My current cold was my inspiration for today's post. Historically, I don't have the worlds greatest immune system. Despite an active lifestyle and a nutritious diet and regular medical care...I typically get sick. A lot. Interestingly, the past few months I've had a bit of a dry spell in regards to illness but my flowing sinuses are making up for it the past few days. It's been particularly difficult especially now. For the past few months, a portion of my employment commitments involve leading group fitness classes literally every day of the week. This becomes incredibly tricky to deal with when trying to recuperate from an illness.

I think it's in our DNA as group fitness instructors to have a bit of a "can't stop me, can't hold me back" personality. We are clearly dedicated to movement and probably more prone to pushing through illnesses or aches and pains a little bit more than the average individual. But when do we need to throw in the tissue box and call for reinforcements substitutes? First and foremost, I think it's important to remember that not only are we setting an example for wellness when we are feeling our best, but also at our worst. I would never advise a participant to push through a workout when they are experiencing fever, injury, significantly uncomfortable respiratory systems, or gastrointestinal illness. Likewise, it's pretty irresponsible to show up feeling miserable. Not only does this send the wrong message...but your class, quite frankly, is going to suck. You're cueing will suffer, you'll lack energy, your form will likely suffer, and if you participate in especially intense exercise, your recovery time may be prolonged. I should mention here that for mild illnesses like a slight headache or mild common cold, it's probably a good idea to get moving a little bit since there are also benefits to activity with improved blood flow and boosted immunity. It's a balance really. 

So back to those of us who are instructors staring down a class time and feeling seriously under the weather. Get a substitute. This can be easier said than done. Start fostering strong relationships with your clubs instructor team. You'll need to lean on one another in times of need. Be willing to help them and they'll be willing to help you. It helps that I LOVE to teach so I sub whenever I can, but even if you're only interested in, or your schedule only allows for teaching your own class or two...carve out some time to pitch in and help out. Karma people. 

I'm incredibly lucky to work with an AMAZING group of fitness professionals who go out of their way to help one another out. This week, my illness has been sort of unpredictable. Each day I think I'll be feeling better, I end up feeling worse! It's so hard to make the call to ask for reinforcements. We are dedicated to our class members and know they are expecting us! At our best! But sometimes, trust me, you don't want me up there. It gets to the point though where you're doing yourself no favors in regards to recovery and you're shortchanging your members if you show up miserable. This can be tricky especially if you work for a department that prides themselves on never canceling classes. This is something that should be avoided at all costs! So all the more important to recognize your symptoms early and call on colleagues to back you up. 

All of this being said, here are my big 3 reasons why you should think about and be ok with not stepping on stage:

Your Members Get It - If there is one thing I've learned, it's that most participants are incredibly aware of the fact that we are human. We have things come up. We get sick. We get injured. So do they. I have received far more praise for acting HUMAN as opposed to some psycho group exercise robot. They care about you, they relate to you, and they want you for the long haul. They are forgiving and they want the best for you. And if they don't...then they're that person (amIright?) and you sort of wish they weren't in class anyway...

It Sends the Right Message - As I stated above, what would you advise your participants to do? Push through intense workouts with an already depressed immune system? Risk their form suffering possible furthering or creating and injury? We'd never dream of it...so treat yourself with the same respect. Our go big or go home days are just as important as our I need to lay in bed and rest days.

You'll Recover Quicker - Some general advise that I prescribe to uses the neck as a landmark. If your symptoms are a stuffy nose, watery eyes, or mild headache...then some movement may do you good. Likewise, if you have fever, respiratory illness, body aches, etc., you may want to ease up on the workouts until your symptoms subside. Once you can get your head off the pillow a short walk or some gentle yoga or stretching can make you feel better but I'd leave BodyPump and CrossFit for another day. Working out intensely with an already depressed immune system puts you at greater risk for prolonged illness and potentially further injury.

So, whether you're an instructor, or participant. Know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em when it comes to exercise and illness. You'll be back to powering through that Pump class, Zumba class, or WOD together before you know it!

