194. Strength Beyond Powerlifting: Solana Lewis on Resilience, Powerlifting, and Finding Her Voice

In this inspiring episode of Limitless Healing, Colette Brown sits down with Solana Lewis nationally ranked powerlifter, published author, podcast host, and powerful advocate for women in strength sports. But beyond her accolades in the gym, Solana shares a deeply human journey of healing, self-discovery, and rising above.

From growing up in a restrictive environment to becoming a world champion athlete, Solana's story is filled with powerful lessons in consistency, mindset, and the importance of finding your community. If you're navigating self-worth, chasing big goals, or simply looking to be uplifted, this episode is for you.

Episode Highlights: 

00:30 Introduction to Solana Lewis and her mission-driven leadership
02:30 Childhood: Growing up in Newport News, VA; relocating to New Jersey
 04:00 Breaking free from religious restrictions and finding personal freedom
 05:30 A pivotal moment at the Empire State Building with her dad
 06:30 Early struggles with friendships and confidence in high school
 07:30 Discovering powerlifting in college and finding a sense of belonging
 09:00 Adjusting to life outside the “Christian bubble” and identity exploration
 11:30 How powerlifting created structure and motivation for academic success
 13:30 Earning a degree in Exercise Science at Montclair State
 14:30 First job at Equinox, sales struggles, and unexpected connections
 16:30 Becoming a world champion despite injury and health setbacks
 22:00 Becoming a published author through the Warrior Woman anthology
24:00 Launching The Power & Lifting Podcast to spotlight female athletes
27:00 Solana’s top 3 life lessons for resilience and personal success
31:30 Final message: Dream big, be consistent, and know your impact

Connect with Solana Lewis:
Instagram: @solana_lifts
Website: Strength Solutions Inc.
Book: Warrior Woman (Anthology – Chapter 7)
Podcast: The Power & Lifting Podcast

______________________________________

Connect with Colette:

Instagram: @wellnessbycolette

Website: love-colette.com

Thank you for listening to the Limitless Healing podcast with Colette Brown! It would mean the world if you would take one minute to follow, leave a 5 star review and share with those you love!

In Health,
Colette

Transcript

[00:00:00] [00:01:00] Today's guest is someone whose strength goes far beyond
the gym and the barbell. She's a nationally ranked powerlifter, a dedicated coach
and a powerful advocate for women in strength sports. But what she truly sets
herself apart with is how she leads. With her heart intention and authenticity.
She's a published author, and whether she's chasing records or helping others
discover their own strength, she brings a rare kind of energy that lifts everyone
around her.
Colette Brown: This conversation, isn't it just about power lifting, it's about
mindset, self-worth, and stepping fully into your power. It is my great honor to
welcome Solana Lewis. Welcome Solana. Thank you. I love that intro. Oh my
God, you wrote it. This is your life and it is who you are. Every time I'm around
you, it's just your smile's infectious.
Your [00:02:00] energy is just brings everyone up and you're one of those
people. So it's so fun to see what you're doing and where you're going, and
you're so young. So you've got a long life ahead of you that you're gonna keep
inspiring people so you're on the right trajectory.
Okay, so let's get into it. The first thing I'd like to know from you is where did
you grow up in the world? Where were you and what was that experience like
growing up?
Solana Lewis: Yeah. Okay. So I'm originally from Newport News, Virginia,
which is like the southern part of Virginia. Okay, close enough to Richmond,
'cause more people might know where that is.
And so I moved from there at 10 years old. So the reason we moved is my dad
got a job when I was six years old. He got a job at Circuit City to manage, and it
was in New York City, which is where he was living before he moved to
Virginia. And then he wanted to go back. He went back up. He moved over
there and we couldn't, quite afford to move with him right away.
And then it took about four years [00:03:00] until I turned 10 and then we could
afford to move. So we all moved up back together in northern New Jersey. So
I'm like 10 minutes away from New York City. I've been here ever since and I
love New Jersey. I really love it. Newport News was way too slow paced for
me.
Colette Brown: Yeah.
