Read More: About Us

The idea of being an entrepreneur or what our generation will say, “Self Made” can scare so many people because it’s easier to feel content with the “Right Now” than to experience the “What Ifs”! If the woman I am today would have told the child in me back then, “that she was going to be a massage therapist” the young me would have simply said, “Lies”! As a student-athlete in high school, I dreamt about finishing college and becoming the world’s best Athletic Trainer. Shortly after college, I realize that I was passionate about being a massage therapist because it came naturally to me and it was an easy 9-5 but after years of being in the field I didn't feel fulfilled. I didn't feel accomplished. In the massage therapy field, it is common to have three to four jobs and for a short period of time, I was finding myself bumping heads with every manager or owner that I was employed by. I remembered the exact day as if it was yesterday when my life changed. I said to myself, “Did I just get fired or did they just force me to quit”?  Either way at that moment, getting fired or being forced to quit set this entrepreneur up for success.

I remembered calling my best friend repeatedly until she picked up like she didn't have a 9 to 5, or like she didn't hold a highly stressful position with a huge pharmaceutical company. After the 10th phone call back to back she returned my missed calls and said, “Are you okay? What’s your emergency?” I responded, “ I’m fine but I'm having a rough day and I need to speak to my best friend. I need to know if I have a personality disorder? And I left my job today for good.  I remember her saying,

“Seriously, why do you always do that to me.. You get me all anxious just to tell me this. This is not an emergency. No, you do not have a personality disorder. Everybody loves you and you have a way of connecting with people. The problem is you are a visionary and you are no longer a worker. Your vision for your life is way too big for your workplace. We will work on it. Don’t call me back. Bye. Love you.”

Today, I reflect on my life and realize that I didn't become an athletic trainer because that wasn't the “calling” for my life. I think to myself if I would have never gotten fired or quit then I would have never discovered my gift. I would have never reached my full potential. A gift is only a gift if you accept it. I took a leap of faith exiting my workplace not knowing how I was going to make it but I believed that the discovery of my gift was going to open many doors for me.

I ’ve encountered this question time after time, “How do you discover your gift”? My response has always been, “Everybody in this world has been issued a gift but it first starts with knowing what you are passionate about in your life. I became pregnant with a purpose I had yet to understand. I loved relieving people’s pain and aches. I loved creating techniques based off of several years of intense training. I prided myself on going the extra mile to perfect my craft. Passion activates Purpose. My passion was evident. I saw my myself waking up every day providing a service that relieves pain and aches and couldn’t see myself anywhere doing anything else. Purpose activates a gift. My purpose for my life was to take my love for massage therapy to a bigger platform and at that moment the birth of Fit2Stretch was brought to life.  my best friend was the mid-wife. She supported, encouraged, and helped me build this brand from the ground up and she allowed the dream to become a reality by doing the legwork.  We shared many sleepless nights coming up with business strategies, going to business meetings and seminars, the topic over every phone conversation was about business.

I realized that people can be gifted and lazy. You need passion to fuel your gift, but you also need discipline, vision, extreme focus and a great support system. I had a great circle of best friends outside of my best friend that wanted to see me win so they were willing to put that “work” in with me to make sure that Fit2Stretch will be around for a long time.  Sometimes, we just need to get over our mental barriers to see what we can really achieve. We can achieve more than we think. Together, we understood that concept. You have to not be afraid to move on in order to find your passion. Some of us have been assigned these mountains to show others they can be moved. I fell in love with the idea of being “Self Made” and my dream was turning into her dreams. Together, we were going to move all mountains.  

My level of success today solely depended on my ability to recognize my gift and make sacrifices. Few will never know what it’s like to spend your last savings to start up a business, spend your last few dollars on a marketing tool instead of paying for a necessity in your living expenses. However, if I would have never taken that jump then I will have never known how far I could go. It is fair to say, that you will never go through this life again. Find the purpose for your life and aim to please.