It’s A Curvalution Revolution

Jill Angie Runs Past Her Own Fears And Spreads A Message Of Belonging To The Unlikeliest Of Athletes

“A year later I now have about 3000 people on my email list, over 3000 in my private group, and over 20,000 likes on my public page, as well as an online coaching business where I help women achieve their running goals through group programs”

Learn from Jill how you can achieve similar results on our recent author case study webinar at https://theauthorincubator.leadpages.co/jill-angie-case-study-replay/ 

A few years ago I made a decision that would change my life – and the lives of thousands of others – forever. It seemed like a simple one: quitting my desk job to become a personal trainer. I began working from home, with women like myself, helping them find fitness and self-confidence through strength training.

For the first year that’s exactly what I did, and I loved it. One summer afternoon while hanging out with some girlfriends, chatting about fitness and body image, an idea crept into my mind…what if I wrote a book? Something about how overweight women could start running and become fit without waiting until they lost weight. That, in fact, they could actually love themselves exactly as they were.

A few weeks later, as if fate decided to make it easy for me, I found The Author Incubator. And Running With Curves was published four months later.

Then the party REALLY started.

Women began reaching out via email, saying that I gave them permission to start running, to call themselves runners, to wear fun running clothes, and to just be happy with their bodies.

This went on for months until I eventually got the message. It was time to create a space for all of these amazing women to come together, and it was up to me to make it happen.

I created a private Facebook group, just for curvy women, as a space to share their triumphs and struggles, and to just feel like they belonged somewhere.

I invited all of the women that had reached out and…within a day there were 300 women in the group. Within a few months, 1000. A year later I now have about 3000 people on my email list, over 3000 in my private group, and over 20,000 likes on the public page, as well as an online coaching business where I help women achieve their running goals through group programs.

Most of these women are complete strangers to each other. Very few of them have met in person, but the virtual connection they have found is so strong, so deep, that their lives have been changed forever for the better. I’ve seen friendships start online and turn into real-life meet-ups at the starting lines of races. These women have found their tribe. They are brave, strong, fierce, and deeply committed to each others’ success. There is no drama, no tearing down, no criticism. Just love, support and kindness. A helping hand when it is needed. And huge cheers for every step forward, every accomplishment and ever finish line.

Before I wrote my book I had a small personal training business with about 12 clients. My FB following was around 200 people and I did not have an email list. I was blogging without much response. I had no idea how to leverage social media to build my list or my business. But the book started a movement – women all over the world felt so empowered after reading it, and they were reaching out to me in droves.

As a result, I have an online coaching business now that would not have existed had I not written Running With Curves. And my income is more than ten times what it was prior to publishing.

Being at the forefront of this movement has changed me in ways I never expected. It has called on me to be my bravest self, to take leaps of faith without knowing the outcome, and to put myself out in the world in a very transparent and authentic way. Sometimes I make mistakes, sometimes I fail, sometimes I get hurt. And sometimes it’s the most magical thing ever.

In November 2015 I published my second book, Not Your Average 5K, which builds upon Running With Curves by helping my ideal reader prepare herself to run her first race. The book has been out a month and women all over the world are lacing up their shoes for their first 5K with confidence and ease! I’m delighted to see the running community embrace and celebrate all shapes and sizes, and proud to be one of the leaders of this exciting movement.

I’m pretty sure that most of the last two years wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t had the courage to write a book. I would probably be perfectly happy right now as a personal trainer, working with my awesome clients, but I would have missed out on the experience of seeing thousands of women find themselves through running, and finding myself through helping them.

Getting the opportunity to meet and help women exactly like me that want to change their lives through running. I feel so grateful to be able to be prosperous while doing what I love to do, and understanding that it’s the reason I was put on this planet. Writing Running With Curves was probably the best decision I’ve ever made – not just professionally, but personally as well. I’m a stronger, more fulfilled and happier woman as a result of getting to do this work in the world

I can’t wait to see what the next chapter holds!