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Have You Ever Considered…?

join_the_team-youThis year has been an amazing adventure! Becoming a coach has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done! I have now worked with hundreds of people who have made health & fitness a priority in their lives and have lost more pounds and inches than I can even count! You can read some testimonials HERE.

I’ve also lost my OWN pounds and inches since becoming a coach. I am on my own fitness journey, and get to invite others along to before_after_Collage_8-13join me!

 

Have you ever considered becoming a coach? I have a few spots left in my New Coach Training! We’ll start Monday October 28 – for 30 days, in a private Facebook group where you’ll get daily training posts, videos, etc…that you can do anytime and anywhere as long as you have a smart phone or computer. As a matter of fact, this whole job can be done with your smart phone and/or computer! You can work when you have the time, and where and how you like! This is YOUR business. You are your OWN boss. I will be your mentor and teach you how to build your own successful coaching business and start earning money, while having FUN – right away!

You would be starting the business at the GREATEST possible time as we approach the holidays and New Year. People will be looking for fitness help and motivation! If you are in the US or Canada, you’re passionate about health & fitness as well as helping others, you might be a good fit! My team of coaches and I have a lot of fun working together, to find the best ways to help people start or continue their health and fitness journeys.

Maybe you just LOVE Shakeology, or any other Beachbody products/programs and would like to get a 25% discount each time you order? Anyone can sign up as a discount member coach, just for the great benefits! 🙂

FAQ

What is the earning potential? I will tell you my experience, being what I call and “average” coach. My first 6 months, I averaged $100-$500 per month. From 6 months to a year, that has doubled. With consistency and persistence, you can expect your income to continue to double every 6-12 months. 🙂

How much time will it take? I will share with you how I have been able to build my business with 1-2 hours per day of “work”. It is hard to call it “work”, because it amounts to checking Facebook, Instagram and talking to people. ALL things I LOVE to do already!  I still can’t believe I get paid to do this! I’m having way too much fun. 🙂

Do I have to be at my goal weight? Heck NO! I sure wasn’t! You are simply asking people to join you as you navigate your own health & fitness journey.

Do I have to be a health or fitness professional? Nope! You just have to be a real person, interested in helping real people, get real results with REAL solutions! I am not a personal trainer, or nutritionist. I am a former elementary school teacher, who has a passion for health, fitness and helping people.

Want to learn more? Interested? Provide your information below, and we can talk more about it. TeamBeachbodygif

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Better Late than Never!

I did the meal plan! I swear! But I got caught up in all of the Father’s Day festivities yesterday, and just didn’t find a minute to post about it!

I had a couple of splurges over the weekend, just keepin’ it real! We went out for ice cream, and I used to always say, “No thank you”. But my kids began to hate that about me. They wanted to see me enjoying a dish of ice cream as much as they were. And so I decided, that since we go rather infrequently, it’s o.k. to have a scoop or two here and there. And for me I know that it’s not a slippery slope. I like ice cream, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not a ticket to nutrition disaster for me. Now french fries on the other hand…that’s going to be a problem. Therefore, I tend to avoid that temptation all-together!

Anyway…I digress. The point of my splurge admission, is that I’m looking forward to a week of planned meals and staying on track nutritionally. So far, I’m off to a great start! 🙂 And I’m going to need it, because I also just started the second phase of Insanity. Today was the first workout of that madness, and OMG! Have you ever had to crawl to your water bottle?!

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Click here to print and link to recipes.
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Focus T25 is COMING SOON!

T25

You remember Tania from Insanity right?

Well check out her results from T25.

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Focus T25 should be available to order within the next 2-3 weeks! If you want to be notified as soon as it’s available, sign up below!

“I used to love long workouts, until I created the lightning-fast FOCUS T25.”

By Shaun T, creator of INSANITY, INSANITY: THE ASYLUM®, and FOCUS T25

INTRODUCING FOCUS T25™

The only thing that stands between you and the results you want is time. That’s why I experimented for the last year to see if I could create the same kind of results you’d expect from an hour-long program, in under 30 minutes.

