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Meet Corey S. Taylor

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Corey S. Taylor.

Corey, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Life is a cycle. The last interview I did with voyage was three years ago. I was still living in Atlanta and spoke on my business as a fitness entrepreneur, my views on where the industry was heading and my plans for the future. It’s amazing being three years later and having done everything I said would. 

I was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and raised in Nashville, TN. I moved to Atlanta, GA to take over the fitness and modelling industry in 2010 at age 23. I gave that city my soul; blood, sweat, tears, passion, energy, time, sweat, service. By 28, I had built a brand: Mindful motivation and lifestyle training. 

I went from apartment gyms to my own studio space quickly in the beginning, I began to do bootcamps with live DJ’s, online training, working with celebrities, traveling and collabing with different fitness professionals, even working with professional athletes and training them overseas. At one point, I was training over 100 people a week. All of this was leading me closer and closer to purpose, unbeknownst to me, fitness was just my vehicle. 

Some milestones during that seven years stretch were sharing the stage with Bishop TDjakes at Phillips Arena in front of 70k people. I opened up the woman thou art loosed conference in 2014 with an outdoor class for the city. I was also featured on the A&E docuseries Fit2Fat2Fit in 2016 where I gained over 60 pounds on purpose just to lose it with my client. Also working with emmy nominated actress Niecy Nash, who is still a client to this day. Aside from having my own studio space and the recognition of my peers, I was always wanting to go deeper. I published my first book (the journey) in 2017 and closed the chapter of my twenties by relocating to Los Angeles to build a vision of my life that was expanding with every new moon and experience. I was becoming more than a trainer and I was courageous enough to pursue that notion. Life takes audacity. I was approaching 30 and I knew that is was either now or never to make my next great pursuit so I closed my studio, sold all my stuff (even my car), minimized my life to literally 5 bags and moved my brand and business to the west coast in 2017. 

I couch surfed, volunteered and traveled for a year before creating the next chapter of service I’d offer the people. Between boxing, meditating, speaking and motivating, I knew that I could give the world and this new city something unique. Thus the IAM brand was created: mentorship, wellness retreats, lifestyle training and above all plant-based living. From now on, all my transformations are mind, body and spirit. From athletes to addicts. This enables me to leave no stone unturned as I serve people at their highest. I started a podcast on Apple Music ( The Purpose Podcast) to share my journey through. 

I took a break from the states in August 2019 and decided to stay in Southeast Asia after my last mission trip with the clean water non profit, Ph8 foundation, ended. I am currently in Cambodia serving a small community, raising money for a local school, donating my time and training as an unknown fighter at a Muay Thai gym. It’s been 4 months. I’m the only black man probably in a 2k mile radius and constantly sparring & training with the cities best fighters. I donate a lot of my time to kids and community projects and even have Instagram followers come periodically to join me and work on themselves while here. It’s safe to say I’m known in the community, but part of me needed to be here, needed to forget who I was to so many, needed the space to redefine my why. I’ve been patient with this process. 

I’m currently writing a new book: Shadow Work. It’s the exploration of my own darkness (shadow self) and how it affected me in my pursuit of self and purpose all of these years. This has made me look within myself in ways I never have and has forced me to see things I’ve been blind to. I’m looking forward to publishing and releasing in January 2020. I believe its the conversation I and many other thought leaders should be having with ourselves and the tribes we serve. 

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Life without struggle is not a full life. My greatest lessons have come from my greatest failures. I’ve matured so much from failed business plans, relationships, ideas, etc by choice. As a leader I have no choice. Some of my obstacles early on were simply being an outlier. When you are pursuing purpose, it makes you feel disconnected; I had to find my own way to express and enjoy life as I built my legacy because I wasn’t able to relate any longer to my environment and peers. The top being lonely is cliche but true. This is still something I deal with to this day. 

In the beginning of my journey, I slept outside a time or two because of my circumstances. At one point, I was even paying for groceries with change and eating oatmeal for dinner. It got grimy. However in my mind, I never saw it as a bad thing, I was very young and always felt it was a bigger picture I was moving towards and this would make me value it more. I’m all about the heroes journey, I seek the metaphors in life. I needed those years, it taught me tolerance. 

Moving my life to LA a couple of years ago wasn’t a cake walk either, lot’s of doubts and empty promises from people. I was blessed to have a couple of real friends there when I arrived who helped me, and some dedicated clients, but I still struggled my first year to find my rhythm. Having no money sucks, it messes with a man’s confidence, puts you in survivor mindset, even began to question my purpose, but God kept me. Always has. I surrendered to serving others. This put me in my alignment with the non profit world. Being that I sold my car I was running upwards of 8 miles a day to different appointments and clients and my own training in the LA heat convinced that it was exactly how it should be. Looking back, it was beautiful. I’m built to last and I seem to prove it myself every year, but I know it’s bigger than me, I have enough mental strength to share. 

