Overnight successes are an anomaly. When they do occur, the accomplishment is short-lived and the person who obtained it cannot completely appreciate its riches.
This is why many great achievers come from dark and trying times that their followers, fans, customers, and audiences don’t often see.
Girl to Lifestyle Guru
This is the story of a girl – no, she did not cry a river and drown the whole world – but she did work hard and prove to that world that she would never give up.
Michelle Venafra is the Founder and CEO of the lifestyle brand FIP.
Throughout her teenage years, Michelle Venafra was overweight and had a hard time accepting her image. Her outer appearance clouded her judgement of her inner self-worth.
Her troubles peaked during her freshman year of college when suicide became a daily thought. She started to seclude herself from friends and hid behind a false sense of happiness to keep people from thinking something was wrong.
She found herself plotting different ways to end the suffering and after significant thought it dawned on her that taking your life is a permanent solution to a temporary problem.
There is not a misfortune in this world that demands the debt of a human life. We are not given anything we cannot handle. The moment Michelle recognized this, her life changed.
She began setting small goals everyday to change her perception: not stressing over things she could not control like getting stuck in traffic which then manifest into choosing a glass of water at dinner instead of iced tea and running only five seconds more on the treadmill.
Over time, these small victories transformed her mind and led to larger, long-term ambitions.
Working out became an intrinsic staple in her routine. If she wasn’t in class or getting a restful night’s sleep, you could find her burning calories and building muscle in the weight room.
However, after seeing the pounds melt away, she struggled to find the balance. It became an obsession that turned into a unhealthy addiction where she was tracking every calorie that went into her body to continue losing weight.
After awhile, she began losing hair and experiencing mood swings. Thyroid issues became a concern but eventually was diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
PCOS is a condition in which cysts develop on the ovaries and cause various symptoms - menstrual irregularity, acne, depression, and many others. Her doctor believed that her extreme dieting was the cause so Michelle needed to rediscover a new healthy lifestyle.
Being the self-sufficient leader she is, she accommodated her diet and perception around what it meant to be healthy. She now discusses how she managed to overcome many of the obstacles thrown her way.
Michelle is real and unapologetically herself!
Her Passion, Her Purpose
Michelle’s first love is education and establishing a foundation for people to succeed. Presently, she teaches 2nd graders life lessons that reach far beyond the school’s curriculum.
But her side-hustle started after she lost 80 pounds and increased her happiness exponentially. She would post workouts and healthy meals for her followers. After sometime, her courage grew and she opened up about her story with before-and-after photos detailing how important it is to have a strong life balance between discipline and indulgences.
In December of 2016, Michelle founded the lifestyle and fitness brand FIP providing the tools and inspiration necessary for people who want a positive, happy, and fulfilling life.
FIP - an acronym that stands for the company’s three principles; Fitness In Progress, Finding Inner Peace, and Fly In Peace - helps clients threefold; improve their physical health through exercise and diet tips, increase their emotional and motivational welfare, and enhance the lives of their loved ones and people around the globe by donating 10% of all purchases to a charity of their choice.
FIP’s products include beginner, intermediate, and advanced level workouts, an eight-week-long personalized exercise and diet program where you check-in with Michelle daily, along with some FIP branded swag.
So what’s her secret? How does she manage to work a full-time job, hit the gym everyday, push FIP’s mission, and still have time for a social life and her dog Charlie? It’s her passion that fuels her desire to put people on a well-rounded healthful path in life.
Effort and attitude are the key to success. Keep a positive attitude, and put in actual effort. You will find your success and happiness. -Michelle Venafra
She warns that following her guidance won’t always be easy - she’s no stranger to self-doubt. But she says that instead of focusing on your can’ts that you work to find your cans.
Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't, you're right. -Henry Ford
Think Trust Blink firmly stands by FIP’s vision and claims. Michelle is a steadfast millennial on the move and embodies the 20 Things All 20-Somethings Need to Know.
Connect with Michelle
She wants to hear from you! Check out her social media channels and FIP at fiplifestyle.com.