Well folks, it’s the read method, insider podcast, it’s episode, 77 and we are joined by our special guest.

Who is the founder and ceo of alka’s total fitness.

She helps empower women, gain inner strength towards empowerment, taking control of their own health and getting strong health and fitness, so they can get strong.

She helps to transform women’s lives, uh women to get to build better relationships, get strong and fit and at the same time, whilst having a lot of fun, alka is an accomplished professional ballroom dancer, having completed both locally competed, both locally and internationally.

She genuinely enjoyed the high of dance performance and training which led to other forms of training and her journey into fitness into the fitness world began.
Her inspiration came from jillian michaels and we know jillian michaels is a famous fitness guru.

Uh jillian is a strong and and dynamic she’s.
You know both physically and mentally.

It is a character of admirers, along with her and drive and tenacity.

This drive in tenacity were apparent when alca launched her fitness studio dream as an entrepreneur.
There will always be challenges, and we have tonight on the show, alka sharma, to tell us about this great success journey and, more importantly, um empowerment, how to be fulfilled living a dream life welcome to the show alka.
Thank you very much approval.

It’s a pleasure and an honor to be on your show.

Well absolutely i’ve heard so much about you from our mutual colleague, roger um, robert moore and um.
You know he’s very.

He speaks very highly of you, so this is our first time needed.
I mean we’ve messaged a couple times and uh.

You know ahead of the show, but that’s about it.

This is the first time we’re we’re seeing each other and uh it’s a pleasure to have you on the show to share your expertise on empowerment and uh.
So you know why this subject: i mean what what gravitated you to the subject.
Uh, you know to the fitness world other than obviously you were involved in dancing and bald.

I mean ballroom dance into the fitness studio.
Tell us about that transition, absolutely well! Everyone, each and every one of us we have a story and my story pretty much began.
I in my formative years, i struggled with weight, lack self-confidence, self-esteem that most of us go through and i was bullied so through that time.

That period i said, okay, you know what i really wanted to learn, how i could have fun and bring the fun element in my life and, as i began, to change my life around i worked out.
I actually plucked the courage to walk into a gym and you know there was a part of me that said you know what they’re all these fit body people.

I don’t think i would fit in here, but as i was walking out everyone, there was a part of me that said: alco wait a minute.

Didn’t you say you wanted to turn your life around and, as i began to listen to that voice from that day.
On as i began to work out, building myself internally, physically things just evolved, and i was feeling great at that time so then fast forward to where i am today.

I had the vision to build a fitness studio and that vision actually came into a dream that you know, as i began, to share my journey and help other women who are on the parallel journey of lack and self-confidence are on this weight challenge, um that they Truly just want to change their life around.

I made it a mission to really help and motivate inspire aspire, other women to really take home of what they truly are, and at that moment each and every one of us we’re beautiful inside and out.
Absolutely so, as i began to build a dream so that other women can really be inspired as they come in and what we, the mission that we have at the studio is, we are a non-judgmental zone.
So if you are feeling you know physically um that you may not fit, we embrace you because each and every one of us is beautiful inside and out.

So that’s pretty much where my studio came from my paolo journey.
Wow love it.
So when i was doing a little bit of the research for this episode and i looked up the general meaning of self-empowerment, even i mean i know what it is, but when, when we’re trying to dive a little bit deeper into subjects, it’s important to take a Look at what else could things mean, and you know how can things be perceived like empowerment and self-empowerment talks, a lot about taking control of your own life, setting goals and making positive choices? You know basically means that we must understand our strengths and weaknesses and have a believe belief in ourselves.

So how does one start to process self-empowerment? Are there steps to to do so? Yes and the steps that i took is so self-empowerment is the definition that that i truly stand by is: are you strong different connotations, but in this particular subject, self-empowerment is the strength that you have so strength and confidence are two most important words that i truly Believe is whatever success that you want to achieve in your life.

You got to be able to have that strength and, as i was building my dream, the studio, the fitness studio.
There was so many roadblocks that rolled and with the roadblocks comes challenges and those challenges.

