First up I thought I'd introduce myself.
I'm Ash, I'm a PT and I study Exercise Science at uni.
now the formalities are out of the way,
I'll go into why I actually started AH Fitness Solutions, and how scaring the frigging crap out of yourself might be the best thing you do all year...
A little background on me…
I started AH Fitness Solutions (my burgeoning personal training business) as almost a knee jerk reaction to some health problems my family went through in 2014. A few different things happened, but one in particular…my dad having open heart surgery scared the friggin' crap out of me.
For anyone thats met my dad, they would know that it was a massive shock that this tall, strong, moustachioed ex-army dude actually had a ticking time bomb of an embolism sitting on the front wall of his heart.
Dad was lucky, due to a routine stress test, we found out he had actually already had the heart attack long ago without actually noticing it (!!) and that the doctors had caught the embolism just in time, and that it was a matter of a little (ha) double coronary bypass and ant. wall reconstruction to get in and repair the damage.
Now, yes my family does have a history of heart disease.
And yes Dad did smoke. For a very long time. So it shouldn't really have been such a shock.
However, anyone that's experienced a major health event in their family would know it tends to trigger off other events, some good, some bad.
So dad's heart surgery triggered me to do something big. Knee jerk reaction big. 'Heart in my throat scared' big.
I stuck my hand up and said I'd run the New York City Marathon. This year. I've never run a marathon before…a couple of (slow) halfers but 42km (whilst jet lagged is a friggin long way).
I'm running it for the HEART FOUNDATION (their vital research is why Dad's still here, us raising money keeps them doing it!), and I'm raising $7500 (plus) that goes purely to them.
So in order to raise funds, I started AH FITNESS SOLUTIONS a personal training business, that runs charity bootcamps…all profits go to the Heart Foundation.
Simple right?
Surprise…business is hard work. Especially when your mid-way through a really hard Exercise Science degree and have to work as a bartender at night to make ends meet…and train for a marathon (next post I'll talk about working through a plateau and finding motivation again. trust me I've been there)
I'm currently in the beginner stages…the stage where I'm told most people quit.
I went to an International Business Women's day lunch run by the fantastic Jane Copeland of Coping With Jane, where Anthea Cahill (of Real Chai Founder and Iquitmyjob.com.au) said this (I'm paraphrasing here), to stop procrastinating! to dive right in even if starting my own business scares the shit of me! and to remember that business isn't a marathon….it's a sprint.
Being a runner that last one resonated the most with me. Both Jane and Anthea's sites are absolutely cracking resources for those of you who also have knee jerk reactions and start a business.
Starting a business is terrifying. But good terrifying. Like being at the top of a really high roller coaster. With a blindfold on. In the nude.
Putting myself out there is pretty scary. The look in people's eyes when you tell them to do 50 burpees is scarier.
But not having my Dad around to see me walk down the aisle or meet his grandkids would have been scariest of all.
take care of yourselves,
Ash
What's happened in your life to make you have a knee jerk reaction?
Have you/are you starting a business right now and peeing your pants in terror?
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