The result is FOCUS T25—and the name implies the intent: If you focus your intensity for 25 minutes, and you do it 5 days a week, you WILL get results.

Yes, you are working out for less time. But since you have your shorts on, since you have your sneakers on, and you managed to Push Play, I’m just asking you to give it everything you’ve got, for ONLY 25 minutes. You focus, and you go! 25 minutes. 5 days a week. 100% results.

And there are major university studies out there that prove the value of shorter, more intense workouts. But I’ll save that for later. The only question now is, do you want to be one of the first to see these routines and what kind of results you can get? The answer is yes, because these routines were created at the specific request of Beachbody® CEO Carl Daikeler. The guy’s got no time, and he personally reviewed every detail so he could make T25 HIS personal program.

Don’t miss the biggest breakthrough in health and fitness since INSANITY. Join our email list and I’ll make sure you don’t miss out on the latest news about FOCUS T25.

BE THE FIRST TO KNOW WHEN FOCUS T25 IS HERE

When you provide your name and email address at the top of this page, you’ll be first to know when T25 is available! Demand for this program is expected to be through the roof—so many busy people out there want to exercise and look great, but can’t afford to spend an hour a day doing it. The only way to ensure you get a copy of T25 in the near future is to let us know you’re interested in working out 25 minutes a day to get your best body—right now!

Take a look at a preview and some testimonials from REAL people!

Sign up ABOVE to be  notified as SOON as Focus T25 is available to order!

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Chicken, Veggie, Berry Workout Salad

chicken_workout_salad

Do you like salads? Are you a multi-tasker? You simply HAVE to try this recipe! It’s so good, AND good for you! In just a few simple steps, you’ll have a beautiful and delicious salad that you can feel GOOD about eating! The ingredients are flexible, use what you like, don’t use what you don’t like, get it!? But the steps are absolutely a MUST! Non-negotiable! The salad won’t turn out right if you don’t do it right!

Ingredients:

  • 2-3 chicken breasts (or more, depending on how many people you’re feeding, and how chicken-y you like your salads)
  • 1 lemon
  • garlic salt
  • ground black pepper
  • olive oil
  • lettuce of your choice
  • veggies of your choice, but might I suggest the following: tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet bell peppers, green onions, avocado, celery…
  • berries of your choice: Strawberries and/or raspberries are deelish!
  • nuts or crunchy bits of your choice: I prefer slivered almonds.
  • reduced fat feta cheese (or not, up to you)

For the dressing:

  • olive oil (extra-virginy, of course)
  • balsamic vinegar (a goon one!)
  • Dijon mustard
  • s&p, or Spike, or Mrs. Dash…whatever you prefer

Equipment

  • meat pounder or rolling-pin
  • gallon-size Ziploc bags
  • gym shoes/clothes
  • wrist watch/clock/timing device

STEPS TO TAKE (a.k.a. Instructions)

  1. Put your chicken breasts into a Ziploc bag. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice (or the bottle kind will do in a pinch), a little drizzle of olive oil (maybe 1-2 teaspoons) a dash of garlic salt and some ground black pepper (to taste). *I don’t often measure when I cook…so that’s the best I can do. pounded_chicken
  2. POUND out your frustrations until your breasts (correction: the CHICKEN breasts) are the same thickness throughout, about 1/2″-3/4″
  3. Place chicken in the refrigerator.
  4. Lace up your gym shoes.
  5. Get dressed in the appropriate workout attire.
  6. CRITICAL STEP! Workout for at least 45 minutes! No less! (More is acceptable, as long as it’s not overnight) Feel free to choose whatever exercise method you like. Might I suggest: a jog/run/walk outside if it’s nice weather, pop in your favorite workout DVD (Insanity, Chalean Extreme, Turbo Fire, Les Mills Pump, P90X…etc…), a yoga class, pump some iron! You get the idea! lacing_up
  7. When your time is up, place chicken breasts on a pre-heated grill and cook for about 5 minutes on each side.
  8. Chop up lettuce and veggies. *Don’t forget to flip those chicken boobs after 5 minutes!
  9. Whisk approximately 1 part olive oil to 2 parts balsamic vinegar + 1/2 part Dijon , minced garlic + seasonings in a small bowl.
  10. Toss the dressing with lettuce.
  11. Top with chopped veggies.
  12. Retrieve chicken from the grill, slice into strips and place desired amount on top of individually portioned salads.
  13. Don’t forget the nuts and berries!
  14. Enjoy!
  15. Shower!

