IAM2472 – Motivational Speaker and Best-selling Author Empowers People by Sharing Her Story

Amberly Lago

00:00 - 00:24

my hopes that, you know, I can, you know, we can apply because I think so many of us, we have these traumas or we have these challenges and we need tools to get through those. And I think a lot of people aren't talking about really the struggle day to day, what your struggles are. And I think it's something that I really want to share with others to help them really tap into their resilience.

Intro

00:25 - 00:51

Are you ready to hear business stories and learn effective ways to build relationships, generate sales, and level up your business from awesome CEOs, entrepreneurs, and founders without listening to a long, long, long interview? If so, you've come to the right place. Grush values your time and is ready to share with you the valuable info you're in search of. This is the I am CEO

Gresham Harkless

00:51 - 00:53

podcast. Hello. Hello. Hello.

Gresham Harkless

00:53 - 01:02

This is Gretch from the I am CEO podcast. And I have a very special guest on the show today. I have Amberly Lago of AmberlyLago.com. Amberly, it's awesome to have you on the show.

Amberly Lago

01:02 - 01:05

Oh, I'm so happy to be here. Thanks for having me on.

Gresham Harkless

01:06 - 01:25

No problem. Super excited to have you on and what I wanted to do is just read a little bit more about Amberlee so you can hear about all the awesome things that she's doing. And Amberlee is a former professional dancer and athlete and a leading expert in the field of resilience, transformation, and health and wellness. She's a motivational speaker and the best-selling author of True Grit and Grace.

Gresham Harkless

01:25 - 01:44

She empowers people around the world by sharing her story, how she turned a tragedy into triumph. Amberlee has most recently been featured on NBC's The Today Show, contributed to magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Health and Disability Magazine. Amberlee, are you ready to speak to the IMCO community? I am.

Gresham Harkless

01:44 - 01:50

Awesome. Let's do it. So the first question I had was to hear more about what I call your CEO story and what led you to start your business.

Amberly Lago

01:50 - 02:18

Well, you know, I really think sometimes you don't know why things happen, but it leads you down a path to where you really discover your purpose. And I have worn, I still wear a lot of hats, but I had a horrible motorcycle accident and I had to have 34 surgeries to save my leg from amputation. And I was nationally recognized as a fitness coach. And now here I was bedridden.

Amberly Lago

02:19 - 02:49

It took a lot of digging, a lot of healing to get to where I am now. And it led me down a path of really discovering the tools to become resilient. And I am passionate about inspiring those tools with others. And so I still do some fitness training, but I mostly work with people on a one-on-one basis doing coaching and speak to a large audience about really how to tap into your tools of resilience.

Amberly Lago

02:49 - 03:09

And so I think being a CEO is more than just, you know, being the face of a company. I think it is being of service. To me, it's really important to listen to your community, and know what they want, know what their needs are, and also have a good team with you that works alongside you.

Gresham Harkless

03:09 - 03:14

Yeah, that makes perfect sense. And obviously, sorry to hear, you know, about the injury. You said 34 surgeries? 34

Amberly Lago

03:16 - 03:32

surgeries, but you know what? They were going to amputate my leg and I had a 1% chance of saving it. And people ask me, do you wish you could take it all back? And I really don't because it has made me into the person that I am today.

Amberly Lago

03:32 - 03:47

And that pain, all the pain that I went through and actually still go through, it has taught me the greatest lessons. And it has led me down this path of really connecting with the community and empowering others.

Gresham Harkless

03:48 - 04:07

Yeah, absolutely. And I can't help it that, you know, that, you know, fortunately it had to happen, but you being able to get through it yourself, but also being able to kind of help out others, you know, is definitely phenomenal. So I know you touched on it a little bit, but I wanted to hear some of the things you're doing to support these clients with the one ones and how people, how you can help people tap into their resilience.

