Leader of the Pack

I won! Who doesn’t love to say that? I won Jillian Michael’s “Leader of the Pack” in “Make the Change – Be the Change” 2011 Challenge and am featured on Jillian’s personal blog. (See me virtual high fiving you.) Look, I love games, contests and anything that gets people pumped. (So does the media, by the way.) Even though this is my professional blog, I wanted to share with you I’m taking on my fitness in 2011. It’s not the first time I’ve embarked on this journey, but this time, I’m not doing it alone. I’ve used the Internet in my career and it’s super successful. So I got to thinking, how could I use the Internet to impact other areas of my life, like love and well-being. Turns out, the Internet delivers again and again. February 14th I celebrate five blissful years of being married to my husband, Shannon Nicholson, whom I met in 2002 on Match.com (yes we did). I always tease him I’m his mail-order bride for whom he only paid $24.99. The kicker is, he thought about that $25 charge to sign up for THREE DAYS before responding to my post which included a clever press release (complete with third party quotes) and whitewater kayaking photos a photographer from the Hendersonville Times News snapped casually one Saturday while we kayaked together on the Pigeon River. So, while watching the Biggest Loser (my business partner, Drew Gerber, and I LOVE reality shows; but of course we do … we’re publicists who make a living with media) I began to deeply admire Jillian Michaels. I know I’ve met people who call Jillian ‘satan in spandex’ but to me she’s paving the way for thousands of people to be strong and brave, including me. I’ve always been adventurous but with a resting heart rate of 47 (very athletic) but near 200 pounds, I’ve never figured out what’s ‘wrong’ with my body (eat right; exercise regularly) until I read Jillian’s “Master Your Metabolism.” While I do everything nutritionists and doctors say to do, I’ve been ignorant of the food industry’s effect on our adrenals, hormones and much more. So, I got a trainer from Jillian’s website and since then, Coach Beth’s been holding my hand every week. She’s a lot better than the personal trainer I hired right before my wedding! That “professional” stood me up not once but twice. At least Coach Beth can’t stand me up because she’s online! I love that. (LOL). So, use the internet to really propel your messages online. Use it to find solutions when your well-being is waning. Connect with others. Don’t do your dreams alone! Watch Jillian online too. She’s ubiquitous. Everyone who is marketing themselves today can learn something from her public image. She’s flawless (in my humble opinion and yes it’s biased). Remember to use blogs, social media and tools like YouTube to reach out and connect. I did. My personal YouTube channel is a live video diary of my progress. My professional YouTube channel is about PR. Join me. You can do it too (whatever your dreams are)! What will you create this year? Me? Once and for all, my husband is going to be able to carry his bride over the threshold and when he does, I for sure will post it online. Stay tuned ….