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The Dreaded Plateau!

plateaupicUgh! The word sends shivers down our spines! It ‘s not a fun place to visit. Nobody wants to go there, stay there or spend any amount of time there. Unfortunately, many of us end up there and find it VERY hard to leave! We’ve been talking about the dreaded plateau in my challenge groups because it can be SO frustrating to know you’re doing the work, and you’re eating healthy foods, so WHY GOD WHY are you STUCK?!

I know all too well what this feels like. And worse is that when I was there, I convinced myself there was no way off! I was working out almost every day. I was eating ‘healthy’ foods every day, too! I told myself, “Self, you’re 40 now, and this is it, the end. There will be no more progress, no matter what you do, from here on out. That’s it, you’re done.” “SHUT UP SELF! YOU’RE WRONG!” Anywho…then I had this crazy idea that I should give fitness coaching a try! WHY NOT!? That was my ticket OFF the plateau! I didn’t know it then, but I DID have it in me to get off that damn plateau! And what’s great is that it happened while I was helping other people on their fitness journeys. My success was just a big fat BONUS! So 22 pounds later, I’m off the dreaded plateau and finding that my body had it in her to take it to the next level after all. The key is mixing it up, don’t get comfortable and don’t get complacent! Don’t convince yourself – like I did – that you’re too old, too overweight, too busy, too ANYTHING! Just find a way and get it done.

Here is something I wrote to my challenge groups the other day about getting off the plateau:

“If you’re on a plateau, it sucks, but there are ways to bust through. First, look at your workout and if you haven’t mixed it up in the last 30 days, start there. Kick it up a notch. Look into a new program. Change up your routine. Do something you’ve never done. Think outside the box! Increase intensity. Go outside your comfort zone! You really need to get uncomfortable to supercharge your results. And possibly even more importantly is your nutrition. Again you need to be SO on point in order to break through the dreaded plateau! That means NO cheats! 5-6 small meals/day consisting of clean, whole foods and very little or NO processed foods! Keep sodium in check. Eat lean proteins and LOTS of veggies. Don’t eat until you’re full; eat to be satisfied and know when to step away (you can eat again in 2-3 hours). Try not to snack before bed – last food about 2 hours before hitting the hay. Plateaus can be so tricky and frustrating! So you have to really dig deep and push hard! Your body gets comfy when you stall at a weight. It fights to keep you there. What you’re doing is forcing a new baseline weight. It takes effort and a new commitment. But if you’ve made it to a plateau, it means you’ve done the work to get there so you know what it takes to push yourself again! You can do it! I can help!” Help

A few days later I posted this article, which seemed to click with a lot of them! Check it out!

5 Ways to Break through Dreaded Weight Loss Plateaus

The bottom line is you have to get creative. If you typically do a lot of cardio, start incorporating weights into your fitness routine. If you do the SAME things every time you workout, it’s time to switch it up. Beachbody carefully constructs their workout programs/schedules to account for the muscle confusion and switch-ups your body needs in order to NOT get too comfortable. The rule of thumb is that every 30 days you should be changing something up a little, or a lot! I went from Turbo Fire to Chalean Extreme to Les Mills Pump and now I’m on to Insanity and with EACH new workout, I’m impressed with how my body responds in a different way. Combine that with proper nutrition, hitting your calorie goals each day and BOOM! you’re on your way to the next level, off the plateau and on too bigger hills to climb! 🙂 You’ve got this! Just keep swimming – or climbing I guess! 🙂

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Challenge = Change

ChallengeChangeAs I’m getting ready to open my eighth monthly health/fitness challenge, I’m struck by some of the results that I’ve seen come out of them! I’ve heard from a few previous challenge participants over the last couple of days and their results are more than encouraging! These kind of results prove that true change happens when you challenge yourself to replace old habits with newer, healthier habits. It’s the lifestyle change that sets these amazing transformations into motion! The purpose of these challenges is not to get you in the best shape of your life in only 30 days. Rather, it’s to learn how to take care of yourself, and find motivation that you never knew you had, so that you can continue on your journey beyond the challenge.

