Mind. Body. Brand: Lessons Learned Through Physical and Mental Transformation
Graphic by: Kelli Binnings / Photo on-left by Kate Hauschka
At the beginning of this year, I decided to take on a major personal challenge. One which transformed every part of me both mentally and physically. I decided to train, compete, and become a Wellness Fitness Competitor.
Within 5 very dedicated months I lost 25 lbs, gained 4% muscle mass, and lost 11% body fat, completely reshaping my physical body (I had no idea the mental changes that would accompany the physical changes, but more on that later.) For the first time in my life, I had committed to physical fitness in a way that meant something different to me. While I’ve always valued fitness, having played sports in school and genuinely enjoyed the gym, this time was different, this was a lifestyle change. I knew it would take complete and total commitment, countless sacrifices, and dedication to this wild goal of becoming and embodying a fitness competitor. My why was simple, change was the only option for me. I hit a wall of disappointment I couldn’t explain and knew that I had to take responsibility for the decisions that led me to that point. I was ready to completely rewire my behavior, create healthier habits, and stop visualizing the person I knew I was capable of being and actually become her.
This article isn’t a humble brag or to say that I’m special in any way for this accomplishment. Many people have transformations like this and ones much much bigger than mine, whether they end up competing or not.
What this article is about is the power of your mind and body working in unison to build the person (and brand) you want to become.
Building is building. It takes dedication, discipline, consistency, and more to create [insert goal/desire/legacy here]. This journey empowered me, gave me confidence I never imagined possible (something only posing on stage in a rhinestone bathing suit can give you), and created a mind/body/brand connection for me in business that I felt (you guessed it) empowered to share with others.
Left to right: December to April 2024
When we set our focus on something, whether it’s considered a personal or professional goal, it becomes personal to each of us. We take ownership of that goal until we achieve it, for ourselves, the teams we’re a part of, or the people/clients/customers we serve. There’s a depth to each goal, an extreme, that at the time may seem unattainable (like having a medal placed around your neck on stage). Truth is nothing is unattainable, it’s simply a sliding scale of what you classify as achievement. How far you want to push yourself, and your business, to be the best version possible while maintaining life balance. That’s success, that’s finding happiness, that’s living in alignment with your purpose. No one else's, yours. When you own and take responsibility for progress, everything changes.
This rollercoaster experience gave me many valuable insights but for the sake of brevity, I condensed it down to these (4) in hopes of sharing the connection I found during my “progress” between the life lesson and application in business.
Discipline and Self-Control
Lesson:
Without these two, you will fall victim to every temptation, every opportunity that isn’t for you, and everyone else's opinion of you, what you should do, and who you are. These two are the stepping stones to every goal we want to achieve. They help you stay aligned with your purpose, drive consistent change through intentional decision-making, and create the consistency you need to see progress and enjoy the reward.
Application:
In business, we say yes more than no because yes usually means money now whereas no means holding out for future money and a potentially better fit. Yes can be a decision out of fear of letting others down, not knowing where your next dollar is coming from, or simply having the time so why not. But no comes out of clarity, knowing what you do and who you serve, and having the confidence and patience to trust in what you attract. Having the discipline and self-control to say no creates structure around your brand allowing others to learn who you are and what you do so that you can attract the people that truly need you.
Overcoming assumed boundaries
Lesson:
I hit many “roadblocks” over the last 5 months, some more “emotionally bruising” than others. I would entertain the idea of failure, wrestle with an unnecessarily negative internal dialogue, and lean into the fear of letting myself down. Thanks to my trusted support group (highly recommend this for any goal you wish to achieve) each time I hit one, I was reminded that sometimes roadblocks are just opportunities for a detour, to reframe my thinking or change my approach. Assuming boundaries for yourself is natural but learning how to overcome them is an absolute necessity for growth.
Application:
We sometimes get lost thinking about the competition, what they’re doing, what they’re selling, and how they’re looking. The truth is it doesn’t matter because you can only “be you,” anything else is an off brand copy. Competition can create boundaries for us if we’re busy following their lead. If we choose to lead, then we end up creating the best path for ourselves, unphased by the competition and whatever boundaries they hold themselves to. Learn how to lead your brand so other people's boundaries don’t stop you from achieving your goals.
Control what you can and let go of the rest
Lesson:
We can fully reset every 24 hours. Some days are better than others, work weighs on you, you don’t sleep that well, or maybe social distractions get the best of you, but you rest and reset the next day. Your choices, efforts, and commitments are within your control, everything else is a response. Learning to filter the rest through what you can control is powerful. Create a filtering system for what matters most to you and your goals; trust me, it minimizes the stress of previously difficult “in the moment” decisions.
Application:
Markets shift, customer needs change, and idk pandemics happen, but all of those things have two things in common, 1) they are outside of your control and 2) they are opportunities for creative change. If we spend too much time thinking about things we can’t control, we waste valuable time on building solutions that best fit us, our teams, customers, and ourselves. The faster we learn to accept what's happening around us, the faster we can pivot and leverage the opportunity for growth that’s ahead of us.
The power of the “1% better” rule
Lesson:
We have James Clear to thank for this one and his book Atomic Habits, where he discusses the power of tiny changes and says “If you can get 1 percent better each day for one year, you'll end up thirty-seven times better by the time you're done.” That’s pretty great odds if you ask me. While I still have the rest of ‘24 to go, I definitely lived this rule during my training. 1% is such a small number but over time consistently choosing something that’s 1% better or doing something that’s 1% in the direction of our goals, compounds the possibility of actually achieving them.
Application:
Businesses and brands ebb and flow just like we do. Some days they miss the mark, experience growing pains, and have identity crises, but that doesn’t mean all progress is lost. As long as you’re consistently working towards clarity within your brand and how to best serve others through your brand, you’re using the 1% better rule to your advantage. Progress no matter how small, is still progress. It's you choosing the history you want to have lived.
The connection between who we are as individuals and how we show up in our professional lives is undeniable. If we build strong, healthy relationships with ourselves, we in turn do the same in business. If we value consistency, respect discipline, invest in our future, honor the learning, and trust the process, which leads to stronger teams, loyal customers, and more genuine brands. Each person contributes to the bigger picture.
This experience transformed the way I see myself and my goals. I found strength when it seemed there was none left. I invested in myself and got back 10 fold of what I could’ve ever expected. I’ll close with a few of my favorite one-line pep talks I frequently repeated to myself throughout my training. Whether on a treadmill or at a desk, these will apply. I hope they give you the same twinge of motivation they gave me to become what deep down is always possible.
