Zanna Van Dijk: Magic Begins Outside The Comfort Zone (Even If It's Scary AF)

"I'm still in this mindset of I have no idea where I'm going to be in the next five years. It messes with my head. It's very exciting because there are so many opportunities and you can go in whichever direction you want, but as someone who is very goal-oriented, it's very bizarre to not really know where the industry is going to be. It's not all in my control."

My guest this week is Personal Trainer and Fitness Blogger, Zanna Van Dijk. Her website bio states that she finds it “hard to define her job”.  But why define it when you have your finger in an impressive number of pies? These pies include but are not limited to, being: a Trainer, Adidas Global Ambassador, BBC Podcast Host, Author, Blogger, Vlogger, and co-founder of The Girl Gains.

A 2014 graduate of the University of Sheffield, Zanna studied Speech Sciences. It wasn’t until her second year at university, when she discovered her passion for fitness, that her idea for her future started to change. After graduating, she set off around the world backpacking. It was this journey of self-discovery that confirmed Zanna’s commitment to a career in fitness. Upon returning to the UK, Zanna moved to London to complete a six-week Personal Training course – and hasn’t looked back since.  

Over the past few years, Zanna has juggled personal training alongside a whole host of projects to become a famous face in the fitness world and has published her first book called ‘Strong’. Beyond smoothies and squats, Zanna is passionate about sustainability and the environment. An Explorer and Ocean Lover, Zanna recently launched a sustainable swimwear brand called Stay Wild and wants to make caring about the environment cool.

When offering advice on starting a business, Zanna says “find your passion, embrace the challenge and you’ll work harder than you ever thought you could.” And work hard is precisely what Zanna has done to get so far aged just 25 years old. 

Zanna was literally a DREAM to talk to. Having never had a traditional 9-5 job, she's been forging a truly modern career. We talked all about growing up and how bullying shaped her, how she discovered her passion for fitness, deciding not to pursue a career in Speech Science (even if her Mum was a bit disappointed!), the magic of stepping outside your comfort zone... and SO much more. 

**Follow me:**

**Twitter:** @[katiephilo](www.twitter.com/katiephilo)

**Instagram:** @[katiephilo](http://www.instagram.com/katiephilo)

www.katiephilo.com

**Follow Zanna: **

**Twitter:** [@zannavandijk](https://twitter.com/zannavandijk)

**Instagram:** [@zannavandijk](https://www.instagram.com/zannavandijk/)

**Facebook:** [@zannavandijk](https://www.facebook.com/zannavandijk/)

[http://www.zannavandijk.co.uk](http://www.zannavandijk.co.uk)