We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Maddie Bigert. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Maddie below.
Maddie, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.
I think I truly found my purpose when helping others become their healthiest, best selves started to become something that lit a fire inside of me. I could feel the passion and happiness after getting feedback from someone telling me that I had helped them. And not only was it that I knew I was helping others, but through it all, I was helping myself. I realized that it was something I could do consistently and not lose my passion for it. I knew that teaching others how to incorporate fitness and healthy eating into their lives in a balanced way was my purpose when my face would brighten with a smile, I didn’t want to stop, and I just felt so full inside.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I’ve shared my story many times (and in many different ways) in previous interviews and on my Instagram, but my passion and what I’m focused on professionally truly all circle back to it. Growing up I was a dancer, but I also loved food and probably could say that I loved food more than dancing at the time, because the two did not balance each other out! I always thought that I wanted to be an elementary school teacher up until about 10th grade when I started to find my passion in creating healthy recipes. So much so that I wrote 2 cookbooks (no, they’re not published), but I sold a few and started posting more recipes on my Instagram page. I just found so much enjoyment through creating the recipe, testing it over and over, and sharing it with others to make their lives easier (and healthier!). It was around that time that my mom brought it up to me while we were out on a walk that maybe I am meant to do something different. I hadn’t really ever considered changing my future career because teaching was all I had ever considered until she came to me and it was that day that I decided I wanted to become a registered dietitian.
In addition, my love for fitness started to grow at the end of 2019 when I began following personal trainers and so called “workout guru’s” on social media. I became drawn to how they described their feelings of “being strong” and wanted to feel that too. So as you probably could have guessed, I picked up the weights and started. For years, I consistently worked out at home with the few dumbbells and bands that we had and fell in love with it. Then, when I went to college I knew that I wanted something more… and I had access to it… a HUGE gym! I started lifting even heavier and focusing on building muscle and I’ve never looked back. The gym is like my second home. My safe space. Where I go not only for my physical health, but my mental. It seems to solve so many of my problems.
And I know that there are so many people out there who don’t know where to begin with fitness or are too intimidated in the gym so my other passion is to help and inspire them. I became a fitness instructor where I teach fitness classes to large groups of people, motivating them along the way. I’m also on the path to becoming a personal trainer and will hopefully combine my two passions of fitness and nutrition to become a health and wellness coach. I’m currently minoring in health coaching and love it!
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?
Looking back, the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were discipline, perseverance, and organization. One of my favorite quotes is “Discipline over motivation.” and I refer to it almost every single day. In so many aspects of our lives I think we get caught up in taking the easy way out because we’re “tired” or lazy. And while rest is necessary, it’s not always an excuse. We’re not always motivated to go to work, workout, eat healthy, etc. But, that’s where discipline comes in and you have to–as cheesy as it sounds… just do it.
Perseverance is so important because you will have set backs. Things won’t always work out the way you want them to. Therefore, you need to remember to continue to pick yourself up and just keep going. There will always be haters or road blocks and you can’t let them stop you from achieving your goals. You can do whatever you set your mind to, but only if you have the right mindset.
Organization is literally me in a word so I will continue to list it as a skill like I did in elementary school up until the end of time haha! But seriously, you will not be productive or always get done what you need to if you don’t write it down, set intentions for your day, or plan out your time. People always ask me how I’m so productive and I really believe it all comes down to being organized. Keep a routine. Stick to it the best that you can. And everything else will follow.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
One challenge I am currently facing is not letting my past define me. I’ve been through a lot and I’m currently learning how to not use any of my past as an excuse for actions I take today. Every day you wake up is a new opportunity to be someone different. To do something different. So use that opportunity for good.
We make so many decisions every day, simple and complex. So what’s one more? Make that decision that will change you, even in the slightest, for the better. Start small. Take it one step at a time. One day at a time. And then you’ll look back a week from now, a month from now, a year from now and you’ll be unrecognizable. Make each decision by asking yourself, “is this decision one that will make me a better person or help me reach my goals?” if it’s not, then maybe it’s not the best decision. And I know we all mess up and make mistakes (including myself), we are human after all. But don’t let one mistake spiral into more. Let it go and keep moving forward.
Start becoming who you truly want to be. No matter what it is that it takes you to get there, take that step forward and don’t look back. I’ve been working so much on this recently in so many areas of my life and it does take that… work. But i’m telling you from personal experience, that it’s SO WORTH IT!!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://msha.ke/maddiejean
- Instagram: @get.fit.with.mads
- Linkedin: Maddie Bigert
- Twitter: @maddiebigert
- Other: Pinterest – @maddiebigert
