I got the wind knocked out of me on Monday as something I never thought could happen, happened.
8 years ago, I started my first virtual accountability group to support women to be healthier utilizing the workout programs & nutrition that I used to overcome disordered eating, get in the best shape of my life and identify as an athlete. Something changed my life so deeply that I felt called to help others change their lives too. I’ve run over 150 groups and helped thousands of women in a way that rarely feels like work. It feels like a calling.
The mission evolved but ultimately became: help women get healthier, stronger and run faster. I want women to accept that they’re a work in progress, but not to let that hold them back from chasing big goals in their fitness and running.
6 years ago, I started teaching and mentoring other women to start and grow their own businesses, in the same way I had built mine. I founded Team Run the World, and I poured my heart into supporting, encouraging, training and coaching hundreds of women to build a business that could change their lives. Ultimately our team had so much success that I led us to be one of the most successful in the company 4 years in a row.
This experience has not only helped me transition out of a career I felt miserable in (accounting) and find my calling, but it has connected me with people and experiences that I’ll never forget. It’s built my confidence and showed me that I am capable of so much more than I ever imagined. It’s inspired me to gain skills in business, marketing, sales, time management and coaching that I never would have acquired otherwise.
It’s TRANSFORMED me.
On Monday, the company I’ve been aligned with for the last 8 years, BODi, eliminated my position – no more MLM model. No more Beachbody coaches. No more BODi Partners. Eliminated the entire Beachbody network. The company will still continue on, but with an affiliate model. By the new year, my customers will no longer be my customers, my team is no longer my team, and my income that my family uses to pay our bills, will be gone.
To say I’m sad, disappointed and a bit scared is an understatement. To say I’m shocked would be lying…. The company itself has been facing major headwinds the last few years & more and more companies are shifting away from the network marketing model. A year ago I decided to stop bringing in new coaches to the business, but my faith in our programs and products remained & my loyalty to my customers, clients and teammates was steadfast.
But you know what is NOT gone? My vision. My passion. My calling.
I will continue to help women with their running, nutrition and strength training & foster community around this. I know I will start coaching more runners 1:1 and in my Run Strong group to train for races. I will continue to mentor runners to start businesses (I have already created a new business called Runner Rising to help run coaches grow their business and find new clients).
How that will all look exactly is still in the works. I feel a sense of freedom and am truly asking myself: What do I want to do now that I am not tethered by certain guidelines?
But I want you to know that my mission remains unchanged.
I have no regrets when it comes to BODi – if anything I wish I’d started earlier. While the business model was not perfect, it was there for me at the perfect time. I cannot imagine myself having the confidence to start and grow a business without a life changing product to stand behind, a community of badass, intelligent and inspiring women to show me the way and a compensation plan and recognition program that ignites my sense of competitiveness & drive to succeed. I got to travel the world, speak on stages, build deep relationships with women who will remain lifelong friends. BODi made me the coach and business woman I am. I’m a better mom, wife, daughter, and person because of the growth I’ve had over these last 8 years.
If you’ve been a customer, teammate or just a cheerleader for me, thank you and I hope you know how much I care about you & am rooting for you.
And if you’re going through a season of change I want you to remember that while someone can take something away from you, they CANNOT take away the experience, knowledge and skills you’ve built. Each transition comes with an opportunity to level up.
“Be stubborn with the vision, be flexible with the plan.”
Nicole
PS: To clarify – BODi is not going away – you can still access the workouts, nutrition and supplements (if you choose to support me, you will need to use my new affiliate link). My community is not going away. I will be enrolling in the affiliate program & creating a new place for you to get accountability & community and coaching. If you are a client, I will have a place for you. If you are NOT a client and have always wanted to be part of my community but didn’t want to use BODi – then I’ll have a place for you too. While I mourn the loss of what once was, I’m very excited for where this is headed.
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