CHM007:Interview with Pam Andrews- Fitness Tips, Homeschooling, and Business Balance

Hello, and welcome to Christian homeschool Mom's podcast. This is one of those special days where as the privilege of interviewing other moms. So today I would love to welcome Pam Andrews to our podcast. Pam is the owner of Shake It Fitness Studio and she's a licensed ZIMS fitness instructor with specialties in Zimbatony, Zimba Gold and Zimbatonic which Zimba for Kids since June two thousand and nine. And in addition to her business, Pam is a homeschool mom of four children. So, Tam, welcome to the podcast. Thank you to meet you and my pleasuring me. You're welcome. I've trapsed around your blog a little bit and I've seen so much of what you're doing with fitness and so if you can just tell me a little bit more about some of the other programs that you offer and what all you do in the fitness industry, fitness world, and just tell us a little about your story, how you got where you are today and your fitness journe Sure. Absolutely, Um, I'll start with my journey first, um, and that'll kind of bring us to where we are now. But um, you know, I'm a mom four kids. You know, you give birth and your body just doesn't do what it needs to do after babies, after you know, being pregnant, after nursing and praying for everybody and putting yourself last. So um, like like many moms, you just kind of not necessarily let yourself go. Let you just you just aren't where you need to be, especially the function. So I um started going to our local gent and really enjoyed it. M I was doing the traditional step classes four years ago and one day the instructor I, oh, you know, I was visiting a friend of mine and she played this music and it was so much fun and I just want to play for you guys, we want song and it was it was a Latin song, and she told us the name of it Zoomba, and I instantly fell on a little bit and we got our heart rate up, and you know, I just loved it. And that was when I was introduced to Zoomba, which was really my my m segue into the fitness world. I had really I never thought I would be years later where I am now, which is not only teaching then so many formats, but you know, I opened my own studio recently. So that was it. I just found something that I absolutely loved, beyond the treadmill, beyond other group fitness classes. UM, I just fell in love with it and that got me, got me going, and UM I went through the process of becoming a licensed instructor and then UM taught it at a couple of places at a karate studio, a dance studio, and UM a community center. Yeah, and did that for almost three years and then the Lord laid it on my heart to UM to open my own place, UM to just really pursue that. So UM, that's kind of yeah. Yeah, yeah. So you have a lot of the whole fitness arena with a zimba, pilates and other things that you do as well. So that's correct. That's that's correct. UM. You know the ethicity I wanted to have a UM really a cardio focus, not a place with equipment. UM. It's not you know, I personally I don't enjoy equipment. Nothing's wrong with equipment, but it's just not something that I enjoyed. UM. But I know that some people actually UM just really want to come and have the group exercise experience, and so that's the kind of facility that that I wanted to have. So um a lot of people enjoy that. It's just it's it feels more laid back. It's they're not you know, you don't have to worry about Okay, how do I work this machine? How it's just exactly exactly exactly right. So yes, I'm like ahead, mom. So it's so easy for us to just say, like, Okay, we don't have time for a fitness routine. We're too busy, and you know how life gets crazy and it's curveballs, or we just you know, we don't feel like it's impossible or that it's possible to find the time to get out of the house and join a gym, And for some people a gym membership just isn't feasible. So can you share with us in typical of how we can fitness into our already busy lives and for those of us who might be suffering from the economic hardships, how can we still fit in a healthy stateness rioting without breaking the vage. Sure? Absolutely, there are so many ways and so many things we can do to get fit. And I think anything we do that incorporates our children is always a benefit. So walking is so beneficial and do a nice brisk walk. Pemate can walk quickly, you know, do a walk run. You can incorporate a workout in your home using um. You can use your five gallon water jugs or you can even buy you know, they can go to a local sporting goods store us like a walk martyr, target whatever's in your area and get you know, you can a pound, eight pounds, ten pounds, hand weights and do a workout. So you only use DVDs. I mean, I enjoy DVDs and they're even great for different seasons in our lives, like after I have a baby. You know, I'm just not in the mood to go to the gym, and I don't want to leave my little one in a gym with a bunch of other babs. I didn't, I just don't want to do the gym to take care. So you know, you go to that season where the videos are very helpful and very effective. So and then you can also buddy up. You can partner with someone, have them come over your house, you can go to their house. But those are just some of the different things. But especially if you're able to incorporate the kids. Depending upon the age of the children and get them involved and find something you enjoy to do as a family, a sport or some type of individual activity maybe karate or like I said, walking or just something together gets you moving. It's it's all helpful. Yeah. I like what you mentioned if doing things together with your kids and getting them involved and being part of your routine. So that's really cool. And also the idea of the milk checks. I never thought of that, but yeah, really cool. Right, you know, very inexpensive things that we can do. Absolutely, it's as pays in our life that we're happen happening to go through. We can easily spit that in. Um, I'm going to just share with you a