Meet Tosha Bell

We recently connected with Tosha Bell and have shared our conversation below.

Tosha, 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.

In 2017, as an elementary school teacher, I was going through one the most traumatic experiences of my life. I was standing at the whiteboard preparing to write and I knew I was going to faint. My students could sense my lack of attention and they begin to move about the classroom and I could not regain control. Stress, sleepless nights, tears, and heart palpitations had overwhelmed me to the point of complete and utter exhaustion. I walked out of my class and into my co-workers classroom and asked her for help.

During this time, I was known for showing up to work, dressed professionally, lessons were always ready, and I showed up with excellence each day for my students. No one knew how badly I was struggling. They didn’t know I was reading hateful messages, fighting against my daughters abuser in court, losing weight, and my sanity. I was participating in school functions, dressing up for school activities, meeting with parents, and I didn’t take days off. Well, I collapsed in my co-workers room that day. When I came to, there was a circle of teachers around me praying. I was broken. I needed to find my way back.

When I finally returned home later that day after being picked up and getting anxiety meds, I knew I needed to make a drastic change. Fast. My children needed me, my students needed me, I needed me. I decided to go on a journey. I decided that I would challenge myself to become the best version of myself. At the weakest point in my life, I entered into a bodybuilding competition. I needed my health back, my faith back, my life back. As I prepared for the competition I became stronger in my walk with Christ, regained my confidence, and became physically and emotionally stronger.

I knew I wasn’t the only teacher suffering. I knew that there were other teachers who needed to pick themselves up and live again. I knew there were woman who were suffering just as I did. I knew that these women didn’t know where to start. Once I became the better version of myself, I started my company Body Matters Experience. I help women with strategies to help them combat stress. As a doctoral student, I have researched for the past few years how stress affects the brain and the body. My purpose was driven through my pain and I made the bold decision to turn it into my power.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am the founder and co-owner of Body Matters Experience an Exercise, Health & Wellness Company. I get the opportunity to speak to teachers, corporations, and host workshops that cover how to reduce stress through health and wellness. I work with ladies of various age groups which include teens, young adults, mature women, and my oldest client to date is 78 years old.

My faith-based 6 -Week Transformational Program helps woman boost their confidence, foster a healthier relationship with food, reduce their stress, improve their cognitive abilities, connect them to a deeper relationship with Christ, improve their strength, build endurance, sculpt beautiful muscle, and overall become the best version of themselves through exercise and wellness strategies.

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?

#1. God- My relationship with Christ and much prayer helped me push through those tough moments.
Advice: Reach for that which is higher that you and pray without ceasing.
#2. Impact- I wanted to help women overcome.
Advice: Look for ways to impact others. You will gain what you need and the blessings will flow when you decide to help others.
#3. Resilience & Relentlessness- No matter the difficulty in the journey I had to keep going.
Advice: Decide to push through the adversity. Decide that you want better, therefore, you fight until you achieve better mentally, physically, and emotionally.

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

God blessed me with an amazing husband. My husband, Darrick Lamar is a Behavioral Strategist and he helped me with my mental shift. My business is what it is today because he planted the seed. While walking around the pond of our home, he asked me, “Why don’t you turn this into a business and help women?” I never saw myself as a coach or trainer, only as a fighter. Well, he became my coach and propelled me to turn power into a profitable business. He prays with me, encourages me, and supports each aspect of my business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://iamtoshab.com
• Instagram: toshagbell
• Facebook: iamtoshab
• Linkedin: iamtoshab
• Youtube: iamtoshab
• Other: TikTok: iamtoshab

Image Credits

Tosha Bell