so much more. C.O.R.E. stands for Confidence. Optimism. Resilience. Energy, and we are building an inclusive community of mindful movers, through the principles of Classical and Contemporary Pilates.

We are the most highly trained and experienced staff in Greenville, our instructors are fully certified, and safety is our top priority. Pilates is a fabulous life-long, core centric exercise that improves balance, flexibility, strength, and stability. Everyone can do it, and it can be practiced for a lifetime!

We opened in June of 2021, with a full service studio, along with a designer athletic boutique, and have truly changed people’s lives through Pilates. The thing that is most special to me is having created a sacred place for people to be themselves, to exhale and relax from the stressors of daily life, and to build confidence and strength they may have never known they had. When you walk in our doors, you will find community, strength, friendship, and more importantly, connection to yourself.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

The biggest quality that has gotten me here today is the simple belief in myself. One of my favorite quotes is, “She believed she could, so she did…” So often we put every road block and “what if…” in front of a major decision or resolve to finally start. It’s really not that hard. We are all capable of so much more than we give ourselves credit for. Yes, the logistics and the planning can be overwhelming, but if you have an innate belief in yourself, those all become the easy things. I also think being able to live in the unknown and flexibility is a skill that is really important along any entrepreneurial journey. You can have a vision of what your “thing” is going to look like, who it’s going to serve, and how it’s going to work, and without doubt, something unexpected is going to pop-up, and you’re going to have to shift course, change plans, or go back to the drawing board. As I’ve gotten older, this is something that I’ve had to work really hard at because things that you’re not expecting pop-up all the time, and not just in business… that’s life!

My best advice is to just start somewhere. Make a logo, create a mood board, write a small business plan, or research the industry you want to enter. Baby steps add up over time, and before you know it, you’ve armed yourself with hands-on knowledge and an accumulation of work hours, that you’re more than ready to jump in, to sign the lease, take out the loan, whatever it is. You can do it, and you will only go as far as you believe you will, so visualize yourself in the highest, most successful and joyous place you possibly can, and then practice that.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

My number 1 challenge right now, ironically, is my health. It’s a daily battle to manage autoimmunity and a genetic kidney disorder, that I have no control over. It’s something that no one would ever suspect from someone like me. There are so many things that I am unable to do in my body that I used to be able to do. Running, agility, or anything high intensity. The challenge is to accept and practice gratitude for everything that is working. It’s insanely maddening and frustrating to feel like you’re doing “all the right things” lifestyle wise, and living what you preach, yet you wake up with debilitating joint pain, you get light-headed just picking something off the ground, and never quite knowing how you’re going to feel after a certain meal, exercise or travel. I prioritize my sleep, my self-care, and try to eat and live as clean and healthy as possible. It will continue to be a struggle and challenge my whole life, but I lean on my inner strength and try my hardest to focus on the things that I do have control of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.coregrowstrong.com
• Instagram: @coregrowstrong
• Facebook: @coregrowstrong

Image Credits

Photographer: Emily Bolt