Tessie Tracy is a level 2 CrossFit Instructor, a Certified Eating Psychology & Mind Body Nutrition Coach, an Emotional Intelligence Specialist, and a Global Ambassador for the Body Image Movement.
Born and raised in Colorado, Tessie Tracy grew up as a multi-sport athlete, with her competitive athletic career culminating after being a nationally ranked collegiate cheerleader, a bodybuilding champion, and a CrossFit Games Regional competitor.
Her professional interest in supporting others with health, fitness and body image came from a struggle with her own self-image from work in the modeling and acting industry, as well as almost developing an eating disorder after her bodybuilding show.
Her work has been featured in media such as the ZOE Report, BuzzFeed, USA Today College, CBS2, The Truth in the Mirror Radio, Lucid Vibe Radio, AlrightTV, and more.
What motivated and inspired you to start your own business?
Growing up, I always felt drawn to create, write, learn and leave an impact on this world. I don’t know if I ever saw myself settling into a traditional office job. The spark that led me to create my own business and practice as an Eating Psychology & Mind Body Nutrition Coach happened when I had won my first bodybuilding competition… but felt the most unhealthy I’d ever felt. I was depressed.
I didn’t know how to let my body re-adjust to a less restrictive diet. I gained 20 lbs of water weight in a matter of weeks, and just felt so unworthy. I realized in those moments that a lot of my identity had been validated by my athletic body, from others and myself. I went through a long healing and self-discovery process, and along the way learned I’m definitely not the only one with these challenges.
When I started CrossFit, I felt re-grounded in an experience that allowed me to base my progress on something other than what I looked like! So I became a coach and a personal Trainer. The foundation of my work comes from the training I did with the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, where I learned to blend the tangible behavior and habit changes of nutrition and fitness with the intangible transformational process we all experience when it comes to our psychological and emotional relationship to food, fitness and body!
Motivation for my business is knowing I am helping people practice a peaceful relationship with food, let go of the scale, create positive accountability, and maintain a sustainably healthy lifestyle loving their body.
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Tell us about your business.
I work with busy men and women who feel they are in a battle with food, weight and or body. Through my private and online group coaching programs, I help them uncover the work underneath the challenge.
I call it a combination of life coaching and health coaching. Because as much as we are going to work on tangible healthy behaviors (like improving food quality, meal timing, macronutrient balance, a consistent fitness routine) we are also going to take a deeper look at where your challenge comes from, and how it relates to other areas of life (finances, relationships, past trauma, toxic beliefs, career, etc.)
My 2 signature offerings are a 12-week one-on-one coaching program and a 6 week group coaching online with live trainings and interactions.
Are you currently running any promos/contests/giveaways that you would like our readers to know about?
I am launching a round of my 6-week program in late February, and you can get $50 off by emailing tessie@tessietracy.com and mentioning you saw this interview on LadyBossBlogger.
List awards/certifications/accomplishments.
- Certified Eating Psychology & Mind Body Nutrition Coach
- Certified Emotional Intelligence & Personal Development Specialist
- Certified Level 2 CrossFit Instructor
- My blog at tessietracy.com has been awarded in the top 75 habit blogs
Where is your business based?
I am based in Los Angeles, but work with clients remotely via phone or video coaching calls.
What were the first few steps you took to get your business up and running?
I got my domain name tessietracy.com before I even knew what exactly my business was going to be! I also started working with practice clients as I transitioned from being a “fitness trainer” to an overall health coach.
The practice I got from working with friends and family for free or at a very low rate gave me the confidence and experience to know that I was meant to do this! And, it also led me to getting more paying clients.
What has been the most effective way of raising awareness of your business and getting new customers?
I host Mind Body Nutrition workshops at CrossFit gyms and do speaking in the area. This has led to more people knowing about what I do, and possibly having an interest in working with me.
I also do a complimentary discovery call. People find my website, sign up for a call, and get some actionable next steps, whether it’s working on their own, one-on-one with me, or in my group program.
What have been your biggest challenges so far?
One of my biggest challenges has been letting go of perfection, and taking action in spite of discomfort. I can get really squirmy around technology, and yet I was determined to have a (mostly) ‘online’ business.