Solana Lewis: Yeah. And also when I lived in Newport News, we were, a part
of a church. My parents were members, but I was just a part of it 'cause I didn't
become a member and that church had such a heavy influence on our lives in a
negative way that moving away changed our lives. And it changed my life.
Like I think if I had lived in Newport News, I'd be such a different person. Like
I just would not love my life as much.
Colette Brown: Yeah.
Solana Lewis: Like it was, I wouldn't even say. I don't like to use the C word,
like the cult word, like too, like freely, but like it was given cults for sure. So
moving there was just so much more freedom in New Jersey.
Like for the first time in New Jersey, I wore jeans. We were supposed to,
woman can only wear skirts. Okay. So I never wore pants. Like I could wear
jeans, I could run around like just have like more fun. Like I got to meet new
people in the school I was in [00:04:00] and eventually I could like actually
hang out with them where it was like you could only hang out with people like
from the church before.
So I got like way more freedom than a lot of my friends from Virginia got when
I moved away.
Colette Brown: Yeah. And do you talk to any of them still today?
Solana Lewis: Yeah, so I like reconnected to a good amount of them in the last
five years. Oh, wow. So yeah, there's my cousin who like I'm super close with
who still lives down there and there's three or four friends that we still to this
day talk like they even come up sometimes to New York and like we hang out
and I'm still thankful for those friendships because if we did not reconnect.
I feel like I would never be able to talk about like how our lives used to be. And
I'm like, oh, I'm not crazy. It really was like that, like you know your own head.
You're like, I experienced this. You never talk about it before. Was it in my head
or whatever. Yeah. I was like, no, this is really not great.
Like I'm so happy we all can agree. Okay, cool.
Colette Brown: Yeah exactly. That's so funny. And do you have a favorite
childhood memory that might have really impacted who you are today?
Solana Lewis: I'll say, my dad took me to the Empire State [00:05:00] Building
and I. I was 13, it was June 26th because it was the day after my 13th birthday.
Wow. It was all my dad's birthday because his birthday was the day after mine.
He took me to the Empire State Building and I was so excited and he took me to
the 86th floor. I remember looking out over and seeing all the small little people
and I was like, yo, like the world's a huge place and I'm just like one little
person.
And it's just so crazy that we all get to be here and be a part of it and build
society. And I feel like that day I was just like. I'm just like one small person in
a big world, but like I could probably do something in it. Like I just had those
kind of thoughts in my head that day.
And my dad we didn't grow up with a lot of money, so I know it took a lot for
him to wanna take me there and take me up to the 86th floor, get onto the 86th
floor. I remember being like, I'm so happy I'm here. 'cause like my dad and I
didn't hang out a lot. So that's definitely one of the key memories I have of him
where we hung out one-on-one.
Colette Brown: Yeah. And what was that feeling like, when you realizing how
small you were? So it's a moment of wow. Like [00:06:00] I'm small, but yet I'm
part of it. And did you start exploring who Solana was and what your talents
and strengths were and what your passions were at that time or when did that
come into play?
Solana Lewis: I would say it's the feeling. The fear was more just I just started
to think for the first time, 'cause 13, so I was a freshman in high school at that
point. I just become a freshman. That's a difficult
Colette Brown: time period,
Solana Lewis: right? Yeah, I know. So I think I was just thinking about I just
started, start to think about like how I could play a role in society.
Like nothing was too deep. I was 13. I didn't start to really think about how I
can contribute to the world until college, until I found power lifting honestly.
Because, I struggled to make friends. I struggled to have relationships. Like I
think throughout high school I had two friends and I was always an anxious
about trying to make more friends or making sure they still liked me.
So I feel like it was finding powerlifting when I found something I was really
good at and I was like, oh, I love this. And I put all my energy into it and I,
things started to get better. Like I was succeeding in the sport and I was like, I
can help other people in this sport. [00:07:00] That's when I started to really
realize I can make an impact.
So that didn't happen till college.
Colette Brown: Wow. Okay. But that's good to know because I think there's a
lot of teens out there that it's such a hard time, there's such much peer pressure
and trying to keep up with your peers and where do I fit in and what am I really
good at? And I think sometimes, you don't wanna listen to your parents because
it's not cool.
