Get to know me + Behind the Scenes | Q&A

As our first blog post, what better way to start than to go behind the scenes with The Motion Mechanic. Today’s questions are all asked by YOU over the last month via Instagram Questions.

 

How old you are you? 
23.

What is your ethnicity?
Both parents migrated from Vietnam, and I was born in Melbourne.

How long have you and your boyfriend been together for?
James and I are celebrating 5 years this month.

What dogs do you have? And how old are they?
I have a 2 year old pug called Obi and a 6 month old cavoodle called Finn. They have added incredible amounts of value and love into my life.

What do you do for your own training?
I enjoy a variety of styles of training, mainly for my overall good health, enjoyment and all-round athletic development. Sometimes I’m not training for any particular competition, other times I’ll have a sporting event I work towards for a period of 6-12 months.

With that in mind, my training varies depending on what I’m training for. For the majority of this year (2018) I was doing 3x runs a week and 2x full body sessions at the gym while prepping for the Run Melb Half Marathon. Now that I’m not training for any sporting competition, I’m back to my usual routine of 3x full body gym sessions a week, with 1x sprint session and 2x futsal games a week. At the gym, I like to do a combination of powerlifting, Olympic lifting and bodyweight exercises – So only using barbells or my own body. This means I can build absolute and relative strength, while still challenging my body to have the skills and mobility for the exercises required on a bar, rings and the ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have any running events coming up?
No running events coming up! Pretty happy with 1x sprint session and 2 futsal games a week to maintain my cardiovascular health at this stage.

What services do you offer within The Motion Mechanic?
I offer a range of services, including presenting seminars at gyms and sporting clubs, in-clinic Physiotherapy and 1-on-1 performance coaching.

Do you do everything in The Motion Mechanic yourself?
Up to this point, yes I do.

What does your typical week look like?
My typical week is BOMB! I consult 4x a week at BodyMotion Physiotherapy. A few other mornings and nights of the week I do face-to-face coaching with Motion Mechanic clients. Outside of these set hours, I’ll have business meetings, writing client programs, filming or creating marketing content, doing admin work, responding to enquiries, reading research studies or books, walking the dogs etc etc. No two weeks are the same – It’s honestly a wonderful life. Generally Sunday’s are an ‘off’ day where I’ll hang out with James and friends.

How did you get into the industry?
Straight out of high school, I started full-time Physiotherapy study at La Trobe University and part-time Cert III& IV at ‘The Australian Institute of Fitness’ part time. As soon as I got my Personal Training qualification, I started working my first PT job at a personal training studio while still studying Physiotherapy.

Not long after starting work, I started the business by making an instagram page and a basic website, and have been building my business skills through different mentors and continuously learning about business innovation, marketing, sales, personal mindset etc!

After graduating from Uni with a Master’s of Physiotherapy, I’ve been able to do both Physiotherapy practice and strength & conditioning coaching while always expanding the business!

 What do you recommend for those trying just starting in the industry?

1. Take action- Fear of failing and subsequently NOT making the next move is the one sure way to fail. Apply for jobs, go to job interviews, do courses, do unpaid work, network. I know of SO many new Personal Trainers or even experienced ones who know what they need to do, but because of their perfectionism, or fear of judgement they’re sticking with what they’re comfortable with, and that’s seriously a huge loss of potential and starts a cycle of self-doubt, and further inaction. Any action is better than nothing.
2. Stay persistent- It doesn’t matter if 10 places turn you down, thee only thing that matters is the ONE place that makes the right decision to employ you! Most of us already know that many of the most successful celebrities were rejected, bullied or bankrupt before their big break.
3. Work your way up- I know you dream of working with fit people and elite athletes. The reality is that you have to start somewhere, and if it’s with complete beginners to the gym and doing group classes, then embrace it. Because although it may not be your ideal niche, you can still practice rapport building, exercise programming and prescription, coaching cues etc that are all skills needed at the elite level. Your first job is not your last job, this is the first stepping stone within your career progression!
4. Have perspective- You’ll be working for the next 40-50 years of your life. Don’t compare yourself to where other PTs are at. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself to perform RIGHT NOW. The most successful people are only so because they have put the grind and hustle in for decades- So sow the seeds now one step at time.

How do you stay so motivated all the time?
I don’t really see myself as being motivated, because I’m not motivated. What I do have is awareness and perspective to know that if I want my biggest goals to happen, I have to put in the work. There’s a reason the top 1% of the world are that, because they are willing to do what 99% of people won’t.

At the same time, I know that everyone has different priorities. Some people are completely fulfilled by being a stay at home parent, or working to make just enough to live comfortably, and that’s awesome. But for me, I am fulfilled by challenging myself, being disciplined and being rewarded for my own hard work in the form of achivement. It’s nothing to do with money or recognition… Growth in itself fulfils me. So I’m more disappointed and unhappy if I sleep-in and do nothing at home.

And this is so important because this is what other people need to have too. It’s not motivation people need.. It’s the self-awareness and addressing their physical, mental and spiritual planes of life. It’s so much deeper than ‘Motivation Monday’ or a ’12 week challenge’.