Career Conversations with Esther Avant

Janice Chaka [: 00:00:03

Hello, and welcome to yet another episode of the Traveling Intrepid Career Conversations. And today my guest is Esther Avant. Hi Esther.

Esther Avant [: 00:00:13

Hi. Thank you for having me.

Janice Chaka [: 00:00:15

I am stoked. I've also She's got beautiful pictures in the back of her wall where you all can't see, but ones of, like, Hawaii National Park. But it looks like one of those old style they used to do, like, a space one because I've got them in my wall in Guadalajara. I'll leave this off. Anyway, sorry people that you don't get to see this part, but that's some awesome artwork. Ester, Thank you for joining me, and I'm gonna ask the same question I ask everyone. The first question is, what does introversion mean to you? I feel like I'm gonna do a game show host thing at some point. Anyway, what does intervention mean to you?

Esther Avant [: 00:00:48

I think what I boil introversion down to is being someone who needs alone time in order to kind of re regroup and generate energy. Somebody who is not incapable or even necessarily dislikes being around other people, but does need that alone time to disconnect and and kind of recharge and feel ready again to go out into the world.

Janice Chaka [: 00:01:18

It's great. I've asked a lot of people this question, And no one has given the exact same answer. So you'd think that people would have a script like, it's this and this and this and this. It's all roughly the same thing, but the wording and the phrasing and the Internation is always different and so even though I ask the same question to everyone it's really lovely to hear all the different answers. So can you tell me a little bit about the work that you currently do?

Esther Avant [: 00:01:39

Yes. I am a health and weight loss coach, and I help Primarily women who just have a lot on their plate. They're you know, they have careers. They have families. They've got they're juggling a lot of different things. And just Just kind of over the course of time have come to feel like themselves, their goals, their health, their needs are what have ended up on the back burner. And we do Really comprehensive work that's not just focused on exercise and nutrition, which is what my my background is in, But also, you know, kind of the deeper work of developing a different mentality towards ourselves, towards our health, towards our bodies, And learning how to make changes from a place of love and acceptance and compassion for ourselves Because that's really the only kind of change that sticks. So it's much less like, you know, here's a workout program.

Esther Avant [: 00:02:32

Here are some recipes. And more so, like, Most of us have a decent idea of what to do. The issue is that we're not doing it. And once we start digging into why that is, Then we can start solving for those things, and it all gets much easier.

Janice Chaka [: 00:02:47

So with that in mind, because I'm sure a lot of people hear like, Health, well, there's a weight loss and they're, like, immediately pigeonhole or bucket you into something. Can you tell me about some misconceptions that people have about your industry or the work that you do?

Esther Avant [: 00:03:01

That is a great question. And thank you for asking that because you're absolutely right. Even in podcast form where you can't see me, You probably do sort of paint a a mental image, and it might not be far off. But I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that you see someone who is thin or fit or, you know, sort of looks like they work out And immediately assume it's just always come easily to them. There's, like, this us versus them kind of Disconnect. Well, of course, you know, she looks that way. That's her job. Or, you know, she got into that job because she's To naturally get at those things.

Esther Avant [: 00:03:41

And for sure, I will not deny that I have plenty of privilege and and some genetic advantage on my side, but I don't know a single person who works in the industry who has not gone through their own struggles that are very, very similar To those of our clients, I spent years in a binge and restrict cycle. I spent years kind of grappling with Trying to find the the perfect diet, intermittent fasting, going paleo, and all sorts of different things. And, Ultimately, now finding a really healthy, happy place of balance. But even with that, I'm not motivated all the time. Nobody is. I'm not, you know, I'm not eating salads constantly. Those aren't like the only foods that I enjoy. I'm not always jumping at the the chance to exercise.

Esther Avant [: 00:04:32

People in the health, weight loss fitness industry are really much more, like, normal than you would think. We struggle with a lot of the same things. It's just that we've often, you know, devoted more of our resources To figuring out how to overcome the obstacles that face us, which is then why we sort of turn around and say, now that I've learned a whole lot and made a lot of mistakes, let me help Save some other people from the same, you know, trouble and the same length of time to figure this out on their own.

