Four Business Lessons Learned as a Body Sculpting Champion
Back in October 2004 I won the Central North Island Novice Body Sculpting Championships and went on to compete in New Zealand Nationals.
To achieve this I trained 7 days a week, twice a day for up to 1.5 hours at a time and monitored my nutritional intake like a hawk. I shed 15 kgs off my frame and got down to 10% body fat – yes that’s really me in the photos.
In short I applied a tremendous amount of discipline and focus to achieve this amazing result of sculpting my body into this ideal symmetrical physique the judges required.
Was it worth it? Absolutely. Would I do it again, no.
It’s not that I don’t enjoy eating chicken and broccoli 7 days a week but I’d rather not. I also don’t think being that lean is a natural state for anyone to be in for a long period of time – bones and muscle is not altogether attractive.
Plus it had never been my intention to stand on stage in a skimpy outfit, wearing 6 inch heels and bronzed up to the max, striking a variety of poses to be show of my physique. But as the competition date drew nearer, I realized I owed it to myself to enter to acknowledge and justify all the hard work I’d put in. I’m so glad I did!
What I am forever indebted to though, is the entire journey I experienced, because it proved to me that I could do anything I put my mind to.
1. Keep your eye on the end goal
I recall the moment when, standing on stage, my name was called and I was asked to step forward as one of the top 3 contestants. I realized at that moment that every single day leading up to this moment I had never contemplated losing.
There I was excited to have made it, trying to balance on these ridiculous heels and exude grace and confidence when suddenly it struck me that I may not win. I hadn’t planned for that!
I set myself a goal to win that competition, I put my heart and soul into training and diet, I made a ton of sacrifices to stay on track no matter what and look what happened.
2. Apply determination liberally
It’s interesting to note that during that same year, applying that discipline and focus to other areas of my life meant they also blossomed as a result. In my new role as National Brand Manager for a major haircare company, I pulled off the best ever Hairdressing Awards in my first 3 months and increased brand performance across the board by 30% in the first year.
As if that wasn’t enough, I had also decided to take on part-time extramural study by completing a University Certificate in Fitness Management to learn more about nutrition, anatomy, physiology and exercise prescription.
Due to my 5am starts and training time I had to make creative use of my study time often reading on the exercise bike at the gym while doing a 1.5 hour low intensity workout to burn fat. I maximized the time I had by working smart and managed to get all As and even some A+s as a result.
3. You can achieve anything you put your mind to
I’m telling this story not to brag (because even I was amazed by it) but to show what amazing results anyone can achieve when they choose to.
“People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves they have the first secret to success”. Norman Vincent Peale
It is this belief in ourselves that makes us the entrepreneurs we are. It’s our ability to pick ourselves up when we fail, which we never plan to, and learn from it. This belief allows us to sculpt ourselves into a better person and make our business stronger.
4. Be an artist and create daily
We are sculptors at work. Constantly chiseling, scraping and polishing our creations with the help of specific tools, as Karen McGregor writes in her book `Sculpting the Business Body’.
Taking purposeful action each and every day towards achieving our goals means that we will achieve our success. Especially when combined with a support crew and an accountability team. Back in 2004 that was my nutritionist, my friends at the gym and my friends and family.
I hope you choose to invest in yourself and your business this year for real. If you want to get your business in shape for summer then check out my just launched WomanzWorld Academy program `Startup Success in 60 Days or Less’ which takes you on a journey with actionable next steps and a support team along the way.
I designed this online business coaching program with you in mind. It covers
Laying the Business Foundations: Determining your business and life goals, getting your personal and professional finances in order and overcoming the 6 common Entrepreneur’s challenges.
Developing Niche Markets and a Sales Funnel: Understanding Niche Markets and how to reach your target market, essential elements of a successful elevator pitch and systematizing your opportunities and leads so you don’t leave your revenues to chance.
Strategic Alliances and Champions: Learn to create win-win strategies through building and managing successful alliances, learn how to build an unpaid marketing workforce through creating champions and developing loyal clients.
Business Management Strategies: The 7 habits of a successful business developer, building your daily/weekly/monthly business development schedule and tips for managing your business.
I’m offering a full Scholarship to one lucky person who registers and pays for their spot in this course.