Today we have with us on Women Fitness, the brilliant Entrepreneur Ashley Drummonds, whose ABS Pancakes have become an absolute fitness trend in America. Lets know her better!
Ashley Drummonds has recently featured on Shark Tank season 7, HSN (Home Shopping Network), ABC Action news, TBO, Forbes, Zulily and so much more for her incredible line of guilt free and delicious ABS Protein Pancakes (ABSPancakes.com).
Ashley has had the honor of interviewing and sharing the experience with ABC Action News Tampa Bay, Heavy.com, Entertainmentweekly.com, Shark Tank ABC Press, and many other outlets to not just share what the journey of Shark Tank is all about, but also to inspire others to pursue their passions and goals. Ashley spoke at this year’s She’s Fit to Lead conference held in Time Square, New York to share this experience and to help empower young women to create a life and business of their dreams.
ABS Protein Pancakes is completely changing the way America does breakfast so that individuals all over the country are literally able to enjoy pancakes and waffles every day as part of a healthy all natural and nutritious program.
Check out as Ashley Drummonds walks us through her story of ABS Pancakes and more in an exclusive interview with Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You are the founder of ABS Protein Pancakes, which is changing the way America does breakfast. You recently appeared on the famous show “Shark Tank” Season 7. Introduce us to your spectacular journey and how it all began?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: Absolutely! Shark Tank was definitely a surreal experience and is exactly like you see on the show. The Sharks are as intimidating in real life as you see on TV! I started the ABS Protein Pancakes business in July of 2014 and had just been working really hard every day with the help of my boyfriend, Josh just grinding out in the kitchen making every day every single bag of ABS Pancakes, mixing the powders, printing every label, going to the post office every day, responding to every email just doing the startup grind.
I am a huge believer in synchronicities and life directing you in certain ways and at this time the business just started growing so fast organically that I remember talking to people about this big idea I had and what I was doing and in one day I had 3 people make the comment “you should go on Shark tank!”. In my opinion, if you get told the same thing more than once in any given day you should pay attention and listen up because life is telling you something!
So, I called my boyfriend Josh told him about this story and that I was going to apply to be on Shark Tank which was in September of 2014. After applying I honestly let it go not really thinking anything would come of it and I didn’t hear anything back for months until in March (almost 6 months later) I got a call from one of the producers saying they really liked my business and my story and wanted to put me through the next round of auditions to be on the show. Long story short there was a very long process that happens leading up to actually being picked to film that requires so much patience and stress but in the end it was well worth it as I ended up filming with Josh and getting a deal with Daymond John that later aired this past January 2016!
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What is your definition of ABS? Give us your Top 3 Fitness tips to achieve the best ABS.
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: ABS is actually an acronym for Authentic Beauty and Strength which is the whole mission behind the ABS Protein Pancakes. The slogan “I got my ABS while eating Pancakes” has a double meaning because yes the nutrition on the ABS Protein Pancakes is so clean and healthy that it is part of a healthy meal plan, but also going through my own struggle of dieting and depriving my body just to get those 6 pack abs I wanted to find a way for people to enjoy their favorite foods (which mine was breakfast foods like pancakes) while also being able to have the body they want.
In regards to my top 3 fitness tips for achieving abs, I believe abs are definitely made in the kitchen so it all starts with the foods you eat so I would say
#1 Start to clean up your nutrition and choose foods that are all natural. Follow the idea that if there are things in the ingredient list you don’t understand then don’t eat it and try to eat foods that are 10 ingredients or less. The less ingredients the better.
#2 Strength training-especially compound lifts like Squats, Deadlifts, Clean and Jerks, that utilize your total body! I can’t say it enough for women how important strength training is, but the more lean muscle you have the less body fat you will have and in turn the more slim your abdominal section will be.
#3 Stress relief-It is so important that we get plenty of sleep and rest in order for our bodies to function as best as possible and especially women the higher stress we have the higher our cortisol levels are which causes us to store fat around our mid-section so find ways to reduce stress as much as possible through meditation, yoga, having a support group of friends and family, etc.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: I lift a lot of heavy weight all the time! I don’t love cardio and everyone in the gym knows how much I am not a fan of running, but usually 5 days a week I am in the gym working compound heavy lifts like Back Squats, Front Squats, Deadlifts, Clean and Jerks, Thrusters, Shoulder Presses all with a barbell and by heavy I mean some of these lifts are at body weight or over body weight so moves that I can only perform 5-8 reps of. I love lifting for what it does for my body, but also what it does for my confidence.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: Not at all. Like I mentioned, I did the extreme diets everything from no carbs to fat free and really tortured my body trying to fit this “ideal” body image that I think is pressed so hard on women. Now, I just choose healthier all natural foods. I never count calories as much as I just focus on eating well rounded meal consisting of lean proteins (eggs, turkey, chicken breast, the ABS Pancakes), complex carbs (veggies, potatoes, oats, etc), and healthy fats (avocados, nuts, grass fed butter). I also listen to my body so some days if I feel I may need more carbs than others I go ahead and eat more carbs. I don’t follow anything strict as I find that I end up missing out on the enjoyment of food.
