Meet Ashlee Whiteside | Strength & Conditioning Coach & Wellness Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashlee Whiteside and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashlee, what’s the most important thing you’ve done for your children?
Having a son will always be the driving force of my hard work. I think having children really amplifies someone’s work ethic! Even in times of burn out, or when I don’t necessarily “feel” like pushing forward, I always think to myself, “Your son is watching you!”

I think a child’s parents will always be the first example that they see when it come to everything thing, work, how you handle stressful situations, prioritizing your health and fitness, and even hygiene! I work hard for the success of my brand, in hopes that one day, the business will be passed on to him to help him take care of his children in the future! My goal is to show my son, that you can have any and everything that you want, but you MUST work hard for it!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve been a strength and conditioning coach professionally, for about 10 years now. I say professionally because when I first started, I was what I call “training out of my trunk.” with no certifications, and just using my bartending money to buy equipment, and training clients anywhere that I could! I still have clients from that time that still come and see me today, which means the world to me.

Not long after that, was when I got pregnant with my son. Of course during the pregnancy, things slowed down a bit on the career side, but the pregnancy is what motivated me to go ahead and get my certification! I gained about 85 pounds during my pregnancy, and I truly fell in love with what training could do for the body while losing my baby weight! I remember sitting on my couch one day scrolling and looking at other women on IG and saying to myself, “Stop comparing yourself! Just focus on getting into the best shape of your life! Just make your body your project!” And that’s how my company name was born PROJECTBODY LLC.

I am most proud of not only the progression if the business and being able to bring my vision to life, but I am so so proud of the lives that I have been about to change and impact through training clients. My sole goal has been to educate each of my clients on what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how to maintain results for a better quality of life. I truly believe that’s what sets PROJECTBODY apart from anyone else. I understand that my clients may not be able to train with me forever, but when that time comes, I know that they have learned how to workout without me, without injury, or feeling confused when they walk into another gym!

I’ve also been able to build another business from PROJECTBODY that is near and dear to my heart! It’s my new class called R&Breathe. R&Breathe is a recovery class that is focused on mobility, flexibility, breathwork, and guided meditation, all to a soulful soundtrack! I come from the music industry before training, and music has always been my first love. I’ve also dealt with anxiety and depression on and off throughout my life, and music and movement has always been what’s helped me out of those spaces. So with R&Breathe, I wanted to created a space for people to come and relax, release, and recover! I place where they can feel safe to take time for themselves, and let go, while at the same time taking care of their bodies, and releasing their outside stress through movement and music! It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I feel like it’s probably the most authentic thing that I’ve done to date. I found the perfect way to fuse the two things I love the most, music and fitness, and still helping to impact lives in the most positive way!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
To be honest, I am a very simple girl, and so are my friends! we love to eat so, I we would definitely hit BarTaco for some amazing food and drinks! I’m sure we would do some shopping at some point as well. And to be honest, we would probably find and R&B show or lounge to attend! There are so many things to get into here in Atlanta, it’s hard to say! You never know here we may end up!

I am a big concert goer! Big or small, I love the arts, listening to great music and watching performances!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There have been so many amazing people that have supported me throughout my career! It would be hard to name just one, so for that reason, I MUST thank everyone that has ever helped me along the way! I am so grateful for every like & comment, or a simple repost on social media, anyone who has every given me an opportunity to showcase my brand, or to anyone has every purchased anything!

I DO have to give a huge shoutout to my clients, class community, and my family! They constantly speak life into me, and to me that is priceless! They keep me going! That’s why I will always continue to serve them to the best of my ability!!!

Website: https://www.projectbodytm.com

Instagram: projectbodytm

Facebook: projectbodytm

Youtube: projectbodytm

Image Credits
Reuben Chapman