Personal Trainer
Tara Mixon
Tara Mixon
Get to know FHC staff Tara Mixon!
Interview with FHC & Tara Mixon:
Meet Tara Mixon, pharmacist, nutritionist, bike enthusiast, and new FHC staff member/personal trainer!
Tara, you were a pharmacist with a good career. One that assists folks to find solutions for their health problems. What made you decide to pivot from pharmacy to the fitness industry?
Wow, I wish this were a simple question to answer, but in truth it's pretty complex. I knew in pharmacy school (nearly 25 years ago) that the career didn't seem to fit. I was going to be treating PREVENTABLE disease. I wanted to empower people to live healthy lives, not throw a band aid over an issue. I was pretty deep in my education at that time, and also deep in an eating disorder, and didn't have the self-awareness or personal empowerment to step off the pharmacy path. As many people know, the American healthcare system is struggling. There are other parts of the pharmacy industry that are far from ideal as well. Between high drug costs, insurance companies not wanting to cover meds that practitioners prescribe, and PBMs (an unnecessary middleman) taking money from pharmacies, and significantly lowering the reimbursement rates, it is increasingly harder to provide care. As you can see, it is a complicated matter. (Ok, off my soapbox now). I stayed in pharmacy full time for about 12 years before I started to dabble in other careers. It started with yoga, then health coaching (focusing on women: beliefs and behavior associated with food and body). I eventually started teaching barre classes after my favorite instructor stepped away (and she encouraged me to step up). From there it has just been this really lovely and natural transition into the fitness industry. To be fair, I have always enjoyed moving my body. It also was something, there, in plain sight all along!
You are also a life coach and nutritional food expert. What's your best hack?
Ha! You sure know how to ask big questions with few words! Hack... You are probably thinking I am going to say eat more broccoliI...
I would say the most powerful thing you can do is to be kind to yourself. Meaning, we are really hard on ourselves, and often do more to set ourselves up for failure, rather than success. The best way to change our habits is to know what part of ourselves is in the driver seat. Usually it is the part that doesn't believe we can succeed, or doesn't think we deserve to live the life we want. When we learn to hand the keys over to our kind compassionate side, we do what we can to live the life we desire. Said another way, invite more self-compassion into your life. You aren't perfect, nor are you supposed to be. Each moment, show up for yourself with kindness, make sure your choices are coming from a place that moves you closer to the life you envision. Don't beat yourself up when you don't do the "right thing." Remind yourself why you WANT to make a different choice. Then make a different choice next time. Keep showing up for yourself and the life you desire. Only you can create that life. Only you can make those choices. This isn't a straight line, nor is it easy. However, it is rewarding.
What are some of your hobbies or what do you do when you're not working?
I LOVE bikes. I am a bike commuter, and an all around bike rider. I have raced road, cyclocross, cross country mountain, and gravel. I even took a track class at the Velodrome last year (it was far more fun and less scary than I expected). Otherwise I really enjoy cooking, gardening, spending time in nature, international travel, hiking, skate skiing, and doing puzzles. I also enjoy seeing live music. Oh, and I have been learning more about PNW foraging over the last few years and recently added mushroom foraging to the list. As for my next big adventure, my husband and I are planning a bikepacking trip this summer in Utah for a week with some dear friends. In other words, I enjoy many, MANY things!
Tara, you were a pharmacist with a good career. One that assists folks to find solutions for their health problems. What made you decide to pivot from pharmacy to the fitness industry?
Wow, I wish this were a simple question to answer, but in truth it's pretty complex. I knew in pharmacy school (nearly 25 years ago) that the career didn't seem to fit. I was going to be treating PREVENTABLE disease. I wanted to empower people to live healthy lives, not throw a band aid over an issue. I was pretty deep in my education at that time, and also deep in an eating disorder, and didn't have the self-awareness or personal empowerment to step off the pharmacy path. As many people know, the American healthcare system is struggling. There are other parts of the pharmacy industry that are far from ideal as well. Between high drug costs, insurance companies not wanting to cover meds that practitioners prescribe, and PBMs (an unnecessary middleman) taking money from pharmacies, and significantly lowering the reimbursement rates, it is increasingly harder to provide care. As you can see, it is a complicated matter. (Ok, off my soapbox now). I stayed in pharmacy full time for about 12 years before I started to dabble in other careers. It started with yoga, then health coaching (focusing on women: beliefs and behavior associated with food and body). I eventually started teaching barre classes after my favorite instructor stepped away (and she encouraged me to step up). From there it has just been this really lovely and natural transition into the fitness industry. To be fair, I have always enjoyed moving my body. It also was something, there, in plain sight all along!
You are also a life coach and nutritional food expert. What's your best hack?
Ha! You sure know how to ask big questions with few words! Hack... You are probably thinking I am going to say eat more broccoliI...
I would say the most powerful thing you can do is to be kind to yourself. Meaning, we are really hard on ourselves, and often do more to set ourselves up for failure, rather than success. The best way to change our habits is to know what part of ourselves is in the driver seat. Usually it is the part that doesn't believe we can succeed, or doesn't think we deserve to live the life we want. When we learn to hand the keys over to our kind compassionate side, we do what we can to live the life we desire. Said another way, invite more self-compassion into your life. You aren't perfect, nor are you supposed to be. Each moment, show up for yourself with kindness, make sure your choices are coming from a place that moves you closer to the life you envision. Don't beat yourself up when you don't do the "right thing." Remind yourself why you WANT to make a different choice. Then make a different choice next time. Keep showing up for yourself and the life you desire. Only you can create that life. Only you can make those choices. This isn't a straight line, nor is it easy. However, it is rewarding.
What are some of your hobbies or what do you do when you're not working?
I LOVE bikes. I am a bike commuter, and an all around bike rider. I have raced road, cyclocross, cross country mountain, and gravel. I even took a track class at the Velodrome last year (it was far more fun and less scary than I expected). Otherwise I really enjoy cooking, gardening, spending time in nature, international travel, hiking, skate skiing, and doing puzzles. I also enjoy seeing live music. Oh, and I have been learning more about PNW foraging over the last few years and recently added mushroom foraging to the list. As for my next big adventure, my husband and I are planning a bikepacking trip this summer in Utah for a week with some dear friends. In other words, I enjoy many, MANY things!