Amy Fendley, the gorgeous face on the covers of our spring 2012 issue, is quite a little dynamo.
This Kennesaw resident and mom of two (aren’t Piper, 9, and Pearson, 7, beautiful?) holds the title as 1996 Miss Alabama’s Miss Congeniality, runs her own personal training business (Independent Fitness Consulting), and gets fired up talking about anything relating to fitness (her passion), paying it forward (her philosophy), or faith (her purpose).
Here are Amy’s insights on staying fit with a busy schedule, keeping a marriage healthy…and celebrating life every day. We think you’ll love her as much as we do.
Stats
Name: Amy Fendley
Current City: Kennesaw
Hometown: LaFayette, Alabama
Husband: Christopher, 12 years and goin’ strong!
Favorite Book: The one I’m currently writing. Egg Whites, Wine and Everything in Between. It’s packed with such good information that I simply can’t wait to share!
Favorite Movie: Sweet Home Alabama, of course! Green Mile is a close second!
Favorite Quote: Do your best. Be your best. Do what you can do and that’s all you can do.
Favorite Food: Edamame, Sushi, Veggies & Spicy Hummus
Favorite Way to Unwind: At the beach, in a chair with only one worry and that’s when the tide will reach my chair.
Favorite Family Activity: Go to the beach with many days of fun ahead of us!
Proudest Achievement: That I haven’t lost focus of who I am and where I came from. I’ve never changed from who I am and I never will to please anyone.
Personality: I am very sensitive, grounded, and I’m very protective of my family and my friends and my children’s school. I am fiercely loyal and have a difficult time letting things go unsaid if it needs to be spoken. I personally live up to the old fashioned saying of being “stubborn as an ox.” I would give the last dollar I had to someone in need. I always try to see the positive in everything, and lastly…if you don’t want my opinion, don’t ask me, because I will tell you the truth.
Insights
LBD/LRW: Our spring issue’s theme is celebrations. How do you celebrate life every day, Amy?
Amy: Life is not set in stone, and we don’t have to be followers of others or do what we think is expected of us. I have always chosen to have an “If I can Dream it, then I can Do it” attitude. I have always celebrated life and ALL of its possibilities. This attitude was quite frightening to my parents as I grew up, but they allowed me to be me, and I made it to where I am today without a single starting advantage. It was the encouragement of my wonderful mother and father, my faith in the Lord, determination and a positive attitude that got me where I am.
Everyone should celebrate who they are and never mute their heart’s desires. Celebrate your purpose in life and pay it forward when you can!
LBD/LRW: What inspired you to start Independent Fitness Consulting?
Amy: I honestly LOVE what I do. The logo for my business is a symbol I’ve been drawn to for 20 years. It is the first of the seven Chakra symbols and it means “grounded.” It is also the physical chakra of the body and what’s more physical than exercise?! I am an extremely grounded person and anyone that knows me knows that.
I hold an Associates Degree in Business from Auburn. A Master Cosmetology License from Southern Union in Auburn with extensive training at the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis, MN. I also hold a Personal Training & Nutrition Certification from the International Sports and Sciences Association. My inspiration to start my own business derived from always being in the service industry. My hope as I obtained my business degree was to have vast knowledge of all spectrums in owning my own business from the business side and the service side.
Younger, my focus was making people look good on the outside as a Master Artist behind a hydraulic chair. At present, my job is making people look good on the inside as well as on the outside but this time, in my privately owned gym. I’ve figured out as I have gotten older, it’s the inside part that matters more.
LBD/LRW: Have you always been in shape?
Amy: Absolutely! If I don’t work out, I’m a fussy guss! I also know how important it is to stay healthy so I am just as disciplined with making time for working out as I am getting dressed every day. It’s just a part of my day.
LBD/LRW: What would you tell women who feel that they’re just too busy or prone to give up to ever achieve their health goals?
Amy: Be brave and be patient. Have faith in yourself; trust in the significance and importance of your life and your passion for being healthier. You ARE strong enough to weather anything! Never say I’ll get started tomorrow, because tomorrow NEVER comes for some. My philosophy, though, is a truthful one. A person must be sick and tired of being sick and tired before they will make a change in themselves.
LBD/LRW: And you also have a pageant background, correct? Tell us about Miss Alabama. We want the deets!
Amy: I was in many pageants growing up, as a representative for the City, County and then State pageantry in Alabama. I represented the State of Alabama in 1996 and was more excited about winning Miss Congeniality and placing, than being an “actual winner.” Being liked by my fellow pageant friends and voted on as the “nicest and most well liked” was the best compliment and title I could have received. However, I did learn quickly that I should have learned to play the fiddle as well as Becky Sue Sanderson because her rendition of Devil Went Down to Georgia definitely beat my Patsy Cline’s rendition of Crazy. My mom and dad encouraged me to just enjoy the ride. And I did.
