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https://youtu.be/_9hxPWNlqqMWelcome to Flip Flop Your Life Podcast Episode #002 with my friend April Mealick former teacher now BeachBody coach.
It took me a while to decide on who I really wanted as my first interview for my podcast since I have been influenced by so many people over the past 22 years in my business and 50 years of life. I wanted someone who I thought could relate to people today. Someone who did a complete flip in their life to better their family as I did 22 years ago. I also loved how she reminded me of myself so many years ago. It’s kinda crazy how we sort of mirror each other.
I see the same struggles the same push back from people all around her that I still get today in both business and my passion – health and wellness. April’s story kind of encompasses the whole package flip for me. She was a teacher who has now become a coach of her own BeachBody Fitness tribe! She is actually still a teacher with a different group of humans….adults vs. the littles. It’s great to hear how she is helping others along the way to their own personal fitness goals.
So, sit back and listen or watch as I introduce you to April Mealick and her adorable daughter Adalyn. I have included a bunch of images for this post trying to come up with the best cover photo for the video. I have figured out that I use may hands a TON!!! Must be the Italian in me!
As always…build a life you don’t need a vacation from!
Full Transcript
Angie 00:00
Hi everybody, it’s Angie from flipflop your life. And this is my very first interview for flip flop your life and it, it’s special. And the person I chose April Mealick, there’s reasons why I chose April. There’s definite reasons, reasons why I chose you. I know I haven’t, but um, she reminds me of me when I was your age. Well, 22 years ago when we started our business, with website design and, and marketing, just the situations you’re in, you’ve been in and what you’re doing and, and what you’re trying to do with your business completely reminds me of me at your age. So I just, I knew it, I knew it as soon as I, I’ve been following you forever because I know her whole family and have known her family or her married into your family. The kids all went to school together. So,um, and this is her daughter.
Angie 01:14
You’re going to say hi. She’s not shy. So I, I saw, I told Pat, I’m like April’s who I want to interview because you, you just, you have the same feelings and the same ideas. And the same morals that I did. Oh, I like that. That’s exciting. So I’m like April’s first, April’s first! I feel so honored to be the first one. I was like, so special. Only get better from here. We can interview you again in a couple of years. That will be fun. Won’t that be fun? Yeah. Okay, I’ll look back. So just to let you all know, if you haven’t watched the first thing, our first, blog slash podcast, where we talked about why we’re doing this and why we’re doing these videos, we’re trying to focus on people who have flip flopped their life in either their business, their family, their health and working out, those kinds of things.
Angie 02:17
All of those things have interested us and, and we have done that same thing. And so I want to bring to you all stories from people that have inspired me. And a lot of times everybody needs these kinds of pick me ups. And so that’s why I chose April. So April, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself?
April
Okay, awesome. So my name is April. Um, I am a mom, obviously. First and foremost. I feel like to two little ones. Um, we have a 10 year old boy and this is Adelaide, her hair is a hot mess. Um, this is Adalyn. So we have a 10 year old boy and a two year old daughter. Um, and they are complete opposites from each other. So it’s definitely been interesting having her after experiencing him. Um, but I taught kindergarten for 10 years and um,let’s see, what else?
April 03:09
Has it been that long? 10 years? Yeah. Yeah. And, and I loved it. Um, I loved 90% of it, 90% of the time, so it was, it was a good ride, but when we had Adalyn,um, I knew I wanted to kind of take a break and just be home with her and we were very blessed to be in a financial situation where we could do that. So that’s why I took some time off. And,um, that’s kind of when I started getting into BeachBody and I followed you the whole time. Yeah, I’ve seen your progression. Um, so once you tell everybody, what business did you start? And can you tell us a little bit about it? Yeah, so I am an independent beach ready coach with team BeachBody. Um, most people are familiar with BeachBody through our fitness programs. So insanity and 80 day obsession, 21 day fix.
April 04:08
Um, Tony Horton’s P90x, those are our big, big name. Um, so, but we do so much more than that. We the really the whole premise or the focus of team beach body is just to help people. Oh my goodness. Hey quiet, mommy’s talking to miss Angie, we will, we’ll go outside soon. Um,it’s just to kind of help people live a healthy and fulfilling through fitness. So we take something that’s so unique as we take three portions, it’s not just fitness. We take fitness and nutrition and accountability or community and we put them together. And so often that last piece, that community piece is what people are missing. So, and you know that from CrossFit. So by taking that and putting it all together,um, we really feel like we have something special. Oh, I, I totally think you do. And you connect to so many people and a lot of it to that community.
