In the year 2000, I joined the Army National Guard to pay for college and to help me create some additional opportunities post college. I didn’t plan to make the Army a career at that time; it was simply a means to an end to pay for college and stay debt-free. Little did I know what role the military would play in my life. The experiences and connections I found in the military opened my mind to the opportunities the military offered and the leadership training I could receive. So, my junior year of college, I enrolled in ROTC with the intention of going onto active duty and serving a 20-year career in the military.

In 2005, I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army, and I immediately deployed as a military police officer to Iraq. My deployment was filled with austere conditions and challenging combat operations. Working with the Iraqi National Police, I was subjected to Small Arms fire and numerous IED blasts that took a toll on my body, but my mind still loved the work. Then in 2010, I again deployed, this time to Afghanistan to train the Afghan Border Police in terrorism interception. I conducted operations all along The Afghan and Pakistani border with Afghan police. It was rewarding work, but again operating in high altitude and in combat operations began to take a toll on my body.

In 2013, I decided to leave the military and pursue a passion in Fitness. Burn out led me to focus on healing my body, allowing my nervous system to reset and finding passionate work for myself. I started by getting my CrossFit Level One certification, then achieving my certified personal trainer (CPT) certification. Shortly after completing my CPT certification, I opened my first business, G2 Fitness. I slowly built business by running boot camps and personal training operations out of my jeep. I began to see a little bit of success and was having a blast pursuing it, but like many first-time businesses, I didn’t properly plan for the impact of the seasons (Kansas winter) and found myself with few clients and little income.

Like most of us when finances get tight, I defaulted to what I know and decided to go back to work as a Department of the Army civilian, serving in the city planning office. During my time in the city planning office, I learned about business and city operations. I also felt a huge longing for my deep-seated passion for fitness. I stood up a Workforce exercise program, implemented an army-wide performance initiative, which led me to start teaching fitness classes in a local gym. It was obvious that my heart was truly rooted in health & wellness.

In 2017, I left that job with the intention of taking some time off to reconnect with what was important to me. I decided to join a local CrossFit gym, and as soon as I walked in, they asked me to coach. Within two weeks on staff, it was apparent they could use my business and operations savvy to clean up the business. I offered my services as a general manager to help get things on track. Within 4 months, the business was profitable, but I knew in my heart my role needed to be solidified within the gym, so I proposed a partnership with the owner. He eagerly obliged and brought me on as his business partner.

Things were pretty good until COVID-19 in 2020, when it looked like the government would shut down our gym and our ability to make revenue for the foreseeable future. In an effort to keep our doors open, I went to the drawing board to design some innovative and out-of-the-box options to keep memberships and to serve our members while our doors were closed. For every member that opted to maintain a membership, we signed out an equipment package to take home while the gym was closed. We designed custom workouts based on the equipment that they had available and their individual goals during this time. We stood up an incredible online nutrition coaching platform that allowed us to serve clientele around the world. Not only did we maintain our full membership base while we were closed, but we also launched a successful nutrition company with clients as far as Dubai and Iceland. Additionally, I began coaching four pro-level athletes and two semi pro-level athletes in the CrossFit space. Not only did we survive a government shutdown and a potential business disaster, but we prospered and grew. We expanded into new industries, innovated, and created new systems that brought us revenue, and I grew personally and professionally.

From the outside, it looked like I had achieved tremendous success in a short span of time, but internally I was struggling with the growth, the balance, and with maintaining who I was within these businesses. While I had achieved career and financial success, much of it was at the cost of friendships, recreation, my personal health and well-being, and my mental health. I was burnt out, exhausted, and feeling empty. This was not a sustainable pattern without additional support and a more balanced approach.

So while I was at the top of my professional game and at the bottom of my personal barrel, I sought out the help and support of a life coach. Within 6 months, my world flip-flopped. I found balance, improved relationships, hobbies, and established a vision for the life I would love in the life that would allow me to pursue all my passions. And as I got clear on my vision, it was obvious some things needed to go and some new things needed to come. I sold my nutrition company and saw a good friend create the business of her dreams from it. I started a small hobby farm that allowed me to connect with nature and animals more often, and I began to step into my true spirituality, my authentic self, and create opportunities not only for others but for myself. It was in connecting with my true self that I was able to find the path forward, the path that filled both my heart and left me feeling energized and refreshed.

As I began to come more into alignment with my truest purpose, found more balance, and started to heal my body, it became extremely apparent that the integration of mind-body-spirit was an increasing necessity the fitness industry. A service that specifically ties them together and fosters healing in various parts of the human experience. With this knowledge, I started a new business integrating holistic health mindset and spirituality. Focused on empowering women to live a life they love, and to pursue health, fulfilling relationships, purpose driven careers and wealth throughout all areas of their life. In this work. I learned that coaching is my superpower and where I have the most effect on the world.

It became clear that I was no longer in alignment with a business partner, and as such, I sold my shares of that company. That move, and the clarity I got through my vision inspired some of my staff to venture out on their own and create incredible opportunities in their own businesses. Some of the hardest and most complicated discussions of my life were had during this time. It was both scary and exciting, simultaneously as the sale moved forward. The support of both my business mentor and life coach carried me through the hardest times, and in the end, guided me into new ventures that were more closely aligned with my heart.