Hey, hi, hello 👋🏻 Checking in to introduce the other half of my life that is not at all fitness/health-related. The number of times I’ve been asked recently about why I haven’t pursued the fitness industry full-time, why I haven’t jumped full force into ‘my own thing,’ when I will do so, and how CJ and I balance each other out when it comes to corporate life vs entrepreneurial life, has inspired me to write this. 

To start, I’d like to remind you that, at a time (especially on social media), where it seems millennials are abandoning the corporate world to freelance, become “entrepreneurs,” join start-ups, pursue their hobby full-time, etc.. it is OKAY IF YOU DON’T RESONATE WITH THAT. We are lucky to live in a time and place where all of this is possible, heck, we are extremely lucky to even be able to read and write this, but we need to be self-aware about the lifestyle that is best for us. We also need to have confidence in our decisions at this exact point in our lives for whichever lifestyle and career path we choose, as well as the ability to recognize when it is time to make a change. This world can be noisy, pushy, judgmental.. do yourself a favor and tune it out. Focus on you. Take what’s inspiring and helpful to you, and leave the rest. 

While I was in school full time for my MBA, I spent a lot of time thinking about what was next...I asked myself these questions:

• What do I truly value out of life and a career?

• What am I interested in?

• Where do I really want to live?

• Where do I see myself in 10 years?

• What do I want to be known for?

• If I were to die tomorrow, would I be happy with how I’m living today? (I know, not the most upbeat question, but it puts you in check!)

I thought about the differences between start-up and traditional atmospheres, industries, job functions, and everything in between. After all that analysis, some internships, and lots of soul searching, I am now a month in at a new job and I’m really happy with my decision. 

So, what do I do?

To keep it short and relatable, my new role entails planning the growth of a group of businesses (within the automation industry) through current business operations and inorganically through acquisition. This means continuously evaluating performance across businesses and understanding the drivers of growth and market dynamics, staying aware of industry trends and innovations, and supporting the executive leadership team. It also involves assessing potential acquisitions and assisting with integrations because in a rapidly-changing industry, this is a key way towards growth.

I put my engineering background to use every day to better understand the businesses and industry, and I am CONSTANTLY learning. So far, I love what I’m doing, the people I am surrounded by, the leaders that I get to learn from, the exciting future of this industry, and the never-ending opportunity to learn something new and feel like a beginner.

What about MY PASSION FOR fitness and the WELLNESS SCENE?

Fitness changed my life. It will always serve as a way for me to test my vulnerability, my limits, and my physical and mental strength, but right now it is my outlet. I’m not ready to make it my sole focus and I don’t know that I’ll ever fully want to for a few reasons: 1) I appreciate it as an OUTLET 2) I am genuinely interested in other industries and areas of business that I believe my time is worth exploring.

I spend my downtime, outside of work, embracing this passion and that is enough for me right now. I have made health and wellness a lifestyle for myself, and even when I am at work, I embody that lifestyle. It’s in the form of making the decision to eat nourishing meals throughout the day and move more, but it is also about much more than food, working out and exercise to me. It’s mostly about being mindful towards yourself and others and choosing your perspective towards situations to keep yourself free from self doubt, stress, and anxiety, no matter where you are. That is what the health/wellness lifestyle has earned me.

My focus at this point in my life is on spending half of my time learning from a traditional career and the other half of my time bettering myself (and others) mentally and physically through this outlet while building a community. 

Do I want to do my ‘own thing’ one day?

Maybe! This answer changes a lot. Right now, I like living day by day and doing what feels right at the moment. My vision for the future involves supporting CJ in his entrepreneurial endeavors and growing @thriveonlife with him. I’m not sure exactly what that looks like, but I believe that consistent small efforts over time will pave the path for me. 

Do CJ and I butt heads? 

💯💯 He cannot fathom sitting at a desk, while I can’t fathom not having a set schedule right now 🤣 We balance each other out for sure with our individual learnings and constant battles. 

I choose to consistently share my passion for health and fitness because it is a big part of my lifestyle, but it is not the only part. I aim to be a source of information, ideas and help to anyone that may want to live healthier and happier while still living a normal life. That may include finding ways to be healthy at a corporate job, pursuing a bigger dream, going back to school, setting goals, finding a passion, pursuing a non-traditional career, managing an entrepreneurial husband 🙈, quieting the noise to focus on YOU. . . talking all of these topics brings me joy.

For more about what I’m up to outside of fitness, tune in to my podcast episode with CJ on the ThriveonPodcast.

Feel free to reach out @erin.spiration if there’s something you want to learn more about or if there’s anything I can do to help you. Helping you helps me because it brings me so much happiness and fulfillment!

xo,

Erin