NFL
By: Joe Cardoso
Everyone says it, and it may sound corny, but its true life is a journey full of ups and downs and lessons. A part of that ride is setting goals and taking chances along the way, and our next athlete under the spotlight is doing just that. Moving to Los Angeles with goals and dreams she was stuck with real life reality and evicted from her studio apartment. Not allowing that to stop her she dusted herself off got on the grind, and built herself and brand. Self made and always real. With a true go-getter attitude and passion for health, life and teaching let’s get to know Tiana Joelle!
Joe Cardoso: Growing up did you play any sports and do you think it influenced you taking this path?
Tiana Joelle: Surprise! I’m a classically trained ballerina with over 20+ years of training. I started ballet classes at the age of 4 and continued through on a scholarship in college at the University of Arizona, School of Dance. A couple of years after I graduated, I auditioned and became a Washington Redskins Cheerleader for four years (2011-2014).
As a kid, I was also a gymnast, and then, later on, I was on the Track & Field team at my high school – participating in the 4 x 100, 4 x 200 (indoor season), 4 x 400, 100m hurdles, and high jump, for those who are curious.
Yes, I do think being an athlete influenced me taking this path in fitness because I’ve always appreciated the dedication and hard work that it takes to consistently improve yourself as an athlete. I wanted to be able to teach others how to do that in their fitness and wellness journeys in a way that will provide them with long term success, whatever that means for them.
JC: When did you realize that fitness was something you could make a living from? Without giving it all away, how did you execute the lifestyle switch?
TJ: Let me start by saying that I think we should share what we know with others without the fear of competition, the fear of a diminished ego, or the fear of the loss of power in a perceived “better than” hierarchy of knowing something that someone else doesn’t know. I am happy to share how I got to where I am today because I could potentially help someone else get here, or better! To do so otherwise is negatively selfish and will continue to hold back others from finding a way to build themselves up.
So after becoming a CPT and moving to Los Angeles, I quickly ran out of money and was evicted from my studio apartment literally within the first three months of living there. It was at that point that I knew I needed to make a major change and NOW. I realized that I wanted to continue training; however online in some way, but I didn’t know how. So it took a lot of research, money invested that I didn’t have (borrowed, credit cards, etc.), attended social media conferences, online courses, blogs, podcasts, books, etc.
And now that I’ve reached a milestone in my career as an online trainer, I’ve recently created an online course called The Fitness Influencer Blueprint which teaches other fitness and wellness professionals exactly how to become a Fitness Influencer on Instagram. I wanted to be able to help others do this without having to take as much time (and as many mistakes) as I have, because again I believe in uplifting those who want to do the same thing.
The Fitness Influencer Blueprint is primarily geared towards helping women in this social media fitness industry. However, men can still benefit from the same principles if they are looking to do the same thing.
If you visit my website www.tianajoelle.com, you will see a full list of the topics covered, for example: why to switch from in-person to online, how to grow your email list and why it’s so important, the difference between partnerships and affiliates, how to monetize as your own brand without the help of other companies, the #1 mistakes influencers make on Instagram, ….just to name a few!
JC: What goes into you deciding what brands to work with?
TJ: There are several companies that reach out to me almost daily – from supplements to waist trainers, sweat products, resistance bands, etc. – but if you look at my platform @tianajoelle, you will see that I don’t work with other brands much at all. The reason being is that I only promote what I believe in and what I think my audience can benefit from, period.
If I haven’t tried the product or don’t believe that it’s quality, you won’t see me talking about it on my platform. So first and foremost, I ask myself, “is this beneficial for my audience?” and if not, I kindly decline the offer. No amount of money is worth the expense of my audiences’ health and wellbeing (or wasting their money) just to make a quick buck.
JC: How has social media helped you? And what about it do you hate?
TJ: Social media has helped me reach thousands of women around the globe who I’ve been able to connect with in so many ways. Not only have I been able to impact other people in their fitness and wellness journey, but social media has also enabled me to galvanize like-minded individuals together. I’ve met such incredibly genuine, good-hearted women who I now consider my friends and all from a little app on our cell phones.
Social media has allowed me to develop my business online and give my life partner and me the freedom to currently live abroad for a year! So far, we’ve lived in Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia. Up next are Dubai, Thailand, Indonesia, and Europe.
