Meet Lauren Leinani | Certified Transformation Coach

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

Hi Lauren, how has your work-life balance changed over time?
As a solo parent and passionate Transformation Coach who is obsessed with what she does, balance is very crucial to my overall well being and the quality of each area of my life.

To me, balance and boundaries go hand in hand. In my personal experience, if you’re not able to find work-life balance, you are likely lacking the boundaries necessary to make that a reality.

I haven’t always had a good grasp on this. I fell into the hustle culture when I first quit my job to pursue my business full time. I had a 4 year old and newborn, and a huge passion for helping others and really ,’making it” in my business. I never said no. I made sure to take any and all work that I could and was overly available to my clients, team and social communities.

Those are all incredible values to have and I pride myself in actually showing up and giving my clients and community the experience they signed up for, but there was one problem with how I did it back then…

I was operating from a place of fear. I was scared I would lose clients. I was worried people would think I wasn’t present enough. I was SO hungry for success and determined not to fail that I didn’t consider the impact (and burnout) it would leave me with.

Right around 2020 was when I realized I needed to shift things. I made an actual schedule for my business and time on social. I made boundaries a priority, and I won’t lie, it was hard at first. I felt guilty and had some backlash because everyone was very used to me always being “on”. But at the end of the day, I quit my job to run my business so that I could be a more present mom, have time freedom & feel good about how I spent my days. None of that was a reality when all I did was work, answer every notification and say yes to every call and opportunity.

I’m currently on an Instagram break because I could feel myself leaning into that burnout space, I am juggling a lot with my kids home for summer, getting ready to move and entering a new chapter of my life. So I paused. I took actual time off of Instagram (which is where majority of my business takes place) and it has been the most empowering thing.

I know when I get back from breaks and spend it doing things like self-care, quality time, slowing down and re grouping, I can come back to my business and community with a re-lit fire and the creativity just flows!

I know that full on social media breaks aren’t always possible (I’ve had seasons where it wasn’t an option). However I think its important to remember the day to day boundaries, self care and unplugged time are very powerful on their own, and a lot of times help you avoid that burnout, need a break, feeling.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started my journey 7 years ago when I was fed up with how I was treating myself and my body. I was overweight, unhealthy and unfulfilled. When I started taking care of myself, something shifted. I felt better than I ever had, lost 100lbs and had a fire for life that I hadn’t felt in a really long time. I was in a unique position because although I felt good in my body and worked really hard to get there, I had stretch marks, loose skin and ab-separation from what my body had been through (pregnancies and weight gain/loss).

I think my community, following and business really took off when I publicly embraced that. The fitness industry is kind of known for perfection, 6 packs and a “no days off” mentality. And here I was, a mom of 2, in the best shape of her life, yet still imperfect. And I ran with that. Because the more I shared those things, the more I realized how badly women needed to see and hear it.

This is when the theme of my business was kind of born. Self love and Self Improvement CAN co-exist. The self love/body positivity community had their people, the fitspo accounts had theirs, and I fell somewhere in the middle. It gave the women and moms all over the world that were like me, a place to land.

My journey hasn’t always been an easy one. I have always been open about my setbacks and the life struggles that made an impact on my success in my own transformation journey and as a coach. I’ve never been shy about sharing about those things (like unexpectedly becoming a single mom, grieving a loved one, battling my TOS diagnosis etc). Because if we are ignoring how these very real experiences impact our wellness/fitness journey…our TRANSFORMATION, we are doing ourselves and our community a huge disservice.

I believe self-care and self-improvement are the ultimate acts of self-love. I have built a brand and business around empowering women and moms to put themselves back at the top of their to-do list. I have a podcast, Her Revival, all about overcoming life’s challenges and to remind you that when you get knocked down, to come back swinging. My best-selling morning journal, Rise + Shine, was created to give women the opportunity to fill their cup first, before spending the day pouring into everyone and everything else.

Ultimately, when women come into my space and energy, whether that’s on social media, in a podcast, or as a client, I want to leave them better, more inspired and empowered to love themselves, then when they found it.

We all deserve to feel our best. To fall in love with ourselves and our life. To grow, change + evolve. Because at the end of the day Transformation is an INSIDE job. We all have our best, brightest, most vibrant selves inside of us already…and it’s my job to help you bring that out.

Love yourself Loudly. You are wildly worthy and crazy capable. And I’m rooting for you always.

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?
We would obviously start with brunch. There are so many good finds for this kind of thing but something with mimosas, a savory-sweet menu and a cute vibe for us to enjoy! Then we’d do something active, the weather is hit and miss here but the hikes and outdoor experiences are top-notch in spring and summer.

Ideally I would want to spend time doing a little bit of everything. I think the best experiences are things we haven’t tried or wouldn’t typically do so I would make sure were pushing out of our comfort zone a bit along the way!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My entrepenuerial spirit and hunger to help and serve others initially started in direct sales. I joined a team of women who were working towards similar goals. I was a 22 year old, insecure (but determined) newbie when I started working with them. Although that isn’t my main focus point in my journey anymore, I wouldn’t be who I am as a creator, coach or woman, without that group of women. They showed me what’s possible for everyone.

I broke out of my shell in more ways than one, because of the women I met and worked with in Beachbody, and the companies community as a whole. I gained confidence, sales skills, a business mindset and most importantly a belief in myself I had never felt before. I know I was meant to start there, with that community, so that I could spread my wings and fly.

I’m so grateful for their friendship, encouragement, support and knowledge they gave that 22 year old version of me.

Additionally, there are a few incredible women I’ve followed on social over the years that truly lit a fire for me to chase my dreams. When I felt misunderstood, confused & like I didn’t belong, they encouraged me without even knowing. Some of those women are Amanda Frances, Gala Darling, Tiffany Cheung, Rebecca Campbell (her books are life changing) & Lori Harder, just to name a few. Its a true testement to never knowing who you’re helping and impacting just by showing up and shining brightly in the world.

Finally, and most importantly, my kids, Dean and Georgia. Dean is the reason I started my health journey to begin with, which lead me to making it a full time business. Georgia being born gave me the WHY to push to quit my job and be a work from home mom on my own terms. Through my darkest seasons, they were and continue to be my light. I want them to grow up in a home where caring for ourselves is the norm and that the sky truly is the limit. I love you two more than you’ll ever know.

Website: laurenleinani.com

Instagram: instagram.com/lauren.leinani

Linkedin: linkedin.com/laurenleinani

Twitter: twitter.com/laurenleinani

Other: Tiktok: @laurenleinani