Pretty much meant was i capable of achieving the dream, so the strength comes in knowing and that’s the key word.
The operative word is knowing that, no matter what your dream is, the bigger dream that you have and the challenges and the roadblocks that we have that come in between how we.
How are we able to overcome that? Yes and the moment we, the mindset, changes.

We turn it on.
That is the mo.
That is a defining moment, and that was for me absolutely, and that is empowerment.

That is the strength, the courage that you have no matter what nice so true personal empowerment requires.
As you were saying, you know to set meaningful goals to identify what you want in life and then take action to achieve those goals and and have a more um.
You know more impactful, meaning to your life, because you know we want.

I guess a lot of people when they feel fulfilled is when they’re they’ve had major impact on their lives, but not just themselves but are able to impact others positively.
So what are some tips that you have for long term and lifelong empowerment so that one can live that fulfilled lifestyle? So it’s not just to be empowered and to be fulfilled short term to say: okay, i lost weight, but then now what you know is that it is, it doesn’t have to stop.
There is my point uh.

How can we take this long term? Yeah, and definitely i mean you can always take it long term and the long term that you wish to um.
You know be empowered, the long term that you wish to change your goals.
Now, when we reach a goal and we’ve we’ve set a goal and that goal may be to lose weight, so, as i say, fitness is a journey is not a destination.

Yes, so when you’ve accomplished one goal, you’ve lost the weight you’ve.
You look good, you feel good, wonderful, but then there always has to be a path.
You need to follow the path to what you really resonate with and if that resonation comes with learning, what more there is to fitness, because there’s a so much more that there’s! You know you could do marathons and you, if you want to train for a marathon, then that’s another aspect of training like for me, was training for latin and boring dancing, so the self-empowerment, the tips that i would share is that always be constantly learning always be Constantly on the road to what is out there, what is there more to learn and always have an open mind because everyone, as we know, we always have to have an open mind as entrepreneurs right we have to have an open mind and be creative and think Outside the box, but for women, for your viewers is, i would say, is always constantly build, yearning and learning for what’s more to come and to really accomplish your dreams and to be living a fulfilled life.

Absolutely i love it.
So you know i know, ladies and women in general.
Sometimes it’s it’s almost like they’re looking for consent from their friends, their neighbors their family when they try to make major decisions and to make major leaps to transform themselves, and as one famous woman, eleanor roosevelt said, no one can make you feel in fear.

Without your consent, so what are some of the signs of success? That you’re, in fact, in control of that, shows that you’re in, in fact, in control of your own destiny, while going through this empowerment journey exactly and success, i mean success comes down to what is the definition of success? How, for me, the definition of success is, have you accomplished? Are you on the road to accomplishing what you set out? Do you have a vision? Do you envision the bigger goal that there is for your life and the bigger goal that you have for your life? What are the small steps that you are taking along the way and evil when we take those steps to be reaching the goals? The vision that we have for ourselves for the company, that is, you, are feeling empowered because empowered when you’re building this huge empire empowerment is what makes you.
What is the drive that you have? What is the drive, the mission, the goal, the vision that you absolutely have 100 without a doubt, because the moment we set ourselves up for failure the moment we say to ourselves? Oh, i don’t think i can do this.
I have this vision, but i don’t think.

Okay, we self think ourselves out of doing that.
Yes, yes, and we never should so that is empowerment.

That is success.

Success and empowerment are the two building blocks that is exponential.
We need to overcome and really have that and grasp that, to what we’re able to fulfill and accomplish in life now, with with your student with all the attendees or the members of your studio, do you ever hear from them? You know, i’m sure you have conversations, and some of them are personal or more or less personal, but do you ever have comments uh conversations where it’s almost like they’re waiting for approval they’re? You know no one, there’s not enough support at home for them doing what they’re doing and they they come to your studio, almost sometimes to relieve pressure.

Yes, exactly and and that’s what exercise does exercise you know doesn’t matter, you know you might be stressed um.

You know for that day, you might be stressed, because you know, kids, you know your spouse anything, but what i do recommend what i do say to my clients is that when you’re coming to working out doesn’t matter the studio gym when you’re coming to work out, That’s that’s where you need to pay the most attention because um you know it doesn’t matter block the noise.
That’s around! You is what’s important.
What are you doing to really uh so i’ll give an example for me when i started as i began to build my confidence around the first class that i really wanted to.