little bit about my health and my family and then see what you have to say about that. Because a year ago we moved from the Deep South to the West coast, and so you know, as you know, with the move with a geographical area into a completely different area. Um, there's there's gonna be you know, new plants and shrubs and bushes that that I haven't been exposed to before. So I have, you know, this allergy, these allergy issues, and so what I thought, what I would do is to um find some natural remedies to help you know that. So I thought, okay, you know what, I'm not gonna go completely vegan or anything like that, but I wanted to try to go completely organic. So what we did we just started shopping at stores like Whole Foods and Trigger Joe's and just like the you know, your typical whole foods organic kind of stores. And so what we know this though, was after about two months we I felt better and my family, both my daughter and my husband, and also I walked away without even trying. So I'm wondering if you know, just the whole organic thing could have a lot to do with just you know, cleansing the system and that kind of thing. So now I spend a fortune on So I'm wondering if you have any tips because I noticed on your blog that your family's into eating organically, so I'm pretty sure you've probably spend less than I do, so you can give us some tips that your family death to not spend so much on eating working. Yes, I love I'm gonna tell you, Dmitri. I love that topic because, especially as a homechool mom, we're on one income, we're on my husband's income, and we've been that way. My oldest is fourteen, so it's it's been this way for over a decade. UM and like came off, came out of the workforce to be at home. And UM, there are a couple of things that I've I've done and have learned to do over the years that have really worked because we have a budget. My husband gives me a budget and I stick with it. So I don't have carte blanche and you know, so I have to work with that. They're six in our household, my husband and myself and four children from to teen. And my teenage boy can eat a lot. Oh my word. So I've had to learn how to really make it work. Yeah, they're There are a couple of things, and it just depends on the region. UM. I'm in Delaware, so we're on the northeast quarter. UM, and we're we're located. We're really blessed to be close to Pennsylvania. UM. I don't build in New Jersey a lot, even Maryland, but I do a lot of what I call farm to plate. I know my farmer. UM, I'm able to talk with them and say, you know, what's sprayed? You know, UM are these apple sprayed, which one did you not spray? How LONGO did you spray? And so that way I can get a feel for you know, um, what do I need to buy organically certified organic and what I don't And and let me back up a bit. Even though if you're if you're working with your local farmer or you go to a farmer's market and open air market, a lot of times you're able to talk with the people who grow it. So for instance, if you're of course the best thing can do would be to grow your own food. If you're able to even grow a herbal garden or a window garden something, you know, because you know what you're doing and you're able to, um, you know exactly what spray, you know exactly exactly what's in the soil, what you're putting on it, in the whole bit, right, So that's that's of course the highest and the best thing to be able to do. But if you if you can u even though it may not be certified organic, if they're not, if they're growing it sustainably, you know, they're take care of their soil. They're not you know, treating it chemically. I'm I'm gonna buy from them, and it's going to be much cheaper because again you're cutting out the middleman. It's not sitting on a truck, it's not being transported, you know, it's directly from them. So I always say, if you can't grow it, then find a farm, And they're all kinds of wonderful websites to find local farms, and depending upon where you live, you know, find farest. And I think of the one scripture in Proverbs thirty one, how the proverb one woman, you know, she went afar to gather her food, And I actually do that. I travel, but it's worth it because it makes the trip maybe once every two weeks, but I travel about forty five minutes in Lanka, Sir p A, Yeah, to an Amish farm to get my food. But I know my farmers, they know me, and it's just it's reasonable and you're able. What I also do, I'll call my other home school friend moms and say, you know, I hit the farming days you need me to do. So now I'm shopping for several moms and it's just cheaper, and you know, so we kind of share some of that sort of a farmer's co opting going on Exactly, it's all you know, a little co op kind of thing. So those yeah, that that helps tremendously to pool together and we do that with a lot of things that we buying straight to the store. Is I mean when when you think about the different ways, like you were telling me, with you know, finding um a local farm, you know that it takes a little more time and investment your time, but it takes more money out of your pocket to just go to your local shop and get right. So it's it's a matter of measuring whether it's you know, time you know intensive or money intensive. Which one would you rather? And that way, that's what you're saying about, you know, going to your local farm. You know your farmers, so you know what they're not spraying or spraying on your your produce And exactly, yeah, yep, and and I'll give too. I just bought up yeah with the um with the if you know you can either do the research and then once you find it. For instance, where we go, I don't eat meat, but my husband and my children they love meat, so we buy grass fed beef. I buy we buy a side of beef once a year. And um um cow, which is it's a dollar seventy nine on the rack. So after we you know, they devone it in that whole process. It's pretty much like two dollars in something which I always I jokingly say, that's the only way we can afford steak is when we buy