Angie 05:02
Yeah. And that’s what’s so awesome about it is it is virtual. So as opposed to being like a personal trainer or something where I’m just going to a gym and working with a group of clients, I’m able to literally help people all over the world. It’s kind of, as a lot of you will figure out,um, I’m a huge CrossFit avid CrossFitter and huge believer in it. And probably one of the big reasons is the community part of it. Yeah. And what I like about what April does is it’s pretty much, I mean, it’s definitely for people like you to that, I mean, not everybody wants to go and do CrossFit. Not everybody wants to go and do, do that in a facility. They want, they want to be, to do it on their own time. They may have kids that they just don’t have the time to go somewhere.
Angie 05:47
And, and yours is a perfect, I mean it’s, you guys do a lot of this stuff that we do. Yes. But you do it at home and you have that community yet. Yeah, huge, huge, huge. And I think that’s what like the planet fitnesses. Yeah, that’s what, you don’t have that connection. You don’t have that community. And like you said, the convenience is for my clients is the biggest thing because I work mostly with moms, so you know, working moms or you know, you’re juggling sports and you’re doing all the things and you always end up putting yourself on the back burner and making excuses. And I don’t have time and I can’t go to the gym. And it’s like, well with this, with it being at home fitness, you can really just make it a combat to your schedule so you can do it before the kids get up or after they go to bed or nap time or you know, I say, I tell my girls, you know what, pop on paw patrol for 30 minutes and go do your workout because when it’s done, you’re going to feel better and it’s not gonna hurt them.
April 06:46
Or if you have to go to a park, if for one day you can’t do it. Yeah. Going to a park is still working out. Yeah. Oh absolutely. Or you can, yeah. You can even take it with you because it’s mobile. You’ve been doing it. So I kind of have a unique story. I started coaching, um, about five years ago actually. And I, yeah, when I kind of got back into my own journey a little bit,um, and then I kind of took a little hiatus and I just wasn’t really,um, I was still doing my own personal thing but I wasn’t really, you know, helping others and I wasn’t really working the business side of it. And then once I quit teaching and decided to stay home, it really opened up the opportunity time wise for me to stay. You know, why I really want to do this.
April
07:31
Yeah. I really want to do this. Like, I kind of want to make a serious go at it because there is, that’s another great thing about it is there is the flexibility of working at part time or just as a hobby or really, you know, making a full time business. So that’s where I was like, I just want to kind of just do this and see where it takes me. And so in August of last year was when I kind of dove in, you know, jumped in two feet. Is that when you guys took all the pictures? Um, yeah I well in the, in the winter after a little while. That’s right. That was yeah it was cold. Yeah it was really cold. [inaudible]
April 08:07
it was really cold. Um, I remember seeing those pictures. Yeah. Yeah. And shout out to my friend Robin. She took those. So that would be a good job. She did a great, really, really good. I’ll have to remember that. Um, what situations or feelings reasons led you to start it? I mean really, what was the underlying reason to making the flip? Right. So this is like, I feel like I can talk about this forever. Cause it’s kind of like a way, you know, started way back with this and kind of these things kind of snowballed and led to where we are now. But,um, so I had Adalyn and I knew I wanted to be home with her, but I also love teaching and it was an anyone who, anyone who’s worked in education knows how stressful teaching can be, especially kindergarten. And I feel like I was in kindergarten for 10 years.
April 09:01
Um, so, so anyways, so I had been doing it for 10 years and I had this little baby at home and I was like, I just felt like it was time for a break. Like I lost my joy for it. And that’s was the big, that’s when, you know, you know, and so,um, on top of kind of just having that feeling of knowing in the fall, I started having horrible anxiety attacks, panic attacks. Yeah. Um, and it kind of, it came out in the form of Vertigo. And I didn’t know this at the time, so I was having these, this horrible vertigo, like I multiple times almost wrecked my car because I literally was just driving along and I felt like the whole world go this way and I jerked my wheel from everything. Yeah. And I jerked my wheel the other way and I was, and then it like clicked and I was like, nothing happened.