Try was kickboxing wow and i fell in love with it, and so in the process.
You know, i always say to my clients is find a workout that truly resonates with you with your personality, with what you feel and kickboxing is a great way.
It’s a great way for women to learn the skill, but at the same time, you’re developing a community you’re having fun um, not to say that the next day you’re gon na go punch someone.

But it is a skill.
But it’s a skill that you want to have so find a workout that resonates with you, because you’re going to have fun doing it so block out the noise and focus on your goal to building a physique building a strength and confidence um in your workouts.
At that moment – and you know we’re here – to support you nice, so sometimes one comes across personal empowerment and personal development, and i teach a lot myself on on personal development.

It’s a huge subject and a huge topic for me.
But um are they one? In the same, in your opinion, personal development and personal empowerment, it’s all about the mindset.
I i think it is.

I feel it is the same thing because personal development, when you’re on the road to personal development, you’re on the road to really uh knowing and searching and yearning and learning for more information.
How would how do you do that? Well, you only have to turn your mindset on and really gather the information, so personal development and personal empowerment improvement did both the same thing, and so the moment you turn your mindset you’re switching on, then that is the time that you know you’re gon na get More success, you’re gon na have opportunities.
You’re gon na get the vision, the dreams uh people coming to you so opportunities.

Well, you can yeah, that’s right, because i guess you could say personal development is, is making the decision to actually engage in being fit, which actually trends is a part of empowering you right, because you feel better in the act in the act of personal development.

You are empowering yourself exactly, and so the empowering is that it’s a two-way thing, so empowerment um, you know, is in in in the fitness in building a physique um in the process, while you’re building the building the physique you’re.

You know you’re you’re, getting strong and then also empowerment is in the knowledge so that that’s what personal development area comes in the more knowledge that you get, the more speakers you listen to for me it was less brown um, but then really more yeah than later.

I saw your with a picture with him.

Yes, and unless he’s my coaching mentor, you know he’s been on this show a few times.
I i saw the episode yes, yeah yeah he’s he certainly uh uh lightens up the room.

He does, he sure does so.
The more speakers that we listen to motivational speakers that hones into our you know, subconscious and then the more that holds into our subconscious the better.
We feel the better outlook that we have so outlook is more open, more able susceptible to learning more information about anything.

So the more open you are, so that’s where personal development really sets you apart because of what you’re able to bring to the table? Yes, absolutely so when okay! So if, if one is going down this journey of empowerment and trying to live a fulfilled life – and you know this journey of discovery um, how do you there’s another key phrase that comes to mind and that’s self-awareness, uh, which, which today is a whole other big Subject: um that drives one’s success, because i think you may have alluded to this a little bit earlier, where it’s really knowing about what you want and what makes you tick as opposed to everybody else around you.
So is that something that comes up in discussions in your in your fitness club in your coaching, you know that brings out you know are: are your students are your attendees or members, really diving into the self-awareness awareness moment and um epiphany of discovering okay? What do i really really want, and if i can find this through number one fitness and getting healthy, that you know, am i able to identify and be more able to find my fulfillment yeah? Definitely so self-awareness um just play a huge factor, so self-awareness is like for me when i was going through my path of self-discovery um.
You know when i, the self-esteem issues, self-confidence and the weight challenge that i had.

I really wanted to improve my life and find avenues find a way that truly, i was going to feel good, so i had to in the process in the self discovery process is to be aware, find myself.
Who was i at that moment and the moment that we begin to find who we are, that is in a self-process self-discovery process, and once you begin to be self-aware of who you are and the journey that you want to be on as an entrepreneur.
The journey you want to be on fitness, you, the self-awareness, is huge and – and so that’s why mindset is really huge, plays a huge factor in the self-awareness process and the the the stages, the steps that one goes through to discover: okay, well, i’ve.

This is what i wanted.
This is what i’m the path that i’m on.

What do i need to do to get to that step to get to that stage? Yes, so right, so it’s being aware of that, absolutely so um.

