I never would have believed that I would choose to be a fitness and wellness speaker. I used to be petrified with even the idea of speaking in front of groups of people. When I was called to present a simple five minute speech about myself in High School, I hardly could make it to the end of the speech because I was self-conscious and filled with fear. So you may wonder how I took my fear of speaking and made it my career.
My passion for “presenting” began shortly after I met Meg, my aerobic class instructor in college. Meg, was in her fifty’s, was in incredible shape, and had a heart of gold. I truly admired her, and she saw something in me that I didn’t see. She told me that I was “a natural” and she wanted me to teach the warm up for her class. I was really nervous, but I did it! After class she said I would have a job as a aerobic instructor and personal trainer as soon as I got certified.
After I got certified to teach others fitness and wellness, I would practice for hours perfecting my aerobic routines and I studied the latest research on exercise and nutrition. I started to see myself as an expert in my field of fitness and I really enjoyed teaching. I thrived knowing my class was getting a good workout and I was making a positive impact on people’s lives.
Another pivotal moment was eleven years ago. I was pregnant with our first son and was asked to do my first TV segment on fitness for moms. I was very nervous about it, and my husband Brad, a Master Life Coach, said, “Just focus on your message. What do you want your audience to take from what you say?” That statement had a big impact on me! From that moment on I focused on what I wanted my audience to take from what I presented.
Now I feel that speaking in front of large groups is a gift, because I know that I have the ability to positively affect large groups of people in a short period of time. So whenever I’m given the opportunity to speak for a small group, a school, business, or large corporation, I feel it’s a blessing and I’m so excited to share my passion for fitness and wellness. ~Sara Holliday MFT, CPT, HHP