Amberly Lago

04:07 - 04:27

Well, I'm glad you asked because I came up with something called Pacer. And actually I owe this to my husband because one night we were sitting at the dinner table and he was like, you really need to pace yourself. And you know, if you're a type A personality, you're like on full throttle. And I'm like, this is my pace, man.

Amberly Lago

04:27 - 04:49

I got one pace and that's full throttle. I really stopped and kind of thought about it. I sat and I started writing on a dinner napkin everything that I did throughout the day to pace myself so I could be resilient. Pacer is something that I use with my clients and I use on a daily basis.

Amberly Lago

04:50 - 05:34

P stands for perspective, A is for acceptance, C is for community, E is for endurance, and R is for rest. And let me tell you that R part is so hard because I have a hard time resting because for me resting meant quitting and I didn't want to be a quitter. But I apply these daily things into my life and I have taught this to my clients and whether I'm dealing with pain, any kind of pain, whether it's emotional or physical or I'm dealing with anxiety or fear or even depression, I use this pacer and now it's gotten to the point where I was feeling, I had a lot of fear and I had a friend reach out and say, how are you doing?

Amberly Lago

05:34 - 05:51

And I was freaking out and she texted me back one word and she said, pace her. And I thought, wow, I need to like practice what I preach. And I went down the list and I shifted my perspective. And now my husband will look at me and say, you're forgetting the R Amberlee, you're forgetting the R.

Amberly Lago

05:52 - 06:18

So I, it's my hopes that, you know, I can, you know, we can apply the, because I think so many of us, we have these traumas or we have these challenges and we need tools to get through those. And I think a lot of people aren't talking about really the struggle day to day, what your struggles are. And I think it's something that I really want to share with others to help them really tap into the resilience.

Gresham Harkless

06:18 - 06:33

Yeah, absolutely. And I think that especially like when you're starting anything or running a business or doing whatever or anything really that's new, there's a level of fear. There's discomfort. There's, you know, sometimes doubting yourself and there's sometimes just things that you want to deal with.

Gresham Harkless

06:33 - 06:41

So being able to kind of tap into a tool like Pacer to understand that it's part of the process and make sure that you're mining all of those different letters and those different aspects of it.

Amberly Lago

06:42 - 07:13

Yeah, because there are some days I'm like, oh my gosh, why am I, I feel stuck? Or why am I feeling, doubting myself or getting all up in my head? And then I'm like, okay, stay in my heart, focus on my why, and I go down the list of what can I do to shift my perspective? And sometimes that means like really forcing myself to find the good in a situation, Or what am I learning from this situation that I'm in?

Amberly Lago

07:13 - 07:35

And sometimes I have to look at how far I've come and how worse it could be. And that's all I need to kind of shift my perspective. And let me tell you, when I can shift my perspective, it has changed my life because it turns, really, it makes me circle back around to gratitude. And gratitude is my medicine, man.

Amberly Lago

07:36 - 07:45

It turns what we can't do into what we can do. And it turns what we don't have into what we do have. And so it's something that I use on a daily basis.

Gresham Harkless

07:45 - 08:01

That makes perfect sense. Yeah. Being able to kind of tap into that because, you know, hard times always are around the corner and, you know, making sure that you're able to kind of combat that. And, and I was going to ask you for your secret sauce and it sounds like you might've already touched on this, but correct me if I'm wrong, is that gratitude, what you feel kind of makes you unique and

Gresham Harkless

08:01 - 08:01

kind of gives you that edge.

Amberly Lago

08:02 - 08:13

I think so. I think really gratitude is my medicine. And I start every day, except for today, I have to admit something. So today I woke up a little bit late.

Amberly Lago

08:13 - 08:38

And every day I wake up and I have this morning ritual where I get up and before my feet hit the ground, I say a little prayer, I think of something that I'm grateful for. And then I do some journaling, a short meditation, and I read from some of you know, I'll pick something from one of my many books that I'll read out of. And this morning I've got so much on my plate right now. And I was like, screw the morning routine.