Catie Carey Fitness

Hey fitness friends of the internet. Really trying to get a schedule established for regular blogs. I've been tossing around various ideas and methods. As much as I'm spontaneous, I will be the first to admit structure is my MO. I've realized I can easily let things get in my way if I just blog on my every whim...since these days, my whims don't exactly come with the luxury of time to actually pursue said moment. I'm thinking of making it a point to blog 3 days per week. Each day will have a loose theme to keep me accountable to different topics I want to write about or feature. I have been blessed with a sheer and overwhelming abundance of opportunities within this industry recently...(and all at the same time!) ... and as I work on my career transition, I'm trying to pursue all avenues but also be discerning, responsible and careful with my time. The other day I realized I was falling into the trap of spreading myself too thin and losing sight of my true goals. I spent some time the other night compiling a list of my goals, areas that I struggle, heck areas where I downright tend to FAIL (I was pretty harsh on myself but it was needed). Likewise, I came up with an action plan and refocused myself on short and long term goals for this transition. Honestly, it's all still marinading in my brain so I'm not really ready to chat specifics, but all of that will organically unfold in due time. 

The point of this post stems from one of the overarching concepts for my little personal renaissance...and that is establishing myself as a bit of a brand...to put it plainly. After absorbing what others in fitness are doing well, I realized establishing myself as my own brand is the name of the game, and couldn't be more simple. I have renamed my blog and other social media channels to reflect this. When someone hires, follows, works with, or partners with a fitness professional, often it's that personalized face, personal touch, personality, and connection that will set you apart. Though I'm currently working with and for other companies at this juncture, I do want to stand apart from the crowd a little bit. People seek me out as an instructor, and hopefully one day soon and personal trainer, because something about me speaks to them. Not everyone will connect with me, and that's ok! In fact, I embrace people relieving themselves of the pressure to follow this fitness professional or that fitness professional. Often, several different types of professionals will speak to them. We all bring different experiences, personalities, and skills to the table to help you reach your goals. If I'm someone that you feel you can learn from, connect with, and trust, then I'm doing my job! Likewise, if you don't get those vibes from me, no worries! At the very least, I hope I'm able to offer solid advice and education to steer you to the right professional to help you meet your goals.

I hope to have many long years in this field. Not being entirely sure where this path will lead, I wanted to establish my own little world, aside from other employers, that represent me and that may serve as other platforms for future opportunities. I'm thinking online training with programs of my own design using MY OWN expertise and certifications/education, partnering with other fitness brands ... the list goes on. I don't want to limit myself to representing someone else's brand and someone else's dream...I'm blazing my own path, slowly but surely! 

On that note, one of my biggest action items the past few months is CERTIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS, CERTIFICATIONS! That being said, you're only as good as your hands on experience, but you need base knowledge to safely build your skills. The next few blogs I do will discuss the whole slew of certifications I've been working on these past few months and my own personal development and continuing education for fitness related knowledge. I'd love to offer my feedback on these different learning opportunities and how I'm putting them to use to continue to build my skills. Likewise, I'd love to solicit your advice on how you took your certification from just an "attaboy, you passed the test" on a piece of paper, to true, hands on skills! 

In sum, I'm actually working on a really exciting little pilot project and I'll be asking for your help soon! Stay tuned! 

Southwestern Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

Hi all! Long time no see. Blogging has fallen by the wayside. Ironically, I have more fitness related material to chat about than ever before but this parentoftwokids thing is kicking.my.butt. I've been trying to be more present and decided to cut back on blogging to stay more present with the kids and off of the computer. Not to mention, by the time I have a moment to sit down to the computer to type up a post, I'd rather be sleeping! Anyway, I always return since I love it so much and it's such a great creative outlet...I've been bottling up so many amazing things I want to share! Now that Declan is 4 months old (I can't even believe it) things are finally starting to feel like they are settling down into a more predictable routine. I'm hoping to be able to blog a time or two a week but we'll see how it goes!

