Today we’d like to introduce you to Shari Burke.
Shari, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
It all started back when I started college (kind of). For a girl who is super organized AND a planner, college gave me a run for my money. I knew I wanted to go to school, but I didn’t know WHAT FOR. You can imagine how frustrating this might be for someone who is always planning ahead. I had so many things that I liked doing or thought would be fun to go to school for, but I didn’t know how to choose just ONE route. So, I took the business route, assuming I can’t go wrong with a Business degree. I graduated with a Business Administration degree with a focus on Human Resources. Luckily, I found a part-time HR job in my last semester of college that turned into a full-time job once I graduated.
While in school, I turned to working out as an outlet. I played sports while growing up – but the gym was foreign to me. So, I stayed close to the treadmills. A few years into my fitness journey, I stepped outside of my cardio box and ventured into the weights. Slowly but surely, my body was transforming and people were noticing. I wanted to learn and know everything about fitness and working out. I did a lot of reading, research and trying things out on myself. Soon enough, I had family and friends constantly telling me that I should become a Personal Trainer.
After moving from Michigan to Texas, going back to school again for Interior Design and then jumping back into Human Resources – I felt very lost and very unhappy in my career. I finally decided to put all my doubts and fears aside and studied for my NASM Certified Personal Trainer certification while working, which was no easy task. I would get up at 5 am for the gym, work from 8-5 then come home and study 5-6x/week. I did this for five months, took the 200 question test and PASSED on the first go-round.
Meanwhile, I was going through the intensive interview process at Lifetime Fitness. I was so far outside of my comfort zone and there was no going back.
I spent a year at Lifetime as a Personal Trainer but quickly realized this wasn’t what I want to do for the rest of my life. I still loved fitness. I still wanted to help people. I still wanted it to be PART of what I did for a living. So, now what?
Well, I continued the theme of getting out of my comfort zone and decided – “You know what, enough messing around. It’s time to do what I love for a living.” With that, I created Shaped By Shari (my fitness business) and Spaces By Shari (my interior decorating and organization business).
Throughout all these years of studying, working at jobs I didn’t like, studying more… one thing always remained in my mind – “What if I would have finished school for Interior Design. Or what if I would have gone with my gut when I started college and studied Interior Design.” I didn’t want to have anymore what if’s. I knew I was never going to find a corporate job that tied in ALL three of my passions – fitness, design, and organization – so I had to stop letting fear control me.
While both of my businesses are new to the game, I’m still so glad I made the decision to work for myself. It’s certainly not easy. Some days, I doubt myself. Some days, I want to give up and go back to the corporate world. But at the end of the day – I’m doing what I LOVE and what I’m GOOD at and that’s all that matters.
Has it been a smooth road?
Not at all – I’m still learning so much! Starting up two business is a LOT to handle. It’s easy to get overwhelmed, frustrated and stressed. Essentially, you’re all alone in this. It’s YOUR business. You have to be successful if you want to make money – and that’s a lot of pressure. But if you constantly remind yourself WHY you are doing it, all the hard stuff doesn’t matter.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Shaped By Shari – Fitness & Nutrition Coaching
I help busy mamas ditch extremes so they can FINALLY shed stubborn fat + keep it off for good with ZERO restriction.
I train mostly online but will travel to client’s homes if they live in the area. I’m different from others (and this falls under most proud of too) because I teach women how to lose weight in a BALANCED way. There’s so much bad information out there about how women should only do cardio, eat 1200 calories or less or don’t lift weights because you’ll get “bulky” and if you don’t know any better, you’ll follow that terrible information. I did when I first started my fitness journey. But now I’ve learned how to make and maintain results in a BALANCED way – so I can have my cake (or ice cream) and eat it too without the guilt. That’s what I’m here to teach women. That’s what I’m passionate about.
Spaces By Shari – Interior Decorating & Organization
I help busy mamas eliminate visual stress by transforming their cluttered spaces into ORGANIZED masterpieces.
I’m different from others because I’m a one woman show. You will see me from the beginning to the end. I do the work. And I go the extra mile. Organizing is my BIGGEST passion. I absolutely love it. And I love the way I can help families feel less stressed when they come home to an organized space – that makes me happy.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
For my specific businesses, absolutely! Where I currently live – we have new construction neighborhoods going up left and right. It’s a gold mine for me. I’ve lived in this house for a little over three years and it looks so different than when we first bought the house. There are so many new developments, stores, restaurants, etc. going up around me. And we aren’t too far from Frisco and Plano which are two cities that are really booming right now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shapedbyshari.com
- Email: shapedbyshari@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shapedbyshari/ and https://www.instagram.com/shari.burke/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shari.burke.902
Image Credit:
Braeden Rogers Photography, Lynsie Rae Photography
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