LBD/LRW: Shifting gears, your children attend North Cobb Christian School, correct?
Amy: Yes, we have been a NCCS family for 7 years. Piper is in fourth grade. Pearson is in second. That decision was the best decision we could have ever made for our children. It’s visible everyday in who they are.
LBD/LRW: None of us are “perfect moms,” but if you could share one thing you feel you’re doing “right,” what would it be?
Amy: We aren’t your typical family. I decided as a mother that has encouraged her children to try every activity from ballet to martial arts, that my kids simply just want to be kids. Their academics are wonderful and I couldn’t be more proud. Their love for the Lord is so great and I couldn’t be more proud. Listening to them when they collectively came to me and said, “Mom we just want to play at home, ride our bikes and run in our own yard” was the best thing that I could have ever done for my children. To stay active, we workout as a family, in the gym! There’s time for activities later in life. Right now, they just want to be kids and I say that’s ok!
LBD/LRW: What keeps you going?
Amy: I involve myself and my business in any charitable event that I can! I love giving back, paying it forward and being a giver of my time, especially to those in need! I have an extremely soft spot in my heart for children and the elderly.
LBD/LRW: What gets you fired up?
Amy: I am VERY determined to speak my voice in getting legislation to pass the Phit Act. The PHIT Act creates incentives for Americans to become more physically active. This is critical, given that rates of obesity and physical inactivity are rising to dangerous levels. It will also help reduce health care costs, 78 percent of which pay for treating preventable chronic diseases associated with being overweight and obesity. I write my congressman every week! I don’t want him to forget about me, obviously!
Think about it: the rise of childhood obesity is appalling and the removal of physical education in the public school systems is detrimental to the lives of children that are victims of budget cuts. Parents who feel that exercise is important and wish to enroll their children in activities for exercise outside of school, struggle with the cost of registration fees, uniform costs and the equipment needed for sports–especially if the family has multiple children, which most do.
As a constituent and advocate for health promotion initiatives that promote primary health prevention, I have asked legislation to support the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act (H.R. 2649). This bill allows for health-expenditures to be paid for with dollars from pre-tax health savings accounts. I encourage every parent to write their letter today!
LBD/LRW: What do you most enjoy about being a mom?
Amy: My two daughters are a breath of fresh air to me. Being that they are so different, life is never boring at my house! Being their mother is the best and hardest job I’ve EVER had hands-down, but I enjoy it so much!
One of my greatest enjoyments of being their mother is seeing how they handle things when they fail at something. Too many parents today don’t allow their kids to fail enough to learn life’s hard lessons. I allow my kids to fall flat on their faces when it needs to happen. Failure is a part of life and we can’t protect them from everything. Failure teaches a person how to succeed. Failure is a way to wisdom and every kid needs to learn that.
LBD/LRW: What’s your best source for parenting wisdom?
Amy: I pray for God’s guidance daily to keep me on track and I pray that I’m doing it right! I am constantly encouraging my children to do good and be good. I try to instill wonderful values, morals and daily practices that will help them through their lives. I involve them in everything that I do so that they grow up knowledgeable with most
subjects, from how to iron a shirt and bake a cake to how to pump gas and change a tire! I love my role as a mom: the good, the bad and the ugly.
LBD/LRW: We all have two sides: our little red wagon side (as mothers) and our little black dress side (as our individual selves). What guidance would you give to other women on how to strike a balance between the two?
Amy: It’s tricky and time is the issue for all of us moms. It’s no secret, we all struggle to fit it all in, and there is a fine balance that only a few have found. I’mstill searching for that balance but I do know this: Everyone mom MUST have time to recharge her batteries because, in order to give her best, she must be her best! Make time for you!
the lucky duck
The Mansion on Peachtree
With warmer weather popping up and the promise of spring right around the corner, you’re probably feeling the itch to give your home a little love.
We discovered Emily of 
To follow Emily’s creative life {and snag a free printable download or two}, visit her at 
A tree-lined resort-style drive leading to the Hilton Marietta Hotel and Conference Center welcomes you to the most magnificent wedding venue in town. As the hotel comes into view, its breathtaking grandeur evokes the property’s illustrious history. Lest you assume that historical means outmoded, one peek inside the newly renovated ballroom and guestrooms proves otherwise. These impeccable spaces, paired with the property’s unparalleled amenities, make the Hilton Marietta one idyllic venue. Here’s why:
Hamilton’s Restaurant.
imaginable for an ideal event. The bridal luncheon, rehearsal dinner, bachelor golf outing, guest get-togethers, Bon Voyage brunch, wedding and reception can all take place onsite—meaning you can soak up every minute of your memorable day in one unforgettable setting.
the goods:
the honeybee