April 09:54
Like that was just someone in my head. So this went on for a couple of months and I finally went to the doctor and he did some blood work and he’s like, you know, everything’s fine. And he said, I just wonder if you’re stressed. And I was like, no, no, I’m like this is my normal life. Like this is just how it is, you know? And my mom, moms, know, you’re doing all the things. And I’m sorry dad that well, and dad’s too, not to discount the dads, but more so than the moms. And so you, all of the things becomes your normal and you don’t recognize that what it’s doing to your body or what’s it’s doing to your mind. So as having this vertigo and I was having these panic attacks and then it came around to May and you know, most the end of the year for me. And that was when I was really like, it’s, it’s just time to, to go.
April 10:47
It’s time to take a break. It’s time to be home with her or to give myself some stress relief. And um, during that whole time I had started a new program, 80 day obsession and it really started with me just wanting to lose the baby weight from having her, but as it was 80 days long. So it was a big commitment. And as I was going through the program, it became less about the body image and the weight. And it became more about how I was feeling. That stress relief, that anxiety having just time, you know, 40 minutes, 45 minutes a day just for me. Um, and it, and I realized like I needed that and then I realized that other moms needed that too because other moms were like me juggling and doing all the things and they that was their normal also.
April 11:34
Right. And so after I completed that program and I had decided to leave teaching and everything and I was like, I know like it’s time for me to pay it forward. It’s time for me to help other moms see that you need to be taking time to care for yourself. Okay. Yeah. And putting more than it being okay. Like it’s a necessity. I agree. It’s so, because I always tell my girls, you can’t pour from an empty cup. And that’s my big thing. Like if you’re not refilling your cup, what are you giving to your kids or your family or your husband? Nothing. Right. And so by taking the time to free fill my cup every day, I’m a better mom. I’m more patient, I’m healthier for them. You know, all those things. It really like a domino effect. I mean, you’re still teaching you’re coaching.
April 12:25
Yeah. It does have an interesting parallel, but now instead of five year olds, it’s adults. So, and adults. Yeah, exactly. And it’s virtually,um, and it’s, it’s so much fun to be able to, to, could understand that any, to connect with those moms and to hear like their messages and their stories and to watch their transformation to and to see, you know, we hear them say things like, I’m, I’m feeling so much more energy or I feel better about myself or I’ve never stayed committed to something for this long. And it’s like all it, it’s, it’s so good. And it’s like, that’s why, you know, that’s what I’m here for. That’s what I do it four. So they give you a lot of good feedback. Oh, yet, how to family and friends on how do they, how they, you know, family is great.
April 13:15
Um, they, we don’t really talk about the business a lot and it’s not something where I’m like, I don’t try to be in your in your face about it. Right, exactly. But,um, you know, my family has supported me in what I’m doing, you know, and there’s no real negativity or,um, I know a lot of coaches on my team get that and that’s sad. The most supportive husband, he is all 100% on board with it. So that’s amazing. Um, but I think not family and friends so much, but I think just social, it’s hard. It’s hard and it is an MLM. And I think what white MLMs kind of did upfront many years ago when it became a thing was we use social, social media in the wrong way and we kind of created a bad rep for ourselves. And so it’s been hard to overcome that stereotype that you’re just trying to sell me some stereotype and I know you can relate so absolutely.
April
14:15
But,um, we really, we really, really try to, you know, to find something that, to just help people connect people with something that is going to help them improve their life. Your real on your posts , my $30 that I’m making from your sale is not changing my life. You know, it’s not about that. It’s about just helping you get healthier and happier. And then for my coaches who are also learning the business, helping them find the same kind of freedom that I’ve been able to find through it. So it’s hard. A lot of times you just have to ignore and, and we’ve had to do it to, with, with our marketing and pushing our,um, marketing company because that’s what, that’s what we do too, right. Is we’ve had website design and marketing for over 22 years. You have to be out there on social media and you have to post a lot.
