What do you love about your job?

The best thing about my job is seeing people meet their goals and getting to share in the happiness that it brings them. I also love getting to know people who want to be fit, get better at running, or do something that makes them feel great about themselves. Happy people make a happy world. Personally, it doesn’t feel like a job because I am doing what I love to do.

What or who inspired you to start your own business?

An anonymous person actually inspired me. I was on a social website that I was using to track my calories in an effort to lose weight and support fitness. One of the forums was about running, and there was a “coach” on the site telling people they couldn’t do this or that and scaring people from trying to reach new levels of running. I’m sure she was just trying to caution people from getting hurt, but she was communicating poorly. I chatted with one of the people she was trying to caution, and I ended up working with this person via email and got her to her goal. I then went out and got certified to be a running coach and then started my business. It was the greatest feeling helping that runner get to finish a race that her family was also doing and feeling the gratitude in her messages to me about that accomplishment.

Describe your most memorable project.

I took a runner who never ran more than a couple of miles and trained her online to finish a half marathon in just four months. Everyone else told her she was trying the impossible, but I think I made her believe she could do it. She still runs today, six years later.