Meet Laura Banks

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Laura Banks. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Laura below.

Hi Laura, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
In 2019 I was a third grade teacher who was overweight and uncomfortable in her skin. I hid behind baggy clothes, put my head down while talking to others, and did my best to stay out of everyone’s way. In August of that year, I had the chance to meet a celebrity and was so excited to take a picture with him. When I saw that picture, I was embarrassed and ashamed. That picture was the catapult that lead me to becoming the confident, joyful, healthy person I am today.

In March of 2020 I began doing YouTube workouts. I would prop my phone up against the wall and video myself as I did it then post the videos to my Instagram stories. During a time of so much isolation because of COVID, I was growing a tiny community. People would reach out asking for accountability or just giving me compliments and I found motivation to continue sticking with my workouts for the first time ever. Over time I began to develop a passion for exercise and that soon turned into a passion for nutrition. I shared that too on social media and the response I got from friends and family was so encouraging.

By 2022, I had lost 30 pounds and developed a lot of really healthy habits around food, exercise, and body image. I told my husband that I wanted to quit my job as a third grade teacher and begin helping people get healthy. I had no idea what that would look like or even what I meant at that time, but I went to school at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and got my certification in health coaching while still teaching full time.

The last year has been full of remarkable growth. I started working with clients for free last year and slowly worked my way up to having nearly 20 paid clients over the last year. Throughout that time, I’ve found that my purpose is teaching women how to build sustainable healthy habits so that they can begin feeling great in their body. I am now a full-time business owner and combine my knowledge and passion for teaching with my knowledge and passion for health to transform the lives of women around the globe.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I am a health and wellness educator and coach. I help women who feel frustrated with their current body and habits, begin creating sustainable healthy habits. I coach women for the long game. It’s not about quick fixes or instant results. My clients learn how to create tiny, achievable goals that will add up over time and create one BIG transformation. My coaching is so special, because I help women shift their mindset away from the fear, lack of belief, and insecurity so that they can begin living lives of freedom, joy and peace.

I coach women around the world via social media and zoom sessions. I also host in person workshops and local events to educate the community on health and wellness topics. I help people heal their relationship with food/sugar, improve their body image, build healthy exercise and eating habits, and find joy in health.

One of the most impactful pieces of my business is my podcast. I released Isn’t She Powerful less than two months ago and have seen so much growth from it already. The podcast has allowed me to step into the educator role and spread knowledge and power to so many people. With over 600 downloads in 8 weeks, I can’t wait to see where ISP takes me and my business!

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?
Having confidence in myself has become one of the leading factors to my success in both my health and wellness journey as well as my entrepreneurship journey. For years I tried to lose weight and get healthier, but I was always looking for the quick fix. When I failed time after time, I lost more and more confidence in myself to achieve the goals I set for myself. I eventually learned how to set tiny goals for myself and committed to doing those tiny things over and over again until they became a habit. Those tiny goals are what built my confidence.

As an entrepreneur, I have to continually recharge my confidence battery. Things happen, especially when you’re just starting out, that will knock you down. And I have the choice to stay down or to get back up and keep working. My choice is to keep getting back up and keep working and that has been one of the key factors to building my confidence. Confidence is built from experience and the only way I’m getting experience is by putting myself into vulnerable positions over and over again and coming out on the other side. The confidence in my body and in my ability that I created during my personal health journey has spilled over into my entrepreneurship journey.

There are also so many parallels between a health journey and an entrepreneurship journey. Creating healthy habits does not happen overnight and I have used that knowledge to fuel me during this new season of life. Thanks to my journey to creating a healthy life, I know that good things take time to create, and I also know that hard work pays off.

All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
The number one obstacle I am currently facing within my business is trusting the process. I know my hard work will pay off as I have seen time and time again, but that does not mean it is always easy to be patient. I have been building an audience online and creating trust among my community since 2020. Now I am creating my own products and leading women through significant lifestyle changes. I have also been putting my life on social media for such a long time, and I almost expected that I would sell my products quickly and easily. Once again, I had to be reminded that growth takes time. It’s just like with a health journey, true change takes time to create. I’ve had to practice patience and resiliency in ways I never thought I would have to when I started this journey. Practicing meditation has helped me separate my worth from my business by dedicating time each day to clearing my mind. This has helped me to continue to approach my business with confidence and vigor even on the days my mental energy starts to falter. I have also invested in mentors and coaches that have given me knowledge and skills to help me reach the people that I am meant to be working with and ultimately be a better coach and business owner.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
VEG Photography

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