April 15:04
You do normal people don’t realize that you have to post a lot for people to be able to understand what you’re doing. Right. And you have to let them know what you’re doing, right. If you want to help them do that, you know, we’ll talk about it and you know, and we try to say like, listen, if I go to a new restaurant or a new coffee shop and I love that place, I’m going to go on social and I’m going to talk about it. Okay, well why would I not do the same about something that has changed my life? That is probably single handedly one of the hardest areas. Yes. Because I’ve known that with doing CrossFit and stuff. Yeah. It’s the health and that industry in the workout industry is really tough. It is. People have a hard time with it and accepting the fact that you’re doing something that’s good for people that way and you’re not afraid to tell them, you know, what they’re eating and things that they’re eating. Yeah. That’s not good. So I get it. I get it. It is an, I mean, and there’s a lot, you know, there’s a lot of emotional things going on with people too, you know? Okay, this is going to be the part that we cut out. Which one do you want? Just normal. Which one? This is showing people normal life with a business from home.
Angie 16:28
Now, if you could give people advice on, on chasing their dream and flipping from what, you know, their nine to five and what they’re normally, you know, used to normally doing or maybe even going into what you’re doing. Um, what advice would you give them? What would you tell them? Yeah, well I think something that I want to kind of throw out there as that if you love your nine to five, that’s great. You know, and I think sometimes,um, again, because social is so impactful and we see this girl, boss and girl, you know, all these things out there and it’s like this, this isn’t for everybody and it certainly isn’t easy. It’s not, it don’t get the impression that you’re gonna sign up to be a coach and make $1 million next week. Like so it’s hard work, but they can do it part time too.
April 17:13
Right. And it takes consistency and time as you know, in years of hard work. But,um, I think that the biggest thing is that not to be afraid, you know, afraid of what people are going to think, afraid of failure. I know that’s huge. Um, and just to go, how can I tell somebody else what to do? Yeah, I hear that a lot because primarily because they’re like, well, I’m not at my fitness goals, so how can I coach other people? And I’m like, that is when you are the best coach. Oh yeah. Because you’re in the trenches with them, you know, and you’re struggling right alongside those girls that are, that you’re coaching. And that’s the best time to help other people on the journey is when you’re on the journey too. Um, but I think it’s just, there’s a lot of being in your own head and mindset was a huge game changer for me as I was going through 80 day obsession.
April 18:13
Um, and it was actually embarrassing story, but in all of my time as a coach, I was, you know, I said I’d been a coach technically for five years. Ada Obsession last year was the first program I completed start to finish. Yeah. It took me that long and it was a mindset thing. It was, I would get started and I’d get a week or two, you know, you start with that like motivation and you’re like, I’m going to do it. My meal plans are my meals prepped and I’m on and blah, blah blah. And then you start to like fall off a little bit. Um, so until I feel like until you have that mindset change of having the self discipline, your motivation is never going to be there. Right. And it carries right over into the business side. You have to have the mindset that it’s going to be hard, they’re going to be setbacks, there’s going to be struggles, but if you have the self discipline to keep showing up, Just keep going.
April 19:04
Just keep going. And you learn from your mistakes and you tweak things and you do this differently and you get better and you get feedback and um, you just learn. And I kind of like to equate it to like, especially it was perfect for me with having Adalyn at the age that she was, it was like toddler learning to walk, you know? And I think as we get to adults, we think that because we’re grown ups now, whatever that means, that we’re supposed to be able to just start something new and do it good. Well, like automatically a lot of people, social media kind of give me that impression. absolutely. That it can be done in like overnight. Yeah. In a month. Oh, if you’re not successful in that first month, it’s not for you. Right. And it must not be good. Right.
April 19:50
And it’s not that at all. It’s that. And it’s the same. So that’s where I was with like watching Adalyn learn to walk because like how many times is this girl gonna fall down and keep getting up? Well until she learns to walk and how many times am I going to screw up in my business or make a mistake or fail and I’m not gonna give up. Well I’m not, I’m just going to keep going. And so I think that,um, once you have that mindset change that, you know, failure is part of the process and hard is part of the process and you start to use those things to your advantage instead of looking at them as a negative, then that has done that so much in our business. That’s the big game changer. It is being able to overcome that. That’s huge. Absolutely.
April 20:35
But don’t let those things like, you know, don’t let those fears stop you from chasing something that’s in your heart. And two, three of the community and we’ve started with um,flipflop tribe is, is our community flip floptribe.com and it’s a Facebook community. And then just like with your community, I mean, you’ve got that support there, so you’re not doing it by yourself. Lean into it.. who, who inspires you? Oh my gosh. Wow. Well I know, well when I saw this question cause you had kind enough to give me a little prep,um, I automatically Rachel Hollis and do you know Rachel Hollis? I know that name, you know the name. Okay. So Rachel Hollis is the big personal development name right now. Um, and, and well deservingly because she is amazing. And last year I read her first book Girl Wash your face and it was life changing and not, I don’t say that like girl wash your face.