And during my travels, I’ve actually been able to meet a few of the women I’ve connected with on Instagram in person, which is so incredibly rewarding in itself! They are so excited to meet me, but they don’t realize how genuinely honored I am to meet them as well. The feeling I get when I meet someone in person who’s been following my platform and gained not only inspiration and knowledge from me but has actually taken action on their own in their personal fitness and wellness journey to be better for themselves is so amazing! For that, I am grateful.
What I dislike about social media is that it gives an enormously false sense of reality and as a result can negatively impact people’s self-image as we naturally compare ourselves to how we are doing in our own lives compared to Instagram Models that we follow. But on the flip side, it’s our job to keep things around us that help us and feed us quality things throughout the day.
Our Instagram Feed is literally feeding our minds every day, and we must be guarded and cautious of what we are feeding ourselves on a daily basis. If someone’s platform is causing you to feel negative about yourself, unfollow them and get those images and videos away from your mind because if it’s not helping you, it’s hurting you. Your mind is just as important, if not more, to feed with quality substance as your body.
JC: If you could change one current fitness trend, what would it be and why?
TJ: Hmmm, that’s a tough one! I would change the trend of any type of “quick fix” solution to weight loss or toning up. There are so many pills, sweat products, teas, and other gimmicky products out there that are swindling people out of their money and essentially selling people a dream. It takes hard work and patience to achieve anything worth having, and our health is absolutely one of those things! Quick fixes are making people think there’s an easy way out, and yes with technology, things are becoming easier. But all I ask of consumers is to do your research on these products to determine if they really do what they say they do, don’t just turn a blind eye and compulsively buy the next latest thing.
JC: How did family and friends respond to you following this journey?
TJ: My parents have always been supportive of pretty much everything I do, which I am deeply grateful for. I know a lot of people don’t have that, and I believe that having a strong support system in place is so vital to our overall progression in so many ways. My parents love hearing about my progress and also help to encourage me in my moments of perceived ‘failures,’ which to me are simply learning moments.
My friends are supportive as well, and some have even said that I’ve inspired them not only in their fitness journey but also with business and lifestyle as well. That means a lot to me! Sometimes the people closest to us can feel jealous or secretly not want us to succeed, so it’s important to me to have a small number of close friends in my circle who will continue to help and support me throughout this journey.
JC: Why do you do what you do?
TJ: I touched on it earlier, but I do this because I love being able to impact even just one person not only have a better understand how to approach their fitness and wellness journey but also to help them pull the trigger and take action! Knowledge is useless without action and application.
With my online course, I want to help someone else who is also looking for answers on where to start with their Instagram fitness platform, just like I was. I didn’t have anyone to show me the steps, so I want to gift that to other people.
My goal is to change the lives of one billion people for the better in health, wellness, overall lifestyle, and finances.
JC: Who keeps you motivated and inspired?
I’ve recently come to realize that motivation is a fleeting emotion; it’s not something necessarily innate within us. So it’s important to constantly feed our minds with quality information and feedback, as I said earlier. If I can keep my self-talk in a high vibration for the majority of the time (and it takes practice), then I will be able to stay encouraged in my journey. No one can motivate me but me. I can find inspiration from outside sources, yes, but essentially it still comes from within me.
BONUS QUESTIONS
JC: By the end of 2019, you hope to ________________?
TJ: Instead of hope, I like to MANIFEST. So by the end of 2019, I will be living in either Thailand or Indonesia, and I will have gained several insightful experiences in 6+ countries outside of the United States. I will also be fluent in Spanish by then and working on learning a new language, most likely French. Lastly, I will be starting to plan my extended travels to Europe for 2020!
JC: When not in the gym or working out, we can find you doing what?
TJ: When I am near a beach, I love to be laying in the sunshine on the sand by the water! I love to be in the sun with a cool breeze, and if the water is warm enough, I will take a dip! I also have recently enjoyed learning a new language (Spanish), reading self-development books, watching Netflix, enjoying a glass or two of whiskey neat, trying new restaurants, going on excursions to see different parts of the countries I’m traveling in right now, and exploring and trying new things in this world, whatever that may be!
JC: Who is Tiana Joelle?
TJ: This is the toughest question in this whole interview, and the toughest question to answer for me. To be honest, the answer is ever changing, and I will continue to explore this answer for the rest of my life.
How awesome is Tiana? Make sure you keep up with her via social media: Instagram
Thank you, Tiana, for taking the time to share the journey so far and make sure to keep up with TEAM NBS as we keep showcasing some of the best in the world of fitness!
