Overcomer Series with Meredith Kramer
What do you do?
I am the founder of 40weekFit, a community for pregnant women and digital workout guide to use during pregnancy and soon postpartum.
I am mom turned personal trainer to fill a gap of pregnant “in-betweenies”.
I am a traveler. My 13 month old son, and 4 year old dog travel 4 times a year from Germany to California about 3 times a year. Then travel within in Europe every month.
Growing up, did you always dream that you would be doing what you’re doing now?
Maybe a little bit, I loved dance growing up and wanted to be a ballet instructor in New York City.
Never did I think I would be living in Germany, working with pregnant women all over the world.
What made you decide to “go for it” in terms of your career goals/ambitions?
Having a baby and overcoming some serious postpartum depression. I felt alone, lost, and like I was failing at motherhood. I started working out one, then twice, then three times a week and couldn’t believe how I was feeling better. The confidence I had in myself came back. It was journey, but I did it for how I felt not for how I looked.
Now I want to help other women on their journeys to motherhood. My goal is to create an online community for them so they never feel alone, and always have a source of motivation.
Did you face adversity? How did you overcome that?
I had a beautiful pregnancy and labor that I just loved. But my within hours of my son being born he couldn’t eat. Take him an hour to finish a half a bottle and then he would spit up. We found out when he was 3 months old and after spending four days in the hospital, and running all kinds of tests that it was the result of acid reflux. At 8 months old we found out that the reason for his heavy breathing, snoring, and baby grunts are due to his soft palate being deformed. We will be be meeting a surgeon to make another diagnosis this fall.
Giving birth, hospital stays, physical therapy, and pediatrician visits have all been in German and I maybe understand 10% of these conversations. And the only person who’s come to visit was my mother-in-law, and I owe her everything.
It’s still hard, and I don’t think I can ever overcome the fact that I am raising a child in a foreign country. But the thing is, is that so many women do it, and can do it. It has made me a stronger person, and now that my son is doing much better I feel like I don’t want to just drift through life. I made a decision that my life is meant to have purpose. I want to live, and live through my passion. Right now this is what I am extremely passionate about. I want women to know they can take charge of their own pregnancies and to always live life to the fullest.
A lot of women have these big goals & big ideas that they’d like to bring to life, what advice would you give them in terms of how they can make that happen?
First, do it with passion. If you’re not passionate about it, and I am talking burning desire to give it to people, you are going to fizzle out. When things get tough, and they will get tough. You won’t have the motivation to keep you going.
Second, when it get’s tough, DON’T give up. You never know how close you are to success, until you’ve struck gold. (Idea from Napoleon Hill’s “Think and Grow Rich”) This is why having passion is so important. It’s never about the money, it should never be about the money. Money is a tool, a means to accomplish something else. Money won’t make you happy, but being fulfilled by what you do every day, that’s what’s going to make you happy. That’s the gold.
Lastly, Imagine. Create. Collaborate. As adults we have been told stop day-dreaming, stop imagining, stop trying to create the impossible. But where do good ideas come from? From people who’s imaginations run wild, and allow themselves to create. If you feel like you can only get so far, collaborate with other women who share the same audience, think of ideas, and keep a journal. We have such limited time in life, and its best spent in our childhood.
What’s the biggest regret you have when it comes to your blog/shop/business?
That I didn’t start sooner.
I had this idea during pregnancy, and I told myself I wasn’t smart enough. I wasn’t business savvy enough. I wasn’t tech oriented enough. I just wasn’t enough.
But all it took was buying some books, following some podcasts, and making that first decision that I was going to Jump!
What’s been your proudest moment so far?
Hahaha, besides installing the WordPress theme by myself. Seeing my promo video for the first time and realizing that my dream is coming true.
And, just because we like our coffee around here, how do you take yours?
Starbucks double shot, on ice with milk.
Unless I need something sweet, Iced grande caramel macchiato with an extra shot
I believe in the story of the overcomer. That has been my story and I believe that is your story too. We want your journey here on the blog to help encourage others just like you and me. If you’d like to share that with us, please come over and share your story with us!
Was this story an encouragement to you? Share it with others!