Brian Ligotti is a health coach and the owner of Dirigo Fitness in Falmouth, Maine. Having overcome years of struggling with his weight, being uncomfortable in his own skin, he obtained his degree in Exercise Physiology because he wanted to make sure no one ever felt the same despair he had felt. Brian spent most of his life addicted to one thing or another; food, then drugs, then food again. Fitness allowed him to find the piece of himself that could face anything and push through discomfort. It showed him that there is nothing more important than your health and that the people around you benefit when you are taking care of yourself. A voracious learner, Brian applies the knowledge he has gained with the philosophy that helped him turn his health around: "The only way to create lasting change is to stay focused, have a clear reason for what you are doing, and be consistent with small changes." Click to tweet: Brian Ligotti is sharing his story to inspire you on Women Taking the Lead https://womentakingthelead.com/245 #inspiration A Woman Who Impacted You Brian’s mom has always been a huge influence in his life. She raised three kids on her own, which was not an easy task. Considering her children often spent their free time fighting, they all turned out to be decent adults. Another inspiration to Brian was Silvia Anthony. She grew up near his grandfather. In the 60’s after her divorce, she started homeless shelters for women with no formal training,  because she wanted to help. Mother Theresa has also impacted Brian for the same reason. Through helping one person at a time, Mother Theresa became one of the most powerful women of the 21st century. What Hold’s Women Back from Stepping Up as Leaders? The most common thing that Brian encounters is that women typically place everyone else before themselves, especially when it comes to fitness and self care. Women tend to think that they have to be able to do it all, all the time. If you are running yourself ragged, because you feel like you have to, that hurts everyone around you. Another thing Brian tends to see is not choosing to be happy in the moment. He believes you have to make the decision to have a good time, despite the bad things happening. The Benefit of Mentoring Women Brian has learned the power of being present with someone through working with women. He finds that a lot of people, when they are speaking, are just waiting for their turn to talk, but women respond better to presence. The power of just “being” in the moment and listening with your full attention is very important. Brian grew up around women, and one of his early survival skills was tuning things out. His mom and sisters would call him out when he wasn’t listening, so this is a practice he has been learning from early on. The Necessary Changes Brian feels that women need to embrace who they are at the core of their being. He has seen that women can sometimes need reassurance when they get in their own head. Current Projects Brian is excited to be offering health and fitness coaching online and over Skype. Skype allows him to see a person’s face and their body language, which is important as he feels communication can get lost in text, email or phone. Final Inspiration “I want to sing like the birds sing, not worrying about who hears or what they think” ~Rumi Links www.dirigofitness.com brian@dirigofitness.com Thank You to Our Sponsors Zebralove Web Solutions: Your website tells a story about your business! At Zebralove Web Solutions, Milly and her team are going to make sure your website tells the story you want your customers to hear. Connect with Milly at zebralovewebsolutions.com to create the impression you want to make! Resources Private Facebook Community: Chat, share and collaborate with other women in the community! Accomplished: How to Go from Dreaming to Doing: A simple, step by step system that gives you the foundation and structure to take your goals and make them happen. The Accomplished C