There's all these dynamics going on. I love that you, that was your first kind of
epiphany into the, like the real world and what, where's my place in it? So you
graduate from high school. Where does it take you? I.
Solana Lewis: Graduated from Eastern Christian High School in North Helden,
New Jersey.
So the school I went to, it was like probably 300 kids total in the high school.
And I was born with four African American kids. So I grew up around a lot of
Polish Americans. Okay. That wasn't main,
Colette Brown: yeah,
Solana Lewis: that was main race in the school. So from there I went to Eastern
University, but I actually graduated from Montclair State and I went there from
my sophomore to senior year and that's where I had the biggest [00:08:00]
impact.
So I went to Montclair State and. I was still like struggling. 'cause my whole life
I went to Christian schools and they were all very small and we call it the
Christian bubble, where it's like you're experiencing life in a way where it's
that's not how life really is. Like when you go to school and there's chapel and
like we read the Bible a lot and a majority of the classes and like you go out and
it's be good and don't do this. And like I never even experienced like. Seeing
someone smoke weed in my life until I became like a sophomore in college.
You know what I mean? Where most people are like, yeah, I've seen that before.
So I just wasn't exposed to anything that was like of the regular world, yeah. So
it was a lot for me when I went to Montclair City, I was like, there's so many
different kinds of people. There's different religions, which I never been
exposed to.
Yeah. Okay. Just funny story. I'll come back to it, but just so you know, I didn't
know what Ash, what Ash Wednesday was until I was like 25. I saw someone
have ashes on their forehead and I was like, there's something on your face. You
need to wipe it off like that guys, I didn't know anything about.
That's just Catholicism. I'm a Christian. That's how I was like, if it's not of.
[00:09:00] Specifically from my church. I didn't know what it was. Yeah. How
bad I was. Yeah. But any, so it was a lot for me, it was culture shock. And I still
struggle to make friends because I was just very introverted and I was like too
scared to talk to people and I didn't know how to find my place.
And I remember like even like I started wearing clothes that were like not even
appropriate for class. Like I remember I started to wear like really short skirts
and like really high crop tops. Something I really wanna be noticed. I just want
someone to like me. That's what I was going through. I was like, I want people
to like me.
That's all I cared about. Yeah. So much in college.
Colette Brown: Looks were emphasized growing up in a very modest way. So
if you're thinking. The other side of that is, in order to be normal, I need to be
super sexy and out there. Yeah. In order to all the way over. So there's no, yeah,
there's like you were trying to find balance in every direction of life.
Solana Lewis: Yes. And I remember too, like the beginning of sophomore year,
I was like trying to get into drinking. I [00:10:00] think I was like, I was 18, I
graduate early. I was young so I was like trying drinking and stuff and it wasn't
me, but I was trying to. That's why I'm so thankful. I found power lifting as a
sophomore, so I was working out okay.
I got into lifting weight as a freshman, just like going on Instagram and seeing a
woman who looked a certain way. I was like, oh, they say lift waist and it'll look
like them. That sounds cool. So I just proceeded to lift waist five times, like five
times a week, like immediately. I was like, I'm gonna do it.
I'm gonna get really into it because I'm a very all or nothing person, Uhhuh. So
I'm like, oh, I like this. I'm gonna do it all the time. That's how I am about
anything. Oh, I like podcasting. I'm gonna do a podcast every week. All of a
sudden when I never had one before I'm just gonna, yeah. Do it.
Colette Brown: Yeah. So
Solana Lewis: I got into it, and then a friend of mine saw me working out and
he would see me squat and bench and deadlift. He was like, you should try
powerlifting. And I was like, I didn't know what that was. And then I watched
him compete just to support him like a month later. I saw the woman doing it
and I was like, yo, these girls look awesome.
They look so strong and I think what really pulled me in was the community
aspect. Like everyone was cheering for each other. Everybody. It wasn't
[00:11:00] like, it wasn't the kind of competition where you're like, oh, yay, she
dropped it and she didn't get the lift. No, everyone was just happy. I was like,
yo, not only can, the sport seemed to be something that I could enjoy, but I think
it'll help me make friends too, like best of both worlds.