Videos
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly what you do to your hair to make them look so stunning?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: Well thank you for that, wow I appreciate the compliment! I don’t use anything special in regards to skin treatment other than I try to always wear sunscreen whether it’s already build into my foundation or I add it on extra just to protect my skin. At night I ALWAYS use moisturizer and it’s nothing fancy a lot of times I just take raw Coconut Oil and rub it all over my skin since it’s natural and has a lot of skin healing nutrients in it. For hair, I think healthy hair and skin comes from the foods we eat so sticking with a whole food all natural nutrition program and drinking lots of water does so much for our skin. I also only wash my hair a couple times a week so it doesn’t dry out and the days that I don’t wash it I try to put in extra conditioner to it so keep it moisturized.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding fitness entrepreneurs who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in field of fitness?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: Trust yourself above anyone else. I wrote an entire article about this and speak on this topic in every interview because I think when anyone is starting out as an entrepreneur that fire and passion keeps us moving forward, but sometimes when we feel stuck or things slow down we think it’s because we don’t have enough skill, enough education, or enough or something that we have to go out and find a coach or mentor to tell us what to do when the truth is we all have an internal compass that navigates our journey. Not that I think there is anything wrong with a coach or mentor because sometimes we just need those people to remind us of how to trust our intuition, but I think it’s important we always get quiet within ourselves and trust that inner voice to guide us.
I also am a huge believer in visualization and law of attraction so before I even started the ABS Protein Pancakes brand I had literally NO IDEA how to start a supplement product, what that even means, I wasn’t a chemist or formulator, I had ZERO clue on what to do. However, every morning before I trained my private clients I would sit on the floor and light a candle and just give myself 10-15 minutes to sit in silence and visualize (or write out) what my ideal life was and I always told myself “dream big Ashley…there are no rules in this space” and I would just let my imagination picture whatever it wanted without putting limits on what I knew and didn’t know. That is even something I practice today to keep me moving forward so I would say DREAM BIG. Don’t let the fear of the unknown scare you or keep you from accomplishing something because once you decide on what you want in life, everything in the universe immediately conspires to help you achieve it.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have created a revolution with your guilt-free ABS Protein Pancakes. Tell us more about these delicious ABS Protein Pancakes?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: I love that word “revolution” as that was the plan! First, I literally eat every day. I never get tired of pancakes and breakfast foods and they are so simple that it takes 5 minutes to make. Currently, there are 3 delicious flavors of Chocolate Chip, Cinnamon Roll and Vanilla Cake Batter that literally lets you eat 4 delicious protein pancakes all for almost the same nutrition as a protein shake! I mean, I am not a protein drink fan I would much rather eat pancakes and waffles for my nutrition.
One serving of any flavor is 4 pancakes and with those 4 pancakes you get:
Under 200 Calories
Over 25g Protein (so important for women to get enough protein)
Under 8g Net Carbs
6g+ Fiber
All Natural
Gluten Free
Non GMO
I always have to remind people because when I do pancake tastings they get these little mini pancakes to sample them and they think “oh is it 4 mini pancakes for that nutrition” and I have to tell them no, it is 4 normal size pancakes you get just like what you see on the website (ABSPancakes.com), what was on Shark Tank and HSN, etc you literally can have these every day guilt free and still stay fit and healthy!
Videos
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Who has been your greatest influence and motivator in starting your popular venture www.ashleydrummonds.com?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: The greatest influencers would be the stories from women over the years from my clients, friends, family, and acquaintances that I just saw this huge need of women who needed to hear the truth about fitness, nutrition, having a healthy body image and the HUGE important of self love. My biggest motivator was the drive and passion wanting to help so many women have a life, body, and business they love and I knew I would first have to show them through my own journey and life that it’s possible in order to help others so I truly just have a passion for wanting to empower women and show them that you really can have the life you want.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have featured on Shark Tank season 7, HSN (Home Shopping Network), ABC Action news, TBO, Forbes, Zulily and many more. How does it feel that you are able to inspire the healthy lifestyle of so many individuals?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: I love it! I can’t tell you how fulfilling and happy it makes me every time I get an email or a comment from a woman who is now happier with herself and her life just from either being able to enjoy pancakes and waffles every day or because she used my coaching to help show her how to visualize and start living the life she wants. I love it! The television and interviews like this are probably my favorite thing to do because I am able to help reach more women and really share the story in the hopes to inspire and empower other women to live their life on their terms! These women’s stories and hearing how much their life has changed inspires me to continue doing what I am doing.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: Share with us your experience of appearing on the Season 7 of Shark Tank?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: I was so excited and so nervous! When you are standing behind those big double doors and have a hair stylist in your face, the camera crew in your face, someone putting your mic on, someone rolling a lint brush down you, then the producers counting down “Doors opening in 10….9….8…” it is such an adrenaline rush and so nerve wracking! I remember looking at Josh saying “Omg omg here we go here we go!” The actual negotiation process takes some serious concentration because you have the Sharks talking over each other, you have question flying from all angles and you are trying to stay focused and grounded. You definitely have to be on point and know your business and numbers while also being yourself.
Fortunately, I had Josh appear on the show with me and helping me so much back stage that I honestly don’t know what I would have done if he wasn’t there by my side so it was such an incredible experience and I am so grateful for the opportunity the show has given me but also the opportunities and connections that have come even just from the exposure.
Ms. Namita Nayyar: What do you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Ashley Drummonds: I think Womenfitness.net is a great site that has SO many tools for women in all areas of their health and fitness. I love that there are articles about specific workouts and exercises, but also you learn more nutrition, recipes, the latest health information and it is worldwide! I also love that you guys have a beauty section as well I am a makeup fan just because I think it is so much fun and brings out my artistic side so I love that it is so similar to what I teach and preach on AshleyDrummonds.com with encompassing mind, body, and soul for women and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of it!
To know the latest from Ashley Drummonds, Check her out at:
Or Log on to her website: http://www.ashleydrummonds.com/
Women Fitness Team thanks Ashley Drummonds for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her.
Videos
All content on this site is copyright of Women Fitness and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.
All Written Content Copyright © 2016 Women Fitness