Meet Shauntel Douglas

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shauntel Douglas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Shauntel, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?

My resiliency comes from watching generations of women in my family make things shake and happen in the midst of multiple odds including just being black women.
I’ve seen both my mother, grandmother and others being rejected so many times when in need of help, when attempting to help others and etc. and it made me so angry and hurt leaving me to immerse more into them to learn how to navigate through rejections.
I was blessed to have powerful women in my life who refused, “No” and owned their strength and power and rushed through those “No” doors.

To know my worth as a human, what I am capable of doing as a human beyond societal standards and acknowledging the sacrifices that my ancestors fought through and for to grant me the capacity and range exemplifies resiliency,

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

So, I am an Aquarian of MANY things! I am an active Pilates Teacher, Holistic Health and Wellness Coach and Herbalist while also holding certifications as both a Barre Teacher and Spinning Instructor (Not actively using currently).

What’s special in my case is that my full circle moment through my self-healing, growth and love for athletics (former athlete) turned into becoming both an advocate, teacher of these things and helping others utilize various components through Pilates, herbalism and etc,,, to heal themselves.
My Pilates Journey was the most beautiful mistake, and I exemplify this with the upmost humor and gratitude. I walked into the program (Core Dynamics) under the belief that it was of Yoga since google images made it look similar and had already been a student of Yoga for almost 6 years while also Powerlifting. Boy, was I wrong, humbled but grew to love it.

In the midst I’d already been working on my brand while a student in becoming a Holistic health and wellness coach and herbalist and came up with Urban Holistic and Juicing. Urban Holistics and Juicing turned into Urban Holistics Health and Wellness as the certifications kept coming. Now that I’m a Pilates Teacher (6 years) in Mat, reformer with Apparatus, teach a resistance band strength training with both functional mobility class, I am Growing so with that brings forth re-rooting with intention and birthing something new to tie all things Movement, Health and Wellness and Herbalism together.

I am a curvy black woman that teaches fitness so fighting through adversities on both ends of being both a teacher or student in this industry has been show series for itself. People scream inclusiveness, equality and my favorite “Racism doesn’t live here” when consistently dealing with all at multiple studios. It is my URGENT priority that this never happens under my directorship! EVER!!

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?

Three qualities that I feel were most impactful in my journey has been to:

1. ALWAYS be authentic and confident in who you are and wherever you are. OWN IT and if being questioned about who you are as if it is wrong, then honey, that space isn’t for you nor is it safe.

2. ALWAYS be a student at your craft. Find you a mentor, spiritual coach, life coach and etc. that understands and meets your personality with open embrace. There’s always space to evolve in your craft and continuously grow. There’s no perfection in it and if you’ve mastered it, what’s left to do in that space then?!

3. Don’t burn out and as it’s easier said than done and have done this multiple times: REST, REBUILD, RESET and REGROUP. If you don’t, your body will force you into it in whatever variable it wants you to be in so be sure to at least quarterly break for a bit

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

There are so many people to choose from and wish to speak on all of them but will have to take this time in honoring my late Partner Carl, the love of my life who passed just a year ago due to Cancer.

This man drenched so much of his love, encouragement wisdom and truth while
going through the realms in Pilates school while building a business I could swim in it.

Carl volunteered himself into all things to ensure the support was there so I could be successful and fluid at what I did even when I failed.
I failed my first Pilates exam from being so nervous and exhausted. I’d been up over 2 days, I was freaking out and while Carl being my calm to my storm, Carl went to the store multiple times meeting my demands for coffee and Red Bull until he stated in a concern tone that I needed to sleep a little and just cried. Everything was a blur.

Fast forward, People weren’t booking with me for Pilates because of how I looked and just constantly sobbed and wanted to quit so many times, but he always stated that you have a gift that people aren’t ready nor comfortable with because you aren’t an average woman doing average things. Your community will come to you, but you have to promise me that you’ll never change who you are and continue to be the light that black girls are looking up to. You’re going to change this industry crushing one wall at a time and I’ll be screaming, “That’s my bae! I’m so proud of you and you got this!”

Love will get you through all things as it’s an armor, but you have to hold it within you first and when up against all odds that love will morph into any weapon you need to crush through those walls.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @Notyouraveragepilates, @urbanholisticsandjuicing and @shauneedhealer_34
• Facebook: Shauntel Douglas
• Other: Currently Building a new Business baby so stay tuned!

Image Credits

Please credit: They can be credited to Jonet Marie at MoodZenVibes Photography.
IG: @moodzenvibesphotography