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Cover Story: IPL Pro Sierra Scharping Is Revolutionizing Fitness & Nutrition

In this exclusive cover story, we delve into the dynamic world of Sierra Scharping – a multifaceted individual who seamlessly navigates the roles of nutrition coach, fitness trainer, and IPL Figure Pro. 

     Sierra’s journey is a testament to passion and perseverance as she shares insights into the challenges and triumphs that have shaped her career. From her early days as a Starbucks barista and college dropout to becoming the Head Nutrition Coach at Hoodie Nutrition, Sierra has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in the health and fitness industry. Her commitment to empowering others through personalized coaching methods and her dedication to creating a positive impact on lives stand at the core of her remarkable story.

OVER THE YEARS I DEVELOPED AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT TRULY TAKES FOR ME TO PLAY MY PART IN A COACHING ROLE AND WHAT 'GIVING MY 100%' TO MY CLIENTS LOOKS LIKE.

ATHLETE ENTREPRENEUR: Congratulations on being our cover girl, Sierra! Let’s start with your journey. As a young entrepreneur, nutrition coach, fitness trainer, and IPL Figure Pro, how do you balance these diverse roles in your daily life?

SIERRA SCHARPING: Thank you so much! Oh gosh, I’d have to say right off the bat if I did not love what I do, I would not be able to do what I do. Over the years I’ve developed an understanding of what it truly takes for me to play my part in a Coaching role and what “giving my 100%” to my clients looks like. As well as everyday life roles and responsibilities.

     Finding balance in your life is a learning experience because you have to be able to see your value and believe it, weigh your passions and priorities appropriately, choose your friends and acquaintances wisely, and mold from your decisions along the way. It definitely did not come easy at first in starting this career. I’ve made mistakes, was way too hard on myself, gave unnecessary time, attention and energy to people or things, and put others before myself in situations when I needed to think about myself.

     All this being said, I’m naturally a people pleaser! So, finding balance in my behaviors with people and situations would not have been possible if I didn’t face trials by fire or didn’t make these mistakes. To this day I’m grateful for all of these experiences because they have built the character I hold today as a Coach, a competitor, a believer, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a wife, and someone I am proud to be.

AE: Your recent venture as the Head Nutrition Coach at Hoodie Nutrition is making waves. Can you share the inspiration behind starting this new venture and what sets Hoodie Nutrition apart in the health & fitness industry?

I KNOW IN MY HEART I WAS MEANT TO DO THIS! THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS OF MY COACHING EXPERIENCE LED ME TO THIS MOMENT.

SIERRA: I know in my heart I was meant to do this! The past several years of my coaching experience lead me to this moment. If you had told 20 year old Starbucks Barista, College dropout Sierra this prior to starting the career, she would think you’re crazy. What started as a random opportunity, transformed into an incredible life-changing journey.

     Being a Coach in the Fitness industry, you really have to be willing to grow, all the time! The growth never ever stops! One area of growth leads you to the next and that’s exactly what happened. I met My partner in Crime (business) Matt Hoodie about 2.5 years into my career and I still had on my training wheels. Making the decision to quit my first job as a trainer at Anytime Fitness was one of the hardest decisions and best decisions I could have ever made. At that time I was hungry for more and where I was just was no longer giving me the growth I wanted and needed and it also had become a difficult, toxic environment for me. 

     Becoming a coach at Transform Fitness was the seed that needed to be planted, and boy has it grown! Matt Hoodie became an incredible mentor, and friend of mine over the years. Add that to my personal experience, stepping into this new chapter with Hoodie Nutritional Coaching was an absolute no-brainer opportunity and I just had to grab it.

AE: Being a fitness enthusiast yourself, how do you incorporate your personal experiences into your coaching methods? What advice do you have for individuals looking to achieve a healthy and balanced lifestyle?

“After multiple dieting attempts, flexible dieting has become most individual’s last resort. And it turns out to be the best decision they ever made.” - PHOTO PROVIDED BY SIERRA

THE BEAUTY IS A GREAT DEAL OF MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS WHAT CREATED MY COACHING METHOD I NOW USE WITH MY CLIENTS. I LIVE MY COACHING METHOD.