They say it takes 21 days to form a habit. I’ve seen it happen time and again. Once you get used to the idea of eating cleaner, healthier foods, and making your daily workouts non-negotiable, you start to tackle every day with a new determination and purpose.

These challenge groups work because they combine all of the crucial elements. You get to pick a workout that suits you. Not everyone is expected to do the same workouts, what fun would that be? You have to find something that you enjoy, so that you can stick with it! The good news is that there are MANY to pick from. I personally have done Turbo Jam (seems like a million years ago!), P90X (all 90 days!), Turbo Fire, Chalean Extreme, Les Mills Pump and now Insanity! Some people think that DVD programs would never work, or that they might get boring. That might have been true 10 years ago, but they have changed! You don’t just get one or two DVD’s, you get an entire folder full of DVD’s, each with different workouts, meant to be done on different days. Furthermore, there is a always program calendar to follow (usually 60-90 days) developed by fitness professionals that understand the importance of muscle confusion and well-timed rest days, etc. AND, there are usually some REALLY good tunes to work out to, which always helps me stay motivated!

The second part is nutrition. This was the game-changer for me. I always thought I ate pretty ‘healthy’, but I was definitely eating a lot of processed foods with labels like “low-fat”, and “sugar-free”, thinking that these things were healthy! Now, I’m not saying I don’t eat anything with those labels anymore, but I have switched a lot of it out for clean, healthy, unprocessed, whole foods. When I did, I started to see results like I had never seen before. I was so skeptical about Shakeology before I started, but honestly… now I can’t imagine a day without it! It is so satisfying, and full of nutrition! It curbs my cravings (especially the sweet-tooth cravings!), keeps me regular (if you know what I mean) and gives me enough energy to get through my very busy days! I drink it as one of my 5-6 small meals each day. Eating more often throughout the day, instead of 3 BIG meals, keeps me satisfied all day without the need to STUFF myself because I’m starving! You’ve heard the saying: “Abs are made in the kitchen”, and it’s true! You can work out everyday at high intensity, do crunches and planks galore, but if you’re not eating the right kinds of foods, you’ll never see what’s going on under that belly fat. I always share my meal plan, as well as some of the recipes that I’ve discovered along the way. It is NOT a diet, it’s a lifestyle change!  diet_over

The third and most important element is ACCOUNTABILITY! You can exercise and eat healthy all on your own, right? Well, when you have a group of people, who all have similar goals and expectations, and you report to them every day about your workouts, nutrition, victories and struggles…it just takes it to a whole new level! There’s just something about knowing that you’re going to tell people either “I crushed my workout today”, or “I skipped my workout today”, that motivates you to get it done! You’ll get to look forward to weekly progress checks and celebrate with the group when you’re making progress! Having that kind of support makes the process so positive and fun!

So without further ado, I’d like to share some of the results that have been reported.

  • Since I started, I’ve lost 22 pounds and about 16 inches. (Chalean Extreme, TurboFire, Les Mills Pump & Insanity + Shakeology)
  • Jen has lost 24 pounds and 21 inches! (Chalean Extreme & cardio + Shakeology)
  • Michele has lost 21 pounds and 23 inches! (Chalean Extreme, Turbo Fire, Hip Hop Abs + Shakeology)
  • Gretchen is down 27.5 pounds since she started a few months ago! (Turbo Fire & Yoga)
  • Barb is 62 years old and so far has lost 17 pounds and 19 1/2 inches! (Walking, body-weight exercises & Tai Cheng + Shakeology)
  • My mom, age 63, is down 7 pounds and 6 inches, and looks & feels better than ever! (Slim in 6, Turbo Fire, Chalean Extreme and running)
  • Lisa went from a size 14 to a size 8 and is down a total of 24 inches! (Chalean Extreme + Shakeology)
  • Jessica has lost 12 pounds and over 11 inches and is close to being as fit as she was when she was a college athlete! (Les Mills Pump & cardio + Shakeology)

