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Meet Trailblazer Shannon Van Kirk

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Van Kirk.

Shannon, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I have been married to my best friend for 11 years and together we have a seven-year-old boy, a dog and two full-time careers. When I started coaching a year and a half ago I was overweight, drank too much, ate horribly, and exercised minimally. My fitness journey was a constant roller coaster of starting and fizzling. I would make a determination that I was going to get back in shape and take care of myself, but that would only get me through until the next weekend or next stressful situation. More than that though, I was pretty lonely. I had a great career in the mortgage business, but that came with long hours, high stress and, to top it off, I was in management, so had few people that I could really confide in. Then, one day a co-worker, my now coach, business partner, and friend, opened my eyes to this whole community of women across the country that we’re all getting healthy and lifting each other up. When I first joined her group, I told her not to hold her breath because I was a gym rat and home workouts won’t work. I think I made it a week and a half in the group and I signed up to be a coach. It’s been a truly uplifting experience being able to see my clients and my teams clients get the light back in their eyes again.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Definitely not! Being an entrepreneur is HARD, especially when you still have a high-stress 9-5 and a family. A lot of long hours and late nights after the kiddo goes to bed and early mornings before everyone wakes up. You have to figure out how to use power pockets of time, utilize schedules, and become a professional student. We thankfully live in an age where everything you want to know can be found in a Google search bar, but you have to be willing to learn and moreover, learn and APPLY the knowledge, otherwise, it’s useless. Best advice? STRIVE for failure. You can’t learn and grow without failing. If you’re not failing, you’re not dreaming big enough or trying hard enough.

Please tell us about Place in the Sun Wellness – what should we know?
I’m an online health and fitness coach and I run virtual boot camps and accountability groups for men and women all over the country and in Canada and the UK. Clients access my home workouts through an online streaming service from their smart TV, laptop or phone and can be done anywhere they choose. What sets us apart is the support that they get for form, workouts, nutrition, mindset, and motivation both from the accountability community that they join as well as one-on-one coaching and support from me directly. My subscribing clients also get a weekly meal plan and shopping list developed by my team’s registered dietitian in their email as a gift every week. I chose Place in the Sun Wellness for my name because I am working to help people find their place in the sun, their happy place, once again. There are so many people out there that have lost their sense of self-worth, women in particular, and I want to do everything I can to be a light for them and flip that script.

Which women have inspired you in your life?
I would definitely have to say, my mother. She was in a very destructive relationship for many years and found the strength to get out for all of us, which wasn’t easy. She was a single mom for many years working two jobs and traveled almost constantly, which I don’t think I ever fully understood how hard that was until I had to do it myself. She remarried, expanded our family and built an amazing life for us. I got my heart for people and my work ethic from her, so I don’t think I could have ever had the resilience to do what I do now without her example. My best friend and business partner, Emily Warring. She’s the one who opened my eyes to this opportunity and made me see what was possible. Without her, I never would have known what it feels like to be part of something bigger. She has the biggest heart for helping people and though I’ve “led” through management for many years now, she teaches me new things every day. She’s the other half of our team and we inspire each other and build off of one another to impact every person that we can. And it can’t go without saying, Rachel Hollis. That woman is my spirit animal. She can make me laugh, cry, PREACH and light my fire within seconds. She is on a brave mission and I’m proud to be in her community. I am blessed to have many strong women in my life, I can’t possibly name them all, but you know who you are and I am BEYOND GRATEFUL for you in my life.

Pricing:

  • Prices vary on the program and package selected starting at $160

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