Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Williams.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Emily. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Of course! I had a slightly roundabout way of getting to where I am now, so I’ll backtrack just a little bit. Growing up, I was heavily involved in ballet from the age of 4 through the end of high school. The ballet studio was a second home for me, as I was in a pre-professional company and spent an inordinate amount of hours there in classes and rehearsals each week. However, at the age of 16, I decided that I wanted to be an orthopedic physician assistant after shadowing with some PAs in clinical and surgical settings. I’ve always been a very strong-willed person and when I make a decision about something, it tends to stick! That said, I went off to college to obtain my BS in Kinesiology- Exercise Science with a minor in Biology while also knocking out extra prerequisite courses for PA school. I ended up graduating in two and a half years and was accepted into a PA program in Florida during my last semester of undergrad. A few months after graduating college, I packed up and moved to Florida to start my new adventure! During my second semester in PA school, I began to have a whole slew of health issues pop up. At the time, nobody could figure out what was wrong or why this was happening. I ended up having to withdraw out of PA school and move back home to Texas. I was crushed! I didn’t have a backup plan and I felt like my world was flipped upside down. Not only did I not have another plan, I was now spending lots of time in and out of doctors’ offices. I learned that I had a genetic disorder called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, which was the root cause of a large majority of my health issues. As I learned more about EDS, and what I could do to improve my health, I was also searching for a new career path. I’ve always wanted to be in a helping profession, and I’ve always been infatuated with athletes, movement, and manipulating the body to achieve incredible things. I decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology to blend these passions together. I began working in a physical therapy clinic while simultaneously working on my degree, and when I finished my Master’s degree, I provided mental coaching services to athletes as well. I began providing mental coaching services to athletes to help them learn how to have top-level performances consistently and intentionally. I actually worked both of these jobs for a few years, as I loved them both! However, I decided it was time for me to launch my own company to spread awareness of mental coaching and make it more accessible to all athletes. It is such a hugely important component in all sports, yet very few athletes have access to mental coaching right now. I launched my company, Champion Mindset Consulting LLC, in September of 2019, and made it my full-time career as of November 2nd! I’m happy to report that my athlete clientele has already doubled since taking the business full-time.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road! Is it ever?? The health issues were the first big roadblock that I had to deal with. It felt like such a loss to leave PA school because I had dreamed of that since I was a kid. But I knew I could either wallow in it, or take control over what was in my control, and keep moving forward. I had gone through a lot of very tough situations during my childhood that were life-changing, but I feel like going through those things prepared me to handle the transition of giving up one dream to pursue another dream. That, and my faith, kept me grounded and pressing forward. Not to say there weren’t days that I grieved the loss, because I did. But as I continued to put one foot in front of the other, I became more and more excited and sure of the new path God had me on. I absolutely love what I do and seeing the achievements of all of the athletes that I work with make it that much sweeter! Starting up a business is also a lot of work! Growing up, I never saw myself as an entrepreneur or owning a business. In fact, I have never taken one single business class! So the whole process of starting a company was challenging and involved a lot of research and learning. You’ve got to challenge yourself in order to achieve great things. If you don’t…well, that just sounds boring. It’s not always going to be perfect the first time, but that just means you’re one step closer to getting it right the next time. I’m a firm believer that strength comes through trials. You will make it through difficult situations, hard times, and struggle points, and you will come out stronger for it! My advice to anyone else in any situation is to keep going! You’re stronger than you know and tougher than you believe. It will be a lot of work, but it will all pay off in the end. Just one step at a time!
We’d love to hear more about Champion Mindset Consulting.
I work with athletes on strengthening the mental component of their game in order to improve their sports performance. I do not provide mental health services. I teach athletes how to perform their best, consistently and intentionally, by utilizing various mental skills. So the work I do is purely mental coaching! I teach skills such as visualization, cognitive reframing, positive self-talk, relaxation, emotion control, attentional focus, goal setting skills, etc. I begin by laying a good foundation of skills and then work with the athlete to create a “pre-competition” routine. Each time they go to compete or perform, they will go through their routine, which sets them up for successful performances every time. Mental coaching gives athletes a huge edge and puts them in a place to perform their best. It is the most effective form of performance enhancement and absolutely crucial for all athletes to add into their training regimen. Athletes can train physically for hours every day, but it will be their mind that ends up holding them back. Training the mind is a must! Mental coaching helps to prevent mental blocks and burnout, and improves sport progression. Mental Coaching also provides a “safe space” for athletes to openly discuss anything that may be bothering them or going on outside of the sport, and I feel this is something that sets me apart. I believe that a well-rounded approach is most beneficial. If things are going on outside of the sport that are negative or stressful, they will still factor into the athlete’s sport performance. I never want to put blinders up and only focus on the sport, because an athlete is so much more than the sport that they do. If all aspects of life are addressed, it keeps athletes in a much healthier space overall. One of the nice things about Mental Coaching is that it truly sets athletes up for success in all aspects of life, as the skills are transferable from sports to school, to a career, and more. I truly take an invested interest in each and every one of my athletes and I absolutely love what I do! I get to work with athletes of all ages, from 10 years old to professional, and in all sports!
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
I’m currently working my way through two different books right now actually! I’m listening to The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy as an audiobook and reading Holy Hustle by Crystal Stine. I would recommend BOTH of these books to any other hustlers out there! I don’t have many app recommendations because I am really not the most tech-savvy person. However, I do use an app called Planoly to help me schedule out my social media posts for my business, and I love it! Social media marketing is an area I can absolutely still grow in, but having an app like Planoly has made that much easier on me. It’s also nice to be able to sit down on a Sunday afternoon during a football game, and schedule out the week’s Instagram posts! Such a time saver during the week and is really invaluable.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ChampionMindsetConsulting.com
- Phone: 972-489-8747
- Email: Emily@ChampionMindsetConsulting.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ChampionMindsetConsultingLLC
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChampionMindsetConsultingLLC
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