Janice Chaka [: 00:05:05

Which makes me wonder how things like social media sort of fuel that disconnect and that gap that People in the wellness industry are human and have journeys too.

Esther Avant [: 00:05:19

Yeah. Great question. So I think Depending on how you present yourself online, it can either further that disconnect or it can help bridge it. Something that I Work hard to do is be authentic and genuine on my social media. I Years ago, probably 10 years ago when I first started doing video on social media, it would be like a whole day production. I would have to do my hair and my makeup and have a script. And recently, I recorded a video where I forgot to take my retainers out in the morning, And I was like, look how far we've come. So I think the way you present yourself can make a huge difference.

Esther Avant [: 00:06:01

I'm I try to be very transparent about, you know, what I eat, what I do, how I feel, and and just be relatable and show that, You know, my life is very similar to any other, you know, busy mom out there. I think on the flip side, there's sort of the The belief belief, and there's certainly some truth to it that people want to buy, you know, kind of the the image of the person. So if you're not showing up as this, like, perfectly polished, you know, matching workout set, really curated meals, then Are you, you know, like, the the fitspo that people want to be turning to when when they're looking for help? So I think Trying to the best of of my ability to sort of be both of those things in the The most authentic ways that I know how, and not being someone that I'm not. I don't have a single matching workout set. Just not who I am. But also recognizing that I do have skills and strengths and and value that I can offer other people. So I think it depends a lot on sort of what the algorithm is feeding you and how well you've been intentional about curating your feeds to show you people who are qualified and educated and well intentioned, and not allowing your feeds to go too far down the road of these Impossible and unrealistic beauty standards that, you know, aren't healthy or necessary.

Janice Chaka [: 00:07:36

Yes. It made me think of, a lot of a lot of brides or brides to be start on that that oh, my, you know, picture perfect wedding, and therefore, also, you're supposed to dye it before you go and buy a wedding dress, and the whole Industry around it, but also can be really detrimental to people's mental health for that reason. But and Is this something that you do regularly that has improved your career or business over time? Apart from, like, exercising and that kind of thing.

Esther Avant [: 00:08:12

Yeah. I think one of the most surprising things has been Embracing and learning about doing mindset related work. I'm a pretty, Like, practical. I like data. I like science. I like, like, order. I like Physical things. So the world of mindset work has always felt very, like, woo to me and very intangible and kind of Fluffy, and I resisted it for a long time.

Esther Avant [: 00:08:46

And then much like the comprehensive approach I take with Clients, I realized I was doing myself a disservice by dismissing this entire area of work that would likely benefit me. And what I've learned is that a lot of what mindset work boils down to is Becoming aware of your thoughts and learning how to assess them As to whether or not they're helping you or hindering you, whether or not they're true, whether they help make you feel good or bad, and just how Easily influenced we are by all sorts of things, our pasts, the people who are around us, all that stuff. And we Don't even realize when we believe things that aren't actually facts. We have our beliefs throughout about the world that we have come to believe are true Because we've never thought to question them.

Janice Chaka [: 00:09:42

Right. Right.

Esther Avant [: 00:09:44

Yes. A thought is not a fact. Yes. That has been very eye opening for me. And the way where journaling practice is tied in is learning how to just kind of brain dump my thoughts And ask myself probing questions and then sort of, like, entertaining the possibility. Could it be true that this thing that you think Isn't actually a cold hard fact? Is there someone else in the world who feels differently about this than you do? And Do you want to now that you have the awareness to know this thought is not a fact, what do you wanna do with it? Do you wanna keep it, or do you want to do the work to Swap it out for something that's going to better serve you going forward. That's been very surprising to me in the sense that I even tried it and that I found so much value in it. And now it's a big part of what I incorporate into my work because I see just how that skill transcends any Any one area of your life.

