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Life and Work with Amy De Seyn

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy De Seyn.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Amy. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I struggled to answer this question. I wrote several paragraphs and then went back and erased it all and started over. The fact is, my story is complicated, as many are. I could talk about how I dropped out of college twice before finally getting my degree at 24 years old. How I wasn’t ready to go to graduate school right away because to graduate with my BS was enough of a feat after hitting rock bottom while fighting a mental health battle I didn’t know how to win. How a personal training job sorta just landed in my lap a month after graduation and six months earlier, I had felt compelled to get my personal training certification so I felt it was fate. How my goals for my business and for my clients have done a complete 180* – from simply assisting them through weight loss to focusing on empowerment, self-confidence and sometimes even physical therapy. The relationships and friendships I’ve fostered through this unique journey mean the world to me. I’ve helped individuals run their first 5K, or climb their first 14-er, or get off blood pressure medication. I’ve fixed their running form and their knees don’t hurt anymore and they’ve consequently taken minutes off their best half marathon time. And then there are some days when their personal lives take precedence and we talk it out in the midst of ball slams and battle ropes because that’s what they need at the time. I’ve learned through the years that I’m here to provide what THEY need, not what I WANT them to need.

And I think that maybe the best way to describe what it is I do.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Entrepreneurship is a bumpy road. I don’t think it really matters what type of entrepreneur you are, or what service you provide: you are always going to have to navigate some rough waters. Some days, weeks or months you may feel on top of the world because your business is booming and money is flowing and life is good. Other times, you will feel the complete opposite. Maybe you’re in your slow season (for me, it’s the winter). Maybe you lost five clients at once for different reasons and you’re struggling to replace them. Maybe you had a family emergency and had to take time off for an extended amount of time and as an entrepreneur, you don’t get PTO. Maybe someone hacked your Instagram, or your lease was up on your space, or your husband lost his job and your income is floating both of you and suddenly the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Any number of things can, and – I promise – WILL happen. But you also have the freedom that those who choose to work in corporate America just don’t have. You get to turn your thoughts, your ideas, your teeny tiny sparks of nothing=that-could-be-something into, well, SOMETHING. And there truly isn’t anything that is quite that rewarding.

For those just starting out, I urge you to simply stick with it. There will be more choppy waves than smooth sailing in the beginning — and this is where our logical selves might be shouting to “give up!” We lose sight of how we had planned to be successful when everything continues to go wrong. But if you prepare yourself for these tough times, you’ll have solutions, or at the least, you will be motivated to FIND solutions. Because every door that closes, two more will open for you — and the longer you stick with it, the more successful you become and the more rewarding your work becomes.

Please tell us about Body by Amy, LLC and Run Like the Wind: Personalized Coaching for Runners.
My business Body by Amy LLC and its subset, Run Like the Wind: Personalized Coaching for Runners, provides functional personal training, corporate wellness classes, nutrition guidance, run coaching, gait analysis, and specialized strength training for runners. My specialty certifications are in functional training, fitness nutrition, and gait analysis for runners. I believe my strengths lie in providing strength and conditioning for runners who want to prevent injuries and become faster, stronger and more efficient. Although it’s definitely improving, I still don’t think there’s enough education surrounding strength training for runners. Traditionally, we’ve simply been expected to “run more” to improve fitness. Although that’s certainly part of it, adding miles without strength training is a recipe for disaster aka, injury. I enjoy being able to educate my runners on the type of strength training they should be adding to their training and why.

Often it feels as if the media, by and large, is only focused on the obstacles faced by women, but we feel it’s important to also look for the opportunities. In your view, are there opportunities that you see that women are particularly well-positioned for?
I love this question! While I think that traditionally we may have felt somewhat intimidated by being looked at as the “lesser sex,” we’re beginning to feel more empowered. Maybe it’s an underdog mentality, or maybe it’s the benefit of social media and the press surrounding movements like Time’s Up and #MeToo and the fact that we’re able to see all this happen front and center. Probably a little of both! I think that the attention that both social media and the press has brought to facts like women are paid less than men, and there are still far fewer women than men who command high-paying and powerful executive positions, has been beneficial because now there are powerful conversations that are happening. Conversations about how to change the narrative and shatter the glass ceiling. And women are helping each other and empowering each other, and it’s just so inspiring to see. And you think, “if she can do it, why can’t I?”

I think that women are well-positioned for any and every opportunity, but I especially love to follow stories that involve women creating products for, or doing research surrounding, or forming groups and meetups for, well, WOMEN. For example, one of my favorite women to follow on Instagram is Dr. Stacy Sims. She researched and wrote a book about women in endurance sports and how our hormones and our menstrual cycle and our body type affects our athletic pursuits. Her motto is “women are not small men” and she fights against the tradition of training women the same way as we tend to train men. I LOVE stories like this. I love when women embrace the fact that we are DIFFERENT from men, but not inferior.

Pricing:

  • Personal training or Run Coaching Consultation: FREE
  • 1:1 Coaching or Training Session: $60 with discounts for sessions purchased in bulk
  • Gait Analysis: $149
  • Online Coaching: $59 – $179/month

Contact Info:

Image Credit:
Lauren Jensen Photography, Shannon Ridge Photography

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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