BrightIAM
Hosted by Lucy Black, BrightIAM brings you real conversations with the people doing bold, brilliant things for good causes.
Each episode lifts the lid on what it really takes to build campaigns that make a difference - from comms and creativity to courage and community.
BrightIAM
Annie Murray - Online Fitness Coach 'The Champagne Series'
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Annie grew her online business on insta - from 0 to over 500,000 followers. This powerhouse woman has developed an app, teaches midlife women how to be strong and look after their bodies and has remained the most gorgeous human throughout her development in business and online.
There are tips on how to grow old and stay strong, stories on starting and plenty of laughs and reminiscing along the way. Meet Annie - I love her, a friend for life and someone I truly admire.
Pour a glass, sit back and enjoy a conversation between Lucy Black @lucyblack_official and the wonder of a woman Annie Murray @anniesfitnesssteyning on insta.
This is 🎙️BrightIAM - The Champagne Series 🥂
The Champagne Series is a bold, unfiltered podcast where powerful women come to tell the truth and share their stories - not the polished versions, the real ones.
Set in a beautiful, high-energy space, each conversation blends honesty, humour, and depth as we uncover the stories behind the success, the struggles no one saw, and the moments that changed everything.
It’s a celebration of self-expression, resilience, and women who chose to do life on their own terms - with a glass of champagne (or non-alcoholic alternative) in hand and nothing held back.
Filmed at The Podcast Room Brighton @PodcastRoomBrighton
Hello and welcome back to Bright I Ams, the Champagne series. So I've got a very dear friend of mine here today. It's the wonderful Annie. Annie, thank you for joining us.
SPEAKER_01Oh, you're so welcome. I can't wait for this. I know, I'm like this.
SPEAKER_00I feel like I'm gonna pop. Like, seriously. I'm excited, honestly. It's brilliant. So you are very well known because you've built an empire, a platform, and you are helping women become the healthiest versions of themselves in midlife, predominantly in that age range. That's right. And you've done that mainly through Instagram. And I think that perhaps to start with, for people who are listening to this broadcast, who are you? What are you passionate about? And how did this all start?
SPEAKER_01Oh bless you, gosh. Well, it didn't start until I was about 47, actually. I've always been into exercise, loved exercise. Um, but when I was 47, I decided I used to be a computer programmer and I developed websites, I built my own little business, so I was doing that. Anyway, I just got a bit sick of sitting down all the time, and I wanted to get more active, and I just thought I'm gonna have a change of career. And I thought, do you know, I've always been into exercise and I'm so passionate about it, and I thought, yeah, I can do this. I I'd like to do this, so I'd like to have a go at it. So yeah, and it it's weird because at the same time I decided to give up alcohol because that wasn't serving me. Okay, so you were 47, yeah, and it was all change, it was a time of change. Very much so. And uh I was in perimenopause, which I completely wasn't aware of, and this started probably way back in my early 40s, and um things start to change and hormones start affecting you, and uh before I knew it, um alcohol was one thing that my body didn't seem to be able to tolerate anymore. And I was a social drinker, you know, I didn't have a problem or anything. But what I found was is that if I was going out um the next day I'd feel very anxious, uptight, you know. I I just I couldn't put my finger on it, but yeah, I just didn't like the feeling.
SPEAKER_00And was that a new thing then, Annie? So you'd you know, I know it's a little like going out partying in our 20s, our 30s, or whatever. It was kind of in your 40s that it started to make you feel a little different.
SPEAKER_01Definitely, yes. And it was the next day um that I started having these symptoms of anxiety, and and during the night, obviously, you know, sweats and restlessness and all of those things. I never slept very well, and that became a real problem in perimenopause as well. So the alcohol wasn't helping with any of that, but the anxiety was was really not very nice, it was a bit frightening, really. Um, so I decided I'm gonna try and not drink uh and see if that helps with these symptoms. So at the same time, uh so I gave up drink. I thought I'd have a go at it, and it was January, and I just well, December actually. I thought I'm just gonna try the hardest time of my life. And it was Christmas, that was it, Christmas time, 10th of December. And um, yes, and I stopped, uh, and and then it kind of I don't know, I just started feeling so good, uh, and I decided not to go back.
SPEAKER_00So, like a clear ahead, and you didn't obviously have any of that anxiety the next day because you're not drinking.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, okay, that's really good. Changed my life, to be honest. It was incredible. I it wasn't easy, it was very hard because it's socially very, very acceptable. So I felt very uncomfortable, first of all. That Christmas was so weird, you know. Normally on Christmas Day, Levenses is a glass of champagne with the family, you know, a few nibbles. So all of that was taken away, and it felt really like I didn't have a I don't know, I felt naked. That's the only way to say it. And you know, when I went out, it was Christmas time, and I'd be like, no, I I'm not drinking, and everyone was kind of like, Why not? That's strange, you know. I felt really uncomfortable, but I pushed through. I did I was determined to push through this, and I thought, no, I'm gonna carry on because I know how I feel the next day, and I feel great.
SPEAKER_00Take ownership of that, Annie. That's hard actually, and I think um we were reflecting a little bit earlier on. I know that actually it's more socially accepted not to drink nowadays, but this was what eight years ago, nine years ago?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so when I was 47, um, so yeah, uh uh nearly nine years ago now, so it'd be nine years in in December, December the 10th of this year. So yeah, back then it was kind of like you know, I don't know, it was unusual not to drink. Um it's a bit more socially acceptable now, which is which is great.
SPEAKER_00It's brilliant. It is brilliant, and I think that maybe the reason it's um it can feel uncomfortable for other people when they are drinking is it kind of makes them look at their choices. And I think this is maybe the psychology behind it, but ultimately this was a positive health move that you did for you, and then that opened up your PT trading part.
SPEAKER_01It did. I mean, part of it was that um, you know, when you stopped something like that, a huge habit that you know I was socially I was a social drinker. I looked back for probably for about 32 years and you know, loved a party, uh, loved dancing on tables. I loved it.
SPEAKER_00You look good on a table. Yeah. Actually, I think the last time you were on a table, you weren't even drinking.
SPEAKER_01Oh no, no, yeah, I do that now. I'm still on the table, but I don't fall off it now. But yeah, no, so when you kind of like, I don't know, um, I I took that out of my life anyway, because uh I wanted to start doing things um that were healthy and that helped me with my perimenopausal symptoms. So one of the things that I chose to do was give up drinking. And at the time I thought, you know what, I I need to do something else to fill my time and learn something new as well. And at the same time, I was kind of I wanted to be more active, so I decided to study and become a personal trainer.
SPEAKER_00And this wasn't just out plucked out of the air because it's a real interest, a passion of yours, fitness first, looking at how you can work alongside with your body rather than against it, and you'd been an advocate person doing classes and and um you know fitness sessions your whole life. That's where we met together at Palates years ago. Yeah, so you've retrained and you've decided you want to be a PT, a physical trainer. Yeah, and how did you start that?
SPEAKER_01How did you start? I look back and I think, how did I do that? Because I was actually one of the most unconfident people, I think. I I used to be absolutely terrified of standing up in public, even having a meeting at work, you know, with more than five people, I'd be so nervous. I'd be like a bag of nerves. And I was always the quiet one, and I didn't want to speak up, and I'd be like, ooh, and uh it was so interesting and empowering because I always thought that drink gave me confidence, but I only found out after when I stopped, actually the confidence was always there, and it was perhaps taking it away that it did, yeah, yeah. So when I stopped, I actually became confident. This confidence I've always longed to have, and so weird. So, but I didn't find that out until I'd stopped drinking.
SPEAKER_00And your PT sessions. So I came to some of your early classes when you had them um in like sports halls. We were everywhere. We were in car parks, I think. We were all over the place. But you weren't shy about shouting the orders then, Annie. I mean, I don't like cardio. You had me going up and down.
SPEAKER_01I would honestly, but the going right back to when I first started, I I always had a passion for circuit training. I loved circuit training because I'm a Gemini and I love variety. And I think the thing is with a circuit training class, you can just mix up the exercises every single week, and it's just the variety is absolutely incredible. So I thought I'm gonna do circuit training. Yeah, so off I went to buy some kit. Yeah, you can pull it all out on your own. It was hard grass. Yeah, we were living in Hove at the time, which was a way away from Stenin, 10 miles, and um I would load my car up with all this stuff, then drive to like a playground, a hall, or just a field. We did it, I did it everywhere, basically, anywhere I could do it. Um, and set up so then it would take me about half an hour to set everything up. Like when I did it on the field, dogs would come up, they'd pee all over my equipment, but little bells would have it. It was hilarious, and then I'd have one person turn up. Oh, Annie. I remember my very first session, and I was so excited. And that's when I went into a hall, and I was so excited. I went into this hall and um advertised it. I had a board, I spent money on advertising, one person turned up. Bless her, and I was just over the moon, yeah, over the moon. It cost £15 to hire this place, and I charged five pounds for the 50-minute session, so I was out of pocket straight away, but it wasn't about that, it was about actually starting somewhere and and doing it. Um, and oh my goodness, I felt so good and fulfilled at the end of that session, and she said to me, That is just amazing. She was the sweetest girl, and she went back and she put on Facebook a real a shout-out to me. And how kind is that? I that was just I'll never ever forget that. That was my first kind of session in the hall, and one person turned up. Anyway, from there, then suddenly it kind of people found out about it, and then it grew to like suddenly 20 people. Oh, you got very popular very quick. I did, yes, but it's interesting because going back to the the person that I was very timid and kind of you know, and very shy, and I hated public speaking. I think it goes back to my childhood and being made to read in class. I was terrified of any of that. But it's hilarious, and then um but then suddenly I had all these people in this class, and I was like, and then suddenly I thought, oh god, I'm nervous, I'm not, but do you know what? That's another thing. I just I thought I've got to do it, I've got to push through, I've got to push through this uncomfortable barrier. Yeah, push through. And if you I learned so much from that, and I used to stand up and talk in front of all these people, but not just talk, instruct and make sure everyone had the right form, no one was injuring themselves. And it was I just can't believe I did it. And um I just think wow, it from that I just learnt such a lesson, you know, in life that you do have to push through that comfort zone, you really do, and you have to do hard things to break through that barrier. Yes, and I just didn't realise how strong I was really until I actually put myself in that situation and did it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and how interesting like a lot of people who have come onto the show here, it's happened in those mid-years. It's happened at a time in your life where you're, I think we finally find out who we are in our 40s. Absolutely. And we start accepting ourselves and pushing ourselves because we then say, okay, what else can I do? I know. So talk to us, Annie, about um your um posting at the time. And I know we mentioned it earlier, we're just grabbing a coffee, but you started posting on socials on Instagram, you'd had your Facebook review from the nice girl who turned up, and you were doing your, you know, this is me and my class. How did that grow? How did that happen? How did you get such a following and such like an army of people that are following you and believing you and what you do?
SPEAKER_01Well, it started off me, I think it was on Facebook, had my Facebook account, and I started posting on there just simple things like, Oh, we had a great class tonight, you know, it was lovely to see everyone, and uh, they were all worked so hard, well done, you know, and it went on like that for a few years, and then I set up an Instagram account, thought do that as well. And then um something kind of took over, and I I suddenly realised what I was that I was doing all these things for me, and maybe I should be sharing my journey actually, because that it is quite interesting what I've done.
