It all started with a simple question a little less than a year ago: "Why do people only ask these amazing women what they eat, how they train and which supplements they take?"
I was referring to the IFBB Pro Figure athletes I had just seen competing at Joe Weider's Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas.
They grace the covers of all the fitness magazines and brands pay hefty fees to portray their beauty in advertisements in an attempt to sell more products.
I guess it's working. People line up in never-ending lines, patiently waiting to get their picture taken with them, and make a purchase while they're at it.
But these women are not just looks. They are some of the most elite athletes in the world. Driven. Disciplined. Goal oriented. Inspiring. And I wanted to learn more about them.
What made them tick? How did they get started? What did they have to overcome to get where they are today?
"Why don't you just interview them over Skype?" my husband said.
Immediately alarm bells went off in my head: "But I'm just a nobody." "I'm not used to speaking English." "What if I freeze and don't know what to say?"
We decided to give it a go regardless, and I started sending out emails to all of the women I had seen and read about.
Before I knew, the first few responded and there was no way back.
I clearly recall the first interview. I mixed up the time zones and planned it at 3:00 a.m., but I felt it was rude to reschedule. I was sweating and trembling as I dialed in. But guess what? The interview was amazing. I learned so much and that was the official launch of "Real Talk. Real Women." -- I'll never forget it.
Now, nine months later, we have aired close to 125 video interviews where I get up, close and personal with some of the most powerful women in the health and fitness industry.
Among them are Olympic Gold medalists, martial arts champions, elite fitness competitors, celebrity trainers, top physicians, military moms, cancer survivors and crossfit champions and they all have one thing in common: they are real women.
They all opened up and shared their stories, their struggles and their life lessons.
We discussed the importance of learning how to love yourself. We spoke about the things they learned about never giving up and going after your dreams. We chatted about how they find balance in their hectic lives and explored the reasoning behind working hard to make a difference in the world.
We laughed together. We cried together. They touched my heart and are now enabling me to do the same for so many others by sharing their stories.
Every day I get emails of people who have seen one of the interviews and have been touched by something that was said. It's the most amazing feeling, and it all started with one small step outside of my comfort zone.
"Real Talk. Real Women." is now coming out in book-form as well and I can't wait to hold it in my hands. It will be a gift of inspiration, featuring 100 coauthors and their most valuable life lessons. I couldn't have dreamed of all of this a year ago!
I have now made it my mission to reach and inspire 100 million women across the globe to live happier and healthier lives through the stories of real women.
And on this journey of mine, I realized something. I'm not a nobody.
Why is it then, that we impose these self-limiting beliefs upon ourselves? Why do we believe we can't do certain things? I guess it remains one of the mysteries of the human mind.
Luckily I have found that the solution can be quite simple.
Just go for it. Go for your dreams.
Because just like I'm not a nobody, neither are you.
So go out there and make a change. Good things will happen.