We recently connected with Elethia Gay and have shared our conversation below.

Elethia, appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

A friend of mines uses a similar term called Pivotal Moments. While I had a few of those, my defining moment, the moment that changed the trajectory of my career, one incident in particular stands out.

I became an instructor on a dare. Little did I know the signs were always there.

In college, I would come home from school and watch my mom workout. She was building biceps and booty. One day, I asked her why she didn’t have to do chemo treatments for her cancer and she said, “Those workouts I’m doing and the Sunday prayer, that’s what keeps me well.”

I remember working at a bank that offered classes during the day. A friend would take yoga during lunch and afterwards seem so Zen. As a new mom, it was exactly what I needed to ease my anxiety. I took the class and recall the moment God spoke to my heart. One day there were only two of us in class which gave me the courage to ask the instructor, “What made her decide to teach yoga?” I can’t remember her response but little did I know that it was another way for God to reveal my purpose and next assignment
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After two years of yoga and the treadmill, I let a friend talk me into attending indoor cycling classes regularly. After three classes, I was hooked. One day after class, they shared their desire to become an instructor. I told them to go for it. Never considering it for myself. About two weeks later, they damaged their knee. That Thursday, the instructor made an announcement that anyone interested in becoming an instructor should stay after class. I looked at him like, “Here is your chance!” He said, “Not with my knee but why not you?” He must have noticed the fear in my eyes. I had never imagined teaching. At least, not since that yoga class. Then, as he wiped down his bike he said, “I dare you.”
Stop the music. I am competitive. On his dare, I signed up.

Eleven years and 13 certifications later I am a NASM CPT, yoga instructor, certified life coach and founder of Hiking for Hope.

Sometimes it takes others to see our gifts. Lean into this, especially when you feel lost or stuck. You may find the signs were there all along.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

For folks who may not have read about you before, can you please tell our readers about yourself, how you got into your industry / business / discipline / craft etc, I started training on a dare. What I love about training and coaching is that it’s a field with unimaginable possibilities. From corporate to wellness coaching, there’s a wealth of possiblities. I got into fitness coaching by becoming an indoor cycling insutructor. At first, I thought there was only one lane I could take in this field and fitness was it. As I taught at various fitness centers I realized one thing, every body in that class has a back story. I was humbled by the many who wanted to share their stories with me after class. At the same time, I was a corporate trainer. I witnessed the same phenomena. After class, people wanted to be heard. With that in mind, I realized physical fitness needed a compliment, mental wellness. Which is how I became a certified life coach and trauma informed yoga instructor. Physical wellness mental fitness goes deep.

What type of products/services/creative works you provide?

Alexander Q Health and Wellness is a mind, body, and soul program that offers mental fitness and physical wellness programs like life coaching, Vinyasa yoga, trauma-informed yoga, HIIT, strength, functional training, and wellness events to women of color. We offer all of this through our Roots to Wellness program, which begins with establishing a why. Once we complete the “Why” consultation, we design a custom program to help women not only improve their physical health but, also shift their focus inwardly so that they learn the importance of putting themselves at the top of their “to do” list. Programs include small group fitness training and coaching, one on one coaching and fitness training and corporate wellness program development. Programs run from 8 weeks to six months (virtually or in-person) based on our client’s preferences.

What problems you solve for your clients and/or what you think sets you apart from others?
We help shift the narrative of health and wellness through a process we coin as healization. For us it means healing the mind and body at the roots in order to help women reach a level of self-realization.

Not only is our mission to offer healization through music, movement, laughter and community we create effective pathways on the healing journey that are realistic and achievable because we have been there.

In the next year I will complete two certifications, Lifestyle Medicine and Ayurvedic Nutrition. My partners and I will expand on the healization mission by partnering with doctors and hospitals who treat chronic diseases affecting women of color in large proportions.

We are women of color who have experienced severe trauma. Through our pain, we still achieved a level of learning and self love that equips us to coach and create effective pathways on the healing journey for other women.

What are you most proud of and what are the main things you want potential clients/followers/fans to know about you/your brand/your work/ etc.
I am most proud of my clients. They show up. They don’t mind being losers. They realize losing is winning in this business. They’re transparent, ambitious, and courageous. It takes a lot to show up on the mat. We don’t always show up fully but at least we show up. I brag about their accomplishments all the time because they feel like mines. For instance, for one client, in the six months we trained together, they built up the courage to complete their book. They also lost 50 pounds in the process. Another client lost 50 pounds, became an instructor, and was promoted to a team lead with a year of training. Another client started riding her bike to school three times a week. The list goes on!

Please provide as much detail as you feel relevant as this is one of the core questions where the reader will get to know about you and your brand/organization/etc

Aside from that we provide help, a healing hand, and hope.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was, “there is not enough.” I thought that one black person in the industry was enough. That there’s not enough time when you age. If I don’t see it then there isn’t enough space to build it.

As a child, I adopted this mindset because I had little to no examples of what I wanted to achieve. Because I was limited in my exposure, I became limited in view. My peripheral view couldn’t see the outliers and the African American people or women who were in my field who weren’t on the cover of magazines. In fact, I can only remember Flo-Jo and Mr. T as symbols of wellness. As I matured, I started to unlearn the idea that because someone has already done it (whatever it is) doesn’t mean that I can’t build it in a way that is unique to me.

In that same regard, if someone has not done it, that doesn’t mean that there’s no room or opportunity to get it done. Find a way through research, resources, mentors, etc.

Lastly, age is not a time clock. It is a chance to enter into a new season where you get to decide on the conditions.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

The science of personal training and coaching also include life coaching and leadership skills, compassion and empathy. It may not seem like a fit, yet once you understand the algorithm, you begin to unlock the formula for purpose, meaningful connections, and ultimate success.

Contact Info:

• Website: elethiagay.com
• Instagram: alexanderqcoaching
• Facebook: rootstowellnessprogramm
• Linkedin: alexanderq
• Youtube: alexanderq

Image Credits
Kaeare Group Nicole Maria Creative