Meet Andrea Conklin | Entrepreneur & Personal Trainer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andrea Conklin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andrea, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Most would say a midlife crisis brought me to starting my own business, but it’s my drive that really kicked things into gear. In all seriousness though, It’s the freedom, the satisfaction and flexibility that my business offers. One day I was sitting in my dining room feeling “bleh”. Letting my mind run wild, I looked at the last 10 years of my life and in those moments, you start to internalize things, right? So, I would ask myself, “what had I accomplished? What memories do I cherish? What did I do with my life?” Like what did I really do with my life? And the answer was – not enough. I then dissected where I was in that present day, regrettably fearing for the next ten years to come. In that moment, I realized that I wanted to pursue something that was bigger than myself and I did that because I believed I could.

My business tells a story. My business displays the difficulties of real life as well as the, “hold on to” moments. My business exemplifies the “yes, you can! Be all, Do all!” So, to answer your question, at the end of the day, my thought process behind starting my own business ultimately, became the idea of people and how everyone struggles. I need others to know they’re not alone and they can pursue their dreams, they just need a push. I live to motivate – that’s the business I’m in.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I chose a creative career because art is what I know, and I have come to realize that my artistic mind is a light I cannot dim; I might as well make a career out of it right? Being artistic always helped me in discovering new viewpoints. Having a muse, being inspired – it’s an intoxicating feeling. I believe that aspects of art has its own culture of connecting others with diverse thinking dimensions and background. I believe that my understanding of culture and empathizing with those differences sets me apart from most and it’s because I know how art brings societies together. It is both impressive and expressive, art is communicating beyond words, a method we choose to engage with and explore emotions and ideas. It wasn’t easy incorporating that professionally though.

Other than working for myself, hope is the single most important decision I made that contributed to my success. Hope is a proactive way to think about challenges. I used to be so critical of myself and judged my past as if it defined me so the transition between being a dweller to being hopeful certainly wasn’t easy. Trusting the process was the only route and eventually, I was able to objectively analyze my challenges, identify the scale of each individual problem, and then determine the impact of whatever solution I came up with. Attaining hope allowed me to believe in myself and believing in myself is the reason I am successful in my personal life as well as my career. I commanded it to happen and so the universe granted me the hope to inspire.

There were a lot of challenges along the way. Like I said — it wasn’t easy. I changed my entire life. I got a divorce, moved to a completely different city and quit a job I worked at for 8 years. I was loyal to all those things for a very long time, but I realized the loyalty didn’t belong to me. It was never mine to keep and so I had to move. If it meant being happy and living the life I wanted and deserved, then I HAD to change – everything. And so, I did. It was the hardest decision I have ever made. But in those difficult moments, I found my weaknesses and turned them into my strengths. I’ve overcome obstacles I didn’t think a person could survive and yet I’m still breathing. The difficulties of surviving in a harsh world, humbles a person. And the decision to wake up, live and endure the hard shit– those decisions are empowering.

Legacy is a funny thing. “What am I going to leave behind? Am I going to be remembered and from what?” Personally, I don’t care about who remembers some sort of “thing” I left behind. Instead, I’d rather be remembered by how my work inspired them. Or how something I said touched them in a way that helped even just one person reach a little higher. That’s my motive – to aid, inspire, grow and help others grow. It’s not about my legacy, it never was. It’s about the positive messages that get spread and help others and hopefully those messages of inspiration and love stay alive longer than me.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting the area and I wanted to show them the best time ever, I would start the day out at Paradeco Coffee Roasters in St. Petersburg, Fl.. They have some of the best smoothies i’ve had, perfect for a energizing, morning breakfast. My best friend is an amazing skater so I would take her to Lake Vista Skate Park. It’s not too far from where I live and generally low key. I think she’d appreciate the open space to cruise. We’d spend some nights at Club 201 located in Down Town. It’s a cute little steampunk speakeasy, rocking Victorian era interior. It’s like stepping into the 1800’s and the music is always a good time. The beach in St Pete is always a must. Knowing my best friend, Madison, we would have to watch the sunset at the beach.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to thank my mom and dad for supporting me and all of my endeavors. Both of them will forever a hold a safe space in my heart. Because of you, I learned to believe in myself. Thank you.

Website: https://beacons.ai/andreaconklin

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