Meet the Tribe - Erin Lingle
Each week we bring you the story of one incredible entrepreneur who can be found inside the Hatch Tribe Members Circle. Today we're excited to introduce you to Erin Lingle from Lingle Fitness. She is one of the amazing entrepreneurs you'll find inside the Hatch Tribe Members Circle.
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Erin Lingle - photos by Abby Murphy Photography
Are you an Early Bird or a Night Owl? Definitely an Early Bird, I’m passed out by 9:30.
What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Pray that it’s after 5am. That or fling myself out of bed.
What are you reading now? Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney and listening to I Can’t Make This Up by Kevin Hart (not at the same time...sometimes at the same time...)
What's your favorite podcast or YouTube channel? Easy. "How Success Happens."
Favorite place to getaway from it all? The mountains. Nothing beats a good long mountain hike.
If you could get an extra hour today, how would you use it? Time with Amol & Cody (husband & pup, you decide which is which.)
Do you consider yourself more of an Introvert or extrovert? Both. Look it up.
What's your favorite food? Mashed potatoes with so much black pepper. SO MUCH.
I'm on a mission to… motivate people to be comfortable in their bodies and to move those bodies every day.
How did your awesome business come to be?
A few months into a new position in education, my father AND grandfather passed away within five days of each other. WHOA. I had many very serious “what are you doing with your life?” conversations with myself for the next few months. I even hired a personal trainer to help me stay focused on my health. Then I realized that my love for training people was stronger than anything else I was doing. I’d worked part time as a personal trainer for several years in Buffalo, but I always felt at home coaching people to meet their health and fitness goals.
Who inspired you to pursue entrepreneurship?
After reading “Stop Saying You’re Fine,” by Mel Robbins, I started to really focus in on what I wanted Lingle Fitness to stand for. I had to learn to move past the fear of the unknown and take a risk on my knowledge and background. I am constantly inspired by all of the #girlbosses within the Tribe and I really love that I get to work with so many trainers who are all running their own businesses.
Have you ever had a mentor? And how did they help you?
My friend and life coach worked with me for about two to three months to transition from my 9-6 role in education into the 24/7 role of entrepreneurship. He asked tough questions, which pushed me to really find my focus and realign my priorities. He continuously encouraged my plan for Lingle Fitness and never let me off the hook when I would let self-doubt creep in.
How do you define success for yourself?
For me, success is defined through my clients as they make progress towards attaining their goals; which can range anywhere from balancing on one leg to giving up the damn scale to getting up an hour early to exercise. I love that they vary from client to client and that there’s a new goal around every corner.
We all love failure & flop stories! Tell us about something you tried in business that didn't work, and how you moved beyond it.
Oh, jeez - Okay, so, in the first four months of Lingle Fitness, I pushed hard to create an outdoor fitness class that had a consistent following. So much time and effort went into marketing those classes that it began to take away from the main focus of training clients individually. I did learn that I’m the first trainer that pops up if you search “outdoor” trainer on Google (#winning), so I guess that benefited me in some way. After October, I took a look at the time that I was spending pushing the Sun & Sweat group classes, then refocused my energy on individuals. Sun & Sweat classes still exist, but they’re on a pop-up basis.
What is a recent success that you're super proud of accomplishing?
This January, I had hip surgery that sidelined me for from training clients and accepting new ones for weeks. This moment made me feel very vulnerable; both personally and professionally. I decided to put my recovery process out there in the world of social media. In turn, I have had clients come to me for help with a whole bunch of orthopedic exercise needs. It’s been so fun and rewarding to help people get their strength back while I was personally working on that as well.
What is your superpower?
The ability to make people feel comfortable and safe. When you feel safe while working out - your mind is less likely to tell you “No.” And when you’re comfortable, you're not preoccupied with wondering “Is anyone watching me?” or “Do I look ridiculous right now?” This superpower allows my clients to push past both physical and mental barriers to get them to crush their goals.
What is the least sexy part of your job?
Accounting. UGH. I love numbers and spreadsheets. But I would much rather put my focus on writing programming for clients than looking at numbers. It’s important to know where you are financially in your business, but it’s far from sexy.
What do you hope to learn from this community of your peers (ie. Hatch Tribe Members Circle)?
I am a sponge. I am constantly learning something new through every post, event, and comment within the Members Circle. I hope to continue to make great connections with this Tribe.
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To connect with Erin directly join us INSIDE THE TRIBE! Become a member today at www.hatchtribe.com/memberscircle.
She can also be found at www.LingleFitness.com and on Instagram @LingleFitness.