Entrepreneurs are creative beings. They have a passion inside of them that must be expressed. I honor their will, courage, determination and stubbornness to break through all obstacles and reach their personal and business Pinnacle.

In this upcoming blog series, I want to highlight my Pinnacle Entrepreneur Champions for facing their fears, taking the giant leap, and exceeding beyond their wildest dreams financially, emotionally and personally!

The Pinnacle is a year long mastermind program for new and advanced entrepreneurs that are ready to breakthrough their boundaries to reach the top.

Today we are going to highlight and interview Connie Marshall, CPT of Life Fitness 4 Me. She is a Certified Pre/Post Natal Exercise Specialist, a Certified Children's Fitness Specialist, and used her own experience to launch a rewarding career that balances motherhood!

Q. What moment made you realize you wanted to change your career and lifestyle for the better?

A. The moment was actually a bunch of big ‘first' moments with my young son. After missing my son's first steps, his first words and his first day of kindergarten because of my high-stress, high-demanding job, I realized that enough was enough. It hurt knowing that will never get those moments back, but it made me realize that I could do something about it now that will allow me to not miss anymore precious moments in his life.

Q. What was the inspiration for creating LifeFitness4Me?

A. My own personal struggles as an overweight child and struggles with not knowing how to exercise safely while pregnant. Working out has been my life since college and I was training so hard at the gym that when I became pregnant I didn't know how to modify my workouts to accommodate my pregnancy, so I stopped exercising all together. That was the worse thing I could have done because it caused me to have a very difficult and painful pregnancy. I want to empower pregnant women to stay healthy and in control of their bodies during their pregnancy and help them get back to pre-pregnancy weight quickly and safely. I also want to show children how to get fit and gain self confidence too. It's about giving kids the tools, skills ad experience so they can lead a physically active life the rest of their life.

Q. How did you bridge between your two careers & how long did it take you to give up Corporate America to work for yourself full-time?

A. I started to take on some clients before and after work. It wasn't easy and made for very long days, but it helped build my confidence to make the leap. After a few months of burning the candle at both ends I knew I needed to put my full energy into my business or it wasn't going to go anywhere, so I cut the cord and I haven't looked back, only forward.

Q. What gave you the courage to take the leap and what have been the biggest rewards for doing so?

A. Working one-on-one with Allison and surrounding myself with positive, like-minded people. The biggest rewards have been having more quality time with my young son and being able to impact people's lives in a positive way by helping them get fit and take control of their health. I now have a job that is truly rewarding!

Q. How do you balance the duties of motherhood and entrepreneurship?

A. Being an entrepreneur has offered me the balance and freedom I was missing when I was working at my corporate job. I set my work schedule around being a mom first, which has made me a better person, a happier person and more importantly a better mom!

Q. What is your biggest challenge in being an entrepreneur and how do you overcome that?

A. Staying focused and on task. It's easy to lose focus when you are your own boss, but you must remember that your business success is you and use that to keep you moving forward and growing. Every Sunday I put together my tasks for the week and that has helped me. I am also using Allison's Interactive Life Coach Software to help me accomplish the tasks without feeling overwhelmed.

Q. What have you learned from Allison Maslan's Pinnacle program & how have you applied it to your career?

A. Wow, I've learned so much from the Pinnacle Program that it's hard to list just a few, but I will say that it has given me specific tools to help me overcome so many of my fears of being successful. It has allowed me to tap into my hidden talents and to believe in myself.

Q. What tips or insight would you give to other people that want to leave the corporate environment to be an entrepreneur.

A. Believe in yourself and don't let your fear stop you from making your dreams of owning your business come true. Be sure to surround yourself with positive, supportive, like-minded people – it really helps you stay confident and focused.

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Connie has been in the fitness industry for over twenty years and has been featured on shows such as: KUSI News "Summertime Kids Fitness"; PregTASTIC Online Radio "Dispelling the Myths About Exercise During Your Pregnancy"; OverThinkingMoms.com Podcasts "Body After Baby". To learn more about her, visit: www.lifefitness4me.com