What do i need to do to get to that stage, and it actually leads right into the next question where self-empowered people or empowered people know their strengths.
They know their witnesses and are confident in communicating them and in looking for the opportunities they want, and they also know uh their limitations as well.
And if there are problems, they are more apt to seek the answers and ask for guidance.

So is this one of the issues alka where people don’t ask for guidance or seek help enough? Yes, absolutely uh.
If you i mean everyone is there to help, everyone is there to um any time that you know you’re you’re stuck you’re, not sure of where it is that you want to go, there’s no harm in asking for help, even as entrepreneurs yeah, we always have to Ask for help, i mean we can do things on our own and that’s fantastic, but if we don’t delegate, if we don’t ask okay well what needs to be done? What are the priorities? I mean? We can’t do it, but we can be successful, but if we have a team around to make sure what you and i are doing um you know so things become more easier right.

So it is having you know in that process, knowing what it is that you want and always be sure that don’t ever be shy, knowing that you know what’s happening, and you know as entrepreneurs, we all have to ask for help.

It doesn’t matter what it is that we want and you’re so right about that.
I i’ve found that as an entrepreneur myself, that some of my biggest gains and accomplishments have been when i’ve asked for opinion or help.

You know or guidance because sometimes you’re struggling with an idea or you’re struggling with you know, whatever your company is going through or whatever you’re personally going through, and you know literally talking to one person, can give you a completely different perspective and makes a huge difference, Makes a huge difference and turn your your your perspective and your your you know your direction into it into a whole new opportunity right so um.

So it’s very important to communicate and – and i think that’s one of the key things that you’ve been communicating in this episode – is it’s important to communicate? Um, you know so folks, we’ve been with uh alka sharma from total fitness um alka’s total fitness is her club.

Fitness club and we’re talking tonight on empowerment how to be fulfilled living the dream life.

It’s episode, 77 of the show, and so far we’ve been diving deep into in into empowerment.

We’ve talked a lot about empowerment, uh self-empowerment, taking control of one’s life.
What that’s like? We’ve talked about personal development, uh and personal empowerment and how they’re similar in you know, they’re intertwined and we’ve talked a bit a little bit about self-awareness, uh as well, and one of my next questions is on the confidence word i mean the big you know c Word that everybody uses is confidence.
It’s one of the greatest motivators or most powerful limitations to anyone trying to change their behavior and become more empowered.

Is that confidence word and people either get are highly self-confident or they seek to gain confidence through.
You know the empowerment, the personal development, the communicating and speaking with others um.
So how? How do you? How do you look at confidence and how? How have you i mean you’ve had an experience yourself, alka and and how did your confidence um i mean? Was there a lack of confidence in one point and how did that change may have changed for you? Yes, so it you know earlier on.

I i like self-confidence self-esteem, but it all came down to uh the self-awareness, as we just talked about, came down with self-awareness.
What was what was it that i wanted out of my life and once we begin to figure that out? What is it that we want out of life, whether to have a business, whether to build a physique that we desire so self-confidence? Is a process and the more that we dig deeper into ourselves? Knowing and the operative word is knowing? Who we are is knowing? Who we are becoming in the process, and once you know what is what it is that you are doing the steps you were taking to becoming the person that you truly want to be, then things really shift? Things begin to open and that’s where true confidence comes in, because confidence is knowing what you want.
Confidence is knowing you’re gon na get everything because use your path that you are truly making for yourself.

You are your blazer and once you know that what path it is that you are on the path of um being an entrepreneur because an entrepreneur’s life, everyone, as we know, is not easy.
No, it’s sometimes very lonely too, but it’s always lonely at the top.
Yes, but that’s what we just talked about is lonely at the top, but we have to ask for help and, as i just want to share close mouth, don’t get fed right.

So you have to ask for help every step of the way, and so entrepreneurs are no different.
We all have to ask for help because communication to your team communication with your friends, your family, it will open the doors and you will feel so much better.
So yeah we will talk about confidence.

The confidence is knowing who you are the journey.
You are going to be on the journey.
You are going on, the steps you are taking and what are you doing in the process? So that’s where confidence and true empowerment feels and looks like you’ve achieved everything.

