Power of Community
Meet three of the kick-ass women who are a part of my community as we talk about the power of community in supporting us on our health journeys! In this episode, I introduce you to Amy (28) from Kansas, Rikki (30) from Montana, and La Chelle (40) from Idaho. We chat about the Climb community and insights on how to create your own community to support you along the way.
In this episode, we’ll chat about:
Feelings of isolation and being alone in our struggles with weight and body image
How community has served us on the good and challenging days
Ways to find community and support that cost $0
I’m so excited to introduce you to a few of the incredible women who are a part of my Climb membership community in this episode. Our community is diverse, with women from all walks of life, from all around the world, ranging in age from teens to late 70s.
There is one thing we all have in common, though: we are creating healthy lives we love from the inside out and learning to love ourselves better every step of the way.
Amy
Amy (28) from Kansas - community member for one year
La Chelle
La Chelle (40) from Idaho - community member for 6 months
Rikki
Rikki (30) from Montana - community member for 3 months
While every member in our community has a different story and a different path they are walking, so many of us have similar experiences growing up and struggling with our body image starting at a young age. Now, in adulthood, we are working to uncover what has been keeping us stuck, where our negative thoughts and beliefs came from, and how to rewrite the story for ourselves moving forward to take better care of our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
FEELING ALONE
If you’ve ever found yourself feeling alone in your own battle with weight or body image, isolated, as if nobody else gets it… I want you to know that we understand what you’re going through because we’ve walked through it too. And more than anything, we want you to know you’re not alone in this!
We share stories of going shopping with friends when we were younger, only looking at the shoes and accessories because we knew they were the only items in the store that fit us. Rikki in I, both growing up in agriculture and showing livestock, talk about our difficulties finding 4-H and FFA showmanship uniforms that fit us, resorting to buying men’s clothes because it was all that was available.
That being said, we’re hopeful that things are slowly changing and stores are becoming much more size-inclusive, representing people of all shapes and sizes. We don’t want the next generation to have the same isolating experiences we did, struggling to find acceptance in a bigger body with an extra layer of shame knowing that certain stores just weren’t made to accommodate us.
Each of us has a similar experience, but the biggest thing that changed the feeling of loneliness and isolation we each felt was finding community, discovering that there were other women out there that understand the same feelings we’ve been experiencing too. It can be powerful to know that the journey you’ve been walking, even when you felt like the only one on the path, isn’t unique. There is such freedom in discovering that you aren’t the only one and there is in fact a world of people that “get it” once you find them.
FINDING COMMUNITY
Can we do this health journey alone? Sure, it’s possible. But we as humans are hardwired for community and connection, it’s in our nature.
Whether it’s finding a community to support you in your health journey, or a community to share in another passion, hobby, or interest, connecting with other like-minded people to share, support, and encourage one another is paramount to the success of not just the group, but also the individual.
When I asked Amy, Rikki, and La Chelle to share more about how community and Climb has supported them, this is was what they shared.
Community is a group of people to connect with and lean on as we navigate this journey together. No matter what, someone is always going to be there to understand you and encourage you to take the next step forward.
Having multiple communities for different aspects of life can help to compartmentalize but build bridges between them. For example, Rikki shared being a member of the Climb community has helped her focus on her health goals and she has her local agriculture community to connect with fellow farmers and ranchers. But within Climb, there are also fellow ag women that allow her to create a bridge between the two worlds.
We may be walking the path in different ways, but we can help each other rise up to be our best selves and move forward together.
It’s not always about being obnoxiously positive, but having a community that is genuinely supportive and constructive. We can hold space for each other with love while offering accountability and challenging each other in a positive way.
POWER OF COMMUNITY
Before joining the Climb community, and any community for that matter, it is normal to have hesitations and questions. Is this the right fit for me? Is this going to be different than the communities that didn’t work for me in the past? I asked the women to honestly share their hesitations and what ultimately made them decide to join.
Rikki wondered if it was just another fad diet, but said she knew better. This time, she was going to invest in herself and allow it to take whatever time she needed - my race, my pace. It took her 20+ years to get to where she was and knew the changes weren’t going to happen overnight. She decided she had nothing to lose but everything to gain, and after joining asked herself, “Why didn’t I do this sooner?”
La Chelle knew it wasn’t just the physical aspect of health anymore, it was all mental. She was so over the mental battles she was fighting with herself. After joining, compassionate curiosity has been her mantra and it has overflowed from her health journey even into her job and relationships.