That thing I always wanted was friends. Yeah. And that's how I got into it. And
the second I got into it, system still all or nothing, I was no longer stressed out
about trying to get my first boyfriend, trying to go to bars and drink, trying to
not even bars. Lemme stop lying. I did not a fake id.
Okay. But I was trying to get a house party. Okay. So I didn't care about any of
that anymore because I was like, if I do that, it'll stop me from being good at
powerlifting. So I just went all in and it helped me stay structured because I also
struggled so much with school. So I actually didn't fail out, but my mom.
With the teacher at the school I was at from my sixth to ninth grade, I was asked
to leave because my grades were so low. They're like, she's not gonna make it.
So I did not fail out, but they were like, we strongly recommend she doesn't
come back. So this was in high school? This was high [00:12:00] school.
Wow. And that's when I switched schools to a different Christian school. Okay.
And I was in resource room, which is like where they help you out with classes
and the homework. And I had. I forget what it's called. Not a guide, but I had a
person, a lady whose name is Mrs. Ty, who I hit her up after college yo, you
changed my life.
I forget what her role technically was. But like she went to certain classes with
me to make sure I was paying attention and help me relearn everything I taught.
So that was like the kind of help I needed. Like extra and girl, this was a school
where they had a lot of AP courses, so on top of trying to make friends and
being one of four black kids, I'm like the dumb one.
I'm the one about the lady following me around saying did you understand what
they meant when they said this in that class? And I'm like, yeah. Yes. Yeah. So
that not my confidence. I love, I'm obsessed with powerlifting. Like I got this
sense of confidence because I got good at something.
So it just enhanced every part of my life. I started making, like so many friends
today, I have like [00:13:00] multiple group chats that are just powerlifting
friends, and we all get food together just for fun. Then I have like just the
community of people that I've gotten from having a polishing podcast because
they're like, oh my gosh, a woman making a polishing podcast.
Like it is just led to so many fun things outside of me excelling in the sport and
being like I'm actually strong. Like it is led me to be able to influence people,
help people have fun, make more friends, like I just polishing. So great.
Colette Brown: Yeah. Yeah, it's amazing. Okay. Did you finish college?
Solana Lewis: I forgot where we started.
I was like, how did we get, thank you so much. I was like, bring it back to me,
please, Lord. Yes. I finished college. Okay. Yeah, so I finished college,
graduated from Montclair State with my degree in exercise science, and I did
that degree. 'cause I was like wait in
Colette Brown: what? What? What was your degree in?
Exercise science. Exercise science. Okay. Yeah. What makes sense,
Solana Lewis: right? It makes sense. But I literally did it 'cause the word
exercise was in it. Like I didn't understand what it was. I was like, I can learn
about working out. Okay. That was the only thing that got me to do it. If you
told me, Hey, you can become this or that oh, I could I didn't know, I didn't even
Google like what I could do with this degree.
I just was like, I like the word exercise. I'm going to do it.
Colette Brown: Good for you. You did it. That's, [00:14:00] that is more than
half the battle is showing up, starting and finishing something, right?
Solana Lewis: Yes.
Colette Brown: So you did it, you got your degree and then what'd you do
next?
Solana Lewis: I'm thinking, okay, so I was, I graduated at 20 years old.
People are thinking That's young. Just know that I skipped a grade. I skipped
first grade because my mom was like, you were excelling so well. So that's why
I was young. I just was young in every class. Yeah. So I graduated at 20. And
then from there I got my first job at Equinox. Where I thought I was gonna be
the world's best personal trainer and become rich overnight.
Because?
Colette Brown: Because you were so good.
Solana Lewis: Oh no, I had no experience. I had not much experience training
people. It was just like Equinox is a bougie gem.
Colette Brown: Yeah. Okay. Like Equinox
Solana Lewis: is where like the membership costs anywhere from one 50 to
300 bucks a month. Yeah. And I'm used to crunch fitness being $10 I'm like, I'm
about to be rich.
Yeah. Yeah. And you're good.
Colette Brown: And you're good, right? You've got your degree. No, you're not.
