There are certain things I wish I could do over. Being a better mother in the beginning is by far one of them. I became an instant mom as a bonus mom. Then less than 2yrs after I gave birth to our daughter. 

When I look back my kids got the rest of me. They did. After working in a fast paced stressful environment that I felt stifled in, where I felt I wasn’t growing in as a person. 

They (my kids) got what I had left which was the bare minimum. And no I wasn’t the worst but I wasn’t my best. That’s tough to share but looking back I can say that. Just as many women who are still trying to be THE BEST mom but always feel like they’re failing no matter what they do. I felt like so many people were judging me (oh and they were) watching me, heck I judged me. I compared myself to other moms. But what I should’ve been more focused on was ME. If I wanted to be better I should’ve focused on BETTERING ME. At all costs.

Queens YOU are your BEST investment. 

We can’t be better moms, wives, coaches, (insert your titles here) if we don’t focus on bettering the spirit of said person within first. Also if there are underlying things that need to be dealt with.

So I began focusing on bettering myself. 

Focused on my wellbeing. 

Focused on my perception of what mothering meant, why I thought I was falling short and how it correlated to who I am. I starting mommying the way I knew how. 

Instead of believing I didn’t measure up. I just showed up more. I put myself out there. Even when I knew I’d get hurt, fall short. I gave myself grace.

My family, my children began getting the best of me when I started BEING my best. 

I started being my BEST. When I started FEELING my best. I started feeling my best when I started going INWARD. Leaning INWARD. I began saying YES more to my well-being. 

I challenged everything I knew about me. More prayer. Spiritual fasts. I ate differently. I became more consistent in my workouts, my nutrition, what I watched, the books I read, the ENERGY I welcomed into my space.

It was a decision to go passed the surface level. To keep doing the work and stop searching outside of myself and knowing that whatever it is I wanted to be better at I could be but I had to be willing to do the work and be WILLING to go passed the surfaces and perceptions and the judgment and guilt. 

This made all the difference and allowed me to grow and make mistakes without being myself up about it. 

Above all else I had to realize my BEST would look different each and everyday and acknowledging that, honoring that has been so comforting and freeing and has allowed me to grow into and more towards my best mothering self. 

Now I don’t really GAF what anyone has to say, (not as much as I use to) or what anyone thinks. People will judge the crap out of you and still got a whole pile of stuff within their own lives and relationships that they need to focus on and remedy yet don’t. 

Everyone has their own work to do. Everyone.

Honestly I thought the first video I’d post of my daughter Journee would be one of immaculate lighting so you can see how intricately laid her edges are and how gorgeous her light and spirit is but I just catch these moments whenever they happen. Unrehearsed most times I’m in another room and hear her and see she’s with her baby sister. Or her baby as she calls her.  

All I can do is thank God. That’s all I can do. I was attempting to clean up the house. Folding laundry (still not done) Answering business emails. Been in my workout clothes hoped to get a workout in..hasn’t happened yet. Repotting my plants (cause that brings me joy even though I don’t know what I’m doing) and Aria☀️ was having a fit just crying. Journee literally walked through the door, changed her clothes (cause we don’t do the outside clothes business in this house 😂)  and picks her up and just sings her to soothe and calm her.  I was wiping down the counters and grabbed my phone to capture this. It was too good.  Blessed beyond belief. Blessed beyond these mom tears. 

Having a teenager is TOUGH. Being a mom period isn’t easy.  I want her to be her FULL self as a black Goddess in this sometimes cruel world.  To give her space to be herself and to speak up and often because again this world may only always want to hear what she has to say. Sometimes as a mom/ bonus mom I feel like I can never get it right. I chose to work from home almost two years ago cause I wanted to be more PRESENT.  I wanted to do a new thing as God was (is) working a new thing in me daily.  Not that I wasn’t present working in corporate America but those stresses were messing with my mental health. I wanted to be able to be accessible at a drop of a dime. Make every game, practice, awards dinner, midday event be home at a decent time and before we did it all over again the next day all the things I missed or had to go through hoops just to get time off to be there for my kids. Feeling like I had to choose.  

It was a hard decision to go from two solid incomes to 1 and new entrepreneur sometimes winging it, sometimes winning, sometimes over it!  I had to believe in myself and my reason why. You’re looking at two of my reasons before you!  

Sometimes people just don’t want to believe in themselves. They’re okay with not being ok because they’re so use to it or it’s all they know. It’s what they saw their momma do or the father or aunties and I didn’t want that for my kids or myself.  I want my kids to know working hard looks different for everyone. To make hard choices and take risks to never live a life with regrets. 

Everyday I wake up and thank God for a new day, ask for clarity, strength, courage and willingness to show up. To be a beckon of light. To be a word, confirmation, inspiration, motivation. 