Esther Avant [: 00:10:39

It's not just a health thing. It's anything. You your your brain is such a powerful asset that we just don't really No one really teaches us how to, how to how to use.

Janice Chaka [: 00:10:51

Yeah. We take it for granted. So, while Ester was there talking. I literally have a post it note, on my opposite wall that I pulled off and showed her. And it was like it literally says, I thought it's not a I some someone told me that I'm like, I like that and so that sits in my mirror and it's a really good reminder to be like, oh oh, I'm just Kind of making that shit up. So you don't wanna think about it like that, but you are. And Along with so you opened your your your idea to doing these things and this is something you said yes to. Is this something that you consciously say no to?

Esther Avant [: 00:11:28

2 things come to mind. 1 is the kind of shiny object syndrome of Wanting to pursue a bunch of different things at once. All the things. And I think that's kind of a double edged sword of owning a business where, like, you You can pursue whatever it is that you're interested in, and having that freedom is awesome. And, also, as you learn, once you try to do too much at once, you're you're spreading yourself way too thin, and you're not gonna have much to show for, like, all these Different things you're trying to do. So when I really started telling myself like, okay. Yeah. That that's a good idea.

Esther Avant [: 00:12:06

You can do that sometime. But right now, You are keeping focused on, you know, what what at this point is our signature program. That has helped a ton. And Instead of feeling like I need to, like, consider every single thing that comes to mind, all I have to ask myself is, is this aligned with your signature program? No. It's just a distraction. Now is not the time. So that's 1 big one. And I think the second, kinda going back to talking about social media media and The power you have to curate what you see.

Esther Avant [: 00:12:37

I have to say no to following or watching or paying attention to A lot of other people in the industry, not because they're not sharing valuable things. Same thing with, like, business coaches. There's so much noise out there, And some of the noise is very useful and valuable, but even useful valuable information becomes noise if it's coming at you from too many places at once. So I say no to a lot of input and stimulus from the majority of people because I really want to stay focused on either people whose expertise I know and trust or specific areas that I wanna learn more about and I can dive into. But, otherwise, it's just so easy to go down the road of comparing myself to other owners of similar businesses to be Looking around for oh, this business coach is saying that it needs to be YouTube, so I should give up on my podcast. I should and it's just like you end up Much like somebody trying to lose weight, like diet hopping.

Janice Chaka [: 00:13:37

Oh, I'm gonna try this. Oh, I'm gonna

Esther Avant [: 00:13:38

try that. And it's not that any of those things wouldn't have worked, but none of them work if you don't give them long enough. So I'm I'm just saying no to, like, a lot of stuff coming at me and trying to just put the blinders on and trust myself to either know what to do Or to find the people who can help me without it being overwhelming.

Janice Chaka [: 00:13:57

Yeah. It's hard to put Those blinders on. I find myself curating my my email subscribing list. Not my subscribers, but things that I've subscribed to. I have to go through and be like, yes, I like this human and this. I don't want to forget that this human exists, but also if I look at every offer they have, I'm gonna wanna get every offer they have is a distraction, so like I need to but I thought, I don't like you. I just I just can't right now. Yes.

Janice Chaka [: 00:14:25

Very very much that. And so what do you do before your current business.

Esther Avant [: 00:14:32

I've sort of always done this. I've worked in the Fitness, health, wellness industry, my entire career. I went to school for exercise science. I became a personal trainer in college, and it sort of just evolved from there. And it became, like, the current iteration oh, let's see. Coming up on 10 years ago, I met my now husband who's in the navy, and I knew I didn't want to be finding a new gym to work at, building up new clientele every time we moved, every 2 to 3 years. It was, like, the very early stages of online business, and we saw all these other trainers being successful. I was like, alright.

Esther Avant [: 00:15:10

I'm smart. I'm educated. I can figure this out. You know, fast forward several years of me just stumbling around having no idea what I was doing. I eventually, you know, got some got some footing, and it's become what EA coaching is now. But, I've always been doing some form of teaching classes, personal training, doing, I worked in corporate wellness for a while, Sort of all over. And then as I was starting to dabble in entrepreneurship, I had a brief stint with a, creating a protein bar company that, was a good learning experience. And ultimately, the The true test was I realized I was dreading when orders would come in because I didn't want to have to make the bars.

