I Feel You, A Fortify Wellness Production
Bettina Mahoney the Founder/CEO of @atfortifywellness is a rape survivor who started her brand after struggling to not only find a therapist, but multiple mediums to heal through her trauma. Fortify Wellness is a 360 holistic platform offering therapy, coaching, fitness, and meditation on one subscription platform. We dive deep with our trailblazing guests about overcoming adversity.
I Feel You, A Fortify Wellness Production
Harnessing Creativity and Overcoming Adversity: Sherry Shamrock's Journey to Innovation and Resilience
Join us as we welcome the dynamic Sherry Shamrock, the creative force behind Fit to Cheer and the inventor of the innovative weighted cheerleading pom-poms, Pound Palms. Sherry shares her journey from collegiate cheerleader to entrepreneur, revealing how she harnessed her creativity to bring her vision to life, even utilizing game show winnings to fund her business. Despite personal challenges, including the loss of her father, Sherry remains steadfast in her mission to introduce Pound Palms to the world, with aspirations of seeing them in the 2028 LA Olympics. Sherry’s story is one of resilience and determination, highlighting the power of perseverance.
More about Sherry:
Sherry Shamrock is the Founder if FIT 2 CHEER a company specializing in the fusion of two great programs, fitness and cheerleading! She’s also the creator of the CheerKamp® exercise platform and the patented inventor of weighted cheerleading pom-poms! Her patented PoundPoms® are designed to Target, Tighten & Tone a woman’s Troubling 4T-Zone® Tummy, Tush, Thighs & Tri’s. PoundPoms® are used for fitness enthusiast, cheerleaders, and for cancer survivors to stave off lymphedema. A former collegiate cheerleader, and current fitness professional she used an unorthodox way to fund her business, through TV game shows winnings! She has appeared on ABC’s $100,000 Pyramid with Michael Strahan and played alongside Barbara Corcoran & Daymond John, ABC’s Steve Harvey’s Funderdome, You Bet Your Life with Jay Leno, and even Netflix’s Black Leads. She was also the recipient of Alibaba’s Manifest Grant, but is now working hard to position her PoundPoms® for the debut of cheerleading in the 2028 LA Olympics!
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**This information is not to be misconstrued as medical or psychological advice. Please contact your medical team if you have questions or concerns pertaining to your medical or psychological well-being. All of the linked products are independently selected, and curated by the fab Fortify team. If you love and buy something we link to, we may earn a commission.**
Welcome to I Feel you a Fortify Wellness production season seven, where we explore the real stories and strategies that help you strengthen your mind, body and soul. I'm Bettina Mahoney, your guide on this journey to a healthier, more vibrant you. Before we get started, here's a quick reminder this information shared today is for your inspiration and knowledge, but always consult a healthcare provider for any medical concerns. I am so excited to welcome Sherry Shamrock, the founder of Fit to Cheer, a company specializing in the fusion of two great programs fitness and cheerleading. She's also the creator of Cheer Camp exercise platform and the patent inventor of weighted cheerleading pom-poms. Her patent pound palms are designed to target, tighten and tone a woman's troubling 4T zone Tummy, tush, thighs and tris.
Speaker 1:Pound palms are used for fitness enthusiasts, cheerleaders and for cancer survivors to stave off lymphedema. A former collegiate cheerleader and current fitness professional, she used an unorthodox way to fund her business through TV game shows winnings. She's appeared on ABC's 100,000 Pyramid with Michael Strahan and played alongside Barbara Corcoran and Damon John, abc's Steve Harvey's Thunderdome, you Bet your Life at Jay Leno and even Netflix's Black Leads. She was also the recipient of Alibaba's Manifest Grant but is now working hard to position her pound palms for the debut of cheerleading in the 2028 LA Olympics. Please welcome Sherry Shamrock. Hi, sherry, thank you so much for joining me today. How are you?
Speaker 2:Well, I could be better, but I'm usually super duper, razzle, dazzle and you know. So this is where we are today, so I'm excited to be on this with you.
Speaker 1:Thank you. Do you want to share what's going on in your world today?
Speaker 2:Sure, most people used to see me jovial and excited and my father passed away. He had pancreatic cancer. He battled it from almost a year and unexpectedly it happened, as with everything. So I typically live in Texas and I threw and this is going to sound really funny, but we always say when you get in a rush this is a very Southern statement you just throw some drawers in a sack and you go. And I literally did that and all of my stuff that I typically would be sitting with is still in Texas and I'm in Tennessee.
