Inspiring Women of the Month Series - Amanda Russell

Hi Beauties,

What is life without inspiration and people that we can look up to and  that give us hope and the drive to make all of our dreams come true?! I think we all could use some “insider tips” from girls that “made it” and their views on life and how to get there… This is why I’ve created the “Inspiring Women of the Month” Series with the most incredible women that inspire me- and hopefully you too:-)

Today, I want to present you Amanda Russell. She is not only incredibly gorgeous, talented AND extremely successful, but also a great friend and mentor to me.

1. Amanda, you are the true personification of a power women! You are the Founder of Fit, Strong and Sexy, and you even  invented your own fitness regimen. Your youtube channel has over 80,000 subscribers, you have your own marketing firm, AND you are a professor for Social Media. What’s your piece of advice for all the ladies out there who are looking to achieve the same level of success?

Thank you so much for the very sweet opening. I think every woman has her own level of power, some just express it ‘louder’ than others, or in more visible and tangible ways. To answer your question, success is all relative, so what my ‘success’ is, will more than likely not be what another woman considers success or even desires.

I believe ‘success’ is really another word for happiness, so when you define it that way, you need to first find out what your ‘happiness’ is. And, that is often the hardest part. It’s easy to associate material things or status to success, but what I’ve learned is that these ‘things’ will never make you happen long term. A promotion with a prestigious  title, or a fancy sports car definitely feels good in fleeting moments, but if you equate these with success, you will never actually get there, as you will always be looking for the next thing.

Bottomline, define what makes you happy, what gives you purpose. It is only when you find a purpose greater than yourself, that you are able to embrace your life and thus be eternally happy and successful.

2. Before becoming “the Carrie Bradshaw of Fitness”, you had a successful career as a professional runner, when you suddenly had a career ending injury, How did you manage to deal with such a horrific experience?

I believe life gives you not necessarily what you want, but what you need. When it’s devastating, your vision gets blurry (if not blinded) and you can’t see the light through the storm, and that is OK. It is part of humanity (and healthy) to go through the range of emotions.

But, the difference between those who use a personal trauma as an excuse for why they failed vs. those who use it to make them stronger is this: At a certain point the latter group makes the conscious decision to pick themselves back up, and use what they’ve learned as a person, to pivot and grow, and often in a new direction they may not have otherwise come across or pursued. And when this happens, you also bring more to the table in any other circumstance in life, from  personal to professional.

For me, this experience gave me what I know know was an identity crisis, and a death of a part of myself. My whole life, I was ‘the runner’. It  was everything to me—and, it was my ticket to a larger world. So when it came to a screeching halt, I felt I lost everything; my sponsors dropped me, my US visa expired—I couldn’t stay in the country. I had no family int the US. All I could think about was, ‘The worst has happened and now I’m going to have to go back to my hometown with my tail between my legs.’ And I thought, ‘Well, if I can’t go to the pinnacle of the athletic world, my other dream would be to go to the pinnacle of the corporate world, which is New York City.’

But had that not happened, I would not be where I am today. I went from being self-focused, thinking only about my racing, my times, my winning, all for MYSELF, to finding an entirely new career in which I would connect with and help others all over the world. I was able to find a career path and life with a purpose greater than myself, and for this I feel, my biggest tragedy I believe was a miracle in disguise.

3. You moved to New York without knowing anybody, and you started your own business all on your own. What were the challenges and hurdles in starting your own business? Can your give us some tips?

I could write a book on the challenges and hurdles. But to name a few, I wasn’t American and I had no credit history, so I couldn’t even get a cell phone, let alone a bank account or loan, so i always say if you are American, you are 10 steps ahead of where I was.

Also, as with almost every category, the market i wanted to pursue was ‘oversaturated’, and competition was ‘too high’. If you let that be a barrier, you will never create or go after anything. Does the world need another restaurant? Absolutely not, but if your goal is to open a restaurant, should that stop you? Absolutely not. Case. In. Point.

4. We are so excited to get some fitness and health advice from a fitness mogul like you! PLEASE tell us, what is the secret to your gorgeous figure and what can we do to have a body like yours? Also, a lot of us are moms and can’t seem to be able to shed those extra pounds. What can we do?

 

Absolutely, my entire fitness platform, FitStrongandSexy.com, caters to the busy woman/mom/working gal who doesn’t have a lot of time or even access to equipment or resources. Your body is the BESt tool you have.

And the BEST part, (and i know you will appreciate this), it is SO affordable! Essentially you get the equivalent of a coach (me), and workout program, complete with the workout video of the day- everyday less than the price of one personal training session.

I recommend getting the monthly membership which includes:

• The Entire library of over 200 full length workout videos.
• New Full length Workout Video Every Week.
• Over 90 Easy-To-Make & Affordable Recipes
• Exclusive Access to the FSS community and Chat room

If you just REALLY want to get a good kickstart- try the 7 Day Body RESET plan. You can check it out and get more info here!

5. What are your favorite fashion trends for this summer 2017?

 

Hats - always hats - baseball caps, floppy hats, fedoras!

Sunglasses and Scarves - Jackie O Style

White on white!

6. What are your plans for the future? Any exciting events or projects coming up that you want to share with us?

Yes, I have just launched a new Marketing Course at UCLA called Influencer Marketing, and my book, The Influencer Code will be coming out next spring! Check out more info here: TheInfluencerCode.com

 

7. What’s your number 1 life advice?

Don’t get caught up in the day-to-day little things - define  a purpose greater than yourself and keep that purpose front of mind in everything you do.

8.We love talking about love and relationships. In your opinion, whats the most important secret for a happy relationship?

Emotional connection - when you have that, you can get through anything.

Thank You so much Amanda!!