MAVEN OF THE WEEK! CINDY SULLIVAN!

“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”

I met Cindy Sullivan many years ago when our daughters were at Beacon Hill Nursery School. I remember Cindy as tall, thin, blond, lovely…and kind. I knew she had a sweet daughter, worked full time, and was very involved with a key playground in our neighborhood. She is someone I wanted to know better. Life got going and next thing I know it’s nearly twenty years later and our daughters are seniors in college.

Like so many of the women I talk to who start something new in midlife, Covid had a hand in the pivot for Cindy. It’s not surprising to think people switched it up during the year we all were shut ins. We had to do something other than watch reruns of friends. For instance, I started this blog in earnest in December, 2020. I had been working on it, but it was really the uninterrupted time that covid allowed to sit and focus that I took advantage of as many others did.

Trying to have a baby

Years before Covid, Cindy had been working in PR and marketing in the financial world when she hit a wall. At the time she was in her late thirties, working full time and trying to have a second baby. It wasn’t going smoothly.

For any of us that have experienced infertility, it becomes all consuming. Full of huge disappointment and dashed hopes but the possibility of success keeps you in it. It’s like an abusive relationship you cannot leave. You want what they promise you but you know you might not get it and there is no way to know if you will. Your world is consumed by the thought of getting pregnant. Your marriage has that one focus. Your friendships are affected by their pregnancy successes and failures. It is isolating because it is private. You and your spouse can only discuss it so many times. You cringe at the idea of family events when they ask when number one or two is coming. You notice pregnant women.

Needless to say, Cindy burnt out…thoroughly. She quit her job and for the next five years she worked with her husband in his new company. She made peace with her fertility. I don’t talk about fertility issues in this blog for the one reason that everyone I talk to is far past worrying about having a baby of their own. But, maybe I should talk more about it because the process leaves scars. In talking to Cindy I was struck by how sincerely over it she was. She found the blessings in what she had and didn’t have: A beautiful baby girl, a wonderful husband, the ability to stay in their home in a community that is wonderful but expensive and taking up a long ago dream: teaching fitness.

New focus: fitness!

Like so many stories at Women’s Survival Guide, there was a passion that wasn’t supportable for whatever reason. In Cindy’s case the reason was expectations.

She was the first to go to college in her family, she is a type A personality and had goals to achieve. But, when the “success” side of her life burnt out, the old passion flickered to life. She knew she needed a change and she knew she had loved fitness from a young age. After attending a Gloria Stevens class with her mom at age twelve she wrote in her diary ““I want to be an aerobics instructor when I grow up.” How cute is that? She set about her new focus in the way she did with her corporate career, with gusto and a lot of degrees and certificates.

Today, Cindy is a Certified Personal Trainer, Group Fitness Instructor, and Senior Fitness Specialist among others. Cindy has a niche focus, midlife and seniors, a health and wellness area that is overlooked and underserved. She still does classes for everyone, but her focus is a category called “Active Aging.” From doing her group classes she was asked to come to people’s homes and do personal training, which she still does. By word of mouth her business grew fast. We talked about how expensive personal trainers are but she has kept her fees low so that her clients can afford them. Seniors tend not to want or are able to afford expensive fitness, but Cindy adapts her fee model for them.

Covid pivot:

Cindy knew her senior clients were not going to be able to do in person classes or in home instruction when lock down happened. By April of 2020 she was up and running on Zoom. She began a program that she still does called “Ever STRONG” for $85.00 a month that includes coaching calls and online classes.

With Covid, her life and work took on a new dimension with the internet. She started posting fun, upbeat instructive clips on instagram and her world exploded. One of her posts got four million views on Facebook! She now has 63,000 followers on Instagram! I follow her and LOVE her easy to do exercises…I particularly like this post:

What’s next for Cindy?

Bone density and joint health! Cindy is working on a new category of fitness aimed at improving our bone density and preventing osteoporosis. For men, too! How do we improve bone density through fitness you ask? It starts with jumping! And nutrition. She is developing twenty minute videos to keep people engaged who don’t want to commit to a longer session. Like me.

Meet Your Trainer – Cindy Sullivan

Cindy Sullivan is a certified personal trainer and group fitness specialist with additional credentials in strength, functional aging, fall prevention, and posture/mobility training. She’s trained hundreds of midlife and older clients across the U.S. and was voted Best of Boston for her work.

Her motto:

“You’re never too old, and it’s never too late to live your best life.” Whether you’re 40 or 80+, Cindy helps you move well, feel great, and stay strong for life.”

💪Cindy Sullivan EverSTRONG

💪COMING IN A FEW DAYS…Cindy’s Maven Questionnaire and a recipe she loves!

💪Meet me in the comments!

What I love about Cindys work is that it is doable for those of us with a short attention span. Just follow her lead and your bod with thank you!! What are you doing to stay fit?

Do you have questions for Cindy? I have a few that I will post this week…

ICYMI

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💪How to be strong with Cindy Sullivan