the story
“I am so lucky, everything is working out in my favor.”
Every morning, every night, and a few times in between, I’d been repeating this little sentence. Y’all know I be leaning woo-woo sometimes, and manifestation practices are right up my alley. Playfully reciting the lucky girl mantra in my head was becoming something fun to do just because, so I almost choked on my morning matcha when the message came through.
“Hi! My name is _______ and I work for Nike Sports Marketing….”
Wait wait wait. What? Nah this ain’t real. Ok pause, this may be real. I quickly responded to the message and jumped in the shower. As the water cascaded over me my mind went blank. I was stunned and frankly couldn’t believe it. They wanted a meeting with me?
After nearly four years of instructing, putting my heart into my playlists and sequences, countless students leaving my classes sweaty and smiling, and pushing through all types of moods just to show up to class the best I could, I was somehow shocked that I was now getting this attention.
Impostor syndrome will do that to you. Bloop.
As the days unfolded and the meeting arrived, I took a trip to the Nike HQ here in NYC. It’s crazy beautiful, in case you were wondering. Over the course of the conversation, let’s just say everything clicked and fell into place. There was a reason the Universe brought this opportunity into my life. I was just going to have to believe that it was for me.
the lesson
Challenges and self-doubt may come, that doesn’t mean you aren’t on the right path. To be really real, there is a lot of effort that goes into teaching and promoting a weekly barre class when you don’t work under a studio that does the legwork for you. I prefer it this way, but chile if there haven’t been more times than I can count that have sent me into a self-doubt spiral. It can be a little scary doing things like this on my own, because it’s easy to connect engagement or attendance in classes to my own worth. These days, I know to focus on what feels good. Less people than I thought came to class today? Cool, but I also got to belt out the last 30 seconds of VIRGO’S GROOVE with them while we powered through the end of a glute series. I might’ve felt guilty about leaving the after-class kiki early to run to an appointment, but I also left certain that I’d just connected some great women who I knew would really like each other. On the right path? I absolutely think so.
No matter how much you think your work may go unnoticed, somebody’s always watching. I don’t have a massive following, I’ve never gone viral, and clearly neither of those matter. I put my best foot forward no matter what, and I’ve learned not to sweat the numbers. If I think it looks good and I’m proud of it, I make sure that other people see it too. It doesn’t take thousands of likes to be noticed. It could be as simple as one person reposting you. That’s it. Put in the work, adjust the strategy as necessary, and keep it consistent. The right opportunities will always come.
You have to talk about what you offer. To actual people! Not just on social media. For the marketers out there, let’s say that in the beginning social media is more of an awareness tool. Having conversations and connecting with others while you plug your project is the real acquisition driver. Word of mouth never fails, and it starts with you. People are not going to look at you crazy if you talk about what you’re working on. More often than not, they’ll think it’s pretty inspiring. Even better, they’re more likely to engage and connect with what you’re offering.
Yes, you are deserving. Yes, you are worthy. Impostor syndrome is real, don’t let it become your reality.
the light
I’m a signed Nike Holistic Fitness Trainer. That’s the tweet. Almost four years ago I took the plunge and decided to become a barre instructor so that more black and brown women saw themselves represented in class. Six months ago I went out on my own to create the class community of my dreams, and now I’m about to start a new chapter with a global brand I never thought would notice someone like me.
There’s something to be said about connecting with your heart and intuition, acting on what you know is right for you. It’s never failed me, and it won’t fail you either. Whatever it is you’re passionate about deserves space in your life to grow. There’s a unique kind of energy you emit when you’re doing something you love, one that can attract all types of support that affirm you’re on the right path. Try it out and see what unfolds.
If you’re in the NYC area, I’d love to see you at my Saturday morning classes! We talk reality TV, belt out song lyrics, dance a little bit to push through the challenge, and always get a good sweat in. As for Nike, there’s some beautiful events and opportunities in my future, and you all will be the first to know.