Amberly Lago

08:38 - 08:57

I just, I gotta just go. And as soon as that thought came into my head, I seriously, I fell trying to sit on the toilet. And I was like, okay, the universe has a funny sense of humor. I'm going to stick to the gratitude, stick to my morning routine and take it from there.

Amberly Lago

08:57 - 09:13

And because it sets the tone for your day. And if I can start my day with gratitude and if I end my day with gratitude, I I'm in so I'm in such a better place and I'm not rushing around and falling, just trying to sit on the toilet. So

Gresham Harkless

09:13 - 09:13

I

Amberly Lago

09:13 - 09:15

thought I'd share that with you.

Gresham Harkless

09:15 - 09:23

Yes, I feel like that should be a t-shirt. Practice your morning routine or sit on the toilet. So definitely make sure that you're doing that. But no, I love that.

Gresham Harkless

09:23 - 09:40

And I love the fact, too, that it sounds like you're really dialed into yourself and understanding when things are going according to plan and not because a lot of times people might sit on the toilet and like, oh, man, it's something else. But understanding that you do this on a regular, everyday basis. And the one time you didn't do it, then all of a sudden things like that start to manifest itself.

Amberly Lago

09:41 - 09:58

Yeah. You know, I think that, I don't know, I think if you're anything like me, I always have this big plan, this grand plan of how I think my life should be. Like I have everything planned on when, where, and how everything's going to happen. And most of the time it doesn't happen like that.

Amberly Lago

09:58 - 10:18

And so, If we have some good tools in our toolbox, and we have that foundation of those things that we can reach for when things don't go as planned, we can find and have a life of joy no matter what comes our way. We can choose joy. And for me, I was told so many things.

Amberly Lago

10:18 - 10:36

I was told that by a doctor, you'll be permanently disabled. You need to go back and get in your wheelchair. You're going to be in the wheelchair the rest of your life. I hike mountains and it's not because I'm, it's not because I'm different or not because I'm better than anybody else.

Amberly Lago

10:36 - 11:01

It's because I have some tools that I use on a daily basis and it gets me over those little hurdles. And that's what I really love to share with others that, you know, taking it one day at a time, one step at a time, sometimes one minute at a time. and really applying those tools and having a strong foundation allows you to overcome so much mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Gresham Harkless

11:02 - 11:19

Yeah, absolutely. And that's definitely a great reminder because I know, you know, you touched a little bit upon the resiliency tools and some people might be looking, searching for their toolbox, let alone the resiliency tool saying, I don't even have one of those, but it's great to hear that you say that not only have you been able to, you know, leverage those and find those, but we all have those within us.

Amberly Lago

11:20 - 11:37

We all do. We all have that resilience within us. And at one time for me, when I first had my motorcycle accident, I realized when I was stuck in the hospital bed, I really had one tool and that was to run. If I was sad, I'd go for a run.

Amberly Lago

11:37 - 11:44

If I was happy, I'd go for a run. If I was anxious, I would go for a run. And when that was all stripped away, I had nothing. I didn't know what to do.

Amberly Lago

11:45 - 12:05

And I really went into a dark place. And so over time, there, you know, there was something inside me. And it's not just me, it's inside all of us. And it's really a never ending resource of a well of information and resilience that we have inside of us.

Amberly Lago

12:06 - 12:45

And it's really about fine tuning how we tap into that and really continue to rise despite sometimes not feeling like you can even take a step forward because there were days when I seriously was ready to throw in the towel and thank goodness there was that little bit of light or resilience left in me and I was able to climb out of that dark spot. I don't ever want to go back there and I want to help others that might be in a situation where they're feeling stuck or they're feeling heavy hearted because we all we all can thrive. We all have that ability to thrive and choose joy.

Gresham Harkless

12:46 - 12:56

Absolutely. Absolutely. And I wanted to switch gears a little bit and you might have already touched on this with the running. Was there any other what I call CEO hacks or things that you do to be effective and efficient that you can share with us?