Yes, uh yeah.
I think it was steve jobs.
I hear that said um.

You know i heard saying well, yeah it’s it’s lonely at the top, and you know success is lonely.
Sometimes that’s.
Why there’s not too many people up there? You know um.

I love that too.
Yes, yeah, but well.
This is this has been great.

I mean uh we’re, certainly diving deep into the you know a little bit of the philosophical, the philosophical part of success, and you know personal empowerment, personal development, self-awareness, uh, confidence, um.
You know, dr this.
This personal drive, this inner drive that we have to you know sometimes dive very deep into, and you know – and that’s sometimes at the expense of relationships and taking back your life, taking back control of what what’s good for you.

You know um, so it’s very important.
So what are so in terms of there’s a lot of there’s a lot.
That’s involved in empower building up yourself to be to feel empowered to take back your life to gaining the fulfillment in life.

That you want is a lot of discipline, okay and that’s something that we might want to just share a little bit on, because i mean i know what it’s like going to the gym.

Okay, that’s not easy! Okay! Now i always feel good when i’m done or in the middle of it, but yeah getting there is a pain in the butt.

Okay, i don’t care what anybody says all right, all right, we’re going anyway.

Yes going, you know forcing myself.
I went for a jog yesterday in the rain because i would have cycled in the morning, but it was raining and i’ve not cycled in the rain before and i don’t want to go wiping out.

So i figured i was better off on my own two feet.

So right, yeah right, so i i jogged and walked so i came back.
I was soaked but okay, once i was done, i felt good about it.
Um, but getting the runnings running shoes on and getting out the door is always the the hard part for most and also the discipline of dieting right, which is i’m sure, highly involved in yours.

In your fitness studio, the discipline of rest um, you know, exercise diet.
Rest um waking up discipline awakening just if you want to if you’re, if you’re a person who wants to exercise in the morning.
I i love to exercise in the morning because i get my workout out of the way it gets me pumped up from the rest of the day to you know full on so yeah.

If you want to exercise in the morning i like to get up at you know five six o’clock, but for most that is a challenge.

Yeah getting up early is a challenge, and you know it as long as you plan.
So everything comes down to you know planning what is your priority um so yeah, but you know okay and i’m going to you know, play devil’s when it comes to get here and speak for myself.

Sometimes you know we all plan and sometimes well, not all, but most of us entrepreneurs definitely plan and we have it all scheduling their calendars and stuff.
And you know at five o’clock the alarm will go off and they’re like.
Oh, my god right.

You want to snooze and you want to snooze and now it’s getting colder, i’m like you mean i got ta, go out hit that you know.
So it’s like double the punishment yeah but um, but you’re right once you’ve done it in whatever you feel good.
Oh yeah, you feel good, i’m like damn.

I should do this tomorrow, i’m like not really exactly like this morning.
I um i wanted to go to the gym, but you know i whatever.
So what i’m going to share is that when it comes to working out it doesn’t matter, you don’t have to go to the gym.

If you don’t have time in the mornings or anytime in the day, if you don’t have time to go to the gym, go for a walk, go for 30 minutes, but brisk walking.
If you love walking like jogging amazing.
So just do 30 minutes of that, but find the time in the day to do that.

So six o’clock i woke up and i just went for a walk.
It was beautiful, mm-hmm, nice and fresh wakes up nice, absolutely fresh, yes, and so just make it a point.
Just plan yourself in the calendar that you’re gon na just take 30 minutes out of your day to get movement into your life, nice movement into your life.

I love that phrase yeah so alco.
What are three takeaways you’d love to leave with the audience and then tell us you know we want you to share with the audience and that’s how we can get a hold of you.
But what are three takeaways if you were to you know sum up the subject of empowerment and how to be fulfilled living a dream life.

So what i would say is that find your purpose, because your purpose is everything, and you know when i began on my quest my journey to really self-discovery and find that moment that purpose for me, and that was boring dancing so find your purpose find what resonates With you find what makes you have fun that lights you up for me is ballroom dancing so find your purpose find what workout truly resonates with you, because once you begin to find the workout that resonates with you, you’re going to have fun you’re going to reach Your goals so much quicker and obviously we’re going to have you have the support of the instructors, but finding a workout that truly resonates with you is you’re going to have results again so much faster.

