Page 84 - Demo

84 || FITNESS MAGAZINE || JUNE 2015 || EDITION 1you show that you aren%u2019t a threat, other girls will open up and quickly realize that you are all going through the same emotions, nerves, and anxiety. It is nice once you let your guard down and make friends and be genuinely happy for others%u2019 success, even in a competition setting.%u201d For those of us who are not familiar with the term Pro Card, we asked the fitness model to explain what this means. %u201cA Pro Card means you have won a top place %u2014 typically a first, second, or overall, depending on the show %u2014 at a national level. Then you can compete on the IFBB Pro Circuit.%u201d This Pro Card is your ticket into the next level of competition. %u201cIt is where the %u2018big names%u2019 of the industry typically get their start and where the athletes you see on the Olympia stage come from.%u201d mber has a huge following on social media, so we touched on how this growing trend impacts her personal brand. %u201cSocial media has changed my life.%u201d Late to Instagram, she was not introduced to the app until the Winter XGames in 2013. Persuaded to join, she learned how to use the app and began posting mostly fitness-related photos. %u201cI noticed the attention some of my progress photos were getting and other larger pages would re-post my photos, allowing me to acquire new followers very rapidly.%u201d She was up to 10,000 Followers within just a few short months of being on Instagram. The new %u201cbig%u201d deal for her occurred when she was contacted by a corporate representative at Nike who wanted to send her free Nike gear to represent their brand as a %u201cdemo model%u201d on Instagram. %u201cYou can%u2019t really complain when six pairs of new shoes show up at your door.%u201d Here is where Amber%u2019s business background would come into play. She started thinking business strategy and starting trading shout-outs here and there and began focusing on photos that gained the most %u201clikes%u201d by her audience. She would go on to quadruple her Follower count. %u201cToday I am at 83,000 Followers on Instagram alone.%u201d Amber has landed multiple sponsorships through social media and currently holds 12 sponsors and two lucrative endorsement contracts.There is a huge demand for one-on-one personal training with the fitness expert and model. So much that she has had to hire a colleague. She feels people out, learns what they are looking for and then will either work with them herself or have them work with her colleague, Lauren Irick. Amber is unable to work with people with eating disorders or those battling hormonal issues. She feels medical advice is a better route for eating disorders than diet plans.