SPEAKER_00So inspiring for me.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and I think, gosh, if I could help, you know, just one person who's going through midlife, who's going through menopause, and just tell them about my story of what I've done to help me. Yeah, and what you've discovered on that journey. Oh god, yeah, definitely. Because I've discovered so much. Because the, you know, the first thing was giving up alcohol, and it was all really to try and help my perimenopausal symptoms. So that was the first thing, and then I started strength training, proper strength training with progressive overload, and I was 50 when I did that, and then I went on to give up sugar and ultra-processed food, and then at 51. So, all these kind of things, these were the biggest pillars of my of my life that shaped the direction that I went in, really, and that got me to where I am now. But yeah, so those three things, and I thought, do you know what? I'm gonna start sharing my journey because it may well help someone.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and you as who you are. Now, that's the other thing I want to say. Yeah, because there's plenty of people on socials who are sharing their journey, and it's not really their journey, it's the highlights, and it's the you know, the the new plastic surgery and the this and that, and that's fine. Everybody needs to do them, but with you, Annie, you are Annie. You're the same Annie I knew 15 years ago. You just happen to have more toned arms. Thank you, guns. Yeah, get the guns out for the camera. We love the guns, come on the guns, we're gonna have an arm wrestle in a minute. She's gonna win. I love an arm wrestle. Being your real authentic self, but doing it online. Now, actually, when you started a few years back doing it properly on Insta and putting yourself out there and your story, it wasn't so um mainstream. There weren't so many people doing it, I don't think. Not in our group, in ourselves.
SPEAKER_01No, not in the 50s, you know, the women, and I think that was the thing, you know. Um, yeah, I think I was a little bit unique. There are amazing women in their 50s doing that, don't get me wrong. Yes, and uh, but I just yeah, I wanted to kind of really promote that, that fitness isn't just for the younger generation, you know, and you can do these things like strength train and do all these things, you know, you can start at any age and get strong. And I really wanted to promote that.
SPEAKER_00Really important that women can understand and appreciate that no matter what stage of life they're in and what condition their body is in before babies, after babies, older age, whatever, you can get stronger and you can take control of that. So I had um the beautiful guest, Maxine Laceby, who I mentioned earlier in the podcast room here, recording a session. And after our session, she was saying that she's been doing a lot of running and she's gonna do some more strength training. So obviously, instantly I said, Oh, you need to learn to speak to my friend Annie. So um obviously told her your name, went back home, she already follows you. Oh that's great. So yeah, I hit her up. I said, You're already following her. And she was saying about building muscle. And I think the general the thing that I love about your messaging, Annie, and I mean it sincerely, is it's about being strong to support yourself in your future. So just talk us around that because we all think it's like, you know, oh, we want to look all good. Looking good is great, but what you can do to your body to support your future, what does that mean to you?
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness. I mean, I go back and use my mum's example, you know, because she was 63 when she was diagnosed with osteoporosis. Okay, is that bad? And I'll never forget that. And yeah, so it's brittle bones where yeah, your bones become brittle and weak and they become easy to break. Um, and I remember she, my brother, bless him, he just gave her a hug one day and broke, I think it was a couple of ribs, and not even squeezing tight, but she was literally 63. Oh now that's I mean, I'm 56, so that's not long. And you know, I just think good grief. I I want to be strong. Yeah, I want to be strong when I'm older, and I want to. I guess it's going back to my children. I want to be around for my grandchildren, I want to pick them up. Yeah, because I remember my mum couldn't pick up my children.
SPEAKER_00Wow.
SPEAKER_01And I just thought I want to pick the children, I want to pick my grandchildren, I want to take them to the beach, I want to play sandcastles with them. You know, it suddenly became more about what I wanted my future to look like in 10, 20 years. I didn't want to be this weak, frail person. I want to be strong and living a fulfilled life for as long as I possibly can. I love it. Because, you know, the thing is with medication nowadays, you can go on and on and on. Yeah, it's wonderful. But there's living a long life and living a healthy life is two very different things. And I want to live a healthy life. Yeah, I want to be strong, and I want to live life to the full. You know, if I can't do that, I know I'll be miserable.
SPEAKER_00If you get to your 70s, mid-70s, say, and you've not looked after your body, and then you've got another 20, 15, 20 years of having frail, thin skin, no muscle mass, brittle bones, brittle bones. So you're at home, you're living for longer, you've got your retirement, but you can't do anything. Lift things up, you can't get up them stairs. All you can do is sit in a chair. Oh no.
SPEAKER_01I don't want that. No, I would rather not be here. Yeah. I want to live a fulfilled life. Yeah. And I think that's where strength training comes in because you know, you're looking after your muscles, which look after your bones, you know, you're looking after your cardiovascular health.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01You know, all of those things. You've got to have a mix of strength training and cardio. You do have to do your cardio. Oh, and you don't tell me that I don't like cardio. I know, but like simple walking, you know, walking I can do, yeah. Fantastic, you know, and an incline on a treadmill. You know, if people come to me and they say, Oh, I just don't like cardio. I just walk, walk. Okay, well, I'll know, but walk with a nice fast pace, yeah, you know, go on a treadmill 30 minutes on an incline of 12.
SPEAKER_00In your posts, you wear a weighted vest sometimes, don't you? I do like a weighted vest.
SPEAKER_01That's bad. Yeah, only because it just enhances, well, you it enhances the load that you're putting on your legs, so it helps with leg strength, you know. My legs feel really quite strong, not just from lifting the weights, but I think it's the walking as well. I walk with quite a fast pace. I'm, you know, my dog bless it. I was gonna say, I'll just Reggie gets away. No, no, he just looks at me and sits down and refuses to come. So I think, right, I'll do my walk, then I'll go back and walk the dog. Oh, is that I mean all of these things take time.
SPEAKER_00Well, you know what dogs I've got. I've got, yeah, a bit of a chunky pump. So I've tried to make her trot the other day. Well, you can imagine what she said, which other face was on it.