Solana Lewis: I'm not good. Sitting in class does not make me good at training
people. I had no communication skills. Okay. I'm not good. Okay. Okay. So
they, so
Colette Brown: you come [00:15:00] in at ground zero? Yeah. I'm in a place
that is more expensive than $10 a month.
And I am, this is my gold mine. This is what I'm gonna do. So tell us about that
experience.
Solana Lewis: So I worked at Equinox in Paramus, New Jersey, and just know
there's only two equinoxes in New Jersey. So like people who know Equinox
will know what that is. And I struggle severely because I just didn't understand
anything about selling people or even not almost selling people, as I've gotten
older and i've done multiple things. I didn't even know how to talk to people and
make them just feel comfortable with me having a conversation with them. I
was just always thinking you have to try to sell them. So I'd be like, oh, like I
see you're squatting. Can I help me fix it? And that's just not, yeah. Someone's
in their workout and you interrupt them. They pull out their ear, their earplug.
To hear that they suck at squatting and you're like this need a sail. It didn't work.
Yeah. So I was struggling and most of the people they hired were like me. Were
like, they like just graduated with probably exercise science for something
similar.
They had no experience, so I [00:16:00] didn't feel like, out of the loop because
so many of us were like going into it with no experience, but I just know that I
think the first year I made like $22,000. You know what I mean? I was like, I'm
poor. This is not working out great. But what Equinox did give me, it did force
me to get outta my comfort zone.
There was a point where they're like, you just have to talk to people. So I've
forced myself to talk to so many people. And what's cool about Equinox is
when you go to a gym where people like can afford that place, like they have
connections. So the cool thing is fast forward to even today, I still have some
clients from that gym that I now train virtually.
And like they've helped me do things with not with my career, but they've just
supported me in ways that I've been like, yo, I could not have gotten that if I
didn't meet you at Equinox. Yeah. So that's what was good about Equinox, but I
struggled a lot. And then I left in 2019. But in that meantime, like while I was
there, what was cool was that I was doing so well with power lifting as an
athlete.
Like it was my second year at Equinox when I turned 21, [00:17:00] that's when
I went to World Championships in Calgary, Canada. So I became a world
champion. Wow. So like I was doing, like power lifting as an athlete was going
fantastic. And I also, so that was my biggest high, my biggest low was right
before the competition.
And right after, right before it, a month out. Or six weeks out, I hurt my back
really bad at work squatting like I did a, I still never understand how I stood
back up. I was going down for a squat. It was not even heavy for me. It was like
a warmup. And it's just always where it happens where you're like, not even
going heavy.
I go down the squat. I feel something, I hear something and I still know how I
stood up and racked it. But then I sat down on the floor and I couldn't stand
back up. And so basically my L five and S one, that disc. It was so compressed.
There was like really any like cushion left there? So it was like bone on bone in
my lower spine and it was just like severely painful.
So I thought I was gonna have to drop out the competition, but I didn't want to
because I was like, this is like a once in lifetime [00:18:00] opportunity, so I
didn't drop out. And so by the time I'm thinking like, I really can't do it. It was
too late to even get an alternate. So alternate, like you had to tell them like
maybe six or eight weeks out.
Which is about when I got injured and I was like, if I say no now I could feel
better and regret it. Yeah. So I'm being closer to the competition and like my
mom sees, I can barely get outta bed. Ah, my coach, thankfully the coach that
had the time was based in New York City, so he started to see me in person a
couple times a week to help me out with moving and like trying to figure out
how I could squat and how I could deadlift with barely being able to move. But
I think I did three squat sessions leading up to the meet in the last six weeks.
Mind you, I was squatting three times a week before. So I then did six squat
sessions, period over six weeks time because I couldn't squat or go to the
bathroom without help.
Pain. Yeah. Yeah. So that was one of my biggest loads. Like I was taking time
off work too, because I couldn't like easily train my clients. And if you don't
know as a personal trainer, like there's no oh, okay, you're on leave, we'll pay
you. No, I was just not getting paid. [00:19:00] Yeah. Like canceling my
sessions, losing clients because I can't walk in to train them.