And these are just a handful of the results I’ve seen! There are lots of reports of losing 10 – 15 pounds in the 30 days of the challenge, but it’s the results that go beyond that, that are SO incredibly inspiring. It makes me feel so good to know that the challenge causes a change in the way we think, eat, exercise and live! It works, if you do! Interested? Ready to start your own transformation? Check out the “30 Day Challenge” link at the top of this page.

FITNESS + NUTRITION + SUPPORT = SUCCESS!

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Let’s Catch up, and Plan Some Meals!

First, here’s what happens when you’re not the greatest muti-tasker in the world. I get big ideas, and try to spin as many plates as I can at the same time. So, earlier, while I was preparing and putting our dinner into the crock pot to enjoy later, I had some leftover ground turkey that I didn’t want to freeze. I thought, “Hey, I’ll just patty these suckers up and throw them on the grill to enjoy later on this week”. I like to add them to salads, wraps, etc…so I’m thinking ahead, right? Well, thinking ahead is no good, unless you continue thinking until your project is complete. I slapped them on the grill, as planned, and got busy spinning at least four other plates and totally forgot about them until about 45 minutes later. And the only reason I remember them at that point, was because someone randomly used the word “turkey”. TURKEY!!! $#*T! And this was the finished product of that experiment.

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Luckily dinner was a success! That meatloaf recipe is SO good and SO easy! It turns out GREAT every time! And the only thing that I do differently is to add 1 C. ground oats (the old-fashioned, rolled kind), because I don’t know nothing bout no whole wheat panko – I haven’t located such a thing as of yet! My mom always uses oats in her loaves of meat, so I knew it would work out just fine!

I made it through my first week of Insanity…relatively unscathed! It’s become evident that I will be doing extra loads of laundry for the duration! I get sweatier during this workout than any I’ve done thus far. Even sweatier than when I run! I don’t mind it though. It’s a challenge for sure, but I love the feeling of doing something that has been a little out of my comfort zone and finding that I CAN do it! Yes it’s hard, but if it wasn’t, there’d be no point in doing it! I’m flirting with the idea of doing a hybrid with Chalean Extreme and only because I LOVE lifting so much. I really love the results that I get when I do it and I don’t want to lose ground on all of the hard work I’ve put in with Chalean Extreme AND Les Mills Pump. I want the benefits of both cardio AND weights! Also, I’m a little ADD…and it helps to mix it up a little during the week.

And now on to the meal plan…I sat outside on this glorious, sunny, summer-like spring day with some of my Beachbody cookbooks. I grabbed the Food Guides from Les Mills Pump and Chalean Extreme; there’s some good eats in there! Just trying a few different recipes this week…mixing it up…keeping it fresh…you know. Also, I had to include a couple of meals that STILL have not been cooked from like 2 weeks ago. This is the time of year when wrenches are thrown left and right! You gotta stay on your toes! I WILL cook those pizzas on the grill if it KILLS me!!! I’m going to be grilling up some flank steak this week, too. I’m a little nervous, because I don’t believe I’ve had beef more than once since about October! I hope it doesn’t wreak havoc on my already ‘iffy’ digestive system! Fingers crossed!

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Click here to print and link to recipes.

Have an over the top FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC week! 🙂

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Tie Myself to the Furniture

tied_chairDesperate time, desperate measures.

I just did a little 2 day stint in the hospital that has really let the air out of my tires. The long and short of it is that they think I may have gotten a virus, on top of a possible bacterial infection, mixed together with a pre-existing case of gastritis. Put it all together and you get me, laying in a heap on the bathroom floor, moaning, groaning, cold-sweating and scaring the people who live in my house. It wasn’t pretty. Hubby called 911, and much to my own shock, I didn’t protest. I needed to go.

