Coffee with Marsha Hughes
Marsha Hughes
Age 52
Short-circuits Fitness YouTube Creator / Fitness Influencer
London-Montreal Zoom Coffee
Marsha and I met at business school. We lost touch and reconnected at (gulp) our 25th reunion. Marsha looked amazing - well she always did. But, what I really noticed when we met again was this amazing energy she exuded. She probably always had it - I was just too self-absorbed to notice at 20.
Marsha told me about her fitness business and I started to follow her on Instagram and YouTube. I was, and am so impressed with how Marsha turned her love of fitness into a business. I also love how really upfront she is about the challenges of being a woman, a mother, a wife, a 50-something person still trying to figure it out.
Describe your career path in two or three sentences including any twist or turns ending with where you are now.
My career in the fitness industry began at Queen's University where I taught “aerobics” and “hip hop” classes for extra money. When I graduated and returned home to Barbados, I opened a Personal Training and Corporate Wellness Company. Over the course of the next eight years, I ran the company, had four children, and quite frankly got a little burned out. It was time for a change.
In 1998, on the suggestion of a Personal Training client and with my husband’s invaluable support, I took a big risk and established a Wine Distribution company - Harvest Wines. We specialized in limited-allocation and vintage wines for high-end hotels and restaurants. It was loads of fun and gave me the opportunity to travel the world, to be creative, to write, to meet many, many interesting people and of course to drink copious amounts of great wine!
The business grew and thrived until 9/11 shook the world and created a ton of uncertainty in the market. Shortly thereafter we decided to sell the company and relocate to the US for the advancement of my husband’s career. I was not allowed to work because of my immigration status and that was fine with me!
Seventeen years and six moves later (with my husband's career), I now live in Montreal. It has been very difficult to figure out what I want to do now that I’m finally grown up. But ironically fitness is what I have returned to, with my YouTube channel shortcircuits_fitness, which gives me a platform to connect with and positively impact literally thousands of people.
When did it feel like this is my business?
My son got into YouTube when he was 15 which is a long time ago, he’s 26 now. When I moved to Montreal for the first time, I started a boot camp and it grew to 6 classes a week with 10 ladies in each class. That was my entry back into fitness. And then we moved again and I thought I would keep it going, virtually. I didn’t, but it was always in the back of my mind.
Then about 3 years later, I woke up and said this is the day! I set up a tripod in my basement gym and I used my phone to record and I went for it. And, I never really looked back. The truth is I knew nothing then, it took me one year to make one dollar!! Now, I am making $1000 a month from advertising and that is based on working just one hour a week. I also make money from relationships with brands. There is so much potential if you put the work in it.
The most rewarding part for me is the feedback I receive from my community of followers. It is extremely gratifying to know that I am helping so many people achieve their fitness and health goals.
Currently I am developing a website for Online Nutrition Coaching and plan to launch it early 2021. It is aimed at people struggling with weight loss, primarily women over 45 in some stage of menopause.
What decision / experience proved to be the most helpful to your career? This could include a failure that set you up for later success.
I know this may sound boring but keeping my professional fitness credentials intact over the years was critical for me. I remained engaged and educated by attending fitness conferences, taking courses and reading respected researchers/authors in the field. I simply enjoyed the learning aspect and the evolution of the industry. I wanted to be armed with information personally even if I wasn’t actively working. This allowed me to jump back in when I felt ready.
What advice would you give your 20 year old self knowing what you do now? And what advice would you tell her to ignore.
I would tell her to pursue a higher education in the area of her passion and not to worry about having to earn income right away.
And to travel, meet people, have adventures and not to be concerned about finding a partner or being alone.
To be confident in her ability to do anything, to be anything.
To have fun.
Where or to whom do you look for inspiration?
I look to my children for inspiration.
My son was my motivation to create a YouTube channel. He has been a highly successful YouTube personality (in gaming) since he was 19, and the hardest worker I’ve ever seen.
My eldest daughter is one of the most ambitious, competitive, driven, and focussed women I have ever witnessed. She enjoys a highly successful career in sales.
My younger daughter Kyleigh just graduated from Queen’s (yay!) and has landed her dream job working with an environmental company. She is adventurous, altruistic and committed to saving the world, one tree at a time!
My youngest, my baby son, well - let’s see.
When you are feeling stuck or uninspired, what actions do you take or what questions do you ask yourself?
I have a coffee and go for a run. The answers and inspiration always come.
In the last 5 years what new belief, behaviour or habit has most improved your working life (or your approach to creating your post 50 work life)?
Sometimes good enough is good enough and the pursuit of perfection is paralyzing. I had to learn everything about filming, editing, lights, audio, set etc. and I was killing myself to get everything right. I would often film a workout five times in order to get the “perfect” clip. I made lots of mistakes and if I didn’t like what I saw I wouldn’t post. Not good. I finally realized that putting something good enough out there is better than putting nothing out there. And most importantly, being authentic is more important and way more relatable than being perfect.
If you could put one quote or piece of advice on a big billboard for everyone over 50 to see what would it be?
Authenticity is more important than perfection.
What is the book or podcast you most recommend for someone?
I highly recommend Switch: How to Change Things when Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath. It impressed me when I read it a few years ago but I think I’ll pick it up again. There is so much change going on in our aging minds and bodies, our situations, the world. We have to adapt not merely to survive but to thrive! It’s hard even with plenty of motivation. This book helps you look at things differently. Perspective is everything.
