In just a few days, my family and I are headed to Costa Rica for an ENTIRE MONTH.  This has been a dream that my husband, Mike and I have been working on for the last 3 years since we got serious about setting a vision for our life and our business.  

We have been asked so many questions about our trip, why we are going, if we are scared of leaving our life and business or a month (spoiler alert: yes - we are scared but we are doing it anyway), who will be in charge while we are gone, and what we are hoping to get out of the trip so I am sharing it all here.  I hope our story will inspire you to make the decision to #goforit even if you are scared in your own life.

For anyone that doesn't know my story - my name is Paige Wilcox and my husband and I are the founders of Wilcox Wellness & Fitness - a private personal training business that we recently franchised.  We have 2 locations - one in Bangor that we have been running for the last almost 8 years and one in Brunswick, Maine that has been in business for about a year.
 
We are franchisors of the Wilcox Wellness & Fitness brand and it is our goal to open up one new Wilcox Wellness & Fitness location in New England for the next 5 years. 

I met Mike 14 years ago on a blind date and married him 5 years later. I definitely married up - Mike is my best friend and partner in all things and I absolutely love spending every minute of every day with him.  Not kidding!  Together, we have two wild and crazy kids - Hazen is 5 and Brooklyn is 2. 

​I am originally from Rangeley, Maine - a super small, beautiful town in the western part of the great state of Maine. I come from a family of small business owners - my parents ran a convenience store when I was growing up and I always knew that I wanted to own and run my own business. Not for the typical reasons of ‘being my own boss’ but more for the lifestyle freedom that you can build when you own a business.

I love travel, I love adventure, I love immersing myself in new cultures.  It has always been my goal to be able to live and work from anywhere in the world.  (Don’t worry - Bangor, Maine will always be my forever home.) I have always made travel a priority in my life and I been lucky enough to do a lot a lot of travel in my lifetime.  I have backpacked through Europe, been in the Amazon jungle, and traveled through India.
 
I love the way travel opens you up to view the world in a different way and provides immense amounts of perspective. For the last 3 years, my husband and I have been working on our #lifegoals and planning a month-long live / work trip to Costa Rica with our 2 young kids - ages 5 & 2. We leave in just a few days - it is terrifying, exciting, and super epic. It’s going to be an amazing adventure!

​This trip will be our second experiment in ‘working from anywhere’ - wish us luck!  We feel very confident in the team, processes, and business that we have built in order to physically leave the building for a month.  Thanks to technology, we will still be very much connected to the business.

It is scary to leave our business for an entire month – and our business is our baby.  And our franchise business is our newborn baby. But - our real babies - Hazen and Brooklyn are only going to be this little for so long.  And I am so excited to have this adventure with them - to connect with them through travel - to see the wonder on their faces - to see monkeys in real life - and to open up their minds to the greatest possibilities.  It is scary - but anything worth wild is scary so do it anyway.  We only get this one life and we get to decide how to live it. 

I feel so lucky.  I absolutely LOVE my work.  A lot of people have asked me why I don’t just want to disconnect and totally be in #vactationmode for the month.  The truth is - I love running the business. I love the team I support. I love the clients we serve. I love brainstorming new ideas.  I love creating things to serve our clients better. To me full on vacation mode isn’t desirable - it would be like saying you can’t watch your favorite TV show, or eat your favorite food, or talk to your best friend or your mom, while you are on vacation because you need to disconnect from that thing.  But the truth is, doing those things would enhance your overall vacation experience.  I hope that makes sense.

I think having the opportunity to get away for a solid chunk of time really gives you the opportunity to look at your life, your family, your business, and your priorities with a new perspective.  I think that when we are at home, working, grocery shopping, meal prepping, shuttling the kids around, and doing all the things we can lose sight of the bigger picture. I strive to live a really intentional life.  I know that life is what you make it and I think that sometimes you need to get out of your daily routine in order to really be able to truly figure out what you want out of life.  Things like... How you want to feel on a daily basis.  The relationships that you want to have with the ones you love the best.  The impact that you want to create in the world.  The thoughts that float through your mind.