Speaker 2:But my very first set of pound palms the very first set based on a design that I did myself after begging people to help me with prototypes, was sent to my mom and I happen to have them here. They are worn. She used to teach like senior line dancing and she would use them and you should see her arms are so toned and people would say how are your arms so toned? She said for my daughter's pound palms, and so so I've shot a video with the seniors you know working out with them. I have. It's just so funny because I own the name Cheer Camp, spelled with a K, and K is because it'sa kinesiology based workout, but hitting in. The guys are cheerleading and so I was telling them well, this is seniors go to cheer camp. So it was a lot of fun to see them moving and just having fun with them. Just anyone that picks them up. They just have a good time and I guess everybody wants to shake a bump bump.
Speaker 1:I love that and I grew up as a competitive dancer, so yeah, those are so fun. It would have made like the conditioning classes so much more fun having like some cute palms with you.
Speaker 2:Exactly, instead of soup cans or water bottles.
Speaker 1:Yes, so an interesting day for you. I know, I mean, I know what it's like to lose, to have a lot of loss in my life. So I'm so sorry to hear what you're going through. So sorry to hear what you're going through, and I'm curious with where you are today, when you take away all of your titles.
Speaker 2:Who are you? You know it's ironic. I've always been a daddy's girl. There's photos of my dad with fishing and I'm fishing, you know. Or how we pose on our cars, or whatever. And I am a country girl who worked hard. I've always worked hard.
Speaker 2:I'm the fourth of five kids and I always tell people yeah, they made a movie about me. I am number four because it's a movie. But I have three older sisters and a younger brother and we have worked. I know I was in third grade and we were cleaning a dentist office and my oldest sister was inspired so much by the dental practice that she became a dentist. And when I was in high school, when I say I'm number four, I'm the fourth girl.
Speaker 2:So when I was in high school I had a sister that was a senior, junior sophomore, then I was a freshman and we sold Avon, and each year the next one we graduate. Then you know you'd move up, and so when it came to working and trying to figure things out, it was something I've always, always did. Even when I was knocking on doors trying to get people to help me, I knew I could figure it out. And it's so funny how your life kind of circles. Even going through college, I worked three summers in a pencil factory to help pay for school and to help pay for being a cheerleader, and now, as I'm making pound palms, that work ethic that I had then working assembly lines helped me to help me design how I'm going to do my product.
Speaker 1:So can you dive into a little bit for me? Like you had mentioned, you had to beg people to like help you build out your prototype. Can you tell me a little bit more about that experience, what that was like for?
Speaker 2:you, um. So you know, you come up with an idea and you think, oh, this is so great. And then you think, well, I gotta one, I gotta protect it, and two, I gotta get it made, you know. And so who? How do you create a weighted pom-pom? Sounds really easy, and I started disassembling pom-poms and trying to figure out exactly how they're made, because maybe it's not anything people think about. How's a pom-pom made? And I was knocking on.
Speaker 2:I can tell you I knocked on a lot of doors and some of my material is hanging out at places because I would get ignored. And I told a friend of mine who is actually the founder of Round Rock I live in Round Rock, texas, which is a suburb of Austin. He's the founder of Round Rock Pride and I was like Richard, you need to go with me, because these men aren't talking to me. So what I want you to do is you pretend like you're the CEO and that you need it and I'm your admin, and if they ask any questions, I can just pretend like I'm looking at a note and answer, because maybe they'll talk to you. And I mean that's how desperate I became, and at the time I was working for BlackBerry just to help pay for a patent.
Speaker 2:And I was still personal training and stuff, because I've been a trainer for 30 years and I would go to every Home Depot, every Lowe's, and I was like, how do you attach plastic to steel? Because they know what's in there. I just didn't know. And some of the people gave me some great ideas. It just didn't work. When it came to, I always used to say I want to be able to see this on the store shelf, and does it look like it's homemade or does it look like it's an actual product? And eventually my husband was like, well, how come you didn't try that? And it was something I had been playing around with and it was on my garage floor. And that is how I actually came up with the design on my own.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's so interesting. Yeah, I mean, I think, as women. Unfortunately, we are not treated the same as men. And it's so interesting. I met you on the fourth of fact. I talk about them all the time because they were so helpful for me when I built out my board networking, all of the things. But you learn like I learned that two percent of women get VC funding yeah, and did you know this?