For now, I wanted to share a simple salad I whipped up earlier this week. It was delicious and majorly curbed the temptation to go out for Mexican food...better for the wallet and the waistline! As I've probably mentioned before, we really struggle with meal prep in this household. Thankfully, I think we always eat generally healthy and clean but we often end up grabbing something pre-made a few times a month due to poor planning. While the choices are generally healthy as well, it gets costly and obviously is typically less healthy than if we'd prepared our own meal. On top of craving Mexican the other night, we're dealing with the hot, steamy, dog days of Florida summer so trying to satisfy the craving in the form of a nice fresh salad seemed like a good challenge. I took out the blender and whipped up a very simple vinaigrette utilizing plain greek yogurt. My parents are visiting and the whole table agreed it was delicious and satisfying. Here's how to prepare it:

Southwestern Chopped Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

On a large platter, arrange the following:
2 bags of lettuce (I used romaine and spring mix)
2 cups Mexican shredded cheese
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, halved
3-4 diced scallions
1 can organic low sodium black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can organic sweet corn kernels (drained and rinsed)
2 avocados sliced
2 bags of pre sliced southwestern style grilled chicken strips (I used Perdue shortcuts) warmed through

To make the vinaigrette you'll need:
1 bunch cilantro (stems removed, approximately 1 cup)
1 cup plain greek yogurt
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon diced garlic
Juice of two limes
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Store extra in a mason jar for a few days.

This salad served 4 dinner portions with 2 servings for leftovers.

My parents are visiting and I thought it would be fun to present this colorful salad at the table and then offer salad tongs so people could serve themselves and pick and choose the toppings they'd like. Of course, you can construct the components of this salad in whatever way you prefer to serve it. I served the dressing on the side in a pretty gravy boat. In fact, this salad looked so pretty and was so tasty that it would be a great dish to serve when entertaining. I'm thinking this might be a hit at a future friends tex-mex themed dinner night!

Comment here and share you favorite clean, fresh, simple salads with me!

Easy Asian Inspired Weeknight Dinners

Happy May! I'm in disbelief that it is May 1st already. Time is flying, Declan is growing bigger and bigger...I can't believe towards the end of this month he'll be two months already. Seriously, buckle up and hang on...things are just moving so fast!

This has been an incredibly exciting last two weeks or so with some tangible changes on the horizon. I have a kick butt group fitness class schedule and will be doing a whole lot of teaching in the coming weeks and months. I can't wait. I also finally registered for my NASM-CPT course! I have been intending to do this for a solid two years at least and finally was inspired to just pull the trigger and start. The timing won't really get much better and I'm ready to press forward with achieving this goal. More on all of this jazz in another post but for now, I wanted to share a few new go-to recipes for weeknight (or any night really) meals. I say weeknight because the ingredients are simple, prep is quick, and the flavor is big so you get the satisfaction of a dish in regards to flavor that you think took longer to make but really it was on the table in no time.

In order to stay satisfied and reduce cravings, we like big, bold flavors. We're a little less meat and potatoes and more like, we're craving Thai and Indian. When done correctly, these can be incredibly satisfying meals full of veggies and lots of yummy seasonings. Often they are one pot or one pan meals. Problem is, I've found they tend to be ingredient heavy and not always with ingredients that go the distance in your pantry. I've had to become smart about finding ways to use up ingredients on multiple recipes since some of them tend to be a little bit on the pricey side. Today, I want to share two recipes that use some basic Asian flavor profiles, are recipes that are familiar, simple ingredients, and quick to make. We love seafood and stir fry's but if they aren't prepared with clean eating in mind it's not necessarily the best choice. For example, I used to fall back on packaged stir fry sauces but decided to develop my own. After perusing a few recipes to make a clean eating stir fry sauce from scratch, I realized I had most of the elements being recommended and just started experimenting with different proportions with the ingredients I had and came up with a great sauce for a beef stir fry. I also let my ingredients like sesame oil and rice vinegar go the distance as concocted a sauce for a salmon, brown rice, and avocado bowl.

Clean Eating Beef Stir Fry

1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon local honey
1 table spoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 lb beef cut into strips (my Publix supermarket prepackages beef strips for stir fry but you can easily cut your own of have the butcher counter do it for you)
1 bag of frozen stir fry veggies (I use a broccoli stir fry blend that also has water chestnuts, carrot, and onion)
1 cup Brown Rice (I use boil in a bag or steam in a bag brown rice for extra quick prep...you can also use quinoa!)

