Jessie Anne, a Clinical Nutritionist, Personal Trainer and Dance Teacher, is also the creator of Project Goddess, a mission to change women's perspectives on how they view what health looks like. She believes in a realistic and balanced lifestyle and I had the amazing opportunity to chat with her about her journey so far...

Hi Jessie, Introduce yourself: Where are you from, what are your interests/things you love doing in your spare time and what do you do for a living?

Hey Kels! I’m Jessie, I was born and bred in the beautiful Port Macquarie, NSW. I moved to the Gold Coast & overseas for about 6 years after high school to pursue a career in dance and have moved back to Port a few years ago. I have always had an interest and passion for health and fitness which has driven me to what I’m doing with my life now. But my first love was definitely dancing. I would be at the studio every afternoon after school and it was all I ever wanted to do. I made a pretty good career out of it after leaving school but had to give it up professionally due to injury, but I still have a little dance every now & then & it always makes me feel at home & grounded. I currently work as a Clinical Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, Dance Teacher and I own a small business, Project Goddess.

What do you feel is your purpose in life and how do you think you are making this into reality?

I feel like my purpose in life came from the life experiences I had as a young woman, which were probably nothing compared to some women, but I have always felt like I was meant to go through that for a reason. I have always loved helping others and have had a strong interest in women’s health so that’s how it all initially came together into what Project Goddess is today. I have always been someone who is hungry for more and honestly, sometimes I just get bored easily so just working a job for someone else where I couldn’t really grow at the pace I wanted to didn’t really work for me. I wanted more and Project Goddess was a project I could grow with and work on something that I love and am passionate about every day.

Where do you get the inspiration to start Project Goddess?

I have worked in two very superficial industries since I was 19, one being the fitness industry and one being the entertainment industry. I would have lots of young women come to see me as a Personal Trainer and I would ask what their goals are and I would get shown a picture of a perfect looking, airbrushed girl in a bikini with a flat stomach and a perky butt. Of course, we all want to look our best and you can’t blame them, even I get sucked into it sometimes, but you have to be realistic about different body shapes and sizes.

Some genes simply don’t allow you to have a tiny waist and perky butt. I wanted to create a platform and a community of women who feel comfortable in their own skin and don’t feel like they need to be pressured to look a certain way. Sure, I’m all for being healthy and combating the obesity epidemic but I do believe there is a healthy and an unhealthy way of doing it and we shouldn’t be encouraged to take extreme measures to do so. There is so much information out there and it can be confusing at times so I wanted to create a space where women could go to for trusted information surrounding their health from qualified health professionals.

What is your favourite aspect about having Project Goddess & being a Nutritionist / Dance Teacher?

I have a range of different roles in my work life so it can be challenging at times but I love the variety and the changes of pace I get from it. The dance teaching takes up a lot of energy but it’s a huge creative outlet for me and it brings me back to my childhood. It’s just something that is a part of me and I could never give up. The Personal Training and Nutrition consulting allows me to work one on one with individuals and really allows me to help people on a deeper level with their health goals. Sometimes just having that extra connection with people on an individual level really empowers them to open up about their health concerns and heal on a deeper level and I love being a vessel in that process.

Project Goddess is my passion project and it’s something that I love working on and growing. I really see Project Goddess as being a part of me and I give a little bit of myself each day that I work on it. I have always lived by the saying ‘if you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life’ and I really believe that I have achieved that with what I am currently doing.

What are some of the challenges you have faced throughout your business journey and how have you overcome these?

In order for Project Goddess to be as authentic as I wanted it to be I had to be really open and honest with some personal issues from the beginning which, for me, was a really hard thing to put out into the world. I’m typically a pretty shy person when I first meet people but I just had to remind myself of my ‘why’ and just put it out there and never look back. I think if you always come back to why you started, things that may seem hard, become easy.

Do you have a morning routine, and if so what does your morning routine look like? Does it benefit how you work for the rest of the day?

I often start with clients at 5:30am, so morning routines can be hard for me sometimes! But when I can I like to sit outside with a cup of herbal tea without my phone or any distractions. I wouldn’t quite call it meditating but it’s nice to just be by myself with my own thoughts for 10 minutes to start my day. Other than that I like to exercise in the morning, it just makes me feel good and ready for the day.

Who are the people you look up to and support you through this venture?

I have many supportive women that I look up to and have given me guidance throughout this venture. My biggest support is obviously my mum who is always there for advice and I am lucky to have very supportive people surrounding me at my workplaces, both at the gym, Your Life Fitness Centre and at the studio, Port Macquarie Performing Arts. The women at the dance studio have been in my life since I was about 8 years old so I am super lucky to still have many of these inspirational people still in my life today. I do believe having people like this, whether that’s as an official mentor or just someone you can bounce ideas off is super valuable & important in the success of any business.

What is your greatest & proudest achievement you have had so far in your business journey?

To be honest, I think my proudest achievement was just starting. I’m one of those people who comes up with heaps of ideas that sound amazing but never implement them. I don’t know what made Project Goddess stick, I guess it just felt right.

What is one thing most people may not know about you?

I love chocolate, especially dark chocolate. If it’s in the house, it won't be for long. Lindt sea salt and caramel is the bomb.com.

Thank you Jessie! xx

Connect with Jessie

INSTAGRAM: @projectgoddess_

FACEBOOK: Project Goddess by Jessie Anne

WEBSITE: www.projectgoddess.com.au

EMAIL: hello@projectgoddess.com.au

Book a nutrition consultation with Jessie here: https://www.projectgoddessja.com/book-app/