From Healthy Jane To Authentic Energy: An interview with Jane Fang, Wellness Coach, Authentic Energy
Those stubborn 5-10 pounds, that unsightly muffin top, non-existent thigh gap, saggy butt or flabby arms…
When we step out of the shower, catch ourselves in the mirror, and see our bodies in raw form, it’s hard not to pick at what we want to physically change about ourselves.
Maybe it’s a moment where we decide to commit to a healthier lifestyle or perhaps like most people, it’s a moment where we quickly grab the towel and look away?
Either way, how we perceive our bodies and our motivation to change goes beyond how we feel physically. And it differs for each individual depending on their emotional, spiritual, intellectual, environmental and social needs.
It requires a breakthrough and transformation in health, body and mindset, something Jane Fang (Wellness Coach, Authentic Energy) is actively practicing with her clients, helping them achieve body confidence using a holistic approach.
Her company, Authentic Energy caught my attention as authenticity is one of my core values and people’s energy is something I’m strongly attuned to.
In addition to our shared interests, I’m always inspired by fellow Asian female entrepreneurs who are pursuing their passion and living the life that they want instead of what society expects of them.
So I reached out to Jane and we delved into her story, from business to culture to her global experiences.
1. Tell me about your journey to fitness and wellness. Have you always been active and healthy? If not, how did you get started?
I was actually not very active at all, couch or desk potato most of the time. My previous career was in architectural visualization.
In my mid-20s, I moved from Sydney to Hong Kong, and I gained some weight shortly after moving to Hong Kong, that was when I started to exercise, I even hired a personal trainer, but for some reason I never enjoyed it.
The true joy came to me finally when I attended group classes, be it yoga or any type of fitness practice. I was very inspired by the impact that wellness and human connection together could bring to people, then I decided to get myself certified in yoga teaching and personal training to gain more knowledge.
My coaching journey began when I met my wellness mentor and his nutrition club 5 years ago, this opened my eyes to nutrition and mindset coaching.
Little did I know that I’d combine fitness, nutrition and mind coaching altogether to help people with a total transformation.
2. I love how you named your company Authentic Energy. What was the inspiration behind the name?
“Authentic Energy” is actually a testimonial from a client! At that time I would go by “Healthy Jane” as my brand, yet I thought “authentic energy” was quite accurate to describe who I am!
I started using this phrase as a hashtag in my social media initially, then it started to gain popularity and more and more people thought it was my trademark, so I decided to use it as my brand, instead of Healthy Jane.
3. Let’s talk about culture because from your background, it seems like you’ve definitely experienced multiple cultures in your lifetime. You were born in Fuzhou in Fujian, China and lived in Australia and Hong Kong before coming to Canada. What are some things from your culture that you didn’t appreciate before when you were younger that you’ve learned to embrace?
So many!!
I started my life in China, where I knew nothing else but Chinese language, customs, and the food, then when I moved to Australia as a tweenager I had to adjust and adapt to new Western cultures.
I almost tried my best to ditch the Chinese language I knew and wanted to eat Western food like everyone else, because it was the cool thing to do, anything ethnic would be considered “weird”. Now looking back, it was also my survival urgency to fit in.
I spent a long period “hiding” my Chinese linguistic skills which now I truly and proudly appreciate.
I am able to read, write and speak Chinese, that is very useful in this day and age!
The culture is really in the language, I plan to teach my kids Chinese too. I now appreciate that some people can hear my Chinese accent because it is an integral part of me, as long as I speak the language and it is part of my DNA, I cannot shake it off from my core.
In my early years, I didn’t take it so well when people spotted my accent, I’d take it as an insult that my English wasn’t good enough.
Food is also my biggest emotional attachment to Chinese culture. Contrary to my teenagehood, now I will find any chance to eat and cook Chinese if possible.
To tell you the truth, whenever I go back to China, I feel like an outsider amongst other Chinese people, yet when I eat the food there, it feels like HOME!
4. You’re a big traveller and you’ve been all over Asia. Do you notice a difference between the fitness culture in Asia versus in North America (Canada)? How do the goals differ between Asian women there versus here?
In the west, most people naturally incorporate exercise as part of their daily routine, whereas in Asia it is seen as a luxury or something they will only do if their health or weight is in trouble.
But having said that, Health & Fitness is definitely a booming industry in Asia now, as more and more people are financially comfortable now to pay attention to their well being. With social media and celebrity influence, the younger generation is relatively more health and body figure conscious too.
You can find a variety of fitness activities in a trend following city like Hong Kong, along with a handful of organic and healthy eatery options. There is also an increasing number of crowd who embrace marathon running, mountain trekking and obstacle course race.
Most Asian women, in general, prefer an ultra slim body, without the curves, they don’t even like to have any muscle definition shown, afraid that’s looking too masculine.
Their ideal workout environment is a clean and indoor space, as opposed to outdoors with sunshine and grass. Sun is a lot of Asian ladies’ biggest enemy, as they prefer to stay pale which is a sign of beauty in Asian culture.
5. What’s next for Authentic Energy? What’s next for Jane Fang?
Authentic Energy Online Programs (Weight Loss, Body & Mind Transformation, Personalized Nutrition) will be launched this summer to cater to people from all over the world.
Team Authentic Energy is also expanding as we speak, in the Asia Pacific and Vancouver, we are always looking for dynamic individuals to join us.
Jane will be exploring more on the life coaching aspect of wellness for the rest of the year and planning to create a Youtube video series on How to live a Positive & Confident Life.
So Readers, what’s your best tip for positive body image? What are some things you do that make you feel confident?
You can follow Jane’s journey:
