Sasha Williams, owner of 3 businesses and creator of Food Medicine Life, is passionate for guiding women toward a healthy lifestyle. As a vegan chef, yoga instructor, personal trainer and bikini competitor, Sasha’s wholistic and fit lifestyle is just the inspiration we need after a long summer of cookouts.
With a background in economics, real estate, and even dance – business was proven to be a natural fit for Sasha and was a driving force behind her third business, fitness and nutrition consulting with her own private studio here in South Side. Seeing a go-getting woman balance three businesses and a healthy lifestyle is just the motivation we admire around #DivaHQ. This week, we’re chatting with Sasha Williams and getting to know more behind her biz-worthy credentials and passionate persona that made her the success she is today.
Q: Tell us a bit about your profession/Company
A: I actually run THREE companies. I know, I’m nuts. We have 2 Oil and Gas engineering firms – one in Calgary, Canada & one here in Pittsburgh. We design facilities, pipelines and more for producers in the Oil & Gas business. I also run my own fitness & nutrition consulting business with a small private studio on the South Side. I have a B.Com in Economics from the University of British Columbia – with a diploma in Urban Land Economics. Being from Vancouver originally, Real Estate is what it’s all about.
Q: How did you get started in your career?
A: I started working in Real Estate at 18 in Commercial Property Management, moved on to a mix of Commercial/Industrial/Hotel/Residential construction & management for both private & public companies. I put myself through university while working full time. Before this jump, I was a dancer (ballet/tap/jazz/theater/lyrical) for a total of 23 years. When I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to make a career out of it (sadly enough) I pushed harder into Real Estate. I always had a passion for competition which drove me to pursue competitive ballroom dance and then (after an injury) competitive bodybuilding. I began to take night and online courses in nutrition, fitness, herbalism, personal training etc in 2006. Food/Fitness are my passion so I like to keep one toe in the water at all times by training clients in person and online.
Q: Do you have any tips for professional women?
A: Keep pushing. We have so many talents and so much to give to the business community that we can’t let setbacks of any kind get in our way. I have worked in 2 of the most “old boys club” industries out there and have had a flourishing career by being who I am, truly. With age comes wisdom and at first, I really tried to play a role that I thought would “do better” in those industries but really all I was doing was being untrue to myself. I stifled my opinions, wore clothing that made me feel like I was playing dress up, hid my tattoos and any trace of my BIG personality. That really did nothing but hold me back.
Be responsive, be kind, and be open-minded because you never know who you might want to be doing business with in the future. Success doesn’t look like it used to and open-mindedness really has kept all my businesses going. That, and a healthy side of sass.
Q: What do you love about working in Pittsburgh?
A: Pittsburgh is a “little big city” to me. When I first moved here I thought “oh wow, big American city” then I settled in and realized that while the population is great, the vibe here is less “Manhattan” if that makes sense? It’s been a real interesting challenge to wrap my head around business development, client relations and the culture here, but after two years, I still love it. There’s a fun vibe in the air, most folks you meet are pretty friendly and there are a good number of expats here as well which makes for great “coming to America” stories. Definitely a good place for a start up of any kind if you can wrap your head around your target market.
Q: Any big plans for the future?
A: Yes! Always big plans. We have a lot of ground to cover with our Engineering business by offering a lot of services unheard of in this area. We really have gained momentum in the last 8 months and we are looking forward to growing our team significantly in the next 12. We are starting a blog/vlog on our entrepreneurial adventures highlighting taking business development on the road, travel & keeping fit/sane while working throughout Canada, the US & possibly Mexico. My PT/Nutrition business has nearly reached full scale so, I’m taking very few new clients in now to make sure I have some balance in my life. By 40 you start to realize that 6 hours sleep isn’t going to cut it anymore and sleep deprivation really impacts productivity. I think I will be competing in my last bodybuilding shows this fall/winter so that I can focus more on growing our businesses to a saleable size.
Instagram: @_sasha.williams_
Twitter: @foodmedslife
Facebook: Food Medicine Life
