Meet Barbara Wilson | Physical Therapy Assistant & Performance Coach

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

Hi Barbara, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
Whew that’s a very important question as my work life balance has changed as I have matured to truly understand the effects it has. Growing up I was not allowed to watch tv during the school week , or go many places on a school night. Then I didn’t agree and felt it was unfair. While in college I learned how to go to class and enjoy the college fun, sometimes admittedly with too much fun. As an adult I will honestly say the work life balance I have gained has evolved along with me. I have learned work life balance is important to your own mental health. Work is stressful and sometimes you have to have a way to separate the two before it becomes mentally taxing. In my profession being around people for 8 hours having them talk about their pain or venting their feelings can be overwhelming if you don’t have a healthy balance within your own life. The saying of not bringing my work home with me is important. Which is why I find having a work life balance important. My first year in living in Georgia I was working and studying that’s all I knew. I have had my times where I have felt mentally drained from work because I felt like I just was working then going home, the saying “another day another dollar” that was me. Having a way to let go of the stress is imperative to make sure it does not transfer over to day to day. I like to go out with friends on weekends, go to the gym, talk on the phone , or partake in a happy hour or local community events . I have learned to balance going out to places to have a good time in order to not get stressed and continue to see my passion as more than a stressful job but a career I’m passionate about .

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The story on where I am today was not easy as there have been very many ups and downs, but I feel it helped me understand more about myself and what I want from my career to maintain my passion. I am a Physical Therapist Assistant and Performance Coach. I have been practicing physical therapy for 1 year and 7 months and I love it. I decided to start a business outside of my typical 9-5 because I wanted something that with no doubt in my mind would bring me joy by feeling more like a hobby than working. Building Athletic Excellence will be a performance based strength and conditioning company that provides services to athletes recreational and professional, people who are active in the gym, and people who want to get back to their former active ways. There was a period where I was not sure if I would get to this point. I have always been a very persistent person and because of that I believe it helped me with not giving up when things get hard. I had moments of failure, discouragement, defeat, and depression along my journey of who I am today. There were times where I questioned if I was going into the right profession, and compared myself to others but along the way I learned my journey is mine and I have to keep pushing. I had taken my board exam as a Physical Therapy Assistant 3 times which was discouraging but I knew that I truly wanted this so I pushed through to make it happen. I knew that one day I would get to tell my story and help people who may struggle just like I did. I realized that after talking to other people who may have had the same experience as me that I needed to look at alternatives for why things weren’t going the way I expected. After looking into alternatives, and taking necessary steps I was able to past my test and become a Licensed Physical Therapy Assistant.

I have always been persistent in the things I have been most passionate about. I am currently working to build my own business to be able to take my passions and share it with others . Over the next few months , I am hopeful that the vision will come a live. I always have loved sports whether watching or playing growing up. I played basketball in middle school, and have played golf since the age of 8. One of the reasons I went into physical therapy is because I love sports and wanted to find how I could still engage as a part of the team to them without being a player. I considered several different careers but It wasn’t until I was injured while playing golf that I learned about physical therapy. I was unaware that there was a career focused on the health and safety of athletes that I could be apart of. Ever since then I have pushed myself in every area and opportunity I have been afforded. I was able to combine the fact my mom said I was great at massages, being an injured athlete, and my passion for athletics and find the right profession for me.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I have lived in Atlanta for 2 years but I have learned there is always something new going on which I love. If I had to create a week long itinerary

Just to grab a bite
Hob knob at Atlantic station
JJs fish and chicken
Draw Bar
La Parrilla
Politan Row

For brunch
Teranga City
The hive
Visions

Going out to
Habitat in Buckhead
Wicked Wolf
Holiday Bar
Spaceman
5 church rooftop

Something fun and interactive
Beat the Bomb
Aquarium
Climb Stone Mountain
Peddle Bike
Boat at lake Allatoona

Something Sweet
Sugar Shane’s
Cereal and Cream

Festival Time
Seafood festival
Juneteenth festival
Margarita and Taco Festival

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The village of people who supported me throughout this journey get all the the biggest shoutout. My parents, my friends, my family, coworkers, and former patients all have contributed to my success. There were times of defeat where my friends and family were there encouraging, checking in, and giving me space despite how I was feeling. My parents pushed me and supported my decision no matter if they did not completely agree. Thank you to those who made sure I had a good balance between having fun and studying/working. Thank you to those who were a listening ear. I feel like without my village I would not be where I now and I am forever grateful.

Instagram: buildingathleticexcellence

Image Credits
Asha Wilhight
Jesica Jones
Brittany Gaston