So my stress is high, and I was want, I was just like a mess. And I'm so thankful
though that something told me to compete anyways, even though I almost
dropped out. So we get to Calgary it's the day before I compete, I still feel good,
but on top of that, I had I don't know what kind of sickness I had, but it resulted
in like horrendous diarrhea for ah, this whole day before.
And I was like in and out with having a fever. Which is, I've never. Maybe
nerves too, but yeah, I still don't know what it was. Maybe Janie had
Colette Brown: something
Solana Lewis: because I'm like, I, that's the only time in my life I've ever been
like I am living in the bathroom for the next day of my life. It was horrendous.
And I remember like texting my coach and he is okay, make sure you don't take
this drug and this drug because. They're so strict about the water rules of what
you take. Like I almost took some basic over the counter medication. He was
like, yo, you'll get banned. Like you can't take it. So [00:20:00] now I'm stressed
now about what I can take and I'm like, oh my gosh.
And I get to the actual competition next day, and I'll always say, because I'm a
believer, I'll always say it was God because I had no back pain that day. And the
first day I had no back pain. Since I got injured, so I don't understand where the
back pain went. It was just gone. Wow. Like it was just gone for that day.
And I went to the competition and I was using the bathroom between each 10th,
but I got through each one and won the world championships. And I was like,
how did I do that? And going into meet, apparently I was already ranked
number one, but. Ignorance is bliss. 'cause I didn't know that much about the
sport.
Like I, when I got into powerlifting, I was like, I'm just gonna do it. Yeah. And
like I just got good. And also like Instagram wasn't as big, so like I only saw a
couple of Powerlifters, so I didn't know anything about the numbers and like
even when I got invited to World Championship, but I didn't understand what
that was.
I never heard of it. I was like, they're the world championship. Okay. Is that
legit? And he is yes. It's oh, okay. I felt like I won it. And then I learned so
much after, like I learned, like I was ranked [00:21:00] number one and
everyone was looking at me the whole time and like all the people doing math
next to the table to figure out the numbers were doing based off me.
And I was like, oh, wow.
Colette Brown: Yeah. Exactly. Thumbs up. So that's incredible. I love how you.
Found your way into the power love. So flash forward to today. You are a
podcaster. You coach clients, you are a published author. So tell us about when
was it that you decided to write a book, because that's a big thing.
When you have something to say. So tell us a little bit about it. And what
inspired you?
Solana Lewis: Yeah, so what inspired me was my now business partner, Carl
Michelle, because me and him started working together only last year when I
met him at speaker school. Yeah. And Carl himself is an author. So I remember
thinking like I just, in the last year and a half [00:22:00] I've started to think that
I can do things that I never thought about.
Like even being a keynote speaker, like that was just never on my mind. I just
tried out speak at school, and now I've done three keynotes, right? So there's just
been things where I'm like, oh, let me just go for it. So when it comes to the
book, it's actually an anthology. That's what was published most recently.
So I met Desiree at A to B Con for people who don't know what that is, even
though me and Colette were there. It's our speaking coach, Brandon, he puts on
a big conference every year called a B Con, where there's I don't know, 50
keynote speakers. It's amazing. And so I met Desiree who was in charge of the
anthology at that event, and the book is called Warrior Woman.
And what made me fall in love with the idea of it is it's all about women's
stories. It's I. If you were to pass away today, what story that changed your life
for the better, even though you had to go through hard times to get there, what
story would you want to leave? And so the book has about, I think, 18 authors
and we all share one huge impactful [00:23:00] story where we went through
something really hard, but the lessons that we learned.
Along the way helped change our lives and can impact our lives. And so my
chapter is chapter seven, my favorite number. So I was so happy to get that
chapter number. Aw. And it's honestly about the world championships. It's about
how I was, I. Got into power lifting and then I always had no confidence.
I just struggled with everything, making friends, doing well in school. I felt I
don't ever wanna call myself a loser, but I felt like I was a loser. That's the word.
I used to define myself as when I was younger. And then I got in, like into the
sport and it changed my life and my confidence. And then I actually got to go to
world championships and I won.