How did you overcome these challenges?
The biggest challenge I continue to overcome is knowing when to ask for help, collaborate, and know that I don’t have to do everything all at once.
I have a mastermind accountability partner who I touch base with weekly, and my boyfriend has been a big help in supporting me when I’m crying, frustrated, or feel like something’s not working, lol.
How do you keep motivated through difficult times?
I listen to motivational speeches, read, journal, and remind myself that I am meant to do this. And there are people relying on my support and guidance. Affirmations. I love affirmations!
How do you distinguish yourself from your competitors?
In comparing to other health coaches, my approach is definitely unique. I’m committed to my clients having inner breakthroughs that create lasting changes. The 1-3% of people who make a lifestyle change and actually stick to it have some sort of inner shift. Without this, we remain in the greater percentile of people who try to change, and go back to old behaviors within a year or less.
Now, this being said, I also take a very compassionate approach. I believe that every challenge we face with food, health, body and otherwise is there as a teacher, helping us mold into the next best version of ourselves.
I also call my clients and followers Tessie’s Messy’s… because let’s face it. Life gets messy. I’m not perfect. Nobody’s perfect. So let’s be authentic about our messiness and work through it together.
What is the best advice you have received recently?
I just read “The Millionaire Morning” by Lewis Howes and one piece of advice I took away from that booklet is to continually seek out mentorship.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
My advice, coming from many lessons learned at this point, would be:
- If you’re moving from a ‘job’ to entrepreneurship, take time and give yourself space to make a somewhat comfortable transition. Success of a new business has a lot of factors, but there’s nothing worse that having your ‘dream business’ start to feel like a burden because you’re stressed about income.
- Don’t be afraid to talk bluntly about the things that you don’t know. I’ve been in plenty of situations in which I’ve had to ask “what’s that?” (sometimes followed by ‘are you kidding me?’ looks) but I learn something new every time.
- Discover what ‘type’ of entrepreneur you are. It’s like a ‘hot’ trend to be a ‘solopreneur’ these days, but my opinion is that it’s not for everyone. I do consulting work still because I thrive off of having a more structured schedule. It actually helps me be more productive with the time I have to work on my own business. So, decide if you are a one person show, want to have a biz partner, be part of a startup, what different sources of income you might have, and what size company you see yourself having. Reverse engineer your ideal life and business 5-7 years from now can help you discover what you should do today.
What are your favorite business tools/resources and why?
Oh man, I could go on and on! Let’s see, I wouldn’t be where I am now without my training from the Institute for the Psychology of Eating. That education has shaped my whole practice and a lot of my message. And, I have a business module from them that I still go back to and implement new marketing strategies and business tools.
I also love love love Amy Porterfield’s podcast “Online Marketing Made Easy” because she gives a handout or tool with each episode, and I find that kind of hands on, homework type stuff really helpful!
Lastly, I’ll mention Ryan Lee. I’ve been on his email list and done some of his programs for online entrepreneurs, and what I love most about him is his genuine authenticity and family-man nature. He gives value in his emails whether I’m in his program or not, and he always includes a personal update.
What is a good article or book you have read recently?
Ooh, in addition to “The Millionaire Morning” I also just read “Prison Break” by Jason Goldberg, all about breaking free from limiting beliefs and being a ‘self-leader’.
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What are you currently learning about for your business or looking for help with?
I am currently learning about membership sites, and am looking for help from someone who has a successful online membership site or is interested in being on a team to build a site/service around helping people create new habits in a sustainable way.
What are your goals for the next few months and how are you striving to achieve them?
I’m launching my 6 week program in the next few months, and my goal is to have at least 20 people enrolled. To achieve this, I will be doing personal reachout, as well as facebook advertising, email marketing, and in person events and networking.
What social media outlets do you use? List them below.
Instagram @tessietracy
Twitter @tessietracy
Facebook @iamperfectioncoaching
Facebook Group www.facebook.com/groups/mindbodysociety
Website tessietracy.com
Email tessie@tessietracy.com
Hashtags #spokenworth #mindbodynutrition #tessiesrecipes #mindbodysociety
online personal training and nutrition says
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