The most powerful thing a man can have is a vision of his life. This makes the obstacles he must overcome purposeful. It’s all molding, refining, defining. At the time I felt my biggest responsibility was to not let the struggle take my joy. My faith has definitely been tested over and over again, but as it seems, everything always works out for the better. Things are much different now. The secret is this; “You are the star in your own comeback story if you choose to be. You are also the opposition if that so suites you. Life is simply the story we tell ourselves.” 

Prior to my hiatus over seas, I closed the doors to my well-being center in DTLA a business partner and I opened up in 2019. We served a lot of people, and empowered a community, however our business model wasn’t sustainable. There however is a big vision for the brand we built. As an entrepreneur, you always have to be more in love with the birth of something than you are in pain of the death of something- all you can do is transmute the energy into something greater and take what you learned and apply it. You are free to give to the world. 

We’d love to hear more about your business.
Training : Mind and Body 

Retreats : Mission & Wellness 

Youth Empowerment : Youth Activist 

I Serve. Clients can hire me to help them manifest their best self: it’s beyond what they look like. They want to live, eat, feel and BE healthy in mind and body. 

I Teach. Me being a mindful warrior puts me in a different category mentally. I know how to handle pressure and my power. This is what I teach my clients, as life is the ultimate metaphor to fighting. In my sessions, we break down walls, fears and egos. From Athletes to Actors to Working professionals. 

I Travel. I bring people overseas to communities I’m helping to help them see different and serve different aspects of life. I’ve also created a 7 week mindful-mentorship program for schools and organizations. The first cohort is being launched in LA with the Brotherhood Crusade, February 2020. I’ll be teaching inner city youth aspects of entrepreneurship, plant based eating, purpose and more during a 7 week experience. 

What sets me apart is my PASSION and that I’m 100% VEGAN haha. I never write down workouts or presentations. I pull from my heart… I’ve also created unique ways to keep clients accountable over the years such as online programs via apps and my famous Skype training. I love inventing new ways for people to experience my gifts and passion for enhancing their lives. 

I’m your guide. I’m your structure. I’m your accountability. This keeps me fulfilled. 

What were you like growing up?
My mother said I came out of the womb with my fists clinched. In school, I drew a lot of amazing pictures and understood spacing and depth really well, but I also had a bad temper, so I was kicked out of all the art schools and special academy’s. Growing up I was an explosive, creative, sensitive, aggressive only child. At times I felt like the entire universe was surging through me and I just wanted to express it to my environment. I would literally tell my mom these things and beg her to understand. I was an avid drawer, athlete and momma’s boy. 

I was later diagnosed with ADHD / OCD. Sports helped me channel all that extra energy and emotion, as well as drawing and playing instruments. I’m the only child and oldest grandchild by ten years so there was nothing but love and support when I decided to stop taking medication and pursue a more holistic way of living and existing as I got older. I’ve had to work hard on myself but I’m happy I chose meditation over medication, for life. 

My interests growing up included music from the 60’s, guitars, cowboys, high top fades, velvitta cheese, country music, football and my mom haha. I have nothing but good memories as a child- I always felt like I was free to explore anything I wanted and I still feel the same. It’s important to remember you’re that same child today who is capable of anything in the world. My grandparents are my biggest fans. My grandfather is a legend in my eyes. 

In high school, I was a band geek and weight room junkie. Even though I grew up playing sports I loved music and I loved the tuba. I wanted to be the first black tubist in the New York philharmonic. I even took private lessons from the principle tubist of the Nashville symphony. I would later get a full music/band scholarship to Tennessee State University. 

I started my first company at age 14, lawn work for my neighbors. I worked every year in high school and didn’t take for granted one day. During sport seasons I would sale vendor food at ball games, concerts, events etc. During this age, independence was like a drug. I craved it. I was out of the house as much as I could and with my best friend, whom I’m still very close with to this day. 

I would later quit the band in college and forgo my music scholarship. The next year I made the football team, but would drop out of college a year later to pursue other interests. If I’m not passionate about something, I can’t fake it. I always feel like there are options in life, not ultimatums. I would start my second company and new life in Atlanta 2.2 years later. 

Pricing: 

  • The 45 Day Live-In Experience : $5k
  • IAM Mentorship Program : $4k
  • Personal Consultations : free
  • Personal Training Session : $111 

Contact Info:

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