“I thought I loved it, but I learned that running the shop wasn’t my passion.”
This realization was the motivation behind Shannon O’Regan’s life-enhancing decision to close the Wilmette shop, which she established and had run for three years, to devote her energy toward her true passion: a full-time fitness career.
One year ago, she launched SMO Ventures, specializing in personal fitness and complete wellness. It’s a far cry from selling furniture and home accessories, but not that big a leap when you consider that for 20 years O’Regan has been teaching fitness classes and providing personal training as a sideline to her full-time pursuits.
She credits her participation in “Tiara: The Exceptional Women’s Coaching Program” with helping her realize that retail did not align with her life’s callings.
Tiara is a unique, year-long group coaching program that gives participants the structure and support they need to explore who they are, what they want and how to create the life they desire. The program consists of a full-day, facilitated workshop, and monthly in-person coaching sessions where the group reconnects to share experiences and learn new concepts.
Working with Tiara’s coaches and the larger community of Tiara participants, O’Regan discovered that owning a shop didn’t align with her passion for fitness and her most important value—having an impact on people’s lives.
That willingness to take a deep look and not settle for “good enough” is what makes O’Regan a model Tiara participant. She is successful and seems to “have it together,” yet she explores the questions that lurk beneath all her accomplishments: Am I making the right choices? Why don’t I feel inspired anymore? What’s next for me?
Today, O’Regan spends her days creating fitness plans, providing personal training to private clients and coaching them to achieve their goals. She shares this information on her blog, and is always developing new and creative ways to help people achieve optimal well-being.
What makes O’Regan special to her clients is that she completely walks her talk. She knows that if you want a buff body, you can’t just hire a trainer; you’ve also got to do the work. The same is true for the Tiara program. The coaching, conversations, materials and exercises are available to help participants bring clarity to what they want in their lives: results occur because they are willing to do the work.
“The lessons of Tiara stay with you,” O’Regan says. “They bring together the joy, the risk and the skills to create exactly what you want.”
To learn more about the Tiara program, visit www.tiaracoaching.com.
To learn about working with Shannon O’Regan to improve your health and well-being, check out her Web site at www.smoventures.com or catch up with O’Regan on her Be Well Fit Blog at smoventures.blogspot.com.