SPEAKER_01Honestly, he's so funny. And Reggie knows because I put my weighted vest on, and he's like that, and he'll go see like cowering on the chair next to him, and he just knows I'm not going, I'm not going with mum, I'm just not. I'm not doing that to say, look, it's okay. All right, I'll come back and walk you after Reggie.
SPEAKER_00You can hear me. Oh, I love it, Annie. I love it so much. Poor dog. So talk to us as well because there's so much that you've got, so much information that we all want to give, honestly. The other side from the strength training and obviously cutting different things out, like the alcohol, another thing that you're an advocate for, and you've actually you share so many wonderful tips on Insta is nutrition. Oh, yes, and how that can support us when I mean I'm hormonally, all my things are changing, and I know my sister and many friends. There's different things we can eat that are going to help us during this period of time.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, it's all to do with estrogen and how our hormones affect um our bodies as we get older. Menopause, I've learned so much from finding things out for myself, really. And estrogen is such a powerful hormone, it's uh anti-inflammatory. So um that's one big thing, and it protects our brain, it protects our heart. It's an incredible hormone, actually, estrogen.
SPEAKER_00So, estrogen is what drops down during perimenacle, so that it fluctuates the levels, but we generally start having less estrogen.
SPEAKER_01Well, that's what What um menopause is all about, we start to lose the yeah, the the hormone in our system, so it depletes, depletes, and that's you know, eventually then um yeah, there's not much left. So, yes, so that is effectively what menopause is. So as a result, your body changes hugely, and going through pen perimenopause and where it gets depleted all the time, it's those symptoms, really. It's the lack of it's your body changing the lack of estrogen. So, yeah, so you know, I I didn't realise this, and I'd never even heard of perimenopause when I was going through it. So um I went on to HRT when I was 50 and I'd already been in menopause, so had stopped ovulating for about six months. Okay, yeah, but it can this it can affect everyone differently.
SPEAKER_00Everyone's got their own path and their own journey with it, yes.
SPEAKER_01It's very, oh, it's such a a tricky phase to navigate through, and everyone's symptoms are very, very different. So for me it was like sleep, um the anxiety, and you know, um, yeah, just uh the sleep mania, but low moods. Oh, the moods, and uh I hate to say it, but I did go to the doctor at some point, I think it was like early on in my beginning, um my early 40s, and I went to the doctor, and um I love the NHS by the way, but I told her about these symptoms and and um she prescribed um antidepressants. I've heard this before. Yeah, so I hate to say it, but so I went away and I thought, oh god, I don't know whether I want to take those, but I did. I took one and I felt really odd and I stopped. And that's when I went on this journey of trying to find of self-help, really. Okay. Um so the alcohol, yes, I was finding I wasn't able to, my body wasn't able to cope with the alcohol anymore. Um, it was causing anxiety and restless sleep and all of those things. Yeah, and my night sweats were awful. Um, so I stopped that and that really, really helped. Brilliant. Um, so then as a result of giving up alcohol though, I became uh kind of, I suppose, addicted to sugar. Sugar, because of the sugar in alcohol, I was missing that. So my Friday night went from like having a few glasses of wine to suddenly having like a feast of like chocolate and kind of click click and I'd just be like, oh, come on, bring it on. So I'd be watching a film, scoff, scoff, scoff, and then the next day, oh my god, I felt I started feel really awful.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because it makes you feel bloaty, doesn't it? If you have too much sugar, like it's the water retention and all that comes. It was just like waking up, but like a sugar, it was like a sugar hangover.
SPEAKER_01So you were having like a crash from that? Yeah, massive crash, massive blood sugar crash and headaches and all of these things, and I was thinking, what the heck is going on now? I haven't even had any drink. Yeah. So then we were in lockdown, and I did this um with my fitness group. We were all kind of twiddling our thumbs, and I said, I know, why don't we give up sugar for a month? They were last sleep. Oh, for goodness sake, she called it a month off because you know, on the uh green or at the school. Oh sweet out. So yeah, oh, it was funny. And um, oh, what did I call it? Oh, I called it brilliant, I can't remember now. Oh, it will come to me in a minute. But anyway, I set this little WhatsApp group up and I said, who's in? So they all joined, a few joins, and um, yeah, anyway. Then I as a result, I I was doing research. I thought it was just giving up cakes, biscuits, chocolates, you know. Yeah. My god, how wrong I was. I suddenly started reading about sugar, and you know, and then there were so many different names um of sugar that uh in food, in processed and ultra-processed food. So, you know, I started to learn how to read food labels and recognise the sugar in different foods. So ultras, dextros, you know, sucrose, all types of syrups. There's about 60 odd names of sugar, processed sugar in food. Um, so yeah, so it wasn't just a matter of giving up sugar that you thought was cakes, sweets, etc. It was cutting out all the processed sugar in different foods and what's food labels and stuff like that.
SPEAKER_00Looking into the um when you were doing your research back then, and what would probably surprise people listening, where is sugar then in the in all the other food? I've heard that it's in bread.