​I remember one time I was going through a particularly stressful time with an old job (I was an account manager for a scientific distribution company) Mike and I went on vacation together.  It was just a week - we were in Puerto Rico and I was having a hard time disconnecting from work - or work was having a hard time disconnecting from me back in the days where disconnecting was my goal.  I had to be on a conference call on vacation in Puerto Rico on the way to the boat for our snorkeling adventure. I had a lot on my mind after that call and boarding the boat. I remember then putting my snorkel gear on and putting my head in the water.  There was a whole beautiful world down there that I hadn’t even considered moments prior. It made my problems feel so small in the best way possible. The fish would still be swimming, the seaweed would still be swaying, and the waves would still be rolling regardless of what was going on in my life.  And I feel like that is what travel does for us. It puts our life into perspective.

I am really excited to have the opportunity to step back and really assess where we are and gain a lot of perspective going forward.  I hope that our experience inspires other people to fully go for it in their life and do something that scares them. It may not be travel related but really finding the thing that will set their soul on fire, light them up, and make them excited to jump out of the bed in the morning.  Maybe that means applying for a new job, starting a new business, going back to school, or asking that special someone out on a date. Whatever it is, I say throw caution to the wind, go for it - especially if you are scared. What is the worst that could happen? Malaria for the whole family…. Eek - maybe - hopefully not - don’t think that way, Paige!  

I am confident that our whole trip is not going to be rainbows and butterflies, monkeys and waterfalls.  We have a big travel day with a layover in PANAMA with 2 kids under 6 and 2 adults who don’t like to sit still. Our strategy is to bribe the 5 year old with a various assortment of gum (solid, right?) and pray that he entertains the 2 year old.  [Now accepting responsible parent travel advice - come at me!]

​Outside of the challenge of the travel day, I will have the challenge of figuring out how to balance the family time with working time.  I will still have phone calls to support our franchise business and our team in Bangor and other work to do to keep the momentum of the business humming.  I love my work - my challenge will be dialing that back enough to really let the amazingness of our trip and extra family time sink in.

Last year I was really scared of what it will mean to have my kids 24/7.  I had never had my kids like that 24/7 outside of my maternity leaves. I was really scared that I wouldn’t have what it takes to be the very best version of myself for them every minute of every day.  And then I was really scared that I would spend my time beating myself up on that.
 
What I found with our first trip is that it is so much easier to be with our kids 24/7 and I think the big reason for that was that we know what their day is like from start to finish and can adjust according.  Back home, in the daily grind there are plans and school and activities and we can adjust as quickly.  The Pura Vida life surely is much more simple.

I have less fears about being away this time.  But… my expectations are through the roof.  We have been counting down this trip for the last 97 days.  Literally, every morning for the last 97 days our family has woken up and asked Alexia ‘Alexia, how many days until February 27th?’
 
I have learned the expectations are so important to manage and I am doing my best to remember that we are bringing two different kids this year – they are a year old and our business is in a much different stage. 
 
My hope for this trip is that it brings our family even closer together - that our kids see that you can do anything in life that you decide to do - and that life is meant to be fully enjoyed.  I am so excited to play full out - embrace the adventure and the challenge - and be transformed in the process.  

I hope that we bring home a new perspective from Costa Rica that we can use to serve our clients and our team better.  

I hope that the moment we get home, we start planning our next adventure!  

So tell me - what is your next adventure?  How do you want it to make you feel?  What scares you about it?  I want to hear it!

Much Love,

Paige Wilcox

The foam roller is one of the best recovery tools available these days. Using the foam roller properly will help you improve circulation and range of motion while reducing pain and inflammation.   

Foam rollers are almost magical (like unicorns 🦄) when it comes to their benefits …  and they are super simple to use once you know the basics.
 
Foam rollers can help get out knots in your muscles, improve flexibility, help reduce muscle soreness and pain.  They are like having a massage with a therapist anytime you want.  
 
That’s why we’ve created our brand-new Foam Rolling Guide.

We hope you love it - we are sure you will!

Lots of love,

Wilcox Wellness & Fitness




WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!
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Using a foam roller is a proven strategy to help you loosen up and feel better FAST.  With a foam roller, you are able to give your muscles a little self-massage. And it’s backed by science to help you feel less stiff almost immediately.
 
Scientists looked at several studies that explored self-myofascial release (the official term for what you’re doing when you use a foam roller), and they found that foam rolling had a BIG impact on increasing joint range of motion.
 