Whisk the first 8 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet (coconut oil works nicely) and brown the beef draining any excess fat if needed. Add the veggies and cook until warmed through. Pour the sauce over the beef and veggies mixture and allow sauce to simmer, stirring occasionally, for approximately 5 minutes until the sauce thickens and reduced slightly. In the meantime prepare rice. Serve approximately 1/2 to one cup of beef stir fry over 1/2 cup brown rice.


Salmon, Brown Rice, and Avocado Bowls

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar, plus an additional teaspoon of rice vinegar to toss with rice
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
2 small wild caught fresh or frozen salmon fillets
1 cup brown rice
1 avocado cut into slices

Whisk first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside. In a non-stick pan, cook fish until done. While fish is cooking heat rice. When rice is done, toss with 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar. In a bowl, serve a piece of salmon over rice and garnish with half of an avocado per bowl. Divide the dressing evenly and pour over each bowl.

Serve both of these dishes with a side of edamame (I use steam in a bag) garnished with a teaspoon of sea salt if desired.

Zesty Fish Taco's with Lime Slaw

Hi all! Hope everyone is having a great week. I'm still enjoying maternity leave and getting lots of cuddles with Declan. I was looking ahead at the calendar and realized that in not too many more weeks I'll be back to being busier! Next weekend I return to teaching my classes at the gym (can't wait!) and then come May I'll be adding a few more to the schedule. More updates to come on those specifics once my gym officially releases the schedule. Also, as of June 1st, I'll return to my work as an SLP. My schedule will be sort of varied and random due to the nature of PRN work but I'm looking forward to the change! I'll just need to stay a little more organized since I won't be working set days or a set schedule.

On that note, I am one day into my challenge to scale back on social media. Last night was so nice. I got a few chores done, got some time to play with Connor, and just generally enjoyed being "unplugged". I'm not giving it up completely since I use social media for blogging related activities and to stay in touch with some friends via messaging but I just need this break and can already tell I'm happy to scale way back on being constantly "tuned in". I'll still be publishing my posts to FB since many of you read to which I say, thank you! I love sharing what I'm passionate about on this blog and if you find something useful or can relate to something I discuss that means so much. I realized I've been droning on a little about me me me on this blog. I want this space to be useful to you as well! While it's nice to know what makes a person tick sometimes, my intention IS to share fitness info, ideas, as well as recipes...you name it.

So, in the interest of something you may find useful, and delicious, I want to share our new favorite fish taco recipe. This is STUPID simple to prepare and delicious....not to mention a fairly clean eating option...ok ok so it uses taco seasoning and a bottled dressing...this busy momma needs to cut a FEW corners here and there mmmkay?

Frozen tilapia fillets thawed
1 package of dry taco seasoning
Lime vinegrette dressing (I use Newman's own)
1 package cole slaw mix
Small tortillas for soft tacos

Garnishes if you choose: hot sauce, light sour cream, guacamole, diced tomato, etc.

Coat defrosted tilapia fillets with taco seasoning. Bake fish. When done, flake into bite size pieces.
In a bowl, lightly coat slaw with lime dressing and season with a dash of sea salt and pepper if desired. Heat tacos and top with fish and slaw and other garnishes as desired.

I LOVE these served with only a light smear of light sour cream and homemade guac and a few dashes of hot sauce. To make the guacamole I mash 3 avocados with the juice of one lime, a few teaspoons of fresh or dried cilantro, and garlic salt and black pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

If You Chase Two Rabbits...

I feel really exposed writing this post for some reason. Probably because it's incredibly hard for me to acknowledge feeling out of control, disorganized, lacking focus, lacking follow through, and generally feeling flaky about life in general. It's terrifying, embarrassing, and stressful to finally admit that I don't know what I want to be when I grow up.

Let me jump to the point. I'd like to own my own business someday. Like a real, legitimate, brick and mortar business. A fitness studio to be exact. This is my happy place. I've said that a million times. I love seeing my patients as an SLP and the amazing colleagues I have made in the process. Many aspects of the field challenge me and hold my interest for personal fulfillment, for sure. BUT, big picture...long term...I want to call my own shots, create something for myself, make my own schedule, empower people who might also want to come along on that ride. I want to help people achieve wellness in another way.