April 21:32
I’ll have to read this. Oh absolutely. Absolutely. I actually give it to most of my coaches if they haven’t already read it when they sign up because it is all about,um, like kind of tackling life’s like obstacles from mom shaming and body shaming to fulfilling your dreams and um, you know, not being afraid of failure. It covers all of it and it’s like sitting down and talking to a girlfriend and it’s just, it’s so well written and it’s such like true straight truth. And so,um, follow her on social, you know, it’s just really motivational. But that was kind of like the catalyst that kind of led me to my mindset change. And then on a more personal level, I have my team, you know, that are just like, so they’ve, I show up for them every day and made sure I for teaming.
April 22:22
Um, I don’t actually even know, I personally sponsored, I think I have 10 and then they have their teams under them and that kind of thing. So yeah. So it’s a, you know, we, we have, but then we have our larger team too. My coach above me and everything and, and all together we are team is like four or 5,000 strong. So yeah. So we have an amazing support system,um, to lean into. And so it’s great to have the kind of veterans to lean into, on that side. And then my girls that I’m a little bit closer with, you know, cause I know them more personally in their more local. Um, and they just, they kind of pushed me to show up and be my best selves every day. Cool. So yeah. That’s great. Okay. I’m going to ask this question all the time to all my guests because,um, it goes along with, with our flip flop theme and vacation theme and being able to do your job anywhere that you want to be.
Angie and April 23:20
Um, if you could take your flip flops to a dream vacation spot tomorrow, where would you go and why? I know I’m absolutely the beach. I mean some beach, you know,um, we, I love beach somewhere. Isn’t that I can a Kenny Chesney song… somebody. Yeah, that’s what we should play in the background. Um, a beach where the sun is shining and the sand is, you know, that white smooth and you’re just kind of out there relaxing. Like Destin, I have, I have, I do, I like Destin a lot. Um, we’ve been to Indian shores, which is a little near Tampa, but in that vicinity,um,that was one of our favorite beaches. Yeah. I think I remember driving by that one time probably. Cause is it past Clearwater? Um, no, no, I don’t think so. It’s[inaudible] about 20 minutes. Um, to the west of Tampa, I would say. Okay. So,um,clear. Beautiful though. I do, but I don’t like the sand there. I, yeah.
Angie and April 24:33
in the panhandle and stuff. And actually my husband’s parents have a place in Saint Pete and if you go in Saint Pete and Fort DeSoto and those places you can get that same, the same been there. It’s really a really cool town. Um,not town city, but um, the beaches are great and the restaurants are great, so they’ll, they’ll be a blog from there soon sometimes. Um, but yeah, I think I totally remember for some reason I remember going through that little probably. Yeah, that’s right along, you know, right along the coast. Yeah, it’s nice. And it’s a quaint little, yeah, it’s not really big, but you know, and I haven’t been to the keys, but I would love to be there to go there. So not as many beaches. Yeah, that’s what my in laws said. It’s more like city, like party scene, a little bit going on a boat.
Angie 25:27
You really need a boat to enjoy it too. Okay. Oh No, you can. It’s fun. And I mean it’s neat. It’s laid back. It’s definitely is definitely. We just got back on that trip from Boston and it was amazing and I loved it. But my husband and I were joking, driving back, he was like, wait a minute, vacation now. Because it was, we were go, go, go. The whole time there was no like laying on the beach. Just read your book relaxing. So yeah, someday when my kids are older like mine, then be able to do that. Alright, well I think that is it and I just want to, unless there’s anything else that you want to say. Um,um, I think that’s it. And I wanna I wanna thank April and I wanna thank any of you that are watching. You’re listening to this cause we’ll have it both as a blog and as a podcast. Um, if you could hit that, if you could hit that subscribe button, we really appreciate it. That would help us out. And you know, if you want any information about April and what she does, we’ll make sure we put that in the description below this as well. So you can get in touch with her if it’s something you’re interested in and just remember, you know, build a life you don’t need a vacation from. That’s what we’re all about, so thanks. Awesome.
If you missed our first episode on Flip Flop TV check it out here!
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