Speaker 2:point two are women of color, which means if you round that up, it's zero and you know what's interesting it.
Speaker 1:You know the grit that you have to keep moving forward. You know I I started. I grew up as a competitive dancer. Obviously we can relate as athletes where it's like we're very determined, we have tenacity, we are militant in our schedules, right, and I remember in college, um, when raped, it changed my life. I went from someone that would wake up in the morning talk about personal training and wake up in the morning at 5am. I go work out and I go to 8.30am ballet class. I went from that to being bedridden and I was depressed. I didn't want to be here anymore. I struggled and I was so upset because I felt like, why in the United States is it so hard for people to get access to health care? Yeah, is it so mystified? Why is it take an average person six months to find a therapist? And then that's why I started Fortify Wellness, hipaa compliant 360 approach to wellness therapy, coaching, fitness and meditation and one subscription platform.
Speaker 1:It's literally what I use to help me through my um, my hardships. I I've had a lot of loss. I've lost my aunt unexpectedly. I've lost many people in my family um to a point where it feels like just another day when it happens. So I understand what that feels like and the grit almost like this, like fire inside you that refuses to give up.
Speaker 1:I also understand that too. So in the beginning I had people that would just kind of like humor me but not take me seriously. Until now, until like where I'm, like I created this thing and I'm hip hook of white. It's very hard to get hip hook of white, play it. You know I understand adversity and I know you understand adversity. Unfortunately, we're recording this in a really tough time in your life. But I'm curious, like what is this chapter now? Because I think every moment to moment is different. But right now, in this chapter that you're in in this moment, how is this adversity in your life kind of shifting you into maybe a different mindset or a different approach or a different outlook on your life?
Speaker 2:So I'm going to start with. I came up with this idea in 2007. That's how long I've been working on it In 2009,. February, I was supposed to go to like seven fitness shows and I was like February is going to be the first one, and I'm just like I'm so tired. Well, I was so tired, couldn't figure out why I was so tired, and I was 41, I believe, and I was just like I need I got a cold, so I'm going to go knock this cold out.
Speaker 2:So I go to a doctor and they said, yeah, you have a little something, whatever. But do you think maybe you're pregnant? Because we don't want to give you the wrong thing. I was like no, and they said why did you say that? I'm like well, age, and I was like I have these horrible fibroids. I was told to have hysterectomy, so I'm a girl talking here. And they said, well, let's just check to make sure, because you know.
Speaker 2:So I remember sitting in the office and you know that loud clock and I remember I was thinking, wow, on the tick of a clock, your whole life can change. And she comes back in. She goes Sherry, you're pregnant. And I was like, well, how cool is that, you know, because I was told I could never get pregnant. So I knew it was going to be high risk. And the minute I leave the doctor's office, my mom just ironically happened to call me in that moment and I was like, mom, you'll never guess. And I told her she's like what, I'm yelling at my dad? And I was like my dad gets on. I'm like yeah, but it's kind of high risk. And he goes.
Speaker 2:Your cousin Mary Frances, she gave birth to a baby out in the cornfield and hatched it off with a hatchet and went back to work. You got strong genes. You got strong genes. I'm like my cousin Mary what? And so I go to the shows. And now I know why I'm so tired. It makes sense. And the first show was in Philly. It was great. They lost all my product and I'm trying to get everything shipped back. I'm heading to San Francisco in March and it was March 27th, which is a Friday. Going to San Francisco, I'm going to see a lot of friends.
Speaker 2:That Wednesday I had to go in for a special ultrasound because they wanted to see where the fibroids were, and my husband I was saying you're going to see the baby on a big 40 inch monitor. He was like, yeah, so I can go. And I said, yeah, but they really just want to check the fibroids. He's like so I'm there. And she's like, oh, you're 11 weeks and six days. I'm like, yep, and she prints the picture off, she gives it to me, we start talking and she's looking for the fibroids and she's like so what do you got plans for the weekend? I said we're going to California.
Speaker 2:I invented weighted cheerleading pom-poms and I created a fun workout to come in. And she was just talking and all of a sudden she goes oh no, oh no. We just lost the heartbeat and I don't think she would have said that out loud had we not just been talking and chatting it up. And so she said let me go get the doctor. And she goes out. He comes in, he's looking around Yep, there's the fibroid. Well, these things happen. I'm gonna call you OBGYN and see if she wants you to come over there.