The problem is...it's HARD. I'm not fearful of the WORK...the hard part is getting started. Setting concrete goals and slowly chipping away. It's the proverbial "long game" and I have no patience. Also, you need CASH. Gobs and gobs of cash. I'd love to think my acre plus of property has some money trees out back but...no. I'd also love to be independently wealthy or have a trust fund to tap for a loan but...no. I'm going to be on the hook for the investment in a venture like this and honestly, there is no timeline. Andrew (god love him) and I talk about this frequently. Last week, we were chatting about when will we know that we have the money to invest. Again, in his ever present wisdom he encouraged me to begin setting some real tangible goals. He suggested we open an account (hopefully something interest bearing to help my money grow) and slowly begin making deposits here and there as we are able with some extra income. Hmm extra income... I just went part-time. Not exactly a whole-lotta extra income floating around right now. In my intense desire to "have it all" I've tried my hand at some other businesses that required a lot less start up investment...and they've been great! I'd never represent products I don't use or believe in...but honestly, the payout hasn't been worth the time and the amount of time I generally need to put into developing those businesses into being fruitful enough to offer me a flexible way to invest that income in my ultimate goal...ultimately detracts from the time I need to be spending on working on my actual goal! Does that make sense? I'll be completely honest...my desire to "get rich quick" so I can realize my dream is enticing. But it's time to refocus. Because I use this blog as a platform for accountability (if you put it out there maybe it tempers the tendency to be flaky!) here's what I would ultimately like to achieve:

Continue to expand my involvement with the Les Mills brand. I'm going to begin attending advanced trainings this year, called AIM modules, in an effort to achieve a pie in the sky dream to become a national trainer/presenter.

Continue blogging. I love this as an outlet and because my goals are relevant to the purpose of this blog, this might be a good platform for me to stay organized, accountable, and continue the conversations I love to have about health, wellness, and a more fulfilling life.

Open a fitness studio. For about a year I've been in some talks with some franchise brands including barre workouts and group fitness studios, vs. going out on my own with my own concept. I've even done some showings with a real estate agent for studio space. And then the reality of the enormity of the investment set in...and that I didn't have the cash to pony up right now...so we put things on hold. I need to spend some time honing in on the type of studio I'd ultimately like to open.

Finally, I can't lose sight of my most important priority right now...and that's my family. The whole point of dialing back on my full time work was to spend more time with the boys while they are young. I'm just addicted to working and being busy! Again, I just deeply desire to do it my way, in something I'm truly passionate about, calling my own shots, making my own schedule, and creating something I can be proud of. The goal has never been NOT to work. I just want to do something I can be 110% invested in and show them that not only can you be successful by getting an education and a successful career...but you can crush a dream by building something for yourself, working hard for it, sustaining it, and still be present and fulfilled in life on your own terms.

So, what's standing in my way? Me. I recently heard a quote that says "if you chase two rabbits...you'll lose them both". This hit me like a ton of bricks. This is exactly my problem. Awhile back, my father looked at me and said, "Catie, you have too many minds". He LOVES this reference from the movie from The Last Samurai. This was advice offered by a tutor when Tom Cruise's character is not succeeding at learning the art of sword fighting. The reference here is that the character is too distracted and lacking focus therefore putting him at risk of not truly achieving excellence. Hmmm....guilty.

How am I going to fix this? This morning, it dawned on me that I really need to focus on being more present. Last night, Connor was trying to get my attention and I had my nose in my phone trying to message some customers from one of my business ventures back. Andrew and I often speak about how we are a little too caught up in tech at the inappropriate times sometimes. I've actually decided to scale back like 95% of my social media use for a few weeks. I need to get off of Facebook and rejoin my life! There are too many distractions on Facebook, too much noise for me about business opportunities I want to pursue that aren't bearing fruit, too much sharing, too much comparing...I'm tired. I won't be gone COMPLETELY only because I do follow a few things on FB that I use as reference...it is a good forum for a few things! Also, for some people in my life, it is a primary means of staying in touch via messaging so I will be accessing it from time to time for those reasons. I will also keep blogging as I mentioned above and I do like to share those posts so I'll post to my wall when I publish something new...otherwise, adios for a few weeks. I'm really excited to take this challenge.

