Meet Sidney Reed Lodge

We recently connected with Sidney Reed Lodge and have shared our conversation below.

Sidney, we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?

By doing the things I say I’ll do. Our brain believes what it sees and experiences, not what we say we’ll do. Your brain doesn’t take you seriously if you never follow through on your promises. The more I’m able to do, the higher my confidence. I realized pretty early that no matter how hard I wanted something, if there’s a lack of effort, it’ll never happen. What really flipped the switch for me was signing up for a Ragnar Ultra race. Every workout, long run, and sprint day boosted my self esteem when it came to running my first ultra marathon. I was lifting 2-3 times a week, running twice a day on certain days, and prioritizing recovery. I knew I had to convince my brain I could complete the race, because my body could definitely handle it. We ran for around 30 hours straight (each person running six different times) and without the proof I was ready, I think my brain would have clocked out long before my body gave up. But it never did, because I knew I was able to do it. I had spent the spring and summer training my body and mind, so when the time came to run, my subconscious thought it was just another day. I had created proof with my training that this is something I could, and would finish. The more you do hard things, the easier they become. At first, three miles was a grind, until I was running constantly for a month or two, then my easy days were four miles. By staying consistent and disciplined, I was able to create proof for myself that I can do hard things. And knowing I’ve completed an ultra marathon after training for months, makes the small stuff a little less daunting.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I’m proud to offer 1:1 personal training session in person along with virtual coaching, focusing on a few people every quarter. I also teach women’s kickboxing classes, and full body strength circuits at various gyms in Northern Minnesota. Helping others feel comfortable in the gym is a huge part of my job. I’ve also had the opportunity to coach the cross country team for Pine River for three years now, and I’m excited to continue to help with various athletic teams. I work to help people become their healthiest, strongest, and most confident selves. I believe everyone deserves to feel their best in their own body and mind.

Wellness plans I create are individualized to each client, specifically tailored to be realistic and effective in the pursuit to live a healthier life. I focus mostly on fitness and nutrition, but make a point to consider all aspects of a persons life when creating a game plan. I like to lead by example, experimenting with different habits and finding what works. I have various resources for free on my website: www.sidyjfit.com.

Along with my love for wellness and health, I’m also a creative. I own Absorb Openly on Substack, where I write about anything I’m drawn to expand on. It’s a great way to channel my creativity and passion for art, culture, mindset, and anything else that pops into my head. I’m into anything hands-on, painting, drawing, cooking, pottery, biking, hiking, you name it. I love trying new things and I try and encourage others to create, experience, and explore.

I truly believe that the path to a healthy world starts with our own wellness journey. We can strengthen our communities through wellness, support, and compassion. My goal with my work is not just to improve lives, but to build enough people up that they feel inspired to do the same.

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?

1. You need intense, passionate, and somewhat blind confidence in yourself.
Doing anything you’ve never done before is always hard. You fail again and again. I laugh when I look back at what I was doing early in my career, and just how much I’ve learned since. The first few months are the hardest, when you’re motivated and trying your hardest to get your business off the ground. Throughout the entire process, I kept telling myself I’m meant to do this. Imposter syndrome is a b!tch. It had me by the ankles for months, thinking I wasn’t good enough, wasn’t old enough, wasn’t experienced enough, to own and run a business. But confidence comes with doing the things you’ve never done before. Without the willingness to try something new, to pivot, to say no, I would still be where I started. Blindly believing in myself before I had the proof I was who I said I was, was the hardest but most important thing I’ve ever done.

2. Honesty and resilience go hand in hand.
This one builds onto the blind confidence. You also need to be realistic and honest with yourself, or better yet, find one or two people who won’t sugarcoat what you need to hear. Motivation and discipline only go so far, sometimes things aren’t working for a reason. I experienced a lot my first two years of training, good and bad. I hate to admit it, but I learned more from the bad. The soul sucking change that came at me full force, causing my world to be ripped apart. But I was always smarter, better, and happier after the dust settled. Now I’m trying to be better at failing. At taking risks, saying no, and adapting to whatever is thrown my way. Because if I would have quit after my first, second, third, or even fourth failure, I wouldn’t be here.

3. The willingness to learn from others.
Every single person you’ve ever met can teach you something. Being open to learn and grow from anyone is a great skill to have. Putting my ego aside and asking questions has been incredibly rewarding and beneficial to my growth. Continuing my knowledge on various topics has lead me to communicate, support, and relate to others even more. Being open to talk and listen has opened various doors for me and my business. Don’t underestimate the power of a good connection or conversation. I’ve gotten leads from a single 5 minute talk with a stranger.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

I would say the ideal client is someone who truly wants to make a change. Anyone can say they want to get stronger, to eat healthier, to read more, but very few are willing to actually do what it takes. A hard pill for me to swallow was you can’t force anyone to want to change. You can only support them on their own journey. I look for someone who’s in it for the long game. Someone with an open mind, and a willingness to put in the work. I love working with the people who truly want better for themselves. I love seeing the spark of excitement when we talk about how good their life can actually be. The people who don’t stop after a week. They realize progress only happens with consistency, not intensity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.sidyjfit.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sidyjfit?igsh=ZzJ2bzZtM3Yxejky&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1A11nGWGz2/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: My Substack link: https://substack.com/@sidyjae?r=1z7tkj&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=profile

Image Credits

Nolan Oliver photography