But like that, there were trials in the way, like I got injured. I had people saying
like that I should drop out of it because I was injured and and you're wasting
this space and opportunity for someone else. And I just trusted my gut and
trusted my coach and got into the actual world championships and won the
whole thing.
And how if I hadn't been determined to keep going, even though times were
very hard, my mental health is very low, I wouldn't have gotten there. So that's
what my chapter is about, [00:24:00] and I'm so thankful that it got published in
March. So super recent. Amazing. And then your podcast. Yes, podcast.
My podcast called The Power and Lifting. And it started in 2021. And what
inspired me to start, it was in 2020 when we were all bored and had a lot of time
on our hands. During the pandemic. I started getting heavy into powerlifting
podcast because that's the only way to really learn about the sport.
We're not really televised. There's not that now there's like more stuff on
YouTube, but we're not we're not like basketball like people don't just know
what powerlifting is, not the NBA and we're not the NBA, like you say,
powering. They say, oh, powerlifting, where you put the weight over your head.
No, paralysing is squat, bench and deadlift. That's it. We do not Olympic
weightlift. There is no snatch, there is no clean, like it's just squat, bench and
deadlift. So I started binging the two biggest paralysing podcasts and they were
both run by men and they mostly had males come on to talk. And when they had
women come on, I could just tell like the conversation was never as deep.
Like it was always more shallow and I could just [00:25:00] tell it was just
'cause the host like couldn't relate as much. I was like, oh, I'm a field. Female
powerlifter, like I can relate to these people. And so I started the podcast. At
first, I was just putting out like my coaching philosophies and just like why I
love powerlifting and how people can get into sport and things that I've learned
that helped me as a lifter and my athletes.
Which I didn't have minute at the time yet, but I had a couple athletes. I was just
toss I had 25, but I had two. I was like, yeah, my athletes plural. Okay, I just got
the second one. We do this, but then I started to invite on every female
powerlifter that was either a world champion or someone who was inspired me
and they were saying yes because they didn't really have many platforms to go
on and also.
They appreciated that I was a female, going to give them a space. And when I
would reach out to them, what was really important was I would know enough
about them already. Like I would like, binge their page Uhhuh. I would go on
open power lifting. I would see all their stats, and so I would mess with them
like, hey.
So and so I have this podcast. I love to talk to you about A, B, and C and how
you got to this result. As soon as you're doing this and this outside producting
with your career [00:26:00] and inspires me, I think the audience would love it.
So it was so that was such like a very personal dM that I think that's how I got
everyone say yes to me because like they were like, oh, she pays attention to me
because I'm telling you.
So are podcasts. I'm like, these men don't even know this about you. Like, why
don't she know that's on her Instagram? It's right there and you're not talking
about it, I got, I'm up to like episode 1 65 or 1 66 and I've done interviews with
at least a hundred women and it's been amazing.
I love it. Wow.
Colette Brown: Amazing. That's amazing. It's inspiring. And solena with your
life experience so far, what would you say are. Three key things that have made
you this resilient person that you can tell everyone so that maybe they can take
those and be inspired to implement them in their lives. Okay, so number
Solana Lewis: one, I would say.
Figure out what three to five things need to do every day to move the needle in
the right direction and don't go to sleep unless it's done. Because people
overthink and they're like, I gotta do a hundred thousand things. I wanna start a
business, so let me get the website and get the podcast and do blah, blah, blah.
And it's okay, like [00:27:00] today, my goals are I'm going to make sure I
respond to every client, get their programming done. I'm going to post
someone's on social media, I'm going to email my list. I'm going to go to the
gym and train myself so I can always practice what I preach. And then I have
one other thing that's podcast related today I have to do.
I can't remember right now, but it's like those five things are going to move the
needle coming. I took care of my athletes. That means that I put out content,
like it's not super complex. But doing stuff like that every single day has helped
me get more clients, helped me build my business, helped me stay consistent,
and people just overthink.
So three to five things, make sure that you check it off the list. Number two, I
would say. I call those non-negotiables,
Colette Brown: by
Solana Lewis: the way. Yeah. That non-negotiables. I think what does Brandon
have me hold now? I have to win the day I get to say a one if I like check off
the, accomplish each one of
Colette Brown: them.