So, after several iv pokes, all-day and all-night alarms sounding, 1 ugly pair of socks, multiple doses of hazy-fog pain medications, lots of vitals checked-many times and a gazillion tests, I’m home. And although I’m feeling MUCH better than I was when I went in, I’m still not quite 100% yet. I might not even be  90%, but I’ll get there.

When I have a sniffly cold, or a sore throat, headache kinda thing going on…I almost always workout anyway. It doesn’t make me feel any better or any worse… usually. But since it’s part of my daily routine, it’s just what I do to stay on track. This however, is an entirely different story. I read somewhere that the rule of thumb is above the neck, and you’re probably fine to workout. Below the neck, maybe not. If you have a chest cold…maybe running 5 miles in the cold isn’t a great idea. Just saying. But, a bad tummy AND a trip to the hospital means I’m going to need to ease back into things. I think I’ll go for a walk tomorrow…but there’s a little voice in my head trying to talk me into getting back to Insanity! After all…I had only JUST done the Fit Test the day of the night I ended up in the hospital. I’d like to see what’s next. That voice is trying to get me in trouble. Because the voice of reason – that makes an occasional appearance in my head – begs to differ. If that little trouble-maker voice keeps it up, I’m going to have one of the kids tie me to a chair. I think they’ll enjoy that.

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For now, I’ll look for opportunities to rest. I’ll try to sit once or twice during the day. I’ll even try to get myself into bed at a respectable hour. But look out, cause when I’m feeling better…I’ll be ready to hit the ground running, jumping, skipping, hopping and burpee-ing all over my basement! Fer real!  🙂

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And Now the Meal Plan

This is a crowd-pleasing meal plan this week! My kids will enjoy dinner every night! I’m going to keep telling myself that until I believe it! LOL! No really…actually…these are a lot of our favorite recipes. Tonight, in celebration of Cinco de Mayo, we’ll have shredded chicken tacos, and the kids really like them! I’ll have to blog about my Spanish quinoa soon. I make this instead of Spanish rice, and nobody even complained about it! I’m going to have a little more time on my hands this week than I did last week, thank goodness! I’ll be able to spend a little more time in the kitchen. Hopefully not TOO much time though. 🙂

I’m starting Insanity this week, which I’ve built up in my head to be this super, crazy, impossible thing that is hard, intense and demoralizing. I am hoping that the more I convince myself of this, the more relieved I will be to learn that it is not the case. I will do the fit test tomorrow, so we’ll see how it goes. I’ll keep you posted!

Have a wonderful week!

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Click here to print and link to recipes.
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What Could you Do in 25 Minutes?

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Well…let’s see…

You could

  • ALMOST watch a whole Sponge Bob episode.
  • Take a shower.
  • Eat lunch.
  • Go through your junk mail.
  • Hit the snooze button a few times.
  • Play 25 games of Bejeweled Blitz on Facebook.
  • Fold a load of laundry.
  • Do a sink-full of dishes.
  • Look at all of the pictures in a magazine.
  • Wait for a pot of coffee to brew.
  • Drive to the mall.
  • Pick out just the right Birthday card.
  • Look for a kid’s ‘favorite thing in the whole wide world’.

OR!!!!

Coming this summer, to a DVD player near you….Shaun T’s New Fitness Program: FOCUS T25!

Insanity is, well…insane!!  insanitylogo     Insanity Asylum_onwhite-lowres

Insanity the Asylum is…CRAZY!

And they are both so effective!

BUT…would it be helpful to have an INTENSE workout to give you results in just 25 minutes a day!?!? Umm, yes please! If you work SMART and FOCUSED and you eat right, you’ll be AMAZED at the results you can see with just 25 minutes a day! As far as I know, it’ll be available FIRST in limited quantities to coaches, then available to order for all!

Are you interested in what is sure to be the next big Shaun T. craze!? If you aren’t a coach and don’t have a coach, please sign up below to receive my newsletter and I’ll make sure, one way or another, that you know as soon as it’s available! 🙂