We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sharae Jenkins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Sharae, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
In my late 20’s, I began to ask the questions, “What is my purpose?” and, “What am I put on this earth to do that extends beyond myself?” I knew that helping people in some way was how I could make the greatest impact. I have always been passionate about many things, but what was something that many people find hard to do that I have successfully done? What then came to mind was my own health journey. In 2008, I was the heaviest I have ever been and knew it was time for a change. I didn’t need another quick fix, but I needed a lasting fix. I was young and had a full life ahead of me, and I not only wanted to look my best, but also feel my best. There as so much that I didn’t know, but I couldn’t allow that to hold me when there were resources available to help me at least start somewhere. I told myself to be patient, trust the process, and embrace trial and error. Through educating myself about nutrition, cooking more of my own meals, and developing a love for fitness, I eventually lost 60 pounds and have been able to keep it off for over 15 years. After losing the weight, people would ask me what I did, what was my secret, and how can I help them. So, I decided to blog and share my story and how I was maintaining my success. Then I learned that I could help people further by becoming a health coach! I could take what I learned, package it up, and help others break free from the yo-yo dieting cycle, and create a sustainable lifestyle. So I became certified as a Fitness Nutrition Specialist and then later a Holistic Nutrition Weight Loss Coach! My purpose was directly linked to my passion for health and wellness. By becoming a health coach, I have the opportunity to support anyone from anywhere reach their goals and to feel empowered to live a life they enjoy!
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?
My current focus areas for my business include revamping my 8-week group coaching program and building more connections through networking locally. I want my coaching program to be more than recording my client’s weight. I want to help them develop habits they can sustain. I want to provide them with the community, support, and personalized accountability they need so that they no longer feel alone on this journey. I meet so many people who want change, but they feel failure or they believe they need to overhaul their entire life overnight. I want to re-write the narrative and help them actually enjoy the weight loss journey, because it is possible.
Additionally, I want to develop partnerships with other local, small businesses who provide complementary services. I am only one person, but can help so many more people through events, such as work shops, retreats, or guest blogging!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The three skills that were necessary for me to be successful with weight loss, would be discipline, patience, and organization. Discipline is huge! People think you need mass amounts of motivation, But in reality, motivation is fleeting- it comes and it goes. Motivation is based on a feeling. But with discipline, you take action no matter how you feel. Your environment is structed to support your goals – meals prepared, workout clothes set out the night beforehand, etc. You also have systems in place, such as using your phone calendar to important reminders and using apps to track your meals, movement, and mood. Patience was also necessary, because I had to remind myself that I did not gain the weight overnight. So I would not expect to lose it overnight. I also had to come to the realization that progress would not be linear – some weeks I would lose, gain, or stay the same. If my results were not as expected, that was not a sign of failure. I, instead, viewed it as a learning opportunity. Lastly, I needed to be organized. This meant, planning my meals and workouts, having a clean kitchen, and keeping my workout equipment is a central location.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I welcome collaboration opportunities with businesses that are in the fitness, health, and wellness space and have complementary products and services. I am open to opportunities with personal trainers, massage therapists, mental health specialists, spas, physical therapist, or chiropractors. Oftentimes, clients who visit these business are looking for a holistic approach to looking and feeling better, but do not know where to start when it comes to the area of nutrition and meal planning, I can be reached through my Instagram profile – www.instagram.com/fab_fitcoaching
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.fabandfitcoaching.com
- Instagram: @fab_fitcoaching
- Facebook: Sharae Jenkins
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