While it definitely worked for both men and women, it seemed to have a slightly larger impact on women, according to the researchers.

ADDED BONUS: if you work on your SMR at our gym in Bangor you get a little Ollie love as an extra added benefit.

➡ TIP: You aren’t limited to using a foam roller for self-massage. Tennis and lacrosse balls, massage sticks, massage “guns,” and other tools that help you target your muscles can also work!
 
If you want to check out more about foam rolling, click here to download our FREE guide: 

https://wilcoxwellnessfitness.lpages.co/foam-rolling-guide/

HAPPY TRAINING!

WILCOX WELLNESS & FITNESS



WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!
​

The foam roller is one of the best recovery tools available these days. Using the foam roller properly will help you improve circulation and range of motion while reducing pain and inflammation. Download our FREE foam rolling guide here: 
​
https://wilcoxwellnessfitness.lpages.co/foam-rolling-guide/

Please let us know if you have any questions at all.

ENJOY!

Wilcox Wellness & Fitness

Download your FREE guide here: 
https://wilcoxwellnessfitness.lpages.co/foam-rolling-guide/


WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!

This is a sneak peek at our KickStart Kickoff Session.  This session is designed to help our KickStarters feel really confident and comfortable as they start the training process in our KickStart Program.

This session lays the foundation to help you achieve your health and fitness goals.  In this session, you will learn how to get warmed up and cooled down with our Peak Performance System and learn the foundational movements that you will be performing variations of in future training sessions.

In this session, you can expect a lot of coaching from our trainer team.  You will be coached into demonstrating discipline - which to us doesn't mean pushing harder or going faster - it means taking the time to learn how your body moves so you can perform the exercises with proper form, leading to the results you desire.

We absolutely love running this program and we can't wait to have you in our next KickStart Program.  

Click here to learn more about KickStart and get enrolled.  

Happy Training!

Wilcox Wellness & Fitness



WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!
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​Warning: this is a very long and very boring video. But... learning something new is often a very long and very boring process. I am not the most athletic person you may know and I am absolutely the least coordinated person you know so when Mike challenged our trainers to do push-ups on the indo board with feet up on the medicine ball I knew it was something that I wanted to work towards. 

I love a good challenge and I love the process and grit that is required to learn a new skill. And, I think it is important to show the work that goes into doing something that ‘looks cool.’  So often we think we should just be able to do something but for people like me, things like this take work and lots of it. And, I think it is the work, effort, failures, and embarrassments that make the accomplishment even sweeter. 

What are you working on now?

Lots of love,

Paige





WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!
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Here is a quick tip if you sit a lot!
 
It’s about adding some twisting/rotational stretches to your day! It feels GREAT and they can help loosen up your shoulders, lower back, and hips.
 
Our daily movements are made in three planes of motion – either front and back or sagittal, side to side or lateral, & rotational or transverse. The majority of your movements involve rotation. That’s why it’s a good idea to add movements that will help you move in transverse plane more effeciently!
 
Transverse a fancy term for when you rotate any of your joints.
 
Here’s a simple rotating stretch you can do at work...

 
Either stand or sit up tall with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Think about making yourself about 2 inches taller than you actually are, with your shoulders back and abs strong!  We often talk to our clients about 'lifting your ribcage off of your hips.  You are essentially trying to create some space between your upper body and your lower body.  

The more you practice that position, the stronger you will feel throughout your core.  It's EXCITING!
 
With your core lightly engaged, rotate your upper body to the left so that your shoulders start to face the wall on the left side of you. Hold for a breath or two and then slowly turn to the other side. Repeat several times on each side ensuring you do not over-rotate.  Over-rotating can lead to injury, so do what your body allows you to do and focus on a relaxed breath as you attempt to rotate further.
 
Feels so good! If you want to take it to the next level, the picture below is another rotational stretch you can add to your post-workout routine.

Want more feel-good tips?  Be sure to download our foam rolling guide.  It available completely for free here:

https://wilcoxwellnessfitness.lpages.co/foam-rolling-guide/
 
Happy twisting!




WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!

The passion and focus that Mike brings to his training sessions is really incredible.  Mike has the heart of a coach - someone who sees more in you and strives to help you get even better.

