Micaela Faith Meyer - Education is power, you need to start as soon as possible, find your purpose and work on that

MICAELA FAITH MEYER is a multitalented independent businessperson and entrepreneur in several activities, mostly related to the health and fitness industry. A qualified personal trainer, Micaela instructs groups and individuals in Pilates, ballet and yoga. In addition, she is a dietician and nutritional therapist.

Along with being an event planner and coordinator, Micaela does marketing on behalf of organisations and does business networking, mainly through the Upper Highway Pure Lifestyle page.

An independent, self-sufficient woman

Micaela is an unusually self-sufficient person, who has had to help herself to get to where she is today. She remarks, "Nobody really helped me, I mostly had to work things out for myself. I built the right connections to get where I am today by following my passion along life's unpredictable paths." She has had to recognise or create her opportunities and describes these as "blessings aligned with her purpose". She adds that enjoying what she does has also helped her along the way.

Micaela's independence started at a very young age. Her father works for non-profit organisations internationally. This work takes place mostly in rural communities where he participates in community and social development initiatives and makes participatory videos. Her mother is a paramedic. Micaela says of her, "She is the hardest working woman that I know. Regardless of her age, she works 24/7. My mother is more of an inspiration to me than anyone else."

Micaela adds that her parents were "very hands-off" meaning she had to grow up very quickly, be self-sufficient and become independent. Consequently, she says she has lived mainly on her own and started working when she was only fourteen years. "This has driven me to be ambitious, strive for great goals and set high standards for myself."

Another person who has been an inspiration for Micaela in business and life is Rolene Strauss, a former Miss South Africa winner as well as the Miss World in 2014. Rolene inspires Micaela because she has done much to empower many women through giving back to the community and uplifting people, especially women, though her various organisations and by her general example. "I share Rolene's values about health, business, and life," commented Micaela.

More than a fitness instructor

Micaela started her working career by working for a non-profit organisation in the Drakensberg. "At least in part because I love being outdoors in nature, and I am an adrenaline junkie," she commented. In so doing, Micaela immediately realised that she wanted to work with people and empower them. She decided to get involved with the health and fitness industry, and studied aromatherapy, nutrition and completed several other courses.

Micaela worked at Cotswold Downs where she did personal training, and instructed yoga and Pilates groups. A position at Fit 24 Gym in Waterfall followed, where, in addition to instruction classes, she undertook marketing for the gym as well as small businesses in the area. Micaela worked closely with Strut Active, an active clothing brand offering swim and dancewear. Along the way she also managed the DMA gallery and gained experience dealing in art.

During 2018 she started doing event planning and co-ordinated a big event at Cotswold Down that involved dieticians, fashion designers and fitness workouts. "I am passionate about empowering people through living a healthy, active lifestyle, and this became the reason for my involvement in lifestyle events," she explained.

Success depends on the individual

In Micaela's view, women and men should generally have the same approach to business. "Women do however need to be a bit more subtle and more focused on personal relations, rather than just financial wealth," she says. In addition, Micaela believes that women have the same ambition and drive as men in the business world and that success depends on the individual.

In reflecting on her achievements, Micaela says that she is happy to have reached the place where she is, and also happy about where she is going. "There is still much left that I want to achieve, and I have big things planned for 2020, especially in terms of event coordination." She is planning and organising a major lifestyle expo to take place during October 2020 at "The Venue", a wedding and conference centre in the Shongweni area.

Micaela believes that she has achieved a work-life balance even though work is her main focus. "I enjoy most things considered as work, like instructing Pilates, ballet, and yoga. I instruct and work out every morning and evening, but make sure that I have time for myself - I usually rest on a Sunday."

There are no limitations

If she could go back in time and give her younger self advice, Micaela would confirm that there are no limitations to what she can do. She would add that "Education is power, you need to start as soon as possible, find your purpose and work on that."

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