SIERRA: The beauty is, a great deal of my personal experience is what created my coaching method I now use with my clients. I live my coaching method. You have to tap into your real life to achieve real long-lasting results. You can’t put life on hold. The more I grew in my experience, the more I was able to intertwine it into my coaching approach. However, I also learned over time to mold with different individuals based on their personalities and lifestyles and overall experiences with the program. All the experience combined is what really makes the coaching style and the successes there more evident.

     “Don’t change your life to fit your diet, change your diet to fit your life.” If you’re looking to achieve an overall healthy lifestyle, choice of diet needs to be realistic to the individual’s lifestyle. For example, the foods you choose to eat and the way you approach your eating habits in a diet phase should be nearly identical to when you’re no longer in a dieting phase, without costing your health or your way of living your life. That being said, you shouldn’t cut certain foods out while trying to lose weight. You’re going to eat them in moderation and balance them with more nutrient-dense foods to meet your body’s needs and stay within your calories. Setting intense restrictions can really start to make your goals a lot more complex to meet and can start to affect your quality of life and will put long-term sustainability far out of reach.

AE: Can you tell us about any challenges you faced on your journey to becoming a Professional IPL Figure competitor, and how you overcame them?

Atrium Cottage - a Greenhouse Getaway

…SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE WERE NOT VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ME. I HAD TO FOCUS MY MIND ON THE POSITIVE THINGS AND WHAT I KNOW IT MEANT TO ME AND WHY I WAS DOING IT.

SIERRA: My experience preparing for my first IPL show was actually incredible and so exciting. I would say the challenges were more mental. There were some loved ones of mine who just weren’t all for the sport itself and the idea I was hopping on stage “in a sexy suite showing off my body.” Therefore some of those people were not very supportive of me. I had to focus my mind on the positive things and what I know it meant to me and why I was doing it. That was enough, along with those who were my true diehard supporters.

AE: What are some common misconceptions about nutrition that you often come across, and how do you address them in your coaching practice?

SIERRA: At this point I feel like a book can be written about the vast amount of misconception in today’s world. If I were to focus on one of the most common ones I would say, low carb diets are still being made out to be more “superior” for weight loss vs. higher carb diets. Despite the research on actual leading causes of obesity. I won’t get all science-y but supposedly during a LCD, (Low Carb Dieting) our glycogen stores (what we derive from carbs) will deplete, allowing our fat stores to be a more effective use for energy instead of carbs. Our fat stores, no matter if we are depleted or not, will still be in effective use.

     Carbs are the very nutrient that is crucial for our bodies in order to have energy, maintain a healthy metabolism, preserve muscle tissue, and promote healthy, regular digestion. LCDs seem so appealing to the eye when someone loses 25lbs in 4 weeks (some Body Fat loss, but most of the loss coming from emptying muscle stores) vs. someone who loses 2-8lbs in 4 weeks on a HCD (High Card Diet) losing body fat while preserving their muscle.

AE: Many admire your commitment to empowering others through fitness and nutrition. Who or what has been your biggest source of inspiration throughout your career, and how has it shaped your approach to coaching and entrepreneurship?

…THE WAY I AFFECT OTHERS, THE MARK I LEAVE…THE CREATIVITY, THE TIMES I TALK PEOPLE’S HEADS OFF WHEN IT IS SOMETHING I’M PASSIONATE ABOUT... I HAVE REALIZED I AM SO MUCH LIKE MY DAD.

SIERRA: I would have to say Matt Hoodie has been one of my biggest sources of inspiration. Similar to an encyclopedia, he attains so much knowledge linking to more knowledge within knowledge. Let me say knowledge one more time…it is absolutely insane. It 100% goes to show looking at his personal achievement of weight-loss and helping his clients achieve it as well. All of his client weight loss combined today totals 3,000 lbs. To this day I am so thankful to have acquired Matt as a friend and an incredible mentor. He believed in me and really saw the potential in me that I couldn’t see. I don’t know where I would be today if it weren’t for him.