SPEAKER_01Oh goodness, it's oh it can be in bread. So, you know, the white plastic bread you buy in supermarkets that you know, I mean I'm look at that bread and it's got a shelf life of nearly six months. Yeah. And you think, What how come that's got you know, no proper bread is gonna last that long if it's a good bread from the bakers or something, it does it goes off quickly, doesn't it? Yeah, so it's normally full of preservatives and you know, whatever in this in this bread. So, yeah, so I mean, sugar is in all sorts, it's in a lot most things to be honest, and you know, jars of this, jars of that, savory things, you know. I mean, it's in everything, sugary cereals. I mean, usually that you think is gonna be healthy, health bars, you know. That you all you have to do is turn over. I don't read the traffic light system on the front, really. It's kind of nonsense. I turn it over and I look at the food ingredient list, and if it's got a paragraph of ingredients, and I think, what the heck is that? I can't even say that word. What is that? Right. So it's the it's not just the sugar, it's the additives, it's the gum, it's the stabilizers, the preservatives, the sweeteners, all of these things. Um you know, things that I I don't even know what they are, what are they? I don't know what they are. So then, yeah, so it became this journey. Well, it sounds like suddenly I realised actually to avoid all this stuff, all these additives and preservatives in food, it was actually easier just to cook your own food. Okay. Single ingredients, you know what's going into it. A tomato is a tomato, it's not something that's been mixed with some additives or gum or it's a tomato. A piece of chicken is a piece of chicken. That's when they say single ingredient foods. So it's just a single ingredient, it's beef, it's chicken, it's an egg, you know. And then I started to think, yeah, this is how I want to eat because I know what's going into my food. Makes sense. When I eat the other stuff, I don't know what all those names are. What are they?
SPEAKER_00What are they doing to my body? I don't know. And like you say, if you can't even say the names of some of the things on the back of these packets and you don't know what they are, why are they entering your body when you're protecting it?
SPEAKER_01In my food, they don't look like food. If it doesn't look like food, why are we eating it? I don't know. Um so yeah, I I just went uh this all came out when it started on my sugar-free journey, and then suddenly, and then yeah, I mean, uh it's just a game changer, really, because when I gave up sugar and all this suddenly this bloating went, I went through two weeks of like having really banging headaches, which was so interesting. Like a detox, yeah, complete detox. Wow. The headaches, it was the headaches for me that really were noticeable um when I was detoxing from this sugar. Um yeah, and thirsty, I was so thirsty. I remember doing that, but then you know, it it was surprising at how quickly I stopped craving it. Okay, and that is that was so noticeable because as soon as you start, I do believe that sugar craves sugar, yeah. So when you eat it, you just want more. And some of these ultra-processed foods I now realise that they're designed to make you crave more. They are, and that's why you know you eat something like that, and then you think, Oh, I can't, I've got to finish that whole packet, yeah. You know, yeah, because you can't it triggers things, it triggers hormones, like feel-good feel, you know, hormones that you just you can't stop. So it's actually not about willpower. A lot of these foods are designed that way you can eat more of them, and they're not good for you. No, and that's a good thing. So when I gave up, my bloating went down, you know, my skin cleared, I had more energy, didn't have the sugary hangover that was hanging over me on a Saturday morning. I was I had more energy than I did before already. The dog's like I love it, Annie.
SPEAKER_00The glasses look like it coming in tasks again, but I'm like, oh no, oh no, as she goes on my target, and I was getting more and more equipment at that point.
SPEAKER_01What the heck is that?
SPEAKER_00Oh I know my poor glasses. Were you telling the story then, Annie? I suppose you must have been so that was all part of your journey. And were you talking about these effects of your changes with sugar and in and your on Instagram? Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness. So what year was that? That was 2021. Um and then, yeah, so that so I'd given up alcohol, then I started strength training at 50, then at 51, I gave up this sugar. So those three big massive pillars have affected my entire health and made me uh the version that I am today. Yes. Um so back then I was yeah, on Instagram, I was like I said, I was posting about my classes and just saying, oh, great boxer size class tonight. We had a great laugh, you know, everyone worked really hard, la la. Anyway, and then I think it was 2023. I started to think, gosh, I've done this, I've done that. Maybe it will help someone else. If it helps one other person who's struggling through perimenopause or, you know, bloating and this and that, and yeah, maybe I should tell people about this, what I've done. Yeah. So it was January 2023, and um, I had 200 followers.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Okay. And I thought I'm gonna start telling people about my little journey and yeah, hope for the best, see if it helps someone. So, anyway, so I started posting about my alcohol, about my strength chain, and about my sugar-free journey, and yeah, it started to grow. My Instagram started to grow, and I was like, oh, blamey, people are are liking this information that I'm putting out there. This is great, it's being well received, and I started having some really lovely comments. I had some weird comments. Oh, we get the weird ones. I've been getting more and more weird ones now. When I first started posting, I have to say it. But a lot of men came on and they wanted me to sell them my socks. Oh, I've had a sock. My used sports socks. My son's socks. I thought I could sell his socks because you know his feet looping on it.
SPEAKER_00Unbelievable. So this is a whole new you know what? This is gonna be a whole new podcast. This sock thing, this foot fetish era, honestly.
SPEAKER_01I was like, what the heck is that about? Oh my god, anyway, it was really funny. But anyway, this sock stuff stopped at some point, I can't remember. Um, and then yes, so I went from 200, and then suddenly by September of 2023, I'd grown to a thousand. I thought, this is I don't I don't even know a thousand people. This is incredible. Instagram's amazing, I love this space, it's a brilliant platform used effectively and efficiently. It can be incredible. And the comment what drove me to do more of it was the beautiful comments I was getting from people.
SPEAKER_00You built a community, yeah. And this is it. This is what you did right from the start in Stenin in that small space. You built a community around being healthy and getting together and being real, and it sounds to me that it just bloomed out when you started putting yourself out there. Yeah, so you got to about a thousand. Now you're on a few more than a thousand. So what happened next?
SPEAKER_01And then I thought, God, this is great. So I I like setting myself goals, I'm a bit goal-driven, and I thought, oh, I wonder if I could double that by Christmas. And I thought, well, I'm just gonna carry on and tell people how it is, my story, what I eat, do things like and I just carried on. And I think I had one post. I think I oh yeah, that was the following year, actually. That post that was mad, but yeah, then by Christmas, um it got to 2,000. I thought, gosh, this is mad. 2,000 people are interested in what I'm talking about. This is so beautiful, and I love it. And the comments, the comments were making it, were driving it because I was thinking, gosh, I'm like, I'm actually starting to help people, people are listening. You're inspiring people and you're helping them. Yeah, I think that was it. So nice, Annie. For inspire came through a lot, and I thought, this is wonderful. I I feel like I'm really reaching and helping people here. And then all of a sudden, the following year, it just went crazy. Yeah, and I had a couple of posts that just escalated my my Instagram followers hugely, and I think I can't remember now. By the end of that year, it'd gone into um up to nearly a hundred thousand, something like that. Yeah, and it was that was just me mad.
