Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Corian Love. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Corian, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience honestly comes from my family. My grandparents, and my mother to be exact.
Both of my grandparents are from Mississippi, and both are able to recall segregation and being treated horribly simply for wanting a better life for themselves and their family. So they moved to Memphis, TN and planted roots in the heart of North Memphis, by purchasing a lovely home in the Evergreen Terrace district.
My grandparents never settled, nor did they ever get so comfortable that they became stagnant. They instilled this same determination and zest for life into their children, into my mother. Who in turn instilled it into me.
My mother taught me that life will knock you down, but it’s up to you to stay there. So I never stayed knocked down. I always found away to get back up and to learn the lesson that was to be taught. So that I dare not repeat the same mistake. To just keep swimming and never say die.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
My name is Corian Love and I am the founder and C.E.O of With LOVE Fitness.
I started my brand after deciding that I wanted to join the fitness world but I didn’t want to train within the same cookie cutter box that many fall into.
I began my journey as a someone in dire need to lose weight and gain my confidence back. And after doing just that I wanted to be able to give that same joy and discipline to others.
Yet while on my road to a better, and stronger me I noticed that while I was able to push through mental roadblocks. Many others could not.
Once I went from client to fitness coach I started teaching my clients coping mechanisms and positive ways of speaking to themselves to help them make it through their workouts. And low and behold my clients physical results went through the roof. But not just their physical health was improving but also their mental health.
My clients were thriving in many areas of their lives, and businesses simply from exercising, while also applying coping mechanisms into their daily lives.
I knew I was on to something, and decided to make this a principle stable in my brand’s foundation. To provide my clients with an amazing HIIT circuit, while teaching them nutrition information. But most importantly making sure that we identify stress triggers, learn how to handle them and to apply one’s coping mechanisms.
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?
The three most important qualities, skills and or areas of knowledge that were most impactful while I’ve been on my journey are very simple.
1. You most be able to motivate your clients.
2.Get to know your clients, and have a game plan.
3. Make time for yourself, & set boundaries with your clients.
Now let’s breakdown each one, and go a little deeper into the meaning of each.
Number One is must be able to motivate your clients. Simply because I’ve had the pleasure of meeting some awesome people who are trainers but who can’t motivate their clients. I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but I assure you it is not. The one trainer that I am thinking about in particular had an amazing body. Was able to get amazing results for herself on her own. But yet she was not able to transfer that energy to her clients. Her approach with them was lack luster at best. Her attention could be drawn to her phone very easily and she would disconnect from her clients, while supposedly training them. Her energy some days was extremely lethargic and it would show in her voice and or in her attempt to get her clients excited. She was an amazing trainer for herself, but not so much to her clients. And her clients would confide in me about it, and I took that to heart. To make sure that I motivate my clients and keep going. Even if it means jumping into the circuit with them, just so they get that extra “UMPH”. So that they can finish strong and proud.
Number Two is just as simple but difficult for many. Getting to know your clients and making a game plan means to dig deeper. Go past the simple consultation questions about past injuries and goals. And ask them about triggers also. What in their life is causing them the most stress, and when they are triggered how do them calm down. Many will tell you right away they binge eat. Or don’t eat at all. They will explain that a drink usually helps, but then one drink becomes 4. Or how their rage comes to the surface and they lash out. Causing them to isolate themselves and slip into depression. All of these things matter in the fitness world simply because their can be a major hindrance when trying to obtain results. Be it in weight loss, or muscle gain. So now you can help your client by creating a better game plan. Teaching and showing them nutritional information is a great start, but again go deeper. Ask them their favorite healthy things that help them get out of said headspace. Many have been sad, stressed, depressed, and or let down so many times that they don’t even know what they like. So this is when you light that fire in them with your game plan. Replace bad habits with healthy coping mechanisms. Encourage them to find a therapist or seek holistic healing and then teach them how to apply said healthier habits to their lifestyle.
And that’s the reason for Number Three. Please remember to make time for yourself and to set boundaries with your clients.
Once you start a client on the road to a better them it can be scary for many. Simply because their are comfortable with their bad habits and now they have been given a task for self development. And they don’t know where to start. So yes by all means do some activities with them. Suggest some wonderful solo things for them to try. Even go with them to help take the fear out of it for them if you would like. But place your first boundary down right then and there. Let them know that even though you are with them now or helping them in that moment. That the goal is that they do it alone. And that they don’t become codependent on you. So let them know in a gentle yet firm voice that this journey is theirs. And that you are simply a guide. Not a 24 hr hot line. Because some clients while call and text and whatever time they feel. And that’s for you to again set another boundary to let them know that you have business hrs. Make sure for your own sanity that after a certain time of day all business calls and text will be handled the next business day.
I say this because we as trainers and coaches want to help our clients so much sometimes that we stop taking care of ourselves. Because we have become so invested in their results and improvement of self, we sacrifice our time at the gym. Our eating habits and sleeping habits become thrown off. Simply because we have given so much to our clients that we become drained. And now the job you once loved as a fitness trainer is draining you.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I have many coping mechanisms in place in my life to help me not feel overwhelmed. From adult coloring books to my morning routine.
I wake up as early as possible every morning when the world is still asleep and silent, and I meditate. I play my singing bowls. I journal, I practice yoga and I pray.
May favorite part of my morning meditation is that I have a small meeting within myself with myself. I ask myself am I ok? What is next? And How do we get there?
I honor my darkness as well so that I don’t destroy all I have created.
I honor the child in me so she doesn’t feel alone and isolated.
I honor the teenage in me and help her understand her rage and that fear isn’t real.
I honor the mother in me that had twins at 21 and tell her she’s doing a great job.
I honor the woman in me and hug her because I know she’s tried but hopefull.
And lastly I honor me, because I can’t stop now. We are just beginning we have miles to go. I tell myself I’m proud of me and we got this. Even if some mornings are hard and tears are streaming down my face. I tell myself “Just Keep Swimming, Just Keep Swimming, What do we do….WE SWIM!!”
My love for myself wasn’t always this strong, heck I remember when I didn’t love myself at all. But I knew that wasn’t healthy. That I needed to set time for me, so that I could love myself again. And so that I could pour and teach that to others. To be able to lead from the front and tell my clients that I too get overwhelmed. But because I’ve taken the time to learn myself and I have my coping mechanisms in place that I’m able to reboot and restart my day. No matter what time of day or whatever happened to overwhelm me. I have the power to reset and start over and reclaim my day.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @with.love.fitness
- Facebook: WITH.LOVE.FITNESS
Image Credits
Taryn J Daily