you know, a side of beef. But you know, it's just so reasonable. So but I go in with two other families on that. But I did the research on that. We have another mom, we eat a lot of or use a lot of coconut oil. Another mom researched a coconut oil and she buys fed and bolt. So if you find like minded families, um to pull your time and say, okay, I'm gonna look for the dairy, maybe you can do the meat, maybe you can do the produce, and you kind of divide and conquer and it just makes it easier that way. And then what you find your vendors and your farmers they look forward to having you come back every year and every season. So the work is in the fun end, and after that it's it's it's a piece of taking sailing. Yeah, it's smooth sailing. Right. We have a lot of farms here in California, that I could, you know, check out that just haven't done that. Yeah, avestment of time and figure out, like, hey, where which ones are closest to my area and I'm trying up there. I just have to check into it. But that's a really really good tip. Um okay, so oh yeah, I wanted to ask you because you're you're obviously one busy mama, so your run both a homeschool and a business, not to mention all your family duties during the day, And I just think it's one important thing for our listeners to know is how do you accomplish it all? Like how can you just give us a few tips on how you balance homeschool and owning and operating a business. Sure, that's that's a good one. It is loaded because it's so funny, you know. Then you're like, okay, lord, uh, you know the day's got over in this tomorrow. But honestly, to be honest with you, I have to keep Christ first and and keep him the center of it all. M I've learned that there. Sometimes you know you have to I'd say a quick no. I mean a quick a quick no and a slow yes. So I don't say yes to everything, even with my children and and you know, and ministry responsibilities and homeschool things. So you know, I'll say no, but let me think about it. I don't say. I don't overcommit myself. So I've learned to balance things that way. Um, what good I'll give you? Yeah, what works really for me? And I think it just helps the business model that I have. Um, the studio is not open. I had one homeschool mom say, oh, I'm gonna go out your studio this morning. I said, well, I'm not gonna be there. I'm home only my children. You know, we're only open at night, so um, you know, so I'm maybe to school during the day and then you know, we were open at night six days a week. We're not open on Sundays. I don't want to be open on Sundays. That's our family worship time and our time before the Lord together as a family, and then whatever we're going to do for the rest of the day, you know, after that Sunday dinner or visiting or whatever. So that's what I chose. And I don't know, I figured it works, you know, for I've seen other Christian businesses do it, and that was very encouraging and I just thought, that's exactly I always thought when I have a business, or if I had a business, I never want to be open on Sundays, and so I just made that choices. But yeah, but I think in terms But yeah, I don't say in terms of balance. I just think having the priority, like what's important knowing what season you're end use your kids as much as possible. My children, my two older when my ten year old and my fourteen year old were heavily involved with every step of trying to find a place to open the fitness studio and negotiating the lead. They were there when I sign my leave. You know, the kids help with painting, yes, with the demolition and coletely as much renovations. Oh absolutely, And um so I think it's just the model worked really well in that I can incorporate the kids as much as possible. So and that's the beauty of homeschooling. You know, we can talk about accounting or I can actually have you help mommy do the work of the business and balance the books and things like that. So I think it's balancing. It it's it's it makes it really easy when it's it just lines up with your life your values and kind of what you're already doing. Yeah, I love that. I absolutely love that, And I love that you can that you've figured out what your values are so you can say yes or no to like whatever comes your way, and you don't have to accept every possibility. Can you go here? Can you do this? Know? You know, I'm homeschooling right now and these are my hours. And that's really important is having priorities. So I think, yeah, definitely if we're going to run a business and whole school or yeah, absolutely right right, because you know a proverb exactly the Bibles and the Proverbs eleven one. Really that you know that false balance is an abomination to the Lord, say we really want to keep we you know, I have to keep the balance to please the Lord. So I can't be tilted too much one way or too much the other way. Because even my business honored him. That you know, the women I'm able to come in contact with, oh my word, I could share a story after story. Um. You know, as a homeschool mom and as a Christian homeschool mom, a lot of the people in my world are churched, and so you know, they know the Lord. But I get to be around women who are going through a divorce or who maybe have lost their job, or just it just opened up. It literally opened up my world and helped make us share this quick story. But one Christmas, a lady had given me a box, um, you know, and to tell this for you and have a card in it just for Christmas. But don't hope until Chris Smith said, okay, I'll put it on bitch Tree. And she said, you don't know this, And she said, but when I started coming to your class earlier than year, I was gone through a really bad divorce and coming here was the highlight of my week and I just broke down crying. I all my work, so you never know, and that smile or that word of encouragement or come on, you can don't give me far more, you know, you push, you know whatever, just what it means to a person. So I definitely see it as my ministry, yes, And I was just about to say