Amberly Lago

12:56 - 13:18

I think that really it takes focus and it's building your habit. It's doing something on a daily basis, like anything, and that's something that I've done since I was a kid. If you want to get better at something, then you have to do it on a daily basis. It's something that I used and still use with my fitness training clients.

Amberly Lago

13:18 - 13:29

You can't go to the gym one time a week and expect to see results. It's a daily basis. It's a way of living. And it really takes doing something every day.

Amberly Lago

13:30 - 13:54

I think there's one thing that you have to do that will get you there. And that is the key to being successful is being willing. And if you are willing, then There you go. You're going to reach your goals because if you are willing, you are going to be able to do anything you can and do your best every single day.

Amberly Lago

13:54 - 14:11

You're going to find that grit to keep going. And like my grandfather always said, and I always think about this, my grandfather used to always tell me, you've got a shovel in your hand. You can either lean on it and pray for a hole or you can start digging. And I'm like, okay, I'm going to pray, but I need to start digging.

Amberly Lago

14:11 - 14:17

It takes action. So I always think about what these little sayings my grandfather used to say. Yeah.

Gresham Harkless

14:18 - 14:26

Now I wanted to ask you for what I call a CEO nugget. And this is a word of wisdom or piece of advice, or if you can hop into a time machine, what would you tell your younger business self?

Amberly Lago

14:26 - 14:50

I would probably, I think I would tell myself to listen to my gut, follow my heart. Um, the answer that we, the answers that we need, within us. Sometimes I think that we look outside and we're trying to search for everything and if we just be still for long enough and really listen to our heart, everything that we need is within us.

Gresham Harkless

14:50 - 15:01

Absolutely. No, that's a phenomenal reminder. And I know you touched on this as well, but I wanted to ask you if you had anything additional for the definition of what it means to be a CEO, and we're hoping to have different quote unquote CEOs on the show.

Gresham Harkless

15:01 - 15:04

So Amberlee, what does being a CEO mean to you? A CEO,

Amberly Lago

15:05 - 15:20

I think a CEO for me means a leader, someone of service. someone who represents, someone who is a good listener, someone who is really authentic and willing.

Gresham Harkless

15:20 - 15:37

Absolutely, I love that definition and that perspective, because those things are all important to being, you know, and excelling at your craft, whatever that might be. So Amberley, I truly appreciate your time. What I wanted to do is pass you the mic, so to speak, just to see if there's anything additional you can let our readers and our listeners know, and then how best they can get ahold of you, and of course, get a copy of your book.

Amberly Lago

15:38 - 15:51

Oh, that'd be awesome. Yeah, I would love if people reached out to me. You can connect with me at AmberlyLago.com. And for little nuggets of inspiration, you can follow me on Instagram at Amberly Lago Motivation.

Amberly Lago

15:52 - 16:18

You can find my book at your any bookstore or it's on Amazon, True Grit and Grace, Turning Tragedy into Triumph. And I am going to be having a pacer challenge soon. It's free and it's every day we're going to be connecting and building community to support you and all your goals and aspirations and really to teach you how to tap into your resilience. So you can find that on my website.

Gresham Harkless

16:18 - 16:21

Awesome. Awesome. Awesome. We'll make sure to have those links in the show notes as well.

Gresham Harkless

16:21 - 16:28

But Amberley, thank you so much for telling your story, for showing, you know, true grace and grit. And I appreciate your time. I hope you have a phenomenal rest of the day.

Amberly Lago

16:28 - 16:28

Thank you.

Intro

16:28 - 16:46

Thanks for having me on. Thank you for listening to the IMCEO podcast powered by CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Tune in next time and visit us at imceo.co. IMCEO is not just a phrase, it's a community.

Intro

16:46 - 16:59

Don't forget to schedule your complimentary digital marketing consultation at bluesixtymedia.com. This has been the I Am CEO podcast with Gresham Harkless Jr. Thank you for listening.