Fit Wife Kalee

Today's fit life, fit wife is soon to be wife, Kalee Sorey! She's so sweet, down to earth, and I completely admire her dedication to building her own business. If you know anything about me, you know I obsess over a woman who is also an entrepreneur. (PS- her accent is incredible!)

Kalee is literally days away from saying I DO on June 21st!! She is sharing today how she balances a business, health, fitness, relationships, and planning a wedding! Meet Kalee...

Being 25 and a business owner who's also planning a wedding, I had to learn how to balance it all. I'd love to say that knowing how and where to spend my time came natural to me, but it took a lot of trial-and-error, planning, personal development, and event a few arguments to find my personal balance between work, fitness, and of course time for my family and fiance'.

How I Got Started as an Online Coach

I've always loved learning and applying the most effective ways to be happy and healthy. I never thought of making it into a career. I wasn't super fit, and my friends thought my interest in fitness was a little odd or even an insecurity. In 2011, I earned my degree in Marketing & Finance. I still wasn't fulfilled by either topic. I was panicking - I was 23, living at home, had over $40,000 in student loans and no clue what I wanted to do. I decided to teach high school math because it was something I was good at, had a great schedule, and it allowed me to help people. I wanted to know what I was doing everyday was going to affect someone else reach their dreams. I also decided to start coaching people online with my mom though because I loved it and would help pay back my loans. I had also gotten amazing results from TurboFire and a new diet so people were actually asking me what I was going. Within a few months, I was seeing my clients gain confidence, lose weight, and have amazing transformation stories. It made all of the long hours and effort worth it, and I finally felt I was doing what I was meant to do. Within 9 months of starting, I was making more money coaching than teaching so at the end of the school year, I left teaching. It felt so empowering and ever since, my life has completely changed.

The Potholes & How I Overcame them

When you're so focused on your goals, time (and sleep) is precious. I woke up early to work out, listened to personal development in the car, taught 8-3 pm, came home and worked 1-2 hours and then saw Jake for about an hour. After he went home, I would write a blog post. So for about 8 months, I was constantly on the go. Starting in March, my mom and I also earned trips to trainings through the company we coach with, Beachbody. So I also had to learn how to keep in touch with my clients and keep my business' momentum going while we were out of town. The first 3 months of coaching full-time, I know my relationship with Jake suffered, I never saw my family, and I was sleeping 5-6 hours a night. It was so tough, but seeing the business grow and clients get great results kept fueling my excitement. Chalene Johnson says something like "If you're friends aren't into fitness, find new friends!" in TurboFire. I always found that kind of harsh, but as I grew more successful in my business I made new friends with similar interests. My old friends thought I had lost my mind quitting my safe job to be a Beachbody coach, and it really hurt my feelings for a long time that they couldn't see I was happy and successful.

Personal Development helped me find me.

I am a total learning nerd. I love blog tips, social media training, and any kind of personal development. I started reading and listening to audio CDs every day, and it really helped me overcome my fears and being such a people-pleaser. I started seeing my strengths as strengths and how to help others by being a positive, kind influence on them.

Set Goals that match your Priorities

I think to be successful, you have to have goals that align with what's most important to you. Otherwise, you may start working crazy hard on something and when you achieve it, it's not something that makes you happy. I could set the goal to be one of the top ten coaches in the company, but it wouldn't fit my priority of putting my family first. It could also hurt my health because of the stress I would put on myself and the time required. I write my priorities on the top of a piece of paper, and then list 10 goals down for the next year. At first, I'd let the list sit and not revisit it, but now I see when I look at it even weekly, my goals happen faster and keep me focused.

Create a Routine

Having a routine has helped everything in my life. I know when I need to eat, workout, and work. I even break down when I respond to messages, post on Facebook, write a blog post, do a video, or complete my personal development. This helps me feel accomplished everyday, focused on my goals, and keeps me from doing too much and getting burnt out. I didn't figure out how to make a successful routine until going through Chalene's Smart Success program online. It's my absolute favorite training for small business owners whether you are wanting to go to the next level or manage your time better.