SPEAKER_00And you basically, Annie, just I know, and I mean that just sounds incredible. What? And I know how long and how hard you have to work, being creative, posting every day, putting out. So I think I'm on about 1,500 now. And it takes some graft, you have to show up all the time for this. Yeah, you doing it for the right reasons and showing up and giving that advice and doing it to inspire people. And the only payback, and I mean, I know you didn't do any paid ads, this is all organic growth. The payback for you was being able to tell your story and help others. Oh, definitely.
SPEAKER_01And it is beautiful. I became just I just wanted to I just wanted to do more of it because I knew that I was reaching more women. Yeah. And uh I would I had a technical background, okay. So I got a degree in computing and I was a programmer for years, and and then when I had kids, I went back and I re-pro I retrained in WordPress, so I did um work uh websites then. So got a technical background, and I do like looking at data. Um, so this was another thing, you know. Tied with that passion of helping people was another thing of kind of how to figure out the algorithm on Instagram. It was kind of like, whoa, what about I I used to love looking at the data. Why one post flopped and another one would be do so well. And I would say insight. I love that. I loved it, and I was just like, wow, that's so interesting. I'd study it. Yeah, wow, look at that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I was like, oh yeah, yeah, that's it.
SPEAKER_01Reggie's snoozing, boys are snoozing us, he's snoring, but I find it fascinating. I suppose it's from my technical background. I enjoyed it, I enjoyed trying to figure out the algorithm. Yeah, so I found that enjoyable, I just yeah, found that enjoyable, but also very passionate about helping people, and I just yeah, it was just that combination really, and then it was one post, I think the following year, when I I told you earlier, one post, which was so interesting, you know. It was just a Sunday, I was in Ibiza, and I thought I was in my bikini, and I thought, oh, I don't like normally posting pictures of me and my bikinis, it's a bit like um, but I thought, no, sod it, yeah, and I what I wanted to do was give the message to to be confident at any age, it's absolutely fine, and everyone is beautiful, and and I just wanted to give the message, the strong message that yes, I'm in menopause, I'm a 50-year-old woman, I've lived a life, I've got two kids, I've had a career, and I'm in a bikini and sod it, and I just thought, I'm gonna do it. And I took this picture and I thought I'm gonna post it because I want I want people to know that it going through menopause and life after 50 is okay, and it can be wonderful. And you know, if you're just if you eat the right nutrition, if you exercise well, make the right choices, yeah, it can be a wonderful special time.
SPEAKER_00What a brave thing for you to do, though, that Annie. And I mean anybody seeing you and they'll think, oh well, she's in shape, she's that, but we know and we talk, I've got a wrinkly belly from where I had my babies. You know, we've all got. I know, and that's it. But you doing that must have empowered and lit something in the people who saw it. Because what was the response?
SPEAKER_01Massive. Well, I have got a wrinkly tummy, but I've had two kids, you know, and I'm proud, I'm proud of it actually, because I just think, well, it's like a badge. I just think, you know, I've I'm so lucky to have had two beautiful children. Yeah, like how lucky am I? You know, some people aren't that lucky. I feel privileged and lucky to have had that. Yeah, yes, I've got a few wrinkles, and so what? And I think, no, yeah, post it. Yeah, and I thought, I'm just gonna post it. And I just the message was very, very simple. You know, um, just a 50-year-old girl nurturing myself through midlife, eating well, exercising well, and just enjoying kind of my 50s or something like that. It really was like that. Anyway, I thought I'd post it because I was on holiday and I had a nice tan as well. Anyway, so I sent that out. It was Sunday morning, off I went, off I went to the shops and stuff, and then all of a sudden, I think the very first comment was actually by this lady, and she said, Oh, you look great, you know, but what's wrong with your tummy? Right? A woman pointed that out. Yeah, so interesting. I thought, oh, she's picked up on my wrinkles.
SPEAKER_00How did it make you feel, Annie? How does all this make you feel?
SPEAKER_01Well, I just kind of thought, oh, well, um, from a woman as well. I just thought, well, it doesn't matter about my wrinkles, it wasn't really the point. It was more the point that I'm confident enough to do it, and it was kind of it's about nurturing myself in midlife, not worrying about my wrinkly tummy, and kind of that was the message that I wanted to give across. And and actually it made me think, well, it doesn't matter, and why you focus on that? It really didn't matter. That's not the message I'm trying to give. So, but yeah, but then as soon as she'd posted that comment, I had a lady kind of uh stick up for me and say, How dare you say that? Look at her, she looks amazing. So, what if she's got a wrinkly tummy? Okay, good, and then it kind of escalated into this huge conversation debate in the comment section with hundreds of thousands of people, yeah. Good. That it was one was saying, Oh, she's she's had a tummy tuck. Oh, yeah, yeah, everyone started saying it. And I was like, Blymy, I've not told me. I didn't know, no one told me. I was like dumb when I was asleep. No, there's no tummy tongue. All I've the message is simple. I eat well, yeah, I exercise well, I look after myself. That was the message that I wanted to give across.
SPEAKER_00And what did all those um comments and people sticking up or giving their thing? Yeah, I mean, you just have to literally let everyone get on with it then.
