Meet our Superhero of the Month for September: Melissa Johnson!
I’m going to have to hunt down some pictures now! Melissa (aka Missy) and I have known each other since we were in 3rd or 4th grade!
When she was elected to be the Superhero of the Month I was so excited, and proud. After reading this article you’ll know why Team Mo elected Melissa to be our September Superhero of the Month. She is an absolute inspiration to all of us, and she has been an inspiration to me since the dinosaurs roamed the earth!
Before I talk about how Melissa has inspired Team Mo and Mo-Tribe, I think you should know a few facts about her. When Melissa is on a mission she doesn’t give up. This mindset as well as her willingness to take action even when the actions were often hard, painful, and inconvenient have served her well in her life.
Melissa is someone who could have easily relied on a plethora of excuses to not be the woman she is today.
As a single mother of five kids, Melissa put herself through college and now, she is Dr. Melissa Johnson! Dr. Johnson has her doctorate in integrated care, which means she provides counseling in a medical setting. She’s also an entrepreneur at heart, and she’s involved in management within the health care setting, (in addition to counseling individuals) and most recently she’s started working on a business with her husband, Antoine. Melissa has so many business ideas swirling around her mind I cannot wait to see them come to fruition!
Hard times, like COVID, are challenging but there are always treasures to be found when we look for them. It was because of COVID that we started our Mo-Mentum Fitness Zoom classes.
I had loved the idea of starting online classes for a few years. But when we’d start mapping out the steps, I would feel overwhelmed and say something to the effect of, “let’s look at this later.” But then COVID came along and we started Zoom! That was one of the best things to come out of COVID. Melissa (and Edna) is a part of Mo-Mentum today because of Zoom.
When Melissa has a goal, she doesn’t stop until she achieves it! Melissa used to call me and drill me for answers to help her lose a few pounds. The problem is that fat loss is compeletly individual. We can read about how to lose fat in books, but they don’t have enough room to consider various individual differences, and needs. We follow influencers, who are sharing generally. We listen to the experts, who are also sharing generally. Often the information is overwhelming, unclear, and it doesn’t work for us individually.
When Melissa started at Mo-Mentum Fitness she had been working hard, but not seeing the changes in her body that she wanted. Melissa’s obstacles were making some small changes with the food she was eating, and she needed a bit more strength training too.
Since having Zoom, Melissa has been able to fully join Mo-Mentum. She tried a few Zoom classes at first, and then she joined the holiday transformation challenge! From the start Melissa was a leader within her team, and soon became a regular in all of our Zoom classes… AND she won the transformation challenge!
She even worked out in the hotel gym for a couple of mornings with her Zoom class, to make sure she got her workouts in. People looked at her like she was crazy, but that didn’t bother Melissa one bit! It did fully entertain her Zoom class friends though!
Melissa showed up to Zoom as she changed jobs, took care of her kids, moved from Phoenix to Tucson, and right up until just a few days before her wedding.
Melissa has the drive, which many of you reading this can probably relate to. Once you get to this next level, where you want to dig in deeper and see deeper changes, you’ll most likely need some guidance. This is why we have personal training at Mo-Mentum Fitness as well as small group personal training and Fat loss/fitness challenges. Nutrition and fitness go hand in hand. But accountability, community, and consistency are vital too.
Knowing how driven Melissa is, you might be wondering why she needs accountability from Mo-Mentum Fitness. The answer is easy, we ALL need accountability!
Second, Melissa IS absolutely determined enough to show up to her fitness classes, and to eat what is right for her body. It took her months of trial and error to learn what worked best for her individual metabolism. That’s a frustrating road to take. Most people quit, even when they’re determined and not quitters!
Third, WHY do this all on your own, when you can work on your lifestyle, your physical, mental and spiritual health TOGETHER with your tribe?? It’s just so much better together.
Melissa is the glue every community needs. She helps bring people together. She loves people for who they are, and she is unapologetically herself to the point that we all are comfortable just being us. We look forward to her being in class, even though she’s on a screen. We can feel Melissa’s presence in the room with us even though physically she’s in Tucson Arizona!
Melissa is a bright light at Mo-Mentum. She the kind of woman who makes brightens up every room she enters. If you’re struggling Melissa will reach out to you and offer words of inspiration. She seems to know when people need to hear her words (it’s kind of magical).
Melissa reminds me constantly that our lives are reflections of who we are. She reminds me that our lives are the result of our willingness to take full responsibility for our happiness, successes, failures, and our physical, mental, and spiritual health. She’s a reminder that when we take action on our purpose and vision for our lives, when we love our families and friends all out, take risks and walk right through obstacles in our lives we will create our happiest and most meaningful lives.
Melissa is one of the most inspiring women I have ever met. Thank you for inspiring me, Team Mo, Mo-Tribe and beyond!
We love you Missy!
A few words from our Superhero herself…
Specifics: age, job title, children, partner?
I am 51 years old, I have 5 children: Vanessa (30), Dominique (27), Raena (24), Elizabeth (23), Gabe (14). I just had 2 grandbabies born on 6/30/21 and 8/19/21. I am married to the love of my life, Antoine. We were married on 5/1/21. I have 3 step-children: Chandler (26), Melina (15), and Juliet (13). I am an entrepreneur and a mental health professional with many different functions. I have a doctorate in integrated care, which is counseling in a medical setting.
Describe what your life (and your health) was like before fitness.
My life was hectic before fitness, working out has really helped my mind and is a great stress reliever. Also, before fitness my body was thin and soft. Now I am proud of the tone in my muscles!
Was there ever a low point or an experience that made your priorities change?
After I had my fifth baby I was a little older and the weight didn’t fall off as easily as the prior 4. We had a high school reunion coming up and this is when I started my exercise journey; I never stopped. This was in 2008 so 13 years now.
What kind of results have you seen since starting a regular fitness program?
First, I am happier and less stressed. I have a good balance in my life. I have lost weight, toned up, and have a glow to my skin. I’m more flexible and and I can get up from the floor easily!
Let’s focus in on the blood work. What kind of changes have you seen there? What do these changes mean for you lifestyle, longevity, finances, etc.?
I have not gotten any blood work done recently, but if I did, I’m confident there would be no issues. I take no medication.
Why do you make fitness a priority in your life?
I make fitness a priority in my life because it makes me feel good mentally and physically. I like the way I look much better when I’m working out. I also enjoy the people I work out with. It’s an amazing opportunity to meet new friends and people that you have things in common with, like working out.
These days, what makes truly happy and feel at peace?
I am happy spending time with my husband, kids, friends, and family. I love to go on vacation. The beach is my ultimate favorite.
How do you feel compared to 1 year ago?
I am so blessed to have met all of the amazing people at Mo-mentum, deepen my relationship with Amanda, continue my consistency with working out through the COVID crisis. I feel more confident, worthy, stronger and grateful compared to a year ago.
Team Mo and I choose our SUPERHERO OF THE MONTH based on several important factors that we believe reflect the values on which the Mo-Mentum Fitness world-class culture has been built upon.
Mo-Mentum’s Core Values Include:
· Mindset for growth, constant never-ending learning – if you’re not growing, you’re shrinking.
· Over-deliver on all we do.
· Tribe – we all need a supportive and inspiring tribe, people we can be ourselves around and who nudge us to be one percent better every day.
· Transparency – We believe in honesty with ourselves and with others of course.
· Vitality – We believe in living vibrantly and living all out with courage and passion.
Love,
Amanda and Team Mo