2 More KEYS to Keeping Myself Sane

Even with my routine set, I would feel like I had to respond immediately if someone messaged me, especially if they were a new client or someone wanting to coach. I felt like if I didn't my business would suffer and even worse- they would think I didn't care. On a lazy night, I'd have a nagging feeling of needing to write a blog post since I wasn't doing anything. Jake has always been my biggest supporter, but he also helps me stay sane. With his help, I learned that is just as important to have time away to enjoy my life - even if it's a lazy night watching Netflix. Therefore, I started setting business hours and turned off ALL notifications on my phone. It was so hard to be disconnected at first, but now I am so glad I took the leap. By having a balanced life, I hope I am setting a good role model for my clients and also the coaches I mentor. I also have undivided time for my family and Jake. It's so nice to not have 100 things going through my mind on a Friday night, and it's been months since I did it and the world hasn't stopped! The other thing I've learned is that while I love setting goals, it's just as important to enjoy the progress and take time to celebrate your progress.

If you have any questions on what I do or my mom and my training series and mentorship program please feel free to email us at thegirls@soreyfitness.com. We'd love to help you see if it's a good fit for you.

Thank you so much Anna for allowing me to share my story!

You can find Kalee's blog at SoreyFitness.com

Facebook: http://facebook.com/soreyfitness

Twitter: http://twitter.com/kaleesorey

Youtube: http://youtube.com/soreyfitness

Fit Wife- Lindsay DiFazio

My fit wife this week is Lindsay DiFazio.

I instantly fell in love with Lindsay’s story because she was a fit 20-something working hard to create balance in her life. Then I read that she was a bride-to-be, just like me and I was instantly hooked. I am inspired by her because she is a career woman and is determined to create balance in her life.

Meet Lindsay DiFazio…She's sharing today how she creates balance in her busy... healthy... fit life!

Fit at 28 means juggling a lot of great things - business travel, social life and family. So whether its long travel days and bad airport food, weekends of catch-up over wine and margaritas or family events out in the ‘burbs, juggling is always involved.

Here is a little breakdown of how I balance it all and fit in the me-time, to work out and be healthy.

Family and friends and that NYC social life

I find it fortunate that I grew up in the NYC suburbs. But with college friends, home friends and extended family, the pressure to see everyone is heavy.  So what do I do?

·       I plan my day and week.  Nothing crazy, just a quick overview of what’s going to happen with me.  I’m a
firm believer in enjoying food and life, so I do have that wine, that beer, that Italian sausage at the baseball game. But I plan accordingly.  Those are my cheats and nothing else.  I go a little harder in the gym given the week I’ve had or will have.  All in moderation of course.  If I have a few events in one week I prioritize.  Can’t live without the wine at dinner but I’ll hold on some other indulgence the next day. 

·       I use events as mini milestones. I dislike having to look at pictures and see me looking all unhealthy.  Whether its dull skin, a puffy face or some “extra” on the frame, I can tell.  The camera doesn’t lie.  So I’ll use events (weddings, birthdays, get-togethers, whatever) to have an end goal in sight.    It’s like studying for a test.  Now this doesn’t mean I’m binge dieting and working out like a maniac the week before.  It means the days I don’t feel like going to the gym I remind myself I have a mini milestone to hit.

·       Speaking of not so mini milestones…I’m planning a wedding!  Forget wedding season and all my friends getting married, I have the milestones of all milestones to get ready for.  If that is not motivation, I don’t know what is!

·      I use the restaurant scene to my advantage.  I know the friends that will want to try the new vegan/vegetarian restaurants with me.  I even have my fiancée going with me now. Victory.  It’s a great way to play catch up and still have an awesome/healthy meal all in one. 

