We recently connected with Andrea Wiggins and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Andrea, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
I feel like the journey of greater confidence and self-esteem is one that is constantly evolving. When I look at how far I have come in my 10 years of entrepreneurship, I realize that these qualities were being developed long before this journey started.
From deciding to join the Navy right out of high school, to deciding to become a police officer after my enlistment ended, I felt like I was always challenging my confidence. I didn’t know if I would be any good at either of these endeavors! But I knew that I wanted to try something new…to challenge myself. And so I got to make the decision to go for it…even if I might fail.
And as I was a beginner in both of these areas, my self esteem was built through the experience of learning how to live in a new space in my life that I had never experienced before. The crazy part of that is that any one of us can chose this option anytime we want to!
So many times we think we need to HAVE the confidence or have built the self esteem to step into something new, scary, exciting, different. But in reality, stepping into those spaces is what BUILDS the confidence and self esteem.
There’s no better feeling than trying something completely foreign to you, realizing…you didn’t die…and being proud of yourself for accomplishing it!
So with that in mind stepping into entrepreneurship was a chance to challenge myself again.
I didn’t really know much about this world. But by stepping out, failing, getting back up, trying again, changing directions and continuing to move forward, I am learning a totally new level of confidence. And I am gaining a whole lot more self-esteem.
I think the key to building both…is to always challenging yourself to try just one more thing.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I have been involved in fitness for over 25 years and have been a fitness trainer for the last 18. And if I had to sum up the passion I have for what I get to do it’s……helping women create a PURPOSEFUL plan of action for breaking up with their limiting beliefs… and embracing their STRONG, in both in their bodies lives.
So how did I get here?
Well, growing up I was the girl who never really fit the mold (or so I felt in my head) of what I thought a “pretty” girl was supposed to look/be like.
I was SUPER shy and soft-spoken. And physically, I always felt a little “chunky” and was often super self-conscious about being, what I felt, was bigger than the other girls.
But as I got older, I found that one thing I really did have going for me was… I was pretty strong!
After I graduated from high school, I enlisted in the Navy where I served 5 years active and 2.5 years in the reserves. It was one of the scariest things I had ever done… but also one of the most exciting.
Fast forward a few years in life and I was really starting to have a little more appreciation for being…me.
But what I also learned during that time was that I was not only growing stronger physically…I was also becoming challenged to become stronger as a person…in my fitness, in my faith, in my life as a whole.
So having a new-found appreciation of “me”, I dove into the world of fitness head first. I LOVED being in the gym and learning how to challenge my physique. I was really learning to embrace my STRONG and it felt pretty amazing!
Through my career in the Navy, and later, my 18-year career as a Police Officer, I found that being “strong” was not something to be ashamed or embarrassed by and didn’t make me any less feminine.
Instead, it actually allowed me to become ALL of the person God was calling me to be.
It was during this time that I became certified as a personal trainer and I loved being able to help people learn to transform their health, fitness, bodies AND mindsets. And I was doing this all part time while I was working full time as a Police Officer.
But because I love a good challenge, I decided to “upgrade” my fitness and tackle fitness competing…at the young age of 39! I only competed in a few shows but It was an amazing experience and really helped to grow my love for fitness, and in particular strength training.
But a few years later in 2014, God called me out of police work, and into full time entrepreneurship. And this call started my journey for not just training part time…but creating an actual business for helping teach women the empowerment of learning to live strong…in both body AND life!
So I relocated from where I was living in Illinois back to Austin Texas, and started my own business where I could help women do just that.
And 10 years later, I still love serving women in all stages of life and helping them find THEIR personal STRONG!
Over these last few years my business has grown from not just coaching women how to have healthy, strong bodies, but what it means to really live STRONG lives. And that has been such a gift!
I recently created a self care course specifically for women entrepreneurs…because as I have worked with so many of them, I’ve realized this is an area of real struggle.
And so my heart is to get this new tool in the hands of as many women as possible!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Humility – you never know as much as you think you know….so being willing to listen and learn from others is paramount!
Resiliency – whatever you chose to pursue if the goal is excellence, it’s GOING to get hard. So be committed to the long game and don’t quit!
Identity – KNOW who you are…because that will be your anchor when life begins to pull you in different directions. My personal identity is grounded in who I am in Christ. So ALL of my decisions are weighed up against that truth.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is the woman who is ambitious and driven in her work but is struggling to have that same success in life outside of “the job”.
She is struggling to have that balance and her physical, mental and personal health is starting to show it.
So my favorite thing is to help give THAT woman the permission and the plan to have her health and life success match her job success!
Contact Info:
- Website: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andreawigginsstrong/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreawigginsstrong/
- Other: email:[email protected]
Image Credits
Felicia Reed Photography
