Meet Trailblazer Dr. Lindsay Banks

Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Lindsay Banks.

Dr. Banks, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I have always been passionate about health and wellness, which is why I made the decision to attend Chiropractic School but my path there wasn’t so straightforward. I got pregnant with my son my senior year of undergrad at the age of 22. I actually had him by c-section seven days before my college graduation and I was unable to attend which was heartbreaking.

Being a new mother and needing family support, I found myself back in my home town with a baby. I was working a home health job which was totally not my original plan but as they say, everything happens for a reason. I had one particular client who said something to me who changed the course of my life. I was helping her with laundry and she said “Lindsay, be mindful of how you treat your body while you’re younger because you will pay for it when you get older. That’s why you are here helping me now!”

I got to thinking about how dissatisfied I was with what I was doing and that I had lost focus on my dreams. Not feeling my best was also affecting my health from the stress. It was at that point that I decided to take charge not only for myself but for my son who I wanted so much for. After some research, I made the decision to enroll at Logan University in Chesterfield, MO since it wasn’t too far from home and I could still have some support from family. I told my then-boyfriend, me and the baby are moving to Chesterfield so I can go to Chiropractic School, you coming? We are now on our 13th year of marriage!

After graduating from Chiropractic school, I had my second son and we moved back home again. I started practicing Chiropractic once my youngest son hit four months. At one point, I was practicing Chiropractic, personal training, and teaching part-time. I loved what I was doing but I was missing out a lot due to my hectic schedule. I had a moment of realization and my inner voice said: ”Lindsay, your kids are only young once and you can’t keep this up!” After five years in practice, I decided to transition to education full-time for the benefit of my family. I truly love being in education and I still believe it is one of the keys to success. I am part of helping individuals get the education they need to change their lives and provide for their families. Higher education is what moved our family from Illinois to Texas in January of 2016.

Healthy Motives 365 was born as my family and I were adjusting to a new life in Texas. I realized that I was letting life get in the way of being my BEST self again and I was not taking care of myself the way I knew I should. If I was letting this happen with the knowledge and education I had, I wondered how many other women were out there not feeling their best and not making their health a priority?

I decided it was time to do something about it and take action! I created Healthy Motives 365 as a platform to help women reach their OPTIMUM health through education on the importance of daily physical activity, healthy eating habits and developing a positive mindset. My goal is to encourage women to make small changes daily, to help them transition to a healthier lifestyle. Health is a journey and I want to act as a guide to help women along the way!

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road! Having my son changed the course of my life. My original plan was to become a veterinarian! I love animals but I now know that definitely wasn’t my purpose in life! I sacrificed a lot to get through school, I was 23 with a 9-month-old in school full-time so I had to buckle down and handle business at a young age. Looking back, I am happy I made that sacrifice in my younger days because it is allowing me to do what I love today!

As a woman, it can be tough to be career-oriented and raise a family but it is not impossible! At one point I had to make a tough decision to do what was best for my family and I felt like a failure. I was a doctor but I wasn’t practicing, what would people think? As I look back, if I continued to worry about the perception of others instead of doing what was truly best for me then it could have been detrimental to my health and my family. In reality, people really don’t think about you as much as you think they do. Just keep focus on what is best for you and yours and forget the rest!

I would also advise young women, to not be afraid to take chances. Moving my family across the country was a huge risk, my kids were seven and eleven at the time and it was the middle of a school year. But my husband and I knew in order for all of us to grow and have more opportunities in life, it was something that was necessary. Taking that chance was the best decision we ever made, the boys literally adjusted faster than we did and we are experiencing things we used to dream about in our younger days!

Through my experiences, I have learned that things do not always happen as fast as you want them to or exactly the way you plan them but they always happen when they are supposed to. Just trust the process and enjoy the ride as much as possible! We stress ourselves out by comparing our situation to others and their progress in life. Your time will come, put in the work and be patient. I feel once you can grasp this concept, it will truly change your life. It definitely has changed mine for the better!

Lastly, always remember to be grateful. Being grateful and focusing on the things you do have versus the things you don’t have makes life so much better! Shift your focus on the steps you need to take to get where you want to be in life. Create goals, make a plan and take action every day!

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Healthy Motives 365 – what should we know?
I am the owner of Healthy Motives 365 and I specialize in helping women transition to a healthier lifestyle. The keyword being transition because when we make too many sudden changes we become overwhelmed and get discouraged. I encourage women to “Find Health in Every Day”, meaning every day we have the choice to make healthier decisions and by doing so consistently, we will change our lives for the better. My goal is to help women find convenient ways to implement changes so they can become the BEST version of themselves. I encourage women to not compare themselves to others but instead focus on what they need to do to be their personal best. When you compare yourself to others, you can become discouraged but you can always become a better version of yourself!

I am most proud that I am able to share valuable information with women and literally help them change their life. Women play many roles and sometimes our health is not the top priority, I help them see that health is the true foundation of everything else! Without it, other areas of our life will suffer. What good is all the money and success in the world if we don’t have our health to enjoy it? I am literally saving lives by helping women shift their mindset!

What sets me apart is that I don’t just push the physical component of health or looking a certain way. Health is about the mind, body and soul. We can appear to have it all together on the outside while being broken on the inside. When we are broken inside it can, in turn, affect our overall well-being no matter how great we look on the outside. When I work with clients, I’m not only giving exercise and nutrition advice, I help them shift their mindset. I help them identify and tackle the issues that are affecting their ability to be consistent with exercising and eating healthy which in turn helps them reach their goals.

Currently, I offer personal training services both online and in-person, health/motivational talks for groups or organizations, and nutritional guidance. Next year, I am excited to be expanding my services to offer Chiropractic care as well. This is something I am truly looking forward to as Chiropractic has always been in my heart although I was not practicing. The time that I took off has enabled me to grow in other areas that will ultimately benefit my practice and my ability to care for my patients. The best part is that my oldest son who was just a baby when I started school is now old enough to assist me in my office and we are both extremely excited about it!

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
Honestly, my father played the biggest role in my childhood that helped set me up for success. Of course, I didn’t always listen and I still made mistakes but without his support and guidance, I wouldn’t be who I am today.

My father taught me to:

Put God first in EVERYTHING! I am a PK (Preacher’s Kid), this can be tough at times as people tend to judge your every move.

Work hard when you are younger so you can enjoy life when you are older!

Always do your best! He would tell me this every morning before I went to school each morning. I now tell my boys this every morning and my youngest always tells me: “Mommy, you do your best too!” It always makes me smile! Periodically, if I feel I’m not truly giving full effort, I think back to this and I adjust my efforts accordingly.

How a real man loves a woman! My parents have been married for 40 years. Marriage is a journey and no relationship is perfect but when you find the right person who loves you for you, supports you and respects you, then you stick it out! My husband has supported and encouraged me in every stage of my career and I thank him for that!

Financial literacy. My father would always talk about money with me even at a young age. He taught me to save, invest and live within my means.

I realize that every child may not have a father or mother present to play such a role. This is why it is important to give back and help those who may not necessarily be able to help themselves. Children need someone to look up to who will push them to do their best. As a black woman, I hope that I can be an inspiration and mentor to young black girls that you can be successful and dreams can come true if you are willing to put in the work!

Pricing:

• Online Personal Training $100 -$250
• In-person Training $65/hr
• Health Talks (1 hour) $75
• Nutrition Guidance $45/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: www.healthymotives365.com
• Phone: 281-215-3627
• Email: info@healthymotives365.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthymotives365/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/healthymotives365/

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