Have you gotten tired of me being super vague and wishy-washy when it comes to these transitions I’ve been talking about the past few weeks?  Yes?

Good.  I have too. 

So today I’m sharing one of the big new things on my horizon.  But first a little story.  Because I like stories.

Travel back with me to 12-year-old Katie, circa 1999.  Around this time, my parents decided that I should take on a little more responsibility and earn money by doing more than just chores around the house.  So I start working for my dad’s business.  In case you weren’t aware, my dad is a kinesiotherapist and sports performance trainer.  He had a business, ProSport Training & Rehab, and trained all different kinds of athletes and people.

I knew nothing about that world at that point.  I was more the artsy type than the sporty type.

I started at ProSport doing simple things like answering phones, pulling files, and keeping the waiting room area neat and tidy.  I don’t hate my job, but it’s not like my favorite thing in the whole world.  Although I do get to be in charge of the candy dish on the desk and throughout the years eat wayyyyyyy too much of it (sorry dad!).

As time wears on, I continue to work for my dad and my job grows.  I schedule clients, bill them, make phone calls, order things, and stuff like that.  I work there most of my high school career, except for a year or so when I worked at a car wash.  Yes, you can sing the song.

Done?

Ok, moving on.  The summer between my freshmen and sophomore year of college, I work for my dad again to make some money.  But there is a catch this time.  My dad tells me I won’t just be working as a secretary.  I’m going to train like one of his interns and work directly with clients.

Uh… WHAT?!

I’m an introvert.  I don’t do well with people.  I’m going to college for music.  I don’t do sports.  I’m not ready for this.  My excuses were endless, but my dad was firm.  If I wanted to work there, I was going to start seeing clients.  He would be there the entire time and oversee everything I did, but I was going to be a trainer.

So I did it. 

It was scary and I can’t say that I particularly liked it in the moment.  But I got better at it as the summer wore on.  I learned how to interact with people and help them with important things like their health and well-being.  I went back to school after that summer, happy to be done but also happy that I had done something I thought was challenging.

The next summer, I’m back at ProSport again and this time it’s expanding.  The business was partnering with a new bigger better location and work was starting to pick up.  I was going to be training again and taking on more responsibility in that role.  And then things went sideways.

It’s a long story and I’m not going to get into that part but essentially my dad was let go and he was on his own.  After getting over the initial shock, he and I started moving forward together.  We saw some clients that came with us, traveled to Indiana to see more clients found through a friend, and basically spent the summer doing what we could to keep things going.

It was hard.  It was scary.  It had its downsides.  But it was also an amazing summer of growth, for both of us.

After that summer, I didn’t really work for my dad again.  He worked through some various positions over the years and I went my way.  I worked as a lifeguard, then a nanny for three years, and then found a position freelance writing.  

Which leads me to the past month or so.  Right around the new year, I started taking stock of my life and things I had done and the goals I wanted to accomplish.  I had always had the dream of working in a health-related field and continually considered becoming a health coach.  But something was always in my way.  I always came up with some kind of excuse.  I had grown comfortable in the steady routine of the freelance job I had sort of fallen into.

I finally decided I was done with the excuses, the obstacles, and the comfort of my routine.  I wanted to actually pursue my goal.  To make a difference in people’s lives.  Help change their health.  Show them ways to feel and be better.  As I thought about ways to do this, my dad was busy getting ready to launch a new business.  He was ready to finally get back out there and do what he had done before.

I took a big step and asked my dad if he would be willing to take me on and allow me to help him grow his business and work alongside him.  The answer was a resounding yes and since the second week or so of January, I have been working with him.

I quit my freelance position and make the trek out to Palatine most days to learn and work as a trainer with my dad.  It’s a little scary.  It’s a little challenging. It’s way out of my comfort zone.  But it’s also exciting and I’m happier than I have been in a long while.

I know this has been a long post, but I just wanted to share a little bit of what’s been going on over here in my world.  I’ll share more about this new job in future posts and more exciting things, like finally pursuing more education in nutrition.  But for now, just know that I am doing something different and I love it.  If you want to learn more about where I work, you can check out our Facebook page at ROCK- Balanced Health & Performance. 

Now, get out there and enjoy your Monday.  And remember, if you aren’t happy with where you are, it’s up to you to change it.  Maybe it’s scary and maybe there are obstacles, but you can do it!