Esther Avant [: 00:15:54

And I was like, you know what? If the Best case scenario feels like nobody buys anything, you're probably barking up the wrong tree. So that's how I kinda came came full circle back to Coaching when I realized that's, you know, something I would do for free. It doesn't feel like a job. I never, you know, wake up, like, dreading, the stuff that I have to do, so it it feels like the the best of both worlds.

Janice Chaka [: 00:16:17

And in your role, how do you go about conserving your energy?

Esther Avant [: 00:16:24

I'd say that's a work in progress. As as it is for all of us, it's definitely come a long way from a few years ago. And I think, you know, there's there's stages in any business and and any aspect of your life, really, where One area monopolizes more of your time and energy than others. So when I was first starting and and learning and getting some momentum going, My business did take up you know, monopolized a lot of my time, and I spent less time with my husband. You know, this is before my son was born. And then as things started to get up and running and as I was able to start hiring a team and off offloading some of the day to day responsibilities, I was able to rebalance work and life. You know, when I had a newborn, obviously, that took up a lot of my time. So I think Part of what's helped is that I don't hold myself to this unrealistic standard that everything is gonna be perfectly well balanced all the time.

Esther Avant [: 00:17:20

And instead, I try to think more big big picture of for example, right now, my husband's been gone in a a training course for several months. So the, you know, time with spouse, that that dial's turned way down, which allows me to turn other dials up. When he gets back, that dial is gonna get turned way up and others will get turned down. So instead of feeling like everything daily has to be, like, divided evenly, it's more so, like, has anything been neglected for too long? And if so, what am I gonna do about it? So I'm comfortable saying no to things. I'm comfortable leaving things undone so that I can get a workout in or get my sleep in or, you know, pick my son up from school. I think reminding myself of my core values really helps because I'm able to use that as sort of a litmus test for, does this thing that's gonna take time, energy, money, whatever resources, Is it aligned with one of my core values? If not, it's a no. And that helps me not just take on everything and then wonder why I'm, pulling my hair out.

Janice Chaka [: 00:18:25

Awesome. Thank you so very much. So surprise quick question is, is a hotdog a sandwich?

Esther Avant [: 00:18:33

Good question. My my knee jerk reaction is no. I wanna say no. K. I feel like a person could make an argument about, like, sandwiches, anything that's, like, got bread on either side. I don't know. The way I picture a hot dog is, with the hot dog exposed on the top rather than it, like, flipped to the side. So I don't know.

Esther Avant [: 00:18:56

Because the because the meat is exposed, I feel like it makes it not a sandwich. Also, then I feel like you open a door for like, is a taco, sandwich because that's like a a bread product with meat in the middle. So, so I'm gonna say no. Alright. I'm curious what, if you like if you keep a a long term tally on where that, where that falls.

Janice Chaka [: 00:19:16

Yes. I do. And also, I used to lead a, like, online, co working session on a regular basis. And that question sparked it was a mix of, like, sort of engineers and UX designers. And, yeah, that question derailed the rest of the co working session for a long time, and still people come back being like, well, what about this? Yeah.

Esther Avant [: 00:19:39

Been working on their arguments.

Janice Chaka [: 00:19:40

Yeah. It's a whole thing.

Esther Avant [: 00:19:42

So thank

Janice Chaka [: 00:19:43

you so much. Can you please tell my listener where they can find out more about you and what you do?

Esther Avant [: 00:19:48

Yeah. You can find me on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok At Esther Avant, and I have a podcast called Live Diet Free.

Janice Chaka [: 00:19:58

Woo. Yeah. Alright. Thank you so much for joining me today. Everyone, this is Janice at The Career Introvert, helping you build your brand and get hired. Have a great rest of your week.