This is my story.
It’s not edited. It’s to show you that no matter what your lot is in life, you can make things happen. You can BE an Epic Boss Girl. It will take time and effort and a lot of sacrifice, but you can make your life be what you want it to be.
I graduated from Texas Christian University in 2003. I have a degree in Kinesiology (Study of Human Movement) and a minor in Business. I am also a Certified Personal Trainer. After college, I had no money and I could not find a job to save my life. I remember applying for a teller position at a local bank and even though I passed all of the tests, the bank manager said she couldn’t hire me because as soon as I found something better (ie that paid more), I would immediately quit.
I was attending a local church and the minister knew I was on a job hunt. He mentioned seeing a Personal Training position available at a local hospital. He emailed me the link and I applied. In the mean time, not having a job and not having any money to afford the place my husband and I were renting, meant that some drastic measures needed to take place (ie move out). We packed up all of our stuff and moved out in the middle of the night. He pawned one of his personal possessions to pay for my first month’s rent at a friends house. The next week I had a phone interview at the hospital plus two face-to-face interviews. And then I was officially hired as a Personal Trainer.
I worked my tail off at my new job. I wanted to be successful. I wanted to not stress about money. I worked crazy hours as a Personal Trainer. I moved up the ladder in the 6 years I worked there. I created a successful Weight Management Program that still exists today. I created it in such a way that if the program didn’t sell, it wouldn’t lose money. I was resourceful. I worked until there was no room for improvement…I hit the proverbial glass ceiling. I left to pursue further options at a local boutique wellness center, but unfortunately, due to some internal issues between the owners, the boutique center didn’t last and I had to leave before it all fell apart in front of me.
During my time at the Fitness Center, my husband and I purchased our first 4 rental properties and a commercial property. We started a Motorcycle Business in 2007. As the economy changed, our business changed. We opened up a Used Car Lot in 2009 once gas prices caused us to realize we could no longer make money selling motorcycles.
Let me rewind back a few years. In 2006, we had some tenants move into one of our rental properties. When looking over their rental application and seeing the amount of money they made, I knew I was in the wrong business. And I wanted to know everything about the business they were in. After figuring out what they did for a living, I approached the couple and offered a trade. I would personal train them for free if they would teach me everything they knew. And that’s how I made it into the Petroleum Landman industry.
I went full time as a Landman in 2010 and officially went on the road in 2011. While on the road full time, out in West Texas, I got really bored. To occupy my time and sanity levels, I started to blog. And from there I found my true passion and calling.
My story isn’t all rainbows and roses. It’s not been easy. There have been some definite bumps and bruises along the way. Watching the economy change the way you do business isn’t pleasant. But we persevered and made things work for us.
To make my dreams a reality, I had to be consistent. I had to constantly be learning and tweaking and changing. Am I at my dreams yet? Not even close. But every single major goal that I’ve set for myself, I’ve knocked out of the park. And my dreams are that much closer.
Be resilient. Be resourceful. Be consistent. Set your eyes to your dreams.
You’ve got the passion. You’ve got the drive. Now it’s time to put it into high gear and be EPIC, Boss Girl.
Boss Girl Creative Podcast was born from my #BLOGGINGEDUMACATION Blogging Tip Series on Pink Heels Pink Truck. Started as a way for me to share the various blogging tips/tricks/resources I was learning as I was growing my brand, it soon evolved in to one-on-one coaching sessions, speaking opportunities and this podcast. Boss Girl Creative officially launched July 1, 2015. Its focus: to teach the whys, hows and whats of blogging, business and being a creative entrepreneur. I release a new episode of the Boss Girl Creative Podcast every Wednesday morning. On Wednesday evenings, I host a live #BOSSGIRLQA on Periscope at 9pm CST (username is pnkheelspnktrk).
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Have a question or a podcast topic suggestion? Send me an email at hello@bossgirlcreative.com or send me a voicemail at (707)BOSS-GIRL (707-267-7447).
