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

Erica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I lost my identity when becoming a mom, not right away, but slowly over the years. It was during my third pregnancy that I got to a point that I didn’t even recognize the woman staring back at me. I was very negative toward myself and it was one of the lowest points of my life.

I remember standing in front of the mirror about a month after my third child was born… and saying horrible things about myself and not truly loving me for me.

I knew I wasn’t showing up for myself and my family they way that I could be and I knew I could do better, because they deserved better and most importantly, so did I.

I was sitting on my couch one day and the phrase, “She is fierce,” popped into my head. My fitness journey took me from being introverted and “hidden” to totally physically and mentally transformed.

Fitness brought out the real me:
•It’s allowed me to keep pushing through a challenge, even when it was hard.
•It’s allowed me to stand up for what I believe in.
•It’s allowed me to fight back and use my voice.
•It’s given me inner confidence, making me feel powerful in the gym and in life.

I created SHE IS FIERCE because there aren’t many programs that dive deeper than fitness & nutrition. It’s about taking care of your whole self. A path back to find you again. It’s also for introverted women. I didn’t realize that this was also the center of why I developed this program.

I hated the idea of going into classes with 20+ people.

In order for me to attend, two things needed to happen:
1. I needed a friend with me so I wasn’t going solo
2. Or I needed to arrive early so I wouldn’t be walking into a crowd
and if one of those two things didn’t happen then I wasn’t going.

My whole mantra is quality over quantity and small group training is where it’s at– it’s more affordable than 1:1.
I’ve created a safe space for women to get out of their comfort zone, grow, be authentic, and build relationships.

Being a mom is one of the best and most rewarding jobs in the world, but that doesn’t mean you have to lose who you are, because you are more than just a mom.

When we, as women, put ourselves first, it allows us to show up in a bigger way, which results in deeper relationships, inner peace, and a more fulfilled life. It’s not selfish, it’s necessary.

Erica, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’ve grown up with fitness my entire life. My dad was a wrestling coach, so I basically grew up in the weight room, but I didn’t start taking it seriously for myself until after my third child was born. When I would start an exercise or nutrition plan in the past, it’s been more because I thought I “should” or I “needed” to in order to be happy. It wasn’t until I did it for me and me only that things started to change.

My mission is to help moms rediscover a body they love by focusing on their physical strength and building confidence in and out of the gym. It’s dropping the stigma about getting back to pre-pregnancy. It’s about loving and accepting your body right now and building something new. Because quite honestly, I love my body more now AFTER I had kids than before.

It’s also about throwing away the scale and setting goals based on your physical strength because weight loss does not equal fat loss. Achieving a certain number on the scale isn’t going to make you happy, it’s about working on your whole self and building a fulfilled life that you love.

My group program, SHE IS FIERCE, is the most popular. I am launching a 28-day clean eating challenge soon and then will be offering an online program if you aren’t local to Minnesota. I create workout plans and meal plans. I’m not a coach that will tell you to cut anything out of your diet, it’s about creating a plan that’s based on your body and goals.

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

I’ve been an entrepreneur since 2013, but it was in 2017 that I rebranded. It was a risk because I knew that I had to “start over” and rebuild it. There were a few people in my business circle that questioned me why I was doing this, that they didn’t understand it, and that it was a stupid idea. Quite honestly I got a lot more pushback than I thought I was going to versus congratulations for trying something new. I let that affect me for more than I care to admit, but I also had to go through that journey to become stronger with my business idea. There were several times that I almost quit because I couldn’t stand it, but at the end of the day, it was my vision and I had to stay true to my dreams. Fast-forward to 2022, those same people are watching me now, copying my marketing, reaching out to ask me questions, and wondering how to do it too.

If you have something in your heart, don’t let go of it, even if you’re the only person that sees that vision. If it doesn’t work out, so what? But what if it does?

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I started posting consistently three times a week. I did that for a whole year. I needed to build that habit. then I started posting every day. I joined an online program to help me hone my voice and talk about my business without actually talking about my business. People don’t buy your products or programs, they buy YOU. So you have to share your values, your vision, what makes you, you. Post about what makes you laugh, post your knowledge, and teach people even when you don’t have an audience. Whenever I post or shoot a video, I pretend that I’m talking to one person. The biggest compliment someone gives me is when I show up in person the same way I show up online. My followers should never get two different versions of me– who I am online is who I am in person.

Also, as a working mom… sometimes my business takes a front seat, and I have to remember the reason I am building a business is for my time freedom for myself & my family. All the people in the world can praise me for my efforts and say that I’m a wonderful coach, but ultimately if I’m not there for my kids or they don’t believe that I’m a present mom, then I’m doing it for the wrong reasons.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.xo-erica.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xoerica.hoese
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/xoerica.hoese
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/xoericahoese

Image Credits
Lexi Renae Photography