Today we’d like to introduce you to Carli Jay.
Carli, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Carli Jay, and almost ten years ago, I went on a health journey that changed not just my physical self but my entire life, yet I didn’t know it at the time.
I am originally from Sydney, Australia and in my early 20s, I decided to set out on a huge backpacking trip traveling across the world. I visited 25 countries and over 100 cities in six months, getting me from Sydney to London; trying not to fly, so using buses, ferries, trains, and cars as the main modes of transport. It was such an eye-opening experience that I will never forget. The intention was to work in the UK for 12 months and then backpack another route back to Sydney… But soon enough, as I got settled in the UK, it oddly started to feel like ‘home’. And sure enough, those 12 months turned into 12 years…
During my time in London, I had put on a significant amount of weight and was at my heaviest of 280lbs. It wasn’t until one day in 2014, I woke up one morning feeling so unhealthy, pins and needs running down my body and feeling like I was an old lady, yet I was only 28 years old. It was that day I decided to get up and get healthy. It was initially about getting my circulation going, moving my body to get the pins and needles to go away. I started doing 10-15 minutes of exercise a day, looking at my daily calories, portion sizes, and the foods I was eating, and making small daily changes as the weeks went on. I didn’t change anything drastically, rather adjusting my bad habits to more positive ones. Slowly but surely, I started to increase that exercise to 20 minutes, 40 minutes, 1 hour, etc…. to eventually joining a gym, and sure enough, the weight started to come off. It was then I vowed to myself I was going to lose half my body weight, all on my own, with no help from anyone. So I set myself the goal of 2 years to do it. I wanted to make this a whole lifestyle change, something that was sustainable for the long term and that made me as healthy as I could be.
And that is exactly what I did, by February 2016 I had hit my goal and lost 140lbs! I felt amazing, younger than my years, and full of energy. I started documenting my journey on Instagram the previous year and had grown quite a following as a normal woman in her late 20s/early 30s working a full-time office job with no personal trainer, no fad diets, no crazy extreme weight loss tricks, and no surgery. I wanted to prove to anyone who wanted to get healthy and fit that they could, and they didn’t need anyone else to do it; they just needed to change their mindset.
From my social media, I started getting lots of people asking me for help and advice, including professional athletes, so I wrote a biography about my journey called “Half the Size but Twice the Life,” which is available worldwide, as I wanted a quick way to explain my whole journey to anyone that wanted it. Alongside that, I studied as a nutrition coach and launched my own business to help others achieve their goals. I started doing motivational talks at fitness shows and conventions & joining panels to discuss my story, sharing advice with others that could really help them.
As this new side hustle of mine started to take off, covid hit just as I decided I really wanted to expand and reach a wider audience. Alongside that, I had always wanted to move to Los Angeles since I was young, and with the world at a standstill, i thought why not apply for the visa and see if making my own dream a reality was possible? And sure enough it was, I got approved, so I quit my office job in HR Recruitment & Business management, packed up my entire life and moved to LA in 2022.
The expansion of my business in LA has rapidly grown into coaching people in all areas of their lives, from weight loss, health & wellness, to helping small start-ups and new business ventures, social media & digital marketing advice, working with Athletes, celebrities, and influencers, and even assisting established businesses with their goals and strategy.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When I look back, it’s been almost 14 years since I left Australia back in 2010, and if you had told me then what I’d be doing over the next decades, I never would have believed you. The journey has been more than I ever could have imagined, but that’s down to resilience, optimism, consistency, and hard work.
I’m a big believer in ‘if you put the work in, you’ll see the results’, and that goes for all areas of your life. There is this quote that says, ‘Don’t be mad at the results you didn’t get from the work you didn’t do,’ and it’s accurate.
The moment I decided to change my life and stuck to it, no excuses but enjoying the journey instead, that’s when I saw the results that lasted, and those results motivated me to keep going. Once I started losing that weight the right way through long-term sustainable healthy changes, the journey became much easier than I ever thought losing weight could be. I wish I’d started earlier!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Miss Carli Jay Corporation?
Miss Carli Jay Corporation is a Business Services & Coaching company that specializes in consulting, branding, public relations, social media, content creation, project management, business development, strategy, process improvement, operations, and coaching (health/business/life) all for individuals, small businesses, corporate workshops, basketball teams, athletes, sports venues and celebrities worldwide.
I have worked in the corporate business world for 20 years, worked within social media for eight years, and am a qualified life & nutrition coach who has worked with athletes all over the world, including professional soccer players in England and basketball players in the US. It was from here I decided to combine all of my skills of working with athletes & celebrities, social media, and my own business experience to help others achieve their goals.
In summary, I love helping to bring other people’s visions to life. This truly makes me happy to see others succeed!
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
In general, I would say the important things I’ve learned in life are to be authentic, genuine and kind, never stop learning, be adaptable and resilient, and always have your arms open to what opportunities may come your way.
And in business, I would say always be intentional and very clear upfront, have terms in place, be honest about what you can and can’t do, and always know nothing is a problem if we have a solution!
Pricing:
- Initial Consultations are 90 minutes and then all packages are created bespoke for each clients needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://misscarlijay.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/m
isscarlijay - Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/
misscarlijay - Other: Carli’s biography https://www.amazon.com/Half-
Size-But-Twice-Life/dp/ 1528915526/ref=sr_1_1?crid= 35Y4B9GSRY5E1&keywords=carli+ jay&qid=1704748774&sprefix= carli+jay%2Caps%2C146&sr=8-1
Image Credits
Kyrie Iriving and Carli – Photo by Nikki Boutte Deontay Wilder, Telli Swift and Carli – Photo by Shannon Watts Carli with Jrue holiday and Lauren Holiday – Photo by Jody You All others are my own