     The second person would have to be my Dad, Joe Cannon. He has always been a hard worker. He is a real go-getter in all things in life. He will tackle anything he sets his mind to even if it seems a little absurd. He is absolutely fearless in everything and has always been so full of excitement in life. His outgoing character over time I’m sure has been commonly mistaken as overbearing or embarrassing, but I have to admit I’ve always loved it.

     My dad started the passion for muscle and all things fitness that has continued in myself as well as my siblings. I believe that 100%. His forever glowing character, his ambition in life, his support and love towards me I will cherish in my heart forever. The further I grow in this business, the way I affect others, the mark I leave, the drive, the excitement that I can’t help but have in doing so, the creativity, the times I talk people’s heads off when it is something I’m passionate about… I have realized I am so much like my dad.

AE: Starting a new venture can be challenging. What lessons have you learned from your experiences in entrepreneurship?

SIERRA: Having confidence in yourself is a choice. You won’t have perfection in everything. You can plan to be prepared, but things will not always go as planned. When working with others a “one size” does not fit all. You should 100% always play your part, even if you have clients you work with that maybe aren’t playing 100% theirs. You are better off being your authentic self. Admit you don’t know the answer if you really don’t know the answer and find someone who does. You have to get out of your comfort zone. Converse and get to know others that do what you do because you can learn from them. And some things you learn are to be left at the door or put in your back pocket. Follow and watch the experts and don’t settle for just what you know. Ask questions and appreciate your mistakes because they are a huge part of your growth.

AE: In your role as Head Nutrition Coach, what are your goals for Hoodie Nutrition, and how do you envision making a positive impact on the lives of your clients and the community at large?

I WANT TO SEE THE TEAM REALLY SKYROCKET IN 2024. I ENVISION TWICE THE AMOUNT OF LIVES THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED SO FAR WILL BE CHANGED THIS YEAR.

SIERRA: I am definitely putting Christ first in everything I do. My goal  is to grow further in my knowledge through this experience. I’m excited to further this passion of mine. The way I have approached helping clients and the same as Hoodie Nutrition approaches clients, completely changes the way you see nutrition compared to the way the world sees nutrition these days. It really sets the standard in achieving superior health. You can just have a big name in the industry and make tons of money, but both Matt and I really care about helping people. I want to see the team really skyrocket in 2024. I envision twice the amount of  lives that have been changed so far will be changed this year. I really hope to impact women most of all and help them to see their potential.

AE: Your presence on social media has inspired many to embark on their fitness journeys. How do you use your platform to motivate and educate your followers, and what role does social media play in your overall mission?

SIERRA: Being my true self, sharing my life inside and outside of the gym, showing my days and life at the studio with clients, as well as what my eating habits look like inside and outside of the kitchen. I want people on social media to see what they’d see if they met me in person. I want people to understand that their fitness journey does not have to be so complex. I’ll share content as well as make my own content in regards to nutrition, recipes, alternatives, grocery items, touching on commonly asked questions or misconceptions. Anything I believe can be helpful to others. I want people to come to my page and find it resourceful as well as inspiring.

AE: Looking ahead, what exciting projects or goals do you have on the horizon for your career in 2024? How do you plan to continue pushing boundaries and making a difference in the lives of those you work with?

SIERRA: Oooh, I feel like there’s been a lot of change and opportunity so far this year. Exciting new projects and goals will keep meeting the surface throughout it. What I know now, my goal is to help more people with my Personal Training and Nutrition Coaching both at Transform Scottsdale and Online. I’m excited to get my feet wet more on the social media platforms. For a long time I really hadn’t used my Instagram as a tool. I would share things sporadically but I’m really looking forward to being more consistent with showcasing and reaching others with the knowledge and experience I have.

     My goal is to keep educating myself and dive a little bit more into research, seminars, and through those people I know who are a great resource. I would love to build a room as my own creative space with every gismo and gadget I may need for work, zoom calls, making content, as well as space for my paintings and drawings, and a reading place. I definitely want to travel to new places. I’m excited to meet so many new people! I’m going to keep loving what I do and doing what I do to the fullest. AE

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