Speaker 2:And he walks out of the room and then the young girl's sitting there and I remember I'm haunted by the white paper you sit on at doctor's office, for I had to go to the doctor a lot when I was younger. And so she's sitting there and she's like are you OK? Are you OK? Bless her heart. She's, she's breaking. And I remember grabbing her hands and saying I have a very strong spiritual foundation, I'm going to be OK, are you OK? And she just ran out of the room.
Speaker 2:So he comes back in. He was like yep, your OBGYN says she's got a couple more deliveries to make, so he may have to wait for a couple of hours. But here he throws pamphlets by my leg on that table with the white paper and he goes you can read about it. And he turns and he's walking out. And I remember turning and looking and he goes oh, you can get dressed. And I just felt so dirty in that moment, you know, and I remember sitting there, going, I will not break because he will not get that from me.
Speaker 2:And I had my glasses on at the time and, girl, I can't see the E on the eye chart and so I'm totally blind, right. And so I took my glasses and I put them on my forehead and I thought I'm just going to be blind as I walk out of here. And I remember opening the door and there were three ladies standing there and I thought what are they doing. They want to see me break, you know, but I now hindsight being 2020, I know they were just there in case I needed someone and all of a sudden, I had to walk down this long hallway.
Speaker 2:And as I'm walking down this long hallway, I'm thinking, how am I going to walk down this hallway? And all of a sudden, I heard my dad's voice. You got strong genes. You got strong genes and it was like he was walking me down the aisle again and he was right there with me and I made it to the front and I was like you know, do I owe anything? I'm like no, and I leave and I get in my car and I almost break. I said don't break, yet Do not break. And so I go over to my OBGYN and I get there and they're like what are you doing here?
Speaker 2:You don't even have an appointment. And I was like they lost the heartbeat. And then I broke and she, just when the ladies came out, and she just put let me go to a restroom and just kind of help me. And then I sat there for two hours amongst pregnant women and a lot of people have asked me that I feel like why this happened to me and I said, no, I remember sitting there and go, why not me?
Speaker 2:Who am I, that this can't happen to, you know? And so my OB comes in and she's like you know, tell me what we need to do. You'd have a DNC. And I said, well, I've got to go to California Friday. And so we talked about that and what could happen if I was, if it physically happened, and about that and what could happen if I was, if it physically happened. And then I drove home and I thought I've got to. I didn't want to call my husband, because why would I have him drive in the same condition I was in.
Speaker 2:And I called one of my sisters. It's a sister I shared the bed with, went to college with, lived in Atlanta with and she lost her husband several years prior. She lost her husband several years prior and she's raising, you know, two young boys. And I called her and I'm like Tina, she's like what? And I'm like, and then I don't even know. And then she's like Sherry, you got to stop crying Cause I can't understand anything you're saying. And you know, nobody can still be like a sister.
Speaker 2:And um, and so, because of the foundation of spirituality that I was raised in, I know of other lives. You know I know the destination. I know that it's inevitable right now for me is just want to be here for my mom. They were together for 65 years and so for me, the last words my father spoke to me. I was here Christmas and I gave him a kiss on his head and I said I love you, dad. I said I love you. I said you're the best dad we could ever ask for. We were fortunate. And I said, um, when I go back, I'm gonna wrap some things up and then I'm gonna come back. And because I also have a job working for the city I'm the fitness coordinator for the city and I thought I'll take some time. And he said just go live your life, go live your life.
Speaker 2:And I didn't get to come back and my focus is living my life. And it's because of him and my parent and my mom that I even have this idea. Even my design. My dad could take a Nissan car apart with a screwdriver. He taught me how to change a tire in under 15 minutes. I social worked here in Tennessee after I graduated college and, thank God he taught me how to change a tire because I was having blowouts all the time. So I got good genes where I am and those, those words live, go, live your life. And and that's what my plan is to honor him and my mom wow, thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Speaker 2:I understand how, like I really understand how hard that is you know, uh, what I have learned is if you can share your stories, you're not, you're not unique. We all have our, our woes. But maybe if I share mine and make someone, make it a little bit easier for them to share theirs and to help heal. I think I'm also an LCSW, so I think, knowing like I can recognize what emotional state I'm in, and I was telling my mom, I said you know, allow yourself to mourn. I know people like well, how's your mom Like? She's heartbroken, she's lost a limb, practically. You know, someone's been with her since she's 15. My mom will be 80 in May. So I'm like, give yourself permission to feel bad, to kick and scream and whatever. No matter what you go through, everyone has a right to to their woe, in whatever situation it is.