So it’s your results.
Finding your purpose, and also in the quest is how does confidence really align with the empowerment? So, as you build yourself, you know physically in the process, you’re gon na find that you know you’ll gain a t.

Well, it’s kickboxing! Then you want to do zumba.

It’s amazing and that’s where confidence truly comes in, and so once you build your confidence, you are already feeling empowered.
So how feeling empowered is going to take you greater in life than if you hadn’t experienced? What was um? You know if you didn’t take note of what was happening in your life right now, so always make it your mission to really keep on excelling, keep on learning and growing, because that’s where true full mean fulfillment comes in and two confidence lies amen.

That’s great love! Uh so alco uh, you know your fitness studio, tell us about that and how the audience can get a hold of you and you know, on social and how you know how you like to be contacted and reached and connected with absolutely so.
You can reach me on my website: alcuz totalfitness.
com um, we’re on instagram at alca’s, total fitness studio and yeah absolutely and i’m always happy to engage and answer any of your questions so just feel free to you know, contact and and where? Where is your uh studio located it’s in the north of steel, so we were just inside, though um the walden young building uh just north of steel in don hill, oh and thornhill, nice.

So that’s the people who are listening in the states and like okay.
What city is it yeah? It’s over here, it’s a little out of the way for me and plus it’s a women’s studio.
So i i’m not allowed.

We used to have one client um, he used to come for pilates and he was just he loved it because the instructor she was amazing yeah.
She believes.
Well, you know an instructor can make all the difference.

Absolutely.
Yes, absolutely so! Well, folks, we absolutely love hearing from you and uh hearing your feedback and your suggestions on the read method, insider podcast and also, if you’d like to become a guest check us out, send us an email at insider at the readingmethod.
com or go to the website.

The readmethod.
com to find out more and uh please subscribe and download your favorite episodes, whether you use itunes, soundcloud spotify, stitcher, google play we’re everywhere.
Podcasts are we we’ve had so many great guests, including our present guest alka sharma, as well as les brown who’s, her mentor.

Les brown has actually been on this uh.
Three episodes of this show uh todd, stottlemayer, the three-time world series baseball champion and stay tuned as uh todd stottlemyer would will return uh on august 20, no not august, obviously october 26th, which is monday at 7, 30 p.
Um he’s he’s, got a new book out so stay tuned for that and we’ll dive deep in that and tom hopkins he’s been on the show five times he’s uh he’s retired now, but he was one of the world’s renowned sales trainers for decades or like over 40 years – and he certainly has shared a lot and contributed a lot to this show and uh steven benson stephen benson, is, with badger maps, he’s a huge contributor to the read method insider as well.

So we really appreciate the feedback that we’ve received and from audiences all over the world.
We have audiences from so many countries, and i thank you uh for listening, there’s a lot of folks from ireland from italy, from india.
Okay, like um the arab emirates.

I’ve noticed all these um and we’re not talking just a couple: we’re talking a lot of people who are listening from those countries and, of course, the us, canada, great britain, jamaica, where i’m from um they’re listening to.
So.
Thank you very much.

I just wanted to acknowledge the the listeners and the followers and the supporters of the show and uh just to know that i see you.
I hear you and i appreciate you tuning in to the show every week and for yeah so for myself and alca.

Thank you so much alka for joining us.

It’s.
This has been an episode yeah.
This has been great.

It’s been fun.
I’ve learned a lot.
Yes, yeah learned a lot from you and uh.

So folks, it’s been episode.
77 uh.
We had alca on talking about empowerment and how to be fulfilled living your dream life.

So thank you very much folks and until next time, stay fit and be intentional and definitely be safe in this environment be be safe.

Take care of each other.
Okay, take care of yourselves and take care of each other.

Thank you.
You .

About Richie Bello

Richie Bello has a vast knowledge of the automotive industry, so most of his services are faced towards automotive dealerships. He couples all his skills with the power of the internet to render even remote services to clients in need of a little brushing

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