CEO & Co-Founder of Bellyfit® Alice Bracegirdle's Self-Discovery Lessons on Caring for Yourself
How do you care for yourself in your busy life?
If you have been following this blog, you know I am a strong advocate for taking care of yourself and regularly share strategies to remind you to make yourself a priority. Having a positive mindset and a supportive community are key ways to empower yourself daily!
Alice Bracegirdle agrees! Alice is the CEO & co-Founder of Bellyfit® – the world’s leading Holistic Fitness System for women. She is holding her annual Bellyfit® conference, now called the Women’s Health & Fitness Summit, in Victoria, British Columbia, (September 17th to 18th).
I was introduced to Alice at her 2014 Bellyfit® conference. I heard about the conference because Taryn Brumfitt (Founder of the Body Image Movement and ‘Embrace’ the documentary) was to be giving a workshop, and I wanted to see her. I’m a proud Body Image Movement ambassador. Showing up at the workshop, I was so impressed with the Bellyfit Summit in general: People coming together to move, be inspired, and have fun. Alice and I have a lot in common – we both are believers in health & wellness, as well as being community builders, entrepreneurs, and from in or around Ottawa, Ontario. I thought I would invite Alice to share how having a positive mindset drives her forward as a busy entrepreneur, mother, and wife.
For those who don’t know, Alice is the creative vortex at the centre of the Bellyfit® Movement. She is deeply passionate about acknowledging, healing and empowering the Divine Feminine in all women through movement that is strong, sexy and sacred. When she is not teaching Bellyfit® classes or creating new choreography at Bellyfit® Headquarters, she is connecting with hundreds of Bellyfit CREW Members (Bellyfit Instructors) around the globe and planning the next Bellyfit Summit. Above all however, she is committed to nurturing and expressing her own divine feminine while being a devoted mother to her teenage daughter and a loving wife to her amazing husband. During the in-between moments, she loves to nap, bake, practice ikebana, read VOGUE & Dwell Magazines, hike, travel, and walk on the beach with her puppy WuJi. Alice is honoured to share Bellyfit® with the world and looks forward to when women in every country have access to this magical movement.
Thanks, Alice, for being here. How do you maintain a balance between work and personal life? Why is this balance important?
I eat, sleep, and breathe Bellyfit® these days, so to be honest, I don't have much of a ‘balance’. When you have a vision, you gotta strike when the iron is hot! The iron is hot, and I'm striking! My ‘personal’ life IS my business so it is all intertwined, all the time. As far as being a mother and a wife ... well, those two things are always priority, no matter what. So I guess it's not a question of balance, so much as values.
Family first, before anything else.
How do you practice self-care in your busy life?
LOL. Self-care? Self-care is not a practice for me. It's a way of life.
Caring for myself is what has allowed me to build an international business with absolutely no business training or outside investment. I practice what I preach.
Eat well. Move well. Sleep well. Love well.
(C) Alice Bracegirdle
How has a positive mindset influenced your work and home life?
A positive mindset is the cornerstone of everything. Without it, I would have given up a long time ago.
On everything.
How do you cope with negative self-talk?
I tell it to “F*** off” and I move on. No time for negative self-talk anymore. The self-care helps with this for sure. Low blood sugar, sore body, lack of sleep, tension ... all make it almost impossible to stay positive. Take care of the body and the mind is a lot happier.
(c) Body Image Movement. Used with permission. Picture taken at BellyFit Summit 2014 when I first attended - Taryn in front and Alice is behind her in the black and pink.
How do you practice being confident daily?
I don't. Confidence is something that I have because of all the other things I do. If I stop doing the other things, I lose confidence.
What is your number one productivity tip?
Don't be lazy.
And if you're having trouble being 'productive' then ask yourself if you really want to be doing what you think you're supposed to be doing. We will always avoid things we don't enjoy and our productivity will go down.
If you love it, you will do it. If you don't love it ... change it!
Why is it important to dress for success?
Good question! Success is truly an attitude. So whatever makes you feel successful, is golden. Like my pearl ring and my new black heels. Success baby! Walk the walk ... and put on your mascara!
Take your success with you, and you'll find it wherever you go!
Thanks, Alice, for inspiring us all to be our best daily! Your last sentence really resonated with me; you said: “Take your success with you and you’ll find it wherever you go!” It’s true – instead of thinking we have to go elsewhere to find it, success is all in our mindset and we bring that with us wherever we travel in the world. Empowering!
These days, we are always moving and busy on the go. Having a positive mindset and a supportive community are key ways to empower oneself daily! How do you stay motivated and inspired while you are on the go? Share your tools and insights in the Comments section below to help push others forward on their journeys.
If you would like to attend the 2016 Bellyfit summit – check out details here.