We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jaimie Lawson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jaimie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I grew up loving dance and sports as many kids do, however once I hit puberty I became very overweight, depressed and uncomfortable in my own skin. I developed panic attacks and had a very poor outlook on life. It took many years in my late teens and 20s to find the tools that helped me out of that dark space, including therapy, yoga, nutrition, breath work and movement. I got my first yoga certification to “deepen my practice” in my twenties, but never had the guts to believe I could truly turn it into anything. I tried many other career paths, however I kept coming back to movement and wellness coaching. After completing my master’s in mental health counseling and feeling frustrated in the traditional counseling clinics, I furthered my education in movement and wellness. I got certified in a second type of yoga, personal training, nutrition counseling, barre, and started teaching a ton a group classes as well as growing my own personal business. The pandemic really shifted my work from working for other studios to working solely for myself, which at first was quite terrifying, but now that some years have passed is quite rewarding and something I am so proud of.
I work one on one with my clients in both personal training, as well as wellness coaching. My personal training sessions are truly client centered, meaning I meet the person exactly where they are at. Some of my clients have concrete goals and need structure, while others just need a knock at the door and more gentle movement. I take a holistic approach always, meaning I take into account everything the client has going on in their lives to know how and when to safely push, and when they need more stress relief or gentle movement . As for coaching, I do collaborative plans with my clients to help come up with realistic achievable goals in order to progress their health.
I think what sets me apart in my field is my ability to truly connect and understand my clients and create a safe, enjoyable and challenging session. My motto is that I will always put in as much effort as the client, meaning I take pride in providing homework, check ins, referrals as much as is helpful.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Although still quite fresh, I believe the combination of the pandemic and having my first child in the same year tested my resilience in my career. When the world shut down, I had recently gone back to work after having a baby and was just figuring out how to juggle normal back to work/mom life when I had to literally pivot and figure out a plan B while having a child at home with no childcare. I actually took a sleep course so that I could time my child’s naps and fit in clients and classes via zoom, and weekends and evenings when my husband was home from work (he works construction so considered essential worker at the time) I would work however I could. Looking back at that time it was so chaotic and went from working for another company mainly, to on my own figuring out technology, scheduling, accounting, and so on… all while trying to figure out being a mom for the first time.
Slowly but surely things evolved, my daughter went back to school, and my now solo business has blossomed into something strong that I am so proud of.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

I think other than training, without a doubt client connection is the most important part. People need someone they can trust, rely on, and who truly cares about their well being. My clients become so important to me and I am so honored to work so closely with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jlcoachingllc.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jlcoachingllc/