We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erica Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Erica, thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
A comment I hear from a lot of people is “oh you are so disciplined” or “it must be easy for you, you are a health coach!” but the reality is, it’s not! One of the biggest things I’ve done to stay aligned to my goals is to ensure that my goals are aligned to my identity (how I see myself) and my personal values. Instead of relying on motivation or discipline, I have learned to rely on something deeper… how my identity is tied to my goals. A great example is my weekly strength training routine. I can’t say I am jumping for joy every time I’m heading to the gym to work hard. But I’m not going because I feel like it. I’m going because I am the kind of person who values taking care of myself and someone who intends to live a long life independently. This shift in perspective has really helped me activate on my goals and stay on track. I also like to remind myself that I get to, not I “have to” when it comes to my fitness. I use these same tools when coaching women in mountain biking and as a health coach!
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In 2019, I founded a women’s cycling group called Crank Queens. What started as a group chat to inspire me to ride my bike more has turned into an incredible community of 100+ women who love mountain biking just as much as I do! Five years later, Crank Queens is hosting skills clinics, group rides, retreats, workshops, group programs and more. This also led to me becoming a women’s health coach in 2023 to enhance and expand the offerings Crank Queens provides to support women getting outdoors and riding their bikes. I believe that our success ON the bike starts with the work we do off the bike – our nutrition, sleep/recovery, learning to prioritize ourselves, strength training, etc. And that big change happens when we get in community with other like minded women!
For many years, I would have women ask me how I was able to spend so much time riding bikes, racing bikes, etc. I realized that so much of my success had to do with my nutrition, recovery tools, and setting healthy boundaries to protect my ME time on the bike. I could teach women these same skills for their success as well. And that is exactly what I do today in my health coaching.
This year, we launched a new group program to support just that – women building strength in the off season in order to come back next spring even stronger than before. The five month program includes a customized strength training program, nutrition support, cooking classes, goal setting workshops, monthly group coaching, and more. Participants are already seeing PRs on the bike and feeling so much stronger. Plus, they have practical tools to help them sustain these changes. Crank Queens also offers spring and summer group programs to teach women how to mountain bike, which includes learning what to eat before/during/after a ride, how to maintain our bikes, and how to maintain our bodies.
It’s work like this, supporting women with their goals, that keeps me going.
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?
One of my mantras is “keep moving forward”. This mindset has sustained me through the most challenging of times, personally and professionally. The answer or the next step is not always clear! But I have found that when I keep moving, the path emerges. Often we can get stuck in our own self doubt, questioning our every decision. And what gets me out of that funk is just taking action. It may not be the perfect action and I may need to adjust. But taking action is what has resulted in finding my path. Letting go of the perfectionism and waiting for everything to be just so before taking action.
I have also invested in my own skills and development, whether that is through mountain biking skills, nutrition certifications, hiring a business coach or other support. My ongoing development ensures that I have up to date knowledge and expertise to share with others in order to support them in their journey.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is a woman in her late 30s to early 60s who knows that she wants to make some significant changes to her life but is not sure how to get started. Often women come to me facing a big challenge such as a career change, looking at retirement, a health issue, or becoming an empty nester. They might feel excited about the change but also maybe a bit afraid or unsure. They know they want something more in life but are having a hard time envisioning the steps to get there. That is where I come in! I love helping women map out the path to their success with clear, actionable steps. Women leave a coaching session with me feeling confident knowing they have a plan and can take action right away.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.crankqueens.org/
- Instagram: @crankqueensboise
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericardavis/
Image Credits
Creative Co Studios
Katie Sox Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
