A few months after we relocated to Southern California, I took a part-time job working at my gym. While the free membership was a great perk, it wasn’t primarily about the money. I was working from home to build my new business while my husband’s new job required long hours and a ~90+ minute round trip commute. We had met a few people, but had very few friends. I was alone much of the time and it was getting me down. So when I saw the posting for a front desk job at my gym, I decided to give it a shot. I thought highly of the few people I had met there as well as the all-inclusive environment and thought that it could be a great opportunity to make friends and build my community. (Spoiler alert: it worked!)
I had never worked in the fitness industry and had a lot to learn. Though armed with a master‘s degree and 20+ years of professional work experience, I was schooled by teammates half my age. Six months prior, I had been managing multi-million dollar projects, and there I was mopping up strangers’ sweat and struggling to learn new software. But I loved it— because I focused on WHY I was there. It would have been easy to let my ego get in the way, but leading with my WHY grounded me. It allowed me to connect with my teammates and our customers in an honest and authentic way. After all, that’s what I was there to do.
The agreement I made with my husband when I took the job was that I would quit as soon as I no longer enjoyed it. A year later— and four months into the official launch of my business— I’m still working there a few times a week. I adore the community and cherish the friendships I’ve made with my team. Outside of the studio, we work as ER nurses, real estate agents, event planners, personal trainers, and software implementation managers. And the owner is one badass boss babe. We're all there because we love each other and the communal sense of accomplishment after a hard workout. That job has brought so much joy (and fitness) to my life, and I’m grateful that I had the courage to flip the script, try something new and immerse myself in such a rewarding opportunity.
Is there a new opportunity you've been contemplating but are worried about what people might think? Or that you don't have what it takes? Just because you've set off in one direction doesn't mean you can't change course. Now get out there & make it happen.