When I'm not spending this newfound time focusing on the kiddos and my husband, family, and friends...I'm going to work on a vision board and develop some goal setting tools for myself to achieve what I outlined. I'm working on creating a little office space in my guest room so I have a little nook to "work". I'll also be focusing more on keeping up around the house, our families fitness and nutrition, and spending some time connecting more personally with friends near and far. I'm EXCEEDINGLY bad at that...like miserable how-do-I-even-have-friends-left bad. I just don't do long distance :( It's interesting, those relationships are either easy breezy to maintain or incredible amounts of work...but that's another topic for another time, maybe.

So, here's to clarity, focus, and fulfillment...and crushing your goals and dreams! Chase one rabbit...have one mind.

What are your big scary goals? Have you achieved them yet? What is your plan? How have you refocused your life and other priorities to balance your goals with other important responsibilities? Do you identify with falling victim to being all over the place when it comes to what you pursue? Tell me I'm not alone and share some motivation!

Ambassador of Health

Hi All! Just popping in quick to say hello today. We're pretty much back to our "new normal" routine.  My parents came to visit for about 3 weeks and left to go home yesterday. We were BEYOND appreciative for their help. It was nice to have extra hands to keep Connor occupied during my last week of pregnancy and when we initially brought Declan home. My parents live in New Jersey and we are so fortunate to be able to see them often but they aren't exactly around the corner so it was awesome to get to see them have such quality time with their grandson's. We actually call their visits Nana and Pop-pops bootcamp since it seems like Connor's skills EXPLODE every time they are around. It's funny actually...you'd think I never read to my kid or had enriching interactions...I recently messaged a friend who is a peds SLP since I felt like I needed to check in on Connor's speech-language development. Yes, he's only 18 months but in my paranoia I just felt like he wasn't quite doing a few things I expected. Anyway, a mere week later, Nana gets here and now he's saying "cookie", "baby", "moo", and some other "half words" for foods, drinks, etc. Little show-off. Needless to say, I'm relieved and it's so fun to hear his little voice express himself.

Andrew is back to work and will go on paternity leave for two months starting in June. We will be sending Connor to the sitter a couple of times per week as well. A while back, I wrote a post regarding my desire to have more flexibility in my work/home life. The way I wrote about sitters and daycare came across as if I thought this was a terrible idea. I wanted to clarify that this isn't the case at all. I don't think for an instant that myself, or others, are trying to have someone else raise their kids. That was more of a tongue in cheek way of expressing my personal feeling about wanting to be more involved. On the contrary, we love our sitter and refer to her and her husband almost as Connor third set of grandparents. They care for other kiddos as well and Connor has several little friends. It's such a positive experience for him and we couldn't have survived the last 18 months without them. I'm just happy to have the flexibility to have some extra time in my schedule to spend a full day here and there myself with the kids. A luxury for sure...and probably not something I'll do long term for years on end, but for now, it's working.

Anyway, just settling in with Declan and getting a little one on one time with our new addition. It's actually nice to have it just be he and I for a little while. I can sort of get the house in order, get used to his wants/needs and get us on a bit of a schedule. In a few short weeks I'll return to teaching my classes at the gym and then by June I'll start picking up per diem hours. I'll also be focusing on some health coaching on the side through Beach Body and I've been toying with the idea of revisiting my Stella & Dot business. I get interest in Trunk Shows here and there and typically turn them down since I just didn't have an extra ounce of time...but now my schedule may allow me to fulfill those Trunk Show requests so if you've been interested let me know and we'll see what we can do!

Before I sign off for the day, I wanted to share that I'm excited to announce that I've been accepted as an ambassador for FitFluential and SweatPink!

It's an honor to join these communities. As I discussed in a previous post regarding my ambassadorship with Girls Gone Sporty, being a member of these groups allows me to help further the discussion and mission of a health and fitness based lifestyle. I love being able to contribute to positive discussions and hopefully be a source of info and motivation for your own health journey. These groups are also a gateway to possible brand partnerships etc. I am looking forward to opportunities to partner with brands to spread the word and mission of a healthy lifestyle and bring readers info on services, products, and communities to enhance your lifestyle and journey. If you're on social media (who isn't) be sure to seek out hashtags like #fitfluential and #sweatpink to become part of the discussion and see what's going on around these communities! Also, visit each link above to link over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and other social media channels to follow!