Speaker 1:I agree, and it's almost like we're afraid to have our emotions. There's this culture, especially on social media, because most of the demographic is Generation Z or even moms, and it's like a comparison show yeah, who's more productive than the other? And there's no award for burnout.
Speaker 1:No, no than the other and there's no award for burnout, no, no. And you know, I try to be really in tune with what I'm feeling and thinking and, especially in the midst of a launch, you understand that you're going and you're going and you're going and you're also really tired. And wisdom to know the difference, like when is it time to take a break, even if that means for 15 minutes or an hour? Yeah, always easy, but it always stems from self-love. There are moments in my life that I just let myself get burned out or I didn't ask for help when I should have, and that was lack of self-love that I had for myself. That I will never do to myself ever again. That I had for myself. That I will never do to myself ever again.
Speaker 1:And I think when you're younger, you think, when certain things in your life happen to you, that it's the end of the world, that it won't get better. But that's not true. It does get better and I love that mantra that you said in your head down the hallway. It's so hard to get to that point and it's so inspiring to me all these women that we have on here that have that like righteous fire inside of them to never give up. I know you said your dad and your, like your parents in general, gave you that, but you know, as you know, you have choices in life like to submit to the adversity or overcome it. What is another factor, do you think, in your life that gives you this like will to just never give up?
Speaker 2:uh, I remember I, when I was in first grade. I remember the school teacher. She left the room and she said Sherry, I want you and Carl to help anyone who needs help. So I'm over helping a girl. I can still see the math problem in my head. You know you wouldn't have one like this anymore. So there's a hunter and he's shooting mallard, ducks down and they're like five in the sky and it's finding the V. And there's three here. If he shoots two more down, how many would it have? And I'm helping her and all of a sudden I hear what are you doing? And I turned and I looked what are you doing? And I turned and I looked and it was the teacher and she said you're not supposed to have those students. You're not smart enough to have those students. You're only supposed to have those students. And she pointed to the only two black kids in the class. Um, for whatever reason, I got a stamp and every I went to I had teachers telling me I was dumb. And I remember my mom. I remember they wanted to hold me back. I remember holding my mom's hand and she said she's got three other sisters that she learns from. And I just, my mom gave me gumption in ways that I can't even tell you.
Speaker 2:I grew up in a very small town in Tennessee, 45 minutes from the home of the original KKK, and I remember we were driving through one of the towns one day and the Klan were standing out of light handing out pamphlets. And we drive through and go to the next town and we were going shopping for school and my mom goes. I sure hope they're still there when I go back through there, you know. And so here it is, five kids in the station wagon and we come back through, my mom lets the window down and she has a dollar bill and she's hanging it out the window how much for one of those pamphlets. And I'm in the back, you know, the very back of the station wagon. I'm looking out the window and he's like this, just looking around. You know he's got his hood up, just looking around. She said how much. You know she realize how powerful that is as a kid, but I can tell you when you see them it's very it. It does something to your soul to see these guys and he ignoring her.
Speaker 2:Yeah, oh he wasn't, he was just. He was just looking over the station wagon, he was looking around, wouldn't even, you know, make eye contact with her. That gumption right there. I can't even explain it. I mean, maybe I don't have to, but I remember having teachers eighth grade, high school, college telling me I was dumb. I mean incredible, right, but deep down I knew I wasn't. I knew I wasn't. And now I have a patent. I mean, you know, it's the craziest thing I've never cheered until it's very hard to get by the way.
Speaker 1:A patent is very hard to get, very hard to get by the way A patent is very hard to get.
Speaker 2:Nightmare 2007 to 2019.
Speaker 1:I will say that I not the same thing, but I grew up with a nonverbal learning disability and I got diagnosed when I was nine and I went to a Catholic high school a Catholic elementary school, rather and they said you know, we can't help you. So I went to a public school. They tried to hold me back in third grade and my dad was a lawyer was like no, you're going to, you're going to teach her, you're not going to hold her back because you don't, you aren't aware how to teach neurodivergent people. And again, like you, it wasn't because I wasn't smart. I think I'm very smart, I think you're very smart. We just I think differently. So I was bullied, like most people are.
