Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ami Mcmullen. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ami, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I think all of us experience imposter syndrome at some point in our journey, no matter what field we’re in. I imagine for most people, like me, it’s usually in the beginning of their careers… or in the beginning of the next level of growth. The way I’ve always dealt with it is learning something new to make sure I stay ahead of the people I’m training, coaching, or speaking to.
As a personal trainer and studio owner, I KNOW that I know more than my clients and customers. They don’t have a degree in Exercise & Sport Science. They don’t have multiple certifications in fitness and nutrition. They don’t read industry journals and research abstracts to stay on top of the latest findings in the field. I don’t feel as if they’re going to challenge me on anything, and if they did, I’d welcome it. If they know more than me, I’d love to learn from them… but it hasn’t happened yet. Always remember who you are, what your knowledge and skillset is, and how much more you know than your audience.
Sometimes I speak at industry confoerences and that can be a little daunting. Speaking to colleagues and peers is way different than my clients. I’ve always heard that you know to be able to go two levels deeper than what you’re speaking on if you’re speaking to peers, so I’ve kept that in mind. I stick to niche topics I KNOW I know more about and I always leave room for being able to go more in depth if requested.
The biggest thing is trusting my own experience. The more you do, the more you learn. And it’s ok to adopt a new philosophy/method of operation as you grow. I follow a ton of my colleagues online and pay attention when they’re offering education. If I start feeling like I’m getting a bit stale, I watch their webinars, read the latest research article, or take a new (self-paced) certification.
Trust your education and trust your experience, but never stop learning… and you’ll never feel left behind.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
After graduating and living in several different cities, I’ve settled back down in my hometown and am running a fitness studio. I have a staff that teaches fitness classes and I offer personal training and online nutrition coaching as well. I also contract for another fitness company traveling around the U.S. teaching education workshops for other fitness profressionals. Occassionally I speak at industry conferences and have had the pleasure of speaking in 5 different countries.
The older I get and the more complex my life gets, the more I understand the need for flexibility when it comes to health, fitness, and nutrition for my clients. That’s why I offer a mix of in person and online coaching. Like most of us, we love the convenience of online workouts and the more convenient something is for my clients, the more likely they are to do it.
I work with a lot of busy people, from parents taking care of their kids and parents at the same time to busy CEOs who are constantly traveling. Life is busy but everybody is trying to find a way to balance life with their own self-care. It can be tough, and I understand that. I’ll work with anybody that’s willing to be open to finding a different way for themselves. I’m all in for you if you are!
In the near future, I’ll be offering a couple of self-paced online fitness and nutrition courses for people that are either in different time zones or that need coaching during my off-hours. I’m excited about these and they’ll be out in the new year!
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?
Discipline, education, & openness to new ideas will guide anybody to higher levels in anything they want to achieve. You’ve gotta put the time in CONSISTENTLY to get better. You can’t be all in one week and then not pick it up again for a month. Well… you can, but it’ll take you so long you’ll probably lose steam in the process.
Get your education, whether that’s a degree in the field, certifications or licenses, or continuing ed. workshops. I know it’s possible to work in a field without having accredidation, but if I’m hiring somebody, I want somebody who took the time to go through the process and isn’t afraid of classes or tests to get where they need to go.
Learning from muliple people/organizations is key as well. You can’t take one workshop from one person and only use their methods exclusively. There are so many intelligent, talented people out there offering their insights. Learn from their experience to speed up your own knowledge! The more people you learn from, the more you’ll start to see patterns for what really works for most people. Always be open to learning more from a bigger pool of knowledge.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
I have the classic problem of taking on more than I can handle all too often. When I’m overwhelmed, I do the 3 D’s (taken from Precision Nutrition’s Stress Management program): Delete, Delegate, and Do Less.
I have to realize that I can’t actually do EVERYTHING. First, I delegate out what can be handled by somebody else. This is hard, as it takes time to teach/train somebody else how to do what you want, but it’s the worth the time investment to free yourself up a bit. I felt like I was DYING when I was teaching a couple 6am classes per week so I kept one and took the time to hire somebody to take the other one. That extra sleep does wonders for me!
Then I delete what isn’t serving me. I take stock of my business – what’s doing well, what isn’t doing well – and my social life – what commitments can stay and which aren’t completely necessary, Then I let go of a couple things. I can’t let go of everything, but I can definitely trim the fat. I can cancel a class that isn’t doing well, I can say no to writing a blog post for a company that asked because I don’t have the bandwidth.
Then I do less. This means scaling way back on the amount of time I spend on certain things. I don’t have time for a monthly book club, but I could do a book club that meets once a quarter (highly recommend this pace if you’re in a book club or looking to start one). I might not be able to get an hour walk outside, but I could do 20 minutes. I might not be able to read a million books, but I could do a few pages before bed each night. I can have my kid play one sport at a time instead of two. I don’t have kids of my own yet, but this was a rule in my house growing up and it’s one I’d like to continue when I get my family. Chaos doesn’t help anybody. Not everything has to be done TO THE MAX. You can do a little at a time and still feel fulfilled.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://amimcmullen.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/fitwithflash
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Fitwithflashblog
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amimcmullen
Image Credits
Images by Georgi Silkerodt & Ben Keeling
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