Lindsay finds food while traveling that keeps her on track!

Work and travel

I’m shocked at how many people struggle to eat healthy while working.  Then again though, I’m not so shocked given how lousy it is to find healthy things in an airport or how discouraging some management can be.  So I did two things. 

·       I created a blog as a way to document my own experiences; healthy travel finds and tips I use to keep me from falling off the deep end. 

·       The second, I started (and I’m still in the process) of creating an airport guide to help others find the exact location of healthy eateries in airports.  You can stay up to date on the launch at my blog Your Fit Trip.

Other ways I stay healthy while being a working machine:

·       Working out is my break time –I do take that break in the evening to get a work out in.  I really do think it makes me a better worker – refocuses the mind. Gets the oxygen flowing back to the brain. Plus, who can sit in a chair for that many hours straight? Torture.

·       I look up the places I’m staying – I have to make sure I know what the hotel will offer me.  If I can, I choose places with a gym so I have the option to use the machines.  If all else fails, I’ll bring my own easy to pack equipment like bands or a good body-weight only video on my iPad.

At the end of the day if there are three things I enjoy about life it is being in my 20s, being fit and having great things to juggle.

Follow Lindsay's journey on her blog at Your Fit Trip or on Instagram @LDfazio!

Happiness is a Skill

My passion stems from being able to share with people the tools I use to get me to my goals. For so long I struggled with depression, insecurity, and the inability to be happy in my own life. Over the last year I have fought back against those emotions and negative things. I sought out to be better, to do better, and to make my dreams a reality. Part of the process for me is sharing with other people the things that helped me in an effort to help solve the problems people have that are similar to my own.

Though I feel healthy nutrition and exercise play a great roll in how far I have come and how far someone else is able to go, I believe equally in the power of self confidence. Without confidence I doesn't matter how much time or effort you have put in at the gym or how many meals you have made on your own.

Happiness is directly related with how confident I am. Also, how much I am able to give to other people depends a lot on my own happiness and self confidence. I place as much importance on my mental happiness as I do my physical happiness. A lot of time, I am more concerned with how confident, happy, or relaxed I am before I worry about how many squats or hours I completed at the gym. 

I devote and schedule time specifically for self improvement and relaxation. I said a week or so ago in my Video Blog Post that maintaining my stress is going to be a key element in the progress I am able to make over this next year. The same way I tell myself I will go to the gym at 5:30am, I also tell myself I will spend 30 minutes to an 1 hour working on myself internally. Many people skip this step!! It is crucial... You cannot expect to change your habits or get better results on the outside if you haven't worked on the inside. For those people that consistently make no progress...perhaps you start something and never finish it... I encourage you to look inward and be honest... are you really working on the mental and internal part of being healthy and happy?!? 

Here are a few things I have found that help me with self improvement...

1.) Love, love, LOVING positive quotes lately! Positive quotes on my bathroom mirror, positive quotes on my desk at work, positive quotes on my phone screen saver. I am focusing intently on changing the way I think, also. If I start thinking in a negative context, I quickly switch it to a positive. This is taking work, but when I focus on it it is helping me. 

2.) I am loving Happify right now!!! Happify is an online website that walks you through activities (or tracks as they are called on the website) that improve your happiness and own self awareness. The same way you work through exercises at the gym, is the same thing you do here. You answer a series of questions and receive custom activities to improve your Happiness. I devote an additional 15-30 minutes each morning to Happify. I devote time to it because it improves my ability to be more positive and happy throughout the day! Start with every other day just 15 minutes and see how it improves your happiness.

3.) I am writing more!!! Writing has become my #1 defense against negative thoughts or moving backwards. I have my spiral notebook where I keep notes and journal my thoughts. My Happify profile also has prompted questions that I write a few sentences about when I do my activities. The questions and prompts are written in a way that force me to find happiness or solutions in what I am doing. It is helpful in keeping my thoughts moving in a positive direction.