The Inspirational Woman Project believes that every woman is inspirational. It's our mission to tell their stories.
Angela Mader is a self-proclaimed goal guru and type-A entrepreneur who thrives on new ideas, is driven by passion, and powered by coffee. She has taken what was once her own personal battle to fuel her passion for positively influencing the lives of others. Mader created fitlosophy to inspire people to live a healthy, active lifestyle by motivating and supporting them with innovative products, to redefine how people integrate fitness into their lifestyle, and to change the shape of our world - literally. She inspires her customers to integrate healthy lifestyle products and programs in order to take a positive approach to reaching goals and to live life fit™.
What's your relationship with femininity? And how do you access that part of yourself?
{Mader}I was raised by very feminine mother who embraced her beauty. If you could use one word to define her it would be 'classy.' She taught me to be a lady at a young age. That's what femininity means to me. Embracing the delicate, dainty, classy, and soft side of who we were created to be.
The way that I channel that is by taking care of and nurturing myself. I get my nails done and don't leave house without looking proper - not because anyone thinks I need to look a certain way but instead because of how I feel. It's not that women need to look a certain way, but it's the confidence within me and nurturing that part of me for what it does for me, not for what it does for the world.
When do you feel most powerful?
{Mader} I feel most powerful in my business, absolutely. The times I feel most powerful are in situations where I have to step up to a challenge. All of my insecurities go aside. It's almost as if I step out of myself. Times when I'm meeting with buyers of Fortune 500 companies, speaking to 100's of people, or writing articles. It's when the expectation of me is so high and the pressure is on to perform is when I feel in a position of power.
I want to be able to bottle that and tap into it at a moments notice so when the inevitable moments of insecurity do arise, the moments of questioning everything, that I can step into that power. I wish I could capture that feeling of powerfulness to operate from that space in every area of my life.
What is your gift?
{Mader} Part of my gift is being a mirror to people to show them their own worth. I have the ability to make people feel and see who they were created to be. I am able to give them hope, provide nurturing, kindness, and thoughtful support. On the flip side of this, I can be direct. What I've found is that a combination of this candidness, and the ability to be vulnerable (almost to level of discomfort), all coupled with sense of humor is the place where I inspire people.
My life has on the outside has looked pristine, but people don't see the losses in my life. They see the articles, and the magazines, and the external successes. They don't know the days I wanted to give up. They don't see how hard I work. They aren't aware of the days where the best thing I did was get out of my pajamas. I do my best to share my struggles along the way. I'm not perfect and life isn't always easy, but we have choice everyday to handle what life gives us. I'm not saying I handle it perfectly every time. Life has knocked me down. But one of my gifts is perseverance.
What's one thing you want to tell the women who will read this?
{Mader} The only thing holding us back is ourselves. I believe that if we operate in a place of being incapable then we have already determined our destiny. It's about pushing ourselves past comfort zones and taking risks that others may deem crazy. I've done these things most of my life and people don't understand. But the only difference between me and someone else is that I did it. My idea was no better than anyone else's idea. But it's what I did with it.
The difference between you and the next person is who actually takes action. Don't focus on the idea that you can't do it or are not capable or don't have the resources. Think of what you do have and move past it. Find your inner capability.
If we were all to accomplish everything we're capable of we would truly astound ourselves. That lights a fire in my belly like no other. People look at what I have accomplished, and to them it looks like I accomplish at a 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale. I don't care what other people think. I'm capable of a 13.
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