SPEAKER_01And I just thought, oh god, I can't even comment here. I I think I put one comment on saying, no Tommy Tuck here, um, just you know, good food, um nourishing food. I exercise well, you know, just enjoying my 50s, doing the right thing. Yeah, just being me. You're just being you. And I thought, you know, it's don't focus on my ring because it's fine. I don't care.
SPEAKER_00And then what happened to your account following all of that commotion in the comments section?
SPEAKER_01I just I was just watching it all day. Yes, the power of like social media, it's incredible. Suddenly, um, I had about 20,000 people, new followers. 20,000 from that one post. Wow. And it continued, uh, it continued, it carried on because the post keeps going round and round and it became very viral and just very viral, it became viral, and it just kind of, you know, it just kept going. And I I suddenly grew and grew and grew. And I think it was that one post that just went and I it just I think I got up to like 60,000 really quickly, and then it just kept going up and up. Yeah, and it was um, and I think then it was a series of you know. Posts then that I did, you know, about me that people so f became aware of me and were fascinated about what I was doing to help myself. Yes. In menopause, in my 50s, and people were like, gosh, you know, it's not about giving up, it's about, you know, you you can become the best version of yourself. Yes. In these middle life. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00And it's about give up. Investing in you and your time. It's not about losing out on something, it's about changing it around to support you. And I'm just I've you and I can talk all day. I've got to keep my eye on the time. Could you just briefly sum up for people listening what it is that you've done now that you've got this following? How have you monetized or built a business around it? Because we can't find you in that car park in Stenin anymore. Because I keep going for my circuit training, right? And you ain't there, Annie. Where is she? Annie!
SPEAKER_01She's not on that field. Where's she gone? I know. Well, as a result of Instagram, people started to ask me, Do you do online training? And that's where it came from. So I was still doing classes up to two and a bit years ago, and uh, then I started to think, oh, maybe I can do this online to reach more people. I'd love that, you know. Giving your advice, taking them through. So that's when I started my app, um, which is $24.99, and it's a little app that people I just put strength training sessions on there, three, four-day proper strength training sessions, you know, to do in a gym or at home with dumbbells, you know, and a mat. So I did my app. Yeah, it's in the bio of my Instagram account. And your Instagram account is Annie Stenin. Annie's Fitness Stenin. Annie's fitness. Yeah, Annie's Fitness. Even though I've moved from Stenin now, but yeah, that was where I I set it up. So Annie's Fitness Denin. Um, but it's in my bio and it's the AF Um Midlife Fitness app. Yeah, so that's the app. And then I started, you know, people were asking about one-to-one training, so that's when I developed the one-to-one online coaching as well.
SPEAKER_00Oh, so people for a probably a bespoke level because time is limited, definitely can have that one-on-one training. Do you give um advice about nutrition and as well?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, everything, all the tips, everything that I've learnt. You know, I do video calls with them, you know, I I it's everything that I've learnt in one big package, really, and helping, yeah, helping midlife ladies to to live the best version of themselves, really. I love it, Annie, too much.
SPEAKER_00And they get to speak to you, our lovely Annie. So, something we've explored here on the couch with all of our guests is the idea of being a woman in business, and as a woman, can we have it all? And if we do have to have it all, or we can have it all, at what cost? Would you say that looking after your body, your nutrition, and your health has helped you in business?
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness, yes, because I'm so passionate about it, and you know, from what I've learned on my fitness journey, I'm now sharing all of that in my coaching. Um, but I do prioritize my fitness, you know, uh, above everything, really. You know, it's hard. We're all very, very busy. I mean, my children, you know, are older now. Yeah, you know, doing something like this when I was uh when the kids were young is very, very challenging. Yeah. And looking after yourself, you know, you you do kind of take a second um place there, you know, when they're so young. Um, so my kids were were older when I set up my my my business, really. But you know, yes, it is challenging in that way when you're looking after the children. Um, but yeah, I found something that I was very, very passionate about. Okay, and I think passion is key when it comes to business because what I what I kind of teach in my coaching business, it it's everything I've done, yeah, and I know what's worked for me, and I think that's why I'm I'm so passionate about it because I know that it's worked, and I know that I can completely change people's lives if they allow it, you know. Such a buff. Yeah, it is, and I just think I you can I can help, and it's you know, I can transform their lives. It's it's just such a passion, you know. I wouldn't say it's a job, it's I think to be successful, you have to be passionate about what you do, yeah, and it comes from the heart, it's real stuff, you know. What what you see on Instagram with me is what you get. This is me. Oh, I know it's real life. Yeah, this is what I do. Yeah, you know, I give you a food list of what I eat, I eat that stuff, right? I give you a list of my daily habits, I do that stuff, yeah. You know, anyone can vouch for that who see me in the gym, yeah, you know? Yeah, I am doing that inclined treadmill 20-minute walk at the end of my strength training. You can see it, I'm doing it in the gym, you know, and I I it's nothing fake, you know. What's the most important thing for me? I've built this following on Instagram through trust. People, it's the trust of my followers is more important than anything.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, your passion and a purpose, the purpose to help others, passionate purpose is everything, yeah, and building that loyal following because it is trustworthy, because you, Annie, are still very much the same Annie I met all them years ago. She's got better biceps, baby. Now, at the end of our sessions, I always ask the same three questions to our guests. So everyone always goes, girl, what are they gonna be? So um the first one is what is a truth about your life that most people would probably never guess.
SPEAKER_01Well, I suppose I've already mentioned it, but I am um trained in computing, so yeah, probably, you know, I I got a degree in it. I had a career in computing before, so I was a computer programmer, so a lot of sitting down at my desk all day, you know, programming and yeah. So when they look at me, they probably think, oh no, you know, maybe they they don't. I don't know, but I think you're right.
SPEAKER_00I think looking from the outside, nobody would put you in an office environment, sat at a computer doing that kind of programming.