Speaker 1:In middle school, went to high school Catholic high school. I loved it. It was all women. We learned all about women empowerment. I loved it. And I had this biology teacher that told my father she doesn't belong here, she's not smart enough. And in every other class I was getting an A. In this class I was really struggling biology. I wonder why, right? And I had so much anxiety.
Speaker 1:And again, because I grew up as a competitive dancer, I again had this tenacity. I would wake up early, I'd go get extra help from him, go through school I would get extra help. After school I would go to dance. I'd come home and do my homework and go to bed. That was because I wanted to do well and that type of static, that noise just became noise for me.
Speaker 1:I had someone that said, oh, you're not smart enough to go to college, you should go to community college. This SAT tutor and I ended up graduating with two degrees with honors, moved to New York, opened up a dance workshop, a triple threat dance workshop dance, voice and acting. And now here I am talking to really inspiring people like you. And it just became noise. It just became the music and the tune to the work that I do today. And I used to never talk about my learning disability because people are prejudiced of it. People have a certain perception of what that means and, like you telling your story, someone might hear that and go wow me too. Thank you, it's so nice feeling seen.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and not embarrassed by it, you know, because it's the scars that we carry. You know, yes, and you know, even when I social worked, I specialized in child sex abuse and you know I can spit you statistics and everything and like one in three women, sexual abuse. One sign of sexual abuse in women is obesity. One in four men. One sign of sexual abuse in men is fire starting. And I'm thinking one in three women, you know, and I hadn't had any experience.
Speaker 2:And then I remembered something, something so minor, and I was like, wow, I was working at a church daycare in college and there was a half door and someone came and I was over the infants and I'm about to date myself with what I'm about to say, and so I'm going to find humor in everything. Okay, I can't help myself. And so there's a fireman, he comes in and I am over infants to six months and I'm holding one of the babies and this guy, he comes to the door and he says, excuse me, do you know? He gives the name of the child he was looking for. He's telling me he's Godfather and I'm here to pick him up. And I was like, oh yeah, yeah, you have to show ID and everything. But we're in the last room and I'm leaning forward like this and he says, oh, thank you. And he takes his hand and he reaches. I had on a v-neck sweater and a dickie. Do you know what a dickie?
Speaker 2:is no, I don't you ever watch um Christmas Vacation? Okay, if you've ever watched lamb lamb poons christmas vacation with chevy chase and he's got the brother-in-law, cousin eddie, and they walk into the room after cousin eddie's looking like you know cousin eddie, and he comes in.
Speaker 2:He's got on a v-neck, a white v-neck sweater and a black turtleneck and I'm thinking, oh, he's not that bad, but if you look closely it's not a turtleneck, it's a mock turtleneck. And then you, you can see the square, a black square, coming through the sweater. Well, that little square with the turtleneck, it's, it's a dickie. And so it's a turtleneck that has a flap on each side, so it's not the full thing, it just emulates one Right? So I had one on, so I'm going to say so, it came from that, like the 80s. And so I'm wearing this dickie and he takes his hand and he reaches into my v-neck sweater, squeezes me and says thank you and walks off and I'm holding a baby right now.
Speaker 2:Had I not been holding that baby, I probably would have knocked him. And so here I am, learning statistics and everything and it. It was a while before I connected that dot and I'm like, wow, I'm, I'm part of that statistics. You know, even something as minor as that, that man had no right to do that to me and he was a firefighter. I'm thinking, I look back and I'm thinking, how many other people has he? Just I mean so not, I mean there's people in the hallway and whatever, and he just it's daunting right, it's daunting to go.
Speaker 1:Wow, I'm a statistic like you don't, you don't think it will happen to you until it does? Yeah, you know and and it's you obviously you've healed and you know, you've worked on yourself and you're self-aware of why you feel the way that you do. I wanted to punch him.
Speaker 2:I'm mad that I didn't, you know, but I'm holding a baby and the fact that he took advantage of that moment and that he had a right to even touch me that way. You know, I mean I've had other experiences but you know, you work through all your experiences in your head. I've never felt guilty on anything. I've helped a lot of women through a lot of stuff. I've gone through stuff, and I know I've gone through stuff. So that could help other people and yeah and that's how you got to.
