In this episode of Pursuit of Wellness, Mari Llewellyn shares her transformative journey of overcoming mental health struggles and embracing a holistic approach to wellness. Born in London and raised across several cultures, Llewellyn delves into her challenging childhood and the adversities that manifested as issues like alcohol abuse and self-harm in college.
Mari's pivotal decision to reclaim her life marked the beginning of her wellness path. She courageously confronted past traumas, adopted a healthy lifestyle, and ultimately shed 90 pounds. This success paved the way for Llewellyn's viral following and her transition into launching her own fitness brand and supplement company, driven by her passion for empowering others.
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1-Page Summary
Mari Llewellyn shares her diverse and challenging personal history, from an international upbringing to family turmoil during her formative years in the United States.
Born in Chertsey, London, Mari was a much-anticipated child by her parents after three years of trying. She spent her early years in Geneva, Switzerland, where she absorbed the local culture, attending a French nursery and cherishing memories of sunflowers and singing French nursery rhymes. After her sister's birth in Switzerland, her family returned to Guildford, Surrey, England, where she continued her education until the age of 10.
At ten, Mari's life took a drastic turn when her father's job as a British diplomat led the family to move to Scarsdale, Westchester, New York. Her knowledge of America, based on TV shows like 'Friends' and the stereotype of obesity and fast-food culture, didn't prepare her for the reality of living in one of the wealthiest towns in the US. The drastic cultural differences, combined with her use of British slang, contributed to her feeling like an outsider, further amplified by her shyness and anxiety.
The family's move to a new house in the US was disrupted by her parents' separation, which caught Mari off-guard and destabilized the only sense of stabi ...
The speaker's personal background and life experiences
Mari Llewellyn openly shares the personal challenges related to her mental health struggles during college and her subsequent journey towards recovery and well-being.
From childhood, Llewellyn felt emotionally on edge and anxious, a feeling that deepened with her parents' separation and led to the use of alcohol as a coping mechanism. In college, her overdrinking resulted in academic and social probation at Drexel University. She revealed that her therapy, which began at the age of 14 due to her parents' divorce, was ignored as she canceled meetings during college. After an episode of drinking, Llewellyn self-harmed for the first time, driven by feelings of shame and invisibility. Encouraged by a person named Greg, she sought professional help following this episode.
Llewellyn recalls the diagnosis of borderline personality disorder and the subsequent prescription of a medication cocktail typically for bipolar disorder. The medications led to severe dissociation and an even further disconnect from reality, culminating in her senior year with failing grades, significant weight gain, and a sense of being completely out of her mind. With her life unraveling, Llewellyn made the difficult choice to drop out of college a semester before graduating.
Determined ...
The speaker's mental health struggles and journey to recovery
Mari Llewellyn's personal fitness transformation inspired a business venture that evolved into a burgeoning fitness brand, guided by her own journey and the community she built.
Mari Llewellyn's dedication to fitness, nutrition, and her own 90-pound weight loss journey resonated with a vast online community. After she shared her before-and-after photo on Instagram at the encouragement of her partner, Greg, the post went viral, catapulting her to internet fame. Starting with just 900 followers, Mari's content struck a chord, and she found herself with 20,000 followers while working at Orange Theory Fitness. The community engagement was immediate and powerful, with her notifications "exploding" as her story and progress were shared widely across social media platforms.
The viral nature of her transformation story caught the attention of people across the fitness and weight loss communities. Mari's visibility increased tremendously, thanks to her before-and-after photo showcasing her incredible transformation, leading to widespread sharing and reposting on various fitness and weight loss pages.
The engagement didn't stop at likes and shares; her followers began requesting workout and nutrition guides. Mari responded by compiling her routines into a PDF and started selling them via PayPal. The demand for her guides was so significant that her partner, Greg, had to step in to assist with the workload.
With the success of her workout guides, Mari embraced entrepreneurship, transitioning full-time and no longer working at Orange Theory Fitness. The proceeds from the guide sales allowed Mari and Greg to fund their new business ventures, which included creating and selling physical products like resistance bands.
Driven by a passion for quality nutrition and dissatisfaction with store-bought supplements, Mari and Greg decided to launch their own brand, Bloom. Mari was hands-on in every as ...
The Development of the Speaker's Successful Fitness Business and Brand
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