SPEAKER_01And at the time that was really male-dominated as well, you know, when I did my course back in oh my god, I was like 23 when I did my computing course. So 1993. I'm trying to think what that is. So, you know, there was uh the female females were minority on courses like that computing, and then I went into the office, and you know, female computer programmers were very few and far between. So, yeah, it was kind of that was oh, I had such a good time doing that. I worked with some brilliant, brilliant people. Hope they're listening! Yeah, because to this you were growing.
SPEAKER_00But you're lucky because we ain't got time to go into them. Oh, there were some stories. Oh, client sites, and then my second question where in your life did you abandon yourself?
SPEAKER_01I don't know. Gosh, that's hard. I think it's you know, when I I don't know, when I look back, uh, drinking kind of like drinking is uh like a a tool for a lot of people, you know, for um stress and all of these things. Getting through hard times and you turn to it. It you do, and it is it's like a reward system. You don't I didn't realise that until I stopped actually, how I kind of used that sometimes. You know, you drink to celebrate, you drink to commiserate, you've had a bad day, you've had a good day. You have a drink, you know, yeah. Everyone has a drink, there's always some sort of reason, and I guess you know, there were many reasons going through my life that I kind of like reached because I thought it was a reward, and I thought, yeah, I deserve that. And actually, I look back now and I thought, no, that that wasn't right, because it wasn't a reward, actually, when you I don't want to talk about the effects of alcohol, you know, the physical uh effects, but you know, we know it's not good for us, right? That's all I really have to say, and you can Google it. And um, but you know, I was under the illusion that actually, you know, it r was a reward. Well, I suppose going back to your question, I suppose, where did I abandon yourself? Abandon yourself. I gave myself that reward thinking it was a reward, but actually, it wasn't a reward, it was it would make kind of my perimenopause symptoms worse, and it wasn't good for me. So, in some ways, it wasn't a reward at all.
SPEAKER_00How interesting. It's lovely, it's so well put, honey. And then just the final question that I always ask, um, which I think is really important. If there's a woman who's watching this and she's feeling stuck in midlife, maybe a bit out of shape or out of routine, what advice does she need to hear? Not what sounds nice, what does she need to hear?
SPEAKER_01Envisage yourself in a year's time. Do you still want to be where you are now in a year's time? And you know, I think you have to kind of um understand that if you're happy with where you are, then that's fine. But if you want to change, you know, you you do have to change your life, you do have to make a change, and they can change, but yes, it can be start small. I think the the thing is people try, you know, every January, if it was like, oh my god, I've got a list of like things that I'm gonna give up, I'm gonna do this. March comes, they failed most of it. Yeah, um, and that's because they try and do too much too soon. So I say to people, just pick one thing, one thing, um, and change that. It could be like your breakfast, for example. So take out the sugary cereal, but have some eggs instead. Eggs, a Greek yogurt, have that, just start with one thing to change. Yeah, change one thing a month, you know, try and go for a daily walk the next month. A daily walk that could be your next habit. Yeah, so it's about building up a healthy life, right? Is changing habits, okay? You do have to make changes, but do it gradually. Okay. So introduce one healthy habit a month, and by the end of that year, you've got 12 healthy habits, but it could be the minuscule habits, you know, it could be like one healthy habit is moving for 10-15 minutes after you've had a meal. Yeah. Now that helps regulate blood sugar, it helps your digestion system, you know, you know, digest your food. Um, just do that. So the first habit in January could be swap your breakfast cereal, have eggs, have some two boiled eggs, you know, uh whatever, some Greek yogurt, that can be your first habit. Second habit in February, get up, move around after your meals after you've eaten for 10-15 minutes. Okay. The next habit in March could be having a daily walk, 30 to 40 minutes. Go for a nice power walk, daily walk. Just do that, you know, and it's building up healthy habits. The trouble is, you know, people get to January, they're like, right, I'm giving up alcohol, I'm giving up sugar, I'm gonna start strength training, I'm gonna start cardio, I'm gonna do it all in the first month.
SPEAKER_00And that's no good. And actually, from hearing your story, you didn't do it all at all.
SPEAKER_01Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_00Later in life, and it was one after another, and it was an exploration really of how these things were affecting you and how you can improve yourself.
SPEAKER_01And years between them. I gave up alcohol when I was 47, started strength training at 50, gave up processed sugar at 51. Yeah. I mean, huge gaps.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that's right. That's over well, base four or five year time frame there. And would you say then, Annie, just to finish here on a high, would you say you do feel the best you ever have with these changes?
SPEAKER_01I feel, well, yeah, I am the fittest, the healthiest, but not just that. I'm the happiest. That's one thing that people don't say about alcohol. They're like, oh yeah, it's great, you know, you feel like this, you, you know, you're so healthy, la la la. Happiness. I am so happy. I'm so goddamn happy because I wake up. I'm so it must be so annoying for my family. I just say that. Because I get up the same mood every day. I'm like, yes, come on, bring it on. And I don't, you know, I wake up full of energy, I'm happy. Because I wake up the same mood. Like when, you know, people don't talk about that enough, actually. About kind of, you know, when you do give up alcohol, that is one of the side effects you're women happy.
SPEAKER_00You get really happy. Yeah, I'm really happy. So I think we're gonna leave it there, quite honestly. She's really happy, are Annie? Annie, honestly, it is always such a pleasure to get together with you for a walk or a brunch, but to have you here and again to be able to reach even more people sharing your message and your happiness, honey. So, thank you for coming on.
SPEAKER_01Thank you for inviting me. Honestly, I couldn't wait to come in and we can have a good chat. Can't we?
SPEAKER_00We love it. Oh no, we don't stop, do we? Oh no, bless you. So, thank you so much. Um, thanks for listening. It's been the champagne series on Bright I Am, which ironically is sponsored by Everflight Vineyard, but we'll leave it there at that. Such is life, and we'll see you again next time. Thank you.