Amy said it was time for her to put herself first. She was determined to figure out how to live her life and she wanted to do it right this time, one day at a time. In her words, the community has been literally life-changing.
I think one of the most incredible things to see is the way that each of the women in our community has started to show up for themselves and the way it has positively impacted not only their own lives, but the lives of the people they love around them. As the saying goes, when the tide rises, all ships rise with it.
CREATING COMMUNITY FOR $0
If you’re not in a place financially where you have the means to invest in a community like Climb, that doesn’t mean that you can’t create an incredible support system for yourself for free. Here are a few ideas for creating a community for yourself without spending any money.
SOCIAL MEDIA: The internet can be a powerful tool for finding free resources to support you. It’s 2021 and pretty much anything you can think of exists on the internet for free. By auditing your digital environment and finding accounts and individuals that can inspire, teach, and encourage you, you can curate a digital community with messages that are aligned with your goals and the person you are wanting to become.
PODCASTS: Listening to podcasts, just like this one, is like having a free coach or mentor in your earbuds. If you’re tuning in to this podcast, you are well on your way! Find shows that can help you strengthen your skills to become the best version of yourself. Hopefully, this podcast is one of those for you!
LOCALLY: If you are someone who needs in-person support and connection, seek out individuals in your local community. Maybe that means finding a local workout class, connecting with local clubs with people who have similar interests or spend time in the spaces and places where those individuals are. You don’t have to wait for community to come to you, but you can seek it out to create it for yourself.
CLIMB COMMUNITY
I created Climb in April of 2021 because I myself was hungry for more community and connection. The way that it has grown and evolved over the past year has been so incredible to watch and I am so grateful for each and every member that is a part of it.
I’ll be honest, for some people Climb can be overwhelming. It has a little bit of everything. The Climb community includes…
CLIMB: The Course - a five-module digital course with worksheets
Weekly live group coaching calls
Monthly book clubs
Monthly workshops
Monthly guest experts
Monthly guest cooking class and workout
Private Facebook group
Weekly pep talks
And more…
But the beautiful thing about Climb is that it has something for everyone. I like to think about it as a toolbox. Right now in the season that you’re in, there might only be a couple of tools that you’re needing right now. Use what you need, and leave the rest, knowing you have an arsenal of tools and resources to support you whenever you need them.
I asked the women what pieces of Climb were the most helpful for them, unsurprisingly each of them had something a little bit different to say. Everyone’s journey is different and what is helpful for you in this season, might not be exactly what’s helpful for someone else.
Amy’s favorite part of Climb is the weekly live coaching sessions, giving her a sense of awe each call. She loves that we can connect with each other, ask questions, and be vulnerable in a safe space. She loves knowing that somebody has her back and is ready to help. It’s a community full of love and the coaching calls are the highlight of her week.
Rikki shared similar sentiments, saying that the weekly coaching calls almost feel like going to church, like the sermon she didn’t know she needed to hear. Even if it’s not her asking the questions, there are often others struggling with the same things she’s walking through too. If it’s something others have worked through themselves, the community can show up and offer advice and support too.
She finds the downloadable worksheets and resources to be extremely helpful and as someone who is on the road a lot, she loves that the community is available through an app on her phone, ready whenever and wherever she needs it.
La Chelle’s schedule doesn’t allow her to participate in the coaching calls live, but she loves that she can tune in to the replays. As someone new to journaling, she has appreciated the journal prompts within the course. She admits at times she’s felt overwhelmed but is reminded regularly that it is all about the baby steps, finding so much value in the tools that are available to her.
ON THE FENCE?
If you’re wondering if Climb is the right fit for you, but you’re still on the fence about it, here is what these women had to say.
Amy - If you’re ready to put yourself first, this is where you need to be. It’s time.
Rikki - It’s worth it, you’re worth it. It’s your turn to take care of yourself. And this community is actually fun, you’ll enjoy it.
La Chelle - What do you have to lose? Why not invest? You have to give yourself time and try something before you decide if it’s not going to work for you.
Listen, friend. Whether Climb is the right next step for you in your health journey or not, I want you to know that each of us is rooting for you and believe that you can do this. Maybe now isn’t the right time for you or maybe your budget doesn’t have the flexibility to make room for the investment, but I don’t want that to get in the way of you making time and space for yourself and your well-being, whatever that looks like for you.
But if this community feels like it could be the right fit for you as you take the next step forward in your health journey, let me ask you this...
Is your mental, emotional, and physical health worth investing less than $2 per day?
If so, we’d love to welcome you inside Climb.
-Coach Kiah