How does one make an introduction to a blog? Do I roll out a metaphoric red carpet? Do I formally introduce you to my blog, even though you voluntarily clicked on the “blog” tab and thus are expecting to be led to a blog? Standard writing education taught me that the introductory paragraph needs something to grab the reader’s attention… On a blog, you can’t really yell, “Fire!” and get everyone to turn and look (for the record, I don’t think you can do that in a formal paper as an attention-grabber either), so that’s out of the question. I can’t pull a typical YouTuber move and pair a click-bait title with an equally click-bait thumbnail. Your first blog is supposed to be where you “make a splash,” but I feel like I’ve already done some splashing around via social media, otherwise this site wouldn’t exist. Also, why do I have to keep splashing? I’m not a professional diver. I would say a solid 40-50% of my dive attempts ended as a belly flop, or even worse, the ever-so-awkward bikini-top-flipping-up-in-the-water-and-now-I-have-to-scramble-to-fix-my-top-while-underwater-before-I-resurface-and-flash-everyone scenario. Maybe this is why one-pieces are coming back into style? Regardless, I love a good mono-kini and this drawn out metaphor has turned into me rambling as per usual… So, I guess I will just take a moment to say, “Hi.” Welcome to my first official blog post.
It seems fitting to explain a bit about how this whole thing, from the blog to the website to everything else, came to be. This also involves a bit of a backstory on the past couple of years of my life. Grab a snack, a glass of wine (may I recommend 19 Crimes?), and a fluffy blanket. Maybe I should have mentioned that before the bikini analogy. Anywho. Welcome to my world.
Back in the spring of 2014, I competed in my first bikini bodybuilding competition with the National Physique Committee (NPC). In an effort to save you a lengthy story involving the ins-and-outs of the past 2+ years, I will simply say this: fitness has become my career as well as the biggest life lesson I could have asked for at a relatively young age. In that time frame, I have competed in 12 bodybuilding shows (some of the most recent ones can be found on the “About Me” page), completed a solid chunk of my undergraduate Kinesiology program, earned certification as a sports nutrition specialist, started my own coaching team (Team Empower), and built a social media presence over platforms such as Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Snapchat. I’ve learned a lot of “life lessons” as a result of competitive bodybuilding, being a part of social media “fitness culture,” and simply as a result of growing as a human being. Whether it’s scientific knowledge surrounding training and nutrition principles, or learning the ins and outs of my own psyche and the true pursuit of self-love and happiness, the past 2-odd years have been physically and mentally transformative. I want to share that with the world. I also wanted a place where I could provide people with just about any and all information they could want to know about me – whether that be information regarding my coaching services, my basic “about me” information, my photo portfolio, or simply my personal anecdotes/rambles, recipes, and life advice via my blogs. Social media channels have provided me with amazing opportunities, and I wanted to continue to expand upon that.
It has always been my goal to help people in a true and genuine way, whether that be through my coaching services or through a simple Instagram post/caption. As a coach, I can’t accept more clients than my schedule allows me to… But I can put out basic advice and insight to try and help steer people in the right direction. As a social media influencer, Instagram has a caption limit, so having a place where I can write on a larger, more in-depth scale allows me to let my verboseness run wild and express myself more fully. I feel that I as an individual have a lot of knowledge to share regarding training and nutrition, as well as a lot of life perspective that I want to share with my audience… I have a voice that someone may need to hear, and I wanted a central location to put that voice.
I want this site to be more than just a place for me to advertise my services or promote myself. I want this site to be a true resource to you, whoever you are. Whether you are new to health and fitness, are a seasoned lifter, or if you don’t know the difference between a kettlebell and a dumbbell and are just looking for some life advice, I want this website to bring you something that you can relate to. The fact that there are 7 billion people on this beautiful spinning ball of matter means that there are 7 billion different human experiences… But, even with all of those differences, we all have some sameness about us. We all experience struggle. We all experience pain. We all need help or perspective or insight. Everyone loves a good recipe. Many of us have common interests. We all need kindness. We all need inspiration at times. We all love to laugh. There is always something that can tie us together.
Social media has taught me a lot about the power of the internet and its ability to connect people from all across the country, the continent, and the world. The power of word – whether it be spoken, hand written, or typed, is limitless, and I want to use that power to bring us closer together. This is my life. This is my journey. This is my blog. Welcome to “Em’s Excogitations.”