I've heard it said that if you want to learn something new, you should throw yourself into it head first, and learn under fire. This past weekend afforded me exactly that opportunity, and I'm so glad that I took a step outside of my comfort zone!
FMI events puts on conferences all year round to bring together fitness entrepreneurs, and help them to find a fresh approach to their brand and business strategy; yes, being in the forefront of the fitness industry as a model, writer, personality, or whatever else you may be, is a business, and requires planning! My new friend, Chivon John, suggested a while ago that I come to the conference being held in Mississauga, Ontario, and (being gainfully employed at the time) I jumped at the opportunity to network, learn, AND get a photoshoot under my belt with a well connected photographer!
With less than two days, FMIevents Director, Gary Augustine Warren and other panels of pros FILLED my head with ideas, excitement, and frankly, a bit of information overload! I'm sure that this could be a semester-long class somewhere in order to cover everything, and even then it would be a challenge. We covered building a brand, and the tools to use in order to convey who you are, legal topics that could surely go on for days just by listing them, image and hair/makeup, other parts of the fitness industry beyond just getting your picture in magazines, how/when/how often to market yourself and to whom....the list goes on and on....I'm just glad I was taking notes! Between the information that I was learning, and all of the ideas that it was inspiring, my head was spinning just trying to keep up.
Beyond just the pros on the panels, the room was filled with 20+ individuals with different backgrounds, levels of experience, goals, dreams...the more we got into conversations, the more the room filled with a sense of spontaneous inspiration and creativity. If I could just bottle that energy...
Today, the second day of the conference, involved a photoshoot. It certainly required a lot of preparation both physically and mentally. I'd gone to the Dove Spa (on Dundas West) for my spray tan, had Susan @ChicLash do my eyelash extensions, had picked out my wardrobe, and finally had my long-time friend, Crystal Overland, do my very early morning makeup...All of that on top of the hard work that has gone into diet (thanks, Zach!), and workouts (too many people to thank, but they know who they are - WE GOT THIS!).
The whole idea, while I love being in front of the camera was daunting. I had selected Mike Byerly as my photographer, both based on his past work, and the fact that he regularly shoots my fitness idol, Jamie Eason. Mike did everything in his power to make me feel both confident and comfortable, and assured me that we got some great shots. I certainly still felt a little out of my league, but he was great to point out my strengths. We were able to have some fantastic conversation, and it was inspiring to see that someone of his reputation could be SO genuine and down to earth. I may post a follow up based on those conversations - a few of the things that he said really struck a chord with me, and I think they're worth sharing.
By the end of the two days, it was evident that we were all exhausted, and on information overload. It was also clear, however, that we'd formed some great new bonds. I've been told before that the competition world is a tight knit family, but that became quite clear to me sitting in a room full of like-minded people who are already in the process of achieving their goals.
While my body may not yet be quite where I want it to be aesthetically, my mind is ready to jump in, which I think is half of the battle. Now I'm going to hone in on what I really want, how I want to do it, and make it happen. Get ready for big things from Mandy Mae Allen - consider yourselves warned!
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