Speaker 2:That's your healing, isn't it?
Speaker 1:well, I think women, we serve others and then you have to put on the oxygen mask on first to, yeah, serve yourself and heal in a meaningful way where you're like this thing doesn't trigger me anymore. Yeah, and I'm actively doing that and I'm so and I feel so much better than I did years ago and I just want that for other people because you know life can get better. You know you don't have to sit in that pain and I also spoken to the universe years ago. You know I'm giving you that trauma right back to you, to that man that reached me like that was never mine to bear to begin with and that was the beginning of me just letting it go. Not letting it go, but releasing all of the energy and all the trauma that meant to be mine to begin with.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's very hard to do and I'm so. I feel so happy that you're here with me right now, because I know you're going through a lot and I'm curious. I always ask this question. It's like a nice little bow, but in one word, what do you want to leave as a legacy?
Speaker 2:It's ironic. I was telling my mom last night. I said I don't, I don to leave as a legacy. It's ironic. I was telling my mom last night. I said I don't really have a legacy because I have no children and my niece. And then my mom was like, well, how are you defining legacy, right? So here you are asking me that question. The legacy I want to leave is kindness.
Speaker 2:One time someone said I had to go pick something up, that somebody had left something for me and I walk in. I was like, hey, I'm sure. They said, oh, we know who you are. And I was like, oh, ok. They said yeah, you're going to come in here. She said she described you. She's going to have wild hair and a big smile. And I was like, really, and when I was in third grade I was the only little black girl in my class. I got teased. You know, here we go and I remember crying. And my mom said Sherry, always keep a smile on your face. That way no one ever knows what you're thinking. And I have had people tell me you smile all the time. I don't even know I'm smiling half the time Fit to cheer.
Speaker 2:When I came up with this name. I told people obviously it's fitness and cheerleading. But fit to cheer is not just about being fit to look like a cheerleader, but it's also being fit to cheer yourself on, because sometimes baby, ain't nobody but you and you got to lift yourself up and you got to lift yourself up and that's I've had to lift myself up, you know, just through this journey of entrepreneurship. So I think anyone it's daunting. Oh, I want to be a business person. I want to have my own business. I've heard people say that I want to be an entrepreneur. I said I never did, I never wanted to be an entrepreneur. But when I came, when this idea came to me, I couldn't sleep and I was like I couldn't do anything with it and I had to do something with it and I would have. I thought the most challenging part would be paying for a patent. The most challenging part is maintaining perseverance during times when you're ready to give up because it is literally, oh, super high drop.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, and in the seven seasons you're the first person that I say you know what? Whatever to the questions, we're just going to go with it. We're going to go with the flow. You're so special, your story is so special and I'm so happy that we got to connect Me too, and I love, love what you're doing.
Speaker 2:Thank you, love what you're doing. I'm sure we'll collaborate.
Speaker 1:I mean, there's so many. I'm already thinking of ways.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I started teaching a meditative stretch class for seniors and a lot of widows and you see a need and you feel it. It was like I was teaching, like they wanted to hit class and I was like you just had two weight training classes back to back, you need to stretch. And that stretch class became a meditative, meditative stretch class and at the end I would tell people at the beginning I said now, listen, you're going to feel really guilty. If you knew, don't look at the clock. I'd say now, listen, you're going to feel really guilty.
Speaker 2:If you're new, Don't look at the clock. I've got someplace I need to be, so I'll get you out of here in time. But you're going to feel so guilty that you're going to look at the clock and every single person. The first time I would do that and I think because, as women, oftentimes we think, oh, I've got to do this, I's time to get up, and they like just lay there for a second and then finally like, wow, it was like, yeah, you got permission to exhale just for this 45 minutes. So you know.
Speaker 1:Thank you, you allowed me to exhale. So thank you Good, here we are Right. Thank you for listening to. I Feel you a Fortify Wellness production, where we empower mind, body and soul to reach new heights. Your wellbeing is your greatest strength. Nurture it, honor it and watch yourself thrive. If today's episode inspired you, subscribe, share your thoughts in the comments and come back next week for more insights to elevate your journey. Stay empowered, stay true and remember you're not alone. I Feel you is a Fortify Wellness production. All rights reserved, 2025.