He has a really unique way of helping you really focus, work hard, dial-in, and believe that you are capable of more than you could ever imagine.

How do I know this?  I am his wife and he does the same for me.

A couple of years ago we pulled Mike out of the day to day training so that he could focus on building our training team and our training program as we prepared to franchise our business.  

I was the one who pushed for that and although it was the right decision to help impact more people, the fire and passion inside Mike dulled just a little bit.  

Helping people in the one to one hands-on face to face training sessions lights Mike up, fuels his fire, and gives him the energy and perspective necessary to push our business forward.  It keeps that fire burning hot and is something really special to witness.  

Mike trains a few sessions on Wednesday morning at our gym in Bangor and it is so fun to witness.  This video is a little preview of that.  I hope you enjoy it!

Lots of love,

Paige & Mike




WANT MORE OF THIS? Be sure to connect with us on Social Media. We post daily on both Facebook and Instagram for motivation, inspiration, and helpful tips, tricks, and strategies for healthy living. You can join our private Facebook group to go even deeper with us or book a call to see how you can get started training with us in person. We can't wait to connect with you and support you along your journey with healthy living!
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We are so incredibly honored to receive the Bion and Dorain Foster Award for Entrepreneurship tonight.  Thank you, Bangor Region Chamber of Commerce for selecting Wilcox Wellness & Fitness for this amazing recognition.

Thank you to the amazing coaches that we have on our team.  Thank you for seeing our vision and trusting in our mission for the future.  Thank you for being the kind of human whose passion is to help others.  You are all incredible people.

We are humbled and grateful to be able to do the work that we love in a place that we love.  The Bangor Region has been so incredibly good to us.  Bangor is our home and we feel so privileged to be able to create a positive impact and give back to our community in a meaningful way. 

Since we opened our Bangor location in 2012 we have realized steady growth - with a franchise location in Brunswick, a meal prep service, and helping feed those in need through our Burpees for Turkeys fundraiser that benefits the Good Shepherd Food Bank.

Thank you to all who have become a part of the WILCOX community.   Thank you, Allison, for trusting us to support you in opening the first WILCOX franchise location.  Thank you to our parents for encouraging us to be fearless in the pursuit of our dreams.  

And thank you to the many people who have allowed us to help make their lives better one training session at a time.  

To announce the awards, Sutherland Weston operates a covert mission to surprise the awardees.  Leading up to the event we were grilling our team and our clients asking questions like 'have there been cameras in here? what do you know? anything fishy?' 

And we were met with stone faces - we were positive they were fibbing.  

We weren't sure what to expect for the video - would it be a song and dance of all of our clients doing burpees?  Would they put our name into Paradise City?  Would it be something to spoof our training business?

Then - Mike's mother came on the big screen.  She told the story of our business and our love story.  We stood stage left in shock, trying to hold it all together for our acceptance speech.  

Her words left us breathless.  

Thank you, Susan.  You are incredible - you made Mike the man he is today with the great vision for this incredible business that I am and so many others are privileged to be a part of.

At the age of 22, you were a single mother of 3 crazy little boys.  You taught Mike strength, determination, grit, and selflessness.  You taught him how to do whatever it takes to follow my passions.  

We can't imagine how you did it back then, but we know that we are here today, with this great business, because of the traits you instilled in Mike.

Thank you, Sutherland Weston for this amazing memory.  It is perfect and we will love it forever.

Lots of Love,

​Paige & Mike Wilcox
 

Our KickStart program is designed to help you create the life you have always wanted. The program will help you form healthy habits that you can sustain for your lifetime. You will discover limitless energy to enjoy the things you love doing so you can live a happier, healthier, more fit lifestyle that is full of limitless possibilities.
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Hope that video was helpful to you!  Be sure to learn more about our KickStart Program here!

If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us!  We would love to chat with you soon and we hope to welcome you to the next KickStart session.  

Lots of Love,

Wilcox Wellness & Fitness






Join Our KickStart Program!
http://www.wilcoxwellnessfitness.com/kickstart.html
The KickStart Program is designed to help you form healthy habits that you can sustain for a lifetime.  The program includes 12 group personal training sessions and a complete whole foods based meal plan. Click the link above to learn more.