that it's a ministry for you, both a business and a ministry because you're absolutely love anyway, and it's just all coming together where God can use you in your workplace and your arena, and that's just that's awesome, and that leads me to my next question because a lot of those the ones are interested in doing that. We're interested in running a business based on our passions or skills, and and and we just got through discussing like how we how you balance that and and some you know, other tips that you had about you know, making sure you keep your priorities. But how would a who school mom who wanted to start her own business, how would she get started and keep it going successfully? Sure? What would you recommend that she should do? Sure? First, do what you love. Um, I would say never never make money. The motivation you know, it's it's you know, it's as a homeschool mom. You know you're living on one income. I know a touple of moms who do have part time jobs to help supplement their husband's income. But you know, if you're able to just to do what it is you love to do, if it's for me, it's fitness. I know some graphic designer moms. I know some moms who write, who edit, the moms who are very crafty, you know, and they're selling on Etsy they're doing extremely well. So you really have to do what you love. Then I also say get wisdom and like the Bible says, and then get understanding. I took. I took advantage of summers and holidays and weekend my free time to regispen small business courses. I met with a SCORE counselor. I wrote my business plan. You know, I got advice. I talked to other studio owners and I just I picked their brains and I said, you know, I'm praying about this, I'm considering this. And it was over a year before I even made the first move because I really wanted to. Because I had never done this. I didn't know what I was doing. I really didn't know. I didn't know what word I doing. Work to do your research and then you live forward. That's exactly you have to get because it is a business. It is a business, and so definitely and then I say, you know, and then from there you're able to formulate your plan, your business plan. And as a homeschool mon I looked at really kind of a family impact plan. What how was this going to impact the family? You know, what's going to not happen when I do this, and what decisions do I have to make and what priorities? So definitely include that and think that through and then I would also say, so that mom wants to have a business when she's in it and to make it work, don't just work in your business, but really work on your business. Think about the marketing, think about who can help you, Um, how are you going to retain people? What's the experience? You know? I thought through literally everything, every color, the smell, the experience. I just thought, what do I want, you know, when moms come in, Because I have a lot of women who comes to the studio and that woman comes in, what do I want her to experience to to walk away with? What kind of other instructors do I want to have? So, you know, so I put a lot of thought into all of those things. In delivering you know, it wasn't just you know, eight steps and did it you know, right, but it was everything else. Yeah. And then I would just really having passionate about your business versus working a job. Exactly so yeah, exactly, yeah, exactly yeah, oh yeah. And then last thing, I would just really say how'd your kids? Depending upon their ages and I mean my youngest, um is well he just turned on but he was eight, you know, a month ago, and he helped paint. I mean, they helped as much as they could help. You know that we deliver flyers to neighbors doors. When we go for our morning walks, I say, Okay, we're gonna get this neighborhood today. I get my kids so involved and so excited about the business. I'm like, oh, I got a new memory today, you know, like oh, two remembers we get. We just all get so excited. So it's just I think it's just work. Yeah, it's just blesses them, like wow, And I want them to know mommy is a person. You know, a lot of times as a homeschool mom, we get so lost in them and you know, they're our world and keeping them from being so self self absorbed and so self centered because they have you know, they all mommy, mommy, mommy. We get that all day. But you know I said, mommy has interests outside of you. I love you, I support you. I'm they're one hundred and ten percent for everything you do. But this is what mommy loves to do. And it's really nice to watch them get excited about what excites me and I can say they've honestly embrace that, So that blesses me as a mommy. So yes, good stuff. Thank you, yes, thank you good information. Please tell us more about your your website and how we can get in touch with you and live in your area. Who may be listening and would want to come to your studio, So how would they get in touch with you? Sure? Um. The website is shake It Fitness dot com and it's www dot UM, s h K, E I, T, F I, T and e SS dot com UM, and it's Shake It Fitness Studio. We're located in Bear, Delaware, little tem tiny ety bittytown in Delaware. Delare is already a tiny state. UM, so that's that's where we are. UM. We're not too far from Pennsylvania, New Jersey. Sto've done events. I actually have done a corporate event for McDonald's Corporation for our health convention UM where I spoke. I've done ministry events, speaking at women's events. UM. I love sharing the word of God and just what God's plan is for us in terms of health and wellness. So I do some of that. UM. But I definitely have the local studio, the local presence, and then the studio number and obviously the studio number. It's three h two eight three two SHAKE. So it's three h two eight three two seven four two five and again. The website is www dot shake at fitness dot com. Awesome, thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate your time on my pleasure. It was my pleasure you Okay, I will talk later. Thank you, all right, I have a great one