Solana Lewis: Yeah. Yep. I would say another, a second thing is networking is
so powerful. Like you just have to do it. I still can't believe how much my life
has changed by going to the first [00:28:00] real networking event I went to,
which was Tony Pecks in like the end of 2023. That's where I met Brandon and
then I went to speaker school and then I met Carl and I started speaking and like
I've been to at least 15 networking events since then.
And I used to think that networking events were like for fancy people. Just like
people who weren't me. I was like, oh, it's four people who like already have
seven figures and they're just trying to, I don't know. I don't even know what I
thought. It's just like it's not for me and it's for everybody.
Yeah. And networking does not have to be complex either. When I first started
building my powerlifting business, I went to every single powerlifting meet that
was near me. Within an hour of me. I was at every single one. I would be either
just volunteering for free if I wasn't coaching, and I would just give people
advice if I saw it was their first meet.
And that helped me get so many local clients and people just don't think about
that stuff. Oh yeah, I have to be fancy online. But do people know you? Do you
show up to the event every single time? Yeah. Even when you know you're
gonna get $0 that day for being there because it's gonna [00:29:00] pay off.
Yeah. I need a third thing. Okay. I'll keep it simple. It's simple. Just the first one.
But just be consistent because I know a lot of people who started out coaching
within a year, they stopped. I've seen people who say they want to do public
speaking. I've literally seen them post like for a week or two, and I never seen
'em post about it again.
Ever. And I'm like, I think people think that you're gonna get stuff quickly or
easily, and I'll be transparent, like I've done three keynotes and I did not get paid
to do those keynotes. That I have done, like I've been investing to do the actual
keynotes, and this year my goal is to get paid through my first speaking gig, and
I was gonna be consistent with my posting, consistent with speaker school, et
cetera.
And I think people have assumed I've gotten paid right. And I have not. But at
the same time, I know I have goals and I will get paid to speak very soon
because I'm gonna be consistent.
Colette Brown: Yeah, exactly. I like that. Those are great. And tell us, most
importantly, [00:30:00] where can people find you? Your book, your podcast?
Solana Lewis: Yes. So you can find me on Instagram. I'm Solana,
S-O-L-A-N-A, on the score. Lyfts, L-I-F-T-S. My website's called Strength
Solutions Inc. That's where you can see everything. It's the book. You can see
my services. You'll see that on Instagram too, the first link underneath my bio.
So that's who you can find me.
Colette Brown: Okay. All right. Solana, it has been an absolute pleasure to
have you on, and one last question that I ask all my guests at the very end is if
this was the last message that you had to broadcast out to the world, what would
it be?
Solana Lewis: It would just be people underestimate. What they can do in a
year and they overestimate what they can do in a day. If you stay consistent,
you'll see results like consistency has gotten me places that I am still in shock
and I'm pretty young and I have some pretty big goals. And the goals scare me,
which I think your goals should scare [00:31:00] you.
I really do. They should. They should scare you. I know that if I stay consistent,
I'm gonna get there. I'm not, I'm gonna have some detours. It's not gonna be a
straight line. It's gonna be like a rollercoaster. It goes up and down, but I'm
gonna get there because I'm just determined and relentless.
Colette Brown: I love it.
Determined and relentless. That's good. That's a tagline. I like it for something.
Yes. All right. Solana, thank you so much. It's been a pleasure to have you. And
please, if you want to be inspired by a young power lifting athlete, that is way
more than that, by the way. Go check out Solana. Her links will be listed below
in the podcast.
And is there anything else today that you'd like to add? Solana,
Solana Lewis: just thank you for having me on. I really, I love your energy, by
the way. Whenever I near you, I'm like, oh my God, your sunshine. You're
always smiling and happy and your daughters just like you in the best way. Like
y'all both just have the best energy.
So I appreciate you.
Colette Brown: Thank you. [00:32:00] Thank you. Yeah it's beautiful to be in
your presence too. So it's a love fest over here. Yes. All right, Solana, thank you
so much. And everyone reach out to Solana, give her some love, and if this
podcast inspired you, please share it with a friend so that they can be inspired
too.
Thank you, and until next time, be well.