An example not to settle, not to give up, to be a reflection of what by faith looks like. 

“People believe the stories they tell themselves. This is I know to be true. And sometimes the stories we tell ourselves don’t o help us grow but stay stuck year after year.”

Let’s talk about the over saturation of wellness coaches, fitness influencers, light workers, trainers, or even Beachbody coaches. Truth is over saturation doesn’t exist. When we have men & women dying and suffering in silence from illnesses that are preventable. Over saturation is a lie! When you know you sister and brother have a disease that she’s suffering from that can be CURED by the way she eats or moves her body daily. Over saturation is a lie! 

There is only one YOU. Only you can make your mark or tell YOUR story using your voice to inspire and empower others! #YOUBELONGHERE! We belong HERE! Black and brown people are the most UNDER represented in the health & wellness, fitness industry! We are PERIODT!

I represent and speak to the healing of ALL women. But when I see my sisters not put their health at priority it hurts.  Or when I hear my sisters speak and it is riddled with limiting beliefs it hurts.  I always have ppl say I don’t know how you do it, I don’t know how you make time with 4 kids (now Baby Moon 🌙) on the way!! I don’t know how your stay so consistent. I see the way you eat I could never do that! 

People believe the stories they tell themselves. This is I know to be true. And sometimes the stories we tell ourselves don’t o help us grow but stay stuck year after year. 

Today was a day of fun, power talks, smiles, encouragement and women who know who we are and why we’re here!  Especially when we join forces and see how many more faces should be here #representationmatters.  I was so honored to share space with a small population of Queens who are LEADING the pack!! 

Ladies I love showing you what workouts to do and how to eat, I’d love it even more to show you and build with you so you too can pay it forward to your community, your family, your friends. Because the work of teaching and helping others men & women how to take better care of this one body, temple that we have and changing the trajectory of our lives by doing so is work that can never be over saturated.  I’m inviting the first 10 women, couples to JOIN ME, to join us in #fitsoulrevolution. Comment below or Email me at empoweredbycathy@gmail.com for more info on how to lead with Me! 

You belong here love! I want you here right next to me front and center! There is a power house inside us all. Let’s tap into it! 

xo Cathy

“Be willing to be a beginner every single morning.”
~Meister Eckhart”

Good Morning Beautiful People!! Happy Tuesday <3

Ever feel like you’re trying to put pieces together and not necessarily to create the masterpiece of your life but just to find some type of rhythm, balance, happiness and of course incorporate a healthier lifestyle? I have to say today I started over on my nutrition and workout program because last week was just a really tough week for me with me being sick majority of the week and unable to work out this week I just feel like I could just bring in a whole new, rejuvenated me.

Cheers to anyone here choosing to start over! I’m right there with you sister!! I’m here to remind you that we’re just building stronger foundations when doing so. There is no shame in seeing that you need to change the course, make a BOLDER commitment (to YOU), and this time maybe ditch those inconsistencies, regret, grief that the past decisions bring.

Something I’ve been reminded of and it keeps coming up is that “you are entirely up to you.” Your results, meeting your goals, your attitude towards well everything is TOTALLY up to you. This switches gears a bit for me and my clients when I remind them your win is entirely up to you staying in the game!!! Can’t stay in the game if you prefer watching on the sidelines and cheering on everyone else’s victory!

So I invite YOU to join me today or whenever you’re hear reading this. If you feel like you need to start over with your health and wellness, your fitness journey join me. This invite is for ALL women of ALL walks of life, moms, expecting moms all are welcome let’s do this together because I know that there’s some other women out there who are struggling and who need that tribe and community of sisters to lock arms with and do this together! Let no (wo)man be left on an island join my virtual fit camp. If this resonates with you or sparks some curiosity Lets chat!!! If you’re ready lets get you Enrolled TODAY!!

Plan A program: Start Date (ongoing)
🕓 25-35 Minute Pre&Post Natal Workouts
📈Beginner - Intermediate Simple yet effective and flexible meal plan perfect for yo-yo dieters, emotional eaters who want to release bad habits
🏋🏽‍♀️ Light - medium Weights 🎖Me as your Coach
👑MY Squad as your support 📍YOU CAN ONLY WIN📍

Plan B program: Start Date (ongoing)
🕓 30 Minute Total Body Workouts
📈Beginner - Intermediate Flexible and simple meal guides (using portion control containers) teaching you how to eat towards your goals w/o starvation & deprivation
🏋🏽‍♀️ Light - medium Weights 🎖Me as your Coach
👑MY Squad as your support 📍YOU CAN ONLY WIN📍

Best way to reach your results is to start from where you are.

xo Cathy 💛